Let me chime in here as a former WSM enthusiast. WSM is how I got my start in smoking. Loved it for about 15 years. I always thought when I bought by WSM that I'd be a "few times a summer" smoker. I found I enjoyed smoking foods so much that I was smoking much more often. It was too much of a pain to smoke in the winter though. And although I sometimes enjoyed puttering around with spritzing and mopping, I didn't enjoy the first several hours of adjusting vents to get a consistent temperature. And by consistent, I mean anything between 215 and 275 was acceptable. Talk about temp swings. Plus, I did not enjoy the Maverick going off every few hours while I was sleeping because it might go above or below the generous temp range I had set, and having to get up and adjust the vents, only to be awoken a couple hours later because of an over/under vent adjustment. Or other times, when the outdoor temp was low, or if was windy, additional babysitting was necessary. Definitely a science to all of that. It was seeing Masterbuilt on QVC that got me interested in electric smokers. I did some research and soon discovered how crappy Masterbuilts were made, and found the SI. I still have my WSM, and have not used it one time since I got my SI. I have a certain nostalgia for the WSM, and should probably sell it, but it was my first... And I still think I might use it again one day if I need to smoke for a large crowd. Everything in the SI has been superior in moisture and flavor. No spritzing or mopping. The SI holds moisture very well. And because you are not using charcoal, you can really taste the nuances of the wood smoke and species. With the SI, you can buy any wood chunks you want. No having to buy special pellets or pucks from the manufacturer. The sky is the limit for wood choices. Don't worry about the temp swings in the Model 1. They are no problem for BBQ. Conventional wood and charcoal smokers have much larger temp swings, and that's what is used for competition BBQ. Sometimes simple is better. The size of the #1 sounds like it will fit your needs. It is just right for me. I enjoy the ease of use, and getting some sleep. And, I smoke all winter long. I smoke in my #1 on my back screen porch, and can smoke in a blizzard if I want.