How to justify $500 for yet another cooking tool.
Okay, so I have just about every kind of cooking equipment imaginable short of a Tandori oven. Inventory includes double oven, high speed low drag ceramic cooktop, microwave, pressure cooker, stainless steel outdoor grill and a cheap smoker. Have I missed anything?
I’m about to drop $500 on a stainless steel outdoor smoker. Really, you may ask, do you actually eat that much brisket, pulled pork and ribs? Let me tell ya’ there’s more to smokin’ stuff than just barbecue.
Smoked Salmon Bisque
Ingredients:
2 tsp butter
½ Onion chopped fine
1 tbs flour
1 medium potato cubed small
2 C fish or shrimp stock
½ C heavy cream or whole milk
4 oz smoked salmon*
Directions:
In a 2 qt. sauce pan over medium heat sauté onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour and continue cooking stirring constantly for one minute, just long enough to cook the raw flavor out of the flour. Add stock and potato, simmer until potato is very soft. Blend in a food processor or with a stick blender until smooth. Flake the salmon in small pieces into the soup. Simmer briefly to blend flavors and add cream or milk, do not allow to boil. Stir and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
*Requires hot smoked salmon, smoked at 200-250 F until it flakes easily, about an hour.
Smoked catfish, oysters, shrimp and a host of vegetables all take on a whole new personality over other cooking methods. Grilled chicken salad? Heh, try smoked catfish or salmon.
= new reply since forum marked as read
My expensive items are for prep, not cooking (though the VitaMix can cook soup.) In a little bit, I'm going to try out the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes recipe with my stand mixer.
I guess my other investment in my cooking is my "library" as I would suspect to be the case with most everyone else here 
I just now ordered a digital oven thermometer. I'll make do with my quirky apartment kitchen electric oven until that purchase arrives. I haven't had any problems with temps before, but it will be nice to know how far off the dial is (it's also loose, by a 25-degree margin.)
I have a kiln shelf as a "pizza stone" already, and it does well with making pita bread 
Your processing your decision...you know that the smoker is of good quality and will last...and will be used for a vast variety of delectables.
We who cook know that "good eats" arise not from just cooking knowledge and skill but is interdependent with the quality of cookware and the grade of the ingredients. 
My equiptment is like a part of my family. 
And don't forget to get that Tandori oven on your way out!
no fuss, no muss. I like to keep smoke and other strong aromas (like fish stock) out of the house.
I have thought of that sort of smoker for small jobs like shrimp or a single serving of something. Might get one to use on the side burner of the grill where I do the fish and shrimp stock.
Since I do all the shopping and cooking my wife gives me anything I want that relates to cooking. We have an agreement; I feed her well and she keeps my out from under a bridge.
Wife and I have an agreement, I feed her real well and she keeps me from under a bridge.
In the OP I forgot the Sous Vide and the deep fat fryer . . .