Last Update On : 25 January 2021
When the winter passes and the sun starts shining in the east every day, you know what has come? Yes, summer! And summer with all its bliss brings the grilling season! And there is no way it completes without a nice smoker for your family. Smoking can be an enjoyable hobby, and it also brings delicious foods to your table and make your weekends more enjoyable with friends and family so why not!
The market offers various smoker models varying on different platforms. Some smokers use charcoal, gas, propane, electricity and some differ in appearance, pellet smoker, barrel smoker, vault smoker and kamado cooker, etc. You have to keep the cost in mind too if the price you’re paying is worth the features you’re getting for it. Not to mention the size matters also, if the unit you’re using is much bigger than you need it will be a waste of money and fuel. Similarly, if you buy a unit smaller than you need you’ll have to take extra hassle also. So, as you understand, choosing the best smokers for you can be quite daunting given the vast amount of options available.
So to aid you I’ll elaborate on how to safely use the smokers and review of some brilliant products available in this field.
Contents
- 1 How Do I use the Smoker?
- 2 Top 10 Best Smoker Reviews:
- 2.0.1 1. Masterbuilt 20075315 Front Controller Smoker with Viewing Window and RF Remote Control, 40- inch:
- 2.0.2 2. Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18- inch Charcoal Smoker, Black:
- 2.0.3 3. 18- ½ in. Classic Pit Barrel Cooker Package:
- 2.0.4 4. Camp Chef PG24DLX Deluxe Pellet Grill and Smoker BBQ with Digital Controls and Stainless Temp Probe:
- 2.0.5 5. Camp Chef Smoker 24” Smoke Vault Extra Large with Stainless Door and Adjustable Shelves (SMV24):
- 2.0.6 6. Masterbuilt 20071117 30” Digital Electric Smoker:
- 2.0.7 7. Char-Griller 16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Black:
- 2.0.8 8. Camp Chef Woodwind Classic 24 Pellet Grill with Sear Box – Smart Smoke Technology – Ash Cleanout System:
- 2.0.9 9. KBQ C-60 BBQ Smoker Pit:
- 2.0.10 10. Smokehouse Products Big Chief Front Load Smoker:
How Do I use the Smoker?
Smoking and grilling can be called art because it takes a lot of time and experience to master it. One cannot learn it after using the smoker two or three times, some models are specially made thinking of the beginners. If you are one, you can look them up. Following the instructions and watching videos that help you understand the process of smoking can be helpful for starters.
Preparing the smoker
- Know your smoker. Set it up and keep the essentials nearby. You should keep in mind what fuels your smoker and on average how much time it takes to cook, gas and electricity tends to do it faster.
- Fire up the firebox, keep checking the temperature while doing so and set it up in your desired temperature and lay on the seasoning. Setting temperature is easier with an electric smoker; you just have to set it digitally.
- Ready your fuel. Always have a safe amount of fuel stored, if your smoker uses charcoal then charcoal or woodchip, logs, gas, etc.
- Position your smoker, find a place in the backyard that is safe from strong wind or poses no risk to health or fire.
Prepare the meat
- Keep the marinade ready beforehand, rub it on the meat and put it on refrigerator a night before laying it on the smoker.
- Browse the internet for more explicit instructions on the recipe.
Start smoking
- Fill the smoker with its fuel, if the smoker is electric then plug it in.
- If you’re using wood chips then now is the time to add it, put it in the foil packet of a gas smoker or if it is a water smoker put herbs in the water instead for extra flavor.
- Start the fire and open the air vents. Let it heat for about 20 or 30 minutes. After it has reached up to 400°F let it cool and set your desired temperature. You should know the temperature you need to cook, for example, fish needs less heat than beef and pork shoulders need more heat than small pieces of beef jerky.
- Finally, lay down the meat on the grill or put it on the smoking racks.
While smoking the meat
- Don’t open the smoker much in one session, only do that one or two times, since each time you so you’re letting a bit of heat escape.
- If yours is not a cold smoker, then aim for one hour cooking time for each lb meat you cook. You can extend the time and cook slower by lowering the temperature.
- Rotate the after every two or three hours and each time you do it brush some marinade on it before turning the meat.
- Overcooking is the nightmare of everyone smoking at home. Undercooking is manageable since you can always open the smoker to cook it a bit more, but overcooking is inexcusable. So always remember to check on the meat at least an hour before the scheduled time.
- Take the meat out to serve it when it looks done with reddish color.
Ensuring Safety while Doing Barbecue at Home:
Barbecuing involves several risks that you must know about in order to reduce them. To make sure nothing goes wrong, whether it is a low and slow barbecue or fast grilling, smoking outdoors always calls for safety attention. Since you are concerning yourself with fuel that shows highly explosive nature and also hot metal, you can easily create a disaster if you are not careful. So to keep your loved ones and yourself safe it is expected of you to follow the safety rules. I’m stating few important ones below:
Keeping the fire in control: Fire is one hell of a destructive element in the universe, and since you’ll be using it to cook your food you better be careful. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and never leave the fire unattended. Always keep someone in charge of it if you need to be away, every year thousands of accidents happen because of the lack of carefulness while barbecuing. Also, don’t forget to keep a first aid box ready always.
Following the food safety rules: Food poisoning is more common than the flu. So watch out for the bacteria that roam freely on your food. Even on Brussels sprout, they grow on any temperature above freezing to 165°F. Store in the refrigerator as soon as you are done with serving it. So you have to be especially careful that you reach the temperature to decontaminate it from bacteria, of the food you are cooking.
Remember that any food can get infected by viruses, so always keep foods covered, reserve it in a refrigerator and heat it before using it in cooking. Or the particular procedure needed to store specific edible element.
Following the grilling instruction: Follow the instruction that comes with the manual to grill. You should be able to find the instruction in the instruction book that came with the smoker, or you can browse it up on the manufacturer’s website. It is strictly necessary because not going by rules and causing an accident will be entirely your fault. All kinds of grillers have its own rules of operation you need to keep the basics in mind before you start grilling, it would not be wise to assume that your new griller would work the same way as the previous one did.
Using charcoal safety: Charcoal grillers burn up more fire than gas grillers do. So while using charcoal grillers, be extra careful because the most common problem faced by people is when they try to light up the charcoal. Many uses lighting fluid to do the work but it is hazardous because lighting fluid makes heavy gas after coming in contact with hot coal. Strictly follow the rules if you are using lighting fluid and never take the job lightly.
Using gas safety: If you are using a griller that runs on gas, you might have already faced the problem of something obstructing in the path of fuel. To avoid this check the inside of the grill regularly and don’t forget the back and underneath the machine. Anything even little bugs can climb inside and make the fuel flow in a direction it usually should not. If you see malfunction like this, turn off the control valves and the fuel tank, in a word disconnect everything, you wouldn’t want an accident nasty as that. Be cautious while repairing since gas grillers produce a considerable deal of heat so naturally the hoses, knobs, etc. are as hot to give you third-degree burns if you are not careful.
Grilling location safety: Take the thought of placing your barbecue grill seriously. Check the manual to get the idea of the safe distance from residences, and make sure that the place you’ve chosen has no trees, homes, etc. too nearby. If you’re doing it in the backyard, keeping a fire extinguisher close is a must. And prohibit anyone from going too close near the griller’s hot surface especially children. Accidents give no alerts before coming, but you can certainly take steps to avoid it.
Paying close attention to the smoke: A barbecue master knows the smoke; it can signal if the fuel is lacking and needs more, the smell tells if the cooked meat is about right or overcooking. As much as we love the smell and the smoke with it, the smoke is actually harmful to the human body. It carries carbon monoxide and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons also known as PAH which can cause cancer-causing substance if burnt with grease. When you are breathing the smoke you are taking great health risk, so don’t stay in the contact of smoke too long and keep distance when the does not require you.
Cleaning grease off the grill: Like the machine, the food is also creating flammable materials that are also harmful to your body. Yes, I’m talking about grease; flare ups can be potentially lethal too. But over time grease builds up on the grill and harms the hygiene of the food. Even just after a few cookouts, the bottom of the grill collects several pounds of grease; the way out of this trouble is to clean it regularly. Don’t let the grease pile up on the grill, smoker whatever you are using.
Maintaining food safety: Cooking meats at high temperature can cause Heterocyclic Amines to form which is a cancer-causing substance. So reserving and cooking food should be given utmost importance. To reduce the risk, it is better that you take preventive steps:
- Marinating the food well enough can decrease 98% cancer risk.
- Cook thoroughly but don’t overcook the food.
- Use proper food storage and pack up the leftovers before they start going bad and reserve them accordingly.
- To avoid cross-contamination store the foods in separate packets.
- Thawing the food maintaining health rules is important.
- Try to keep the grilling temperature as low as below 600 degrees F. high temperature can cause harmful substance to appear in meat.
- While grilling, cut up the meat in small sizes.
According to the CDC, in the USA about 48 million people get food poisoning every year, and among them, 128 thousand people need to be hospitalized, the sum of people losing lives are not small either. So to ensure the safety of you and your family always keep the smoker in check if it’s working correctly or not. And protect the quality of food.
ALSO READ: THE TOP 10 VERTICAL SMOKER REVIEWS OF 2021
How to take care of a smoker at home:
To get the most service out of the smoker you bought investing your money, taking care of it is a must. If you’re really serious about a pleasant smoking experience for a long time, maintaining it accordingly is very important. Because just by spending a lot of money to buy a smoker does not assure it will last long if you don’t take care of it as you should. The procedure can vary a bit based on the different types of smoker we discussed. You can use vertical water smoker, electric smoker, propane smoker, etc. without preparing much beforehand. Some require seasoning and some will need periodic repaint and repairing. But more or less all need to be cleaned after every use. If you do it regularly as you should it will not only last long but also will give you less trouble along with better service. If we briefly sum up the requirements of the maintenance of a smoker at home, we get:
Seasoning: Usually, the larger smokers are the ones that need seasoning. There should come an instruction manual telling you what needs to be done before you start using it. Follow that accordingly and you should be fine. It is quite similar to seasoning an iron cast pan. First, coat the whole interior inside with oil, don’t sweat yourself with what type of oil to use, whatever oil you use be it palm oil or peanut it actually doesn’t matter because the choice of oil won’t make a big difference anyway. Once it is done, increase the temperature of the smoker and let the oil heat up, it will cover up all the imperfection your metal smoker’s surface has and will create a block that will repel water and keep it from rusting. Then, try to keep the temperature in 250 to 275 degree Fahrenheit, higher than that can damage the paint of your smoker. Some cheap vertical smokers can shed their body paint even at a low temperature as 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Even if your smoker doesn’t need seasoning before use, it is still suggested that you heat the fire up once above the temperature of 250 degrees F, the heat will help the metal get rid of any contamination along with giving you a hang of how to use it.
Smoking: Smoking is necessary to all smokers even if it doesn’t need seasoning. Like oil does after a good seasoning, smoke repels water and prevents the smoker from rusting. When you let the smoker smoke, it creates a protective surface over the metal. To make sure your smoker doesn’t get a layer of creosote you have to allow enough ventilation to keep the fire going. Because in a poorly ventilated smoker creosote takes place. It is a nasty substance which is harmful to the human body, and you don’t want this in your smoker for sure.
Cleaning: To maintain the protective oily coating it is very important that you remember to keep your smoker clean after every use. Because every time you use the smoker, food residue builds up on it which is not good for metals. But don’t be harsh on the metal by scrubbing it hard. To keep the oily protective surface and to keep the rust away you’ll have to re-season it periodically. And always remember to clean the ash out, for if it stays on the smoker for a long period of time, it absorbs the oil and water and makes the metal to rust. Same goes for grease; it also traps the water against metal so it would be wise if you just gently scrape the grease away.
Cleaning Rust: While cleaning your smoker check thoroughly for rusts. If you find any forming, I suggest you clean it immediately. Use a good wire brush or perhaps some sandpaper to scrub it out. Then repaint it with barbecue heat resistant paint. Remember the scrub away the old paint completely and use good quality paint, this way it will last longer.
A big secret of mastering the way to greatness is to know your equipment. This saying fits in almost every skill. Since the inputs you invest are not only financial also the time you spent and along with great meat, you also get outputs like knowledge and experience. So you must take care of the smoker you bought because this is the only key to your expertise on smoking delicious meats.
Top 10 Best Smoker Reviews:
Buying the best smoker for you while keeping your necessities in check can be a little complicated. Given the unlimited choices the market proposes nowadays. So as a solution to this problem, I’ve tried to accumulate data from various model’s buyers and analyzed them in as unbiased manner as I could. But you should kindly consider that this is not a ranking, just some outstanding products that you might want to check before you buy any.
1. Masterbuilt 20075315 Front Controller Smoker with Viewing Window and RF Remote Control, 40- inch:
Who doesn’t want a good barbecue for family dinner? And Masterbuilt’s affordable price with maximum available space makes it more worth the money. Even though people don’t necessarily put electric smokers on top their list, this smoker is bound to win your heart. Though you won’t get the taste of wood burned barbecue, but if you live in an apartment, you don’t have another choice. But with the precise amount of heat and time in cooking can present you with delicious smoky meat. And this model is equipped with elegant stainless steel.
Features:
- Contains 975 sq. inch space for cooking.
- The wood chip loading system operates smoothly even without having to open the smoke door.
- Includes a drip pan on the front access.
- Heats up to 1200 watt and entirely insulated in foam to contain the heat.
- Equipped with four smoking racks coated in chrome.
- Ensures even and consistent smoking by the integrated thermostat temperature.
- Digital electric smoker sized 40 inches.
Pro:
- It’s as good for beginners as it is for pros.
- Comes with an RF remote control which controls on/ off, temperature, time and internal light.
- The days of hassling with charcoal and propane are over.
- Vast storing space. Can easily contain 12 whole chicken/ 48 sausages/ 24 burgers/ 4 racks of ribs or 4 pork butts.
- The control panel is displayed in blue light for more comfortable outside use.
- If any parts get damaged can easily be replaced.
- The drip pan that catches meat juice is very easy to clean.
Cons:
- Some complained that a few parts don’t last very long.
Best deal you can find among the electric smokers available in the market at this affordable price. Quite easy to operate, and has no complex settings. Just set up the time and temperature and the rest will be done automatically by the smoker.
2. Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18- inch Charcoal Smoker, Black:
The first Weber grill was created by George Stephen while taking in mind the satisfaction of his family and loved ones. And his legacy continues till this day exceeding the expectations of customers. Now it has become a synonymous word for backyard barbecue to make a family and friends gathering more jolly and by filling the air with the aroma of smoky meat. This smoker will make you waiting all week eagerly for the weekend’s barbecue party. Keeping your satisfaction in mind, they continue to develop their product. The user-friendliness of Weber Smokey Mountain is hard to beat, suitable for beginners. It uses charcoal as a heat source so that you can have an authentic smokehouse flavor at home.
Features:
- Equipped with porcelain enameled steel and a heat-resistant handle made with nylon.
- Comes with 2 nickel plated cooking grates that are 18.5 inches wide and 481 square inches.
- It has a built-in thermometer and a water pan; separate vents on bowl and lead and a storage cover.
- The aluminum heat shield is rust proof.
- Charcoal is the source of heat.
- Measurement is as follows 21 by 19 by 41 inches.
- It comes with a limited warranty of 10 years.
Pros:
- The cooking grates are extremely heavy duty.
- Comes with a premium cover for the smoker.
- Will easily win rib championship.
- Perfect smoky meat every time!
Cons:
- Poor quality control. Some customers complained that they got defective parts consecutively.
Weber Smokey Mountain is a leading product in the category of best barbecue smokers. And a top quality deal you can find in the market.
3. 18- ½ in. Classic Pit Barrel Cooker Package:
Pit barrel cookers may not be the best the look at, but their service is top class. They are vertical in model, so they will cost you pretty less compared to other smokers. All you need is one cook to fall in love with this one. Its sturdy build is built to last, the multi-level cooking surface will make your life easier, and you can also remove one of the grates to do it more perfectly. You can also hang sausage links and even turkeys to smoke it and serve it like a chef! This smoker is declared the “best bargain on a smoker in the world” by AmazingRibs.com and they also awarded it the top Best Value Gold Medal Award.
Features:
- Hook n hang your meals with pit barrel smoker’s steel hooks; a standard grate is included for grilling.
- For a flawless cook, a charcoal basket is included, sized ideally for the right amount of charcoal.
- Pit Barrel Cooker is very simple to operate, thanks to its unique design that allows producing impressive result consistently.
- You’ll face less hassle compared to other cookers, minimal assembly required.
- Comes with a complete package of 2 hanging rod, a standard grill grate with a charcoal basket, 8 stainless steel hooks and a hook remover tool.
Pros:
- It uses the “Minon Method” to serve you the perfectly smoked meat.
- By following the instruction that comes with the package, you’ll be a barbecue expert in no time.
- Very easy to use and maintain, perfect for beginners.
- Best cooker in best price. Just set it and forget it.
Cons:
- Found nothing!
As long as you follow the directions prescribed, you’ll find zero disadvantages. Trust me on this one and check it out. Your money won’t go in waste.
4. Camp Chef PG24DLX Deluxe Pellet Grill and Smoker BBQ with Digital Controls and Stainless Temp Probe:
Searching for a solution for the outdoor smoker? Then you’d surely love this model of Camp Chef! It has a large pellet grill. Eating out will be easier and fun every time with Camp Chef. It adds a delicious flavor to your food with a smoky vibe. If you want to cook like a pro without a super-sized trailer, this product is unrivaled. This will cook your food slowly with professional temp control. Set it up, and the smoker will do the rest, it has said to keep the temp within 20 degrees of the target temperature
Features:
- No more babysitting the smoker! With the advanced digital control, you can smartly control the temperature and auger feed pellets automatically in the grill and keep the temperature to produce an optimal amount of smoke.
- Cook whatever you want however you want! On a single grill you can bake, roast, grill, braise and barbecue with premium wood flavor.
- Digitally control the temperature between 160 degrees to 500 degrees, to check the internal temperature with the meat probe or toggle it with the push of a button.
- No more wrestling with the vacuum while cooking! Just pull a lever and the patented exclusive ash cleanout system does the rest.
- Equipped with 141 inches upper rack area. With 19.5 X 22 inches grilling area and 6 X 24 inches smoking/ warming rack, its total rack surface measures 570 sq. inches.
Pros:
- Cleaning ash requires no hassle; this technology is Camp Chef’s own.
- Very easy assembly.
- Large cooking space.
Cons:
- Lacks quality control.
- Some complained it to be noisy.
Great model for outdoor cooking and if you’d love to have a pallet smoker – better check this one out.
5. Camp Chef Smoker 24” Smoke Vault Extra Large with Stainless Door and Adjustable Shelves (SMV24):
Want to explore the fantastic world of barbecue? Camp Chef’s smoke vault can take you there with the least cost! This model is very affordable and cooks your food low and slow. It uses heavy gauge steel wood-chip tray and water plan to infuse an exclusively delicious flavor in your food. Camp chef provides their own natural gas kits, unlike any other propane smokers. This smoker comes with 2 spacious cooking racks and also a fish rack with inner mesh. You can also add two more racks for five levels of smoking. Not to mention a water pan to moisturize the food.
Features:
- Comes with 2 adjustable cooking grids and a jerky/ fish rack.
- Equipped with three adjustable damper valves; one on both side and one on top.
- Non-complex door thermometer that reads from 50 to 550 degrees.
- A protected burner drum that does maximum heat control.
- Matchless snap- ignition.
- The package includes a handy guide of various cooking tips and recipes with barbecue ideas that are intended to help you.
Pros:
- Cleaning is easier with the removable porcelain base tray.
- Best deal in best price.
- Easy assembly.
Cons:
- The thermometer on the door doesn’t give the exact reading.
- Can’t hold the smoke without a gasket.
You’ll have to make a few more purchases after buying this one to make up the short-comings. But the output will surely be worth it!
6. Masterbuilt 20071117 30” Digital Electric Smoker:
Without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars, you can get a smoker that works wonders. A great build with a lower price tag compared to others. This model is suitable for indoors as well as outdoors. With its unique design, Masterbuilt always presents us innovative products. If you want an authentic smoky taste without having to hassle with charcoal and propane this model is just for you.
Features:
- Equipped with a digital panel to control on / off, temperature and cooking time.
- Four smoking racks coated with chrome and an adjustable air damper to control smoke.
- Equipped with Masterbuilt’s very own side wood-chip loading system. With it, you can add wood chips to the smoker without opening the smoke door.
- To ensure your food cooks in even and consistent heat, Masterbuilt has added an integrated thermostat temperature control technology.
- The smoker body is fully insulated.
Pros:
- Huge storing space that can contain 6 whole chicken/ 2 whole turkeys/ 8 racks of ribs/ 64 sausages/ 24 burgers or 4 pork butts.
- Large drip pan.
- Can hold the desired temperature within a few degrees.
Cons:
- The paint is not temperature proof.
- Not much good at keeping a low temperature.
Just like the previous Masterbuilt smoker, you can check this one if you want an electric smoker at an affordable price. The choice is yours.
7. Char-Griller 16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Black:
Char-Griller presents the two in one kamado style cooker where you can both grill and smoke your food like a pro. Controlling temperature is much easier with this smoker, you can do a slow roast and high heat without any problem. The adjustable damper maintains the air and the kamado design allows you to have more smoke in less charcoal by using the fuel efficiently. Its strong and sturdy build is long lasting; the exterior is finished with steel coating and porcelain coated steel in the interior. This product is one promised quality product.
Features:
- Total 447 square inches with 314 square inches primary cooking space and 133 square inches warming rack.
- The insulated heat ensures less airflow using less charcoal which leads to juicy meat.
- The cooking surface is cast with iron, the body is built to last with 22 gauge steel and the exterior is powder coated steel while the interior steel is coated with porcelain.
- The cart is made of tubular steel; the rubber wheels have locking caster on front.
- Equipped with a locking lid, 2 folding metal shelves, dump ash pan with double wall insulation and heat gauge.
Pro:
- With the triple-walled insulation, it retains heat easily.
- Adjustable top and bottom dampers; you can note the position of the damper because the indexed damper is numbered.
- Foldable side shelves that contain hooks to hand utensils.
- Ash pan is easy to clean
Cons:
- Poor quality control.
Cooking low and slow is the specialty of kamado cookers, just try the cooker and you’re bound to fall in love with it. This is indeed a great combination of both price and service.
8. Camp Chef Woodwind Classic 24 Pellet Grill with Sear Box – Smart Smoke Technology – Ash Cleanout System:
Another quality product from Camp Chef! This woodwind model is one of the top selling products from them. Anyone who wants to leave bland chicken and burnt steaks behind in the past, this is for you! This exquisite woodwind model will do all the work for you. Just turn it on and set the temperature, which requires no difficulty with the digital temperature control system. You’ll have the best food ready for you with the minimum effort ever. Grilling is better and easier with it, the premium hardwood pellets that are used to generate heat and smoke infuses savory taste in the food. It doesn’t matter if you are grilling, smoking, searing, barbecuing, roasting or braising, you can achieve perfect results with the temperature set between 160°F to 500°F which could be upgraded to 900°F with the sear box.
Features:
- Equipped with digital temperature control and automatically auger feeds pellet into the grill, maintaining the heat ensuring smart smoking technology.
- Cook how you want to and however you want to; be it bake, smoke, roast, braise or grill your favorite food with the rich wood-fired flavor on no more than one grill.
- Set the temperature as you wish between 160°F to 500°F just by tapping with your fingertip. Cooking fast or slow is up to you now.
- The cooking surface covers 570 square inches with additional space upon removing upper warming rack; which enables to cook for your whole neighborhood.
- Comes with Camp Chef’s exclusive ash cleanout system that is not available in any other grill. Cleaning is as easy as pulling a lever.
- Crisp and caramelized sear every time with the sear box which can reach 900°F. Get a professional seared finish easily. The sear box is fueled by propane.
Pros:
- No more babysitting the griller.
- Easiest ash cleaning system which means the end of days to wrestle with vacuums and ash.
- Affordable price.
Cons:
- The temperature fluctuates sometimes.
You can consider buying this to smooth your journey to grill mastery. You’re sure to be thrilled with its wonderful features.
9. KBQ C-60 BBQ Smoker Pit:
This innovative wood-burning smoker creates smoke on an astonishing level! Bill Karau invented this smoker as a solution to smoke quality and temperature control. Its patented Inverted Flame Firebox absorbs heat and fire from underneath the wood fire instead of the top; which creates heavy smoke and red-hot fire that burns to send up the oven a clean and blue fire. This simple system is designed after years of research and analysis. It also won Hearth & Home’s Vesta Award for innovation. The owner of the idea of this smoker is very much confident of his product, and will surely be able to win your trust.
Features:
- Features Smoke Selector of 14GA 304SS with Inverted Flame Firebox technology.
- The control box consists of AutoDraft Technology of 18GA 430SS.
- The cook box can hold up to 60 lb and has 12 position racks.
- Four wire shelves that can be interchanged with full-size hotel pans.
- Two 3 inches wheels that are pre-mounted on rear legs.
- Comes with one fire tending hook and a sweet KBQ can coolie.
Pro:
- Adjustable smoke profile; creates excellent smoke.
- Authentic wood fire taste in food.
- Stainless steel construction.
- Produces high quality smoked meat.
Cons:
- It is not a “set and forget” smoker, you’ll have to babysit it. You’ll need to add wood about every 30 minutes later.
- Finding the right size logs for the smoker can be challenging. It cannot be too big or too small.
If you are ready to take on the hassle for fuel, this smoker is the best of the best. The immense customer satisfaction proves that. And if you don’t mind paying attention during the smoking process, try this one out. You’ll never regret it.
10. Smokehouse Products Big Chief Front Load Smoker:
If you are looking for a master smoker for smoking fish, jerky, sausage, cheese, etc this smoker has no rival. You can cook at this smoker in consistent lower temperature which preserves the quality of your food. The premium smoke ventilation system makes sure of proper dehydration. This is an excellent smoker, but not really perfect for cooking your food, unless you keep it in the smoker for a very long time. Since 1968 this company has dedicated itself in making the best smokers in small sizes and easily won the hearts of people. It is listed by UL, CUL, and CSA
Features:
- A 165F heating element which is non-adjustable.
- Chrome plated grills that are easy to slide in and out.
- Durable aluminum construction, making it perfect for outdoor use.
- Maximum capacity flavor fuel pan along with a dishwasher safe drip pan.
- The smoker’s capacity is maximum 50lbs.
- Comes with a recipe booklet containing all the instructions needed along with a 1.75-pound bag of wood fuel from Chips n’ Chunks.
- 2 years limited warranty to be secured from manufacturing and component defects.
Pro:
- Affordable and lightweight.
- Easy to clean and assemble.
- Steady temperature powered by electricity.
- Best to smoke fish, sausage, etc.
Cons:
- Temperature cannot be adjusted.
- Not advised to use indoors.
- Not literally perfect for big cut of meats.
As long as you want to smoke something that doesn’t actually fall into barbecue section like jerky, fish, sausage, cheese etc, this is the perfect smoker to consider.
FAQ
Q.1: Window or no window, what is the difference?
A.1: A little amount of smoke tends to get lost in the windowed unit. The smoke makes the window foggy making the sole purpose of having it useless, but it is easy to clean it up later.
Q.2: How well does a smoker works in cold weather?
A.2: It depends on the smoker, but for the most cases weather is not much of an issue. Although it might take a longer time.
Q.3: How often is it required to add wood chips in the smoker? Is soaking them necessary?
A.3: After adding them on the beginning you’ll have to add more when the smoke starts disappearing. It is not mandatory to soak them before adding, but it lasts longer if you do.
Q.4: If the cooking grate is iron cast is there anything else needed to season it?
A.4: You can season it with Crisco or Canola oil, rubbing a slab of onion or potato works as well.
Q.5: How difficult it is to clean ashes from the grill after using?
A.5: It is very easy to remove ashes; you only have to unlatch the lower vent of the smoker and slide the ashes into the dump. Some smoker offers exclusive features like pullout ash by just pulling the liver.
Q.6: How long does a tank of propane last?
A.6: It will last approximately 14 hours or longer. You should be able to cook at least 3 times before it empties.
Conclusion: After having read this article to this point you must have understood that every smoker has its own unique quality. The best option differs if you search based on indoor or outdoor smokers, whether you want it fueled by charcoal, gas or propane or you want it powered by electricity. The choices don’t necessarily end there, hot smoker or cold smoker, smoker with or without the griller, etc. To make efficient use of money, first, it would be wise to get your essentials listed. Then look for the smoker that fits most of your criteria. That way you’ll have to worry less about spending your money on some product you don’t actually want. It will be great if this review helps you in your way of finding the ideal smoker for you. Hope you can pick one from these wonderful smokers and start cooking like a pro for you and family. Happy Barbecuing!
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