Check Out The Best Smokers Under 500 | Our Editors Choice

Before we Start – What is Smoking Meat? We smoke meat to add some natural smoky flavor in the meat. This meat is delicious to eat. That's why everybody loves to smoke meat. But it is not very easy to smoke the meat very efficiently. To do this job, you need a smoker in the first place. So, as you can see the general purpose of a smoker is to add some natural smoky flavor in the meat. A smoker is a certain element for your backyards party.

Vertical smokers are one kind of water smoker which can be differentiated into three compartments. Generally, the heat source of these smokers is charcoal, and the fire is set in the lower part of the smoker. Above the heat source, there is a water pan. This water pan runs the smoking system. Above the water pan, you will see a smoking chamber. Here you have to add the meat, and then you are all done.

Commonly known as offset. It is a two-part smoker. The central part is the cooking chamber with a long grate and metal barrel. The firebox has a top or side ventilated access to enter smokes. The small hole size is adjustable to enter a fixed amount of vapors. Smokes travel from the firebox to the cooking gate and then exits from the top of the cooking grate. Thus, the meat is smoked. It can be both charcoal based and electrical based.

Box smokers are also commonly known as vault smokers. This smoker is the ideal type smoker to lock the smoke. This smoker contains multiple grates for cooking. These grates are parallelly placed. The most vital feature of these types of smokers is you can cook multiple items at the same time. Also, you can lock the smoke for a long time into the smoker. But you should be sincere before buying one of them. The first and foremost thing to consider before buying one box smoker is checking out that it is insulated or not. If it is not insulated, then you can say it is a lousy smoker for you.

Pellet grills use wood pellets as their fuel. Wood pellets produce a light smoky flavor which one is the most desired output while smoking meat. There is an external storage bin that is full of wood pellets. This bin is also called hopper. The cooking chamber contains a large cooking grate which is made of non-sticky cast iron. This type of grills has a temperature controlling system with a digital dial.

Also, there are so many varieties of smokers available. Your choice should be according to your need because every smoker has its merits and demerits. Every smoker is made for some special kind of purpose.

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Smoking, Grilling, and Barbequing may be possible in the same smoker, but they are a different thing. Their cooking method and teste are different from each other. So, you need to know what's the exact difference between them. Let's start.

While barbecuing a slice of meat, the temperature should be kept constant as well. This process takes more heat than smoking meat. But barbecuing meat doesn't take that much time as smoking meat. While you are barbecuing a piece of meat say as pork ribs, the temperature should be kept between 190 to 300-degree Fahrenheit. It is considered as low temperature while smoking is regarded as shallow temperature. Barbecuing a piece of ideal size pork rib takes just one hour. Barbecued meat is delicious without any doubt. We do practice barbecuing for a long time. It is a traditional food. But you need to be more careful while barbecuing. You should be paying more attention to maintain the temperature constant always. Otherwise, you will end up grilling the meat.

This is the most exciting thing you might get. Grilling is effortless and very delicious to eat. But the process of grilling is quite different than smoking and barbequing. Instead of cooking at a low temperature for a long time, grilling takes a concise time, but you need to set the temperature at very high. The approx temperature should be kept between 400-500-degree Fahrenheit. In this temperature, you need to grill the meat only for a few minutes. Just keep that in mind that you always need to keep your eyes open during the grilling. Otherwise, the meat might end up as a brunt one. Before grilling the meat, you have to put different spices over it. Also, there are so many different ways of grilling according to different places and culture.

So, as you can see, there is a lot of difference between these three types of cooking mentioned above. But the good news is that you can cook all these three types in just one smoker. That's why we need to concentrate on choosing the right smoker.

As I have mentioned above, there are so many types of smokers. But remember one thing that every type of smoker has its purposes. So, you cannot choose any smoker willy-nilly. You have to learn about a smoker at first. Then you must compare with your need. If your need meets the feature of the smoker, only then you can buy that smoker. Otherwise, it will be a waste of money. So, let's find out the vital facts which should be considered before buying a smoker.

• Fuel type: All smokers run on fuel. But the nature of the fuel is different from each other. It can be charcoal or wood smoker where the primary fuel is charcoal and wood. Also, a smoker can be electric. These are easy to ignite, but some smokers may lack the exact traditional flavor. Also, there are pellet smokers where the fuel is wood pellets. Nowadays, the most famous smoker in the market is propane smoker which one is fueled by a gas tank filled with propane. It depends on your fuel availability and your choice. Every type of smoker have advantages and disadvantages.

• Features: Sometimes features of a smoker depends on the price of the smoker. High priced smokers generally offer more features than a low-priced smoker. But this concept is not always true. There are some excellent quality products in the market at a low price also. But the features are there for you to meet your need. You should not pay more money to get more features if you are not going to use that feature. For example, if you want to get some works in cooking process done by the smoker itself, you should go for an electric smoker which contains automatic features.

• Size: Size of a smoker matters more than any other facts while buying a smoker. Some have the wrong information that you need a larger size of a smoker to feed your whole family. This is a misconception. Because you can cook for a big family (approx. 20 members) with the smallest size of a smoker. So, why would you choose the bigger one? A big size smoker is needed when you are having a backyards party for the whole day long with your friends and family. Also, the setup place area is a matter of concern when you intend to buy a smoker. In my opinion, if it is only for you and your family, go for the smaller one.

• Brands: Brands are just not to cost you a lot of money for a mere product. Brands ensure you to give you the quality product. A renowned brand will always provide you good products. That's why that brand is famous. There are so many famous smoker brands available in the market. They always offer you some great features that should be considered. Also, the build quality is a considerable fact when we take branded products.

These measurements are vital when you are going to choose a smoker in the market. Remember that smokers do have a lot of variety. But some essential measurements are common for every smoker. So, you should decide carefully when you are about to buy one smoker for yourself.

Well, for the beginner it is quite a difficult task to choose the first ever smoker. Because most of you don't know what is a smoker and what is the general purpose of it. Most of you may have seen one in the backyards of your friend's house, and now you want one for yourself. These cases are very common but not considerable. You should not buy a smoker only for your mind pleasure. If you do so, it will just remain unused. First of all, you need to be passionate about cooking stuff. You need to have that much patience to smoke meats for you and your family. As you know by now that smoking takes much time you should be more considered about cooking. Now if you have decided so far that you are going to buy the first ever smoker of your life you can follow these steps.

• Internet is full of information and resources. You should learn about the purpose and working process of a smoker. For example, you can watch Youtube videos about smokers.

• You have to decide which types of smoker you need. It will be settled according to your budget, features required and your storage capacity. In this article, I have mentioned a lot of types of smokers. You can check out every kind of smokers on the internet to become determined. Choose any of the types very carefully.

• When you are done with the types, you should be giving most attention to the brand and model. There are so many reviews available everywhere. In this article, I'm also going to provide a review of best smokers under $500. If you are a beginner, you might have a low budget for buying a smoker. Then you can continue this article to the end to get the full review of top 10 smokers available at the market under $500.

• After reading the full review, you will get to know about every product here. You will get elaborated product specifications, all of the pros of that product and all of the cons related to these products.

• And now it is the final time when you choose the final product for yourself. Do not try to get more features. You should consider which product meets the maximum of your needs. Now, you are all done. Order your desired product from Amazon, and here you go.

Beginners always face so many misconceptions while buying a new smoker. Some people convince them to buy random products. Some people just get attracted to the fantastic product advertisement. But in the end, they do not care about quality. Here in this article, you will have the best products available at the market, and the product quality is guaranteed.

• You should consider which fuel source is going to be in the smoker. You should decide this thing on your own.

• The most important thing is understanding the quality of a smoker. It is not very easy when it comes to the judgment of quality. So, at first, you need to read reviews of best smokers under 500. In, this article you will have a full review of the top 10 best smokers under 500.

• You shouldn't be taking a large smoker when a small smoker can do what you need. Larger smokers are for big occasions like a whole day backyard party.

• Versatility is another essential thing to consider. You might see that a smoker can be used for smoking, grilling, and barbecuing. You should grow more interest in these multipurpose smokers because it is all in one package.

• Your smoker should have a vast range of temperature control. Because sometimes you might need only 45-degree Fahrenheit and sometimes you might need 500-degree Fahrenheit. So, make sure your smoker has this feature while the temperature always remains constant.

• A smoker at this range should have useful heat distribution feature. The meat should have the same temperature at every portion. Also, the smoker should be insulated. Otherwise, the heat will be rejected from the smoker gradually.

• A good smoker always includes a lot of accessories that you should need. Nobody wants to spend more money on buying these accessories.

• And in the end, your smoker should have a long-time warranty and guaranty. Because it is vital to have these securities, make sure your smoker is made from a good manufacturer.

These things are very crucial when you are going to have a smoker under 500. So, be aware of these vital points and make sure you are buying the right one.

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Features

• Lid, bowl and center section is porcelain enameled. That's why it can retain heat very well and don't rust or peel.

• It has two cooking grates which let you cook two large items at once.

• To measure the internal temperature of the smoker, there is a silicone temperature grommet.

• It can easily adjust the dampers; that's why its temperature remains constant always.

• It has a door to add more charcoals in it.

• Stable legs to keep the smoker straight and more durable.

Pros

• Very low price and a good value for money.

• The temperature remains high and constant for a long time.

• Two cooking grates help you when you need to cook more than one dish at a time.

• The smoky flavor added into the meat is not comparable with others.

Cons

• It responds a bit slowly.

A smoker like this Weber mountain will make your yard more beautiful. It looks great and also its performance is pleasing. It is a real value for money. So, I will tell you guys to check this out and then pass your own experience.

Features

• Heavy gauge black porcelain lid and bowl.

• It has Accu-Probe temperature gauge and rust-free air.

• It is a 3-in-1 smoker grill so you can do both wet and dry smoking.

• It has multiple vents to maintain the temperature constant.

• The upper lid contains a horizontal bar with five hooks to place meats, ribs, fishes, etc.

• Every cooking chamber contains a 19-inch in diameter of cooking grate.

• Every cooking level has a thermometer to measure the temperature of each cooking sections.

Pros

• It does not take pretty much room. It is sufficient in size and effortless to move.

• It is a 3-in-1 smoker grill so you can grill multiple items at a time.

• The horizontal bar with five hooks helps you to hang up meats, fishes, and ribs easily.

• The multiple vents help you to keep the temperature at an optimum level.

Cons

• The temperature reaches slowly at peak.

What more I can say about this smoker. This is a real value for money. Your outdoor cooking experience is going to add some more spice after buying this.

The smokehouse is producing Big Chief smoker from 1968 in the USA. Since then they have been providing this renowned smoker. The specialty of this smoker is it is engineered well to control the temperature at constant. It is also engineered well for proper ventilation. It has five big racks where you can grill up to 50lbs meat. This is quite a number. That's why everyone is very keen on buying this smoker. No matter how much people you have in your party, you have to put the meat into the smoker, and then you are done. Its application is also, so you can find it user-friendly.

Features

• It is a leading front smoker which comes along with recipe and instructions.

• Also comes with a 1.75 pound of the bag where you will find Chips n' Chunks hickory flavor wood fuel.

• It has a non-adjustable heating element which operates at 165-degree Fahrenheit.

• Slide chrome plated grill; fuel pan has a maximum capacity.

• Can grill 50lbs meat at once.

• Durable aluminum body. Only for outdoor usage.

• No assembling problem has to face.

• Two years warranty.

Pros

• This is a large grill. It can cook a massive amount of meat (50lbs) at once. So, you can invite as many friends as you can in your outdoor backyards party.

• You can also have multiple dishes at once.

• Very easy to use. No additional cost is needed for installation.

• The temperature is beneficial for cooking, and it remains constant.

Cons

• Not very useful for big size meat like Boston butt pork.

This electric smoker is quite a thing. You need not worry about its quality. It is just fine as it is described. Grab your own Big Chief today and enjoy your desired grill and BBQ party.

Our main target for smoking meat or fish is just adding some delicious smoky flavor like hickory, cherry, and mesquite into our meat. And which smoker can do it best? Yeah, you got the right idea. Char-Griller E1515 Patio Pro Charcoal Grill is here for you. It can cook meats with these flavors like no other else. It is a multi-layer smoker so no need to worry about cooking two or more dishes at once. It also comes with cooking instructions and other different delicious cooking recipes for you. Now you can cook like a pro and will get praised by everyone in your friends and family. It also has temperature control dial so that you can prepare your food at your desired constant temperature.

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Features

• Comes with two cooking grids and a jerky rack.

• It got three adjustable damper valves. One is at the top, and the other two is at each side of the smoker.

• The door thermometer is easy to read. Its limit is from 50 to 350-degree Fahrenheit.

• It also includes cooking tips, recipes and new cooking ideas for your better experience.

• Water pan, heavy gauge steel wood chip tray is included.

• For easy cleanup, you have the removable porcelain base tray.

• It is featured with matchless snap ignition.

Pros

• Very easy to install. You don’t have to face any problem.

• The amount of smoke is good enough for having the desired smoky flavor into your meat.

• The temperature remains constant always. You will also find a constant temperature at each portion of the meat.

• Easy to move.

Cons

• The smoker is not insulated.

The design and features are world class for sure. I think this is a real value for money deal. You can check this product out without any hesitation.

Do you love Texas-style BBQ smoker? Yeah, this is the perfect one for you. It will meet every possible need you have for a Texas-style BBQ smoker. The professionals and backyards enthusiasts broadly use it. It has a solid build quality. Robust and flexible parts have been used in the exact place. The fire grate is adjustable which gives you total control over the smoker. It has great storage. You can cook more than enough amount of meat in the smoker at once. Another good thing about this smoker is it is very easy to clean up. After your cooking, you need to wipe out your smoker with water mixed detergents.

Features

• This is a traditional charcoal smoker with a firebox at the left side of it. It is a Texas-style barbecue smoker.

• The grill barrel and the firebox are made of heavy gauge powder coated steel construction. Cooking grates are made of nonstick cast iron.

• It has a removable charcoal drawer for adding more charcoals into the smoker and to dump the ashes.

• It has two wheels for easy to move.

• Additional features include storage rack and temperature gauge.

• The cooking surface is enormous (580 square inches approx.). The side firebox is 250 square inches.

• Assembly required smoker.

Pros

• It meets all of your Texas style barbeque needs.

• It can cook a massive amount of meat at once (140lbs approx.).

• Easy to move; easy to handle and easy to cook.

• Rock solid build quality. So, it will serve you for a long time.

Cons

• It needs assembly before cooking.

If you are a Texas-style BBQ lover, then you might regret not buying this. It is precisely what you are looking for. So, check this product out; buy for your backyard’s BBQ party and become a hero among your friends and family.

6.Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker

We are changing our cooking style day by day. As you know that the traditional charcoal smokers are too much time-consuming. So, it will be wise if you change your smoker into a digital electric smoker. Also keeping the temperature constant is the main challenge in charcoal smokers.

On the other hand, electric smokers always keep constant temperature. This smoker is something. It locks the smoke into the smoker wholly. And the flavors added into the meat is awesome. It also contains a digital display to observe and set the temperature inside the smoker.

Features

• The whole smoker is insulated and double walled.

• User-friendly advanced control panel with blue LED screen.

• It has a removable food thermometer.

• Comes with glass door, stainless steel body and dual tone finished.

• It has large and stainless-steel smoking latch for the smoke tight feature.

• Large capacity grease tray (8.5 cups).

• This electric smoker is less power consuming.

Pros

• An electric smoker always saves your time. So, when you are in a hurry, this smoker is going to be the savior.

• The smoke lock feature gives you lesser loss of smoke which means your meat is getting the maximum smoked flavor.

• The capacity of the smoker is enormous.

• Easy to monitor the whole process and the machine is user-friendly.

Cons

• Some find recovering the heat troublesome when they removed the door.

An electric smoker featuring all of these fabulous features is quite rare. I think this is the perfect electric smoker for you. Grab yours today and thank me later.

This smoker is specially made for increasing your grilling experience with 100% organic and natural BBQ wood pellets. This smoker enhances the smoky flavor in the meat. Also, this smoker is more comfortable than any other smoker to operate. You can grill anything in this smoker no matter what it is. It also includes a grease bucket holder for collecting hot grease. Z Grills technology is world class and a famous one. It does not copy other smokers design and build mechanisms. It has its own pretended model. Also, this technology enables you to cook multiples items (6 in 1) at once.

Features

• It has smart smoke maintain technology which always keeps the temperature at an optimum level. This smoker keeps the temperature between 180^oF to 400^oF by using the electrical feedback system.

• The temperature always remains at +/- 20^oF of the settled temperature.

• This is a 6 in 1 barbecue wood fire pellet grill which includes gills, bake, smoke, braise, roast, barbecue food in only one grill.

• 100% hardwood pellets fuel it.

• Very unique and stylish model.

• Lightweight (84lbs); easy to move.

• The grilling capacity is enormous. The main rack is 399sq inch, and the warm rack is 139sq inch.

• It offers you a lifetime guaranty.

Pros

• Electrically fed and controlled temperature controlling system always keeps the temperature constant.

• Large grilling capacity lets you grill three racks of ribs at a time.

• Lightweight smoker lets you move it very quickly anywhere.

Cons

• The thermostat should have been engineered better.

I think this time you should know about the real smoker which is fueled by 100% natural wood pallets. The Texas style BBQ is now at your home. Check out this excellent product.

Another Camp Chef product on the list. This product is useful for them who don't need a big smoker. It's shaped look like a vault which looks like a premium product. If you are very keen to add some delicious and 100% flavors like mesquite, hickory and many others in the meat then grab this product right now. Variation of cooking temperature is quite impressive (from 160-degree F to 400-degree F). It contains an adjustable temperature dial. All other necessary equipment is included, so you don't have to buy any extra accessories. Now lock smoke in the meat with Camp Chef Vault 18".

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Features

• Two large and adjustable smoking racks.

• Three adjustable damper valves, one on the top and other two at each side of the smoker.

• The door thermometer is easy to read. Its limit is from 50 to 350-degree Fahrenheit.

• It also includes cooking tips, recipes and new cooking ideas for your better experience.

• Water pan, heavy gauge steel wood chip tray is included.

• For easy cleanup, you have the removable porcelain base tray.

• It is featured with matchless snap ignition.

Pros

• Sufficient size for an average amount of grilling.

• The smoky flavor spreads all over the meat very quickly.

• Cooking tips and recipes will help you to understand how to smoke the meat properly and how to cook delicious foods with the smoker.

• Matchless snap ignited.

Cons

• You need to be more careful when you are trying to fire up the smoker.

This product is one of my favorite smokers in the market. So, it is highly recommended by me.

You are always in want of a smoker which is fun to use. Seek no more; because the Cuisinart 36-inch smoker is here. A massive smoker like this is very useful for cooking any amount of foods. Also, you can set the smoker any time anywhere. It connects very quickly to the propane tank. The most attractive feature of the smoker is you can control both the temperature and the smoke inside the smoker very effectively. It comes with the compact build quality. And after cooking, you are going to say that you had a great experience with this smoker indeed.

Features

• It comes with four stainless-steel shelves with a diameter of 14"x14".

• The water tray and the wood tray are porcelain enameled.

• There is a vent in the backside of the smoker to give extra tabletop space on the top.

• 40” long and regular hosepipe.

• It has two doors for optimal smoker access.

Pros

• At this price range, this product is unbeatable. So, you are going to get the maximum output from this smoker.

• Very easy to install and very easy to ignite.

• Effective smoke and temperature control system helps the meat to be cooked at the desired temperature with maximum smoky flavor in it.

Cons

• Condition of the water and wood chip tray is not much good.

As I said earlier, at this price range this product is unbeatable. It will let you have almost every feature that a premium smoker will give you.

This smoker has got a large chamber in which the meat cooks very nicely. The smoker has got multiple racks in it. So, now you can cook a massive amount of meat and various items at once. Also, it contains two doors. These two doors help you to tend wood chips and other things without any change in the smoke amount and temperature. This propane smoker uses a single propane burner for firing the woods and water for the smoke. This burner got a temperature gauge to keep the temperature at a constant level. After your cooking, the smoke distributes to the meat evenly. So, this smoker will give you a premium smoker experience without any doubt.

Features

• The cooking surface is enormous (595 square inches).

• Comes with three chrome plated cooking grates.

• There is a warming rack situated at the top of the smoker chamber.

• The propane gas feature produces the best quality of fire which keeps the heat and temperature always constant.

• The wood chip and water tray are porcelain enameled.

Pros

• Propane gas smokers are always easy to ignite; easy to cook.

• This smoker always keeps the heat constant and always produces enough smoke to get a good flavor in the meat.

• If you are looking for a smoker that can cook a massive amount of meat, then it is the best one.

• Easy to handle and easy to cook. User-friendly interface.

Cons

• The boxing is not good that much.

I should say this smoker took all of my attention when I took a look at this smoker. It meets all of the specifications which a customer might need. Looks very fashionable and premium. Grab the smoker; become the hero of your backyards party.