The 8 Best BBQ Smokers

There’s a saying that “food speaks volumes,” and in the realm of barbecuing, it’s a conversation straight from the soul. The tantalizing scent and the decadent flavor of slow-smoked meat can transform an ordinary day into a gastronomic celebration.

BBQ smokers are the hidden gems behind these sensory delights. Engineered to slow-cook meat to a tender finish while permeating it with a smoky essence, these devices are a game-changer. No matter if you’re a novice or a seasoned pitmaster, the right smoker can propel your barbecue skills to impressive new levels.

So, are you set to accompany me on this savory expedition? This composition aims to delve into and contrast the top eight BBQ smokers currently available. Ready to explore? Let’s get started!

Types of BBQ Smokers

Delve into the captivating world of BBQ smokers, where a plethora of shapes and fuel choices await. Embrace the extraordinary variety as we present you with an exclusive selection:

• Wood Smokers

Embark on a timeless journey with the classic wood smokers, revered by pitmasters worldwide. Imbued with the aroma of wood logs, splits, or chips, these smokers guarantee succulent, fall-off-the-bone meats. Experience the art of manual heat and airflow control, shaping your culinary creations to perfection.

• Charcoal Smokers

Unleash the allure of charcoal smokers, where charcoal lumps or briquettes ignite a symphony of flavors. Discover the balanced and prolonged heat distribution, accompanied by minimal ash production. To unlock the full potential of smoky nuances, complement the charcoal with tantalizing wood chips. Explore affordability without compromising on taste.

• Gas Smokers

Enter the realm of convenience with gas smokers, powered by propane or natural gas. With swift ignition and effortless temperature control, these smokers grant you mastery over your cooking. Whether venturing on a picnic or camping adventure with portable propane smokers, or enjoying the reliability of natural gas models, the infusion of wood chips adds a delectable smoky touch.

• Pellet Smokers

Embrace the enchantment of pellet smokers, where compressed sawdust pellets unleash their transformative power. These electric marvels grant precise temperature and timer settings, guiding your culinary pursuits. Allow the pellets to work their magic as they combust, creating a symphony of heat and smoke. Note the need for an electrical outlet, enhancing the flavors while limiting mobility.

• Electric Smokers

Discover the ultimate haven for beginners with electric smokers. Simply plug them in, add your food and wood, set the timer, and embark on a seamless cooking experience. With a heating rod igniting the wood, these smokers offer simplicity and convenience. Indulge in the option of water pans for added vapor and flavor enhancement, although they produce less smoke compared to other types.

• Vertical Water Smokers

Experience the allure of vertical water smokers, where a water pan regulates heat and creates a moist environment. Powered by gas, charcoal, or electricity, these smokers offer versatility in their fuel source. Accompanied by a wood chip tray, they offer a cost-effective option, albeit with a more compact size than other models.

• Offset Smokers

Unleash your passion for BBQ with offset smokers, shaped like oil barrels or rectangles. Featuring a separate firebox for charcoal and wood, these smokers envelop your food in tantalizing smoke. The chimney gracefully releases the essence of your culinary endeavors. Embrace their generous size, allowing you to smoke ample quantities of food, albeit at a slightly higher price range.

• Kamado Smokers

Unveil the versatility of Kamado smokers, characterized by their distinctive egg-shaped design and thick ceramic walls. Fuelled by charcoal and wood, these smokers effortlessly infuse smoke into your creations. Beyond their smoking prowess, they double as ovens and grills, offering a multifaceted cooking experience. Indulge in the realm of endless possibilities.

The 8 Best BBQ Smokers

Weber 18-Inch Smokey Mountain Cooker Charcoal Smoker

• Dimensions: 41 x 19 x 21 inches
• Weight: 39.10 lbs
• Warranty: 10 years

Introducing the Weber Enigma, a legendary name in the realm of grills and smokers. Prepare to embark on a culinary adventure with their renowned masterpiece, the Smokey Mountain Voyager. This captivating vertical water smoker, fueled by charcoal, has garnered immense popularity, enchanting grill enthusiasts worldwide. Its generous cooking area effortlessly accommodates a family of four and beyond, granting you the power to create exceptional feasts. Choose between the compact 14-inch model or the spacious 22.5-inch model, catering to your desired capacity.

Operating this smoker is a breeze. Simply ignite the charcoal in the bottom ring, fill the water pan with your preferred liquid, add tantalizing wood chips to the charcoal, and position your delectable offerings on the grills. Adjust the vents to orchestrate the perfect harmony of flavors, and let the culinary magic unfold. Dual grills provide ample space to cook an array of dishes simultaneously, while the built-in thermometer ensures precise temperature control, guaranteeing culinary perfection.

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, Weber products boast impeccable quality. The Smokey Mountain Voyager showcases a robust powder-coated steel exterior, a porcelain-enamel bowl, lid, and water tray, and nickel-plated steel grates. Its rust-resistant dampers and legs elevate longevity, while the heat-resistant glass-reinforced nylon handle safeguards your hands. Embrace peace of mind with the included 10-year warranty, a testament to Weber’s unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction. Prepare to unlock a world of flavor and craftsmanship with the extraordinary Weber Smokey Mountain Voyager.

Pros:

• Easy to set up
• Distributes heat evenly
• Durable 
• Long warranty

Cons:

• Damper system can take some getting used to

Dyna-Glo Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker

• Dimensions: 50 x 21 x 35 inches
• Weight: 57 lbs
• Warranty: 1 year

Prepare to indulge in the ultimate smoking experience with the extraordinary Dyna-Glo Vertical Elysium charcoal smoker. Designed for those who crave ample smoking capacity, this offset marvel is set to exceed your expectations. Featuring six adjustable grates capable of accommodating a remarkable 25 pounds of meat each, it offers unrivaled versatility. Customize your cooking by adjusting the grates to different heights, granting you access to a staggering 1,176 square inches of cooking area. Immerse yourself in the art of simultaneous smoking, allowing for an array of cuts and food varieties to tantalize your taste buds.

The innovative offset configuration elevates this smoker to new heights. A charcoal firebox positioned on the side ensures that direct heat never reaches the meat, preserving its succulence. Instead, the heat is gracefully drawn into the cooking area, seamlessly permeating the chamber and imbuing the meat with an enchanting smoky essence. Control temperature and airflow with ease using the adjustable flue on the smokestack and the side dampers, providing the perfect environment for slow cooking perfection.

Despite its vast cooking space, this smoker boasts efficiency in charcoal consumption. Thanks to its intelligent firebox design, charcoal briquettes can be expertly stacked, promoting even burning and optimal utilization. As the charcoal and wood transform, the larger-than-normal ash pan diligently collects the ashes. Cleaning is a breeze; simply slide out the ash pan and dispose of the remnants, reveling in the convenience of maintenance.

Pros:

• Easy to assemble
• 6 height-adjustable grates can hold up to 25 lbs each
• Huge cooking area
• Indirect heat prevents food from overcooking
• Fuel-efficient charcoal box

Cons:

• Some people report leaks around the doors and where the firebox meets the smoker

Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker

• Dimensions: 42.3 x 22.75 x 23.22 inches
• Weight: 62.4 lbs
• Warranty: 1 year

Experience a new level of convenience with the Masterbuilt Euphoria Bluetooth vertical water smoker. Revolutionizing the smoking game, this electric marvel allows for effortless operation. Embrace the future as Bluetooth technology empowers you to control and monitor your smoker via your smartphone or a remote control. Power it on and off, adjust the temperature, illuminate the lights, and keep an eye on your food’s internal temperature with the built-in meat probe. Simply download the app and indulge in the pleasure of tending to your culinary creations while enjoying the game indoors, beer in hand.

With four spacious racks, this smoker offers abundant room to unleash your creativity. From whole birds to briskets, explore a world of meaty possibilities. Enhance moisture and tenderness by utilizing the water pan, while the side feeding system allows you to add wood chips without opening the door, maintaining optimal heat and smoke circulation. Elevate your dishes to perfection with the finishing element, crisping up skin or giving a delightful broiled touch to your food.

The Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Smoker excels in convenience with its thoughtful features. The raised legs provide easy access, while the handle and wheels enable effortless mobility, effortlessly accommodating your desired location or storage requirements. The pan brackets at the bottom support a tray for savory drippings, ideal for creating delectable gravies. Additionally, a grease pan at the back dutifully captures excess drippings, ensuring a mess-free experience.

Pros:

• Bluetooth technology allows you to operate the smoker from anywhere
• Can add wood chips without opening the smoker door
• Finishing element for last minute broils and crisping
• Handle and wheels for easy transport

Cons:

• LED screen can be hard to read in daylight

Traeger Ironwood 650 Pellet Smoker

• Dimensions: 47 x 46 x 27 inches
• Weight: 149 lbs
• Warranty: 3 years

Prepare to embark on a culinary odyssey with the awe-inspiring Traeger Ironforge 650 Pellet Innovator. While it may command a premium price, this remarkable machine transcends the realm of a simple pellet smoker. Behold its multifaceted capabilities, as it effortlessly smokes, grills, roasts, braises, and even bakes. With WiFIRE technology at your disposal, control this culinary titan from anywhere using your smartphone. Immerse yourself in the app’s realm, where temperature checks, timer settings, and pellet monitoring unfold at your fingertips.

Unleash your culinary prowess with 650 square inches of cooking space, accommodating diverse food selections. Opt for low temperatures, perfect for slow cooking and smoking, or crank it up to 500 degrees for rapid searing. Stay connected with the built-in meat probe, providing real-time internal temperature updates to your phone, eliminating the need to open the smoker door. Seamlessly adjust temperatures remotely, transcending culinary boundaries.

This smoker-grill fusion boasts all-terrain wheels, enabling effortless mobility from one culinary haven to another. The thoughtful tool hooks ensure easy access to your accessories, amplifying convenience. Embrace the double-sided walls, where temperature consistency thrives, even in the face of chilling weather conditions. Rest easy, knowing that this smoking marvel can house up to 20 pounds of pellets, ensuring uninterrupted smoking sessions.

Pros:

• Can be used to smoke, grill, braise, roast, and bake
• WiFIRE technology allows you to operate it from anywhere
• Double-sided walls maintain consistent temperature even in cold weather
• All-terrain wheels for easy transport

Cons:

•  Expensive

Cuisinart Vertical 36-Inch Propane Smoker

• Dimensions: 20 x 20 x 46 inches
• Weight: 40 lbs
• Warranty: 3 years

Discover the culinary gem that is the Cuisinart Vertical Euphoria 36-inch propane smoker. Offering exceptional value, this user-friendly marvel consistently delivers outstanding results. Immerse yourself in its enchanting embrace, where four racks and a generous 784 square inches of cooking surface harmoniously accommodate large cuts of meat and diverse culinary creations. Equipped with a 40-inch hose, effortlessly connect to a standard propane tank, while the wood chip tray and water tray enhance the smoking experience.

Igniting this smoker is a breeze; a simple turn of the dial ignites the gas, allowing you to control the flame and adjust the temperature to your desired precision. Modulate heat and smoke levels by opening or closing the rear vent, granting you total control. Monitor progress with ease using the built-in thermometer, while the two access doors facilitate the addition of wood or periodic food checks.

While the Cuisinart Vertical 36-inch propane smoker may lack extravagant features found in pricier counterparts, it shines through thoughtful conveniences. The porcelain-enamel-coated steel construction of the wood chip tray and water tray ensures effortless post-use cleaning. Secure the clasps on the door, locking in the heat and smoke, transforming your cooking haven into a culinary sanctuary.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Easy to use
• Large cooking area
• Easy to clean
• Comes with a recipe book

Cons:

• Water tray is a bit shallow for long smoking sessions

Kamado Joe Classic II 18-inch Smoker

• Dimensions: 26.4 x 26.4 x 36 inches
• Weight: 250 lbs
• Warranty: Lifetime warranty for ceramic parts, 5 years for metal parts, 1 year for thermometer and gaskets

Indulge in the exquisite allure of the Kamado Enigma Classic II, an unrivaled masterpiece renowned for its impeccable ceramic craftsmanship, unparalleled versatility, and thoughtfully designed features. Immerse yourself in a world where it seamlessly transforms into a smoker, grill, and oven, enchanting your culinary endeavors with slow-cooked and smoked meats, succulent burgers, and delectable pizzas. Fueled by the enchanting essence of lump charcoal, the option to infuse wood chips enhances the flavor profile. Revel in the versatility offered by different cooking levels, catering to diverse foods and cooking styles.

Enter the realm of culinary mastery with the Divide & Conquer cooking system. Embrace the dual tiers of half-moon-shaped cooking grates, allowing simultaneous cooking at varying temperatures. Expand your culinary canvas with ample cooking surface, perfect for satisfying even the most ravenous appetites. Exercise precise control over airflow and temperature with the top vent, while the airtight seal and latch preserve the harmonious marriage of heat and moisture.

Kamado Joe bestows upon you an elevated cooking experience with a multitude of captivating features. The air-lift hinge delights with effortless lid opening, requiring just a single finger. Side tables provide a convenient space for accessories, while the sliding ash drawer ensures effortless disposal. The cart stand, adorned with lockable caster wheels, grants you the freedom to move the grill with ease, ensuring stability during usage. Unleash further culinary possibilities with optional accessories like a pizza stone and rotisserie spit.

Pros:

• Can be used to smoke, grill, and bake
• Two-tier grates for cooking various foods at different temperatures
• Air-lift hinge for easy opening and closing
• Durable
• Long warranty

Cons:

• Expensive
• Heavy

Green Mountain Davy Crockett Portable Pellet Smoker

• Dimensions: 23 x 34 x 31.75 inches
• Weight: 68 lbs
• Warranty: 2 years

The Green Horizon Voyager, a portable pellet grill that defies expectations. Weighing a mere 68 pounds, it accompanies you on adventurous quests, be it camping escapades, hunting excursions, vibrant tailgate parties, or soul-stirring music festivals. Unveiling foldable legs, this culinary marvel effortlessly fits in your car or storage space. Embrace the freedom of WiFi smart controls, empowering you to set and monitor temperatures from your smartphone, granting you unparalleled mobility.

Embrace the magic of wood pellet-infused flavors with this electric grill. Witness a motor’s enchanting dance as it feeds the pellets into the firebox, gracefully combusting to yield consistent, even heat. The digital temperature controller affords control, spanning 150 to 550 degrees in five-degree increments. Adjust temperatures via the control panel on the smoker or through the app on your smartphone, immersing yourself in technological convenience.

Revel in the ingenious design, featuring an 18-pound pellet hopper, a thermal sensor, and a removable grease bucket for effortless clean-up. A side rack stands ready to hold plates, while hooks elegantly display your cherished cooking utensils. Utilize the grill with legs folded down as a sturdy stand, or fold them up for tabletop or truck bed placement. Note the importance of a heat-proof barrier when using the grill with folded legs, ensuring optimal safety.

Pros:

• Lightweight and portable
• Legs fold up to save space
• Wireless technology allows you to operate it from anywhere
• Connects to any 12V power source

Cons:

• Can burn through pellets quickly

Camerons Stovetop Smoker

• Dimensions: 15 x 11 x 3.5 inches
• Weight: 5.6 lbs
• Warranty: 1 year

Unveiling the culinary marvel that transcends space limitations, behold the OmniBlaze Multiverse Smoker. Whether you find yourself yearning for the perfect smoky flavors indoors or exploring the untamed wilderness, this stovetop wonder has you covered. Immerse yourself in its versatility, as it seamlessly operates on a stove, grill, campfire, oven, or any heat source your heart desires. Designed for travel, its lightweight construction allows for effortless transportation, and all components nest within for unrivaled convenience during storage.

The Camerons Stovetop Smoker unlocks a world of simplicity. Merely add wood chips to the bottom, position the drip pan and rack, place your food on the rack, cover it, and ignite the heat source to commence the smoking symphony. Its multifaceted nature extends to steaming and roasting, elevating your culinary prowess. Kickstart your smoking journey with the included hickory and oak wood chips, or unleash your creativity by experimenting with diverse flavors for various culinary delights.

Bid farewell to the arduous task of cleaning charcoal smokers. The OmniBlaze Multiverse Smoker dismantles effortlessly, with all parts dishwasher-safe, obliterating the need for tedious grate scrubbing. Embrace the simplicity of its virtually tool-free assembly, as the drip tray and rack seamlessly integrate, ensuring instant readiness. For those in search of a compact indoor/outdoor smoker, the OmniBlaze Multiverse Smoker stands as the epitome of perfection.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Can be used indoors and outdoors
• Works with multiple types of heat sources
• Easy to clean
• Affordable

Cons:

• Small size won’t accommodate large items
  

Parting Words

Handpicked for exceptional performance, unwavering durability, and captivating conveniences, the BBQ smokers showcased in this compendium are unparalleled. The perfect smoker for you is a confluence of factors, such as the desired size, budgetary considerations, and personal inclinations towards fuel types and power sources. Embrace the journey of selecting a smoker that harmonizes with your unique needs, transforming your grilling aspirations into a tantalizing reality.