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BBQ Smoker Grills: What to Look For
By definition, barbecue refers to slow cooking meat over low heat. A BBQ smoker can elevate your barbecue by providing an easy way to smoke that delivers tender meat infused with pleasingly deep and woody flavor. Smoked foods take on the flavor profile of the wood used during the cooking process. We have plenty of wood chip flavors to complement any type of meat!
At BBQGuys, we carry a wide range of BBQ smokers in a variety of fuel types, including charcoal, electric, pellet, propane, and natural gas. Whether you want to make delicious smoked brisket or roast the perfect pork butt, chances are we have the right barbeque smoker—and smoked meat recipes— for you.
Types of BBQ Smokers
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Vertical Smokers have a smaller footprint than other styles of smokers, since they’re taller than they are wide. Vertical smokers have multiple racks arranged vertically, allowing for large capacity cooks. They make a great accompaniment for a grill, although it should be noted that some vertical BBQ smokers like the Weber Smokey Mountain and Kamado Joe Classic III can double as a grill.
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Offset Smokers are one of the most popular and classic smoker configurations and are widely used in BBQ competitions. These smokers pair a long barrel body for maximum cooking area with an offset charcoal smoker box for the heat source. Offset smokers are perfect for low and slow barbecue and produce large amounts of smoke. The smoke moves very slowly through the barrel, maximizing contact with the meat.
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Built-in Smokers can be installed straight into your outdoor kitchen! Check out the The Good-One built-in charcoal grill and smoker for a built-in charcoal grill and smoker. It's important to keep in mind that any kamado style BBQ smoker can also be built into your outdoor kitchen.
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Kamado Smokers are the true king of versatility, allowing you to grill a burger, smoke, sear, and bake cookies all on the same grill. Kamados have an incredible range of temperature essentially making these a grill and smoker combo. You can go low and slow for BBQ smoking or kicking up the temperature to over 500 degrees for searing steaks or even cooking wood-fired pizza. At BBQGuys, we carry a large selection of kamados, including the accessories-heavy Kamado Joe grills and the oval-shaped Primo kamado line of grills.
Smoker Fuel Types
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Charcoal Smokers use the classic fuel for slow-cooked barbecue. Charcoal smokers can impart your food with the classic BBQ flavor while also infusing the flavor of your choice with the use of smoker wood chips. Charcoal smokers come in several configurations, including offset, vertical, and traditional smoker grills. Keep in mind that charcoal smokers will need to be tended to make sure there’s plenty of fuel and require work to maintain temperature.
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Electric Smokers are extraordinarily easy to use, as they require no physical fuel and maintain consistent temperatures. These smokers take up very little space, and are a great option for those living in apartments or places where gas or charcoal isn’t allowed. Many electric smokers have a programmable shutoff timer. When your meat reaches a preprogrammed internal temperature, the smoker will either shut off or go into warming mode to keep your meat from overcooking. We carry great electric smokers from Smokin Tex, Pit Boss, and Cookshack, as well as others. Some electric cabinet smokers like those from Cookshack can be built in to your outdoor kitchen.
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Gas Smokers have a much smaller footprint than their charcoal counterparts and are much easier to use. BBQ smokers take out much of the guesswork by maintaining your temperature without needing to monitor charcoal. Smoky flavor is added with wood chips, usually set near or directly above the fire pot in a steel wood chip smoker box. We carry several gas smokers that use either propane or natural gas.
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Pellet Smokers are easy to use and are perfect for low and slow BBQ. Simply set the desired smoking temperature and it’ll do the rest by maintaining pellets in the firebox. It maintains a set temperature and infuses your meat with incredible smoky flavor from your favorite wood pellets in the hopper. At BBQGuys, we offer the most popular names in pellet grills, such as Traeger, Camp Chef, and Pit Boss.
What is the best smoker grill to buy?
The “best” smoker for you depends on how involved you want to be when using it. Pellet grills have exploded in popularity because of their ultimate convenience — you turn them on, set the temperature, and sit back as the grill runs itself. Electric smokers are similarly simple, but many grillers appreciate the process and immersiveness of cooking with a charcoal or wood smoker. Those fuel types require frequent monitoring to ensure the fire and temperature are where they need to be; what may sound like a chore to you is a passion and hobby for others. The “best” for you comes down to your preferences.
What is the difference between a grill and a smoker?
Generally speaking, grills cook hot and fast over direct heat with temperatures well above 250°F. Smokers, on the other hand, are traditionally used for low-and-slow cooking over indirect heat with temperatures that stay in the 250°F range (but can go as low as 180°F).
Are smokers worth it?
Yes, they’re 100% worth it! BBQ smoking is an enriching hobby that borders on a passion for many. If you’ve ever spent an afternoon slow-cooking a brisket or pork butt, then you already know this to be true.
What are the best things to cook on a smoker?
BBQ smokers are best suited for fattier, tougher pieces of meat like brisket, roast, or pork shoulder that have lots of connective tissue. All that connective tissue needs time to properly break down without overcooking the exterior, and smokers are designed specifically to cook at low temperatures for long stretches. That being said, you can throw anything in the smoker for however long it needs to cook and still come away with delicious smoky flavor infused in every bite.
Can I turn my grill into a smoker?
If your grill has 2 or more burners, then you sure can! Read more about smoking on a gas grill and learn how to pull off this awesome technique.
How do you clean a smoker?
Aside from cleaning your grates after every use, your main concern is ash and grease collecting in the smoker body. Fortunately, many pellet and electric smokers have dedicated ash and grease cleanout systems that make this easy. You can also use an ash vacuum for ash removal before following up with a mild degreaser on the internal parts of the grill.
Here at BBQGuys, we’ve been selling and cooking with BBQ smokers for over twenty years. Our experts are standing by at 1-877-743-2269 to help you find the smoker that’s right for you!
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