Gas Smokers Guide

Gas is excellent for hot and cold smoking because it works well for the production of smoke and (in the case of hot smoking) is also a good source of supplementary heat.

The Advantages Of Gas

• It's a clean burn, the only by-products are water and carbon dioxide.

• It's portable in the form of LPG so making it easy relatively quick to set up a cook out.

• It's controllable. Turn the valve on the burner and you get a bigger or smaller flame that will change the overall temperature in the smoke chamber more or less immediately

  LPG is odorless so there's no possibility of flavor contamination.

Disadvantages

• Water is a by product and with smoking we are actually trying to reduce dry weight. It's a subtle point and one more for cold smoking than hot where a water bath may be used anyway. To be honest, I've never found it to be a problem.

• The gas flame can blow out in strong winds.

• Gas can leak. This shouldn't be a big concern provided you regularly test your equipment and always ensure that your gas tank is in the open air.

Over on the right column you can see the list of smokers that we have reviewed so far and of these you'll find links directly below that take you through to those manufacturers that make gas fuelled smokers.

Where To Buy A Gas Smoker

To complete your gas smokers guide you can continue to find more information using this link through to your Outdoor Chef's store. Click through and it will take you directly to the page with all the gas smokers and if you click on any unit for more information you'll be able to see more user reviews courtesy of Amazon.com.

Click Here to explore ShoppersChoice.com! They have a range of gas grills with the addition of a smoke box.

GrillsDirect.com has an extensive range of choice

The main advantage of this smoker is its size, small and compact, easy to move around. Ideal for couples and small groups. It is also inexpensive (read “cheap”) to buy so is also ideal for the beginner who doesn’t want to shell out a fortune initially. As with all Bradley models you have to buy their self-loading Flavor Bisquettes™ that aren’t “cheap”- which you should factor into your costing. Not forgetting too that propane is a relatively expensive fuel.

It is designed to be transported in a bag come hold-all that is doubles as the cover for the unit outside. The fact that the manufacturer includes a spare one of these is a clear indication that it has a somewhat limited shelf life.

As a nod to its illustrious heritage most reports say that the Bradley Propane Smoker smokes salmon to perfection. On the downside the temperature does tend to fluctuate somewhat and is dependent on ambient temperatures. But keep to smoking food such as ribs, brisket, beef jerky and the afore-mentioned salmon and you’ll have hours and hours of eating enjoyment for little capital outlay.

In short, the design is clearly low cost and this is reflected in the performance but at a quarter of the price of its electric stable mate it's hard to ignore.

Finally, clean-up is simply the best with all the removable racks etc. fitting into a dishwasher. Love that.

Where To Buy?

Click Here For The Best Prices On The Bradley Propane Smoker

Vital Statistics:-

• Size: 26 x 12 x 22 inches
• Weight: 20 pounds
• Propane Operated
• Packs up in it's own carrying bag
• 4 Cooking Racks
• Cooks up to 300 degrees F
• 9 Flavors of wood available

Claimed to be the most versatile outdoor BBQ cooking system ever, it’s modular design enables the All-In-One to be used as an LP gas water smoker, gas grill, charcoal water smoker, charcoal grill or 160,000 BTU gas cooker/fryer – so maybe they’re right.

It’s the style of cooker that I refer to as a bullet shape and includes a stand. The color choice for the Brinkmann “All In One” is either black or stainless steel and note that even the stand is stainless steel making the whole unit weather resistant and easier to clean up.

Don't be fooled by the picture though, this unit stands 45 inches tall.

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The smoker body comes complete with two grills that together will accept up to 50 lbs of food and a heat indicator in the dome lid helps to take the guesswork out of the cooking process. Wooden handles on the side will stay cool and safe to touch.

The list of accessories that come included in the pack are:-

• Drip pan/ash guard
• Porcelain enamel water pan
• Lava rocks
• High pressure gas hose and regulator (the gas cylinder must be purchased separately)

Can one of these Brinkmann barbecue gas smokers be all things to all men? Well it would appear that it is a jack of all trades and a master of none. The gas grill is a waste of time (and a waste of propane too) so you're better off using it as a charcoal grill.

Many folks also complain that smoking food when the ambient temperature is high can be a little traumatic. To keep the temperature low you have to have the gas burner set low and it very easily blows out.

That said, using it as a fryer appears to be a vote winner all round. What all this points to is a high performance burner and a poorly insulated casing.

Other complaints include only having access from the top which can be inconvenient mid-cookout. Inconvenient but not a design disaster so the bottom line is that this is a great entry level outdoor cooker that's great to learn on.

My advice would be to get the cheapest (don't pay for the stainless steel) and enjoy learning. Once you've decided whether outdoor cooking is for you, move one and get yourself something that better suits the style of cooking your prefer, after all you haven't broken the bank with this first purchase.

One tip from me is when using it as a smoker, place your wood chips in an old tray before you put them on the lava rocks. That way you don't spend ages at the end of your cookout cleaning the lava rocks of ash.

Okay, for the ‘techies’ amongst us: Between the outer and inner walls of this ‘all-in-one’ Char Broil smoker (that goes by the name of The Big Easy® Infrared Smoker, Roaster & Grill), is a fully enclosed, specially designed propane burner. The heated inner walls radiate natural infrared heat that penetrates the food evenly and seals the juices inside. The hot air that is generated escapes out of the top of the cooking chamber before the food has a chance to dry out - resulting in moist and tender meat.

If you aren’t technologically minded just rest assured that The Big Easy simply lives up to its name! You no longer need three different pieces of kit! When you want to smoke simply place wood chips or pellets in the stainless steel smoker box. The roasting basket is an easy alternative to the traditional rotisserie and if grilling then you can do so on the stainless steel grates - with no flare-ups due to the infrared cooking system. This highly efficient infrared cooking system operates from 9K- 18K BTUs depending on the setting.

Cooking turkeys seems to be a winner with a number of customers and one sound piece of advice I came across was to cover the top and wingtips of the bird with aluminum foil, removing it during the last half hour of cooking. The skin in both these areas would dry out otherwise. As a guideline this Char broil smoker will cook a 20lb turkey evenly in about 3 hours. Also you can make a pretty decent gravy in the grease collection tray.

The only shortcoming I read about was with regard to the main basket, which was commented upon ‘seemed like it could be sturdier’. Besides that……

The whole thing is easy to clean with the insides being stainless.

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Ideal for smaller family gatherings.

Vital Statistics:-

• Infrared roasting, grilling, and smoking all in one grill
• Size: 24 x 18 x 36 inches
• 180 square inches of cooking area for grilling
• Grilling Grate measures 15" diameter
• Temperature control from 9K to 18K
• Stainless Steel Smoker Box
• Roasting Basket and Lifting Hook
• Stainless Steel Grilling Grate
• Half-Racks for the Smoker, Roaster & Grill - Set of 2
• Meat thermometer
• Stay-cool handles
• Grease collection tray
• Variable temperature control
• Rotary ignition
• Roasting Basket accommodates turkeys up to 25 lbs
• Porcelain coated hood

This Smokey Mountain has a lot going for it. Primarily the fact that it not only spacious and easy to operate but the consensus is that it has excellent temperature control (despite there not being any vents on the bottom to help control the heat). It seems happiest at temperatures in the 225- 250 degrees but if your thinking of cold smoking then you probably need to think twice about buying this particular model.

I have heard of a few minor shortcomings which include the fact that there is no drip tray and the fact that the wood box is somewhat on the small side - but this is easily replaceable with something larger.

Three cooking racks (with space for a fourth) make this Great Outdoors Smoker ideal for those racks of spare ribs, bacon and hams, duck, turkey for thanksgiving, prime rib for Christmas and even for smoking the perfect salmon - catering for up to large family gatherings and parties.

For the price you would be hard pressed to find a better smoker on the market. The gas smokers guide verdict on this one is that it's perfect for the beginner who doesn’t want to shell out wads of money before perfecting his/her art.

Vital Statistics:-

• Total size:25" x 18" x 43.25" (including legs and handles)
• Box only size: are 20" x 14" x 34"
• 18,000 BTU
• 667 sq. in. cooking area
• 3 cooking grates and 4 adjustment levels
• Heavy gauge steel cooking cabinet with easy-access large front door
• Cool-grip front door wire handle
• Porcelain-coated water pan for easy cleanup
• Cast iron smoker box
• Rotary knob ignition
• Cast brass burner for long life
• Heavy-duty side carrying handles
• Adjustable damper for ultimate temperature control
• Wide stance leg design for stability

See Also:-

More Meat Smokers
Green Egg Smoker And Other Kamado Grills
Barbecue Grill Comparisons And Reviews
Your Outdoor Chef's Store
Charcoal Smokers
Electric Smokers

Or if you are into a bit of DIY then check out my homemade BBQ smoker plans or why not try my Barrel Smoker Plans.

Page last updated May 2012

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