Barbecue Meat Smokers

Barbecue meat smokers come in all shapes and sizes with different power sources and when I first tried to understand the differences between the many makes and models - well frankly it was a blur. This section of my site is here to help you clear the fog and make an informed decision about which smoker is right for you.

What Are The Factors That I Should Consider?

1. Charcoal, Electric or Gas?

   There’s a lot made out of the charcoal or gas debate particularly when thinking about grilling but when thinking about smoking the question you need to ask yourself is how much you want to be involved in the cooking process? Charcoal is the “mother earth” method but it does need occasional tending to keep the coals up to temperature so if that’s not for you and you just want to set your meat smoker off and come back to it at the end of the cookout then consider electric or gas.

   For more information about your possible fuel choices, use these links:

   Charcoal Smokers
   Electric BBQ Smokers
   Gas Smokers Guide
   

2. Size

   In particular the size of the cooking surface. Consider how you are going to use your smoker, if it’s for a small family then 300 - 500 sq inches will probably be sufficient but if you have a large family or are into big party cookouts then look for a larger cooking area, say 700 sq inches.

3. Where Am I Going To Use My Smoker?

   Another way to ask this question is how portable do I want my smoker to be? Most smokers will sit out in the back yard, on a patio or deck but you may be short on space or indeed want to tailgate and in this case a free standing “bullet” shaped smoker could be the way to go.

   If you’re looking for a more permanent solution then there’s plenty of choice, many of which are on wheels but how far you go is up to you.

4. How Much Should I Pay?

   It isn’t a cliché, you pay for what you get. The secret of smoking is about slow cooking so the quality of materials and design are really important. Also look for a multi-year warranty, after all, you don’t want to be buying a new smoker every year.

   

5. Where Can I Buy My New Meat Smoker?

The best online stores are:-

BBQGuys.com - If you're looking for a Kamado then this is the store for you, there's also an excellent range of Weber, Smokin' Tex, Cookshack and Bradley to name but a few.

Amazon - Generally the most competitive price-wise but they don't always have the range. I'll let you know in my review when you can save money by going to Amazon.

Grills Direct.com - If you're looking for Brinkmann, Char-Griller or Meco then this is the place to look.

As you read the reviews below you'll see links on each page to where I've found the best online price to be. To help you save money I review all of these product every quarter to ensure that you my links always point to the best online price.

What Other Factors Should You Consider?

Some meat smokers use wood chips, pellets or bisquettes and it should be clear in each section as to how each brand of smoker is fired. Any brand using wood chips is probably more flexible because the chips are readily available and you’re not tied to buying from the manufacturer. This may influence smoker you want to buy.

All my reviews are below so take your time, check out what's available and remember to click on the "best price" link to see how you can save money.

P.S. - Sorry for the inactive links, all these reviews will be coming soon so bookmark this page and when you come back in a couple of weeks, everything will be live.

Bradley

Electric Smoker
Digital Smoker
Propane Smoker
Overview Of Bradley Electric Smokers

Brinkmann

Smoke N Pit
Smoke N Grill (Electric)
Smoke King De Luxe
A Round Up Of The Electric Smokers

Charbroil

The Big Easy
Offset Smoker American Gourmet
Electric H20 Smoker
Silver Smoker

Cookshack

Smokette Elite Stainless Electric Smoker
Amerique Electric Smoker

Great Outdoors

Smoky Mountain (Gas)
20" x 34" Gas Model

Horizon

16 inch Classic (Charcoal)

Klose

An Overview Of All Klose Smokers

Lang

The Original Reverse-Flow, Lang Smokers

Little Chief & Luhr Jensen

Luhr Jensen And The Big Chief II

Masterbuilt

30” Electric Smokehouse Smoker
30” Electric Smokehouse Smoker with Window and RF Controller.

Meco

Combo Water Smokers (Charcoal & Electric)

New Braunfels

Hondo Smoker - Or what's left of it.

Okelahoma Joe's

The Grandad
The Caterer & The Hog
Patio

Portable Kitchen

Portable Kitchen Grill

Smith & Wesson

Smith & Wesson Wood Chip Smokers
Smith & Wesson Portable Wood Chip Smoker

Southern Pride Meat Smokers

Electric Commercial Smokers
Gas Commercial Smokers

Stumps Meat Smokers

Vertical Or Upright Smokers
Trailer Mounted Smokers

Traeger

Traeger Electric Barbecue Grills

Weber

Weber Charcoal Smokers
Weber Go Anywhere
Smokey Joe Silver

See Also:-

Barbecue Grills
Barbecue Accessories
Write Your Own Equipment Review
Build Your Own Smoker
Free Homemade Smoker Plans
Barrel Smoker Plans
Patio Furniture
Barbecue Islands
Buyer's Guide Tips
Smoker Ideas To Beat The Credit Crunch

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