Buying a BBQ Smoker

There are several different styles of BBQ smokers, and what you should buy depends on your budget and food capacity needs. In the following article, you’ll learn about the different types of BBQ smokers.

Buying a BBQ Smoker
A BBQ smoker differs from a BBQ grill in two important respects. A smoker cooks with indirect heat at a much lower temperature than a conventional grill, and it needs a lot more wood, usually in the form of chips or chunks, to produce a steady supply of smoke over the long cooking process. There are several different styles of BBQ smokers, and what you should buy depends on your budget and what capacity you need.

There are several styles of smoker. Let's describe them, beginning with the least expensive:

I started with a cheap smoker. It is about 20" in diameter and a little over three feet tall. It has a domed top with a temperature gauge that just says cold, warm or hot. Inside, it has two porcelain pans, one for charcoal, one for water, plus it has a grill. It is made of heavy stamped sheet metal. It is adequate for use as a smoker. The charcoal supplies heat and produces significant smoke when loaded with wood chunks on top of the charcoal. You can fill the hanging porcelain pan with water and put wine, herbs, or other flavorings in it. It will serve as a drip pan and will produce high humidity, a desirable feature in a smoker. Its major drawback is its low capacity, but you can smoke a 20-pound turkey in it if you start very, very early in the morning and keep feeding it charcoal to keep it hot. The cost is around $40-$50.

The next type of smoker is a combination grill and smoker. It is usually a little smaller than a 55-gallon drum, but made of heavier gauge metal. It has an optional firebox at one end and a chimney at the opposite end. Without the attached firebox, it is more a grill than a smoker. It has two racks for food: one that covers the lower half and a second that is hinged and attached to the upper half of the grill body. This is my favorite smoker because it is also my favorite grill. If I am smoking, I just put charcoal in the firebox. If I am smoking something really large, like a turkey, I will put charcoal in both the firebox and in the bottom of the grill. I will need the extra heat to cook a big turkey all the way through. And, of course, it is an excellent grill for any size meal, including a big meal for a big family. It has a temperature in the top that shows actual temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. Cost? Around Central Texas (where I live) you will pay about $100 for the grill part and an extra $30 for the firebox. They may cost more in your area if BBQ is not a religion like it is here.

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Author: Charles Clendenen



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