Your Summer Needs a Smoker (and Three to Consider)
If you want to cook outdoors occasionally this summer, you’ll probably only need a simple charcoal grill . If you have big plans (say, grilling every Sunday) or prefer less mess and hassle, you can choose a smokeless electric grill or a gas grill .
But perhaps you consider yourself a true pitmaster: someone who tries to differentiate between grilling and barbecuing, who strives for smoke rings and barks on every piece of meat. If you would like to be a part of this world, it’s time to consider a smoker.
Smokers listed in this article:
Is a smoker right for you?
Compared to grilling, cooking with a smoker is in a different league. This is often done using indirect heat at a low temperature, typically 225 to 275°F. Although there are several types of smokers, most use fuel (whether wood chips, wood pellets, charcoal, or a combination of these) burning over low heat in a firebox. Smoke fills the cooking chamber, slowly heating the food and imparting a smoky flavor. The smoke passes through the chamber and exits through the chimney or vent.
Depending on what you’re cooking, smoking can take anywhere from 45 minutes for delicate foods like fish to over 12 hours for larger cuts of meat. Depending on your personality and the type of device you choose, you can keep a close eye on the process and adjust the dampers to control the temperature, or relax by the pool and check your smart smoker app to make adjustments.
Smokers work with a wide variety of outdoor cooking enthusiasts, which brings me to the benefits of purchasing a smoker:
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Taste. Few grilling methods can compete with the aromatic bark and smoky flavor of grilled meat. Slow cooking times ensure thorough and rich flavor.
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Flexibility. There is a wide range of smokers, from fully automated pellet smokers with Wi-Fi to traditional offset barrel smokers. Additionally, you can use many smokers as regular charcoal grills if you ever get the urge to grill quickly.
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Basically a hands-off process. Unlike quick cooking on a gas grill or cooking over direct heat over charcoal, smoking requires a lot of time and patience, but allows for less sticking to the grill. While smoking, you should keep the cooking chamber closed as much as possible, which will naturally prevent you from fiddling with the food inside. Apart from periodically monitoring the temperature and adjusting the throttles and fuel if necessary, you can continue with your day.
Safety first
Whenever there is charcoal, fire or embers around you, think about safety. Always follow the instructions for the machine you choose, especially if you are a beginner. Keep the smoker at least 10 feet away from buildings, if not for the risk of fire, then to keep your living room couch from smelling like hickory and charcoal.
Be sure to close the vents to extinguish any embers of fuel after you are done smoking your smoker. And if I’ve already said it once, it’s a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher on hand , just in case.
For simplicity, consider a Traeger electric grill and wood pellet smoker.
This Traeger smoker uses electricity to control the rate at which pellets enter the firebox, so the temperature won’t fluctuate without your intervention. It also supports Wi-Fi, allowing you to check the time and temperature from anywhere. It’s great for a variety of barbecue enthusiasts, from beginners to multi-taskers to seasoned experts.
For smaller spaces, try the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker.
Not every pitmaster needs equipment the size of a cow. For a more manageable size, Smokey Mountain will do equally well on a spacious patio or on the sidewalk outside your apartment building (subject to your local laws, of course). This smoker uses coals as fuel and a water tray to catch grease and maintain gentle heat. Although this Weber is best suited for small batches, it comes in several sizes, ranging from 14 to 22 inches.
If you prefer a chunky offset design, check out the Royal Gourmet Offset Smoker.
This highly rated monster boasts a main cooking surface of 443 square inches and features the multi-barrel design you may be looking for. Since many high-power offset smokers can cost thousands, the Royal Gourmet smoker is an amazing deal. The materials may not be as durable as more expensive smokers, but this model may appeal to a beginner on a budget looking to get into the world of barbecue.