What things should I consider before buying my first
smoker?
By Howard Singer, Pitmaster of Smokin' Howie's BBQ Team
So you have decided to buy your first smoker. This can be both an exciting and confusing
experience. You go to your favorite big box hardware store and see a variety of horizontal and
vertical smokers using electric, gas, charcoal, pellets and wood fuel. Some even require water.
The price for smokers can range from under $100 to thousands of dollars. My first smoker was
a $100 electric smoker which allowed me to cook many an outstanding meal. It allowed me to
easily experiment and quickly realize what I wanted in my next smoker. From there I upgraded
to a small horizontal charcoal and wood smoker that cost me under $200. This one really let me
hone my skills, recipes and techniques before I purchased the smokers I use for competitions
and large parties. Here are some key considerations:
How are you going to use it? This is important. Smoking meat takes time; you are trying to
achieve low and slow. If you are looking for something that you can set and forget, then your
choices are more limited. You are most likely looking at an electric, gas or pellet smoker. Each
of these will allow for a minimum amount of monitoring and care. In addition, if you are going
to use the smoker infrequently, the electric and gas options are very attractive and offer many
reasonably priced offerings. However, pellet smokers are more conducive for using wood
pellets to create the wood flavor.
How much food are you going to smoke? If your intent is to cater parties and large groups, a
small smoker will not work. Most backyard barbecuers want something easy to maintain and
simple to use. Both vertical and horizontal smokers provide the capacity to produce reasonable
quantities to feed a hungry family or support a family outing.
So what is the difference between a horizontal/off-set and vertical smoker? Vertical smokers
are smaller, more portable and can operate by wood, electric or gas. They can range in price
from under $50 to around $400. They are simple to use, with fuel on the bottom and meat on
racks above. Even if they are electric or gas, you can easily add wood chips to have the smoke
flavor. The downside with these smokers can be the capacity and the requirement to have
access to electricity or propane tanks for additional fuel. Some require water, which helps
maintain heat and generates moisture. There are some excellent vertical smokers that use
charcoal and wood. This allows you to have the full experience of the smoking process.
However, this requires close monitoring of the smoker and adjusting fuel and temperature
throughout the cooking process.
Horizontal/off-set smokers have the firebox on the side and the meat goes into a separate
chamber next to the firebox. Horizontal smokers are much heavier and not as transportable. On
the low end, the smokers are not as efficient as vertical smokers since the metal used is a lower
gauge. Horizontal smokers typically require pellets, charcoal or wood. So if you are not
interested in carefully monitoring the fuel to control temperature then a vertical smoker using
gas or electricity is a better choice. Horizontal smokers are larger and typically have a bigger
footprint. If you have very limited outdoor space to place your equipment, a vertical smoker is
the way to go. Horizontal/off-set smokers are very heavy; even a small one can weigh 100 plus
pounds. The price range for these smokers can start around $300 and quickly move to over a
thousand depending on size. An additional consideration may be a pellet fueled offset smoker.
These smokers use wood pellets to generate the heat but allow you to set the desired
temperature. A mechanism using electricity then drives the pellets into the smoker which
controls the heat. Such smokers start around $600.
What’s your budget? Think about which features are most important to you and establish a
budget. If you are truly a beginner, you can buy a simple, vertical smoker for under $50. An
experienced home barbecuer can get a more advanced but still inexpensive unit that produces
great results for around $300. If you are looking for something more sophisticated with a heavy
reliance on automation, then be prepared to spend $600 or much more. Just remember, paying
more does not guarantee the quality of your food. Your total process is more influential than
the price of your smoker. Pick something you’re comfortable with that is not too far above or
below your skill level. Decide on your features and budget and make a choice. For you rookies,
there’s no shame in starting at the beginning. I recommend just buying a starter smoker and
upgrading at a later date once you’ve mastered the basics.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author. Like many things, great barbecue is in the eye—or mouth—of the
beholder. Other NBBQA members may have different opinions or suggestions regarding this same topic.