The Best Smokers – Business Insider
Whether you’re cooking racks of ribs, a huge cut of pork shoulder, or a whole chicken, using one of the best smokers is key for fall-off-the-bone tenderness and deeply smoky flavor. You can smoke on any grill, but a dedicated smoker is specifically designed to hold larger cuts of meat and impart maximum barbecue flavor.
We drew on years of experience and hands-on testing — including smoking pounds of meats and veggies — to choose the best barbecue smokers. Our picks balance ease of use and durability, all while delivering perfectly smoked food.
Our picks for the best smokers
Best pellet: Traeger Woodridge Pro – See at Traeger
Best charcoal: Weber 18″ Smokey Mountain – See at Amazon
Best electric: Masterbuilt 30″ Electric Smoker – See at Amazon
Best budget: Weber Original Kettle – See at Amazon
Best indoor: GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker – See at Amazon
Best pellet
Traeger Woodridge Pro
This Traeger model might sound like it’s aimed at professionals, but it’s simple enough for anyone to operate. It can be controlled with the spin of a dial or remotely via a mobile app. Best of all, it has 970 square inches of cooking space, so big parties or intimate dinners are both possible.
The Woodridge Pro has a classic smoker design with modern features. Whether you’re looking to upgrade an old, well-used smoker grill or are new to the space, the Traeger Woodridge Pro is a great choice for most people. Its heat retention is excellent, and it has advanced wireless connectivity, both of which mean less hands-on cooking is needed. Plus, it has a hearty 970 square inches of cooking real estate, a size that I’ve personally verified is enough for five full racks of ribs with room to spare.
It’s a smoker and a grill. As is common in the smoker space, the Woodridge Pro can reach 500 degrees Fahrenheit, but it also has a super smoke mode that can be used when grilling under 200 degrees for even more intense smoky flavor. This is a true treat when paired with the right meats. The 24-pound pellet hopper pretty much ensures you’ll never run out of fuel during a long cook, but a sensor inside the hopper can relay a notification to the app when it’s time to add more — just in case.
It’s highly customizable. A few years ago, Traeger got serious about updating its line of grilling accessories with the P.A.L. Pop And Lock system. Now, nearly all of its current grills can use the same shelves, hooks, paper towel holder, and hanging storage. Your investment now won’t be wasted in the future.
It’s the best option in the Woodridge series. Traeger makes three different Woodridge grills, but the Pro is best for most. While there are plenty of other fine smokers out there, the new line of Woodridge smokers offers a range of features to satisfy all, at a price that’s easy to stomach. The entry-level model is a good choice for infrequent chefs, and the Elite model is a complete outdoor kitchen, but the Pro model is well-rounded and suitable for most people.
If you’re curious about other models, you can check out our guide to the best Traeger grills and best pellet grills why we love the brand.
Best charcoal
Weber 18″ Smokey Mountain
Weber’s 18″ Smokey Mountain has the same timeless and sturdy design as its Original Kettle, only better-equipped for smoking.
This is a beginner-friendly, petite smoker. We find that Weber’s Smokey Mountain series’ 18-inch smoker offers the most for the casual at-home smoker. It has a relatively small footprint of about 20 inches, is made with the same solid steel and porcelain enamel as the brand’s Original Kettle grills, and it will outlast most charcoal smokers on the market for the same price.
It’s available in three different sizes. Depending on the amount of cooking surface area you require, you can size up to 22 inches (726 square inches) or down to 14 inches (286 square inches), but we think the 481 square inches offered by the 18-inch model (between two vertically integrated grates) is plenty for most.
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Setup is easy and intuitive. Once assembled, a pile of charcoal, some wood-smoking chips, and a basin (included) filled with water are all you need. You’ll have to keep on top of the fire and airflow throughout to find the perfect balance — and make no mistake, that is an art unto itself, but also part of the fun.
It’s great for learning. I’ve spent the better part of a decade tinkering with and smoking all sorts of things with this very grill. My most monumental successes in smoking have occurred on this very smoker, but so too have my greatest failures. If these prospects don’t appeal to you, save yourself the anguish and consider a pellet, propane, or electric smoker instead.
Best electric
Masterbuilt 30″ Electric Smoker
Masterbuilt’s 30″ Electric Smoker operates with nothing but electricity and wood chips, and is as easy and predictable as smoking gets.
This is one of the easiest smokers to use. Electric smokers are insulated, maintain almost perfect temperature control, and can cook for hours upon hours without much attention (save for adding wood chips). Masterbuilt’s 30″ Electric Smoker comes practically preassembled (attach the legs, the digital monitor, a latch, and it’s ready) and will be up and running with the press of a few buttons.
There’s no annoying fuel to deal with. All you have to do is remember to deposit a handful of either dry or pre-soaked wood chips, which you’ll want to replenish about every hour or so, depending on the temperature you set. We smoked fish, meat, and a pile of vegetables in it and everything came out perfectly, evenly browned and cooked through. This is as fail-safe and effortless as smoking gets.
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It’s better than propane options. Vertical electric smokers are the same shape, size, and every bit as straightforward as propane smokers, but without the hassle of dealing with propane (namely, running out of it). The size lets you cook just about everything you would on a midsize barrel grill or smoker, and a glass window in the door is a nice touch that allows you to keep an eye on things without having to open it up and lose heat.
It’s for outdoor use only. I also wish this grill had handles because I’ve had to move it quite a bit, and there’s no great place to get a grip on it. Plan to keep this grill more or less where you park it, and know that you’ll need a solid electrical source.
Best budget
This is a do-it-all, affordable grill. Good news: you can smoke just fine on a standard charcoal grill. There’s a sizeable series of YouTube wormholes to help you navigate your way through converting Weber’s Original Kettle Grill into one of the best smokers. If you want to keep things compact and simple but also afford yourself a little versatility with a charcoal grill, the good old-fashioned Weber Kettle allows for just enough ingenuity that it passes for a smoker when called upon.
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It has great heat retention. Despite having thinner steel than most barbecue smokers, the Weber Kettle is a master at heat retention. With the lid on properly, you’ll have no trouble maintaining heat. We also enjoy that you still have space to cook over direct heat while smoking, so it’s easy to char some vegetables or cook some hot dogs while you’re smoking. If you want even more versatility, the KettleBasic Pizza Oven Kit turns your charcoal grill into one of the best pizza ovens.
Best indoor
GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker
The GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker is a revolutionary kitchen appliance that uses advanced filtration technology to deliver wood-smoked BBQ results indoors. It combines genuine pellet smoking, smart monitoring capabilities, and precise temperature control in a countertop unit.
We recommend GE’s indoor smoker when outdoor space is in short supply. An indoor electric smoker shouldn’t be your first choice when picking a grill to infuse meat with rich, smoky flavor. But if you’re limited in space or by other circumstances, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Pellet Smoker is a terrific option to keep you cooking and the meals flowing. It features a small wood pellet hopper to create the internal smoke, but its active filtration system keeps your house from being flooded with a haze.
It’s big enough for most recipes. The countertop-size unit has 293 square inches of cooking space, which isn’t enormous, but should be plenty of room to make dinner for the family. I’m constantly impressed by how many wings or the cut of ribs that I can fit onto the three grates. Even if that internal space isn’t a limiting factor, you should be aware that the GE Profile Smart Indoor Pellet Smoker has a heating range of 150 degrees Fahrenheit to 300. It’s perfect for the low-and-slow cooking method, but it won’t be able to sear or really serve as a general-purpose countertop oven for other kinds of food.
It boasts smart features. I’ve found myself using the indoor smoker the most during the winter when it wasn’t convenient to cook outside. Making it even more user-friendly, I’m a fan of the built-in WiFi that pairs with the GE SmartHQ mobile app to let you monitor its timer, check the internal probe temperature, and adjust the timer all remotely. If you really want to get fancy, you can connect it with Alexa or Google Home to use certain voice commands.
But it’s expensive. For its $699 retail price, you can get a good outdoor smoker, but if you don’t have the outside space for a traditional smoker, then this one does a great job preparing juicy, flavorful cuts of meat. Then again, even if you already have a regular smoker you like, this one is always an option for a secondary one when it’s too cold to be outside.
Read our full GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker review.
Our top picks compared
What kind of smoker is best?
Smokers are generally classified by the type of fuel used. A charcoal or wood-burning grill will give you the most smoke flavor, but you’ll have to be more mindful about refilling throughout the BBQ process. Here’s a breakdown of the different smoker types:
What to look for in a BBQ smoker
Smoker heat source: While smoking over hardwood is probably the most fun experience, not everyone wants to spend the better part of a day hunched over a fire. If you’re a smoke enthusiast, opt for an offset or charcoal-powered smoker but be prepared for a learning curve. Otherwise, a pellet grill will get you good flavor (albeit not quite as smoky) and is almost entirely hands-off.
Material quality: Most grills have to live outside, and while a cover is a worthy investment, even the best smokers are still going to have to withstand the elements. Flimsier metals and cheap wheels were immediately disqualified. Thicker steel and industrial-grade casters were positive points, especially for competitively priced smokers.
Warranty: Look for a warranty of at least two years, but be prepared to make some concessions. In the end, a grill is only as good as the quality of the materials and build. It’s hard to call in a warranty on something like a grill or smoker because “normal wear and tear” involves starting fires, spilling grease, and exposure to the elements. We find that investing in a grill that’s built to last is ultimately the better consideration, even if it means forgoing a longer warranty.
How we test the best smokers
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Our testing methodology
After assembling the best smokers, analyzing the design and structure, and pre-seasoning them, we run several cooking tests:
Pork shoulder: For 5- to 7-pound shoulders, we targeted 225 degrees Fahrenheit at a rate of about one hour per pound, checking for a good smoke ring and even heat on both sides of the shoulder.
Chicken drumsticks: We evenly spaced drumsticks across each grill to test for the level of smokiness and doneness. (On smaller grills, we used as few as six drumsticks, while larger models saw 12-18.) We targeted 250 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour-and-a-half cook time. We also tossed in the occasional full bird for about two-and-a-half hours on larger grills.
Zucchini strips: At 350 degrees Fahrenheit, we spread strips of zucchini across each grill to look for char marks to make sure grills were cooking evenly.
We also consulted several experts, including chef Shola Olunloyo of Studio Kitchen and veteran author and Barbecue University TV host Steven Raichlen, to find out what makes a good smoker.
Meet the experts behind the guide
Owen Burke, former senior reporter: I’m a kitchen expert with years of experience testing cooking products. I’ve written extensively about grills and smokers, authoring multiple guides at Business Insider Reviews.
Tyler Hayes, freelancer contributor: I’m the go-to grill expert for Business Insider Reviews. I’ve been writing for the team for seven years.
Barbecue smoker FAQs
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Can you smoke on a gas grill?
Yes and no. You can impart some smoky flavor by placing a foil packet of soaked wood chips on the burner of your gas grill. However, Steven Raichlen told us that because gas grills aren’t sealed well enough, you shouldn’t expect BBQ-quality smoke from a gas grill.
If you’re looking for a traditional grill, check out our guide to the best gas grills.
Can you use wood on a charcoal smoker?
Yes, you can add wood chips to any charcoal grill. However, higher-quality charcoal smokers, often offset barrel models called stick-burners, are your best option for wood fires because they are built to withstand direct heat.
How does smoking work?
BBQ smokers work by using indirect heat to cook and/or cure food with smoke, and there are a number of ways to smoke food. At their most basic, smokers are simply a well-sealed vessel in which to contain heat and smoke to cure food to your desired level of flavor. More complicated smoker setups have additional features like offset smoke boxes or electronic controls to better regulate the level of heat and smoke.
