What You Need to Know Before Buying a Smoker

Smokers are defined by their orientation (horizontal vs. vertical/bullet-style) and their fuel source (charcoal, wood, pellets, gas, electric). Traditional smokers that are horizontally oriented are called offset smokers. Those run on wood chunks and/or charcoal. Pellet smokers are also horizontal, but their fuel source is manufactured wood pellets. We’ve tested all types of smokers and recommend different models based on available space, skill level, and budget. 

But First, How Smokers Work

Smokers use indirect heat—smoke—rather than direct heat (flame) to cook meat. In a smoker, the meat is placed adjacent to the heat source, rather than on top of it. This results in a cooking process that is much slower, but worth the wait: Properly smoked meat is fall-apart tender and infused with a (you guessed it) smoky flavor. Adding a pan of water to your smoker will help regulate the cooking process, maintaining a consistently low temperature. Again, this differs from a grill, which is meant to operate at a high temperature and to make use of the flame for optimal results. 

What's the Difference Between a Smoker and a Grill?

Although it’s possible to smoke with a traditional kettle charcoal grill, the technique requires a lot of babysitting, and the results are not consistent. Both grilling and smoking can produce meat with a smoky flavor and an attractive char. But even the most tricked-out grills struggle to replicate the slow-and-steady pace of a smoker because the fuel grate is often very close to the cooking grate. Some grills offer movable grates that allow you to increase the distance between the two, but that’s not typically enough to produce the indirect heat required to smoke. What’s more, smokers are designed to accommodate larger formats of meat, like brisket or ribs. Depending on the size and shape of your grill, that may not be possible without portioning the meat first.

Which Type of Smoker Should You Buy?

Do you like to grill and smoke food? If so, get a pellet smoker, like a Traeger. (We've tested almost every Traeger model—you can read our review here.) Traegers offer stress-free smoking. Just set your target temperature, and the grill will automatically add wood pellets as needed. In our tests, the barbecue produced by pellet smokers was smoky, tender, and worth writing home about. Pellet smokers also grill well. That's why they're interchangeably called pellet grills. The downsides to this do-it-all appliance? They don't get as hot as gas or charcoal grills, and you have to use wood pellets—charcoal and wood won't work.

If you want a tried-and-true smoker that can handle large cuts of meat and delivers intensely smoky flavor, get a traditional offset smoker. A smoker's not good at searing or high-heat applications, so many cooks who favor traditional smokers also invest in a charcoal or gas grill for burgers and steaks.

Those are the two types of smokers we'll cover here, because they're the most versatile and provide the best flavor. But we've also reviewed gas and electric smokers; those are solid options for a an easy, kissed-by-smoke flavor.

The Best Traditional Smokers

An traditional offset smoker comes with a steep learning curve for even seasoned grillers; this is due to the quantity and quality of smoke, which can impart either sweet or bitter flavors. But if you’re serious about smoking like the pros, you need the right equipment.

This bullet smoker won our review because it's fairly priced, doesn't require a ton of smoking knowledge to get started, and has stacked grates that allow for maximum space. There's an easily opened door for adding fuel mid-smoke, and it made the most flavorful tri-tip in our tests. Plus, it comes with Weber's exceptional customer service and warranty.

Key Specs:

• Cooking area: 481 square inches
• Dimensions: 41.7 x 19.7 x 19.7 inches
• Fuel type: Charcoal, supplement with wood for flavor

This charcoal smoker is a big upgrade. Like pellet grills, it monitors the coals and adds more as required to maintain your target temperature. Unlike pellet grills, it gets pretty hot—up to 700˚F, which is sufficient for searing meat. There's a very generous amount of cooking space—over 1,100 square inches. Overall, it's the best combination of performance and convenience in a traditionally-fueled smoker.

Key Specs:

• Cooking area: 1,150 square inches 
• Dimensions: 58 x 32 x 52 inches
• Fuel type: Charcoal, supplement with wood for flavor

The Best Pellet Smokers

Pellet smokers are unparalleled when it comes to convenience. They offer a truly "set it and forget it" experience, and are a good gateway to grilling. If you want to grill and smoke but don't have room for two outdoor appliances, get a pellet smoker.

We love this pellet smoker. It offers over 900 square inches of cooking—a whole lot more than most basic grills. Every Serious Eats editor who's cooked on the Traeger Ironwood goes bananas over the imbued-with-smoke flavor of chicken and ribs. It offers the best of Traeger's features. Get it and you'll never wish you had sprung for the bigger size.

This is a new offering from Traeger, and we're impressed. It combines incredible performance—it heats up fast—with a reasonable price point, and, like the Ironwood, has a mega-large cooking area. (If you're sensing a theme, you're right: We advocate for buying the biggest grill or smoker your budget and space can afford.) The app offers a seamless experience, including recipe inspiration.

Key Specs

• Cooking area: 970 square inches
• Dimensions: 47 x 67 x 34 inches
• Fuel type: Wood pellets

FAQs

What is an offset smoker?

An offset smoker is a type of smoker. It has a fuel box that is adjacent to the cooking chamber. This allows smoke to slowly seep into the cooking chamber and indirectly cook the meat. 

How does a pellet smoker work?

Pellet smokers work in a variety of ways, whether they’re oriented vertically or horizontally, with offset cooking chambers. But the important part is the pellets: in pellet smokers, uniformly shaped and sized manufactured wood pellets are used as a fuel source, rather than chunks of wood or charcoal. Wood pellets are easy to ignite, and produce predictable, consistent results.

Are pellet smokers and pellet grills the same? 

Yep! The terms are interchangeable.

Why We're the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats; she has been reviewing gear for the site since 2022.
• Rochelle is a culinary school graduate and former restaurant cook. Previously, she worked as an editor at Bon Appétit.
• We've tested dozens of grills and smokers, and continue to long-term test our favorites to ensure our recommendations stand the test of time.