A lot of outdoor grillers like to kick their barbequing up another level with a smoker. You can obtain a separate grill to use as a dedicated charcoal smoker, or you can merely lay wood chips over the coals on your standard charcoal grill. Either way, a good charcoal smoker can liven up summertime grilling.
Mostly charcoal smokers are pill- or barrel-shaped and sit upright. A few barrel-shaped smokers lie horizontally and have a stand with wheels, much like standard grills. The charcoal and wood chips go on the bottom, and two grilling racks provide space to smoke at different temperatures.
Depending on their make and sophistication, charcoal smokers range in price from $55 to $2,000 and beyond. Some have several doors to check on the meat without opening the lid and letting out a lot of heat. Others have a water pan for steam smoking. Some have chimneys, others have vents. Some are smokers on legs, other are decked out with tables, baskets, enormous grilling space, various compartments and more. The fanciest have separate smoke compartments and stainless steel counter space.
While many charcoal smokers are equipped with thermometers standard, many smoker reviews call them worthless and prefer buying a proper meat thermometer to use instead . Other reviewers said they saw little advantage in stainless steel exteriors over the cheaper powder black coating on steel.
Smaller upright smokers are compact and good for a couple smoking pork chops or ribs. The larger horizontal smokers are excellent for hosting bigger parties.
Because smokers get very hot , be careful using them on wooden decks. Check with your apartment or condominium office to see if they are permitted . Landlords mostly consider them a larger fire hazard as they are left unattended for longer periods of time than a conventional grill.
Smokers and reviewers advise taking notes every time you smoke meat, so you’ll be able to adjust temperatures, the kinds of wood to use with certain meats, and the duration to smoke .
As with conventional charcoal grills, one important feature to look for is ash catching and removal. Many grills are equipped with a small bowl attached to the underside to catch ash coming out of the vents and larger grills have separate removable compartments that catch and hold ash.
Chimney starters are available to get the charcoal hotter faster and because they use paper, they eliminate lighter fluid residue. However, none of the most popular and widely-distributed charcoal smokers include chimney starters as a standard feature. Chimney starters usually cost about $15.
