Do you want to make smoky barbecues like pitmasters? An offset smoker makes the grilling process easier and prepares the meat like a professional chef. An offset smoker is easy to operate with charcoal and wood pellets. Marinate the items and let them soak the spices for a few hours. Put them in the smoker and wait for the perfectly grilled meal.
However, some grills do have easy access to fill the wood pellets box. Also, an ashtray is necessary to collect the ashes. Apart from these, the smokers come in different designs which need to be kept in need before choosing the best offset smoker for your garden party.
Things You Need To Know Before Buying Best Offset Smoker
Is your offset smoker ready for the grilling season? An outdoor grill party for family or office colleagues to create bonding. The offset smokers can be used for barbecue, grills, etc, and surprise the guest with a menu with wide options.
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Vertical or Horizontal?
When it comes to offset smokers, the main cooking chamber is the smoking chamber which can be vertical or horizontal. The vertical ones give you multiple racks for accommodating different types of meat and are good for slow cooking as the smoke rises naturally. However, they also tend to be more expensive since the horizontal ones are more commonly available.
Grilling on an offset smoker
When you cook for a barbecue, you would not want only meat, meat, and more meat. Everyone wants some good sides such as corn on the cob, grilled summer vegetables, etc. And hence it is a great feature when an offset smoker gives you the option to also grill on the side when you are slow cooking the main meat dishes. Some smokers would even allow you the option to use gas as a fuel instead of charcoal which is very useful especially for people who want the option to do quick barbecues after work or when they do not have the patience and energy to do a whole slow smoking session.
Temperature and smoke control
Mastering the flow of smoke and adjusting the temperature during the cooking process is key to achieve great results when smoking your meat. This is why offset smokers must have a good thermometer that is appropriately positioned to tell you the temperature inside the smoking chamber accurately. By monitoring this temperature, you have to remove or add fuel to the firebox of the smoker to increase or lower the cooking temperature. Two other important features that a good offset smoker should have are dampers and a smokestack. The dampers are vents that help you to control the amount of smoke and heat by keeping them open or by closing them. The smokestack is a chimney that can be small or long depending on the design of the smoker, and some of them come with an adjustable flue which is very helpful in controlling the amount of smoke.
Ashtray and door to the firebox
The firebox is usually attached beside the smoking chamber, and this is the place where the fuel burns whether it be charcoal or smoking wood. Hence, this is a very crucial component of a smoker that should be well-constructed and must have the necessary features for the smoker to perform in a reliable way. The firebox should have a door through which you can have easy access to the fuel, and also an ashtray, which will hold the ashes from the burning process so that you can clean the firebox easily by emptying the ashtray.
Top 10 Best Offset Smokers
| Product | Power source | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Masterbuilt Digital Smoker | Electric and wood pellets | A |
| Royal Gourmet Grill with Offset Smoker | Charcoal and wood pellets | A |
| Dyna-Glo Charcoal Offset Smoker | Charcoal | A- |
| Royal Gourmet Charcoal Grill with Offset Smoker | Charcoal | A- |
| Z Grills Grill & Smoker | Wood pellets | B+ |
| Char-Broil Electric Smoker | Electric and wood pellets | B+ |
| Dyna-Glo Signature Series Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill | Charcoal | A- |
| Char-Griller Smokin Pro | Charcoal and wood pellets | A- |
| Camp Chef Smoker | Electric and wood pellets | A- |
| Char-Broil Offset Smoker | Charcoal and wood pellets | A- |
1. Masterbuilt Digital Smoker
The Masterbuilt digital smoker is simple and easy to use as it creates less mess around the smoker. To begin with, it has a control panel with buttons to control the temperature for smoking beef, turkey, etc. The LCD displays the time and temperature that gives the current reading. Not to mention, it has a huge internal space with four racks. You can easily for people in a party on this smoker.
The feature we like most about this smoker is that you can load the wood chips with the help of the feeding chute on the side without opening the whole door.
All the parts are easy to assemble and a manual id provided to guide you through the process. However, you need to pre-season it before the first use to remove the leftover oils or chemicals during the manufacturing process. The body of the smoker is insulated to prevent interior heat from coming outside.
Pros
Cons
2. Royal Gourmet Grill with Offset Smoker
Designed as a traditional charcoal grill with an offset smoker so you can grill and smoke at the same time. The offset smoker can also be used as a small grill if required.
This grill with a smoker is a 30" grill that provides a total of 800 sq. inches of cooking space; 438 sq. inches of this being in the main chamber. The side box has a 183 sq. inches capacity for smoking or charcoal grilling and there are another 179 sq. inches of the swing-away rack.
This has an in-built thermometer in the lid of the main chamber so you can keep an eye on the temperature and the handles are a stay cool design. Both dampers are adjustable, and you can also alter the height of the firepan for better temperature control when grilling.
The cooking grates are porcelain coated for corrosion and rust resistance as well as them being able to retain heat evenly during cooking. You can add quickly add charcoal through the side access door, and this also has an ash pan for easy cleaning after use.
With wheels for easy transporting as well as a wire mesh shelf on the bottom where you can store your charcoal and pellets, it also has a handy side shelf where you can prepare foods and some hanging hooks to keep utensils tidy during cooking.Pros
Cons
3. Dyna-Glo Charcoal Offset Smoker
For many of us, smoking meat might be a hobby, for enjoying a great meal with the family, or simply for the love of food, but for those who are in the meat business or someone who is a professional camp chef, smoking meat is serious business and if you are one of them you would want to take a look into this offset smoker from Dyna-Glo which can give you professional grade results if you can use it to its full potential.
Even just by looking at the tall vertical smoking chamber of this smoker that comes in elegant black color and heavy duty steel construction that has been powder-coated, you would realize that this is a smoker that is of a premium quality, a smoker that you would want as a centerpiece in any outdoor party or event.
The smoking chamber of this smoker has been designed to give you superior efficiency when it comes to heat and smoke control. It features a heavy duty burner with a BTU of 15000 and an electronic pulse ignition system that makes sure that igniting the burner is quick and hassle-free. The firebox has a porcelain-enameled steel chamber that keeps the charcoal briquettes tightly packed together which increases the fuel efficiency, which means it is easier to reach your desired temperature.
To monitor the temperature, the built-in thermometer on the smoking chamber shows the correct temperature along with a smoke-zone indicator which shows you the optimal temperatures for smoking the meat. So that you can entirely focus on the cooking process rather than cleaning and maintenance, the chamber has been equipped with a charcoal and ash management system along with a removable ashtray which has a high capacity for holding ash enabling you to smoke for hours without becoming overloaded.
The smoking chamber has been designed in a vertical style, which lets the flavors in the smoke slowly infuse into the meat, which helps you to achieve excellent results from the slow cooking process. The smoking chamber and the firebox both have a double-door design which makes sure that the heat and smoke do not escape through the doors. The vertical smoking chamber has six grates with a 25 pounds capacity each, where you can accommodate your smoking items such as pork shoulders, briskets, and racks of ribs.
This compartment gives you a total cooking capacity of 1176 sq. inches, which is quite big compared to other smokers, making it a great choice for anyone who wants to use the smoker for big barbecue events or making smoked meat for commercial purposes. Moreover, if you have to handle large portions of meat, you can adjust the height of the grates to fit in those pieces. At the top of the smoking chamber, there is a smokestack with an adjustable flue, which allows you to control the amount of smoke and heat you want to trap inside the chamber.
Pros
Cons
4. Royal Gourmet Charcoal Grill with Offset Smoker
The preparation of grilling meats, fishes takes time and a large space to place the marinated food on the racks. This offset smoker from Royal Gourmet 438 sq inches main chamber to place the food for grilling. There is a secondary shelf to use as a warming rack.
To reduce the work of cleaning, the grates are coated with porcelain. Heat the grates after finishing smoking, lightly wipe wet soapy cloth or scrubber. The coating will not mix with food due to heat.
In addition, it has tables on the side and at the front to season your food before smoking. The offset smoker can accommodate 5 pounds of charcoal at a time. On the side, there is a fan to circulate heat and smoke for smoking the texas style grill. Moreover, two wheels are attached to ease the movement of this 57 pounds grill.
Pros
Cons
5. Z Grills Grill & Smoker
The Z Grills ZPG-450A Grill & Smoker is a 6 in 1 with auto temperature control and an electronic auto-start ignition. This has a wide temperature range of between 180°F and 450°F meaning that you can smoke, grill, BBQ, sear, roast, or braise. Most of the time this will stay within 10 degrees of your set temperature – whatever the temperature is outside of the grill & smoker.
This grill & smoker gives you 450 sq. inches of grilling area with the main cooking area being 324 sq. inches.
The LED display provides you with easy to read control and real-time temperatures and the auto temperature control will automatically add pellets to the smoker as needed to regulate its temperature. Because this smoker & grill uses convection heat distribution technology, it means your meat will get cooked evenly and as the pellet hopper holds 15 lbs. of pellets, around 15 hours of cooking time, it means you can leave it to get on with longer smokes without needing to worry too much about pellets running out.
Made from stainless steel to resist corrosion with a bronze and black finish, this stylish grill & smoker will suit any style of garden or yard. The side shelf of the smoker is a great space for storing your utensils when cooking, or when not in use, you can just fold them away. The two wheels on the smoker are heavy duty and all terrain, making moving it around less of a struggle. Just in case the weather does get bad during winter, it also comes with a black cover.Pros
Cons
6. Char-Broil Electric Smoker
How to cook fast as well as get the flavor of smoking on your meat? The smoker from Char-Broil is an electric smoker that smokes the meat or fish with perfect texture and flavor. You can monitor the temperature on the LCD and also it provides a removable thermometer to help to cook the meat at the exact temperature. The digital control panel can be easily operated with the buttons.
As this is an electric smoker, you can not use it where there is no access to electricity. A giant wood chip box is provided that can accommodate 4 cups of wood chips to produce smoke for more than 4 hours and gives the flavor of smokiness in food. You can keep your food warm for a long time as the latches make the seal tight to keep the interior warm.
Pros
Cons
7. Dyna-Glo Signature Series Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill
From Dyna-Glo’s Signature Series comes this powerful smoker which can be converted into a charcoal grill whenever you need it. The vertical tower of the cooking chamber houses 5 grates that offer you an offset cooking space of 284 sq. inches where you can smoke your favorite meat and even hang sausages to add a mouth-watering smoky flavor to them.
The grates are made of chrome-plated steel which eliminates the worries regarding rusting and corrosion, whereas the body of the smoker is made of steel that has a heavy-gauge, which means it retains heat and maintains the internal temperature of the smoker with high efficiency.
The horizontal chamber beside the tower gives you the flexible option to charcoal grill your favorite grilling items. The charcoal grate can be easily removed so that you can add or remove charcoal while you are grilling. The thermometer at the front gives you the correct temperature readings and helps you to control the smoking and grilling temperatures according to your needs.
One thing that is a major cause of headaches when it comes to smoking is the post-barbecue clean-up, but this equipment makes it a breeze since the ashtray and the charcoal grate can be removed. You can remove the ash-tray, empty it, and clean it before you put it back again. The doors of the smoker come with handles and the bottom of the body has rollers and stands, which makes it a stable and portable smoker that even novice users can handle smoothly.
Pros
Cons
8. Char-Griller Smokin Pro
When you put out a thing as big as a smoker in your patio or garden where your guests can watch you perform barbecue techniques, you want the smoker to not only work well but also to look great.
Keeping that in mind, this smoker has been designed with wooden accents which makes it a uniquely elegant piece of art that you would feel proud to display in any of your outdoor cooking events. The smoker comes in a smooth, black powder-coated steel body with wooden tables at the side and front of the cooking chamber, and a wooden handle for the firebox.
The tables not only serve a beautification purpose but is also serve as a useful space where you can place your plates while you remove the cooked meat from the cooking chamber. The powder-coating of the steel makes the body of the smoker resistant to chipping, cracking, corrosion, and chemical damage, ensuring that the smoker will be a useful asset to have for a very long time without looking old.
The cooking grates of this smoker have been made of cast iron so it is very good at retaining heat, giving you that mouth-watering searing sound when the meat touches the hot grate, as well as the signature grill marks on your meat. Since the grate is made of cast-iron, it is also non-stick and will help you to remove the cooked meat easily from the cooking grate.
The firebox of this smoker has been made with powerful features to give you a true experience of gourmet barbecue. The firebox provides you with a space that is 250 sq. inches big to house a sufficient amount of charcoal or wood, and it also lets you add more fuel to the chamber through a door without having to open the whole firebox. The firebox has a vent through which you can control the amount of air that flows into the firebox.
The hood of the cooking chamber has a heat gauge that will show you the cooking temperature, and you can adjust the heat grate at the firebox accordingly to maintain the desired temperature for your cooking. If you wish to grill some side items such as corn cobs, you can do so on the firebox grate, expanding the variety of ways you can cook using this smoker.
Once you are done using the smoker, you can remove the ash-tray from the firebox to empty it, which means you do not have to go through the tedious process of having to remove the ashes from the compartments using your hands.
Pros
Cons
9. Camp Chef Smoker
The Camp Chef smoker has 811 inches cooking surface to roast, barbecue, etc for a family gathering. The internal space is divided into 2 shelves to give a compact design of the smoker. A front table and side table are provided to easily take out the cooked meat without spilling oil.
You can set the level from 1 to 10 for smoking the meat as you prefer. The wide handle on the lid does not get hot due to the heat so that you monitor the meats without burning your hand.
The two wheels are attached to easily move the smoker. The pellets box on the side is large enough to accommodate half a bag of pellets. If you want to change the pellets for different flavors, place a bucket on the hanger and pull the lever to vacant the box. With the help of an auger, you can pull out the remaining wood pellets from inside the grill. This is a smart design grill, where the temperature is displayed on the screen.
Pros
Cons
10. Char-Broil Offset Smoker
Lastly, this Char-Broil offset smoker has enormous space to smoke for a huge number of people. Though it has a smart controller to control the temperature, this is compatible with wooden chunks that burn for a long time to cook briskets, ribs, etc. For chicken or fish, you can use wood chips. Place the chips on a smoking box to bring out a smoky flavor.
If you do not have a smoker box, you use foil paper to place the chips on the grill. However, cleaning the ashes will be hard as it does not have an ashtray. The grill racks have porcelain coating to clean them easily without much scrapping. For ease of mobility, a pair of wheels are added to the grill.
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FAQ
How is offset smoker different from reverse flow smoker?
The offset smoker produces clean smoke and forms big smoke to flow through the items and come out through the chimney.
Reverse flow smoker provides uniform heat and smoke. The chimney of a reverse flow smoker is designed near the pellet box so the smoke takes a round trip to come out of the chimney.
Is it necessary to season the smoker before first use?
Yes, it is necessary to season at the beginning. During the construction of the smoker, oils are used which might stay on it. Seasoning the smoker will remove the toxic oils.
How to season the smoker?
Take out all the removable parts of the smoker. Wipe the parts and the other parts of the smoker with soapy water. Spray cooking oil evenly on the smokers and their parts and heat the smoker for a few hours until the oil is blended. For step to step process, you can follow the video
Conclusion
An offset smoker is a valuable and useful asset to have for any family who shares the love for a good barbecue and for people who loves flavorful cooked meat. If you are planning to buy an offset smoker today, make sure you have a clear idea of what purpose you are going to use it for, and also to choose the best offset smoker that would fit your family size, your cooking preferences, and personal taste. Once you have your own offset smoker by your side, it's time for you to master the art of smoking the most delicious ribs and briskets at your own backyard with your family and friends!
