The 10 Best Smokers

For steady low-and-slow cooking over charcoal, the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is the bullet smoker barbecue writers keep pointing to. A water pan sits between the fire and the meat, so the heat stays even for hours with little fiddling, and the enameled steel stands up to years of weather. This larger version takes a couple of pork shoulders and some ribs at once. The thin side door can leak smoke, and adding charcoal partway through is awkward.

If you'd rather set a dial and walk away, the Traeger Pro 22 feeds hardwood pellets into its fire by itself and holds the heat you choose, from a gentle smoke up to roasting a chicken. Two probe ports let you watch the meat without lifting the lid. It also grills and bakes, though it needs an outlet nearby. The wood flavor comes through lighter than a charcoal fire, and this model has no Wi-Fi.

The Masterbuilt 30-Inch Digital works a lot like an outdoor oven. You plug it in, set the time and heat on the top panel, and feed wood chips through a side loader without opening the door. An insulated cabinet and a water bowl keep things steady, which makes it a forgiving first smoker. It never gets hot enough for crisp poultry skin, the smoke is fairly light, and durability varies from one unit to the next.

Old-school barbecue comes from a side firebox, and the Oklahoma Joe's Highland is a heavy steel take on that design. The fire burns off to one side, so smoke drifts across the meat instead of cooking it from below, and the firebox doubles as a small grill. There's room to feed a crowd. Plan on tending the fire every hour or so. Its lid and firebox seams leak at first, and a gasket kit is the usual fix.

The Pit Barrel Cooker is a steel drum that hangs ribs and roasts from hooks over a basket of charcoal. Juices drip onto the coals and come back as flavorful smoke, and there's almost nothing to adjust beyond one air vent at the bottom. It runs hotter and faster than a classic low-and-slow setup, which suits weeknight cooks and beginners alike. That simplicity also means you can't do much when the heat drifts.

For a lot of food on a small budget, the Dyna-Glo Wide Body Vertical Offset stacks six adjustable grates above a side firebox and comes with sausage hooks. Heat and smoke rise through every shelf, and it burns charcoal, wood chunks or a mix. Expect a long assembly, ideally with a helper. The thin steel goes through fuel quickly, especially in cold weather, and the doors let smoke slip out until you add gaskets.

Small decks and patios suit the Ninja Woodfire ProConnect XL, an electric tabletop grill that burns a small scoop of wood pellets for flavor. It also roasts, bakes and air fries, and a phone app keeps an eye on the meat probe. Ninja says a whole brisket fits. Because it plugs in, there's no charcoal or propane to store. The smoke is lighter than a wood fire's, and the cooking space is tight for a party.

Shoppers ready to spend on a high-end pellet grill can start with the Traeger Woodridge Pro. It adds Wi-Fi control, a sensor that warns when pellets run low and a mode that boosts smoke at lower heat. There's room for a big family cook, and grease drains into a keg that's simple to empty. Traeger backs it with a ten-year limited warranty. It's very heavy to move, and some units swing in temperature.

Jerky, salmon and smoked cheese want low, gentle heat, and that's the job of the Smokehouse Big Chief. This aluminum box plugs in, runs at one steady low setting and holds five racks over a pan of smoldering wood chips. Smokehouse, a family company in Hood River, Oregon, has built these boxes for decades. It can't get hot enough to cook ribs or brisket through, and its thin walls lose heat on cold, windy days.

Apartment cooks without a yard can still smoke chicken or salmon in the Nordic Ware Stovetop Kettle Smoker. Wood chips smolder in the base over a burner, while a drip pan and rack sit above them under a domed lid with a thermometer. Nordic Ware makes the pan in Minnesota. It only handles small batches, and some smoke still escapes, so run the vent hood and crack a window.