Smoking and grilling have become so popular that people want to have more BBQ morning, noon, and night. The idea of a whole summer of cooking outdoors can be exciting to many people that nowadays, barbecuing is not an activity reserved for evening meals alone. Breakfasts are now starting to become a favorite time to grill as well as lunch or any other meals in between.
If you are planning to do some grilling in your backyard for the first time, the choices for smoker grills are endless. We have made a list of the best smoker grills on the market today to help you choose the one that would work perfectly for you.
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Top Rated Smoker Grill Reviews
Weber 721001
Good Alternative
PRICE: $$
The Weber 721001 can be used to grill different types of meats all at the same time, and can maintain high temperatures for many, many hours.
Rated by Nathan
Masterbuilt
Best Electric Smoker
PRICE: $$
This electric smoker grill is designed to make smoking simple, just plug it in, adjust the digital controls, sit down and let it do the magic work for you.
Rated by Nathan
Camp Chef
Best Gas Smoker
PRICE: $$
Delivers a temperature range of 140 to 400 degrees, allowing you to have the versatility of doing a “flash” smoke or a low-temperature smoke.
Rated by Nathan
#1 Masterbuilt 20075315
The Best Electric
With an impressive cooking space of 975 sq. inches, the Masterbuilt 20075315 electric smoker can cook and smoke enormous amounts of ribs, pork, seafood, or poultry.
This electric smoker grill is designed to make smoking simple, just plug it in, adjust the digital controls, sit down and let it do the magic work for you.
This electric smoker has a remote control that lets you turn it on and off, adjust the temperature and the light without having to stand in front of it the whole time.
It has a viewing window and light so you can monitor the progress of the meat you are cooking. Plus, it comes with a built-in meat probe that easily allows you to check if it is already done.
It comes with a slightly higher price tag, but with its four smoking racks with chrome coating, you can cook up to 100 pounds of food. The Masterbuilt 20075315 is equipped with a 1,200 watts electric heating unit and is fully insulated to keep the heat in, absolutely safe when you have kids running around.
PROS
- Radio Frequency remote control
- Comes with an integrated control panel with blue LED light
- Equipped with four chrome-coated smoking racks
CONS
- Takes up a large space
- Slightly high price
- The front controller is not water-proof
#2 Camp Chef SMV24S 24″ Smoke Vault
Our Gas Pick
Whether you are a professional or a beginner, the Camp Chef SMV24S smoke vault is the best gas smoker on the market today.
It delivers a temperature range of 140 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to have the versatility of doing a “flash” smoke or a low-temperature smoke.
Its wide range of usable heat will let you smoke ribs, seafood, and turkeys and even bake pizza, pies, and bread.
It has three damper valves that can be adjusted to control the heat and smoke levels. Its wood chip pan can hold enough wood to give you two hours of smoke. It has a steel wood pan and water pan to ensure tender barbecue meat.
One complaint most users have with this smoker is that the temperature is off by about 30 to 50 degrees. Also, the racks have limited space and are slightly flimsy. For us, these are not deal breakers because this gas smoker is a well-built, high-quality combination smoker, cooker, and dehydrator.
PROS
- Comes with two adjustable smoking racks and one jerky smoking rack
- Equipped with three adjustable damper valves
- Has a large door thermometer
CONS
- The temperature gauge is not accurate
- Small rack space
- The racks are flimsy
#3 Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker
Top-rated Charcoal
The Weber Smokey Mountain charcoal smoker is among the highest rated smoker grills on online reviews because of its wonderful features.
It can be used to grill different types of meats all at the same time. It can maintain temperatures for many hours and provide you with mouth-watering barbecue.
A staple on barbecue competitions, this charcoal smoker has a porcelain-enamel coating that makes it highly durable and will protect it from rusting of the heavy gauge steel.
It comes with a steel barrel, two grills, a porcelain coated water and drip pan, and a charcoal grate. It has a superior airflow design that holds steady and constant temperatures all throughout your cooking time.
The built-in thermometer is somewhat inaccurate, and some users claim that assembly is not easy. But these negative feedbacks are so few and greatly outnumbered by satisfied users. Once assembled, you will not be disappointed with all the amazing features that make this one of the best smoker grills on the market.
PROS
- Has a heat-resistant nylon handle
- Comes with a built-in lid thermometer
- High-quality and durable cooking grates
CONS
- Difficult to assemble
- No side handles
- The thermometer is not so accurate
#4 Camp Chef PG24
High-Quality Pellet Smoker
If you’re on a budget but still want to have the best pellet smoker the market has to offer, Camp Chef PG24 pellet grill and smoker BBQ is the way to go.
At around $500, it can grill as well and smoke efficiently as most pellet cookers with a higher price range. It is designed with the novice in mind and loaded with incredible features that the pros can appreciate.
You can easily regulate the temperature of this pellet smoker, so you get your food evenly cooked.
Its stainless steel food temperature probe lets you know if the food is done. Because of its electronic autostart ignition, this pellet smoker uses a lot of energy, which is the main complaint of a few users. Another disadvantage is its bulky frame, but with the wheels installed, mobility becomes easy.
PROS
- Equipped with an LED digital temperature control feature
- Comes with a built-in meat probe
- Easy to clean
CONS
- Heavy build
- Uses a large amount of power
- Low capacity pellet hopper
#5 REC TEC Grills Bull
Smart Smoker
REC tech is one of the best priced grills, considering the price the sturdy construction smart grill technology, excellent digital controller, and dare we say it it’s good looks make this grill as one of the best out there.
You don’t get what you pay for with this, grill you get a whole lot more. In fact some of the more expensive grills don’t come with as many features, and that’s why we give it a thumbs up for affordability and value for money.
Solid construction that’s built to last is what the REC tech is all about, from their proprietary pid temperature control algorithm, and smart Grill technology to the grills powder coated high-strength carbon steel and 304 stainless steel for all of its critical parts.
Where the rec tech out shines or rather out cooks other pellet grills is their temperature control, the grills all come standard with a PID controller, (proportional integral derivative) algorithm, the secret to the grill maintaining its precise temperature.
Rec tech also has the revolutionary smart grill technology making it one of the easiest pallet smokers to operate. The push-button ignition sets and maintains the selected temperature throughout the entire cooking process, and the pellets are automatically fed into the firebox, which means there are no temperature fluctuations no other grill on the market has this sophisticated brain.
PROS
- Affordable Price
- Sturdy Construction
- Smart Grill
- Good Looks
CONS
- We will let you know when we find them.
#6 Char-Griller 06620 Akorn Kamado Kooker
Our Best Choice for Kamado Smoker
Designed to be more efficient than customary ceramic Kamados, the Char-Griller 06620 Akorn Kamado Kooker is designed with creative innovation to let you cook a wide variety of food such as ribs, fish, burgers, even pizza.
This Kamado smoker is built to last with its powder covered outside and porcelain covered steel inside.
It has an insulated body that holds in heat and uses less charcoal for more efficient use of energy.
It has 302 square inches of cooking space, 314 square creeps of cast iron flame broil space, and a 133 square inch removable warming rack to cook a wide variety of food.
The temperature gauge is not as accurate as you want it to be so you may have to monitor your cooking to avoid having burnt food. It also has uncoated cast iron cooking grate that needs to be cleaned every time you use it.
PROS
- Delivers high-temperature capacity of up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit
- Made of solid 22-gauge steel construction
- Comes with an easy and simple temperature control
CONS
- High maintenance
- Uses lower quality paints that reduce durability
- Inaccurate temperature gauge
#7 Green Mountain – Davy Crockett Pellet Grill
Ultimate Tailgater Pellet Smoker
Davy Crockett rocked the wild frontier and you’ll be rockin the backyard barbecue with this pellet grill. It comes in under the $400 mark because of its size it’s a portable pellet grill, but it’s pretty big on design and described by some as the ultimate tailgater pellet grill.
As with all pellet smokers there’s a lot to like and a few things that can be
Improved, but as far as compact portable grills go there’s very few available on the market therefore the Davy Crockett is our pick of a rather short list in terms of portability.
There are smaller and lighter options available but the cooking surface is much smaller and has the out-of-date low medium high controller, the Davy Crockett uses Green Mountain sophisticated digital thermostatic controller with a dual readout LED display to accommodate.
The included meat thermometer it also comes with adapters to provide power from a wall outlet car cigarette lighter or car battery items that are often optional on other models. What sets GM grills apart is the included Wi-Fi control the range is approximately 100 feet and makes grilling smoking and baking super easy.
You can view your cooking times grill temperatures and internal meat cooking temperatures all from your smart device, you can also adjust the cooking temperature, set timer alerts and alert when your foods internal temperature reaches a certain level. Plans are in place to take this to the cloud which will give you the ability to control the temperature from anywhere in the world as long as you’re connected to the web.
Great for smoking during the week whilst you’re at work you can quickly log on and reduce the temperature for the final few hours of your cookout.
PROS
- Portable
- Cheap considering it’s size and features
- Connects to smart phone
CONS
- App can run into problems
Facts to Consider When Buying
Type of Fuel
Different fuels produce different results, so you need to ask yourself what type of fuel you want to use. Basically, this decision can be made depending on where you are going to use the smoker grill. If you have limited space or if cooking by live fire is not allowed in your condominium, you should get an electric smoker.
Consider Your Budget
Knowing how much you want to spend can help you get the best smoker grill of your dreams. It will narrow down your choices so always remember, you get what you pay for.
Size
Smoker grills come in different sizes of cooking area, some can cook enough for a small family while some can cook for a big party. Depending on how you are going to use your grill, you need to make sure that you get the right size for your needs. Also, you may have to consider how big your space is so you will not end up having a smoker grill that is too big for your backyard or patio.
Temperature
Look for smoker grills that have features to control the temperature. The outcome of your cooking depends on the heat. There are types of food that taste better when cooked using low heat, and there are some that taste great when cooked in high heat for shorter periods of time.
Safety
You need to consider safety especially if you are planning to get a gas grill as propane is extremely flammable. With other smoker grill types, choose ones that have insulated coating to prevent accidental burns.
Portability
This is something you should consider if you want to use your smoker grill on camping trips or if you need to put the grill in storage when it rains or snows. Some models have wheels installed for easy transport.
Conclusion
If you love the savory flavors of a well-smoked meal shared with family and friends, then a smoker grill is what you need. The choices are limitless and just thinking about it can be a challenging task for some. So to help you get the best smoker grill for your backyard, we have compiled this list of the best of the best. Check them out to see what would fit you and start having barbecue parties of your own.
