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Top 9 Best Offset Smoker Reviews in 2021
A smoker is a device that uses wood, paper and other combustible materials to create heat for cooking food. Offset smokers are becoming increasingly popular in the home kitchen and restaurant industry with their ability to provide even heat distribution.
These 9 best offset smoker reviews offer both electric and gas powered options as well as manual models that require an individual’s physical effort to regulate the temperature of the grill. Each type has Pros and Cons so that you need to check and choose the most suitable for you.
Top 9 Best Offset Smoker:
1. Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D
Discover the difference in flavor, taste and preparation with the Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D. With its vertically designed smoker tube that allows for naturally rising heat from established charcoals; it is easy to build flavors and smoke without burning your food as a result of direct fire.
Combine this design with an offset smoker tube which ensures the meats are away from any direct fire when being cooked, you have now achieved mastery over great tasting smoked meat dishes.
A highly regarded aspect of this product is its porcelain-enameled steel charcoal chamber complete with a spacious ash pan where ashes can be cleaned out easily at just the push of a button made specifically for quick removal and cleaning if needed.
Create succulent smoked meats, slow-cooked barbecued meaty goodness, and a whole slew of tasty sides with Dyna-Glo Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker! It’s ready when you are. Simply fill the handy water tray that runs up and behind the charcoal chamber. That will keep your fuel moist for hours of cooking.
You’ll also want to start with one layer of unlit briquettes on each side of the firebox in the vertical smoker until they ignite from the heat below now it’s ready for business! Slide out either steel ash pan easily has enough room to handle large amounts of ash long after you’ve finished smoking or grilling.
2. Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D
This heavy-duty vertical offset charcoal smoker features 1382 square inches of cooking in five chrome plated cooking grates. The temperature gauge will tell you when it’s time to infuse smoke flavor into your food, and the cool-touch handles allow you to access fuel and food with safety. With 560 total cubic inches, this smoker can fit up to 12 burgers at one go!
If that’s not resourceful enough for you, each variable grill has three different adjustable heights to create a custom look each time without losing any heat or causing flare ups. Store anything from sides dishes like beans and potatoes all the way up through salads on the included roasting tray without wasting valuable space inside while always keeping everything within easy reach thanks to the innovation.
3. Oklahoma Joe’s Highland Offset Smoker
Oklahoma Joe’s Highland Offset Smoker is a smoker built to smoke better and last longer. The premium design includes 619 square inches of cooking space in the main cooking chamber—accompanied by convenient access door on firebox for easy stoking or adding wood and multiple dampers for temperature control.
The shelves provide storage room for accessories, salt, pepper, spices and more with more than an inch clearance. Oklahoma Joe’s know how barbecue should taste too — maybe that’s why they’re famous for 8-10 hours low & slow smoking at 225°F with a generous use of hickory and oak woods on both sides of burning coals.
Traditional offset smokers force you to constantly open up the end gate (and often the front lid).
4. Dyna-Glo DGX780BDC-D 36″ Vertical Charcoal Smoker
With over 780 square inches of cooking space, you can grill for the whole gang. 4 cooking grates make monitoring the food easy. Your new smoker also comes with a built-in charcoal management system, including a charcoal chamber (above the heat source), two removable ash pans and a spacious drip pan on the bottom section to catch any spills.
The temperature gauge will help you determine smoking temperatures for different types of foods while keeping an eye out for your desired smoke zone! Cleaning doesn’t get much easier either with our new improved ash system and specially designed metal grate that catches ashes and coals in its basin as they fall below even when cooking at a high temparature.
Plus, you can cook everything from fish to brisket with ease using 5 adjustable height settings to cook food evenly on all 4 grates. No worries about seasonings because we added our own exclusive chip box that contains 2 wood chunks which create heat during the process of smoking meat.
Now that’s some first-rate outdoor cookery at its finest!
5. Char-Broil 12201570-A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker
This Char-Broil 12201570-A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker, Black,Standard offers a professional grade cooking surface of 290 square inches. With an added firebox cooking chamber and adjustable grate height, this smoker will allow you to perfectly cook any meat up to 16 hamburgers at once!
There’s no need to worry about your food running out because the adjustable damper allows you to control the flow of oxygen during grilling or smoking. And with it’s clean-out door for easy ash removal and real steel construction make this an affordable yet high quality option for anyone interested in selling BBQ or smoked meats.
6. Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker
The Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker with Cover is an exceptional smoker and grill combination that’s perfect for turkey or brisket. Use the warming rack to slow cook meats while you use the adjustable pan charcoal in more traditional grilling methods.
The porcelain-coated steel wire grates ensure superior heat, and the easy assembly ensures that there will be no waiting on tools when it comes time to get your meat cooked.
The combo includes a grill as well as a free cover for preventing smoke from seeping out of your kitchen into living space, so you can enjoy BBQ anytime. Whether cooking large pieces of meat at once or cooking two different foods simultaneously, this complete package has much to offer!
7. Cuisinart COS-116 Vertical Smoker
The Cuisinart COS-116 Vertical Smoker, 16″ Charcoal can cook two sixteen inch racks of food to perfection. It has 402 square inches of cooking space and porcelain enamel water bowls for efficient heat transmission. It boasts a top and bottom vent system that ensures even air flow when it comes to curing meats and maintaining low humidity levels in the smoking process.
This Cuisinart smoker has an easy latch base that folds up neatly for storage, as well as a vertical hinged door with gas spring assisted opening mechanism making this smoker perfect for any occasion where you want to include grilled flavor!
8. Masterbuilt MB20070210 Analog Electric Smoker
Masterbuilt Electric Smoker MB20070210 It is easy to know when you have made the perfect smoked brisket, turkey, ham or sausage with this smoker. Your smoking experience will be consistent for your family and friends because of this sturdy and efficient smoker grills up a lot more food than other electric smokers.
You’ll find temperature control simple with the built-in analog dial on each of three chrome coated smoking racks that slide out for easy ash removal which leaves loads of room to add your favorite wood chips. This Masterbuilt Electric Smoker also features a 1,500 watt heating element that makes cooking large pieces of meat so much easier.
The entire package makes it so easy to cook well every time and make all your delicious recipes come.
9. Weber 14-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker, Charcoal Smoker
The Weber 14-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker, Charcoal Smoker is the perfect addition to your family and outdoor cooking life. The Weber has a one piece lid which allows you to control how much smoke and heat escapes from the grill. You’ll be able regulate the heat for different types of meat too. Grill that baby lamb hot with all of its garlic goodness outdoors in the 1/4″ plate steel pan!
Create succulent authentic pulled pork, ribs, and chicken on this open-air BBQ while using real wood chips made from American oak trees. Surefire clean up is easy thanks to soap stone grills and grease management system so you don’t have to worry about acrid smells permeating indoors that linger well after dinner.
Above are top 9 Best Offset Smoker Reviews in 2021. Each type has Pros and Cons so that you need to check and choose the best suitable for you. Now, Let move to Tips and guides on buying Best Offset Smoker as below:
Tips and guides on buying Best Offset Smoker
1. What is a Best Offset Smoker?
An offset smoker is a type of barbecue which has an external combustion chamber (called the firebox). The heat and smoke are produced in the firebox and they’re then passed through a long metal duct. They’re sometimes called “when you cook with indirect heat, where one side isn’t directly exposed to flame”, as opposed to cooking on a direct-heat grill or cooking over a wood fire.
In addition to interesting flavor, another benefit from this kind of smoking is that it’s almost impossible to burn your food because the heat source is so far away from the food itself.
2. What is the advantages of Best Offset Smoker?
There are many advantages of using this smoker. To name a few: It is the experience of cooking traditional BBQs like their ancestors. The flavor is delicious and unique for each meat you cook. Most importantly, it’s fun, very rewarding and you’ll impress your friends or guests with your new cooking skill!
3. What we need to pay attention before buying Best Offset Smoker?
When you are going to buy a best offset smoker, there are some tips and guides which should be taken into consideration first.
Size:
Offset smokers comes in many sizes from small tabletop ones up to very large commercial smokers. If you’re only planning to do low and slow smoking, the size doesn’t really matter. A larger offset will hold more meat at one time, but it’ll require more fuel and might have a hotter firebox. You can refer this article if you want to know more about offset smoker size.
Fuel:
The most of Best Offset Smokers use wood or charcoal as their fuel source. Some models also support gas grills (I think they are not true offset smokers). Most of high end smokers are using wood or charcoal. I personally prefer to use charcoal for it’s more flavorful, but it requires some practice and a lot of times. If you don’t want to clean up ash and like the taste of lighter fluid, you can also go with gas grills.
Price:
The price range of offset smoker varies a lot due to different size, features and quality. You can find good one from as low as $150 and sometimes people even give away their old smoker (I saw one on craigslist once). It’s recommended to buy an offset smoker from trusted brand names like Weber, Brinkmann, Charbroil etc. They have large selections in sizes and prices so that you can pick what is suitable for your need.
Availability:
As I mentioned before, the best offset smokers are made by trusted brand names. They can be easily found at any hardware stores or even online retailers like Amazon or Walmart. You might have to pay a little more for their name but it’s well worth because they’re really good at what they do. If you live in Europe like me (I’m from Germany), your options are limited.
Stainless steel main body vs Cast Iron:
If you want your Best Offset Smoker last long, go with stainless steel models instead of cast iron . They are not only much lighter but also stronger and more durable.
Safety:
Before you buy an offset smoker, make sure to check if the main door of firebox lock properly or not. I’ve seen many people that they have trouble locking and opening the door for adding wood chips or coal. It may seem as a minor issue, but it’s really annoying when you’re in the middle of cooking process. So before buying make sure this problem has been fixed!
This is all what I can share right now on Best Offset Smoker . If you want to share some tips or guides about how to select one, please feel free to leave a comment here! Thank you for stopping by my blog, hope we will meet again sometime soon 🙂
4. Steps by steps on How to use Best Offset Smoker.
The best offset smoker is designed to be pretty simple. Even a beginner like me can use it for preparing delicious meal without any problem. The steps are very easy:
a. Open the door of firebox and load your wood chips or chunks at the bottom of it.
b. After that, open the main door and put some charcoal in the charcoal pan or loader tray (it may vary from different models). You have to leave 1/3 of it empty so that you can add more later once they burn up.
c. Close both doors tightly and turn on your smoker. Ideally with a chimney starter , but most experienced guys don’t use one (I personally need one because I’m still not familiar enough with this appliance).
d. After the grill temperature reaches about 230-250°F, you can put meat on the grills and leave it for hours until internal temp hits 165 °F (usually takes 4 to 6 hours). If you’re using wood chips or chunks, I recommend you to add more at this point. For charcoal smoker, just open the main door and pour some charcoal when they are almost burned out.
e. Now it’s time to make your food delicious! Just be careful not to overcook them :).
Of course there are also a lot of stuff that need some practice before making perfect meal. You have to learn how much time does it take for every different type of meat so that you won’t overcooked or undercooked them. I recommend to start with some cheap ones like turkey or chicken breast at first so that you won’t be in big loss if something goes wrong.
Smart tips on Best Offset Smoker:
a. It’s recommended to use a digital thermometer for accurate reading and make sure the tip of it is about 2 inches away from the meat surface (but not touching). If you’re using one without any remote, just hang your hand (or phone) outside so that you can see the temperature without going inside smoker.
b. When buying an offset smoker, choose stainless steel models over cast iron . They are much more stronger and durable than cast iron ones! Plus they are also lighter. So don’t save money on expensive stainless steel offset smokers , they are really worth it.
c. In order to keep the temperature steady, stack some piece of wood or charcoal on the firebox every 20-30 minutes once it’s almost burned out (also known as “refuel”). But one thing you should take note is that: don’t put too much coals at once or your grill will lose heat fast!
d. When smoking meat, make sure not only to adjust the temperature but also top vent and bottom vent . It’s a good idea to close them when cooking because you don’t want any smoke escapes from smoker for longer time. All these vents will have significant impacts on how much and what kind of smoke do you get during cooking progress.
e. Surface temperature of smoker grills in the best offset smokers can go beyond 500°F (260°C), so don’t set up your ventilation system too low or you will burn your meat!
f. After cooking, always remember to clean the grates and all parts before it cools down completely . The easier way to do this is using tongs with rough metal head. Don’t use any type of soap or brush because they may damage your grill surface over time.
5. What size do I need?
Offset smokers comes in many sizes from small tabletop ones up to very large commercial smokers. If you’re only planning to do low and slow smoking, the size doesn’t really matter. A larger offset will hold more meat at one time but it’ll require more fuel and might have a hotter firebox (I’ll explain later what does that mean).
As a general rule of thumb, 1 cubic ft. is roughly equal to 30lbs of meat, so if you’re smoking for many people or have large family and want both brisket and ribs, make sure to get one that can hold all the meat at one time with proper temperature control.
If you just want to smoke few racks of ribs on weekend or only cook for your immediate family (4-6 people), smaller offset smoker should be fine. If you are not sure between two sizes, always chose latter because it’s hard to upgrade later on!
6. How to clean Best Offset Smoker?
As I mentioned earlier, all parts of every offset should be clean after cooking so that they are not sticky or taste bad. The best and easiest way to do this is using tongs with rough metal head because they won’t damage the surface.
- First thing you need to do is close all vents on your smoker grills.
- Then pour some warm water into water pan and leave it for about 10-15 minutes.
- Close the main door and let water steam up inside smoker.
- It will loosen all meat’s residues from grates, smoke chamber, etc…
After about ten minutes, open the main door and use tongs with rough metal head to remove grates and ashes from top rack carefully without hurting them. Repeat step 3-4 if necessary.
When all surfaces are clean, pour out water from the water pan and wipe it with towel to dry. Then add some oil into water pan and spread it evenly on the surface. Get rid of any excess ashes or liquids inside smoker grills by using a paper towel.
Now you can start cooking again! Remember to refill wood chips if necessary because oils may cause fire flare up if there is no more wood odors left in your grill…
7. Common mistake when using Best Offset Smoker
After grates are clean, use tongs with rough metal head to pick up ashes from the top rack. DON’T pick up water pan or you’ll get ash all over your smoke chamber! Keep in mind that ashes cover bottom of your smoker grill and they can cause fire flare ups if there is no more wood odors left inside smoker. This is why I keep telling you after cleaning to add some oil into water pan…
The biggest mistake people make when using offset smokers is adjusting vents too low! Doing this may burn your meat instead of doing low and slow smoking. Basically what happens inside smoker grill is: airflow goes in first then air pressure inside draws smoke out through the vents.
If it’s too low, airflow will be too weak and you won’t get any smoke at all no matter how long you wait. That’s why using correct airflow is extremely important when cooking low and slow or hot and fast!
Follow the steps above and your smoker grill will be clean in about 20 minutes, ready for next time BBQ party…
If you follow these instructions, your Best Offset Smoker will give great result every time!
Common question related with Best Offset Smoker FAQs.
1. What is the best offset smoker?
Answer: There are many different types of offsets on market and they all have their own benefits. If you’re looking for a super heavy duty one, look out for “reverse flow” offset smokers which have thicker firebox walls than front-loaders. They also include better insulation and bigger grills. However making them more expensive…
I’d recommend to go with reverse flow if you plan to cook both low & slow and hot and fast.
If you’re just planning to smoke low & slow, regular front loader should be fine but keep in mind that it will require more fuel to maintain desired temperature throughout smoking process so make sure you get plenty of wood chunks or chips before starting cooking!
A lot of people also ask me about vertical water smokers but again, it’s the same as with regular offsets. If you only plan to cook low & slow, go with regular offset because vertical water smokers are designed for hot and fast cooking and they don’t hold heat well…
Above are top 9 Best Offset Smoker for your reference. Need to consider Pros and Cons of each type to choose the most suitable one.
2. How much does a offset smoker cost?
Answer: There are many types of offsets on market which is why prices vary between $300-$5000 depending on model and size! Although I recommend spending at least $500 for good quality metal that can be used for long time…
3. Will Best Offset Smoker help me make better BBQ?
Answer: Yes of course! Why? Because using an offset smoker gives your meat great unique flavor we can’t get anywhere else. That’s why it’s called “BBQ” because that’s what this grill does! It gives you barbecue…
However nothing is perfect and using offset smoker is not exception. Main thing to remember is that offset smokers are meant for cooking low and slow which means beef, pork and poultry take longer time than usual to cook through! If it takes you less than 2 hours on average, offsets probably aren’t your best choice…
4. How much wood chunks or chips should I use for a best offset smoker?
Answer: This will depend on type of meat you’re going cook as well as how smoky do you want your food to be. Remember, Best Offset Smoker allows smoke to go inside the meat so whatever flavors you add into the firebox will be in your food BUT that doesn’t mean we should add too much! Keep it simple and use tested recipe until you understand offsets better.
5. What’s the best wood lump to use for smoking offset smoker?
Answer: I recommend using oak or hickory as they’re best suited for slow cooking due to their flavor & easy availability… But feel free to experiment with different woods and find out what works best for you! NEVER USE SOAKED WOOD OR CHIPS OVER DIRECT FLAMES UNTIL YOU TRY IT!
It won’t work well because when soaked, wood releases less smoke and bigger flames can cause over-burned meat. Start small so you don’t waste money AND your time trying something new.. Best offset smoker is only as good as your knowledge so learn how to use it first!
6. What’s the best temperature for using best offset smoker?
Answer: It really depends on what you’re cooking but in general, I recommend starting at 250F and slowly increasing.. And ALWAYS use meat thermometer to check when it’s done. Just because you’re cooking low and slow doesn’t mean you don’t need to watch your food.
Many people made this mistake thinking that when food is smoking for 4 hours, it must be done! If you want perfectly cooked food every time, keep close eye and use meat thermometer like me or do some experiments with few pieces of wood just in case if something goes wrong.
7. What’s the best way to maintain temperature in best offset smoker?
Answer: There are many tricks and techniques for maintaining desired temperature throughout cooking time, some will work better on some offsets than they will on others so just try out different methods and find out what works best for you! Keep in mind that while adjusting vents may help with controlling heat.
Best Offset Smoker is still a metal box which means it can hold heat well but only if there’s something inside… And since you’re not using water or sand as fuel like we do with charcoal & gas grills, you won’t need to add any extra weight to offset which makes your life lot easier because we all know how heavy those 100 lbs bags of sand are right?
For example, I use a metal tray of water as necessary throughout my cooking and it holds temp about 2-3F for over 6 hours even though ambient temperature sometimes goes up to 86F..
8. What’s the best thermometer to use with best offset smoker?
Answer: As mentioned before, meat thermometer is your best friend when using offsets. It will help you check internal temperatures without opening the lid which can cause heat loss and allow cold spots in your food… And unless you’re some type of mad scientist who can look inside and tell what’s going on by watching color change on skin surface, leave checking internal temp to thermometers.
9. How long does it take to smoke a brisket in an offset smoker?
Answer: This really depends on size of your brisket and how much heat you’re trying to maintain but on average it takes 4-8 hours so be prepared. Remember, even if you keep temperature stable at 250F, just because food is inside doesn’t mean it’s cooking! There’s a very thin line between perfectly smoked food (PSF) & overcooked meat which we call burnt ends.
PSF will have juices oozing out of center with slight give when pressed from top while burnt end will feel like a rock after touching. So the way to keep your food moist is to baste frequently using mop or whatever sauce you plan on using.
10. How long does it take to smoke pork butt in a best offset smoker?
Answer: Since most people don’t cook one single pork butt in BBQ world, this question is impossible to answer without knowing what you’re smoking it for! If cooking pulled pork for a hungry crowd of football fans, figure about 8 hours at 225F but if cooking for competition or catering demand where every ounce of meat counts, you can cook it overnight and be done by morning.
Just remember that the bigger piece of meat you have going on offset smoker, the longer it’s gonna take to get done. So go ahead and plan accordingly before even starting your fire.
11. How long does it take to smoke ribs in a best offset smoker?
Answer: Another factor which determines time needed to finish ribs off on offset is cut & size so again there’s no general rule here. But as always, if you’re cooking by time instead of internal temp, just figure 4-6 hours at 225F but that doesn’t mean it will be done in exactly four hours..
Conclusion
We have provided a list of the top 8 best offset smoker in 2021. The choices are based on price, durability and our personal opinion. There is no one perfect smoker for everyone because there are so many different styles to choose from. You will need to consider your budget, cooking style and other factors before making a purchase decision.
Check out the links above if you want more information about any of these smokers or just start shopping now! And if you have any more question, just contact us or give comment below. We will reply as soon as possible.
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