As you know by now, smoking is an art. It takes time, patience, and a deft hand to perfect meat. And much like art- this is a tortured metaphor, but stick with me- there are a number of different mediums in which one can express their craft. This is a roundabout way of saying that when you’re buying a smoker, or choosing how to use it, there are a myriad of options at your disposal. Given that there are so many ways to use a smoker or to smoke meat, we thought we’d try to break it down a little further and discuss just one at a time.
Today, we wanted to go over charcoal smokers. Charcoal is a time-honoured tradition to some, and an afterthought to others, but we wanted to discuss how there are a great number of charcoal smokers out there that can cook a delicious piece of meat.
Charcoal is a great method for achieving an even and consistent heat for your meats. Many aren’t major charcoal fans due to the length of time it takes for the charcoal to reach the desired temperature, but when it comes to smoking pretty much every part of the process requires patience.
We wanted to touch on charcoal as it’s probably the easiest way to get started. As we mentioned, charcoal is a great vehicle for achieving a consistent heat, which is the most important part of smoking meat properly. While you’ll obviously want to include your wood of choice, starting with a charcoal smoker provides a great baseline for reaching your meat goals.
If you’re someone who has long disavowed charcoal as your power source for grilling, we suggest opening your mind here. We know that Hank Hill was not a fan, but we feel that these strong feelings can be overcome once you’ve tasted the results from a charcoal smoker.
The three smokers we decided to review here each cover a different price point and offer something a little different. There is one here for the more advanced smoker, someone who likely already owns one and is looking to make an upgrade.
There is also something here for the beginners who don’t want to spend a ton of dough on something they’re not sure is yet for them. What we’re saying is that you’ll find something here if you even have so much as a passing interest in smoking meat.
Take a look at what we have deemed to be the best charcoal smokers on the market and find something for yourself. There’s no better time to be indulging in deliciously smoked meats than this very moment. Seriously, right now. Do it.
The Best Charcoal Smokers for a Consistent Heat
Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-Inch Charcoal Smoker, Black
The first charcoal smoker we wanted to discuss here is the Smoker Mountain Cooker from Weber. We’ve discussed Weber products here before but it bears repeating: they make great products. For all the smokers we’ve come across, especially for this charcoal group, there isn’t often anything better than what Weber is offering. The quality on the parts paired with the quality of the build goes a long way in ensuring you’ll get exactly what you’re paying for.
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If you’re looking for a charcoal smoker that retains heat and does so evenly than look no farther than this guy here. You can be assured that the smoker won’t break down on you over time and will deliver consistently delicious results. It’s going to be the most expensive of the three we’ll be discussing here, but that comes with the promise that it’s going to be the best of three as well.
If you have the bit of extra money to throw at the Weber, we highly recommend you go that route. It’s a great smoker that will do exactly what’s asked of it for as long as you want it to. If you’re going to take smoking seriously, we highly recommend this model to anyone and everyone.
Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker, Standard
The second charcoal grill we wanted to discuss is the bbq/offset smoker combo here from Char-Broil. While this little guy may not look like the biggest and baddest smoker out there, it provides a very nice option for those not looking to spend a ton of dough and give their hand a try at smoking.
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What we came to like about this model is that, first of all, it’s extremely affordable. More than that, though, is that it performs like something you would pay three times as much money for. This is a great model for those looking to not necessarily jump in to smoking head first; something for those who want to give smoking meat a try on their own schedule.
If you’re looking to get into smoking and maybe don’t have the money and time to dedicate to it that some others may, take a good look at this model. It’s a bbq as well, so if you ever decide that smoking just isn’t for you, there’s a grill there that can still be utilized any time you want. Really, you’re getting the best of both worlds here.
Char-Griller 16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Black
The last model we chose to review for this piece was this model from Char-Griller. Now, Char-Griller is not a brand we have worked with in the past so naturally there was a bit of skepticism. Fortunately for us, we were pleasantly surprised by the results we achieved when we took this bad boy for a spin.
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We didn’t expect anything to be a legitimate competitor for the Weber, but this model gave it a real run for its money. The quality of the smoker is excellent and we found that it did a great job of maintaining a consistent temperature. Using a cast iron body goes a long way in ensuring quality and consistency, which this smoker does.
If you’re looking to step outside the box and try a smoker that we found produced fantastic results, look no further than the Char-Griller.