The beauty of smoking is that you often don’t need a whole lot to get going. There are plenty of ways to create your own if you have the time and patience to collect the materials and put it together. If you haven’t been blessed with the gift of time and patience than perhaps having a few extra bucks to throw around for a smoker will more than suffice.
Best Smokers under 300 for Your Backyard
In the world of smoking you’ll see all sorts of custom and expensive rigs out there; those built for competition or to show off to your friends. Either way, this isn’t always a feasible avenue for those with a lesser budget to go down. While everyone the world over enjoys a beautifully smoked piece of meat, some of us enjoy it as a hobby and not our life’s work. Both are fine pursuits, but we’re here today to talk to the hobbyist on a limited budget.
While there are all sorts of the aforementioned expensive rigs, there’s also a huge market dedicated to the hobbyist smoker. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to get something well-built that will smoke meat just the way you want, which is where we’re going to turn our focus today. We thought that $300 and under was a fine starting point, as it doesn’t break the bank but it ensures you’re going to get into something that isn’t going to fall apart the minute you break it out.
Each of the three smokers we chose to review today will fall under, and sometimes well under, that $300 mark. With that said, each one of these smokers will also perform exactly the way you want it to, assuming you have the requisite skills to operate one of these bad boys. Don’t become confused and assume these things will do all the work, though. These are merely the vehicles to take your meat from point A to point B. you are the one driving, and as such, must guide the vehicle towards your beefy destination.
Like cost, size can be an issue for those looking into smoking as well. Should you not have a lot of room in the backyard to work with, it would obviously behoove you to go with something on the stouter side of the ledger. If you have an expansive backyard with which you can smoke to your heart’s content, find something with a little more space to give you the option to try a bunch of different things at once.
With all of that in mind, take a look at the three best smokers under 300 we reviewed and find the one that works best for you. whether it be a matter of price, square footage, or taste, we feel like we’ve got you covered.
Char-Broil the Big Easy TRU-Infrared Smoker Roaster & Grill
Char-Broil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared Smoker Roaster & Grill
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The first smoker we wanted to take a look at was this little guy from the venerable Char-Broil. Char-Broil has been in the game a long time and when it comes to anything smoke or grill related, this is not the company you should sleep on. This particular model is no exception to that idea either, and in fact, is a three in one smoker, grill, and roaster. For today’s purposes, we’ll stick to the smoking category, but rest assured it’s not a single function tool.
There are a couple different things we really liked about this smoker. First, it comes in at a shade under $170, well under budget and a hell of a deal for something this practical. Second, as a stand-up style smoker, if you’re working with limited space than this is a fantastic option for you. this little guy will even fit on a small patio while still offering 180 square inches of space for smoking and grilling.
If you’re working with limited space and a similarly limited budget, this is a great way to get started smoking. It performed quite admirable in the test runs and is a great starting smoker for the first-time hobbyist looking to give things a go.
Masterbuilt 20051311 GS30D 2-Door Propane Smoker
Masterbuilt 20051311 GS30D 2-Door Propane Smoker
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The second smoker we took a look at is this offering from Masterbuilt. Masterbuilt has been around a long time, and like its contemporary Char-Broil, it’s a name that carries a lot of weight in the industry of smoking and grilling. This is a traditional looking stand-up smoker that has a very simple setup. If you’re someone who likes to get things out of the box and get down to brass tacks, then this is going to be a fine option for you.
What we liked about this smoker, like the first offering from Char-Broil, is that it comes in at a very reasonable price and won’t take up too much room. The other great aspect of this is that it is propane fueled, meaning that it can be set-up as a companion to the barbecue you may already own. If the thought of grilling and smoking simultaneously doesn’t get you going, then buddy, I’m not sure anything ever will.
If you want something simple, handsome, affordable, and as a partner in crime to your current grill, look no further than this fine option from Masterbuilt.
Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker, Standard
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The last smoker we wanted to take a look at is also from Char-Broil, but it’s a little different than the first one. This is actually an offset smoker, meaning that there is a grill and smoker side-by-side here. It’s truly a dream come true to find something like this for a small sum of money. Not only that, but if you’ve also been looking into getting yourself a barbecue for the backyard you can really kill two birds with one stone here.
While not offering as much surface space as the previous two models, this is will still function just fine for someone looking to try their hand in the smoking game. It’s going to be wider than the other two models as well, so it will require a having more space on hand to house it.
It’s a great option for those looking to get started smoking and grilling, and don’t have a ton of cash to do it. This is great for beginners as it won’t set you back too harshly, but offers you the canvas you’ll need to create beautiful pieces of meaty art.