Best Smoker for Beginners (Useful Tips and Reviews)

If you are new to the world of BBQ and smoking, you want a smoker that is easy to use and still makes great food. In this guide to the best smoker for beginners, we look at and recommend some of the most user-friendly models on the market.

In this article, we talk about the best smokers for people who are just starting out and don’t have a lot of experience. We put them into groups based on the type of fuel they use—charcoal, electric, gas, pellets, or a mix of two or more. So, you should probably read this article before you click “buy” or run out to a sale you can’t miss.

Smoking meat, fish, and even cheese are a good, very tasty, and very rewarding thing to do.

But many people who are just starting out can be put off by the first results of their enthusiastic, but often uninformed, first attempts with their shiny new smoker. They end up putting it in a corner of the garage and never use it again.

To avoid a bad start, it’s best to do your research before buying a smoker. Your first smoker should be easy to use and give you great results with as little learning as possible.

After reading this guide, you’ll have a better idea of how smokers work and what their most important features and functions are. You’ll also know which ones are the best for beginners and which ones will help you get started in the world of smokers.

We want you to smoke for a long time, and the best way to do that is to enjoy it from the start. Having the right tools is a big part of that.

Our choice of best smokers for beginners

1. Weber Smokey Mountain 
2. Char-Griller Akorn Kamado
3. Masterbuilt Digital Electric 30-Inch Smoker
4. Traeger Bronson Pellet Smoker
5. Masterbuilt MB20051316 Propane Smoker
6. Kamado Joe KJ15040320 Kettle Joe

Best charcoal smokers for beginners

We think that the next two models are two of the best charcoal smokers for someone who is just starting out. It’s easy to learn, a great deal, and gives great results.

You might be wondering if charcoal is good for people who are just starting out. Learning how to control the temperature will indeed take a bit more time. It also takes more work to light the charcoal and get your smoker going.

1. Weber Smokey Mountain 

The Weber Smokey Mountain looks like a big black capsule on its legs. The word “smoker” might be written next to it in a dictionary.

It is a charcoal smoker. Briquettes are the best fuel, and chunks or chips of wood are added to the coals to add smoke flavor.

The porcelain enamel on both the inside and outside of the steel makes it very resistant to rust and long-lasting.

It lets you smoke in layers. Two plated steel grates each have a cooking area of 18.5″, which is big enough to cook a turkey and pork shoulder at the same time.

Two aluminum dampers on the bottom and a vent in the lid control the flow of air. With these vents, you can control the airflow very precisely and get the room to the exact temperature you want.

The fuel door on the side is also made of aluminum and can be taken off to make it easy to add more wood chips, chunks, or charcoal without disturbing the food.

At the bottom of the inside is a porcelain steel water basin that acts as a mass to keep temperatures stable and the cooking area moist. Because it holds 3 gallons, you won’t need to refill it very often, if at all.

You may still want to use mitts, but the lid handle is made of heat-resistant glass-reinforced nylon, which should keep you from getting burned.

It has a temperature gauge on the lid, but a silicone thermometer probe port built into the side makes it easy for people who prefer to use automatic smoker temperature controllers or remote digital thermometers.

It takes a little practice to learn how to start and keep a slow-burning fire going and how to use the vents to control the temperature, but it’s not hard and can even be fun. Once you’ve done a few cooks, you’ll have it down pat.

There are also a lot of easy-to-follow YouTube videos that show you how to start it up and keep the temperature steady.

So, all in all, this is a great first smoker that is easy to use and comes with a lot of help.

When it comes to price and taste, it’s hard to beat food made on a charcoal smoker.

Using a charcoal smoker takes a little more work than some other types of smokers, but the real, smokey flavor of the food is worth it.

For the price, the Weber Smokey Mountain is the best first smoker you can get. The quality of the build is great. These things will always be there. This is the first smoker I bought, and I learned how to use it on this one.

You can choose between three sizes: 14 inches, 18 inches, and 22 inches. The 18-inch model is the best smoker for a beginner because it is easier to keep the temperature stable. The 22-inch can run a little hotter and will need more fuel. On the 18-inch Smokey Mountain, I’ve been able to fit a whole packer brisket and three racks of ribs.

The bullet shape takes up little space, which is great if you don’t have a lot of room.

Even though it looks pretty small, it comes with two cooking racks that double the cooking space to 481 square inches. You can easily cook for up to 12 people.

PROS

• It’s easy to keep the temperature steady for 8–12 hours on one fill of fuel.
• It’s one of the easiest charcoal smokers to use.
• Because it’s so popular, it has a huge network of people who can help you if you need it.
• Ports for thermometers.
• Plenty of cooking space.
• The design of a water smoker makes it easy for beginners to control the temperature.
• Used by the pros.

CONS

• Assembly instructions with pictograms
• If you have to reach far down into the pit to pull up the bottom rack, you should use long oven mitts.
• The door that comes with the Smokey Mountain is thin and sometimes can let the smoke out, especially at the start. 

The Weber Smokey Mountain cooker might be the right smoker for you if you want to learn the basics of good smoking.

It’s a no-brainer for first-time buyers because it’s easy to use and has a simple design. It’s a great smoker for beginners and should be on your shortlist.

If you know you want to buy a charcoal smoker, the question isn’t so much which smoker to buy. Most people would rather spend their time worrying about what size of Smokey Mountain to buy.

2. Char-Griller Akorn Kamado

Charcoal is used to power Kamado cookers, which are much more versatile than charcoal smokers like Smokey Mountain.

Kamado grills have become very popular for outdoor cooking in the last 5 to 10 years, and for good reason. Their unique egg shape and high-quality construction make them great at keeping the heat in and noise out. In addition to being good direct-heat grills, they also work well for smokers.

By a wide margin, Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg are the best brands of kamado grills on the market. These grills are the best of the best when it comes to grilling at home. They are made of high-quality ceramic.

The main reason we don’t recommend Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg to beginners is that they are very expensive. If you’re just starting out, you probably don’t want to spend $1,000-$2,000 on a smoker. After you’ve used a grill or smoker for a while, those are great ones to look at.

The Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker is the best starter kamado smoker. It has a lot of the same design features as more expensive Kamado brands.

The biggest difference is that the Akorn is made out of 22 gauge steel instead of ceramic. Heavy-duty steel is great at keeping the heat in, and dampers let you control the airflow and, by extension, the heat as you smoke your food.

It’s also a little lighter and easier to move around than a ceramic smoker, which is a plus. The Akorn is only 90 pounds (ceramic can be 200 pounds or more) and has strong wheels built in to help you move it.

When it comes to cooking space, this basic kamado has 314 square inches of primary cooking space. There is also an extra warming rack that takes up 133 square inches, making a total of 447 square inches of space.

Models that cost a lot are made of ceramic, but you can now get good ones for less money that are made of steel.

The triple-wall design still gives you great insulation and keeps heat in. Low and slow temperatures are easy to keep for 10 hours or more.

You can cook at temperatures between 200°F and 750°F. The top and bottom dampers let you set the temperature.

For a total of 447 square inches, you get 314 square inches of main cooking space and an extra 133 square inches on a removable warming rack.

PROS

• Great value for an entry-level Kamado.
• Lightweight design.
• A versatile grill-smoker combo.
• A kamado grill’s price is low enough for anyone to buy it.
• Kamados can be used for a wide range of things.
• With an easy-to-dump ashtray, you’ll spend less time cleaning up.
• It’s easy to control the temperature.

CONS

• The cart could be a little more stable, but if you don’t move it around much, it should be fine.
• The thermometer isn’t very good— It’s not a big deal if you can find a good third-party thermometer.
• Some customers have complained about parts like bolts or temperature gauges that aren’t very good.
• Not as long-lasting as premium kamados and other smokers on this list. Even if you take good care of it, its shelf life is less than ten years.

The most popular Kamado grill brands, like Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe, are too expensive for most people who are just starting out.

The Char-Griller Akorn Kamado is also in the shape of an egg, but it is built differently to make it more affordable.

Best electric smoker for a newbie

Electric smokers are another great choice for people who are just starting out because they are easy to use and inexpensive.

Electric smokers are great for people who have never smoked before because they take out a lot of the guesswork. To get started, all you need is a regular electrical plug.

Electric smokers use a heating element that is powered by electricity to slowly cook your food. All you have to do is plug in your unit, turn the knob to set the temperature, and then sit back and relax while your ribs, brisket, chicken, or other food smokes.

With an electric smoker, you give up a little bit of flavor in exchange for easy temperature control and convenience at a fraction of the cost of a pellet grill. Electric smokers can be used in places where charcoal and even gas aren’t allowed. They are great for cold-smoking and making jerky.

Some “purists” in the BBQ community don’t like electric smokers, but there’s nothing wrong with them, and they can make some tasty food. The “downside” of an electric smoker is that your food won’t get as much of a strong smoky flavor as it would in a charcoal or wood-fired smoker.

3. Masterbuilt Digital Electric 30-inch Smoker

The Masterbuilt 30″ Electric Smoker is one of our favorites.

If you want to start smoking meat but are on a tight budget, the Masterbuilt digital electric smoker is a good place to start.

The Masterbuilt MB20071117 is a standard in the smoker/grill industry. It looks as solid as a rock and is probably the easiest smoker on this list to use. Even though this unit is powered by electricity, it should never be used inside, not even in the garage, because it makes carbon monoxide.

The built-in digital thermometer lets you choose the temperature you want without having to worry about keeping charcoal or fire going.

It’s ready to use as soon as you plug it into an electrical outlet.

This smoker can be bought in several different ways. You can choose between 30′′ and 40′′ with or without a window and legs. There is also a Bluetooth model that is more expensive and available in 30′′ and 40′′ sizes.

I think you should get the 40-inch if you can afford it. With the extra width, you can fit a whole rack of ribs without having to cut them up, as shown below with our 30′′.

The Masterbuilt is better insulated than some other cheap smokers, so it should work fine in colder weather.

Masterbuilt smokers have an easy-to-remove wood chip tray that gives the food a smokey taste. You put in wood chips that get burned to give your food a delicious, smoky flavor.

With the wood chip loader, you can add more chips to the smoker without having to open it and lose heat and smoke. You can buy wood chips at any hardware store near you, or you can order different kinds, like apple, cherry, hickory, and pecan, from Amazon.

Putting it together is very simple and shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes.

Make sure that your electric smoker has good insulation. Some of the cheaper models don’t do this very well, but Masterbuilt makes the best electric smokers, and their MB20071117 30′′ Electric Smoker can’t go wrong.

Honestly, though, the big logo and even the name could be confused for a sign of safety by people who aren’t familiar with smokers and grills at all.

After getting over the fact that it was given the wrong name, the Masterbuilt DES looks like a safe place to put your meat, poultry, and fish.

But it can’t be a safe because it doesn’t have a lock with a combination. And safes don’t have little control boxes and a top damper, of course. Unfasten the lock on the side. It looks like a refrigerator with a strange vegetable bin at the bottom.

It weighs 45.9 pounds and is very sturdy, which shows that it was made with high-quality materials. The four chrome-plated cooking grates have a total area of 730 square inches and can hold up to 80 pounds of meat.

This electric smoker has digital controls that make it easy to use. This push-button smoker is great for both new and experienced smokers (yes, that was a pun). For the best-smoked flavor, add wood chips through the loader on the side every hour.

The unit is 100% insulated, and the door is rubber-sealed for energy-efficient smoking. This means that your food will be ready when you say it will be, and the smoked flavor won’t blow away in the wind.

On the control box, it’s easy to see where the buttons are and what to do with them. And since the smoker shuts off on its own, you can take your time getting out to it without worrying that the food will be overcooked.

The digital temperature controller makes it easy to set the time and temperature, and the smoker turns itself off when the cooking time is up.

A drip pan that can be removed makes it easier to clean.

PROS

• It’s very easy to use. Fill it with wood chips and use it like a kitchen oven.
• It is strong and it should last for a few years.
• Efficient: It is well insulated and runs on electricity (with wood chips for smoke), so it will be cheap to run in the long run.
• Plenty of cooking space: The 30″ digital model has 730 sq. in. of cooking space, which is almost as much as the largest 22″ Smokey Mountain for a lot less money.
• Easy temperature controls: You can smoke your meat at temperatures between 100 °F and 275 °F, which is a good range that makes the unit useful for many smoking situations.
• Customize your smoker. Masterbuilt sells a variety of add-ons, such as a cold smoking attachment, to make your smoker even better. It’s great for people who want to try cold smoking.
• Great quality at a price that makes it easy to start. You shouldn’t settle for a poorly made smoker just because it’s cheap.
• It’s a set-it-and-forget-it smoker. You only need to plug it in and adjust the temperature dial.
• There’s a good amount of space to cook in. With 536 square inches of cooking space spread out over three chrome-plated racks, you have a lot of room to smoke any kind of food.
• It’s easy to clean and keep up with regular maintenance. From the easy-to-remove ash pan to the way the electric smoker is made in general, you won’t have to spend much time cleaning.

CONS

• The display is hard to read.
• It doesn’t have handles, so it’s hard to carry.
• The small drain pan can fill up quickly.
• The control panel isn’t waterproof.
• It’s narrow. A full rack of ribs won’t fit in the 30″ model, so you’ll have to cut or roll them.
• Electric smokers just don’t give your food as much of a smoky flavor as charcoal or wood smokers do.

An electric smoker like this one will have more parts that can break than a charcoal smoker, so it’s more likely that buttons will break or there will be problems with the calibration.

The Masterbuilt is not a perfect smoker, and a traditionalist would definitely not be impressed by it. But if you want to eat barbecue without a lot of trouble, it’s a good, cheap way to start.

This might be the right smoker for someone who wants a simple one that works well and doesn’t cost too much.

This must be on any list of the best electric smokers for beginners. There’s no fire to start or manage, and all you have to do is push a button to cook.

Best pellet smoker for beginner

Looking for the best hands-free, push-button smoking system that is as easy to use as your kitchen oven? Then you might want to get a pellet smoker.

This is the best pellet smoker for people just starting out.

4. Traeger Bronson

It looks like it is ready to compete. The Bronson 20 is made to work as both a grill and a smoker. I can also bake, roast, and braise.

It looks like something a professional would use. It looks like a horizontal barrel with a roll-top lid. A shiny bucket for collecting grease is attached to one side, and a large rectangular pellet hopper is attached to the other.

It is 38″ high, 22″ wide, and 35″ deep, and it weighs 76 pounds and has 300 square inches of cooking space.

The frame of the “sawhorse” is made of a single piece of steel, and the all-terrain wheels are made of plastic. It seems fine, but it’s not as well-made as some of the other models on this page.

When it is being used, pressing a button starts the process of pellets moving from the hopper to the fire pot. The pellets are then set on fire by a hot rod, and an induction fan near the pellet hopper makes oxygen flow.

In as little as 5 minutes, you can create the heat and smoke you need to cook.

It’s easy to use, works well, and should last for a few seasons. However, it feels thin enough that it might lose heat and act up on cold winter days.

The pellet hopper can hold up to 10 pounds at a time, so you won’t have to fill it up as often. Two temperature probes let you cook more than one thing at a time without having to buy extra thermometers or probes.

The 10-minute cool-down program makes sure that all pellets that have been lit are completely burned up. This keeps flare-ups from happening. Everything is controlled by a digital controller, making this a real “set it and forget it” smoker.

PROS

• It can be used on a balcony and is friendly to HOAs.
• It has six different ways to cook.
• It’s easy to use.

CONS

• The materials could be thicker or have two layers to help keep heat in and use less fuel.
• Wheels could be made of stronger materials and be bigger.

This little smoker is small enough to fit on most balconies. People who live in apartments or townhouses or who have a homeowners’ association will be glad they can grill without an open flame.

It’s also good if you have a small grill and want to smoke or grill for a medium-sized group.

Best beginner gas smoker

Propane smokers are great for people who have never used one before because they are cheap and easy to use. We like them better than electric smokers because you don’t need a power source to use them and they have a wider range of temperatures, which is important for getting crispy skin on smoked chicken.

Gas grills and smokers are easy to use because propane and natural gas are so common and easy to get. Most grocery stores and stores that sell outdoor gear have propane tanks.

Here are our top two picks for the best beginner gas smokers on the market. We chose these two because they are easy to use and high quality enough to last and do a great job.

5. Masterbuilt MB20051316 propane smoker

We think the Masterbuilt MB20051316 Propane Smoker is the best gas-powered smoker for beginners.

The Masterbuilt MB20051316 Propane Smoker does have a tray where wood chips can be burned to add a smokey flavor, but it won’t be the same as a more “traditional” smoker.

With four chrome-coated racks for smoking, you can cook a lot of food at once. We think this propane smoker is the best one out there by a pretty big margin.

It has a thermostatic temperature control that lets you keep the temperature more even and consistent than other propane smokers.

On the 30′′ model, four chrome-coated racks provide 792 square inches of cooking space and 961 square inches on the 40′′ model.

It’s important to note that this smoker is on the narrow side, so if you want to fit a full brisket or rack of ribs easily, you should get the 40-inch model.

PROS

• More accurate temperatures. It has a thermostat that is attached to the back of the smoker. This thermostat talks to the burner system, which makes the temperatures more accurate and stable.
• Access the water and wood chip trays separately. You can open a lower door to get to the water and wood chip trays without moving the food. To start, all you have to do is open your propane connection, put wood chips in the tray, and press a button to start the fire. From there, you can relax and watch your food smoke.
• Low price for getting started and low costs in the long run. It doesn’t break the bank, and propane isn’t that much more expensive than wood or charcoal.

CONS

• The warranty is only one year. Masterbuilt is known for building cheaply, and the one-year warranty doesn’t help. Even more so when you consider that other cheap brands like Pit Boss now offer 5 years.
• The grease drain is hard to clean because the frame deflector plate is bolted in, making it hard to clean.
• This propane smoker is a little bit on the small side, so it might not be the best choice if you need to smoke for a big group. Most smokers that use propane aren’t very big.

This smoker is a good choice if you want a simple smoker with good temperature accuracy and consistency (except for a few hard-to-reach places to clean).

Electric smokers and propane smokers have the same problem. Since you aren’t using wood or charcoal as the main fuel source, the food won’t have the deep, smoky flavor that BBQ is known for.

Best beginner combination grill/smoker

If you want to flip burgers or do the more adventurous grilling, you might not want a smoker that is only used for smoking.

You could buy a separate smoker and a separate grill. But if you’re just starting out, it might make more sense (and save you money) to get a grill and smoker that can do both jobs.

In the next section, we’ll show you the two combination grills and smokers that we think are the best on the market.

6. Kamado Joe KJ15040320 Kettle Joe

Kamado-style smokers might be some of the best-looking smokers you can buy. They are also the Swiss army knife of outdoor cooking because they can not only smoke, but also grill, roast, and bake. This means you get a lot more for your money.

This Kamado Joe is the best Kamado ever made in terms of how easy it is to use and how well it cooks. Because of this, we recommend it as the best smoker for beginners and also as one of the best smokers in any category.

Everything you need to smoke, grill, or bake well and easily comes with a Kettle Joe.

In the box, you’ll find the ceramic grill and smoker, a heavy-duty galvanized steel cart with wheels, a divide-and-conquer flexible cooking system, a Slo-Roller system designed and patented by Harvard University for even and efficient low-and-slow smoking, a grate gripper tool for handling hot grates, an ash tool to make cleaning easier, and side tables that you can flip up to use as a workspace.

The build quality is great, and the materials used are thick, heavy, and made to last. It is 46.5″ wide, 50.5″ tall, and 30″ deep, and it weighs 250 pounds when it is all put together.

It comes with one set of thick stainless steel grates for cooking, but you can add two more sets if you want to increase the amount of space you can cook on to more than 500 square inches.

The Kamado Joe is an outdoor cooker that works very well. It has thick walls made of ceramic that are almost perfectly sealed when the lid is closed and latched. This means it keeps heat very well and uses fuel very efficiently.

This is great because the initial cost is quite high, but you save money every time you cook because you use less fuel. This makes it very cheap and good value for money over the many years it will last.

As we’ve already talked about, the patented Slo-Roller system is a new part of this version.

This is a Harvard University-designed insert that sends waves of heat and smoke around the food in the cooking chamber. This makes sure that every part of the food gets a good taste of the smoke and gets rid of any hot spots that can lead to uneven cooking with cheaper cookers.

There is also an air-lift hinge, which lets you lift the heavy lid with just one finger. A firebox is made of several pieces that won’t break when it gets very hot, and a strong stainless steel latch on the front keeps the lid shut.

The Kamado Joe line of grills also comes with a lot of extras, like a rotisserie, pizza stone, vertical chicken holder, soapstone, cast iron cooking surfaces, and more. There are so many options!

PROS

• Class-leading fuel efficiency.
• Easy to use and useful in many ways.
• A heavy-duty rolling cart with wheels that lock and that looks better than most carts.
• This smoker/grill combo comes with a lot of accessories that make it ready for the future.

CONS

• It’s more expensive than most of the things on this list.
• The cooking surface is only 18″ in diameter (though it can be expanded easily).

The Kamado Joe KJ15040320 Kettle Joe is the right smoker for you if you want something easy to use, has a lot of uses, and makes a statement by being really good and close to the best.

It can smoke, grill, roast, and bake, so it opens up a whole new world of cooking outside. It also uses less fuel and can make great food.

It is one of the best, most well-thought-out, well-built, and designed meat smokers for people who want to do everything in style.

What does it mean to “smoke” food as a way to cook it?

Smoking started out as a way to keep food from going bad. Usually, salting food to stop bacteria from growing is the first step.

After being brined or marinated, the food is cooked for hours over a low fire in a closed space. The smoke and water make a crust on the food that keeps germs out.

In the past, smoking was used to keep meat, fish, and poultry fresh. Now, nuts, cheeses, and vegetables are also smoked to add flavor.

In modern times, hot smoking, also known as smoking, is often used to cook tough cuts of meat low and slow for many hours. This gives the meat a great smoky flavor while breaking down the collagen and connective tissues.

With this method, tough cuts of meat that would normally be thrown away are turned into juicy, tender culinary treats.

What makes a smoker different from a regular grill?

A smoker is built so that the heat is either to the side and away from the food, or well below the meat with a heat deflector so that no radiant heat can get to the food. This lets you use indirect heat and convection to cook slowly and at a low temperature.

On a grill, food is only a few inches from the heat source and right over it.

Most of the time, a grill is used to cook quickly over high heat, while a smoker is used to cook slowly over low heat.

In this article on SeriousEats.com, Joshua Bousel compares ribs cooked on a grill to ribs cooked in a smoker. He came to the conclusion that you should get a smoker if you want to keep temperature checks to a minimum, get great smoke rings, and enjoy moist, tender meat with just the right amount of crunch.

What are the different types of smokers?

In the video below, Australasian Barbecue Alliance does a great job of explaining the different types of smokers. We recommend you watch it to get a good overview of your options before we talk about each one in turn below.

OK, let’s take each one at a time.

Charcoal smokers 

Many experienced smokers think that charcoal smokers are the best way to add flavor to smoked foods. Mastering how to manage a fire, how the air flows, what kind of wood to use, and when to do it, can be hard.

But we think you’ll agree that the results are worth the hard work it takes to complete the task.

PROS

• Charcoal is made from wood, so it has a nice, mild-smoke flavor on its own.
• Some of the cheapest smokers you can buy use charcoal.
• Charcoal is one of the cheapest ways to make smoke.

CONS

• They aren’t allowed in apartments, some city limits, and other places where there’s a high chance of a fire.
• The clean-up after cooking is messy and could be dangerous (hot ashes).

Gas smokers

These use propane or natural gas, which burns cleanly, so you don’t have to worry about chemicals going up in smoke and ruining the taste of your food.

The U.S. Department of Energy says that propane, also called “liquid petroleum gas”, is made when natural gas is stored under pressure in tanks. Adding a gas-powered outdoor kitchen to a house that uses natural gas for heating isn’t too hard.

Most gas smokers look like lockers or small, thin refrigerators with racks on top of a tray for wood and a fuel source on top. Gas smokers are one of the easiest ways to start smoking quickly. They are also great for people who are just starting to smoke because they are so easy to use.

PROS

• It’s not too expensive, easy to use, easy to start, and easy to clean.
• It doesn’t take up much space.

CONS

• It’s a flammable liquid that’s been stored under pressure.
• It doesn’t have the flavor of charcoal.
• Apartment balconies and porches, picnic shelters, and tents can’t have it because of city and county laws.
• Large pieces of meat will have to be cut up to fit in this small-sized smoker.

Best for homes that run on natural gas. If you want to smoke but don’t want to deal with charcoal, lighter fluid, matches, etc., this is for you.

Pellet smokers

Pellet smokers get their name from the type of fuel they use to heat and smoke food.

Pellets are made from compressed sawdust and sometimes other things, like flavorings. The best pellets for smoking are made from all-natural hardwood.

The pellets are put in a feeder that is attached to one side of the smoker. The pellets are then slowly fed into the smoker at a rate that produces the heat and smoke you want.

Max Good of SeriousEats talks about where pellet smokers came from and says that all modern smokers come with digital temperature controllers that let you set the unit to feed pellets at a steady rate. This makes controlling the temperature as easy as turning on a kitchen oven.

PROS

• They are easy to use and can be used to grill, smoke, roast, braise, bake, and sort of grill.
• They usually have a wide range of temperatures, from about 175°F to 500°F.

CONS

• The price can be too high. Compared to other types of smokers, they can cost a lot more because they have a lot of mechanical and electrical parts.
• It also needs a power source nearby because it runs on electricity.

This smoker is best for people who are just starting out smoking and don’t mind paying for what they really want. This is the case if you want a lot of options and cooking that is almost automatic, like a kitchen oven. They are the easiest to use and master of all the different types of smokers.

Because the pellet feeder takes up more space than the smoker itself, pellet feeders are probably more useful for people who have a lot of storage and cooking space than for people who don’t.

Electric smokers

These are the most fool-proof ways to smoke since you don’t have to learn much to make a great BBQ. Put food in, push a few buttons, and leave.

The temperature is controlled and stays the same throughout the cooking process, just like in a kitchen oven.

PROS

• Easy to set up.
• Can be used in places where charcoal and gas aren’t allowed.
• Versatile.

CONS

• It runs on electricity, so you can’t tailgate unless you bring an inverter.
• It’s hard to make a smoke ring.

This is best for a beginner smoker who wants to try smoking food but doesn’t want to deal with solid fuels or manage a fire.

People who live in apartments and can’t use charcoal or fire will love being able to grill with electricity.

What kind of smoker is best for a newbie?

The types of smokers listed above are the main ones. There are different kinds of each, and they have high-tech features that let you do anything from cooking like you’re camping to smoking like a pro.

The newest ones even use more than one kind of fuel and have digital controls.

Are they easier to control because of these unique features? No, not always.

If you are just starting out, you can choose an electric or pellet smoker because they are easy to use and keep the temperature steady. Most people think that charcoal grills are hard to use and expensive. But you’ll find a lot of charcoal smokers that are easy to use and won’t break the bank.

If you have smoked before and know what you are doing, you can also use an offset smoker. As a beginner, you should stay away from gas smokers because they are harder to use and cost more.

What kinds of foods are you going to smoke?

Think about yourself with your new smoker.

What kinds of foods do you plan to smoke?

The answer to this question is very important, especially because you’ll want to make sure that your smoker has enough cooking space.

Most people who like to smoke meat focus on pork butts, ribs, brisket, and sometimes chicken or turkey. See our guide on the best meats to smoke for more ideas.

You should make sure that the smoker you choose is big enough for the food you want to cook. Some electric and gas smokers are too small to hold a full rack of ribs or a packer brisket. Don’t just look at the total square inches or number of cooking racks, as this can be a false way to save money.

For example, if you love making ribs, you probably don’t want a propane smoker. Most propane smokers aren’t very wide, so if you wanted to cook ribs, you’d have to do more prep work and cut your racks down so they could fit.

Even though it might not seem like a big deal, having enough cooking space makes the whole smoking experience better.

In general, the best smokers for beginners can fit many different kinds of food, so you can try out different things and see what you like.

Who are you going to smoke for?

Are you the kind of person who makes BBQ for a big group of people at a cookout in the backyard?

Since smoking often takes a long time, your smoker must have enough cooking space. It’s not like a grill where you can quickly cook a lot of food at once.

So, just make sure you have a plan for how much food you will need to smoke at once.

Some of the smokers we recommend in this article, like the Weber Smokey Mountain, come in different sizes. You should think about how you usually use your smoker and leave a little extra space for when your friends come over.

Most likely, you’ll be sorry you didn’t get the bigger size.

The only bad thing about bigger smokers is that they use a little more fuel and take up a little more space.

Do you need a smoker on the go?

You should also think about whether you want to take the tasty BBQ with you when you go camping or tailgating. Some smokers are small and light enough to travel with. You may need to do some research to figure out which one will work best for you and fit in your car.

If you want to go camping or tailgating with your new smoker, you need one that is easy to move around. A smoker that was made for this purpose and is easy to set up is an important thing to think about.

Some pellet smoker brands, like Green Mountain Grills’ Davy Crockett, make portable options that are a good value.

Masterbuilt also sells propane and electric smokers that can be taken with you.

Are you going to cold smoke?

Some smokers can be turned into cold smokers with a lot of work, but others, like Masterbuilt, already have attachments for cold smoking.

You’ll need a smoker that can work at low temperatures if you want to cold-smoke cheese or make your own smoked salmon.

What accessories do you need?

If you buy one of the best smokers for beginners, you might think your job is done. Even though you could get away with it, you would be doing yourself a favor if you bought a few key accessories.

Thermometer probe

A probe smoker thermometer is one of the first things a person who wants to be a pit master should buy. Many people who are just starting out think that the pros know exactly when to take food out of the smoker. This is not true.

Even the pros use probe thermometers. You should cook your meat until it reaches the temperature you want on the inside. There are a lot of guides out there that tell you how long to cook a certain cut of meat per pound, but what really matters is getting the meat to the right internal temperature.

A lot of probe thermometers have more than one probe. So, you can keep an eye on two or more different meats at the same time.

Lump charcoal and pieces of wood

Don’t get us wrong, we have nothing against charcoal briquettes. But when it comes to smoking, wood chunks, logs, or lump charcoal give the best performance and taste.

What kind of wood you use makes a big difference. Different woods give off different tastes and have different effects on beef, poultry, and fish.

Knives for cutting and trimming

The knives you use to work with your meat cuts are one of the most forgotten parts of smoking.

You’d be surprised at how much a good brisket-slicing knife can change how your brisket looks and how tender it is.

The type of blade you use is very important, and it’s worth spending an extra $50 on something that will last a long time and make your food taste better.

The following are some of the additional accessories you need to smoke:

• Gloves that can stand up to heat. You already know that holding a smoking device can be very hot. For your own safety, you must wear gloves.
• Charcoal chimney fire starter: As the name suggests, this is a fire starter for lighting a charcoal smoker.
• BBQ grill brush: If you use a device to smoke meat often, there will be grease and burned bits on the grate. Those can be cleaned with a brush.
• Tongs: You can’t handle freshly smoked meat or turn a piece of meat that’s in the middle of smoking without strong tongs.
• Basting brush: Putting marinade on the meat while it’s cooking is a good idea, especially in the last hour. You need a basting brush for that.
• Butcher’s block: This tool is useful when marinating, resting, or cutting a piece of meat before or after smoking it.
• Boning knife: Have you been working with meat for a long time? If so, you know how important a sharp knife is. It can be used to cut and trim anything.
• Rib rack. This one doesn’t really need to be explained. This will help you cook ribs because you can put the meat pieces on them.
• A thermometer gauge. This tool will help you keep an eye on the heat and control the temperature inside the smoker while you’re cooking.

You might also need a few other things when smoking, especially if you use a charcoal smoker. But most smokers come with these in a package. You should also buy a good cover for the smoker, especially if you plan to keep it outside all the time.

Do you need a smoker or a grill?

If you’ve ever wondered what makes a smoker different from a grill, the answer is that they use different ways to cook food.

Grills are made for cooking with high heat and direct heat. Grills are great for cooking burgers, steaks, and other foods that you want to cook quickly and give a smoky flavor.

On the other hand, smoking takes a lot longer and involves cooking food slowly at low temperatures for a long time. During this process, the smoke from your wood logs or chips gets into your food. This gives your food a delicious, complex flavor.

Tougher meat is best smoked. In fact, most of the best meats for smoking are tough and not very tender, and they are also pretty cheap. One of the toughest cuts of beef you can buy is brisket. It’s basically a muscle that a steer has to use all the time to support its huge weight.

If you put a brisket on the grill, it would be almost impossible to eat. By smoking it at a low temperature for a long time, the brisket breaks down and gets tender. In the end, you have something very tender and juicy.

What about combos with a grill and a smoker?

Look for a grill/smoker combo if you can’t decide between a smoker and a grill but don’t want to buy two separate units.

Combo smokers are some of the best for beginners because you don’t have to limit yourself to one type of smoking. You don’t have to decide right away if smoking is for you. And in the meantime, you can still grill the way you always have.

Many grills can also be used as smokers. Z GRILLS ZPG-450A is the one that comes to mind first.

If you decide that a kamado grill or a pellet grill is better for you, both of these have the added benefit of being able to work as both a grill and a smoker.

Related Post:

• Grill in the Garage
• Amazing Tips For Cooking A Steak On A Griddle

What to think about before buying?

Before buying your first smoker, there are a lot of things you should think about. Here are the most important things to think about before putting down cold, hard cash on something you will use for many years.

Smoker type

There are many different kinds of smokers, and as we’ve seen, each has its own pros and cons.

Think about where you live, how much money you have, how patient you are, if you have access to fuel or electricity, how much food you want to cook (size), and what kind of cooking you want to do.

Do you want to just smoke food, or do you also want to grill and make pizzas?

Before you decide which type of smoker is best for you, you should think about all of these things.

Fuel type

We’ve already talked about the different ways a smoker can be powered. The type of fuel affects how long it takes to cook the meat, how it cooks, and how it tastes.

There is so much charcoal around that even 7-11 sells it. So, if you choose a charcoal-fired smoker, you’ll never have to worry about where to get fuel.

If your house runs on gas, connecting a smoker to the gas line gives you a steady supply of fuel without having to pay extra or go out to get more.

People are still arguing about whether or how much flavor is lost when fuel other than charcoal is used.

Can you tell the difference between a roast that has been smoked with charcoal and one that has been smoked with gas?

Charcoal and wood smokers, as well as offset smokers that use the same fuel source, are known to produce the most authentic flavors. Other smokers who use electricity or gas make it easy to control the temperature, but the taste is a bit milder.

Pellet smokers are the most expensive to run because they need special wood pellets that aren’t as common or easy to find as charcoal. Also, a 16-hour brisket cooks through a lot of pellets. Pellets are not cheap!

Keeping and spreading heat

How well a smoker keeps heat is one of the most important things about it. Some foods, like brisket, can be on the smoker for as long as 8 to 12 hours. If your unit leaks heat, it can mess up your results.

Make sure the smoker you buy is well insulated and made to keep heat in. Keeping the heat steady and even will do wonders for your food and make you look like a Michelin chef.

Temperature range

Different kinds of meat need different ways to be cooked. So, too, does the temperature that is needed. So check your smoker’s temperature range and see if it can make smoke at lower temperatures.

Construction quality

Too often, when it comes to smokers, “cheap” means a thin material that lets waves of smoke out and doesn’t keep the heat in. This means that the temperature of your smoker will rise and fall with the wind and weather.

So, you’ll need to find the right balance between cheap and well-made and just plain cheap.

If you smoke too many bad roasteds that make your clothes, hair, and home smell like smoke, your smoker will quickly become just another piece of junk in your garage.

And any money you save by buying a “cheaper” smoker is quickly lost because you have to use more fuel to keep the heat in a smoker with poor insulation and leaks.

Over the life of a smoker, it will save a lot of money on fuel if it is well-made, sealed, and insulated.

The quality of construction is closely linked to how well it does what it is supposed to do.

If there are leaks, you know that the food isn’t getting the right amount of heat and smoke in a steady stream. That means a lot of wasted charcoal, wood, or gas and unevenly cooked food with hot and cold spots, which is sad because it means the food won’t taste good.

Insulation and thickness of the material

No matter how much you pay for a smoker, you want it to last as long as possible, right?

So, look for steel smokers and grates that won’t rust and have the right enamel coating to protect them.

Smokers with thick walls and insulation can keep the heat and smoke inside. High-quality smokers will keep the heat in for longer.

Because of these things, the process of cooking becomes more consistent. The smoky flavor also gets into the meat better because of these things.

Thermometer

When you put the meat in the smoker to cook, it is important to keep an eye on the temperature inside. Many smokers have a built-in thermometer or a temperature gauge that can be taken off.

Temperature control

Controlling the temperature is an important part of a smoker. Electric smokers give you full control over the temperature. On the other hand, you have to control how much air gets into a charcoal smoker.

There are, of course, new charcoal smokers with temperature controls that are easier to use. You can even add a thermostat from a different company. It all depends on how old-fashioned and rustic you want to be.

Available support

One of the best ways to keep a customer coming back is to give them good service. Weber, Kamado Joe, and other brands are known for having good customer service.

Manufacturers also use Facebook and other social media to talk to their customers and make it easier for store owners to talk to each other.

Some companies have owner forums where people can share tips and help with problems, gripes, and compliments.

If the smoker you buy has a community of people who help each other and share cooking tips, you will enjoy it a lot more.

Size/Capacity

Will you only be cooking for a small group of family and friends? Or often serve food to larger groups?

How often do you plan on using it?

You should answer these simple questions to make sure you get the right size.

The shape and size of the smoker are important things to think about, especially if you don’t have a lot of space or want to move it around a lot. Make sure this goes with the rest of the kitchen.

Access

How do you get to the box with the fuel when cooking?

Can the smoker be refueled without stopping the process of smoking?

Is it a smoker that loads from the front or the top?

Carefully look at these things.

Space 

You should buy a smoker based on how many people you want to feed and how much cooking space it has. Also, look for places to store the meat so it can rest before being served.

Features and accessories

You can choose from black, red, green, silver, or the look of terracotta or earthenware.

One that only smokes can be different from one that also cooks, bakes, and grills.

Accessories may be needed for different ways to cook and to make smoking, in general, easier to do.

You can use stainless steel or steel with a porcelain enamel coating, wood, ceramic, or tile. It is possible to have glass doors and steel liners.

A lot of smokers come with a bunch of extras or add-ons. Some sets come with tongs, hooks, grates, a stand, and more, while others have a cover to keep the device safe. Make sure to check these, and see if you’re paying too much for accessories that you don’t need, though this is unlikely.

Dampers

The only way to control the temperature when cooking on a charcoal smoker is to control the flow of oxygen. The chimney and firebox need dampers to help with the process.

Price

Before you buy something big, you should definitely think about your budget. There are a lot of smokers out there, and I’m sure you’ll be able to find one that fits your budget.

From our point of view, if the price is less than $100, it’s probably not even worth the money. Most smokers that cost less than $100 aren’t very good, and you’ll probably have to get a new one in a year or two, if not sooner.

In the price range of $150–$400, you can find a lot of different types of smokers that can meet your needs. There are also a lot of very well-made smokers in that price range that won’t have any trouble keeping the heat in.

You can, of course, go all out and buy a smoker that costs anywhere from $500 to $2,000 or more. But for beginners, we’ve found that the sweet spot is between $150 and $400.

When buying their first smoker, people who are just starting out are often tempted by more than one feature. But they forget that they may never use most of these features, even though they pay a lot of money for them.

The best thing to do is set a budget and then look for a smoker. They can be as cheap as $200 or as expensive as $10,000. So, pick a unit whose price is within your budget.

Warranty

Every device gets worse over time, and eventually, you’ll need help if it stops working. So, ask about the warranty. As a new user, you might also need help in the beginning. So make sure the brand has good customer service.

The manufacturer’s warranty is one of the most forgotten parts of a grill or smoker. I don’t understand why people don’t pay more attention to warranties.

If you’re going to spend a lot of money on one of the best smokers for beginners, don’t you want the best protection for your money?

I’ve also found that most of the time, the smokers with the best quality come with the best warranties. How funny that worked out. If a company is confident in its product, it makes sense that it would be willing to back it with the best warranty.

Most grills and smokers come with a standard warranty of about 3 years. Some companies, like Weber, are known to have warranties that last 5 or even 10 years. If you can’t decide between two smokers, our advice is to pick the one with the better warranty.

Advice for your first smoke

To smoke, you have to try things out, make mistakes, and learn from them.

Don’t forget that even if you mess up a few things, the end result will still taste better than almost anything else you could eat.

So, if this is your first time smoking, you might want to start with a few pounds of cheap pork butt. The meat is pretty forgiving, and it’s a great way to figure out how your chosen smoker works.

From there, buy a few different rubs and barbecue sauces (or learn how to make your own).

Last, you might want to look at this list of things that new smokers should not do (you can thank us later).

Also Read: How To Make A Man Cave Smoke Room?

How hard is it to smoke the easiest thing?

No one thing is “easiest” to smoke. Still, there are a few foods and meals that might be easy to smoke. This is especially true for people who have never smoked before and want something easy to start with.

This doesn’t mean you’ll be a pro right away, but you should start with some of the easier meals. If you just got a smoker and want to try something easy, try smoking one of the following foods:

• Smoked steak
• Thighs or breasts of chicken
• Pork chops
• Boston Butt (a cut of pork from the shoulder that is great for pulled pork)
• Sausage
• Thighs or breasts of turkey
• Fish steaks (salmon works well)

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

I hope you learned from this article that you don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a tasty BBQ. All you need is a little bit of knowledge and a smoker who can help you get started.

With all the news and information out there, it’s easy to forget that the whole point of smoking delicious food is to make memories with family and friends.

If you’re new to smoking, getting one of the best smokers for beginners will go a long way toward helping you get results that will make your backyard cookouts the stuff of legend.

Remember that the key to a great BBQ is to have fun, enjoy the company of your friends and family, and make delicious food. You don’t need a fancy gadget or a pricey smoker to do that.

If this guide helped ease some of your worries about buying your first smoker, please share it with your friends.

What do you think?

Do you feel more ready to make your first purchase?

We’re sure hoping so.

There are so many choices, and marketers make everything sound appealing. If you put this information to work for you, you can make a smart first purchase that could last you for many years of smoked food adventures.

By thinking about what you want and how you want it, and matching that to the type of fuel and smoker you want, we hope we’ve put you on the right track to becoming an old and happy smoker.

Image credits: Amazon, Pixabay, Unsplash and Pexels