Nothing beats the taste of tender meat in your mouth that has been cooked slow and low over the barbecue for hours. The competitive barbecue scene was dominated by barrel or offset smokers for years. But thanks to the increasing availability of top-notch home offset smokers, the art of smoking can also be mastered at the comfort of your own home. If you love barbecue, getting the best offset smoker is an absolute must-have.

Other popular names for offset smokers include side firebox, pipe or horizontal smokers, cookers or barrel. These are traditional types of smokers and produces competition worthy, quality smoked meats. A popular type of offset smoker comes with two connected boxes or cylinders that are sealed. Each cylinder or box come in two different sizes. The smaller cylinder is known as a firebox. It makes room for the wood fire or charcoal. The larger box is offset slightly higher than the other.

The position is such that the smoke that comes from the fire is forced into the bigger cylinder which is the cooking space or the oven. The smoke further goes from the bigger cylinder and cooks the meat before it leaves through the chimney. Other models come with extra cooking chambers that are vertical which increases the capacity of cooking by making the smoke pass through right before going out the chimney.

Types

There is more than one type of offset smokers. In the traditional offset smoker, the cooking chamber which is right next to the firebox is the hottest. Since it causes uneven cooking, you will need to either cook the food in a rotation or place it carefully so that all food cooks at the same time.

The offset smoker reverse flow is a solution to the problem of rotating food. It commonly adds the steel baffle kind of plate to prevent the need for rotation. The plate prevents excess heat from overcooking the meat, encourages the smoke to swirl around and creates more flavour.

You will find that the chimney is at the extreme opposite of firebox while it is closest to the firebox in the reverse flow smoker. Irrespective of what kind it is, you can cook brisket, pork butt or picnic, ribs, large pieces of meat, etc.

The offset smoker is normally considered more advantageous than the standard smoker for a number of reasons. For starters, you don’t have to open the cooking box in order to add logs, wood chips, logs, chunks or stoke the fire. You can even directly grill in most of the units if you install a grate of grill right on top of the firebox. You can smoke a lot of food because the cook chamber is quite large in size. You don’t need to worry about replacing moving parts or worry about electrical circuits burning out. You can get customized options or accessories from big brands. Its “cool” factor is high especially those steel models that are big and black.

The price in the market is so broad, giving an option for different budget buyers. Here are some of the best sellers of 2018.

Best Offset Smokers

1. Offset Smoker Royal Gourmet with Charcoal Grill

This charcoal grill comes with an offset smoker. With a list of applications that are versatile and a compact look, it is ideal for use in decks, balconies, patios and similar areas. Porcelain enamel is used to make the cooking grates, making it increasingly durable and strong enough to last for years. Most of all, you can regulate the temperatures with precision which make cooking relatively easy. It has really good heating capabilities because the cooking chamber is designed by a charcoal pan that is adjustable. However one of the best features is that you can add another combination offset smoker which will give you an extra 182 sq inches of space for cooking. You can grill a high quantity of food at once. Once you are done cooking, use the ash pan for cleaning the equipment.

Features:

• Cooking area – 872 square inches.
• Porcelain enamelled cooking grates offer lasting durability.
• Side doors to add charcoals and remove ash pan when cleaning.
• Dampers are adjustable for proper airflow to ensure proper heating.
• Regulate cooking temperatures with a professional thermometer.
• Roast side dish with combination offset smoker that is attachable.
• Provides front table and bottom shelf as extra space if needed.
• Extra space for storage.
• Heavy duty lid, spring handle with cool touch and big stack.
• Easy assembling, paint on box doesn’t flake over time.
• The charcoal pan can accommodate 5 lbs charcoal all at once.
• Adjust height of charcoal with lifting handles for excellent heating.

2. Charcoal Offset Smoker Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D

This one is large and handles heavy duty work for you just when you need it the most. The manufacturers have designed it with convenience in mind, offering such a wide variety of features that are integrated. With this offset smoker, you have in your hands a magical instrument to take your meat or food smoking experience to a whole new level of awesome! The Dyna Glo is an offset smoker with customized grill grates that you can use whenever you need a grill. Owning this one can be quite accommodating for the space in your home since it is a little bigger than the average offset smoker that you would usually get in the market. Having said that, many people still buy it anyway because the grill and smoke capacity, as well as the heavy duty, work it does it well worth every inch of the space it takes in your home.

Features:

• Can smoke as much as 100 lbs of meat or any food at a single go.
• Body construction is made of steel, making it durable and sturdy for rough handling.
• A massive 784 square inches of area entirely for smoking.
• For efficient loading, system of wood loading is made from porcelain enamellings for heavy duty work and steel box for the wood chips.
• To achieve a really fast ignition, the cast burner iron is a massive 15,000 BTU. Saves resources as well as time.
• Heavy capacity makes it ideal for large family gatherings, special occasions, restaurant and other institution uses. With a loading capacity of 100 lbs of fresh meat, it can feed over 400 people.
• The steel body of the Dyna Glo DGO1176BDC-D has a coated finish that can handle high temperatures without burning the food.

3. Char-Broil Offset Smoker

The main chamber of Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker, Standard has a cooking surface of 290 square inches. The firebox is an additional 140 square inches of space. You can adjust the height of the steel fire grates. It has an outdoor that is clean and an adjustable built in damper to get rid of the ash easily from the firebox. If you are looking for perfectly smoked meat every single time with consistency, the Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker is your perfect choice. With easy access drawers, you can feed the water and wood chips without any difficulty. Since it has steel square legs, the structure is quite sturdy and can withstand any weight. The welded chamber of cooking in this Char Broil offset smoker is what gives your food a distinctive flavouring that is more intense than the other kinds you will find. You can control the heat as you like when smoking your food with the help of the temperature controlling system which is entirely adjustable to your personal liking. You can also control the amount of smoke that enters the cooking chamber by simply using the vent chimney at the top level of the char broil offset smoker.

Features:

• Can easily cook up to 18 burgers at once with its 290 square inches of chamber for cooking.
• Measurement is at 48.03 inches, 17.5 inches and 44.6 inches and comes in steel black colour.
• Grates come in porcelain coating.
• 140 square inches of space for the warming rack.
• It has a lid mounted control system for the temperature.
• Handles and wheels attached to the side of the offset smoker to move the wood chips box with ease.
• A pan coated in porcelain to hold water for maintaining the level of moisture inside of the offset smoker.
• Perfect for patio, garden and lawn.

4. Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill Signature Series Dyna-Glo DGSS1382VCS-D Heavy-Duty Vertical

If you want to expand the horizon of your outdoor cooking experience than the Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill Signature Series Dyna-Glo DGSS1382VCS-D Heavy-Duty Vertical is your perfect choice. It is popular as one of the most multifunctional offset smokers. It has the potential to convert from a full on smoker to a grill. With its flexibility in the cooking options, you can use either an offset smoker or a charcoal grill as the situation demands. This one comes equipped with an offset charcoal ash pan and grate that can be removed whenever you need to. You can remove the ash tray and get direct access to the fuel and quickly dispose the ash for a fast clean up. You can get the maximum level of space for searing your meat and transfer the heat with the help of the smoker and the grates from the offset cooking. The Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill Signature Series Dyna-Glo DGSS1382VCS-D Heavy-Duty Vertical is a great way for you to diversify your cooking.

Features:

• The heavy duty offset charcoal smoker as well as grill enables you to host memorable cookouts.
• It comes with a highly durable offset smoker made of steel.
• The steel smoker can convert quite easily into a grill for a full service cooking experience.
• This is a worthy addition to your patio with its multi functional features for different types of cooking.
• Comes with a 1000 square inch of space for cooking.
• Measurement is 45.5 inches in length, 25 inches in width and 59 inches in height.

5. Reverse Flow Smoker Highland by Oklahoma Joe

If you want a meat smoking experience that differs from your average ones, then the Reverse Flow Smoker Highland by Oklahoma Joe is the right choice for you. It enables the hot air to come together as one with the radiant heat because of features like the four baffles which can be removed and the smokestack locations that is optional as per your taste. This combination of the different forms of heat allows for an even temperature distribution inside of the cooking chamber where you have kept the food. The Reverse Flow Smoker Highland by Oklahoma Joe is manufactured for nothing less than the highest performance in smoking food to perfection. With an affordable pricing, it is one of the cheapest reverse flow offset smokers in the market right now. This ensures a consistent and even cooking for your food irrespective of the size and the kinds of food that you put.

Features:

• Along with the fire box of chamber, this Highland reverse offset model offers a massive space of 900 square inches in total.
• The four baffles is a series that has been designed to offer you guidance through the smoke and the heat that passes the main chamber and into the food.
• With the reverse smoker flow, you can get an automatic high quality smoking for your food
• You can easily manage the input of the fuel with the charcoal basket which comes in a large size
• It can be used for family cooking and give you some of the best tasting BBQ.

Conclusion

Regardless of what others say, choosing the right offset smokers boils down to your personal preference and what exactly you are looking for. What is great for your friends may not really work for you and vice versa. Keeping side the shape, level of fanciness or the size, you need to check out certain features if you want to get you and your family an offset smoker that is worth every penny you have paid. Getting a thick metal ensures a heavy gauge. This will retain more heat and give you even cooking for your food.

Check for quality seals and damper every time you buy an offset smoker because it will ensure the product works as promised by the manufacturers. This will dramatically reduce the usage of fuel and increase the retention of smoke in the cooking chamber for your food. Check whether the wheels and the legs are sturdy. You don’t want a fancy looking offset smoker that cannot stand on its own, would you?

When you get features that enables you to measure the inside temperature of the cooking chamber, don’t let it pass you by. Quality brands will give you the right temperature reading which is directly related to how well you can cook the meat inside the chamber.

Does your offset smoker come with a lid or is it only available as an extra? Consider whether you have space to keep your offset smoker safe or get a waterproof cover to make sure it doesn’t rust with weathering.