Meat Smokers

Barbequing and grilling are growing rapidly in popularity. Part of this is thanks to health consciousness that recognizes this as one means of cooking off unwanted fat. Another part is thanks to a huge gourmet food industry that’s captured the hearts of eager eaters everywhere. The next time you’re watching a cooking show, you might be inspired to go out and get your own grill or smoker, and at that juncture it’s time for a little education. 

Step one: What type of fuel do you want to use.

This smoker will retail for about 120 GBP

There are smokers that run on electric, gas, wood and charcoal. Wood and charcoal are trickier to use, so it’s suggested that you be a relatively experienced cook. Also note that wood and charcoal require tending. You can’t wander off and multitask while your food smokes. So if you’re already facing challenging time constraints, gas or electric are a better option for you. This option is also wonderful for new grillers/smokers who like the taste but don’t want so much fuss. The gas or electric smoker will require purchasing wood chips to create smoke, but because you’re using a consistent energy source, your food smokes evenly at a regulated temperature.

As you’re shopping around you may come across something called a water smoker. The fuel for these is usually electricity or charcoal. The main difference between the “normal” smoker is the addition of a water pan that keeps meat away from the direct heat. The advantage of the water smoker is that they’re smaller, so when you’re deck space is wanting it won’t eat it all up.

The vertical smoker is slightly more expensive

Step two: What design do you want – vertical or horizontal? A vertical smoker layers the meat from the bottom up, with the water and wood at the bottom. These will smoke up to 50 pounds of meat at a time, but normally I suggest about half that so that the smoke can reach everything evenly. This is a smoker that will require your on-going attention to make sure you don’t run out of burning wood, and the food should be rotated periodically for evenness.

A horizontal smoker separates the fire from the smoking chamber, and they can get pretty expensive, being made of thick steel. This is for very serious grillers and smokers who won’t mind investing anywhere from 300-1000 or more. There’s no question this unit is more sophisticated and efficient, but weigh that against how often you plan to use it then buy accordingly.

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