The Best Smokers for 2024, Based on Over 200 Hours of Testing

Our Favorite Smoker

We really like the Dyna-Glo Signature Series Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker for its ease of use, quality of results, and value for the money. It stood out in all areas of our testing, and while assembly would be easier with a second person, that does nothing to negate the results it produced in a model that’s great for beginners and experienced smokers.

Factors to Consider

Heat Source

Are you an electric, gas, or charcoal fan? Do you have limitations on what fuel you can burn where you live? While the best grilling cookbooks take into account a variety of heat sources, your personal preference plays a significant role in your choice of a smoker. Electric is a good, consistent choice for even temperatures. Gas provides an equivalent amount of heat and control without the need to be near an electric outlet, but a gas line or propane tank has its restrictions as far as ventilation and space go. Charcoal requires a learning curve to find the "sweet spot" for temperatures, but you get the advantage of flavor; this also goes for cooking with wood.

Fuel Type

Chips are easily obtainable but require soaking and frequent refilling of the chip box during smoking. Pellets are versatile across the spectrum of heat sources but may require special ordering from the manufacturer, decreasing the likelihood of spontaneous barbecues. Charcoal generates considerable ash, but can last through a long cook and keep steady heat. Wood generates an equal amount of ash and requires more storage space and occasional log splitting, though many prefer the flavor and aroma that wood brings to a cook. 

Construction

Construction materials can vary, but the most critical thing to look for in a smoker is its ability to retain heat. Thin construction radiates the heat out of the smoker, which means that it is not cooking the food inside. Temperature fluctuations from the heat escaping can result in dry, tough smoked foods, or worse, the food is still half-cooked, tough, dry, and you're out of fuel.

Size

How much room are you willing to give to your smoker? Don't forget that you might also need to store wood, pellets, or charcoal. Ideally, one wants a covered space away from the elements to aid the longevity of their equipment. If you're dealing with limited space, are you willing to trade the room for a table or chair for your smoker?

Portability

While you may have a permanent space in mind for your smoker, portability is worth considering should you need to move it. Unlike the average portable grill, smokers tend to be large and heavy, so if you plan to keep yours in storage, factor in its size and weight as well as any features, such as wheels or handles, that would help make moving it back and forth easier. Finally, if you ever want to transport your smoker to the beach, a campsite, or a friend's backyard, a lighter and more compact model may help you get more mileage out of your purchase.

How We Tested Smokers

We put all the smokers and grills we tested through the same tasks that you, as a consumer, would face after purchasing them. First, we rated them on the ease or difficulty of assembling them. Then we took general impressions of their construction, including whether they seemed flimsy and sealed tightly. We noted how easy or difficult it was to access vital components (water pans, chip trays, or refilling charcoal or pellets) and how easy they were to move. 

Then, we tested how well the smokers did their job with food, using a short smoke and a long smoke test. The short smoke test was chicken wings, and the long smoke test was either ribs or pork butts, both taking considerably longer than chicken wings. For our pellet grill/smoker tests, we loaded each with chicken wings and covered them for smoking, noting the amount of smoke the grills produced. The grills that did the best moved on to a long smoke test with pork shoulder. After each test, we rated the meat for taste, texture, appearance, smoke level, and any acrid aftertaste. For the long smoke tests, we also took bark development and smoke penetration into account.

Finally, as all projects ended, we cleaned the smokers, rating them on how easy or difficult they were to clean and if there were any particularly stubborn pieces to clean. We rated each category on a scale of one to five and then averaged the category totals to arrive at our final score for each smoker or grill.

The one exception to these tests was the Konnected Joe, which I tested at home. Although I used similar procedures and considered the same factors, this kamado grill was not pitted against others. Instead, we felt that it deserved a spot on this list and the title of Best Smart Smoker based on home testing.  

Other Smokers We Tested

Strong Contenders

Pit Barrel Cooker Classic Package 18.5-Inch Drum Smoker ($400 at Amazon)

The Pit Barrel was our runner-up in the charcoal smoker testing. It produced excellent results in our smoking tests, but it is not something we’d recommend for beginners. The Pit Barrel has a steep learning curve for temperature control because of its single damper and charcoal capacity. It took us a few attempts to find the proper airflow and fuel load balance to achieve and maintain the desired temperature. But, again, it produced very good ribs and chicken wings once we mastered those issues.

Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker ($200 at Amazon)

The Char-Broil Analog is a good entry point for electric smokers. Once you understand the heat controls, it provides reasonably steady smoke and fairly moist, lightly smoked meats.

Dyna-Glo 30-Inch Digital Bluetooth Electric Smoker ($253 at Amazon)

The Dyna-Glo is a good entry into app-connected electric smokers, and it produced some of the best food in our electric smoker testing. Our concerns were about safety; the cord is very short, making it difficult to place at a distance from a building for fire prevention, and the chip pan got very hot to handle when it needed refilling.

Pit Boss 3-Series Gas Vertical Smoker ($330 at Amazon)

The Pit Boss is a good gas smoker for someone who likes to take an active role in smoking food. You’ll be monitoring the temperature, chip consumption, and water usage throughout, but in the end, it produced well-cooked food, even if we’d prefer a bit smokier flavor.

Our Expertise

Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with four decades of experience in the food industry. His written work appears in Food & Wine, Food Republic, Serious Eats, Tasting Table, and other publications.