What To Look For in a BBQ Smoker
If you want to get the most flexibility out of a BBQ smoker, look for a multi-functional model that can grill, smoke and bake. At the very least, look for a combined grill and smoker. If you’re passionate about al-fresco dining, smokers that also offer the possibility to bake food often have facilities for cooking bread and pizza as well as meat.
Cylindrical smokers are the best type for taking camping and to the beach. They’re more compact and can generally fit in the back of the car. If transporting your BBQ smoker is a priority, go for an option that weighs around 20 kg. These will generally be made of steel and may have porcelain coatings to help retain heat and stop food sticking.
Some of the best BBQ smokers are made from ceramic. This retains heat well which is great for slow cooking, but is extremely heavy so only appropriate for cooking at home.
As a general guide, when grilling food, a grill that’s 30 cm in diameter will cater to small-to-medium groups. A 50 cm grill will feed around 10 people. If entertaining guests is a main priority, large ‘range’ smokers will offer a lot of space to cook different foods. A warming rack can also be useful to look out for if cooking for a lot of people.
To generally facilitate the cooking process, there are some additional features that it can help to look out for, such as foldable side tables, built-in thermometers and cool-touch tabs and handles.
After comparing a range of BBQ smokers, my top choice is the ProQ BBQ Smoker. It offers four functions, making it possible to BBQ, grill, roast and smoke food, and is big enough to feed up to 12 people. At the same time, it’s lightweight at 16 kg, so can be taken on trips.
For more details about this BBQ smoker, as well as some other great options, check out the reviews below.