The 8 Best Smokers of 2021

Best Overall: Masterbuilt MB20074719 Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker

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When it comes to smokers, this one has everything you need for easy smoking at an affordable price. Since it’s electric, there’s no need to fuss with lighting charcoal, and the design is sleek, modern, and attractive. This smoker uses Bluetooth to connect to your smart device, so you don’t have to keep track of a separate remote control, and when you’re cooking, there’s no need to leave your comfy lawn chair to check the temperature or turn the cooker on or off.

This smoker has four chrome-plated racks that can handle up to 16 chickens, four turkeys, or eight racks of ribs. There’s no need to open the door to load more wood chips during cooking, since they can be added from the side of the smoker. When you’re done smoking and you want to crisp the chicken or finish ribs with sticky sauce, there’s a broiling element that can handle that for you, so there’s no need to fire up a separate grill or heat the oven to complete the cooking process. If smoking continues after dark, an interior light turns on when the door is open for easy visibility.

While it's easy to use and delivers tasty results, this smoker can be finicky in cold weather, and its blue display screen is tough to read in direct sunlight.

Best for Beginners: Weber 18-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker

Very Good

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This user-friendly smoker doesn’t have dials or controls to worry about and works much like a familiar charcoal grill, so it can be a great introduction to smoking for people who just want something basic that does the job of making tasty barbecue. Heat and smoke are controlled by adjusting the vents, but the grill has another "sneaky trick up its sleeve" that impressed our product tester: a water pan that collects drips and keeps the interior humid for juicy results.

This uses charcoal for the heat source and has two cooking grates so you can fit plenty of food for the family or for a backyard party. A thermometer on the top lets you monitor the interior temperature, while a silicone plug in the side allows standard remote meat thermometers to slide through into the meat for perfect cooking every time. For additional versatility, this smoker can be configured to be used as a standard grill, as well.

Best Portable: Green Mountain Davy Crockett WiFi Control Portable Wood Pellet Grill

Very Good

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Just because this smoker is designed to be portable, it doesn’t mean it’s less capable. It even includes Wi-Fi control so you don’t need to hover near the smoker to monitor the cooking. This uses pellets as a heat source, so all you need to do is fill the hopper and let the grill do the rest.

This smoker weighs 68 pounds, so it’s sturdy but still liftable. The legs fold to make it more compact for storage, or to tuck it into the trunk or the back of the pickup for a tailgate party. It runs on standard house current when it’s available, and it comes with three adapters so it can plug into your car for use on the road.

Reviewers love that it doesn't draw on much power and that it's perfect for tailgating and camping, though some warn that one side of the heating surface gets hotter than the other.

Best Budget: Char-Broil Bullet Charcoal Smoker

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A smoker doesn’t have to break the budget, and this 16-inch bullet smoker from Char-Broil is the perfect example. It has two porcelain-coated cooking grates that offer a total of 370 square inches of cooking space. A temperature gauge on the lid makes it easy to monitor the smoker’s internal temperature for perfect cooking every time.

The dampers are numbered to make it easy to remember the best settings for heat and smoke, and the ash pan is removable for easy cleanup when cooking is done and the fire is out. For those who need more cooking space, there’s also a 20-inch version of this model.

Many customers were pleasantly surprised to find that this smoker is sturdily constructed and keeps consistent temperature, considering its price. A few people advise, however, to be careful when putting the lid back on because it won't always seal properly otherwise.

Best Pellet Smoker: Traeger Tailgater Elite 20 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

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Many smoking aficionados will tell you that pellets are superior to charcoal. They’re certainly less messy since you won’t end up with black dust on your hands every time you touch them. The pellets are made from hardwood and burn cleanly while still providing the perfect wood-fired smoky flavor to foods.

This pellet smoker has digital controls that are easy to use, an electric auto-start ignition, and an auger system that feeds pellets into the fire, so all you have to do is make sure the hopper is full and the grill will do the rest. This has 300 square inches of cooking space, so it’s not huge, but it still has enough space for 12 burgers or two whole chickens. If you need to store the smoker indoors, the legs fold flat for a more compact profile.

Best Offset Smoker: Oklahoma Joe Highland Charcoal Horizontal Smoker

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Offset smokers look like traditional grills with a small firebox on the side, but they work much differently since the heat comes from the firebox rather than from below the food. Controlled heat and smoke enter the cooking chamber for perfectly smoked meats every time.

A thermometer mounted in the lid, along with multiple dampers, makes controlling the heat and smoke easy. Made from heavy-gauge black-coated steel, this sturdy smoker is built to last and will look good for years. The stay-cool handles on the cookbox and firebox lids let you open the lids safely, even when the grill is hot. This has 619 square inches of cooking space in the main chamber, but if you need a little extra space, a rack in the firebox gives you extra space right over the fire.

Best Kamado: Kamado Joe Big Joe II Charcoal Grill

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The word "kamado" is the Japanese word for "stove" or "cooking range," although today it's a generic term for a ceramic grill that's especially excellent for smoking. Compared to metal charcoal grills, kamado grills take barbecue to a whole new level with superior heat retention that traps moisture and smoke inside, locking primo flavor deep inside the meat.

Although it is pricey, the Kamado Joe Big II Charcoal Grill comes with rave reviews—a clear favorite among grillers. The red egg-shaped grill with locking wheels has an 18-inch cooktop divided among two half-moon-shaped tiers, allowing you to cook different foods in different styles at different temperatures simultaneously.

Powered by natural lump charcoal, smoke at 225 degrees or crank it all the way up to 750 degrees to sear. It's mold- and water-resistant, so you can cook in the rain, too. A fiberglass mesh gasket and self-activating stainless steel latch ensure a strong, airtight seal for tender, smoke-flavored brisket, chicken, and more. Lift the top with just two fingers (it'll stay put exactly where you position it) and use the sliding ash drawer for a super easy clean.