When most people think about barbecuing, they think about their trusty old standard propane or charcoal grills. Not many people know that there are other options for barbecuing food. BBQ smokers open up a whole new world of barbecue fun and tastes for food you cook. With three types of smokers, there is one type to suit everyone.
Charcoal smokers are the first type. In some cases, a charcoal smoker can be more beneficial than other types of smokers. Charcoal as the fire source allows you to control when you get those high temperatures and how long it stays high. If you aren’t cooking large sections of meat, low temperature cooking is still possible, which allows you to add wood chips for different flavorings.
Offset bbq smokers are a common choice among charcoal smokers. An offset smoker is often larger than many other smokers. The fire box and cooking chamber sit side by side. The cooking chamber has a vent hole that pulls the heat and smoke into the chamber to cook and flavor the food. The fumes exit through a chimney tube. Many offset smokers have two access doors on the chamber.
A gas smoker is commonly chosen by people who are more comfortable cooking with propane than other fuel sources. Propane smokers give you an easier method to control the heat. You simply turn the gas control to increase or decrease the flow of propane to raise or lower the temperature. Because propane has no odor or smoke, small pieces of charcoal or wood can be used to flavor your food.
Propane bbq smokers are usually vertical. Heat and smoke start at the bottom and work upward along the food. The fumes are vented at the top. There is a smoke box that sits above the flame section. Many models also include meat hooks at the top to hang large pieces of meat. There are several cooking racks that can be used to cook different foods at once, or removed to use the meat hooks or make space for larger sized foods.
The third type of smoker is the electric smoker. As the name implies, this type of smoker relies on heat provided by electricity. You plug it in an electrical outlet like an appliance. A control knob or digital controls allow you to adjust the heat in most models. A separate box provides a pace to add wood chips for smoking.
The major drawback of an electric smoker is that it runs by electricity. Depending on the type and size of the food you are cooking, the time you cook will accumulate. Longer cook times mean more electricity is used – and you have a larger bill.
BBQ smokers provide you with the ability to cook a wider variety of food, in larger quantities or sizes. They also give you the ability to flavor your food differently depending on the type of wood chips you use. They are often more money that a standard grill but inexpensive models are available.
