Nothing beats making your own smoked delicacies, from meats to fish to vegetables. If you’re going to smoke meals at home, there’s no disputing that propane (gas) smokers are incredibly user-friendly and produce handy tasty cuisine. All you need are some wood chips and fuel to utilize your gas smoker. There are several alternatives available for outfitting an outdoor cooking place or purchasing a smoker to take with you on your outdoor travels.
Rather than attempting to convert your charcoal or gas grill into a makeshift smoker, it may be in your best interest to invest in a specialized smoker. This way, you won’t have to worry as much about temperature regulation. While electric smokers are undoubtedly an option, we prefer gas smokers since they don’t need an electrical outlet and can achieve considerably greater temperatures. Regardless, you’re on your way to smoking fish, ribs, chicken, brisket, and more.
Here are the greatest gas smokers to purchase for your garden.
1. Best Overall: Cuisinart COS-244 Vertical 36-inch Propane Smoker
This smoker is ideal for both rookie and experienced chefs, and we believe it is an excellent choice for anybody wishing to improve their outdoor cooking skills. It has four 14-inch square detachable stainless steel shelves and 5.5 square feet of oven area, so you’ll have plenty of room to cook up huge chunks of meat like ribs, ham, and more. Despite its vast cooking surface, the smoker’s slim, vertical form prevents it from crowding your outdoor cooking space. It also has a vent situated on the rear side of the smoker. Cooks prefer to utilize the top of the smoker as a convenient prep table to store utensils, sauces, or plates, which saves room.
The smoker also boasts a long, 40-inch hose and regulator, allowing you to conceal the propane tank in a cupboard or out of sight, and the combined porcelain-enameled water and wood tray makes smoking even more practical. A practical and precise thermometer on the front entrance makes monitoring and checking the inside temperature a breeze. You have complete control over the amount of heat generated, and there is a rear vent that can be opened and closed to regulate smoke and heat.
What we like:
- Effectively utilizes space
- A long pipe with propane
- The door thermometer
What we don’t like:
- There is just one door.
2. Best Portable: Masterbuilt MPS 20B Patio-2-Portable Propane Smoker
Don’t be fooled by its small stature; this portable smoker packs just as much punch as some of its fixed siblings. This grill is incredibly user-friendly, with foldable legs and a lightweight body, as well as a push-button ignition and a built-in thermometer. Even if you don’t intend to use it for RV or outdoor vacations, it may serve as a barbecue in a small backyard.
It has a single burner that produces 5,000 BTUs, which is rather amazing considering its small size. In addition to this burner, you receive a regulator knob for fast and conveniently adjusting the flame, as well as an air damper for fine-tuning not just the temperature but also the quantity of smoke produced by the grill. It’s an excellent choice for someone who is new to smoking because of the low price.
What we like:
- Lightweight
- Compact
- Inexpensive
What we don’t like:
- There is just one burner and one door.
- There isn’t enough room for huge pieces of meat.
3. Best Double-Door: Dyna-Glo 36-inch Vertical LP Gas Smoker
It is possible that having a smoker with two doors may alter the course of events dramatically. This means that if you need to make any adjustments to the water or wood chips, you may do so without causing any damage to the other chamber’s temperature. The consistent smoking of food is made possible by the heavy-duty cast iron burner smoker. As the meal cooks, the smoker has air dampers on the top and sides that allow you to control the temperature and smoke.
The four chrome-plated racks on this smoker may be adjusted to provide a total cooking surface area of 784 square inches. The grill can handle up to 100 pounds of food at a time since it has so much room. Each burner has 15,000 BTUs of power, which is more than enough to get the job done. In addition, the wood chip box is constructed with easy-to-remove side handles for easy refilling and cleaning. The big temperature control dial makes it simple to operate, while the elegant gauge is both useful and visually appealing. The black stainless steel exterior is wrapped in a powder-coated surface and high-heat paint that will not scratch, fade, or corrode after years of rigorous use.
What we like:
- A roomy kitchen
- Over time, the exterior will not degrade.
- There are two entrances.
What we don’t like:
- Exorbitantly weighted
4. Best for Ribs: Dyna-Glo Electronic Ignition Gas Vertical Smoker
You want to smoke a lot of food at once? Here’s how to do it. There’s also the Dyna-Glo Gas Vertical Smoker, which has a total cooking area of 1,235 square inches over four chrome-plated racks. Also included are sausage hooks for even more flexibility and a rib rack that can handle multiple racks at once.
Propane tanks are supplied separately, and the twin cast iron burners of this smoker produce up to 20,000 BTU per hour. With an electronic ignition, starting the car is a breeze, and the front-mounted temperature gauge even features a “smoke zone” to indicate when the inside is just right.
What we like:
- Large storage space
- A rib rack and sausage hooks are included.
- Ignition system
What we don’t like:
- In the event of strong winds, it is difficult to keep a constant temperature.
5. Best for Entertaining: Masterbuilt MB20051316 40-inch ThermoTemp XL Propane Smoker
It’s a great option if you’re searching for a smoker that can handle a lot of food at once. This barbecue is perfect for brisket, chicken, fish, ribs, and vegetables thanks to its four chrome-plated smoking racks and enormous internal capacity. As a matter of fact, you could smoke six enormous turkeys at once for Thanksgiving.
Because the smoker has a temperature sensor that monitors and maintains the right temperature, there is no need to keep an eye on it or make any manual changes. When it’s time to replace the propane tank, a fuel level indicator makes it simple to see how much propane remains and how much is left in the tank. There’s no need to be concerned about propane accumulation thanks to a handy safety valve that shuts off the burner if the flame goes out.
What we like:
- Smokes up to six big turkeys at a time.
- Intuitive interface
- Fuel gauge for easy readings
What we don’t like:
- Pricey
6. Best Value: Camp Chef 18-inch Smoke Vault Propane Gas Smoker
A little smoker with all the benefits of a large, high-quality smoker, this is our favorite. Because of its compact design, it’s perfect for small outdoor kitchens. It is possible to fine-tune the smoking experience with this smoker’s adjustable racks and heat control. Three damper valves — one on the top and two on each side — provide the user complete control over temperature and smoke output. An internal temperature range of 50 to 550 degrees is possible with this smoker’s temperature gauge.
Fun fact about this smoker: besides smoking food, you can also use it for baking pastries like bread or pies. To produce your own beef, chicken or turkey jerky, use the accompanying jerky smoking rack. The snap ignition makes it simple to start the fire. The detachable porcelain base tray, removable water pan, and heavy-gauge wood chip tray on this model all make cleanup a snap. A fitted smoking cover, available separately, may be of interest to you.
What we like:
- High output from a small package.
- Intuitive thermometer
- A jerky-smoking rack is included.
What we don’t like:
- It’s only one drawer.
7. Best Smoker-Grill Combo: Char-Broil The Big Easy Oil-Less Turkey Fryer
The Big Easy is a smoker, roaster, and grill all in one if you don’t want to buy separate machines for cooking and smoking. With a grilling surface of 180 square inches and a smoking or roasting capacity of 25 pounds, it’s excellent for feeding three or four people despite its small stature (just over 36 inches tall).
The TRU-Infrared technology in this propane smoker prevents flare-ups and ensures uniform cooking, plus it’s easy to use with just two knobs. A side door allows you to add wood chips while smoking, and a grease pan may be removed for simple cleaning.
What we like:
- A design that may be used in three ways
- Turkeys up to 21 pounds may fit in this roaster.
- Wood chip storage door on the side.
What we don’t like:
- A space at the borders is left by a drip pan
- A clogged smoke box.
8. Best Compact: Pit Boss 77425 2-Series Gas Vertical Smoker
An excellent choice for those who have limited room for a smoker but yet want to get great results is the Pit Boad 2-Series Gas Vertical Smoker. 3 porcelain-coated racks provide 673 square inches of cooking area in this model’s 21.5 x 23-inch dimension. In addition, its vibrant red finish will make it an eye-catching addition to your outdoor area.
The large front-loading wood chip tray on the Pit Boss Vertical Smoker allows you to easily refill it without having to open the main door, and the glass front lets you see what’s going on inside. There’s a huge thermometer on the front, and rear wheels and a handle make it easy to pull it back into storage if necessary.
What we like:
- Compact in size
- Aesthetically pleasing exterior colors
- A big tin of wood chips
What we like:
- A little pot of water
- A wooden chip tray may be scraped
A Guide to Gas Smoker Buying
Aspects of Size
Understanding how much food you want to cook at a time and how much outside space you have can help you choose the right gas smoker for your needs. Additionally, if you’d want to take this smoker on your next RV or automobile camping trip, there are portable models on the market.
Even if you don’t have a lot of outside patio area, gas smokers are a fantastic option since they don’t take up as much room as electric smokers. Smokers with “wide drawers” enable you to smoke more food at a time on larger metal trays since they are less vertically constrained. You’ll be able to smoke bigger chunks of meat whole if you have a larger smoker.
Doors
In addition to the smoker’s overall size, examine how many doors it has. It’s possible to reach the chips in certain smokers through two drawers, which eliminates the need to alter the food’s temperature by opening the lid. The construction of the doors and whether or not they leak should be taken into consideration in addition to the number of doors. Having a gas smoker with doors that tend to open while cooking is a real pain. The temperature of the smoker and the food you’re cooking will be affected if there are any leaks in the smoker.
Price
A propane smoker may cost anywhere from $150 to $700. Each of these factors has an impact on the final pricing. If you’ve never smoked before and are simply looking for a fun hobby, a simple gas smoker should suffice. But if you’ve been smoking for some time, you may want to spend a little more money and get something a bit bigger and better if you plan on smoking a lot of different things. Propane tanks and wood chips must be purchased separately from your smoker.
FAQs
Is it possible to smoke food on a gas grill?
That doesn’t imply that you should use your gas barbecue as a makeshift smoker. Smoking meats and fish on a gas grill isn’t the same as using a smoker, even if you can reduce the temperature to keep the food moist and flavorful for longer lengths of time. Because gas grills don’t have the ability to smoke food like a true smoker, you’ll miss out on the smokey taste.
It may be difficult to control the temperature on gas grills because of the spaces between the cover and the grates. This is the greatest option for those who want to smoke a lot of meat and fish, and you can always add wood chips or Pellets to your gas grill to get that unique taste.
To what extent are gas and electric smokers different?
When it comes to cigarette smoking, they’re both in agreement, however there are some variations between gas and electric. To begin with, electronic smokers lack the adaptability that gas-powered models provide. If you want to take your smoker on an outdoor vacation, choose a gas smoker since they can achieve greater temperatures and are simpler to travel. Gas smokers need more attention than electric smokers, which are self-regulating.
Electric smokers take a little longer to heat up than gas smokers, but they’re much easier to manage their temperatures since they don’t need any fuel. As far as kitchen appliances go, they’re the pinnacle of convenience. As an added bonus, they can be simply turned into a cold smoker. It’s also important to note that an electric smoker requires an outlet to operate.
