BBQ Smokers Buyers Guide

You want to outdo home grilling and begin smoking your own personal barbecue ribs and chicken at home. Now you must select which kind of BBQ smoker you wish and what you are able buy on your budget. There are lots of types of BBQ smokers available on the market with prices ranging from under $100 to thousands of dollars or more. So which kind of smoker should you get? Well, it depends on how serious that you are and how much money you can spend. Here are a few kinds of smokers to help you come to a decision.

Under $200
For less than $200, you're probably looking at getting a water vapor smoker or a simple charcoal smoker or an electric smoker. A water vapor smoker is a kind of smoker which uses charcoal and wood as the heat source at the bottom of the smoker. It is upright and cylindrical in shape so that it sort of looks like a bullet. There is a container of water above the heat source in between the meat and the heat source to provide a buffer. That way the meat isn't heated directly. The meat is slowly heated with the water steam that also provides moisture for making the meat tender. The water also acts as a catch for the meat grease to avoid flare ups. All water vapor smokers use wood that's been soaked overnight. The wood is placed on the heat source but doesn't actually burn. It's there to provide a nice smoky flavor to the meat.
Another type of water vapor smoker uses electricity as a heat source. The electric BBQ smokers give a more even heat than charcoal. The electric smokers are much far more convenient and less messy compared to the charcoal, but you will need a source of electricity to operate it. If you are remote, you will need an electrical generator of some kind.When contemplating a smoker look for multiple grill racks so you can put other food in with the meat. You need to get a barbecue smoker with a side door that will permit one to add wood without moving the meat. Also consider finding a separate temperature gauge as most "built-in" temperature gauges are woefully inaccurate.

Over $200
Over $200, you are probably more serious about BBQ smoking. The barbecue pit or dry smoker is the choice of most professional barbecue smokers. This smoker has an offset cylinder from the main cylinder that's the heat source. The main cylinder holds the meat to be smoked and on the opposite side is the chimney that draws the heat from the offset fire box through the main chamber and out. This form of barbecuing uses wood to supply the heat and there is no water to provide moisture. You have to continually mop the meat through the process to ensure the meat stays tender. It is usually a longer process to smoke in this way, but people claim it is great since it leads to more intense flavoring of the meat.This process of barbecue needs a lot more attention since you also have to continually add wood to the fire pit and monitor the temperature. To be able to control the temperature better, find a barbecue pit smoker with an adjustable vent in the fire pit and the chimney. Barbecue pits come in all different sizes, so you need to decide how much meat you want to cook at one time. Consider the typical cook time is about 8 hours.
Getting the right BBQ smoker is a matter of assessing what your needs are then checking around to get the best option for your budget. There are many places online you could learn more about barbecue smokers and compare prices.
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