If you’ve done any research on outdoor grills, you know that your main choices are gas, electric, and charcoal. You’ve probably seen barbecue smokers, too, and wonder what they do and how they differ from a regular grill.
How do they work?
Essentially, a barbecue smoker is any kind of cooking apparatus that can hold a low temperature for a long time. Barbecue smokers run on electricity, gas, wood, charcoal, or pellets. An essential component of a barbecue smoker is, obviously, the presence of smoke. Barbecue smokers maintain a stable cooking temperature of about 225 degrees and cook food slowly and evenly. Gas and electric barbecue smokers require less maintenance during cooking than do charcoal or wood-fueled barbecue smokers. Electric barbecue smokers require that wood be added to produce smoke.
Variety of sizes
Barbecue smokers come in a variety of sizes, from large commercial sizes designed to cook for a large crowd to small units designed for a small family. There are even portable, table top size barbecue smokers perfect for smoking sausages or vegetables. What size you want clearly depends on what size gathering you will cook for, and what fits in your price range. Some gas, charcoal, and electric grills come with a barbecue smoker box attachment, while some barbecue smokers are designed only to smoke foods.
Is there a flavor advantage?
Those who prefer smoked foods over any other preparation method swear by the smoky flavor that smoking imparts. The addition of particular types of wood can affect the flavor of the food. Slow cooking with an even heat results in a texture that grilling or baking cannot match. The best taste for outdoor-cooked foods is, of course, a matter of preference, so before you invest in a barbecue smoker you might want to sample foods that others have smoked on a variety of different types of barbecue smokers.
As with any other purchase, do your homework before deciding if a barbecue smoker is the right choice for you. There is a wide price range in barbecue smokers, and the features available on different types will certainly vary, and add to the price. It never hurts to check out cookbooks first in order to determine whether a barbecue smoker suits your cooking needs and tastes.