Most of them are first and foremost for smoking meats and have plenty of internal racks. If you’re looking for performance on a more modest budget, the Masterbuilt smokers can be a good bet. Pellet smokers can turn out some great flavor for relatively little effort, but the price point tends to be higher. They also produce less ash and residue than more traditional fuels. It uses hardwood pellets that burn more slowly than less refined wood chips, saving a little fuel and making the heat level more consistent. Basic bullet smokers are among the cheapest on the market, but more full-featured and sturdy brands such as the Weber Smokey Mountain are widely used by competing barbecue chefs.Īn increasingly popular type is the pellet smoker, which uses a little more technology to get that direct wood-smoked flavor. That keeps your ribs and brisket from drying out and helps regulate the temperature a bit better. Vertical or “bullet” charcoal smokers add the crucial innovation of a water pan between the heating element and the food. This can be fine for chicken, but it will take some special care to prevent pork or more delicate meats from drying out. The simplest drum smokers couldn’t be easier to fire up: Just load some charcoal in the bottom, light it and cook the food on a tray at the top. (There are kits you can buy to convert one if you’re feeling ambitious and have the right tools). Drum smokers are the simplest configuration, and the most basic ones might actually be just a standard steel barrel that’s been repurposed for grilling. They get both their heat and smoke directly from the charcoal, and they too can come in a few different styles. In most cases, electric smokers won’t give you the full smoky flavor of more traditional models, but their precise temperature control makes them ideal for the “set it and forget it” style of cooking.Ĭharcoal-burning smokers are all about the fuel. On top of that, wood chips or pellets can be loaded to supply the smoked flavor (or omitted entirely, if you’re just using it to grill). They can come in many different shapes and configurations, but in all cases the main work of the cooking is done by electric heating coils. They’re so easy, in fact, that many brisket and BBQ competitions won’t allow chefs to use them. Of the two, electric smokers are likely the easiest to cook with. That means either an electric smoker or a simple charcoal-burning type. If you’re new to the practice of smoking meat, you will probably want to stick with a model that lets you control the temperature easily and precisely. Will you be bringing your setup to a tailgate, or keeping it in the backyard for family gatherings? Do you plan to feed the entire bowling team every week, or just the immediate family every once in a while? Portability, versatility, internal capacity and ease of use are all relevant factors and can make the difference between your smoker being a trusted appliance or an eyesore taking up space in the garage. But you’ll also want to consider what you’re cooking, and who you’re cooking it for. If this is your first time owning a smoker, you probably have a budget in mind, and there are a wide range of price points among most of the different types. But since you’ll most likely be outdoors and can do those adjustments with a drink in hand, that’s part of the appeal. Even the most advanced smokers will require a bit of attention as the meat makes its long journey to perfection. Some will directly use the burning wood to generate heat, while some will pipe in smoke while heating up the food by gas or electric means.Īs experienced pitmasters can tell you, there’s a delicate art to the process of smoking meat. There are several basic styles of smoker. It allows you to simultaneously cook meat while imparting a crucial smoked flavor, the latter of which is attained by exposing it to burning wood of some kind. ![]() And of course, the mouth-watering scent of ribs or brisket in a smoker.įor many outdoor chefs, their smoker is more important than any appliance or piece of cookware in the kitchen.
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