Best Propane Smokers 2022
One of the best outdoor cooking experiences requires using new methods that develop new tastes and aromas that are different from the traditional flavor. Most people use charcoal smokers to smoke the food by using coals to heat the wood chips. But people have now started using propane smokers, also called gas smokers. In these smokers, instead of using coal, we use propane tanks to heat the wood chips, which produces an adequate amount of smoke that can be used for smoking the food items. These smokers are also called vertical gas smokers. If you want hassle free smoking you can opt electric smokers alternatively.
In this article I will list out the best propane smoker in terms of the money.
- Best Propane Smokers under 200 Dollars
- Best Propane Smokers under 300 Dollars
- Best Propane Smoker under 500 Dollars
- What to look for when buying a propane smoker?
- How to use a propane smoker?
- How Smart you can use a Propane Smoker?
- What Propane Smokers are Good at?
- What to compromise on for Propane Smokers?
- FAQ’s
Best Propane Smokers under 200 Dollars
Here are some of the Top Propane Smokers under 200$
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Premium Choice
|
Cuisinart COS-244 Vertical 36″ Propane Smoker, Black |
|
Check on Amazon |
|
Runner Up
|
Dyna-Glo DGY784BDP 36″ Vertical LP Gas Smoker |
|
Check on Amazon |
|
Best Value
|
Masterbuilt MPS 230S Propane Smoker, 30″ |
|
Check on Amazon |
1. Cuisinart COS-244 Vertical 36″ Propane Smoker, Black -Premium Choice
|Weight: 40 pounds|
|45 Square feet of interior|
|19.3″ L x 18.1″ W x 38.6″ H|
|Cooking Area: 784 square inches|
|Seal tight twist-lock door and handle|
|Porcelain enameled steel tray|
|40-inch propane hose and regulator|
|warranty: 3 years|
Overview
If you are looking for a propane smoker that works efficiently and cooks food within time, this one is especially for you. This smoker can cook chicken breast within 2 hours, mushrooms within an hour, and read meat requires about 10 hours. Its body is made up of pretty impressive alloy steel.
This propane smoker is very easy to operate. Beginners can run it with success. It just requires you to turn the gas valve on and then turn on the knob, and you are good to go. Its multiple racks make the cooking experience more fun. These multiple racks are easily removable for whole smoking birds or large cuts of meat. You can wash racks by using dishwashers.
The two doors offer easy access to the wood chips. The doors remain tightly sealed and allow no heat loss. We can cook for big gatherings easily without facing a single delay. The 784 square inches area offers a lot of space for meat and other vegetables to be smoked efficiently.
These smokers work perfectly with 20 pounds propane tank. As the gas supply is adjustable, we can easily control the amount of heat reaching the food. The vent at the rear can be opened or closed to control the amount of heat reaching its contents.
Its vertical design makes it a perfect piece of equipment for barbeque and grilling. You can control the internal temperature because the thermometer displays temperature accurately. Enameled steel trays hold the water and wood chips.
Because of the enamel, rust cannot develop on the tray. It’s one of the best smokers to cook for your family or large gatherings. The manufacturer’s warranty is of 3 years, which is pretty long compared to the standard warranty, which is about one year.
Top Tip
There is no gas conversion kit, so we only have to use propane as fuel for this smoker. According to most people, the grates of this smoker are small, so this issue can be solved by taking out the racks and cooking larger amounts of food easily because taking out the racks will make more space available for the food.
If we overload the cooking space with many food items, then the result will not be satisfactory, so we have to keep that in mind. Because of its larger size, it’s best to use it in an open space.
The temperature gauge readings are not always accurate, so the best solution regarding that problem is by using a custom temperature gauge along with the built-in gauge.
Editor’s Verdict
It is one of the best products available in the market. Getting this package out of the box is a bit struggling, but professional tools do work well. Its material is solid.
Doors take a bit of adjustment to get to seal well. The adjustable shelves help to transfer the required flavor to the food. The heavy-duty frame is just perfect. It is a user-friendly device that is offered at a very average price. If you like to use smokers in daily life, I would recommend you to get this one.
2. Dyna-Glo DGY784BDP 36″ Vertical LP Gas Smoker -Runner Up
|Temperature gage at the bottom|
|warranty: 1 year|
|Weight: 56 Pounds|
|Dimensions: 27 L x 19.2 w x 46.46 H inches|
|Cooking Area: 784 square inches|
| Number of grates: 4 adjustable|
|Temperature range: 100F-350F|
|Electronic push ignition|
|Double Door design|
|Grease and condensation management system|
Overview
This smoker offers quality and performance along with a greater area for cooking. The double door design offers minimum heat loss.
The four grates are height adjustable. It means we can adjust the height of each section according to our needs. Each grate provides 25 pounds of food capacity. So, it means you can cook a total of 150 pounds of meat in a single turn.
Dual door offers separate access to both the lower and the upper chamber. Chambers at the top and the sides can be adjusted to get the maximum flavor in the food. Condensation management technology circulates all the liquid back into the water bowl, which prevents it from being stained. It cooks the food slowly.
It can cook almost anything from brisk to ribs to nearly anything that comes to your mind. The temperature gauge is relatively easy to read, and it also offers a smoke zone indication that is something additional.
This smoker is one of the stylish ones. It is coated with heat-resistant paint that protects from rust and heat. With Dyna-Glo, you can take the smoking experience to the next level. This smoker brings the professionals and the beginners to the same level.
Beginners develop professional skills while using this smoker. You can use this for smoking foods in winter as well as in summer. One year warranty is also an addition to its uncountable features. Its lightweight makes it easily portable. You can use it to smoke 5 racks of ribs, 5 large chicken breasts, and bacon in a single smoking session without any issue.
This smoker is relatively easy to assemble. It takes only minutes to assemble it by using the available instructions on the user manual guide. Pellets and larger wooden chunks bring out the best and most efficient result.
Top Tip
As in most smokers, the temperature gauge is not accurate. So, you have to buy an extra custom good quality wireless Bluetooth thermometer to check the chamber’s temperature without opening it up.
Smokers tend to lose a large amount of heat when their doors are opened. This smoker is popular to eat many wooden chips, and we can overcome this issue by using a mixture of wooden chips and wooden blocks.
As blocks are larger, they tend to burn slowly, decreasing the need to add more chips. The water tray that comes with this smoker is very narrow; we can upgrade it by buying a custom tray.
Editor’s Verdict
This unit has a bulky size and a considerable weight. The package protection offered is excellent. It takes about 45 mins to assemble this.
If you are looking for a smoker that has a more significant cooking space, but for a lesser price, then this one is just made for you. The cooking results of this smoker are also pretty good, cooks within time.
3. Masterbuilt MPS 230S Propane Smoker, 30″ -Best Value
|Stainless steel burner|
|Output: 15400 BTU|
|Material: Porcelain, stainless-steel|
|Dimensions: 20.47 x 20.86 x 43.5 inches|
|Cooking area: 734.7 sq inches|
|No. of racks: 4 chrome pleated|
|Built in temperature gauge|
|Temperature gage: 100F-700F|
|Push button ignition|
|Type 1 regulator with hose|
|Patented porcelain coated flame disk bowl|
Overview
This 30-inch propane smoker has a removable water tray and wood chip tray that lets you customize your foods’ flavors.
Built-in temperature gauge allows the user to get an idea about the temperature of the cooking chamber. Push-button ignition makes its startup very easy. A porcelain-coated flame disk enables the flame to reach the wood chips while shielding the burner. The dual door feature is an addition to its features.
You can smoke up to 8 chickens, 2 turkeys, 4 racks of ribs or 4 pork butts. Adjustable door latch keeps the heat trapped inside.
You can master the art of smoking by using this smoker. Its larger cooking area of about 734 sq inches allows the user to cook a different variety of food simultaneously without any issues. The air damper controls the smoke, moisture, and temperature of the cooking chamber.
The racks are chrome plated, which protects them from being rusty. This smoker is best for different experiments with food. The accessories offered along with this smoker are really helpful can make a beginner feel like a professional.
This smoker is quite easy to use. By following instructions on manual that comes with this smoker, anyone can master the art of smoking without a hitch. By using this smoker, we can make different kinds of signature dishes. This smoker makes the slow cooking of ribs possible.
Top Tip
You can prevent the flaking of paint by spraying the inside chamber with heat-resistant paint. After closing, the leakage of smoke from the door can be stopped but using ducting tape to seal the door.
The built-in thermometer is not very accurate, so for this reason, a custom Bluetooth wireless thermometer is required, which can note the temperature without opening the door again and again.
Editor’s Verdict
This smoker is relatively easy to handle. Although they put a thermometer gauge of 100F-700F , it works well at 180F-220F.
Maintaining temp takes some time to learn, mostly since even with the bottom vents in the heating chamber closed completely and the knob set to the lowest possible temp, it does not easily come down to 230F; by opening the upper vent, you can control this issue. This is an overall valued smoker for an average user.
Best Propane Smokers under 300 Dollars
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Best Versatile
|
Char-Broil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared Smoker Roaster & Grill |
|
Check on Amazon |
|
Best Durable
|
Smoke Hollow PS40B Propane Smoker by Masterbuilt, Black |
|
Check on Amazon |
|
Best Traditional
|
Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24″ |
|
Check on Amazon |
|
Best Design
|
PIT BOSS 77435 Vertical Lp Gas Smoker, Red |
|
Check on Amazon |
1. Char-Broil The Big Easy Roaster & Grill -Best Versatile
|3 in one Cooker|
|Two Sides Mounted Handles|
|Removeable Grease Tray|
|Material; Stainless-Steel|
|Item weight: 50 pounds|
|Dimensions: 23.1 x 23.4 x 36.2|
|Temp Range: 100F-400F|
|True Infrared technology|
|Roasting: up to 25 lbs|
|Cooking area: 180 sq inches|
|One Year Warranty|
|Smoke Box Capacity: 240gm wood chips|
|Built-in thermometer|
|Rotary Ignition|
Overview
Char-broil is a three in one cooker. By using this cooker, we can smoke, grill or roast the food. True infrared technology allows the food to be cooked without using oils.
Double-wall heat chambering creates infrared energy. Its cooking size is comparatively smaller. It can hold just two chickens at a time. By using this smoker, the food cooks evenly and juicy. A removable grease tray catches all the food drippings, which makes cleaning this assembly an easy process.
The knob makes it easy to start this smoker. Stainless-steel cooking grate grills hamburgers, chops, wings, steaks, and vegetables easily. Roasting in this cooker is a straightforward process.
It can easily roast about 25 pounds of meat. It has a larger wood chip that gives the food its perfect smoky flavor. The thermometer helps to cook the food at a proper temperature. This smoker is ideal for cooking food for outdoor gatherings and different parties.
Using this smoker, one can easily cook the food from the lowest temperature of 100F to the highest temperature of 400F. It has a fully enclosed propane-powered burner. This smoker allows the user to cook a healthy meal for the family. Due to its new technology, this smoker cooks the food faster than the other smokers available in the market.
By using this smoker, the food remains moist and juicy without losing its natural essence. This smoker’s price tag is pretty high because of its 3 in 1 capability and the new infrared technology that it uses to heat the food and eventually cook it.
Top Tip
As there is no peek hole to check if the burner is on or off, you can use a thermometer to check the temperature, which can make the estimate easy that if the burner is lit or not.
It contains less food than any other smoker, but this does not matter much because this smoker has a 3 in one capability, which makes it a perfect smoker. Food in the lower racks is challenging to check, so by noting the time of cooking, we can easily cook the food.
Editor’s Verdict
In my opinion, it’s the best propane smoker for a small family. You can use it within family gatherings as well as at parties. The three in on capability to roast, smoke, and grill food make it an excellent choice and a best seller. If you want to get something innovative and the price tag does not bother you, this smoker is your best choice.
2. Smoke Hollow PS40B Propane Smoker by Masterbuilt, Black -Best Durable
|cooking area: 860 square inches |
|Warranty: 1 year|
|Material: stainless steel and cast iron|
|Temperature range: 150-300 degrees Celsius|
|4 chrome-coated racks|
|Push button ignition|
|Legs add height for easy access|
|Adustable Air damper|
|Dimensions: 21.26 L x 29.13 W x 43.5 H inches|
|Weight: 84 pounds|
|15, 400 BTU stainless Steel burner|
Overview
This gas smoker produces an adequate amount of heat required to maintain the flavor of food without ruining it. The body is made up of stainless steel, while the racks are made up of cast iron. This smoker’s hood is made up of stainless steel that allows the heat to be trapped within the chamber for a longer time allowing the food to be simmered with relish.
Legs in their vertical structure increase their height which makes it a perfect smoker. The accessories that come with this smoker are pretty durable and helpful. This smoker offers a massive area for food production. An 860 square inch area is enough to adjust about 20 chicken, four turkeys, eight racks of ribs, or 16 pork butts.
Smoke hollow gives every bite of food a unique flavor. It provides tools that are required for the best smoking and cooking experience. Becoming a barbeque professional is not an easy task, but it gets a lot easier with this smoker. It is less time-consuming than charcoal smokers.
The ignition button allows to user to start the smoker in just a second. Because of its easy setup, anyone can use it like a professional. Chrome-plated racks offer extra durability. Chrome offers protection against rusting. Chrome also makes the racks easily cleanable. Adjustable air damper gives moisture and smoke control. Moisture and smoke control is a very significant factor for developing different tastes and aromas.
By using this smoker, you can create an enthusiastic connection between yourself and food. This smoker is used not only indoors but also for outdoor gatherings. This gas smoker is more convenient to use than any other electric or charcoal smoker. This smoker is picked for nearly all seasons and can be used for smoking, grilling, cooking, and searing.
Top Tip
Although the temperature has a range of 150F to 300F , the best workable temperature is 225F to 250F for the best possible result. Dripping can be a bit messy that can be solved by covering the bottom with Aluminum foil.
After using the smoker, just remove the aluminum foil, and you are good to go. A pretty large door causes the temperature to become unstable. To prevent this, you must not open the door again and again during the cooking process. Before using the smoker, the interior chamber must be painted with heat-proof paint so that no peeling occurs.
Editor’s Verdict
If you are a person looking for a smoker capable of smoking large amounts of food for big family gatherings, then this one is best for you. As compared to electric or charcoal smokers, this propane smoker offers a more smoky taste to the food. The adjustability of the rack location is excellent.
It is less time-consuming than other smokers. The smoker has a longevity of about 3-4 years because of the stainless-steel structure. If used with care, can last about 8 years.
3. Camp Chef Smoke Vault 24″ -Best Traditional Propane Smoker
|Wood trip Tray|
|Adjustable damper valves|
|Protected burner drum for heat control|
|Matchless snap ignition|
|Water tray|
|Brand: Camp Chef|
|Material: Steel|
|Dimensions: 30.5 L x 25 W x 17 H inches|
|160F – 350F Temperature Range|
|Cooking Space: 903 square inches|
|Overall height (with legs): 40 inches|
|Overall Weight: 75 pounds|
|Output: 18000 BTU per hour|
|Two adjustable cooking racks|
|One smoking Rack|
Overview
Camp chef Vault comes with an ultimately variable temperature range that allows the food to be cooked and smoked at various temperatures as permitted by the user. It is much more versatile than other gas smokers in the market. It has two cooking racks and one jerky rack. Powdered coated steel interior makes it a durable product. It has a matchless piezoelectric ignition mechanism.
Three adjustable damp valves are present in this smoker. One is present at the top, and the other two are present, one at each side. You can easily enjoy the exquisite flavors of hickory, oak, and cherry using this smoker. We can use this vault for various foods ranging from a complete turkey to pork loins and ribs.
A larger cooking area is an addition to its specifications. You can also use it to smoke pies and all kinds of vegetables. Included water bowl helps to keep the food tasty and mouth-watering. Adjustable heat controls, damper valves, and a door thermometer allow the internal temperature to be controlled efficiently.
It has a removable porcelain base tray that allows easy clean-up after use. The body is not well insulated, but the door fits appropriately, although there is some heat leakage. Its body is made up of heavy-duty steel. This smoker can swap between gases, which makes it a perfect smoker for camping and picnics.
Camp Chef produces a quality of food that brings different people together to enlighten their taste buds. Overall for this price range, it has decent construction and a great design. Its ease of use makes it more popular among beginners.
Top Tip
You can handle rack space by removing the racks if you want to cook a large amount of food in one turn. As I have described earlier, the door-mounted thermometer is nothing but a showpiece.
A custom wireless Bluetooth thermometer is required to check the temperature without opening up the door repeatedly so that the cooking process is not disturbed. No drip pan is present, so for that case, try using aluminum foil in the bottom to catch all the drippings.
Before using it, it’s better to preheat it for about 5 minutes at 175 degrees Celsius so that that heat can be distributed evenly and adequately.
Editor’s Verdict
If you want to cook for 5 families in one turn, then this must be your choice. We can quickly put 5 chickens and 50 wings in it.
It is also an excellent choice for beginners, as it is effortless to set up and does not occupy much space. It would help if you did greasing from time to time.
Cleaning it requires just a damp cloth. Its construction is also a bit interesting. It looks like a vault with legs. A Stainless-steel body makes it rust-free and durable. This is the best available propane smoker in the market in this price range.
4. PIT BOSS 77435 Vertical Lp Gas Smoker, Red -Best Design Propane Smoker
|Chip drawer and grease tray excess|
|Large viewing window|
| High-Temperature door seal|
|Two rear rolling wheels|
|Material: Stainless steel|
|Weight: 52 pounds|
|Dimensions 21.5 x 23 x 47|
|Temp Range: 100-350 degrees f|
|cooking area; 884 sq inch|
|Smoking space: 2.8 cu ft|
|Three valves|
|Three porcelain coated cooking grids|
|Stainless steel burner|
|Output: 12500 BTU|
Overview
With this smoker, a user can reach a temperature as low as 100F or as high as 350F. The temperature control allows the food to be cooked at various ranges of temperature. Pit boss smoker is one of its kind in the market.
It has dual burner technology. One burner is 3500 BTU made up of stainless-steel for wooden chips and contains a 10000 BTU burner for the cabinet’s temperature. A single control knob controls valves. It has about four porcelain-coated racks that offer about 885 sq inch area for cooking food items.
It has a push-button piezo ignition mechanism that makes its startup very quick. The rear wheels and handle increase mobility so that they can move it to your required place of use. This smoker offers external access to wood chip and ash removal that makes refilling the wood chips during the cooking process easy and makes this smoker easily cleanable.
The wood chip tray is much larger, eliminating the need to add the chips again and again. A fully-sealed high-temperature door makes the heat-stable inside the cooking chamber. It is a well-reputed brand.
This smoker is relatively easy to assemble. If you are not an expert, you can easily assemble it by following the instructions. This smoker has quite a large cooking space, so by using this smoker, one can easily cook large quantities of food without any issue. This smoker’s price is pretty much affordable compared to other smokers available in the market—Pit boss redesigns the smoker industry into your backyard with elegancy.
Top Tip
To get the best experience out of your smoker, you should clean the smoker properly after use and adequately grease it. Instructions available on the manual must be followed so that the smoker’s efficiency does not fall.
It would help if you used this smoker in a covered place that protects it from the cold weather to get the best possible results. The wooden chip is a bit smaller, but that works well because this smoker does not eat up a lot of chips.
The drippings can sometimes cause stains at the bottom of the smoker. By placing the aluminum foil at the bottom, You can quickly solve this problem.
Editor’s Verdict
Its assembly is great. Material is also reliable. This smoker can hold a temperature of about 250F for about 1.5 hours with a full tray of chips that’s pretty impressive. Regulating the heat is also an easy task with this smoker. It is a great choice for an amateur user. In this price range and all the specifications available in this smoker, this smoker can be considered an ideal smoker for household usage.
Best Propane Smoker under 500 Dollars
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Best Thermostat
|
Masterbuilt MB20051316 Propane Smoker |
|
Check on Amazon |
1. Masterbuilt MB20051316 Propane Smoker -Best Propane Smoker with Thermostat
|Stainless steel wood-chip tray|
|Type 1 regulator with hose|
|Grill size: extra-large|
|Dual Door|
|Warranty 1 year|
|Material: Stainless Steel|
|Weight: 92 pounds|
|Dimensions 22.8 L x 28.7 W x 53 H inches|
|Number of Racks: 4 chrome coated|
|15750 BTU stainless-steel burner|
|Cooking Area: 961 square inches|
|Temperature Range: 175- 325 degrees Celsius|
|Patented thermostat|
|Safety Valves|
|Tank fuel gage present|
|Heat diffuser|
Overview
As this smoker’s name represents, this smoker offers the largest cooking space allowing 6 turkeys, 8 pork butts, eight racks of ribs, or 16 chickens to be smoked in one turn.
The patented thermostat controls the temperature accurately, eliminating the need to adjust the temperature manually. Four chrome-coated racks are present. Chrome protects the racks from catching rust.
The temperature sensor maintains the burner to control the heat inside the chamber. We can have an idea about the propane left in the bank by looking at the fuel gauge. If due for some reason, the flame is extinguished, the safety valves will shut off the burner.
A user can master the art of smoking by using the Master built. The dual door allows the addition of more wooden chips without losing a considerable amount of heat. The water bowl adds up moisture and flavor to the food.
Handles and wheels make it a portable smoker so that you can easily do cooking and smoking at your required place without putting in much hard work. The dripping pan can be removed easily that makes it easily cleanable.
There is an additional wood chip removal tray. This tray makes it easier to clean up the ash after using the smoker. This smoker makes propane smoking easy and safe. Side-mounted grease trays are available for easy cleanup.
Brackets are present for the retention of the propane tank. The XL model makes it possible to hold a rack of ribs or a full brisket. Assembling this smoker might take up some time, but it is worth it. The manufacturer offers a warranty of 1 year.
This is an excellent smoker for this price tag. It’s overall a great smoker for household usage. Heat diffusers, safety valves, and patented thermometers are additional features that we cannot see in other smokers.
Top Tip
The price of this smoker is pretty high, but it’s the best smoker in this range because it offers more significant space and durability. The initial setup instructions are not given accurately in the manual, so while setting it up, make sure to watch some YouTube tutorials so that you don’t have to think a lot and waste a lot of time.
The racks’ edges are a bit rough, so oiling them can pretty much solve this issue. Always use gloves to handle hot items around you.
Editor’s Verdict
This is the largest smoker available in the market right now. If you want to cook for a large crowd in a small ratio of time, don’t worry about the money and grab this smoker.
This smoker can pretty much cook a larger quantity of food in a shorter interval of time. Everything has a bit of drawback that I have described earlier, and nothing is impossible to solve. In my opinion, if you don’t have any issue with the budget, get this beast as soon as you can.
What to look for when buying a propane smoker?
When buying a propane smoker, You must keep a couple of things in mind, and some things must be considered in the smoker you are going to buy to get the most efficient smoking experience.
1. Affordability
You must keep your budget in your mind than how much you are going to spend. Propane smokers range from a middle range to a very high range. The most famous brands are the most expensive ones while other ones are a bit cheaper. So, the budget must be kept in mind.
2. For how many people are you going to cook?
The size of the smoker matters a lot. As you go to the larger smokers, the price tag also goes higher. The size of the smoker depends upon the number of people for whom you are going to cook. It depends upon you that if you are going to cook for larger crowds at parties or just for your family in the backyard.
3. Racks
A user must prefer a smoker with a larger number of racks because it offers more cooking space than a smoker with a lesser number of racks. A smoker must have a minimum of 3 racks. However, smokers come in various Number of racks. Best smokers are those which contain about 4 racks.
4. Brand or built quality?
You must always prefer quality over the brand name of the smoker. Brands often charge a lot of money without offering an excellent quality of stuff. Other brands are less recognized that offer cheap but good quality smokers.
5. Window
Smokers must have a viewing window that You can use to keep a food check inside the smoker. Many smokers do not have a proper window which results in the food being overcooked or undercooked.
6. Portability
When buying a propane smoker, portability must always be kept in mind. A smoker with a heavyweight and no tires will make it almost impossible to move it from one place to another. Thus, portability and mobility play a significant factor when purchasing a charcoal smoker.
How to use a propane smoker?
Following are the steps that you must adopt to use propane smokers.
1. Read the Instruction Manual
The instruction manual that comes with the smoker must be adequately read with complete concentration. It contains critical points to make your propane smoker efficient. It also includes instructions on how to set it up properly without ruining it up.
2. Propane Tank
Fill your tank with the propane and connect it with the smoker properly. Seal the ends with great care. Make sure there is no gas leakage because it can be hazardous in the future.
3. Start up the Smoker
Before adding anything like wooden chips or wooden pieces, you need to lit up the smoker properly. There are a variety of smokers available in the market whose starting mechanisms vary. But the most common thing is all of them might have an ignition button that You must press to create it. Before pressing the button, make sure that the gas supply is properly sealed and secured because it is essential for a smoker’s working, and gas leaks can cause a lot of damage to it.
4. Wait for the Chamber to Reach the Required Temperature
After starting it up, it might take a while to heat the cooking chamber. This varies from smoker to smoker. But most smokers reach the required temperature range within 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Choose wood chips
Wood Chips play an essential role in smokers. They determine the taste of the food you are cooking. So before adding up the chips, first select which kind of taste you require. Like hickory or oak chips might give an earthy flavor, while peach or Applewood might provide a fruity and sweet taste.
6. Add the Wooden Chips
Fill the chip box with the required amount of chips. Different smokers have different chip box sizes. So fill them up according to your need.
7. Water Bowl
Just above the chips tray is the water bowl. Water bowl plays a preeminent role in smokers working. Its size also varies from one smoker to another. You can fill the water bowl with water, cider, or bear that gives additional flavors to the foods. Whatever you add in this bowl must be cold so that it can absorb heat and evaporate properly.
8. Look after the air vents
Smokers come with a lot of air vents. Some of the air vents allow the oxygen intake for the proper burning of fuel, while the other vents allow the extra heat to escape so that temperature remains controlled. Air vents are also called dampers. You must retain the effects to maintain the heat inside the cooking chamber. Usually, the air vents at the top are used for oxygen intake, while the vents on the sides are used to escape the heat. Different smokers come with other ducts, so make sure to read the manual properly about the vents.
9. Placing the Food
After doing all the mentioned things, and reaching the required temperature, place the food on the racks. Different smokers come with different Number and types of racks. Oiling the racks is also a good thing to avoid any stains on them later on. Just don’t overload the smoker because it might result in inefficiency of the smoker.
10. Replenish the Wood Chips and Water
While cooking, you will eventually run out of wood chips and water in the tray. Keep a check on them and refill them when required.
11. Check the food Properly
Just keep checking the food from time to time so that you can prevent it from being overcooked or undercooked. Turn off the smoker after use and turn of the gas supply properly to avoid any casualties.
How Smart you can use a Propane Smoker?
1. Care and Cleaning the Smoker
The smoker must be adequately cared for and cleaned to increase its durability and to avoid any bad experiences in the future. Cleaning the smoker also prevents it from getting rusty. It would help if you even cleaned racks. Some smokers are chrome coated to be easily cleaned with dishwashers, while others are made up of cast iron so that you can clean them up but using metallic brushes. Whenever you use the smoker, just correctly clean it up before using it, and after using it, greasing is necessary.
2. Consider Cooking Space
Always use your smoker in an area with an adequate cooking space so that you can easily work efficiently with different kinds of food. The vents must also be allowed to get proper air for the burning of fuel; otherwise, they will produce carbon mono oxide that is not great for health.
3. Use a Custom Thermometer
You must use a custom thermometer because the built-in thermometers are not very accurate. So a Bluetooth wireless thermometer is the best option. This wireless thermometer allows you to keep a check of temperature without opening up the chamber to disturb the cooking chamber’s heat. The accuracy of the thermometer plays a more significant role in cooking the food. Because at the right amount of temperature, the food absorbs the maximum flavor that is not possible otherwise.
4. Try Different Woods
Different woods must be used so that you can enjoy the best smoking experience. You experiment with the various hardwoods and different fruitwoods to specify which flavor is best for you. Every kind of meat requires a different sort of flavor. The hard meats such as wild birds require mostly earthy flavors, while the white meats such as chicken and fish require fruity flavors.
What Propane Smokers are Good at?
1. Comparatively Less Expensive
Other smokers are much expensive than propane smokers. We can get a decent propane smoker within 300 dollars while other smokers such as charcoal or electric smokers have very high prices of about 800 dollars.
2. Portable
Propane smokers are quite easy to use. Most of the smokers have tyres at their bottom. Propane smokers are easily portable because they have light weight as compared to other smokers and they can work well with a propane tank.
3. Best Taste
According to many researches by many barbeque professionals, the taste that can be developed by using the propane smokers barely come from other smokers. This smoker has this advantage that food molecules placed in this smoker can absorb the flavor efficiently.
4. Simple Design
As compared to electric smokers, propane smokers have a very simple design. As there is no circuit in the gas smokers, so there are no complications while using it.
5. Easy to Use
As compared to wood smokers and electric smokers, the propane smokers are quite easy to use. A beginner can easily master the art of smoking by using these smokers. These are of the special importance for the people who want to join the art of smoking food.
6. Heats Up Quickly
As compared to electric or wood smokers, the propane smokers heats up quickly because burning propane releases a large amount of heat which in turn heats up the cooking chamber with efficiency.
7. Can be used in Rain
This is an additional advantage of this smoker, because no electricity is required. We can take to any required place wherever we want to. Just carry the propane tank with you and you are good to go. This smoker can also be used in rainy weather because it has no electrical connections, so there is no risk of short circuit.
What to compromise on for Propane Smokers?
1. Run out of Fuel
If you use your gas smoker frequently, you will face this issue. Getting propane tank refilled again and again is a bit hectic. But with the electric smokers this never happens. Simply plug in the cord in the socket and the electric smokers starts working.
2. Overheating Issue
Some propane smokers face the issue of overheating. Because sometimes the propane burns up more quickly resulting in a large amount of heat production. In electric smokers overheating never becomes an issue because everything is electronically controlled.
3. Safety
Electric smokers are considered safer than the gas smokers. In the electric smokers, there is no risk of gas leakage. While in case of gas smokers, leaking of gas can lead to explosions and other causalities.
4. Modern Technology
In the Electric smoker you can find modern technology like phone apps and Wireless Bluetooth connectivity to control the temperature and air vents while in the gas smokers, the body is more traditionally designed. There is no modern electronics involved in the working of gas smokers.
5. Temperature Control
Unlike Electrical Smokers temperature control in Propane Smokers is bit complex. Most Propane Smokers are not equipped with the digital thermometers so there is a not an abundant facility to monitor the temperature accurately.
FAQ’s
Can I mix wood chips with wood pieces?
Yes, we can put the wood chips with wooden pieces. This process produces more smoke, and the wood pieces burn slower than the wooden chips, which results in the longevity of the life of wood chips. It eliminates the need to add wooden chips again and again in the smoker.
Should I soak the wood chips before using them?
The answer to that question majorly depends upon you. Soaking up the chips makes them burn longer, but it results in less smoke and more vapor due to the water’s evaporation. But on the other hand, dry chips might produce a large amount of smoke, but they burn quickly, and there is a chance that they might catch fire.
Can I use chips mixed with charcoal?
Some kinds of smokers are available in the market that allows the user to mix charcoal and propane. First, propane is used to burn the charcoal then the wood chips are added on the top of the charcoal to get the best smoky barbeque flavor.
Can I use wine instead of water in the bowl?
Using wine instead of water is a great choice; it provides an additional flavor to the foods. People also like to use ciders and bears along with water to develop new tastes. Experimenting with the food is the best thing you can do with smokers.
Why should I use a different thermometer?
Additional thermometers provide accuracy for the smoking process. The built-in thermometers are not very much accurate, so custom thermometers offer efficiency and accuracy.
