Best smoker 2024: charcoal, gas, and pellet grills for sumptuous smokey feasts

TecTake Charcoal Smoker

At the other end of the spectrum, we have this immensely affordable TecTake charcoal-powered smoker from TecTake. It’s a no-frills affair with an entry-level price tag, making it an ideal choice for beginners looking to expand their BBQ horizons with smokier pastures.

A built-in thermometer offers a useful way to check on temps, while two side doors allow finer control over ventilation. A grill lets you use it as a standard charcoal BBQ too, which offers extra flexibility, making it even more of a bargain.

Naturally, compared to something as huge and as tech-packed as the Traeger above, you’ll need to be a lot more hands-on with a more basic smoker such as this. But if you’re testing out something like a six-hour slow-cooked brisket and are happy to chill in the garden with a few cold brews throughout the day, then this is a superb starting point.

Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker

Masterbuilt’s electric smoker/grill forgoes the hassles one might associate with charcoal and gas, for the convenience of electricity. A layer of four chrome-coated smoking racks provide a larger capacity than one might expect, letting you infuse deliciousness into size chickens, two turkeys, four racks of ribs or four pork butts with ease — though, obviously, not all a the same time.

Bluetooth tech, combined with an app, let you keep an eye on temps and cooks while you’re inside sheltering from the sun, and a patented side wood chip loading system means that you can top up the chips without opening the door and losing precious smoke and heat. With a built-in meat probe for perfect results and a sleek build, this is a convenient, capable smoker that offers a decent capacity for a reasonable price.

Char-Broil The Big Easy

Easy by name, and easy by nature, Char-Broil’s gas-powered three-in-one smoker, roaster and grill stands out with the company’s tried and tested TRU-Infrared cooking system. Consisting of an emitter plate situated above the flames, it ensures that food is cooked evenly while preventing flare-ups and burnt spots. This results in up to 50% juicier food, while using 30% less gas, which is a winning combination in our books.

 A removable grill top lets you roast larger items like chickens and other cuts of meat up to 11kg, while a smoker box can easily be loaded with wood chips for that authentic BBQ flavour. There’s also a built-in grease tray to make clean-up a little easier, and the four included rib hooks unlock a world of mouthwatering possibilities.

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560

Masterbuilt’s Gravity Series is a pricey yet more-wallet-friendly alternative to more premium options from the likes of Traeger. This particular model features a gravity-fed charcoal hopper, which can produce steady heat from charcoal briquettes for around 12-15 hours of use.

Ideal for super-slow cooks, it can be controlled and monitored via an app over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and has a generous amount of cooking capacity to boot. If you want the specifics, it’s reportedly good for 36 sausages, 21 burgers, four pork ribs, and four chickens, which is a respectable amount of food whichever way you slice it.

Larger than a traditional BBQ but still pretty compact considering what it offers, it’s a great bit of kit for taking your charcoal cooks to the next level.

Kamado Joe Classic II

This eye-catching offering from Kamado Joe is as much a design statement as it is a formidable bit of outdoor cooking kit. With an 18in ceramic grill, cast iron cart, and rugged locking wheels, it can be manoeuvred with ease, while a two-tier internal cooking system lets you cook multiple items at once.

This multi-level design, combined with half-moon grates, lets you cook various items at different levels of intensity, at the same time. Beautifully crafted from premium materials (including an air lift hinge and fibreglass mesh gasket), it’s a premium entry with decent cooking space, despite its more compact size. Capable of whipping up 13 burgers, four chickens or two pork butts, it should see you through all but the largest of gatherings.

Traeger Ranger

Traeger’s compact ranger is a miniature on-the-go solution for those who want to experience the smokey joys of BBQ cookouts, without the bulk of a full-sized model. A self-contained pellet smoker that can handle food for around four people, it’s a perfect (albeit, pricey) solution for those who are serious about smoking, while travelling.

A Digital Arc Controller promises to deliver precise temps for optimum results, while a Keep Warm mode does, well, exactly that. If you’re serious about authentic BBQ flavour and regularly go camping, then this is a luxury that you won’t regret.

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