What’s better than Grilling and Barbequing? It’s a difficult question for those who haven’t tasted a smoke-cooked chicken. To find out the best charcoal smoker grill, we have listed down the best smoker grills available.
If you are in a quest for a charcoal smoker that can spice up your backyard cooking days, well, you are in the right place.
But for those who did, of course, smoking with charcoal is just a stand-out way of cooking. It’s even better than grilling as no flame gets to touch the tender meat. A good charcoal smoker is all you need to smoke-cook a piece of nice juicy and tasty meat.
We have carefully picked 10 of the best smoker grills that you can use to burn charcoal and cook meat, fish, or anything you like, just like a pro.
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Table of Contents
Why Do You Need the Best Charcoal Smoker Grill?
Smoke-cooking meat with charcoal is way different than traditional grilling. While grilling means to actually flame-burning the meat within a short period of time, smoking takes a low-heat route for a longer cook-time.
The benefit you get from a charcoal smoke-cooking is that the meat becomes juicy and tinder as the collagen of the meat breaks down. This soft, tasty flavor is hard to find in traditional grilling.
Plus, the smoke itself adds an amazing smokey flavor to the meat that’s unique to only charcoal smoke-cooking. To get the best of this experience, you need to ensure you are bringing in the best charcoal smoker grill. Fancy and cheap charcoal smoker grills fail to provide the unparalleled taste that we are talking about.
Our #1 Pick
The classic look of the Weber Smokey Cooker will take you to a different world, for sure. Its elegant look comes with a superior smoking capacity to serve you with the best smoke-cooking experience.
Firstly, the lid, the bowl, and the center section of the smoker are plated and coated with porcelain. This makes the whole body of the smoker protected from wear and tear, at least from an early-aged rusting. For the enamel, the smoker body can easily absorb the heat and prevents itself from rusting.[/vc_cta]
It comes with three different sizes – 14-inch, 18-inch, and 22-inch. Whatever the size is, there are two grates that provide plenty of space for smoking enough meat at one serving. You can smoke the largest of a chicken-piece or steak-meat on both of these grates.
To monitor the heat-level of the meat, you can push a silicone grommet. It’s easy, convenient, and very handy. Checking temperature has never been simpler.
A built-in lid thermometer tells you the exact temperature of the smoker. You can control the heat whenever you need by fueling or removing the charcoal according to the temperature reading. For controlling heat, you get two dampers, as well. You can use these dampers to control heat precisely.
Having metal legs may raise some eyebrows, but it’s completely rust-free. It really looks awesome and adds to the classic look of the smoker.
One of the best parts of this smoker is the fuel-door. You can easily refuel the charcoal through the fuel door. Just open it from the side, and put as much as charcoal you need. That’s how simple it is.
Pros
- Porcelain-enameled body, including the lid, bowl, and inner parts
- Rust-proof and prevents wear and tear
- Two large cooking grates
- Silicone grommet for heat monitor
- Built-in thermometer
- Fuel-door for easy refueling
Cons
- Adding water in the middle of cooking is difficult
Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Charcoal Smoker Grill
So, you’re up for a charcoal smoker grill, right? Here’s what you need to be paying attention to before you decide to get one for you. There are not many things to look for, but the following are the basics you need to take care of.
Brands Are Safer
It’s obvious that popular and well-known brands that produce charcoal smoker grills should be on your top priority list. And it’s not because of brand-loyalty or anything.
The matter is, a good and well-established brand is always a safe choice for any product. When it comes to products that are directly involved with your eating, it’s even truer.
It’s not that any non-brand product will prove to be a piece of junk. Some non-brand items can be of great quality, as well. But to be on the safer side, you should go for a branded product.
If you are not sure of any brand that you think produces a very good grill, you can do some online research on it. It’s evident that you will find some information that may suffice.
Build-Quality of the Smoker Shouldn’t Be Compromised
Even if you are choosing some branded smoker-grills, you need to check the build-material of the grill thoroughly. A charcoal smoker grill will be using fire to heat the charcoals up. It will create enough heat for you to use a pair of gloves to hold the grill’s outside surface.
That’s why the material that is being used in a smoker-grill needs to be strong and heat-proof. Poor-quality materials will tend to lose the layers of it and even show a few bends here and there due to heat absorption. Make sure your grill’s build-material can withhold such heat.
Choose the Right Size
It’s not true that the bigger your smoker-size is, the better cooking you get. And it entirely depends on your serving size. You need to ask yourself, how many people are you going to cook for, and that too, how frequently?
If you need to cook for a huge number of people on a regular basis, going for the bigger size smoker is the right choice to make. Remember, a bigger smoker will take a longer time to cook, and will require more heat than usual. If that is not the case for you, then a regular-sized smoker will do just fine.
Is Mobility What You Want?
Most of us party a lot in our backyard. Some choose to take it to the next level. Camping on a hill-side or in the middle of the woods is quite popular among some. If you are such a person, you better concentrate on the mobility of your smoker.
Small-sized and compact smokers are easy to be carried and taken to different places. This is next to impossible for larger smokers. Before going for a smoker, make sure you sort this out. If you are not a mover and traveler, a large-sized smoker can be on your shopping list.
Safety Comes First
If you don’t know already, put this in mind that you need to reload your charcoals for a number of times, depending on the size of the serving.
The refueling of the charcoal and other fuel-items includes removing the upper and middle portion of the charcoal smoker. If proper safety measure is not taken, this can pose some risk to your external organ.
That’s why we recommend buying charcoal smokers that allow you to refuel through the safest way possible. There will be safety holders, and easily removable parts, that can prove to be safe for your hands.
Do You Need Just the Smoker?
Are you only into smoking meat or you are into grilling, as well? It’s true that you won’t be thinking of smoking all the time. Grilling can be an alternative to ward off the boredom.
You can buy a smoker that only has the smoking option. Alternatively, you can buy a combo smoker, where you get a chance to grill, as well, whenever you feel like.
Popular Brands to Consider for Charcoal Smokers
There are many popular charcoal smoker grill brands that produce absolutely brilliant smokers. Some of the top names that come while speaking of the charcoal smoker are Weber, Char-grill, Char-broil, etc.
Weber
Born in 1952, the Weber was founded by Goerge Stephen just for the quest to make better steaks for his family and friends. It was Weber, who produced the revolutionary kettle grill back in 1952.
He used a Bouy, cut it into half, placed three legs at the bottom, and added a handle on top. That’s how the modern grilling mechanism started. Still now, Weber produces some of the best charcoal smoking grillers on the market.
Char-Griller
The Char-Griller started their operation decades ago with their unique charcoal barrel-style grills. Their products have been trusted and relied on by most households for years.
Besides Charcoal grillers, they produce Dual Fuel, Kamado style Grills, and various other grills, as well.
Char-Broil
Char-Broil has been leading the charcoal smoking grill industry since 1948. Since its inception, innovation is the only choice they had.
Today, after all the decades of successful production, their smoking grills have become a yardstick to judge every other smoking grills on the market. Char-broil concentrates on affordable, easy-to-use, and exceptional grillers on a constant basis.
Kingsford
Kingsford has been a favorite choice for many families for a very long time. The name Kingsford is a trusted one for generation after generation. They don’t just produce a griller but concentrates on continuous improvement and uniqueness. Once you use a Kingsford griller, you will definitely want to use it twice.
Brinkmann
When it comes to producing top-quality and innovative grilling products, Brinkmann has been on that service for more than two decades. For the constant temperature and great flavor, Brinkmann has successfully gained a separate picky fan-base. The smokers they produce are easy to use and cooks exceptionally.
Best Charcoal Smoker Grills Review |our top 10 picks
In addition to our top pick, here is our list of complete smoker grill reviews that you need. To find out the best professional charcoal smoker, keep reading till the end.
Weber Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, 22-Inch, Black
As the manufacturers love to call it – the everyday charcoal griller, this truly is a smoker that every house should have. The Weber Kettle Charcoal Grill is one of the most stunningly designed, yet simplistic smokers on the market.
The lid and the bowl are enameled with porcelain. Also, the coating enables the lid and the bowl to endure and retain maximum heat without falling victim to rusting and corrosion. That’s why the heat inside the bowl will barely come out of it.
Having a built-in thermometer makes it quite easy to monitor the grill temperature. You don’t want the same level of heat for everything you put on the grates.
Talking about grates, these are hinged so that you can lift the grate and put more charcoal if necessary, through a very safe and secure way. The grates are superior heat-protective; these are not going to be damaged in severe heat.
To control the heat inside
You can use the damper placed on the top of the lid. That’s a very handy and easy way to regulate the heat of the smoker.
The addition of a lid hook with heat-shield on it is just brilliant. It won’t burn your hand and provide excellent convenience. There is a lid hook on the side of the lid so that you can just hang it from the smoker when you are removing it. You don’t need to put it aside on the ground or anywhere else.
Don’t worry about putting all the utensils like spatulas and tongs, because you have tool hooks on the side of the smoker. You can hang the utensils from the side for greater flexibility.
To move the smoker around, you have strong and durable wheels beneath it. Just push the smoker and get mobile.
Pros
- Porcelain-coated body
- One-touch easy-clean system for easy cleaning
- Damper for precise heat control
- Movable smoker
- Utensil hanging hook
Cons
- The assembling is a bit difficult
Weber 10020 Smokey Joe 14-Inch Portable Grill
For those who are fascinated by moving around with your charcoal smoker grill, this is your kind of smoker. The Weber 10020 Grill is a very lightweight and handy portable charcoal smoker. You can carry it with you to your parties and hang-outs to have some stakes and hams with your friends.
Like every other Weber smokers, the Weber 10020 also comes with a lid and bowl precisely coated with porcelain. This special plating allows the bowl and lid to absorb maximum heat. The protection prevents the steel body from burn off and tarnishing.
Also, the 14.5-inch diameter cooking area gives ample space for cooking as many as three steaks at a time. As for burgers, it is even double the amount.
To control the heat inside
You can use the damper on the lid. The damper is made from aluminum, and it is completely rust-proof. This damper allows air-flow to go inside or restricts it, thus controlling the heat.
Picking up the lid of the bowl can be risky if a proper handle is not there. The Weber 10020 comes with a glass-reinforced nylon handle to make it easier on your hands. You can lift up the lid without feeling any heat on your hand.
As for the cooking grates inside, these are some strong grills, we must say. The grates are double-coated and specially prepared to withhold heat at the maximum level. No matter how hot the fuel is, the grate will not burn off and end up affected by rust.
This lightweight, moveable, and compact smoker grill is very easy to clean and take care of. The rust-protective metal legs are a matter of sigh of relief, as well.
Pros
- Wide cooking space
- Heat-enduring steel grates
- Porcelain-plated bowl and lid
- Very lightweight and easy to move
- An easy temperature control system
Cons
- Not suitable for heavy cooking
Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill
If you are looking for a perfect performer with a strong body, the Char-Griller E16620 is just what you need. It is made from 22 gauge heavy-duty steel that makes the smoker quite a strong one.
The steel body has two different coatings. While the exterior part of the steel is powder-coated, the interior portion is porcelain coated. Together, these coatings make the smoker a heavy-enduring one.
Opening the lid, you can find a 314 square inch of wide space for cooking. The wide space is perfect for any type of cooking, giving you the freedom to go versatile with it.
There is a removable warming rack attached to the cooking rack. This one can be used to warm the meat and other food up while not in the state of cooking.
To ease up your cooking experience, you get two folding side-sleeves that pop up whenever you need them. This gives you extra space to organize your tasks in a better way.
The Char-Griller E16620 comes with a built-in temperature gauge that regularly monitors the heat-level of the smoker. This helps in regulating the heat in an effective way.
Using the triple-walled insulation and a cast-iron made cooking area, the smoker retains heat with efficiency. With the adjustable top damper, it is even easier to control and regulate the heat inside.
Cleaning the smoker up is quite an easy task, as the bottom of the smoker has an easy dump ash pan. Just remove it and clean it up, as simple as that.
Strong wheels are attached at the bottom for optimum mobility of the smoker. If you are settled in a place, just lock the caster tightly.
Pros
- Wide cooking space
- Utensil hanging hook
- Lock for the lid on both sides
- Movable smoker with lockable wheels
- Dump-ash pan for easy clean
Cons
- Not the best of the finishing
Char-Griller Box Charcoal Grill, Black
Going for a camping or a picnic shortly? If yes, then you have to take the  Char-Griller 2-2424 with you. This compact-sized, yet powerful charcoal smoking grill is just perfect for camping cooking.
To us, this is the best charcoal smoker for beginners. The table-top design is very handy to use and takes little space for use. Just take it anywhere and put it on a table.
Constructed from heavy-duty steel, the body of the Char-Griller 2-2424 is a strong and sturdy one. The cooking part of the griller is made from cast iron and thus quite resistant to heat and burning. Its cooking surface measures almost 250 square-inch. That’s a huge space for quick cooking for a number of people.
There are two adjustable dampers on the smoker to adjust and regulate the heat inside. These dampers control the air-flow inside the smoker and adjust the heat-level according to your needs.
To use the charcoal smoking grill, just connect the charcoal barrel grills as a side firebox. This side box allows horizontal smoking. It’s pretty easy to refuel the charcoal when needed.
The lid of the smoker is very conveniently made. There is a noticeably large handle on the lid for lifting it up. The large handle allows your hand to stay away from the coal inside, saving your hand from burning or damaging. That’s the reason the handle is termed as a stay-cool handle.
To clean the ash up, the side-out ash drawer is of great help. All you got to do is just pull the side-out ash drawer and clean it up and put it back.
The sliding drawer allows you to get access to the charcoal inside and remove or add charcoal if necessary.
Pros
- Heavy-duty steel constructed body
- Double adjustable dampers
- Cast-iron grill surface
- Wide grilling space
- Easy clean up with slide-out ash catcher pan
- Stay cool hood handle
Cons
- Once you go from grill to the side firebox, it can’t be undone
Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset Smoker
This best charcoal smoker grill combo is a blend of BBQ, offset smoker, and charcoal grill. You can choose any of the grilling methods and cook with this 3-in-1 cooking griller.
It has a 290-square-inch cooking area in the main chamber. That’s enough of an area to grill 15 burgers at a time. The firebox chamber, on the other hand, has 140-square-inch of space for smoke-cooking.
At the very first look at this best offset charcoal smoker, you can clearly see how strong and sturdy it is. The durable steel body and the square legs give the whole construction a true heavy-duty strength.
There is an easy access drawer at the sides of the smoker to refuel charcoal and wood chips. You don’t have to disassemble the smoker to put charcoal and chips. Just slide out the fuel grate drawer and put the necessary amount of charcoal and slide it back.
With the aluminum damper on top, you can control the air-flow in the smoker and regulate the heat inside. That’s how the temperature can be kept under control for the best cooking output.
The cooking box is made from durable steel, and the porcelain-coated pan holds the water. Furthermore, the grates are porcelain-enameled, as well.
To give you the taste of true mobility,
the smoker has a couple of wheels for movement. With the help of cool-touch handles on both sides of the smoker, you can move it around to your necessity.
The grate height can be adjusted the way you feel comfortable. You can put it down closer to the fuel or pull it up from it.
For cleaning-up, the smoker has an easy ash-removal. Just take it out to clean all the mess and put it back – ready to use again!
Pros
- 3-in-1 smoker and griller
- Adjustable, easy heat control
- Adjustable grate height
- Easy fuel access door
- Made from durable steel and porcelain-coated body
Cons
- For a longer cooking session, you need to add charcoal multiple times
Weber 40020 Smokey Joe Premium 14-Inch Portable Grill
The Weber 40020 smoker is one of the lightest charcoal smoker grills on the market. It weighs just under 10 pounds and is very convenient to carry on wherever you are going.
If you are throwing a party and need to take a charcoal smoker grill with you, this one is the perfect match for you. It fits very easily in the back of your car without occupying much of space.
Similar to all other Weber grillers, the bowl and the lid holder of the smoker is completely porcelain-enameled. The enamel prevents the steel body from rusting and other corrosions. It keeps the inner side of the bowl hot by withholding the heat while protecting it from burning off.
Tuck-N-Carry lid lock
An interesting addition in this model is the Tuck-N-Carry lid lock. This lid lock can be moved forward and backward over the lid itself. You can slide down the lid lock towards the side of the lid and then rest the lid on it. That’s how it double-plays the role as a lid holder, as well. Forget about keeping the lid on the ground.
To control the heat inside, the Weber 40020 smoker has an aluminum damper on the top of the lid. Altering the air-flow inside the smoker, you can control how hot it gets.
The cooking area is wide enough to hold five regular-sized steaks on it. You can double the number in case of regular-sized sausage or burger.
Lifting the lid gets very easy with the glass-reinforced nylon lid handle. It prevents the handle from getting heated up and keeps it cool. You can hold the holder even if the smoker is smoking hot.
 Pros
- Lid and bowl are coated with porcelain for rust protection
- Tuck-N-Carry lid lock and lid holder
- Heat adjustable damper
- Cool-touch holder on top
- Wide cooking surface
Cons
- No adjustable height for the cooking grates
Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker
If you are looking for a heavy-duty smoker with state-of-the-art design, think no more. The Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D is the perfect offset charcoal smoker you can get. Its stunningly stylish design will take your breath away when you look at it for the first time.
The powder-coated black finish from head to toe adds to the elegance of the dark-look of the smoker. And the heavy-duty steel body that withholds maximum heat ensures durability and strength for a long time.
This offset smoker is very useful for easy-cooking. Its smoker box is separated from the meat grates with a distinct door to access. The dual door design is brilliantly designed to keep the heat of the food. You will not lose heat due to refueling over time.
The Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D comes with a heavy-gauge porcelain-enameled steel wood chip box, a charcoal grate, and a removable ash-tray to clean up ash from the wood and charcoal.
To control the heat inside the smoker, you have an adjustable smokestack and a side aluminum damper. You can control the air-flow inside the smoker to alternate the heat.
With a staggering 5 Cubic-feet of cooking space, the cooking chamber is packed with 6 cooking grates. The grates are adjustable; you can place these up and down, giving room to different-sized meat. You can put 25 pounds of meat on each grate, giving you the opportunity to smoke-cook at least over a hundred pounds of meat.
There is a temperature gauge on the outside of the smoker that lets you know the exact temperature inside. You can keep the heat under control very comfortably.
For the easiness of holding, you have chrome-plated handles on the side of the cooking chamber. It’s very easy to open, and the handle is completely heat-proof.
Pros
- Cast-iron burner for heavy-burn
- Electronic pulse ignition system
- More than 100 pounds of meat-space
- Heavy-duty steel body
- Dual door design for better heat retention
Cons
The smokestack is not adjustable
Char-Griller E1224 Smokin Pro Charcoal Grill
The Char-Griller Pro features a traditional charcoal grill that comes with a firebox. If you are a fan of the good-old Texas-style, this one is for you.
The grill barrel along with the side firebox is made from heavy-duty powder-coated steel construction. To distribute heat evenly, the cooking grate is made of non-sticky cast-iron.
Refilling charcoal in the smoker is very easy as it has a removable charcoal drawer. The double-bottom charcoal drawer can be pulled out and refilled individually without having the need to open the smoker up. You can measure the temperature inside by the reading provided by the temperature gauge.
It has a 580 sq-inch area of cooking and an additional 250 sq-inch of area for charcoal smoking. That’s a huge area for cooking, for sure.
Having a storage rack underneath the smoker is a brilliant addition by Char-Griller. You can keep your essential cooking elements on the rack very conveniently.
To keep the charcoal smoker moving, it has two heavy-duty large locking wheels attached at the bottom. Just push it gently, and take it different places as per your convenience.
Pros
- Traditional grilling option with side firebox
- Non-stick cast iron cooking grates
- Separable charcoal drawer
- Wide cooking space
- Dual wheels for mobility
- Storage rack for easy storage of materials
Cons
- The paint tends to burn off quickly
Char-Broil Kamander Charcoal Grill
The Char-Broil Charcoal Grill works as classic as it looks. It has two cooking surfaces. A 327Â sq-inch primary cooking area, and a swing-out 142Â sq-inch secondary one. This gives you the perfect versatility for roasting, smoking, or grilling.
A top-mounted damper controls the air-flow to keep the heat of the smoker under proper control. The insulated double-wall steel construction makes the smoking fuel chamber heat up quickly and evenly. That’s great for setting up low to high temperatures.
Moreover, a removable drip pan placed right below the cooking grate makes sure no food or grease hits the flames. You can take the pan out and clean up easily. The lid-mounted temperature gauge on the top allows you to monitor the heat inside the smoker.
There is a folding side shelf that provides ample space for keeping stuff while you are cooking. Fold it down when not in use. The side shelf also comes with utensil hangers for better management of utensils.
The Char-Broil Charcoal Grill has strong wheels at the bottom for the perfect mobility that you need.
Pros
- 3-in-1 cooking solution
- Dual cooking surface
- Removable ash-pan
- Insulated steel constructed double-wall
- Utensil hanging hook
- Foldable side-shelf
- Strong wheels for easy mobility
Cons
- The folding operation is not smooth
Best Charcoal smoker grill: FAQ
1. Which is the best charcoal for burning?
There are different types of charcoals. Briquettes, instant charcoal briquettes, and hardwood-lump charcoal, these three types of charcoals are equally good in quality, but depending on your needs, their usage may vary.
Some of these charcoal burn fast, some burn slow. It’s up to your requirements which one may be best suited for you.
2. Does grilling in charcoal make food better?
Yes. The smokey flavor that you get by grilling in charcoal adds a different and unique taste to the food. You can’t get this taste by direct-grilling in flame.
3. Is it healthy to smoke-cook in charcoal?
Yes. It is not going to harm your body as charcoals are very safe burning coals. But you should be careful while grilling as the fat from the meat can drip into the coal and come back with the smoke. That can be unhealthy.
4. Is a charcoal grill cheaper?
Compared to gas grills, a charcoal grill is definitely cheaper. You can get a charcoal grill at a price as low as $25. But the charcoal you use can be expensive if you are grilling regularly.
Final Words
Finding the best charcoal smoker grill is not an easy task. Having tons of branded and non-branded smokers on the market, anyone can get perplexed.
We took out the time to shrink your options to the 10 best charcoal grill models available on the market. Now, we hope you can find the best one that suits you from our list.
If you are still not sure which one to go for, revise the buying guide we have prepared. It will guide you properly to buy the ultimate charcoal smoking grill, for sure.
Watch our video reviewsÂ
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