Barbecue smokers are the tool of choice for cooks who are serious about barbecue. Cooking meat with a smoker not only provides us with a primal connection to our past, but is the most effective way to infuse meat with true barbecue flavor. While some smokers offer grilling capabilities, true smokers aren’t grills. Shopping for one needn’t be a daunting task and there are quality smokers available for every price range.

Smokers Versus Grills
When it comes to backyard cooking, most people start with a grill. Grills use high levels of direct heat to sear meat quickly while smokers use low levels of indirect heat that result in the one-two punch of slow cooking meat while infusing it with the flavor of smoke.

Learning to cook with a smoker takes time and patience and your willingness to experiment will determine how quickly you master this art.  How often you plan to use your smoker and for what kinds of occasions will determine the type of smoker you choose. Some smokers can take up to eight hours to cook and require that you focus more on your cooking than your guests. The effort that goes into smoking won’t go unrewarded however: Even the smallest of smokers provide you with a large enough cooking surface to turn out a large-scale dinner.

Types of Smokers
The least expensive and most flexible smoker option is a vertical smoker. Basic vertical smokers look like steel barrels with a firebox at the bottom and a covered cooking surface at the top. You will find water and chip trays in the middle, which helps keep food moist during cooking and holds soaked hardwood that generates the smoke.

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