8 Best Smokers for Newbies and Pitmasters Alike

You could make your own barrel smoker out of your own barrel, but buying one from Pit Barrel Cooker Co. gives you everything you need for $400. Those of you new to smoking might be asking, “Why the fuck would I buy this barrel thing?” Let me explain.

In terms of setup and use, this is as simple as it gets. Coals go at the bottom, and you can intersperse them with soaked wood for more smoke. You can place meat on the grate or hang it, and it’s smoked evenly on all sides as the heat from the bottom rises. It might look weird, but it’s idiotproof. Give this thing to anyone and they’ll be smoking a perfect rack of ribs or a full turkey within a few weeks.

As for the size, it’s special because it’s got such a small footprint. The issue with low-and-slow smokers is that they need the fire to be far away from the food. Normally, that’s a firebox offset horizontally from the cooking space. Here it’s done vertically. That means you can have a smoker in a small space, like a city rooftop or decent-sized terrace.

I’ll go on record saying that this is the best vertical smoker in its class, but there is a lot of love out there for propane and electric vertical smokers. Those are fine. They’re incredibly easy to use. But truthfully, I’m not a fan. Charcoal is the happy medium between traditional stick burning and new-age smoking.

If this feels a little too DIY for your taste, the Weber Smokey Mountain is a nice alternative. Though, when working with a vertical smoker, I love being able to hang meats. It just gives you so much more for the amount of space it takes up.