Our shorter smoking and grilling sessions, however, left meat with a smoky-clean flavor and nice sear. There is a water tray inside the main cooking chamber and a tray for wood chips that slides out for easy refilling while you are smoking. The Silver Star smokers have a digital control panel that makes it easy to set the desired cooking temperature.
Sometimes, I just want to grill some food quickly with the wood fire taste that’s unachievable with a gas grill. Sometimes, I want to slow-smoke food and control the level of smoke imbued without being tied to the pit for hours. I might (hypothetically, of course) want to give a frozen pizza a wood oven taste when making one from scratch isn’t an option. The two series within this collection provide long cooking times for true low-and-slow BBQ.
We got Oklahoma Joe’s Barrel charcoal grill and Hitch portable charcoal grill as a bundle, and when combined, they form a traditional offset smoker. It’s easy to be intimidated by the analog process of smoking with charcoal and wood if you haven’t done it before. We found managing the temperature was easier than we anticipated. pit boss flat top As long as you take your time and avoid big adjustments to the dampers, you’ll be able keep temps in the range you desire. Smoking in the 560 is as easy as setting the temperature and a timer. And if you need more smoke, there’s an ash bucket that holds wood chips, which will burn slowly as embers fall on them.
After the brisket was done, we noted the amount of ash the grill produced and decided to clean out the fire pot and bottom of the smoke chamber once it cooled. Doing that was a simple process and should take you just a few minutes if you use a shop vac. We also smoked chicken leg quarters at 350, followed by beef jerky at 175, and were pleased with the results in both cases. The grill then pulls the heat from that into a large diffuser; the heat then rises to the grates. A digital thermostat sets the temperature and controls the fan that feeds the fire. Masterbuilt has an app that pairs with the grill to set and monitor cooking remotely.
Ideally, you should also re-season your grill every time you use it. You don’t need to use as much oil as the first time, but it’s best to be thorough. Traditional wood-burning smokers are best for purists, because they require more effort and produce more of a mess. Charcoal is a less smoky alternative to wood, and propane is even easier than that, but you have to stock up on one or the other in order to use your smoker. The tradeoff for convenience versus more smoke may be necessary for people in apartments, condos, or other close neighborhoods. In any event, we found the Masterbuilt to be a very easy to use, effective, and affordable option for your smoking needs.
Pellet grills can come with all sorts of features, from electric starters to WiFi connectivity to a seamless switch from direct flame grilling to offset smoking. More basic are features like a grease management system, an ash collector, and a hopper that opens to release pellets. At first look, pellet grills are solid appliances that can weather the elements, but their construction can vary. Stainless steel holds up better over time than carbon steel and powdered steel as it resists corrosion. If you’re considering longevity, stainless steel is also the ideal material for grill parts, from grates to grease trays to fire burn pots.
Become the pitmaster of your backyard with the Blue Blazing Wood Chip Vertical Electric Analog Smoker from Pit Boss. With the capacity for family dinner or a neighborhood cookout, the 4 porcelain-coated grids provide 593 square inches of cooking surface. With an analog meat probe and door thermometer, you can set it and forget it while maintaining control and precision, whether making a pizza, rack of ribs, or anything in between. Whether you’re new to smoking or already an expert, cook up barbequed perfection with ease and confidence using the Blue Blazing Vertical Electric Analog Meat Smoker from Pit Boss. What sets electric smokers apart from other types of smokers—like charcoal or pellet—is that a heating rod is used to begin the initial burn.
There was plenty of protective wrap and foam to prevent damage. Pit Boss sent me this grill for free in return for my honest review. Go from a grilling amateur to the Pro Series by Pit Boss Grills, available exclusively at Lowe’s.
It was a snap to clean and was one of the least expensive models we tested. While these smokers get low ratings I don’t entirely blame Pit Boss. There are inherent problems with electric smokers in general such as difficulty generating enough smoke at the right temperature, slow heat up times and difficulty maintaining temperatures in cold weather. Many of these problems will be become magnified when the smoker has an analog control system that must be manually adjusted to adapt to different weather conditions.
The grill comes with one temperature probe but has ports for three more. Charcoal briquettes are generally made from sawdust and other wood byproducts that have been processed into charcoal, and compressed into the shape we’re all familiar with. Briquettes may contain chemicals to bind them or make them easier to light. I recommend the Pit Boss competition blend pellets, but you can use any pellets you prefer. If you want to stick with the pit boss brand then you have a lot of great and flavorful options including charcoal pellets, Georgia pecan, mesquite, a classic blend, hickory, apple, and fruit-flavored too. One of the easiest ways to smoke a turkey on a Pit Boss pellet smoker is to spatchcock the turkey, then place it right on the grill grate to cook.