Thoughts to Ponder When Choosing a BBQ Grill Smoker
Endless differences exist when it comes to the technique and processes used in the BBQ grill smoker. Based on personal preferences and a few other guidelines, you should be able to weed out the undesirable styles and models and choose the right smoker for you. The cost of the equipment as well as the fuel type and style of the BBQ grill smoker will all play into your selection at the store in addition to storing it with a BBQ grill cover to protect your investment.
Choosing your Smoker
Your BBQ grill smoker should last for a good long time so you will want to invest in the best model that you can afford as well as substantiate budget wise. While charcoal and wood smokers provide the best tasting meats, you may not be pleased with having to keep watch over the BBQ grill smoker constantly monitoring temperature changes and adding wood to the burning fire. In this instance, you might want to consider electric or gas smokers. The “smoky” flavor is injected into the meat via heating sawdust or shavings from a particular type of tree.
Unless you have nothing better to do all day, try and avoid the cheap smokers that use a lot of water as you would have to be by the BBQ grill smoker’s side constantly tending to the fire to keep the temperature steady. Some of the best smokers are barrel or kettle shaped and may even have separate grill rack attachments for “real” grilling while other food is smoking away.
You will discover that your BBQ grill smoker can be as big or small as you want it, and may depend on the size of your family and home and how much outdoor cooking you do for yourself and social company. Can you easily bring the smoker with you to special outdoor events like a day on the beach, a tailgating party or even camping? If portability is important, look for a BBQ smoker on wheels to make maneuvering around a lot simpler.
Choosing quality over cheap quantity, look at the thickness of the BBQ grill smoker you are contemplating buying. If the metal is thick and welded together then you have an excellently crafted pit but if you see nuts and bolts are used in the construction of it, you will want to pass on this construction type. When a BBQ grill smoker has bolts to piece the parts together, you will lose the heat from those joints and seams.
There is only one real rule of thumb if you choose a wood and charcoal based BBQ grill smoker and that is the type of wood you use in it. Choose sweet tasting hard woods like cherry, oak, hickory or pecan that are still a bit green as some trees like the pine would not be conducive to a great tasting smoked meat.
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