Types of Smokers
The different types of smokers for outdoor kitchens include:
Wood pellet – A pellet smoker uses wood pellets that are about an inch long and 1/4 inch wide, made from dried out sawdust, to cook food at a controlled temperature. It consists of a gravity-fed hopper where the pellet grill pellets are stored, and a motor controlled by the temperature regulator. A motor beneath the heat box drives pellets into an auger. As the pellets travel through the auger, an ignition rod ignites them, keeping them smoldering with a combustion fan. By feeding the smoker a larger amount of pellets and increasing airflow through the auger, the motor and combustion fan regulate the smoker’s temperature. Over the auger is a heat shield that disperses the direct heat so wood smoke can maintain an even temperature throughout the heat box. A heat sensor within the heat box gives the temperature of the box’s interior to a temperature controller, which then controls the fan speed and pellet hopper motor to adjust the amount of pellets or air available to the fire to maintain the desired temperature for the cook.
Charcoal smoker – An upright drum smoker that uses charcoal is referred to as a charcoal smoker. Smoke and heat are generated by charcoal or wood, and there is a water bowl between the fire and cooking grates. Smoking chambers benefit from humidity added by the water bowl, which keeps the temperature at a comfortable level. As a result, water vapor and smoke condense together, giving smoked foods a distinctive flavor. Further, it captures meat drippings that could cause a flare-up. The temperature of vertical water smokers is extremely stable, requiring only minor adjustments once the desired temperature is reached. Since they are relatively inexpensive and have a stable temperature, they are sometimes used where charcoal and propane cookers and charcoal grills are prohibited.
Electric – Of the various types of smokers, the insulated electric model provides the most convenience. It features a heating element which can be maintained from cold smoke temperatures to 275 degrees fahrenheit without the need for interaction from the user. Smoke can be generated by wood chunks, pellets, or even automatically fed wood pucks, but the amount of flavor obtained is lower than that achieved by traditional wood or charcoal smokers.
Kamado – ‘Kamado’ refers to a traditional Japanese cooking appliance made from wood or charcoal. Kamados were traditionally made from clay or other ceramic material, similar to tandoors, which were round in shape and heavy, resulting in unique cooking properties. Ceramic materials are highly insulating, allowing temperatures to remain steady even under extreme conditions. Due to its superior heat retention properties, the appliance uses less charcoal or wood, reducing its fuel consumption while ensuring an even cooking process.
Gas – The fire in a gas smoker is lit and maintained using one of two fuel sources: propane or natural gas. Smokers release smoke into the cooking chamber when wood chips burn. A gas burner is directly underneath a steel or iron box containing the wood or charcoal that provides the smoke. Steel boxes only have a few vent holes at the top. As a result of lack of oxygen in the heat, the wood smokes instead of burning. Charcoal and wood may be used together. The method uses less wood but requires gas fuel.
Smoke box – There are two boxes in this more traditional method: a fire box and a food box. A fire box can be controlled at a finer level when adjacent to or under a cooking box. Cooking and smoking meat is done using the heat and smoke exhaled from the fire box into the food box. There are more sophisticated models that have temperature controls as well as simple heating elements that have a pan of wood chips set on them.
Offset – Offset smokers are characterized by the fact that the cooking chamber is cylindrical in shape, and the firebox is attached to the bottom of one end of the chamber. In the firebox, precise airflow control is used to cook the meat over a small fire. A connecting pipe or opening leads the smoke and heat from the fire into the cooking chamber. A vent at the opposite end of the chamber allows heat and smoke to escape before they cook and flavor the meat. It is this simple yet effective design that typifies the majority of BBQ smokers. The same basic firebox and cooking chamber design is even used on large, commercial units.
Drum – A drum smoker is exactly what it sounds like: a modified steel drum fitted with a heat exchanger in order to facilitate indirect smoking. Several ways exist to accomplish this, but the basics include a steel drum, a charcoal basket, and a cooking rack (or racks), all covered by a vented lid. The 55-gallon steel drum is the most popular size which has been adapted for smoking.The distance of 24 inches between the coals and the racks is similar to smoking with indirect heat. As a result, the smoking temperatures are controlled by controlling the airflow in the drum. The lid’s ventilation allows for a similar amount of exhaust. Drum smokers are very efficient with fuel consumption and flexible in their abilities to produce proper smoking conditions, with or without the use of a water pan or drip pan. In the opinion of drum smoker users, a water pan is against the true pit BBQ nature of the drum smoker, as the drippings from the smoked meat should fall directly onto the coals, soaking up the flavor and imparting it into the meat.