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You want to outdo home grilling and start smoking your own personal barbecue ribs and chicken at home. Now you have to determine which style of smoker you desire and what you are able buy on your budget. There are many kinds of BBQ smokers out there with prices which range from under $100 to thousands of dollars or higher. So what type of smoker should you get? Well, it depends on how serious that you are and how much money you can spend. Here are some types of smokers to help you make a decision.

Under $200

For less than $200, you’re probably looking to get a water vapor smoker or a simple charcoal smoker or an electric smoker. A water vapor smoker is a kind of smoker that uses charcoal and wood as the heat source towards the bottom of the smoker. It is upright and cylindrical in shape so it kind of looks like a bullet. There is a container of water above the heat source in between the meat and the heat source to provide a buffer. That way the meat isn’t heated directly. The meat is slowly heated from the water steam that also provides moisture to make the meat tender. The water also acts as a catch for the meat grease to prevent flare ups. All water vapor smokers use wood that’s been soaked overnight. The wood is put on the heat source but doesn’t actually burn. It’s there to provide a nice smoky flavor to the meat.

Another type of water vapor smoker uses electricity as a heat source. The electric BBQ smokers provide a more even heat than charcoal. The electric smokers are much far more convenient and less messy than the charcoal, but you need a source of electricity to operate it. If you are remote, you will want a generator of some kind.When contemplating a smoker look for multiple grill racks so you can put other food in with the meat. You need to get a barbecue smoker which has a side door that will allow you to add wood without moving the meat. Also consider getting a separate temperature gauge since many “built-in” temperature gauges are woefully inaccurate.

Over $200

Over $200, you may be more serious about BBQ smoking. The barbecue pit or dry smoker is the choice of most professional barbecue smokers. This smoker has an offset cylinder from your main cylinder that’s the heat source. The main cylinder holds the meat to be smoked and on the opposite side is the chimney that draws the heat from the offset fire box through the main chamber and out. This method of barbecuing uses wood to produce the heat and there’s no water to provide moisture. You must continually mop the meat through the process to ensure the meat stays tender. It is usually a longer process to smoke in this way, but people swear by it because it leads to more intense flavoring of the meat.This process of barbecue requires a lot more attention because you need to continually add wood to the fire pit and monitor the temperature. To be able to control the temperature better, get a barbecue pit smoker with an adjustable vent in the fire pit and the chimney. Barbecue pits come in all different sizes, so you need to decide how much meat you need to cook at one time. Consider the typical cook time is approximately 8 hours.

Buying the right BBQ smoker is all a matter of assessing what your needs are and then checking around to get the best option for your budget. There are lots of web sites you could learn more about barbecue smokers and compare prices.

Before you purchase any BBQ Smoker online make sure you check out my buyers guide to BBQ Smokers