Best Offset BBQ Smokers

(Jun 2020 Review)

Our Winner

22 Reviews

The easy to assemble mid range Cosmo Offset smoker is our winner out of the 5 smokers we have reviewed. Ignore the cheaper offsets and go for a mid priced option for a much better quality that will stand the test of time

Loving your American barbecue shows and fancy putting your skills to the test in the UK? It’s time to invest in a decent offset smoker.

It’s really important to note here that some of the cheaper offset smokers that you will find in everyday stores are well known for being leaky and in turn, can cause difficulties in terms of keeping temperatures, there are some middle-ground options though with a good quality smoker going for between £300-£1000

Best Overall

22 Reviews

CosmoGrill™ Smoker 90KG XXL

An easy to assemble mid range BBQ with all the features and quality of a top priced alternative. The intructions that come with be Cosmo are very easy to follow and make assemble a doddle. It's important to note that with most offsets you will need to put a little bit more effort in such as sealing all the bolt holes and around the firebox, however it's nothing out of the ordinary. Don't go for a cheap £80 offset from one of the middle isles.. pay a little bit extra and get something that will last and give you a great quality cook.

Runner Up

354 Reviews

Tepro Indianapolis

The Tepro offsets come in a variety of different sizes including the indianapolis option for much larger smokes. The biloxi version is a little smaller but still a great size. Although it does lack some of the build quality that the Cosmo comes with, this is a great first offset smoker and a better option that some of the very cheap offset bbqs. The fire chamber is a great size and the shelf of the front always comes in handy.

What to look for in an offset smoker

When it comes to picking an offset smoker to invest in you will be looking for the same types of traits from each one, here is what you need to be looking for.

Build quality

This is number one by far, we have mentioned it a few times above, and it really does tend to come down to price when looking at the build quality. You really want an offset to be using 1/4 inch steel, with tightly fit vents and hinges to make sure there is no leakage. There may be times where a bit of DIY will be required to really seal everything up, but in most cases, you shouldn’t need to do that.

Are reverse flow smokers better?

We wouldn’t necessarily say normal or reverse flow is better, it tends to come down to the skill of the chef alongside the build quality of the offset smoker. The way to tell the difference is by looking at where the chimney is on the smoker, if its a reverse flow, the out pipe will be on the same side as the firebox if its a normal flow it will be on the opposite side.

Reverse flow works by pulling the heat and smoke under the are in which the food is cooking before it’s pulled back over to the firebox side and out of the chimney.

Last update on 2020-06-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API