The Pit Boss 5-Series is the best vertical pellet smoker for most people — 850 sq in of rack space in a footprint that fits a small patio. Louisiana’s vertical is the step up if you’re spending more. Five compared below, with hopper capacity and smoke duration for each. Also vertical smokers design can be … Read more
The Masterbuilt Gravity 600 gives you more capacity for bigger cooks; the AutoIgnite 545 is built for speed, starting up and coming to temperature closer to a propane grill’s pace. Both run WiFi app control. Full side-by-side below. Here you can find out how these grills blend the rich flavor of charcoal with modern technology, … Read more
Charcoal burns 8–10 hours for briquettes and 4–6 hours for lump in a typical smoker. Airflow, insulation and outside temperature shift those numbers far more than the brand does. Below: what changes burn time, how to stretch a single load further, and how to tell when it’s time to add more. Recommended Reading:– Best Charcoal … Read more
The biggest mistake when grilling for a crowd is planning the menu around one cooking method — mixing quick-cooking items like burgers and veggies with slow ones like brisket and ribs lets you feed everyone without a four-hour wait. Here’s how to plan the whole thing, from menu to dietary needs. You are in the … Read more
Grilling changes by season more than most people account for — spring calls for lighter fare and lower heat, summer for quick high-heat cooking before it gets too hot to stand over the grill, and so on through fall and winter. Here’s what to adjust each season. Whether summer or winter, seasonal grilling brings unique … Read more
Electric smokers win on convenience — easy settings and accurate temperature control that suit beginners. Charcoal wins on flavor, with a more natural, robust smoke. Full comparison of both below. It really comes down to taste or convenience, in my opinion. But that’s not all. I have also discussed other matters, like recurring costs and … Read more
A vertical pellet smoker’s tall, narrow shape with multiple racks is built to maximize smoking capacity in a small footprint; a pellet grill’s wider chamber is built for versatility — searing and grilling as well as smoking. Full comparison table below. The choice usually comes down to preferences and specific culinary needs, even if each … Read more
A double barrel smoker uses two connected chambers — one for the fire, one for the meat — which is what gives it more even heat distribution and smoke circulation than a single-barrel design. Here’s how the parts work and what that setup is good for. Because of their efficient smoking characteristics, they are a … Read more
The Pit Boss smoke stack’s job is ventilation — it acts as the exhaust that lets smoke from the wood pellets escape and keeps it circulating around the food instead of just building up. Here’s how it works and how to maintain it. This article gives a quick explanation of the crucial role that the … Read more
A rotisserie pellet smoker is a standard pellet smoker with a motorized spit added — it turns the meat continuously over indirect heat, so fat self-bastes the whole cook instead of pooling on one side. Here’s how it differs from a regular pellet smoker and how to set one up. I’ll unravel the mystery of … Read more
Grills and smokers are the two pieces of outdoor cooking equipment worth spending real money on — everything else is a convenience upgrade. Below: the types of each, what a pellet grill gives you that a vertical smoker doesn’t, and six specific picks. Join me as I share my own experience from last summer, when … Read more