The four kinds of smoker, from easiest to hardest
| Type | Who holds the temperature | Needs power? | Learning curve | On this list |
|---|
| Pellet grill | A digital controller | Yes | Gentle — set a number and wait | Traeger Westwood, Pit Boss 500 FB2 |
| Kamado | You, with two vents; insulation keeps it steady | No | Moderate — a few cooks to learn the vents | Char-Griller Akorn |
| Kettle set up for smoking | You, with two vents and the coal layout | No | Moderate — cheap to learn, needs more watching | Weber Original Kettle Premium |
| Offset smoker | You, by feeding a live fire | No | Steep — the fire needs tending for hours | Oklahoma Joe’s Laredo 1100 |
Read the table as a trade: the further down it you go, the more the cook is involved and the more the fire itself becomes the hobby. Some people want exactly that. A beginner who mostly wants pulled pork on a Sunday should start at the top.
Why a pellet grill is the easiest start
A pellet grill is the closest thing to an oven that burns wood. An auger feeds hardwood pellets into a fire pot, a fan feeds it air, and the controller runs both to hold the number that was set. The Pit Boss 500 FB2 can be set anywhere from 180 to 500°F in 5°F steps; the Traeger Westwood runs from 180 to 450°F and can be changed from a phone. Neither needs the cook to learn fire at all, which is precisely why they lead this list.
The difference between our top two is runtime and reach, not food. The Westwood’s 18 lb hopper will carry a long cook without a refill and its app lets somebody check the temperature from inside. The 500 FB2’s hopper holds 5 lb, which is fine for ribs or chicken and a nuisance on an overnight cook, and it lists no app — but it costs far less and its Flame Broiler lever means it can sear a steak too. If the budget allows, the Westwood is the easier smoker to live with; if it does not, the Pit Boss is a genuinely good first one. Our Traeger vs Pit Boss comparison goes through the two brands side by side, and the full pellet grill roundup covers five more.
One practical check before buying either: every pellet grill needs an outdoor outlet, because the controller, auger, fan and igniter all run on electricity.
Charcoal smokers a beginner can actually manage
The Char-Griller Akorn is a kamado made from triple-walled insulated steel, and that insulation is what makes it beginner-friendly. A well-insulated cooker loses heat slowly, so small vent adjustments make small, predictable changes instead of big swings. Char- Griller rates it from 200 to 700°F, so the same grill smokes a pork shoulder and sears a steak. The honest catch is fuel: Char-Griller lists a 3.1 lb maximum charcoal load, which caps how long it runs unattended.
The Weber kettle is on this list because it is the cheapest cooker here that can smoke properly and still be an everyday grill. Set up with the coals on one side, a pan of water on the other and the vents nearly closed, it holds low-and-slow temperatures well, and it is a far better grill for everyday cooking than any dedicated smoker. It needs more watching than the Akorn. Our guide to smoking on a charcoal grill walks through the setup, including the snake method that stretches one load of briquettes across a long cook.
The offset: great barbecue, hard lesson
The Oklahoma Joe’s Laredo 1100 is a true offset: the fire burns in a separate 184 sq in firebox and the heat and smoke travel sideways through the cooking chamber. That is the traditional barbecue layout. It is also the cooker on this list that most punishes inattention. An offset needs its fire fed and its damper adjusted for the whole cook, and it will not hold a temperature on its own. We include it because some beginners want exactly that challenge — but it is ranked fifth for a reason, and it needs a space 64 inches wide.
Not sure they will stick with it? Start with a tube
The LIZZQ pellet tube is the cheapest pick on this page, and it turns a gas or charcoal grill they already own into something that makes real wood smoke — up to five hours per fill. It will not turn a gas grill into an offset, but it answers the real question first: do they actually enjoy a four-hour cook? If the answer is yes, any smoker above is a better gift the following year. Our guide to smoking on a gas grill shows how to use one.
What a beginner needs alongside the smoker
A second thermometer. The USDA advises two: one for the air in the cooker and one for the food. A lid dial measures the air up by the lid, not at the grate, and a probe thermometer that stays in the meat is what makes a long cook relaxing. A multi-probe unit such as the ThermoPro TP25 covers both at once; our wireless thermometer roundup compares the options, and how to use a meat thermometer explains where the probe goes.
Fuel for the first cook. Pellets are not listed as included with either pellet grill here, and nobody wants to open a smoker they cannot use that day.
A forgiving first recipe. Pork shoulder and chicken thighs are the classic first smokes because they tolerate a temperature swing; brisket is the classic way to be disappointed. Our ribs guide is a good second cook. And for the safe finishing temperatures, the grilling temperature chart lists the USDA numbers.
What we would skip
An offset for somebody who wants dinner, not a project. If the person you are buying for has never smoked anything, the Laredo is the most likely gift on this page to end up as garden furniture.
A pellet grill with nowhere to plug it in. Check for an outdoor outlet before anything else. If there is none, the Akorn or the kettle is the answer.
A smoker for someone who loves tending fire. For that person, a pellet grill takes the fun out. Buy them the Akorn, or the accessories that make the kettle they own smoke better.
