Propane Smokers - Think Dad wants a propane smoker?  Make sure you understand what kind of cooking you plan to do since smokers aren't the same as a traditional BBQ grill.  Unless, of course, you like practical jokes.  If so, invite all of your relatives over, get about 50 pounds of meat and when everyone arrives give your dad a little smoker and watch him try and feed all those hungry people.  So before you buy Dad a smoker, make sure he wants to smoke food.
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HOMEPAGE BBQ Grills BBQ Grillware Car Starters Circular Saws Compact DVD Players Cordless Drills Delta Tools DVD Players Propane Smokers Wine Updates Privacy Policy Resources		Meat Smokers - So what do you look for when you're looking at propane smokers?  First, think about what you want to smoke (no, not that, we're talking about food here), how much food you want to smoke at one time and how often you plan to do this.  A little thought up front can save you some disappointment later.  If you only plan to use it a couple times a year, then a heavy duty smoker isn't necessary.  Likewise, if you only want to smoke a little food each time, don't spend a lot of money on a huge smoker when a small one will do just fine.  Wal-Mart has smaller units with a price tag around $100.  Click here to check out Wal-Mart's models. Let's take a look at some features you may want in a propane smoker.  Again, think about the size.  Some product descriptions list the size in amount of food, like 50 pounds, some list the size as total cubic inches and yet others may just give the dimensions. One thing to keep in mind is that a propane smoker alone won't give meat that smoked flavor, you need flavoring wood as well.  Typically, the propane gas will burn the wood and the wood smoke flavors your food.  Some of the better smokers can be used with propane or charcoal.  When buying your smoker, make sure you also have a propane tank (many smokers don't include them), wood chips and charcoal if you get a model that uses charcoal.  Don't use pine as your wood as this will give an undesirable flavor, use hickory, pecan, apple, mesquite or cherry wood. You can get a manual lighting unit or one with an igniter. If it has an igniter, check to see if it also has a manual lighting access hole in case the igniter isn't working. Do you need or want a thermometer?  One major difference with the types of smokers is the design itself.  Some models are a tubular shape and other are a rectangular shape and their ease of use is rather different.  For example, a tubular propane smoker is easier to use if you're not smoking a large amount of meat.  The reason is because of their design.  With most tubular models, you take the contents out from the top of the unit.  You add your wood at the bottom, on top of the lava rocks, then put in your water pan then your food.  If you run out of smoke before the food is done, you need to take out the food grill, the water pan and then add the wood again.  Most the rectangular shaped units have a large of full sized door in the front of the unit, which makes it much easier to add more wood or water.  Some of the better tubular models now have a door in the front, though not full-sized, that allow you to add wood without taking everything else out first. Some of the better propane smokers have porcelain coated grills for easier cleanup.  Make sure the smoker has a sturdy base as they tend to tip over easier than a regular BBQ grill.  Remember to add to your list what you need as a heat source, propane tank or charcoal, and your preferred wood chips.  Here's some online stores to get you started: The Comfort Channel at Zearth.  They have Brinkmann charcoal and propane smokers and Cookshack electric smokers.  Click here Wal-Mart has a good selection of Weber, Char-Broil, Brinkmann and Great Outdoors smokers.  Click here Homeclick carries the Bradley line of smokers.  Click here		Email to friend. Your Name: Your Email: Friend's Name: Friend's Email: Notes(optional):
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