Oklahoma Joe Highland: Best Offset Smoker For Beginners
If you are looking for the best offset smoker grill for beginners, our choice is the popular Highland smoker from Oklahoma Joe. This smoker is perfect for beginners as it is simple to operate, does its job consistently, brings great build quality to the table, and provides versatility as an added bonus. It is very forgiving and makes it easy to make sensational food.
The accessible design of the Oklahoma Joe Highland begins with its sturdy steel construction. In spite of using quality materials and providing a large cooking area, the smoker weighs in at only 178 lbs, making it very easy to lug around and maneuver. Two sturdy stands and two large, wagon-style wheels make moving about easy and there are plenty of convenience options on board.
At its heart, the Highland is a simple offset smoker that provides you with a large firebox that you can use with wood, charcoal, or a mix of both for best results. The main cooking chamber is large enough to take care of your cooking needs for small backyard parties, providing a total of 619 sq. inches on the primary cooking area and an additional 281 sq. inches on the secondary area. The grates are made from porcelain-coated steel, offering excellent durability and heat transfer while being easy to clean.
What We Like
If you are after quality and durability without any of the bells and whistles and are not worried about a hefty price tag, the Mill Scale 94-Gallon offset can be just the thing for you.
How Often Do I Maintain My Fire
Expect to add one 14 16 small split log to the fire every hour or so. The key to excellent color and a savory smoke infused flavor is running a small hot fire. When the fire is running efficiently you will have a thin light colored smoke coming from the stack. NOTE: a heavy white smoke indicates that you are smoldering not efficiently burning the wood. This will put a dark color and a harsh taste on your meat.
Best Budget Offset Smoker Char
First off lets get some disclaimers out of the way.
Ask just about any barbecue geek and they will tell you to avoid a cheap offset like the Smokein Pro from Char-Griller.
You should definitely ignore the name in this case, its not designed for the pros.
This unit doesnt seal tight, the material could be thicker and construction could be better.
With all that out of the way, if you enjoy playing with the fire and dont mind making a few minor modifications this can be a perfectly good smoker.
You get 580 sq/in of primary cooking area with an additional 250 sq/in for grilling or warming in the firebox.
In terms of modifications, youll want to use BBQ silicone to seal inside the grill, especially where the firebox and grill are joined.
The built-in thermometers are especially bad on this unit, so ditch them and use proper bbq thermometer.
You can also improve temperature distribution by creating your own baffle out of scrap metal.
What we like:
- Budget price Compared to the other offset smokers weve looked at this smoker is affordable and can perform OK with a few cheap mods.
- Makes for a great grill You can use this as a full charcoal grill, with an adjustable charcoal tray to control the heat level.
What we dont like:
If youre the kind of person that needs to have the best model, or you want to compete with the pros this isnt for you.
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Can I Grill And Smoke On An Offset Smoker
Yes, there are three ways that you can cook on an offset cooker: Grill direct. This is done by building a charcoal fire directly below the cooking grates and grill directly over the coals. A grill grate is provided for the firebox and an optional charcoal grate can be added to covert the cooking chamber to a direct grill. Grill indirectly. This is accomplished by building a fire in the firebox and running the dampers toward the open position. This creates an excellent indirect grilling area on the firebox half of the cooking chamber. Smoking. This technique is accomplished just like indirect grilling except that the temperature is held at or below 275-degrees.
Get Everything You Need
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Brand New: Lowest Price The Lowest
- See details for delivery est.
- New condition
- 30 day returns – Buyer pays return shipping
- 5 out of 5 starsby 225.odyerMay 30, 2019Top favorable review
Excellent for at home meat smoking Projects
This smoker performed well. I followed the instructions for proper burn-in and experienced not peeling paint. I did purchase USDA approved sealant to enhance smoking coverage. I strongly advise that the instructions should be read thoroughly before attempting to assembly. I found an image displayed with lip up in one panel and lip down in the very next panel. Lip down was the correct position because the holes lined up.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
- 3 out of 5 starsby pilardawnApr 28, 2020Top critical review
It’s a lot of work
It took a lot of work to make it smoke worthy.Therebare a lot of gaps that were at least 1/4″ wide that needed to be filled the vent door wasn’t spot welded in the proper place so I had to buy self drillers and put it in the correct placement one of the grilling racks was bent and chipped so that needed to be bent back into shape. All in all I’m not that impressed and won’t be buying another one anytime in the near future
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
- 4 out of 5 starsby matt-6043May 01, 2020
Grill
What Is The Best Way To Clean A Charcoal Grill With Offset Smoker
Depends on the material its made from. Generally speaking, though, most charcoal grill with offset smoker can be cleaned with warm soapy water and a sponge or cloth. Be sure to read the manufacturers instructions first before attempting to clean any charcoal grill with offset smoker, however, as some may require special care or cleaning methods.
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The Best Offset Smokers For The Money
Best Under $2,000
- Pro: Smoker and grill hybrid
- Pro: High quality wheels
- Pro: Diverse temperatures
Our winner for the best offset smoker for under $2,000 goes to the Lane 36 Patio Smoker. Based purely on performance, this smoker goes above and beyond. It has plenty of cooking space and should be able to fit all the different meats youre cooking at the same time.
As with all Lang smokers, it is also a reverse flow smoker. This is widely preferred among pitmasters as it results in a smokier and juicier meat than a conventional smoker.
Thanks to how versatile this unit is, with the ability to be a grill in addition to a smoker and reach very diverse temperatures, this might just be the best grill on the entire list.
- Pro: Many features
- Pro: Lifetime warranty against burnouts
The Horizon 16 Classic Smoker is a very good unit despite the limited cooking space. It has the option to be fueled from a couple different sources, wood, charcoal or both, and can reach temperatures at almost a 200 degree difference.
It comes packed with additional features like meat hooks, a grease drain and a convenient ash removal tray that makes clean up easier. The final touch on a very good grill is the lifetime warranty against burnouts on this unit.
- Pro: Lots of cooking space
- Pro: Vertical design saves space
- Pro: Meat hooks
While it uses more fuel than other smokers on this list, that can be forgiven as the smoker will last a very long time and produce consistent and flavorful results.
The Grill Made For Professionals
Offset Smokers are great for searing, smoking, cooking a brisket and getting burgers on the table.
Pork Brisket Burnt Ends
Want to make Burnt Ends but can’t find any brisket? Char-Griller Ambassador Izzy of @izzygrillz has you covered with this delicious and super easy Pork Brisket Burnt Ends recipe!
Texas-Style Pulled Pork
What better way to feed all these people than with some Texas-style pulled pork sandwiches. Pulled pork really isnt a staple in Central-Texas BBQ but we love making it, and it feeds a lot of people. Your guests will be thanking you as they dive into some savory pork action!
Smoked Beef Ribs
Smoked Beef Ribs are truly an undefeated dish. Switch things up in your smoker with this recipe for flavor and tenderness that wont disappoint.
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A Buying Guide For Best Charcoal Offset Smokers
You want to buy an innovative and beautiful charcoal offset smoker, then for that, you must consider some important factors. You can find many types of charcoal offset smokers, and these can be small, big, lightweight, heavy, cheap, or expensive. You can buy the best smoker with ease according to your needs by considering these factors.
Budgeting: Check the price of the smoker and buy which is within the budget. If you want to buy a mass unit, it can be within the range of $200 to $4000. There are some offset smokers such as Oklahoma Joes, Dyna- Glo, and Royal Gourmet charcoal offset smokers, I feel the best and within the budget.
Weight: Good quality steel is used to make the offset smoker. It can be thick or thin. The material must be of standard about 1/4 inches. You must also know where you want to carry it or it can easily be carried or not and for that, you must know the smokers weight.
Craftsmanship: Also, check the craftsmanship. You must check the welds that must be strong, and the handles must be insulated, so there are no chances of smoke leakage.
Space and Size: Another factor you must know is the smokers size and space. What size and space do you need? If you want to cook the whole leg in the smoker, the size will be different, and if you want to cook small pieces of meat, the size will be different. I recommend you to buy the smoker or grill of what size you need.
Ochine Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker Wooden Handle Smoker
Ochine charcoal grill offset smoker has many excellent features that you can use for tasty BBQ. If you are facing difficulty in cooking delicious food, this high-quality material offset smoker is best for you. This offset smoker is made of cast iron material. The overall dimensions are length 116.08 cm, Width 65.79 cm, and height of 108.97 cm. The offset smoker has a black lid, and there is a cooking grate made up of heavy-duty cast iron. You can make delicious BBQ by placing marinated BBQ on the grate. The size of the main cooking chamber is 24.4, and you can open and close the lid with ease. You can customize the temperature with the help of an adjustment crank. Raise and lower the tray of charcoal to maintain the heat and temperature. Wooden handles make it easy to open and close the lids of the main cooking area and firebox when it is hot.
The firebox is present at the side of the main cooking chamber of 11.7. The vent is present at the side of the firebox to control airflow. You dont need to open and close the lids repeatedly to control the heat. Place the charcoal in the firebox grate. The smoke and heat will flow towards the main cooking area and through the chimney. The wooden shelf is present in front of the main cooking chamber of 24.4 in length and width of 12.2, and you can place the utensils and other BBQ accessories on it. The best thing is that shelf is foldable and has hanging hooks to put the hanging things.
Pros
Final Verdict
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Criteria For The Best Charcoal Grill With Offset Smoker
- Is your charcoal grill with offset smoker suitable for a commercial kitchen?
- Is your charcoal grill with offset smoker fit for purpose?
- Are they energy efficient?
- Can your charcoal grill with offset smoker cope with emerging food trends and dietary requirements?
- Does charcoal grill with offset smoker make financial sense?
- How much will your charcoal grill with offset smoker cost you to maintain?
Where Can I Buy A Charcoal Grill With Offset Smoker
There are many places you can purchase charcoal grill with offset smoker, including department stores, kitchenware stores, and online retailers. When choosing where to buy, it is important to consider things like price, quality, and selection. Department stores and kitchenware stores may have a wider selection of items to choose from, but they usually come with a higher price tag. Online retailers typically have a more limited selection but may offer lower prices.
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How We Selected These Charcoal Smokers
When selecting the options for this list, we relied on our teams decades of experience testing and evaluating grills and smokers. The brands represented have shown consistent quality and reliability to earn our recommendations, while the models selected have the features required to achieve fantastic results. To ensure theres a grill for everyone, weve selected a broad price range, from smokers that cost $100 to almost $2,000. All of our picks are also highly rated by hundreds of backyard pit masters.
- Cooking Surface: 560 sq. in.
- Material: Steel
Weve tested the Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560 extensively, and the one word we would use to describe it is versatile. While it produces great smoked brisket, you can also use it to grill, sear, and even make charcoal-fired pizza. The unique modified offset design includes a gravity-fed firebox on the right side that incorporates a digital control module, thermostat, and fan to manage temperatures automatically. Temperatures can reach up to 700 degrees F in as little as 13 minutes after lighting the charcoal. However, when it comes to smoking, the ability to set and maintain temperatures makes smoking a perfect Texas-style brisket on the first try a reality. In addition to the digital temperature control, the Masterbuilt app allows you to connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to monitor the 560.
Best Offset Smokers In 2022 Buying Guide And Reviews
In this guide, we look at and review some of the best low to mid-range, affordable offset smokers available on the market today. We also cover what you should look for when choosing one, what to avoid, and a warning on what sometimes look like bargains!
So, youve decided to take the plunge and buy a dedicated smoker? Good decision!
While you can smoke meat on a standard grill, its far more difficult to achieve the results you want and deserve.
If youre serious about smoking , an offset smoker may be your preferred choice of cooker. Many guys and gals who love to grill have both a standard barbecue and a dedicated smoker.
Now, if youve ever been through the process of selecting a grill before, you wont be at all surprised to find out there are many offset smokers available to choose from.
In this article we aim to help by taking you through all the points you should consider when looking for the best offset smoker, and we narrow the field for you to just a few of the top options out there.
Weve done the research, and here well present our findings. We look at what features you should find in the best offset smoker, as well as a few that are just unnecessary or can even hinder your cooking enjoyment.
Weve selected a small group of recommendations of what we believe are some of the best on the market, and well be going over the pros and cons of each, so you can shop with confidence, armed with your newfound knowledge.
Overall Impression?
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What Is An Offset Smoker
If youre thinking about buying an offset smoker, then you probably already have a good idea what they are, and what you can do with one.
In a nutshell, to avoid preaching to the choir, as it were, a smoker is a device designed to cook food indirectly at low temperatures in a smoky environment. Not only do smokers cook food, but they also impart flavor from the smoke generated by the cooking fire.
There are three major categories of smokers:
An offset smoker typically looks like a regular charcoal grill but with 2 separate chambers, one for cooking in and a second small firebox attached to one side. The position of the firebox is what makes it a horizontal offset smoker.
Are Offset Smokers Better Than Vertical Ones
It depends on what youre cooking. Offset smokers are a lot more versatile in usage than a vertical smoker. Adding fuel to the firebox wont disturb the heat and smoking process in the cooking chamber, says Rose. Offset smokers are easier to use for larger cuts of meat that you want to lay flat, like ribs or brisket, he says, because its easier to maintain temperature and rotate your meat. “It can double as a grill, too, with direct heat usage,he adds.
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