Smokers

Are you so addicted to fags that you want everything to taste just like them? Well, I have been in your position: a desperation so forceful that it led me to inadvertently discover the most brilliant method of quitting. It happened because I wanted everything to taste like I had an everlasting fagstopper, something I hoped to achieve by searching the web for other smokers' advice. I came upon the lovely smoker  in a daft daze of grey tobacco smoke. I could hardly see the product description but I did see the words "smoker", "flavour", and "taste"--what more did I need? Without clearing the hazy curtain, I pressed the only thing that resembled "buy" and ended up with a food smoker.

Now I know that smoking can taste much more heavenly than a rubbery tyre. So much more heavenly...

Types of Smokers

Vertical Water Smokers  In a vertical water smoker, a water pan typically sits between the heat source and the food and helps regulate the temperature. There are four types of vertical water smokers: the gas,  electric,  charcoal  and wood burning smoker.	Vertical Shelf Smokers  These smokers are easy to use and come in electric or propane models. They have a large cooking chamber with multiple racks; this way you may cook several items at once.	Barbecue Pits /Dry Smokers  Barbecue pits or dry smokers are the ones preferred by professionals. These smokers do not require charcoal or propane because they use split logs  as their dry heat source. The down side to using wood smokers such as these is that you must constantly tend the fire.	Combination Grill and Smokers  These models allow a person to both grill and smoke food, because a true smoked food lover knows that grilling and smoking are totally different things.	Electric Smokers  With electric smokers you do not need an outside fuel source, which makes these convenient and easy to use. The down-side to this is that they are unusable unless you are cooking near a power generator. People who are serious about barbecuing typically do not like electric smokers.

The Fuel Source

Smokers can be fuelled by charcoal, log wood, wood pellets, electricity and propane, and each of the smoking methods used with these fuels offer both advantages and disadvantages to the chef. Charcoal and wood smokers provide the most authentic flavour to your meats and vegetables, but the cooking process is drawn out and requires constant attention--not a bad thing for everyone, just some! If you are looking for something that can be left unattended for long intervals, and provides easy to use features, then a propane or electric smoker may be what you need--unfortunately, electric smokers often lack authentic taste. There are, however, electrically powered pellet smokers that burn wood pellets to provide heat and smoke. These units can be as convenient as any electric smoker, but give you the flavour of the best charcoal/hardwood smokers.

Charcoal	Hardwood  and Smoker Wood	Wood Pellets	Propane

Related Products

Barbecues	Indoor Grills	BBQ Utensils	BBQ Cookbooks	BBQ Sauces

External Links

• HomeClick.com: Useful guidelines for buying a smoker.
• BBQReport.com: Everything you need to know about smoking foods and barbecuing. 
• About.com: How to buy a smoker.