There are many types of offset smokers available today. You can use these smokers to make your food more palatable and delicious. This is an innovative technique for flavoring your food. It’s up to you how to flavor your food. They consist of a chamber and a firebox. Sources of heat include wood and charcoal. These resources are readily available at any store. Different smokers are available for you on different ranges. Some offset smokers are old-fashioned smokers. Therefore, they can cost you less than other electrical smokers. Keep reading this article to find out how much does an offset smoker cost, and how they perform their working.
Offset Smokers
Offset smokers are accustomed to making your food delicious. An offset smoker is named this way because the fire is contained in a box, which is offset by the cooking chamber. These offset smokers are also called a cooker, barrel, side firebox, and pipe smokers. It provides indirect heat for your cooking. You can use wood or charcoal to heat your food. The source of the fire depends on how you need the fire. If you have a large firebox, you can use a mixture of different fuels such as charcoal and wood logs.
Offset Smoker Design
Offset smoker consists of two parts. The cooking chamber has a large chamber where the food is cooked and a firebox under it. The firebox has a box and a fire rack attached to it. The cooking chamber is of two types. There is a long chamber called the horizontal chamber. The second is a tall chamber called a vertical chamber. These two chambers are attached with each other and allow the transfer of heat and smoke from the firebox to the cooking chamber. A firebox has a vent on it. This vent controls the flow of air in the smoker. A vent in the cooking chamber allows this air to escape. These vents are adjusted so that they can control the smoker temperature.
Reverse Flow Offset Smoker
Smokers are called reverse flow offset smokers if air blows in the opposite direction in them. In this smoker type, a metal plate is adjusted under the cooking chamber. This plate is used to move heat and smoke to the opposite side of the cooking chamber. This type of offset smoker is more beneficial than others. This is because this smoker can distribute the heat more evenly to cook food from all sides. Most types of offset smokers do not include reverse flow of heat.
Temperature control
In offset smokers, air enters the firebox through the oven and then exits. You can maintain the temperature inside the chamber with wood and charcoal fire in the firebox. This step is necessary to regulate the flow of oxygen in the firebox. To increase the temperature inside the chamber, simply open the vent. To reduces the temperature, you need to reduce the fire for this purpose. Atmospheric pressure and outside temperature also affect the rate of fire.
Pros And Cons Of Offset Smokers
Pros
Offset smokers are well known for flavoring your food. They are important because they can generate authentic heat and smoke for BBQ. For the production of heat and smoke, charcoal and wood can be used as fuel source. You can mix these coals and wood to get heat at a higher rate. By combining these two sources, you can flavor your food and adjust the airflow level. They can be easily controlled. You can cook large amount of food with offset smokers at the same time.
Cons
Offset smokers need time to work properly. Offset smokers are not difficult to use. All you need are a few steps to manage the airflow inside and outside the chamber and firebox. Cooking will take longer if you have more food. One of the major disadvantages of offset smoker is that it does not quickly adjust the temperature inside the chamber. Therefore, you must keep the lid of the chamber as close as possible.
Basic Requirements While Buying An Offset Smoker
While buying an offset smoker, you need to check the requirements mentioned below.
- How much cash you want to spend?
Purchasing a new offset smoker requires you to determine your budget.If you want a long-lasting smoker, you may have to pay more.
- What are you going to cook?
One of the basic requirements of an offset smoker is what are you going to cook? You must have a proper plan before buying smokers. If you want to buy offset smokers for cooking food in large quantity, you may need to check all its features properly.
- Where will you want to place your new offset smoker?
In order to determine how big your new barbecue smoker will be and whether you will need a cover or additional insulation in the winter. You should plan in advance to choose the place where you’ll place it.
- What features do you want in an offset smoker?
The perfect offset smoker should have all the key features you need. Check out all its basic features including grill, grates, chamber, cover, temperature gauge and many more.
The Characteristics Of A Good Offset Smoker
A good offset smoker has the following characteristics;
- Heavy scale metal: The heavier metal provides more heat retention. It also provides an even cooking environment. Therefore, always choose a thicker metal. The standard thickness is 3 inches. The metal of this thickness is not affected by bad weather conditions.
- Quality lids: Quality lids are essential to control high temperatures. The lids can be easily opened and closed, which helps to reduce fuel consumption and reduce smoke.
- Temperature gauges: Temperature gauges are used to control the temperature inside the chamber. With these gauges, you can easily measure and adjust the temperature as per your requirement.
- Strength: This is one of the primary features of an offset smoker. Offset smoker’s legs and wheels should be strong.
- Cover: To protect your barbecue from rust, a cover will be needed.
- Guarantee: Make sure the offset smoker you are going to buy is long-lasting. It is important to get assurance from the store.
How Much Does An Offset Smoker Cost?
Different smokers have different prices for you. Their costs depend on the size, shape, and materials used in the manufacturing of smokers. Some smokers are heavier and cost you more. On the other hand, some smokers are smaller, which means you have to pay less.
By 2023, a well-built offset smoker costs between 800 dollars to 1000 dollars. This price range is for small smokers and not too heavy. If you want to buy a heavy offset smoker, you may have to pay at least 10,000 dollars or more.
What Is The Cost Of Operating A Charcoal Offset Smoker?
In most charcoal offset smokers, you’ll have to pay 0.68 dollars per hour to operate the smoker. It means a standard 8-hour smoker will cost you roughly 5.44 dollars. Charcoal burns at about a pound per hour in a smoker. So, the average price per pound of charcoal is 0.68 dollars, meaning you’ll spend 0.68 dollars per hour to operate the smoker.
7 Best Offset Smokers With Their Price Range
Some smokers are less expensive. While others prices are higher. Some offset smokers are enlisted below with their weight capacity, costs, and specifications.
1. The Good One Marshall Smoker
Specifications:
- There is a separate firebox for this type of offset smoker. This firebox is connected to the cooking chamber by a vent.
- It can cook up to 9 briskets at once.
- It has a removable ash catcher.
- It has larger wheels that make it easy to move.
- Extensive grilling space.
- Free-standing charcoal smoker.
- Excellent temperature control capability.
Weight Capacity:
Its weight capacity is of 150 pounds.
Cost:
- This type of offset smoker costs in the range of $2000USD-$2,500USD.
2. Yoder Wichita Loaded Offset Smoker
Specifications:
- Removable fireplace.
- Built up excellently.
- It has heavy gauge steel that keeps it warm, which makes the offset look classic.
- It has a direct heat flow burner with heavy and solid construction.
Weight Capacity:
- It weighs 600 pounds.
Cost:
- It costs is in the range of 2500-3000dollars.
3. Horizon 20-Inch Classic Smoker
Specifications:
- Solid and classic smoker.
- Larger enough for cooking or BBQ competitions.
- It is heavily constructed.
- Fantastic building quality.
Weight Capacity:
- It weighs about 450 pounds.
Cost:
It cost is in the range of 1500USD-2000USD.
4. Meadow Creek SQ 36 Barbeque Smoker
Specifications:
- It has 510 square inches of burning space for cooking.
- Effectively designed to maximize cooking capacity.
- It allows heat and smoke flow to be distributed more evenly inside the cooking chamber.
- The smokestack is installed in the opposite direction of the firebox.
Weight Capacity:
- It weighs about 310 pounds.
Cost:
- It costs about $2000USD.
5. Oklahoma Joe’s Highland Reverse Flow Smoker
Specifications:
- Reverse flow offset smoker.
- This is a good offset smoker for smoking large food.
- More affordable model.
- Extraordinary lightweight offset smoker.
Weight Capacity:
- It weighs about 180 pounds.
Cost:
- Its cost is $500USD.
6. Broil King Smoke XL 32-Inch Offset Charcoal Smoker
Specifications:
- A small and simple smoker type.
- Strongly built and easy to use.
- Certainly less expensive than others.
- It contains enough space for cooking.
Weight Capacity:
- It weighs about 150 pounds.
Cost:
- It costs about $1,000USD.
7. Pitts and Spits Ultimate Smoker
Specifications:
- It has stainless steel body parts.
- It has 30,000 BTU gas burners for fire lighting.
- It can be used easily.
- This type of offset smoker contains greater strength.
- Available in all sizes from smaller to larger size.
Cost:
- It costs ranges from $2,400 to $3,300.
Some Tips For Using Offset Smokers Effectively
You can use offset smokers more effectively and efficiently, if you know all its features well. By practicing again and again, you can learn all about its uses. Tips to use an offset smoker are enlisted below:
- Cook with a charcoal and wood combination: Offset smoker does not allow you to use only charcoal for fire. A combination of charcoal and wood can be used as heat sources. This combination gives your food a smoky taste. You can easily control the temperature when you cook your food by using charcoal as heat source to produce fire. Add burning charcoal to start the offset smoker. You can add pieces of wood to maintain the internal temperature of the cooking chamber after regular intervals.
- Use a digital thermometer: A chamber’s temperature can vary from one end to the other by 75 0F. You have to check it every 20 minutes. So that your food is cooked evenly from all sides. It can be done by using a digital thermometer.
- Go easy on the smoke: For smokers that use a mixture of wood and charcoal, reduce the amount of smoke in the cooking chamber by using the ‘less is more’ principle. Adding the four ounces of water at intervals of ten minutes, as soon as the temperature reaches 200 °F, is all it takes, there is no need to soak the wood.
Conclusion
How Much Does An Offset Smoker Cost is the question that arises in your mind while buying offset smokers. Some offset smokers are available in a higher price range. Some of the lower price range offset smokers are also available. It depends on you which smoker type you want to buy. When you buy an offset smoker, you must have planned before the time to buy it according to your budget and space. Offset smokers are readily available at prices ranging from 50 dollars to 1000 dollars and more. You can buy a high-range smoker if your budget is high. However, if you want to buy offset smokers at a lower price, you can buy cheap offset smokers as well. Lower rate offset smokers are also easily available in the market.
