The Product: Traditional Water Smoker

You’re in luck if you like “smoked meats” because there are a wide range of models available online to provide you with a quality “smoking” experience. Most of the models are powered by electricity and use flavored wood chips to smoke the meat to perfection, but there are also “vertical water smokers” which include cooking racks along with a fire pit and a water pan to regulate temperature and moisture, and also the more serious “off set smokers” which consist of a firebox, horizontal smoking chamber and chimney.

Recommendation: Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker

Often referred to as the Weber Bullet Smoker, the The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is without question the best inexpensive smoker on the market, and there are plenty of fan sites on the Internet to prove it. Ranging from $199 to $249, this vertical water smoker is easy to set up, fun to use and will consistently deliver juicy and moist meats to your plate. I gave it a try on Thanksgiving when I had some family in town and it became the talk of the evening, with the smoked turkey easily beating out the regular (back-up) one in a taste test. The best part is that the Weber Bullet Smoker doesn't require a lot of work, which allowed me to spend more time with the family than I expected. I positioned about an 18 lb turkey in there with some room to spare, filled the water pan and aside from checking in on it from time to time, just let the grill do the work, adding charcoal one time.

The Weber Smoker features 2 heavy-duty plated steel cooking grates and two 18.5 inch diameter cooking areas. There is a porcelain enameled bowl, lid and water pan, a no-rust aluminum vent and fuel door, and a glass-reinforced nylon handle. The access door on the side is very convenient, allowing you to add water or smoking chips during the cooking process and the air tight design of this Weber model guarantees incredible temperature control. In addition, the three adjustable vents in the charcoal bowl and one in the lid allow you to control the fuel combustion.
The Weber 2820 Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker also comes with a premium grade cover/lid, a Weber Cookbook with has some great recipes, and a 5-year warranty plan (along with Weber's high standard of customer service/toll free phone support)

For recipes and all sort of ideas on how to use the Weber Smoker, visit The Virtual Weber Bullet. Also, read more about Why I Love Weber Grills

Devil's Advocate:

The Weber Smoker does not include a built in thermometer for those who like to monitor temperature. You can add one to the grill but it will impact upon the warranty. To learn more, visit The Virtual Weber Bullet.