Today we’re talking about cooking with one of the coolest appliances on the market – the smoker. A smoker is a tool utilized by many amateur and professional chefs to prepare meals that are (you guessed it) smoked! Smoking is a really delicious way to prepare food, and we’re going to tell you all about it.

This article is all about the different types of smokers that you may encounter when trying to purchase one of these magnificent machines. There are many methods by which food can be smoked, and as a result there are many different smokers on the market. We’re helping you to bypass this confusion by outlining all the major types.

What is a Smoker?

First thing’s first, since this article is about the basics of smokers, let’s first outline what a smoker is.

“Smoking” food is the method of preparing food by which you brown, flavor, or cook through exposure to smoke. This smoke is the result of a smoldering/burning material (most often wood or charcoal). Common foods which are smoked are fish, meat, vegetables, and more.

A “smoker” is any appliance where the primary purpose is to smoke food. As you might imagine, there are many possible ways to create smoke to cook food. And as a result, there are many variants of smoker available on the market today. Our goal in this article is to help you understand the differences between these offerings, so that you can choose the best one that suits your home-cooking needs.

After all, the “best” smoker on the market is really just the one that works best for you. So read on to discover all about these smokers, and pick the best way to achieve that delicious, smoky taste at home.

Why Get a Smoker?

If you’ve ever tasted smoked meat, you can probably guess the appeal that a smoker holds to so many people. The common term applied to smoking meats is “low and slow”. This is in reference to cooking the food at a low heat for a long period of time. The result is an extremely tender piece of food (usually meat or fish), with a rich, smoky flavour.