Nothing beats the delicious taste of smoky grilled meat and vegetables. The best way to get that fantastic flavor is with a combination smoker and grill, but buying one can be frustrating. There are a lot of different types, styles, sizes, and prices out there. They vary a lot with their features, from the simple and manually operated to high-tech products filled with electronic sensors. We’ve put in hours of research to guide you through the buying considerations and suggest the best smoker grill combo.
Buying considerations for a smoker grill combo
Of course, price is a very important factor when considering which smoker grill combo is best for you. However, you can get amazing results without buying the most expensive and fancy piece of equipment on the market.
To begin with there are options for smokers that simply attach onto your existing grill, offering a very affordable and efficient way to provide you with your smoking needs without a large investment. An add-on smoker to your existing grill can be difficult to produce the best results though.
It can be difficult to control the exact temperatures required for traditional smoking (find out which probe thermometers are great for smoking meat), although they are great for adding smokey flavor to whatever you are grilling. If you’re already experienced using these types of grills for bbq meat and vegetables, then one of these may be a great option to take your grilling to the next level.
Standalone units
Standalone units, even automatic models with electronic temperature control and wifi enabled phone apps, can be found for under $500. These units tend to give the best results, as they are easier to use and are designed with both grilling and smoking purposes in mind.
Some units rely on pellets, which can be more difficult to find than traditional fuels. However, pellets have a particular flavor and burn evenly. Whether you prefer traditional wood or a pellet burning grill is up to personal preference and experience. The pellet burners do simplify things a bit though and can make things a lot easier for less experienced pitmasters.
Why buy a smoker grill combo?
Adding smoke to your grilling really will provide an amazing new variety of flavors to your food. The amazing aromas from smokey meats and vegetables will impress your friends and family, and really add a wonderful extra level of enjoyment to your bbq. For example, imagine smoking up some delicious ground venison jerky! Head on over to this post to find out which meat grinder is perfect for processing your own venison.
Combination grill smokers are a very effective method of cooking and offer a range of options and customization for your recipes. It just depends what flavor profile and level of smokiness you desire in that day’s ingredients.
When smoking, you can choose to either cook slow and low with a nice smoky flavor, or literally turn up the heat to caramelize that steak or pork chop. Therefore, a combination smoker grill is a very diverse tool that will improve your outdoor cooking game immensely.
Having a combination smoker grill allows you to add that delicious smokiness at the same time as cooking your food. That eliminates a lot of time from your preparation, rather than if you first smoked, and then grilled your products after. Time is money, so a combination grill smoker is a worthy investment to improve your home cooked meals.
Best smoker grill combos
Smokenator 1000 by Weber
The Smokenator 1000 is a well designed and innovative BBQ accessory. Fitting into those classic Weber Kettle grills that are among the most popular grills out there, the Smokenator 1000 transforms your grill into a water smoker. Available in different sizes, it converts your existing 18”, 22”, or 26” Weber kettle into an efficient and easy to use smoker at an affordable price.
See the Smokenator Smoker for 22″ Weber Kettle Grill at Amazon
While the Smokenator is a quality product and very well reviewed, some concerns are raised about how it doesn’t stand up against a dedicated smoker. Plus, coal and water adjustments may sometimes be necessary during the process.
However, because it is available for a fraction of the price, if you already own a Weber kettle grill then this product is a fantastic option for smoking and grilling on the same equipment. Reviews prove that this simple add-on is a versatile and effective tool that will greatly improve your BBQ.
Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Pellet Grill – WIFI enabled
The Davy Crockett is an amazing high-tech and portable grill. Buyers love that the temperature control (which can be monitored and controlled via a cellphone app) works very precisely, more than other more expensive brands. Perfect temperatures lead to perfectly cooked food, and there are no complaints about the ease of use or the wonderful flavor of the end results.
See the Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Pellet Grill – WIFI enabled at Amazon
One downside is the legs are quite short, so you will be bending down unless you mount it on something. However, this makes it even more perfect for tailgating, camping, and general portability. It is also easy to place on a table if the height bothers you. Plus, it’s small and light enough to be packed up and put in the trunk of just about any car, while still having a large enough cooking surface for most family type BBQs.
Everyone mentions the great build quality, and there are very good features for easy cleaning too. At a very reasonable price for a combination smoker grill, the Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett allows you to get a portable, efficient and high tech machine that will turn out amazing results every time.
Smoker Grill Combinations
A smoker grill combo will greatly improve your outdoor cooking, providing you with far more options at a better price than having both a smoker and a grill. While there are a huge range of smoker grills available, our pick is the Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Pellet Grill. Apart from its high-quality build and great results, the Wifi app and very accurate temperature gauges on this model will help you create amazing BBQ food. It is affordable, portable, well designed and very well reviewed. We can’t recommend it enough. Happy grilling!
Additional Resources
Image credit via Flickr Creative Commons: Woodleywonderworks