It is much easier to control the temperature of a gasser that a charcoal or wood fueled smoker, and this is very important. Propane gassers don't require access to electricity as do pellet and electric smokers. This makes them more portable. You need to keep spare tanks on hand because they have a nasty habit of running out right in the middle of a five hour cooking session. If the tank is running low, you need to check up on it every 30 minutes to be sure the flame is not as dead as your pig. This is a bit of a pain, especially when you undertake the smoking a nine pound butt for pulled pork, a cooking session that could take 18 hours. For sure it will croak at 2 a.m. If your tank is running low, it's a good idea to remove it and hook a fresh tank when you start. This practice leaves you with several partially filled tanks in the garage. Grrrrr.
When the tank is empty, you can take it to one of many gas stations, convenience stores, drug stores, or groceries that let you swap for a full tank for an empty plus $13-20. There is also a small safety issue. There is an open flame, and the flame is sometimes in a place where a child or dog could get into it by mistake. For an article on handling propane and propane safety, click here.
Here's the least expensive gauge: Take a quart of warm water and pour it slowly over the side of the tank. It will warm the metal where the tank is empty and the metal where the liquid propane remains will remain cold. Run you hand down the side to locate the liquid level.
Of course you do have a backup tank, don't you? And you do backup you computer don't you (one copy on premises and one copy off premises)?
Meathead's Faves
Introduced in 2009, these two El Cheapo Gassers are very similar and both are worth your consideration, especially if ease of use is a high priority. My favorite feature: Both have a separate door at the bottom for adding water and wood so you don't cool off the meat by opening the door to the cooking chamber. The water pans catch drips and protect the burners. They work better with chips or pellets than chunks, but they leak a lot so you will burn more wood than on airtight units. I like to smoke at 225F and my Brinkmann runs at a steady 270F on low on an 80F summer day, and 230F on high on a winter day when it was 20F with no wind. The thermometers are worthless, as is the case on most grills and smokers, so plan on getting a good digital thermometer. Neither comes with a cover or a propane tank. Bottom line: The food tastes first rate and it is hard to find a better buy since both units list at about $200.
Brinkmann Vertical Gas Smoker (above)
Although it has a small footprint, 17" deep x 17.5" wide x 42" high plus space for the propane tank, it has three racks each capable of holding a slab of ribs split in half, a turkey, or a Boston butt. If you use wire rib racks. you can fit six slabs of ribs in. There is no damper, but you really don't need one. You just leave the chimney open and control the temp with the gas gauge. The water and wood each go in separate removable porcelain pans.
Char-Broil Vertical Propane Smoker (right)
The Char-Broil has a few advantages over the Brinkmann. There's a damper on the top and a wire rack over it for your sauce pan. It is slightly larger at 21.5" deep x 19.5" wide x 45.5" tall, not counting the tank, and the cooking chamber is taller because the wood tray sits in the middle of the water pan. The door has large hinges, closes fairly tight, and has spring-style handles that stay cool. There are three grates whose height can be changed and in the door. The base has a nice wide stance for stability. There is a dial for temperature control and a rotary ignition and it is capable of 16,500 btu. One reader reports that his can get as hot as 335F, perfect for turkeys. Click here to see the latest prices for the Char-Broil Vertical Propane Smoker
on Amazon.com.
Brinkmann All-In-One Gas & Charcoal Smoker/Grill/Fryer
A cheapo versatile bullet that is best when cooking with gas, but can be adapted to cook with charcoal, and can be used as a smoker, brazier, or deep fryer. This was my first smoker, and it lasted several years although the base eventually rusted out and the aluminum firebox corroded. The thermometer is cheap. Adding water is awkward because it must be poured from the top and can easily get on the food or the lava rocks. Adding wood is downright dangerous because the whole upper unit must be slid partially aside. The newer Masterbuilt 7-in-One (below) is modeled on this unit, only a lot better for little more money. List price is about $180. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
Camp Chef Smoke Vault
There are two models. Both are 16" deep and 44" high (the cooking chambers are 30" high), while one is 18" wide with a footprint 24" wide by 21" deep, and the other is 24" wide with a footprint of 30" wide and 21" deep. If you are going to cook full racks of ribs, the 24" unit is the better choice. Both feature a 20,000 btu propane burner, a stainless steel water pan, a cast iron wood chip box, four removable racks, and a push button ignitor. The 24" unit lists for about $420. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here. The 18" lists for about $315. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
Great Outdoors Smoky Mountain Series
Although they are cheap to buy and cheaply built, they turn out pretty good 'que. They outstanding feature: They holds a pretty steady temp once you get the water pan boiling.
There are two models that I have seen of this cabinet-style front loading gasser, but I hear reports of a number of slightly different sizes and configurations depending on where you buy. Apparently the manufacturer makes them custom for several retailers. There is a narrow body that is about 16" wide x 15" deep x 35" high on the inside and about 44" tall on the outside ant a 13,500 btu burner. The bigger one, users call it the "Big Block", stands about 48" high and is a capacious 24" wide x 15" deep x 35" high cooking chamber and a 18,000 btu burner. The 24" has five rack positions and four chrome plated racks. This means it is wide enough for any slab of ribs and can handle up to eight slabs. Ten if you buy an additional rack.
It has has a cast brass burner, electronic ignition, three adjustable dampers, a cool grip front door handle that is a bit awkward, a porcelain coated water pan, and a cast iron box for wood. I have heard of people replacing the cast iron box with a cut down coffee can because the cast iron took too long to heat up. I often hear users complain that workmanship is poor, that it leaks around the welds, and the door does not seal tightly, but they don't worry because it seems to operate best when all the dampers are open and the extra airflow doesn't hurt.
Wide stance legs offer good stability and the flame is set where it is not likely to set fire to the dog's tail. There is a temperature gauge located near the center of the door, but no thermostat. Still, users claim it is pretty easy to set it at a temperature and it will hold it fairly well in unless it is windy. Some owners have put up wind breaks or insulated the exterior to make it more efficient. As with most other thin metal uninsulated units, it gets hot on the outside, especially on the bottom. Users recommend that you put an aluminum pan beneath it to catch grease and protect your deck. One has put tuna cans under the legs to catch drips. Other users have replaced the water pan with a larger capacity stainless steel mixing bowl. The manual has minimal instructions and recipes.
The manufacturer, CFM Home Products of Canada, has no info on these nifty inexpensive smokers on its website. Nor do they respond promptly to emails. But they do answer the phone and owners say they are very helpful on the phone. Frustrated users have one-upped the manufacturer by forming a support group with some knowledgeable cooks who have lots of good advice and ideas, recipes, modifications, and tips on techniques. Here's a link to the Smoky Mountain group on Yahoo.
Another word of caution: Before you take it home, open the box. I have heard reports of customers being disappointed by missing parts. Regardless of the poor workmanship, it is easy to use, works great, and the price is right, hence my "Hot Stuff Award." The 16" unit lists for about $100. The 24" unit sells for only $130. For discount pricing and direct ordering for the 16" model from Amazon.com, click here. For pricing on the 24" model from Amazon.com, click here.
King Kooker
I like the look of these units, but buyer beware, they have never answered my emails asking for info and I have heard from others that say the same.
This Louisiana company make two cabinet style smokers. The 2106 is called a "Low Pressure Smoker with 38" Smoking Cabinet". The 2206 is called a "High Pressure Smoker with 30" Smoking Cabinet".
The 2106 (shown at right) has a 38" tall cabinet space with eight slots for racks, a 20,000 btu steel burner, three removable racks, three sausage hanging racks, a porcelain water pan, a cast iron wood chip pan with vented lid, two dampers on the sides, a smokestack with a damper, a red "Hot" signal you can put up to let people know the unit is in use in case the billowing smoke is not enough to alert them, a thermometer on the front door, heat resistant handles, piezo electric starter, and an instruction booklet with a few simple recipes. Here is one clever feature: A small side door through which the water and wood pan slide so you can add water and wood without opening the front door and losing smoke and heat. Here's another: One of the racks is called a marinade rack because it has indentations to hold beer cans for beer can chicken.
The 2206 is similar to the 2106 with these exceptions: It is smaller with only six slots for racks and it has a more powerful 54,000 btu high pressure burner that can be used for other cooking purposes such as deep frying turkeys. The cabinet can be lifted off the base so the base can be used for holding a pot, wok, Dutch oven, frying pan, or another cooking device. The 2106, the 38" unit sells for $336.11. The 2206, the 30" unit sells for about $300. King Kooker.
Masterbuilt 7-in-One Smoker
This is my favorite of the bullet-shaped water smokers because it is so versatile, but bottom line, I like the cabinet style better. You can use either gas or charcoal as fuel. It converts into a brazier or a tripod for boiling water or deep frying and it comes with a 10.5 quart aluminum pot and basket. Like most bullets, it uses an enamel water/drip pan to put moisture into the cooking chamber. It has a small door at the bottom so you can add wood chips or fill the water pan and a damper at the top to help control air flow. Made of thin stainless steel, the lid dents easily and the plastic handle breaks easily if dropped. A clerk in one store told me that he has had to replace the handle on his floor model several times just because it is knocked off by tire-kickers. It is the only bullet I have seen with a side shelf for trays or tools. Like all bullets, it is not insulated, and there is no wind shield around the burner, so cold temps, wind, and rain will make it hard to maintain constant temps.
If you buy this smoker, immediately go get yourself a good thermometer. The thermometer that comes with it sucks. The two 15.5" cooking grates are just a bit too small for some large slabs. To get max capacity, I have to cut slabs in half, but I can get eight half slabs on it easily. You can also roll the slabs and get about six slabs on this way. It is similar to the popular Weber Smoky Mountain, which burns only charcoal, but the Weber is built from heavier metal with an enamel finish. Electronic ignition. Lists for about $130 for the black enamel and $325 for the stainless with the shelf (above). For discount pricing and direct ordering for the black enamel from Amazon.com, click here. For the stainless model, click here.
Sam's Club Maker's Mark Stainless Steel Gas Smoker 968145
This sharp looking stainless steel unit features a double wall oven, three racks, a porcelain water pan, push-button electonic ignition, and a total cooking space of 1,260 square inches. The cooking chamber sits on top of a cabinet for storing the propane tank (which is not included). The whole shebang is 61"high x 28" deep x 25.5" wide. Made in China, it comes with a one year limited warranty on the cooking unit, two years on some other parts, and a lifetime warranty on the stainless steel tube burner. I have never seen it in stores and I think it can only be ordered on request sight unseen. For more info, contact Grand Hall USA, 800-770-9769, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. CST, M-F. Lists for $600 from Sam's Club only.
Vermont Castings Propane Gas Smoker
Double-walled cabinet with a brushed stainless steel exterior 36" high x 24" wide x 16" deep. Cast brass burner with electronic ignition. Silicon gel door gasket with cool grip locking door handle and heavy duty carrying handles. Wide stance. Cast iron wood chip box and porcelain coated water pan. Propane only, tank not included. Lists for about $650.
This page was revised 1/3/2010
These are highly recommended products that I have tested personally or that have been tested by reliable sources. Awards are based on features, quality, and value. Rest assured that when I recommend a product, it is really because I like it, not because someone has paid me to say so or because the company is an advertiser or sponsor. I purchase most products I review although occasionally suppliers send me samples.
There are a number of gauges that go between the tank and the hose, but the two I've tried didn't work. Another option is the 
(at right) which is not much more than a glorified fish scale. An empty tank weight 20 pounds, and a full one is 40 pounds. Hoist your tank and the gauge gives you a pretty good guestimate of how much is left. I take mine when I exchange empty tanks for full ones. You'd be surprised how many are underfiulled.
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