What is the Difference Between a Barbecue Grill and a Smoker?
The critical difference is the temperature range for cooking. Grills cook food quickly at high temperatures, and with direct heat, temperatures can go as high as 700°F or more rapidly and are easily maintained. Smokers cook food for several hours at low temperatures, usually ranging between 200°F to 300°F, with indirect heat.
What is the Best Type of BBQ Smoker Combo?
BBQ smoker combos offer fantastic versatility and unique flavors; each type of smoker and grill has advantages and disadvantages. The best (or right) kind of smoker and grill combo differs for everyone and depends on your preferences. Whether you choose a pellet combo grill, a charcoal grill smoker combo, or a different BBQ and smoker combo, you can cook food at low and high temperatures.
Is a Pellet Grill or a Charcoal Smoker Better for Outdoor Cooking?
Neither is necessarily better since each type of grill and smoker has unique pros and cons. If you’re looking for a low-maintenance grill or smoker, a pellet grill or pellet smoker might be a better option. A charcoal grill or smoker would be better if you’re looking for smoky or wood flavors in your foods. If you prefer the ease of use with a pellet smoker but want the flavors of charcoal smoking, some wood pellet smokers can use charcoal pellets, which gives you the best of both worlds.
Things to Consider When Buying a Combined Grill and Smoker
When buying a smoker grill combo, remember your grilling and smoking needs. A wide range of grill smoker combos is available, and it’s essential to pay close attention to differences in design type, features, pricing, versatility, practicality, fuel source, and more.
- Cooking Area & Size
The size of the cooking area of your combo grilling and smoking unit determines how much you can cook at one time. Grilling areas can range from a few hundred square inches to more than 1000 square inches, and the smoker portion might have racks or hooks. Ensure the cooking area is easily accessible for turning meat or adding additional ingredients.
Some smoker grill combos offer additional cooking areas like a grate or a particular area to warm cooked foods. You can even find a grill griddle smoker combo or combo units with side burners.
- Airflow
Airflow helps regulate temperatures; even gas and electric smokers may have venting systems to help maintain more accurate and even temperatures. Charcoal and kamado smokers rely on vents or dampers only to adjust airflow, affecting the fire and internal temperature in the cooking chamber. Vents should be made from durable rustproof materials, easy to operate, and easily accessible.
- Temperature Control
Temperature control is the most important feature when buying a smoker grill combo. Your combo unit needs to be proficient with reaching and maintaining appropriate temperature ranges for the grill and the smoker. The grill portion should quickly reach high temperatures and retain them. The smoker needs to keep steady low temperatures for several hours.
Temperature control is more accessible with gas grills and pellet smokers. It can be difficult with grills and smokers that use wood or charcoal for a fuel source and might need you to open and close air vents, adjust fuel placement and shelves, or add more fuel periodically to maintain temperatures.
- Fuel
Modern barbecue grills and smokers extend beyond the traditional fuel sources of wood and charcoal; they also use alternative fuel types like electricity, wood pellets, charcoal pellets, and gas. Each fuel type has different benefits that affect grilling or smoking performance.
While electric and gas units can be easier to operate, reach cooking temperatures quickly, and give precise temperature control, they can’t achieve the very high temperatures needed for quick searing and grilling. Charcoal or pellet grill and smoker combos excel at providing high heat but don’t perform as well for low-temperature, slow cooking.
- Quality & Construction
A smoker grill combo with durable, rugged construction made from high-quality materials, like heavy-gauge steel construction, will give you a BBQ grill and smoker combo that will work reliably for a long time. Stainless steel shelves, storage areas, and powder-coated exteriors will help maintain the longevity of your smoker grill combo.
The parts of the barbecue grill and smoker combo you are supposed to handle should be adequately shielded from heat. Your grill and smoker should also be appropriately insulated to operate efficiently.
- Technology
Modern features and functionality provide exceptional usability and convenience, better cooking results, and quality-of-life upgrades. One such feature is the built-in thermostat, which accurately monitors and controls temperatures, and many are controlled with external switches or knobs, while some support wireless monitoring and control with an app on your phone. Some grill and smoker combos even have built-in or wireless temperature probes that can be used to set target temperatures and activate an alarm on your combo unit when the target temperature has been reached.
- Brand
If you’re new to grilling and smoking, consider a brand that provides more budget-friendly starter options. If you want to upgrade your barbecue grill and smoker, staying with the same brand can be helpful since your old accessories may be compatible. Available features, like technology and construction options, vary between brands, so you’ll want to choose a brand that meets your grilling and smoking needs.
- Warranty
Most smokers and grills come with a manufacturer’s warranty, but what is covered and how long it is covered varies based on the manufacturer, the model, and the type of part. Some warranties cover labor in addition to parts and can be limited lifetime warranties or last for a specified duration, such as one year, five years, or ten years.
- Price
Prices for BBQ smoker grill combos can be as low as a few hundred dollars or as high as a thousand dollars or more. Compare prices with your budget and calculate the value you’d be getting from the unit, features, and warranty.
Grill and Smoker Combo FAQs
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Call us today at (817) 412-1391 or visit our local grill store to explore our extensive range of outdoor cooking options and grilling and smoking products. We look forward to having you here!
