Dreaming of mouth-watering, competition-worthy, low-and-slow meats?
Offset smokers, also known as barrel smokers or horizontal offset smokers are often thought of as the traditional smoker for their simple, yet effective design. Powered by charcoal and/or wood, they’re ideal for anyone who wants to master the conventional way of smoking, and, cook a large quantity of deliciously smoked meat in the process.
But, when it comes to buying an offset smoker, any old thing won’t do! The market’s full of cheap options that leak smoke, use a tonne of fuel and quite frankly, just don’t work well.
Instead of chancing it, you’re obviously doing your research!
Here you’ll find reviews of the best offset smokers this year has to offer.
Each of our recommended barbecues have been chosen based on quality, functionality, and, features as well as a whole host of other factors including our own experience!
Also included with each of our smoker reviews, you’ll find the specs, pros and cons of each model so you’ve got all the information to find the best smoker for your needs.
If you are on a budget but want something that’s still decent, check out our best offset smokers under $500 review.
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Table of Contents
Oklahoma Joe Highland - Best Traditional
Oklahoma Joe offset smokers are kind of like the Webers of the smoking world. With a great mix of quality, features and price, the Oklahoma Joe’s range is pretty unbeatable when it comes to backyard, or even, semi-professional smoking. So, it’s only natural that our top traditional stick smoker would be their all-rounder, the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland.
Crafted from high-temperature steel, this unit gives you a generous 619 square inches of cooking racks in the main chamber. And, while that’s more than enough for a whole brisket and a pork butt, it’s not so much that it’s hard to heat.
Controlling the temperature is easy with multiple, quality dampers which are easy to adjust and the steel is thick enough to hold heat well in most weather conditions.
The Oklahoma Joe’s Highland Smoker has all the standard features you need to make barbecuing easy. A removable shelf to keep your utensils handy, cool-touch handles, a built-in thermometer and a heavy-duty cart with wheels making it possible to move it around on your own.
In the offset firebox you’ll also find an additional 281 square inches of space to grill over the coals. But, if size is your priority, simply go for the Highland’s big brother, the Longhorn with a total of 1,060 square inches of cooking space instead of 900.
The Highland is sometimes criticized for leaking a bit of smoke. But, in our experience, the leakage is minimal and doesn’t need to be addressed. However, a few simple and inexpensive mods will sort that!
But, if you’re looking for a quality, traditional offset smoker inspired from the Texas Oil Fields, the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland is all you truly need to make incredible, perfectly smoked meats in your own backyard.
Specs for the Oklahoma Joe Highland Offset Smoker
Barbecue material: Painted 2.5mm steel
Grate material: Porcelain-coated wire
Fuel type: Charcoal or wood
Primary cooking capacity: 619 sq in
Secondary cooking capacity: 281 sq in
Total cooking capacity: 900 sq in
Model: 15202031-63
Assembly required: Yes
Assembled size (in): 57″(W) x 33.5″(D) x 53″(H)
Weight: 178lbs
Warranty: 2 years
Pros of the Oklahoma Joe Highland Smoker:
- Good cooking capacity without having to heat excess space
- Multiple dampers for easy heat control
- Built from painted, heavy-duty steel to minimize chance of warping and rusting
- Easy to clean porcelain-coated cooking grates that are also durable and rust-resistant
- Integrated storage space
- Strong cart with wheels for one-person moving
- Cool-touch handles
- Built-in thermometer
- Additional bung for you to easily add another thermometer if you want to
- Easy to clean firebox design
Cons of the Oklahoma Joe Highland Smoker:
- Susceptible to some smoke leakage which can be addressed with a few simple modifications
Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker - Best Reverse
Char Broil have taken their ever-popular Oklahoma Joe Longhorn smoker and amped it up with some sweet reverse flow technology to create this baby!
But, not only can you control the baffles for a more even temperature throughout, you can also use it as a regular, traditional offset smoker. Simply remove the plates and relocate the smoke stacker to the secondary port and away you go. However, regardless of which way you decide to use this barbecue, adjusting the temperature and smoke levels is easy with multiple dampers and a professional quality thermometer.
The Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker offers a huge 7,51 square inches of cooking space in the main chamber. You’ll also find another 309 square inches in the firebox for direct grilling, bringing the total cooking space to a giant 1,060 square inches.
Throw in a large, easy access firebox, 2 storage shelves, quality heavy gauge all-steel construction and 10 inch wheels to move her ’round and you’ve got yourself one awesome, all-round quality smoker. The Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn Reverse offers an unparalleled smoking experience for such great value. It’s definitely one of our favorites in our best offset smokers!
If you like the sound of the Longhorn Reverse but don’t need quite this much space, the Highland Reverse is about 100 square inches smaller but still has all the same functional features.
Specs for the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker
Barbecue material: Painted 2.5mm steel
Grate material: Porcelain-coated wire
Fuel type: Charcoal or wood
Primary cooking capacity: 751 sq in
Secondary cooking capacity: 309 sq in
Total cooking capacity: 1060 sq in
Model: 17202053
Assembly required: Yes
Assembled size (in): 55.5(H) x 64.25(W) x 35.5(D)
Weight: 226lbs
Warranty: 2 years
Pros of the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker:
- Reverse flow set-up for increased evenness of smoke and heat distribution
- Multiple dampers for increased heat control
- Large cooking capacity
- Can be set up as either a reverse flow offset smoker or a regular offset smoker
- Heavy duty steel that’s less susceptible to warping and rusting
- Durable, rust resistant and easy to clean porcelain-coated grates
- 2 steel racks for convenient storage
- Sturdy wheels to make moving easier
- Cool touch handles
- Comes with large stainless steel fuel basket for easy fire handling
- Large door to make cleaning out ash easy
- Built-in thermometer for easy heat monitoring
Cons of the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker:
- Not completely smoke-tight but this can easily and cheaply be addressed if you wish
Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D Heavy-Duty Vertical Smoker & Grill - Best Vertical
If you’ve got a limited space but still want to be able to cook a tonne of food, a vertical offset is a great way to go. And, Dyna-Glo’s Signature Series Heavy-Duty Vertical Smoker and Grill is our top pick in this category.
Despite the low price tag, the build of this unit is surprisingly strong. Crafted from heavy-duty steel, it’s not as thick as a professional grade unit but is definitely sturdy enough to withstand a bit of a beating from high-heat and it’s huge capacity.
And a huge capacity is what you get from the DGSS1382VCS-D. Spread over 5 removable racks, you get an impressive 1,098 square inches of smoking space. Also included are pre-installed sausage hooks for hanging. Plus, there’s 284 square inches of grilling space in the firebox.
Temperature control is fairly easy and the vertical design helps to keep the heat even throughout. As you’d expect at this price point, you will get some smoke leaking through the joins and door. We recommend fitting a LavaLack gasket around the doors for a tighter seal.
But, once fitted, you’ll have a really decent, large capacity offset smoker that’s efficient, easy to use and is capable of turning out some impressive barbecue.
Specs for the Dyna-Glo DGSS1382VCS-D
Barbecue material: Heavy-gauge steel
Grate material: Chrome-plated wire
Fuel type: Charcoal or wood
Cooking capacity: 1,382 sq in
Model: DGSS1382VCS-D
Assembled size (in): 58.8(H) x 45.5(W) x 24.9(D)
Weight: 124.3 lbs
Warranty: 1 year
Pros of the Dyna-Glo Signature Series Vertical Offset:
- Great value for money
- Huge cooking capacity
- Doesn’t take up a lot of room in your backyard
- Flexible cooking configuration
- Comes with sausage hooks for hanging
- Decent quality build
- Fuel efficient design
- Keeps a fairly even temperature throughout
- Slide out ash pan for easy cleaning
Cons of the Dyna-Glo Signature Series Vertical Offset:
- Metal isn’t super thick which means it will lose a lot of heat when it’s being used in colder weather conditions
- Leaks smoke around the doors —> Fit a self-sticking LavaLock gasket to fix
Dyna-Glo Vertical DGO1176BDC-D - Best Budget
If you’re looking for a top offset smoker but, you’re on a budget, this is one for you! Dyna-Glo make some of the best value offset smokers on the market and the DGO1176BDC-D is no exception.
With all the basic features you need to make deliciously smoked meats at home without the hefty price tag. It’s perfect for beginners but is also great for anyone who wants ribs and brisket without having to fork out for a bigger investment.
Offering a huge 1,176 square inches of cooking space, spread over 6 shelves, the Dyna-Glo Vertical Offset lets you smoke up to 150 pounds of food at any one time. The racks are removable so if you want to cook something that needs more height, like a whole turkey, simply remove and adjust the cooking grates to suit.
Controlling the temperature is easy with an adjustable smoke stack flue. And, the porcelain-enameled fire chamber keeps your briquettes tightly stacked for improved fuel efficiency.
Although it’s not THE cheapest offset smoker on the market, we rate it as the BEST cheap offset smoker because it’s such great value for money.
Read our full review of the Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker here.
Specs for the Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Smoker
Barbecue material: Heavy gauge steel
Grate material: Chrome plated steel
Fuel type: Charcoal or wood
Primary cooking capacity: 1176 sq in
Secondary cooking capacity: None
Total cooking capacity: 1176 sq in
Model: DGO1176BDC-D
Assembly required: Yes
Assembled size (in): 50.2(H) x 35(W) x 21(D)
Weight: 57lbs
Warranty: 1 year
Pros of the Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D:
- Inexpensive
- Large cooking capacity
- Small footprint
- Easy to move with heavy duty handles
- Adjustable cooking racks to fit a variety of sizes
- Matching cover available for purchase
- Built-in thermometer to easily monitor cooking temperature
- Grease management system to make cleaning the cooking chamber easy
- Removable steel ash pan to make cleaning the firebox easy
- Adjustable flue to greater temperature and smoke control
Cons of the Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D:
- No additional cooking grate in the firebox to quickly grill additional food
- Chrome plated steel cooking racks don’t offer the same durability or heat distribution as ceramic coated
- Prone to smoke leakages
KBQ C-60 BBQ Smoker Pit - Best Innovative
For anyone who loves traditionally wood smoked meats but doesn’t have the patience to learn and master how to use an offset smoker, the KBQ BBQ Pit Smoker is king!
This cleverly designed offset smoker was created by a veteran US Navy Submariner with one goal in mind – to make it easy burn wood with a clean, blue smoke to make smoked meats taste better and be and healthier to eat. And, that he has done!
You’ll notice that the firebox on the KBQ C-60 sits neatly on top of the cooking chamber. From here, it burns pure wood, pulling heat and smoke from under the fire through the flames to burn off the heavy smoke and dangerous gases that leave a nasty creosote flavor on the meat. From there, clean, thin blue smoke is sent into the thermostatically controlled cooking chamber to create unbelievable smoke rings and perfectly crispy bark.
It’s called inverted flame technology. It’s trademarked and 100% simple to use. You literally don’t need any experience to create competition-worthy results from the very first time you use this smoker.
The only thing to take note of is that the KBQ C-60 is definitely not a set and forget smoker! You will have to keep feeding the right sized logs into the firebox every 30 minutes or so. But, keeping the fuel coming is all you need to do. Forget about struggling to keep the temperature constant, having the right amount of smoke and turning meat, all of that’s looked after for you and is what guarantees those mouthwatering results.
To top things off the right way, KBQ have set all this innovation inside a super strong, rust-resistant 18-gauge 430-grade stainless steel box. It’s hand-made in the States and holds 960 square inches of cooking space. The adjustable stainless steel racks are also interchangeable with catering pans which are great to keep food warm or for laying vegetables and other small things for smoking.
The KBQ C-60 Smoker really does produce some of the finest smoked meats you’ll ever taste. And, you can make it yourself, easily in your own backyard!
Read our full review of the KBQ C 60 Barbecue Pit here.
Specs for the Karubecue C-60 Pit Smoker
Fuel type: Charocal and wood logs
Barbecue material: 18-gauge 430 stainless steel
Grate material: Stainless steel
Cooking capacity: 960 sq. in.
Model: C-60
Dimensions: 41.7(H) x 25.6(W) x 19.3(D)
Weight: 92lbs
Warranty: 2 years
Pros of the Karubecue C-60 BBQ Smoker Pit:
- Trademarked inverted flame technology burns thin, blue smoke that’s absolutely perfect for creating the best smoke rings, flavor and crispy bark you’ve ever tasted
- So easy to make your own competition-quality meats on this unit
- Creates consistently amazing results
- 100% stainless steel build for strength, rust-resistance and making it easy to clean
- Thermostatically controlled cooking chamber for effortless temperature maintenance
- Dual fans to circulate heat for an even cook
- Large cooking capacity with removable racks for flexibility
- Small footprint
- Easy to put together
- Hand-made in the USA
- Approved for use in most barbecue competitions
- Winner of numerous awards for its innovative design and incredible results
Cons of the Karubecue C-60 BBQ Smoker Pit:
- Although it’s thermostatically controlled, it’s not set and forget. You’ll need to add wood every 30 minutes to keep the fire running
- Need a steady supply of logs a little larger than a can of Red Bull but smaller than the average brick
- Uses an open flame so needs to be treated like a campfire and kept somewhere safe away from where kids and pets can reach it
- Also requires electricity to run convection fans
- Not suitable for grilling
The Good One Generation 3 Marshall Smoker - Best Premium
Huge, high-quality and suitable for competitions and light commercial use make the Generation 3 Marshall Smoker from The Good One the top choice when it comes to a premium offset smoker. Yes, you’ll pay a bit more for this baby. But, it’s also got the strength, size and durability to guarantee you many years of smoking enjoyment in your backyard.
Made from 11 gauge painted steel, the Generation 3 Marshall Smoker is excellent at holding the heat without warping. And, there’s a fancy internal damper that runs the entire length of the firebox to even out smoke distribution while making sure that your whole cook is free from nasty hot-spots.
In fact, the Marshall has been specially engineered to maximize smokiness while minimizing fuel usage. This is achieved through the unique, angled box design that helps the smoke to roll evenly through the cooking chamber so that you don’t need to flip the meat around during your cook.
Another cool feature of this premium quality smoker are the cool spinner vents. These are used both on top of the cooking chamber and as exhaust vents in the firebox to allow precise control of the airflow, heat and smoke levels and are so easy to use!
With a huge 2,849 square inches of cooking space split between smoking and grilling, the Good One Gen 3 Marshall Smoker is a seriously strong unit that can handle pretty much anything you want to throw at it.
Specs for The Good One Marshall Generation 3 Smoker
Fuel type: Charcoal and wood
Barbecue material: Painted 11-gauge steel
Grate material: Expanded steel
Cooking capacity: 2,849 sq in
Model: The Marshall Generation III
Assembled size (in): 55(H) x 38(W) x 46(D)
Weight: 497lbs
Warranty: 10 years
Pros of The Marshall Gen III from The Good One:
- Heavy-duty, 11-gauge full steel smoker offers excellent heat retention without warping
- Very large cooking capacity split over a number of grates for flexibility
- Large grilling area in the firebox
- Very large firebox allows for maximum heat transference to the smoking chamber
- Internal damper runs the full length of the smoking chamber creating even heat and smoke distribution
- Unique boxed design encourages ideal smoke and heat flow so you don’t need to flip meat
- Spinner vents are easy to use and allow for precise control of your cooking environment
- Very efficient fuel usage due to innovative smoker shape
- Removable drip pan
- Removable ash pan
- Easy to clean
- Suitable for barbecue competitions and light commercial use as well as regular home use
- Large wheels and locking casters make it easy to move
- Limited 10 year warranty for peace of mind
Cons of The Marshall Gen III from The Good One:
- It will take a bit of time to get used to using the internal damper and spinner vents to control your cooking environment
- Unit is very heavy which indicates it’s quality but makes it hard to move in and out of a truck if taking to competitions
- Full firebox design means you need access to both sides of the smoker at once. But, due to it’s efficiency, you shouldn’t need to add more fuel for 6-8 hours and could use the wheels to turn the unit if necessary
Meadow Creek SQ36 - Best Heavy-Duty
Made to order in New Holland, Pennsylvania by a family-owned business, the Meadow Creek SQ36 brings commercial-level quality to anyone’s backyard for what’s an incredible price.
The large, right offset firebox coupled with a smoke distributer panel, makes the heat surprisingly easy to control while spreading the smoke evenly throughout the cooking chamber. There’s stainless steel cooking grates, a heavy-duty firebox rack, and, strong and durable 13-gauge steel throughout to give a tank-like feel.
The SQ36’s capacity isn’t huge. It houses 507 square inches of cooking space. But, there’s an optional second tier grate that’ll almost double the capacity.
The thermometer is calibratable for precise readings. And, the slide out ash pan plus ball valve drain make clean-up simple too.
There isn’t a huge list of features for this offset smoker. And, if you do want to grill on it, you’ll need to grab the add-on charcoal grill pan too. But, the SQ36 is super sturdy and totally solid. You just won’t find this sort of quality in any mainstream offset smoker manufacturer. We’d say they just don’t make them like this anymore, but, Meadow Creek do.
Specs for the Meadow Creek SQ36
Fuel type: Charcoal and/or wood
Barbecue material: Painted 13-gauge steel
Grate material: Stainless steel
Cooking capacity: 507 sq in
Model: SQ36
Assembled size (in): 56.5(H) x 61.5(W) x 29(D)
Weight: 310 lbs
Warranty: 1 year
Pros of The Meadow Creek SQ36
- Tank-like build with 13-gauge steel and excellent welds should last a lifetime with proper care
- Moderate cooking capacity suits home-use without costing a lot to run
- Smoke distributer panel creates even airflow for more consistent results
- Stainless steel racks
- Heavy-duty firebox grate
- You can calibrate the thermometer yourself
- Sliding ash pan is easy to empty
- Ball valve drain works well
Cons of The Meadow Creek SQ36:
- You need to buy the add-on charcoal grill grate if you want to use it for grilling as well
- The warranty isn’t long which is unusual considering the high-quality of this smoker. Still, we wouldn’t hesitate to buy one
Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo Smoker - Best Combo Offset
Love having options when it comes to cooking and entertaining? Then look no further than the Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn Combo Smoker.
Char Broil’s Oklahoma Joe range of smokers have been around since 1998. During this time, they’ve built a reputation as one of the strongest and sturdiest at-home smoker manufacturers.
And, the Longhorn Combo adds yet another impressive element to an already great barbecue. Not only will you get a heavy gauge steel barrel for traditional smoking or to use as a charcoal offset smoker, you’ll also be able to fire up the gas to quickly sear a steak for the ultimate, no-fuss dinner. Or, try reverse searing to take your tri-tip and other meats to the next level.
While the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo does offer a huge 1,060 square inches of cooking space in total, don’t forget that it’s split use. That means you’ll get 375 square inches on the smoker side, 375 square inches on the gas grill and another 310 square inches of charcoal grilling in the firebox.
However, the quality porcelain-coated cast iron racks, multi-temperature gauges, easy to adjust dampers and ready storage space make the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo Smoker and Grill a clear winner for anyone who likes to have it all.
Specs for the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo Smoker
Barbecue material: Painted 2.5mm steel
Grate material: Porcelain-coated cast iron
Fuel type: Charcoal, wood and gas
Primary cooking capacity: 750 sq in
Secondary cooking capacity: 310 sq in
Total cooking capacity: 1,060 sq in
Model: 15202029
Assembly required: Yes
Assembled size (in): 50.6(H) x 74(W) x 31.5(D)
Weight: 205lbs
Warranty: 2 years
Pros of the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo Smoker:
- Highly versatile barbecue – smoke, gas and charcoal grill
- Large overall cooking capacity
- Heavy duty steel that’s less susceptible to warping and rusting
- Durable, rust-resistant porcelain-coated grates
- Two thermometers for accurate heat measurement
- Large firebox making stoking and controlling fire temperature easier
- Rack for convenient storage
- Sturdy wheels to make moving easier
- Cool touch handles
- Easy to clean firebox
- Good warranty
Cons of the Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Combo Smoker:
- Less cooking space if you only want to cook one method at a time
Dyna-Glo Barrel and Offset Smoker - Best Small
When space is limited but you still want a traditionally shaped smoker, the Dyna-Glo Barrel and offset smoker is the go-to compact cooker that’s still capable of producing great meat.
Made from the same heavy-duty steel you’d expect from the other top offset smokers, it’s finished with durable porcelain-coated racks, a removable ash pan and a professional grade temperature gauge.
It’s smaller size saves on fuel and makes it perfect for anyone who doesn’t want to cook such large quantities in one go or has a smaller yard or deck. You can even fold down the front working table and easily wheel it around for out of the way storage while you’re not barbecuing.
But, if the idea of limited cooking space is putting you a bit off, the Dyna-Glo barrel smoker does contain an extra grill in the firebox making it perfect to throw some sausages, burgers or vegetables on to grill when the smoking’s almost done. It’s a great all-round barbecue with a very reasonable price tag.
Specs for the Dyna-Glo Barrel and Offset Smoker
Barbecue material: Heavy gauge steel
Grate material: Porcelain-coated wire
Fuel type: Charcoal or wood
Primary cooking capacity: 443 sq in
Secondary cooking capacity: 287 sq in
Total cooking capacity: 730 sq in
Model: DGS730CBO-D
Assembly required: Yes
Assembled size (in): 59.84(H) x 52(W) x 33.86(D)
Weight: 123lbs
Warranty: 1 year
Pros of the Dyna-Glo Barrel and Offset Smoker:
- Smaller footprint in same shape as traditional offset smokers
- Lighter than most offset smokers with 2 steel wheels to make moving it easy
- Heavy duty steel construction that’s less susceptible to warping and rusting
- Durable, rust resistant and easy to clean porcelain-coated grates
- 2 steel racks for convenient storage
- Cool touch handles
- Removable charcoal grate and ash pan for easy access to and cleaning of the firebox
- Professional grade thermometer with grill and smoke zones to make cooking easy
Cons of the Dyna-Glo Barrel and Offset Smoker:
- Smaller cooking capacity
Jared Brown, an avid lover of all things meat has a fearless enthusiasm for experimenting with anything that's grilling, smoking or outdoor cooking. With a wealth of experience across a range different barbecue types, Jared's got a real knack for helping others make a decision they're happy with, ensuring they find the perfect fit regardless of conventional notions of the 'right' choice. This unique approach has made Jared a trusted guide in the world of barbecue.
