Pros: Easy to assemble, great app with over 1,600 recipes, superior heat retention and temp control Weber's Original Kettle Grill has a tried and true design that grills perfectly, handles light-duty smoking, lasts years, and doesn't break the bank. It measures three by nine inches and can hold up to two cups of wood chips. This is more than enough to house a good amount of wood chips to turn your grill into a smoker. There are no holes in the bottom of a smoker box, so the chips or smoking wood pellets are never exposed to direct flame. This means they won’t burn; they’ll smolder. So again, no soaking is necessary. Unlike a lot of the smokers on this list, this project is both very large and made entirely of wood.

The smoker box should support the wood chips you intend to use. Unlike softwood, hardwood tends to burn slowly, hence ideal for long smoking sessions. Your top pot will be what holds in the smoke. Both pots are going to get quite hot, so it’s best to fit the top pot with a handle through the simple method of drilling two holes in the bottom and installing a standard U-bolt. We find that Weber's Smokey Mountain series' 18-inch smoker offers the most for the casual at-home smoker. It has a relatively small footprint of about 20 inches, is made with the same solid steel and porcelain enamel as the brand's Original Kettle grills, and it will outlast most charcoal smokers on the market for the same price. A decent rule of thumb is to fill the smoker box about half full with chips or pellets. Arrange them in a flat layer in the box so they receive even heat. With a half-full box, you won’t be wasting chips or pellets, and you will have the option of adding more later.

Key considerations

A barbecue smoker box is subjected to a fair amount of heat, so it needs to be durable. You’ll need to choose between a stainless steel or cast iron box. You’ll need to cut an air intake on the front of the firebox door and remove the valve at the top of the tank, replacing it with a steel pipe chimney. Prep your grill and crank up the heat — you’ll need high temperatures to get the wood to start smoldering. Because of how simple they are, they can be used with almost any gas grill, and can even be used with charcoal grills too.

Soak wood chips in water. While wood pellets do not need to be soaked, plan to soak wood chips in water for at least an hour before adding them to the smoker box. This will help them smoulder and provide smoke for a longer period of time. There is also some reasonably complicated metalwork needed to fit all the parts together and make sure there are no leaks and that the airflow correctly circulates the smoke in the cooking chamber. Despite having thinner steel than most barbecue smokers, the Weber Kettle is a master at heat retention, and you'll have no trouble maintaining heat with the lid on properly.We also enjoy that you still have space to cook over direct heat while smoking, so it's easy to char some vegetables or cook some hot dogs while you're smoking.Using a smoker box in a gas barbecue allows you to either smoke food or add some nice smoky flavor while you grill. When cooking, be sure to keep the lid of your grill closed. This will keep the smoke condensed in your grill’s barrel, and help make your food rich in smoky, BBQ goodness. If you're going to buy just one grill for barbecuing, Traeger's Pro 575 is a tank built to maintain perfect temperature and last well over a decade. Warranty: 10-year limited on bowl and lid; 5-year limited on One-Touch cleaning system, 5-year limited on plastic; 2-year limited on all remaining parts