6 Best Offset Smokers for Beginners in 2024

Being a chef and a winner of a national barbecue competition, I have gained lots of experience in cooking different types of foods, mainly food that involves grilling, smoking, and barbequing. Since my specialty is in smoked foods, I often cook and take part in barbecue competitions. If you are so, you must have an idea of how important and how helpful the offset smoker is when barbequing food.

If you are looking to surprise your family, friends, or anyone we recommend you to have a look at our expertly reviewed offset smokers that are available under $500 and $1000

6 Best offset smokers for Beginners featured image

However, purchasing the best smokers for beginners is quite risky and time-consuming. This is because there are so many cheap models that, no doubt, are sometimes leaking, have poor quality in construction, and are notoriously untrustworthy. Similarly, there are expensive choices that not only will empty your pocket but also are very tough to use as they are made for professionals, so beginners cannot use them.

I have researched and personally have used several offset smokers and hereby conclude 6 of the best offset smokers for beginners.

These smokers are not only budget-friendly choices but also are easy to use and high quality in construction. Lastly, start with the guide below so you can opt for the best smokers for newcomers so that they can cook their mouth-watering barbecue dishes.

IMAGE PRODUCT RATING PRICE
EDITORS CHOICE
Outsunny 48 Steel Portable Backyard Charcoal BBQ Grill 1
Outsunny 48″ Steel Portable Backyard Charcoal BBQ Grill
  • Stable performance
  • Versatile in functioning
  • It comes with wooden handles
  • Provides ample storage space
9.8
Check on AmazonRead Full Review
Best Traditional
Dyna Glo DGO1890BDC D Wide Body Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker 2
Dyna-Glo DGO1890BDC-D Wide Body Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker
  • Heat distribution
  • Adequate heat distribution
  • Delivers outclass smoke flavor
  • Ash and charcoal management system
  • Built-in stainless steel thermometer
9.7
Check on AmazonRead Full Review
Best Budget
Dyna Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS D 3
Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D
  • It comes with a cool touch spring lid
  • Offers 5 chrome-plated cooking grates
  • High-quality construction
  • Stainless steel manufacturing
9.7
Check on AmazonRead Full Review
Best for Backyard
Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker 4
Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker
  • It comes with ample storage space
  • In-built temperature monitor
  • 2-level height adjustability
  • Alloy steel construction material
9.4
Check on AmazonRead Full Review
Best for small area
Royal Gourmet CC2036F Charcoal Grill 5
Royal Gourmet CC2036F Charcoal Grill
  • Delivered tasty smoke flavors
  • It comes with ample storage space
  • Easy-to-read temperature gauge
  • Perfect temperature control
9.3
Check on AmazonRead Full Review
Easy to Clean Smoker
Char Broil 12201570 A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker 6
Char-Broil 12201570-A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker
  • Belongs to the reliable company
  • Heat resistant
  • Easy to assemble
  • Alloy steel construction
9.4
Check on AmazonRead Full Review

6 Best Offset Smokers for Beginners in 2024


These best offset smokers for beginners are the ones that are easy to use, highly reliable, and budget-friendly. They are high quality in construction and are known for their reliable functioning. Let us, without wasting any more time, start with the guide below:

1 – Outsunny 48″ Steel Portable Backyard Charcoal BBQ Grill

Specifications:

  • Stable performance
  • Versatile in functioning
  • It comes with wooden handles
  • Provides ample storage space

Outsunny 48″ Steel Portable Backyard Charcoal BBQ Grill is my top favorite offset smoker that also is one of the best charcoal barbecue grills known for being the best barbecue cookware. This is one of the most unique grills that are portable and can easily go from one place to another. I call it all in one package as it delivers the purpose of cooking several types of food, including grilling and barbecuing.

Then there is this firebox. It is responsible for offsetting the heat and fire to spread the smoke flavor throughout the food equally. At the side of the firebox, there is a vent that supplies the appropriate airflow needed to keep the fire up. I love its storage space, which truly is enough to keep all the necessary accessories, including a knife, spoon, oil, and other such items that are needed for grilling.

Furthermore, this barbecue grill comes with wooden handles that keep the grill easy to use and secure. This makes sure that your hands do not get burnt and you are not inconvenienced while cooking. Furthermore, sturdy and strong construction in the presence of angled legs makes the offset grill one of the best grills when it comes to stability and rigidity. It is rust-resistant and has wheels that are used for moving from one place to another.

Pros
  • Safer to use
  • Durable construction
  • 48 inches size
  • Made up of steel
Cons
  • Difficult to assemble

My Review

Outsunny 48″ Steel Portable Backyard Charcoal BBQ Grill is one of the best-known 48-inch grills made up of steel construction material. This grill is highly stable and comes with three shelves so that you can keep all of the necessary grilling essentials on it. With the firebox vent at the side of the firebox, make sure that the firebox receives adequate airflow.


2 – Dyna-Glo DGO1890BDC-D Wide Body Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker

Specifications:

  • Heat distribution
  • Adequate heat distribution
  • Delivers outclass smoke flavor
  • Ash and charcoal management system
  • Built-in stainless steel thermometer

Next on our list of best-offset smokers for beginners is the great Dyna-Glo DGO1890BDC-D Wide Body Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker. This smoker is another stainless steel smoker that is made in a way that ultimately makes it durable and long-lasting. With its black color, it boosts the looks of the settings of your outdoor party, making the setup look more classy and elegant.

Furthermore, in the presence of a built-in stainless steel thermometer, you can check the smoke zone temperature that is necessary to infuse smoke flavor. So if you are a beginner and looking for a perfect barbequing experience, I will recommend you to go with this grill to get the adequate temperature of the smoking area in order to receive the tasty and fully cooked meat.

Additionally, with the presence of height adjustability in cooking grates, you can easily adjust the height of the grates and set up the cooking space according to your need. Furthermore, with temperature control, easy usage, and easy assembling, this is one of the best and my other favorite offset smokers for beginners.

Pros
  • It comes with height adjustability
  • Black in color
  • Stylish design
Cons
  • Poor customer service

My Review

Dyna-Glo DGO1890BDC-D Wide Body Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker is the next best vertical smoker that comes with height adjustability in the cooking grates. This grill comes with a charcoal and ash management system that makes sure there are no messes after cooking, making it reliable for a professional barbeque experience.


3 – Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D

Specifications:

  • It comes with a cool touch spring lid
  • Offers 5 chrome-plated cooking grates
  • High-quality construction
  • Stainless steel manufacturing

Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D is another best Dyna offset smoker. This is another vertical smoker with an affordable price that is composed of stainless steel construction. Being stainless steel, it is rigid, strong, rugged, and heavy-duty in its construction, making it reliable for most users, specifically beginners.

Additionally, it’s cool to touch the spring lid to make sure it gives you safe access to the food, so there are zero to no chances of getting hurt by burning your hands while cooking. Furthermore, I love the presence of oversized, smoothly gliding wheels that actually make the smoker perfect for portability.

Adding to its perks, the 5 chrome-plated cooking grates give you a total of 1382 square inches of cooking space, making it reliable to cook food on a larger scale. Furthermore, with the deliverance of equal flavor to every inch of the food, this offset smoker is considered the best offset smoker for beginners to learn cooking and grilling in the safest, easiest, and quickest way.

Pros
  • Safer to use
  • Delivers classic smoke flavor
  • Oversized steel wheels
Cons
  • Difficult assembling

My Review

Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D  offset smoker is another best smoker that is composed of durable stainless steel construction and is one of the safest to use smokers. It is known for delivering and spreading the classic smoke flavors throughout the food. Because it is easy to use, this smoker offers five chrome-plated cooking grates, making it reliable to cook food for the whole family in its ample cooking surface.


4 – Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker

Specifications:

  • It comes with ample storage space
  • In-built temperature monitor
  • 2-level height adjustability
  • Alloy steel construction material

Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker, as the name says Royal is one of the royal setups that, although somewhat expensive, is one of the best-offset smokers for beginners. It comes with 811 square inches of cooking grates in total, giving you enough space to cook meals on a larger scale.

With the spreading of tasty and luscious smoke flavors throughout the food, the grill makes sure to distribute and circulate equal amounts of smoke and heat throughout every inch of the cooking material. Moreover, the presence of an easy-to-open side door makes it easier for you to clean the ashes of the charcoal quickly and conveniently. Well, this is the reason why I have selected this product from the list of the top 6 best offset smokers for beginners.

And because I often prefer going with products that are easy to clean, this one is the best choice for me. Additionally,  with the presence of two-level height adjustability, you can adjust the charcoal grill according to the need of the food in order to distribute the heat properly and evenly. And because the pan can hold 4.4 lbs of coal, you can easily control the heat and temperature to cook food well.

Additionally, there is this extra storage space in the form of front and side tables that increase the workspace. This enables you to put the seasonings, tools, and accessories like oil bottles, oil brushes, and cloth on the shelves, so you can easily and conveniently cook the barbecue.

Pros
  • 811 square-in size
  • Black in color
  • Royal outlook
Cons
  • Expensive

My Review

Royal Gourmet CC1830SC Charcoal Grill Offset Smoker is another finest offset smokers that comes in black color and has numerous storage spaces to put the tools, accessories, and seasonings for easy and quick usage. It comes with a temperature monitor that helps in checking the temperature so you can cook in a better and more reliable way.


5 – Royal Gourmet CC2036F Charcoal Grill

Specifications:

  • Delivered tasty smoke flavors
  • It comes with ample storage space
  • Easy-to-read temperature gauge
  • Perfect temperature control

Royal Gourmet CC2036F Charcoal Grill is the next best charcoal grill that is known to be the best offset smoker, basically used for barbecuing food in a better and more appropriate way. In the presence of spacious cooking space, you get around 668 square inches of caters, a warming rack of 260 square inches, and 272 square inches of offset smokers that, when combined together, make the best, most versatile, and multipurpose grill.

This offset smokers to make sure to circulate smoke and heat evenly throughout the food, making it reliable to get the classic flavor of smoke at every inch of the food. Furthermore, in the presence of adjustable charcoal pans, you get three levels of adjustability that ultimately helps in distributing and controlling the temperature efficiently.

Furthermore, stylish design and easy assembling combine together to make this smoker one of the best offset smokers for beginners. Of course, beginners look for an easy-to-clean setup. They also search for grills to give them easy and quick assembling and often prefer going with easy management. They should opt for digital devices that are used for cooking, such as these offset smokers.

Pros
  • Easy and quick assembling
  • Sturdy and rigid
  • Easy to assemble
  • Easy management
Cons
  • Poor construction quality

My Review

Royal Gourmet CC2036F Charcoal Grill is one of the best charcoal grills that are versatile and multifunctional. Being easy to assemble, easy to use, easy to adjust, and easy to read temperature gauge, this offset smoker offers you the best solution for barbecuing if you are a beginner.


6 – Char-Broil 12201570-A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker

Easy to Clean Smoker
Char Broil 12201570 A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker 6

Specifications:

  • Belongs to the reliable company
  • Heat resistant
  • Easy to assemble
  • Alloy steel construction

Char-Broil 12201570-A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker is the last best smoker that is black in color and is made while keeping in mind the American standards of construction. This is another affordable choice that is made up of alloy steel construction, giving rigidity, strength, and temperature resistance, making it ideal to use for outdoor and indoor purposes.

This smoker is ideal for beginners because of being easy to assemble, easy to use, and easy to clean. That ultimately adds to the reasons why I go with this smoker whenever I have to look for a quick,  easy, and efficient barbecuing experience.

Furthermore, because it belongs to Char-Broil grill manufacturing company, this is one of the best top-quality grills that you can opt for if you are a beginner. The company has been in the field of manufacturing grills since 1948, and since then, until now, they have never compromised over the quality of functioning of the smokers they manufacture.

Pros
  • Easy cleaning
  • Adjustable height
  • Easy to use
  • Black in color
Cons
  • Small in Size

My Review

Char-Broil 12201570-A1 American Gourmet Offset Smoker comes with adjustable height steel fire grates that you can adjust according to the need of cooking. This is one of the best smokers for beginners because of being easy to assemble and easy to clean. You can use it easily to barbecue and make delicious food with even distribution of smoke flavor and heat.


Guide to Pick The Best Offset Smoker For Beginners


Of course, not every smoker is the best-offset smoker for beginners. There are certain things that you have to pay attention to when purchasing smokers for beginners. Because I am a professional chef and I often come across numerous types of smokers and beginners and their reviews, I know what features make the smoker ideal for newcomers.

All of the features that make the smoker ideal and reliable to use by beginners are elaborated below with the details of each. Look for these features and then finalize the smokers to get a comfortable barbecuing experience.

Construction Material

The first important thing that you have to pay attention to when purchasing the offset smoker is the construction quality. You have to look for the quality of construction while purchasing the offset smoker.

Since smokers are often used for outdoor cooking and barbeque purposes, you have to make sure that the one you are purchasing is made in a way to tackle the atmospheres and temperatures of the outdoor environment. It should be tolerant of the environment and should be rugged and rigid to face the weather circumstances bravely.

Keeping that in mind, you have to make sure that the offset smoker you have finalized to purchase is one that is made up of high-quality construction components that mainly could be stainless steel only. With my experience, I will recommend you to go with the smokers that are made up of stainless steel construction materials.

Easy To Use Interface

If you are a beginner and are looking for smokers, then always make sure that the one you’re purchasing is the one that is highly easy to use. Look for the smoker that offers you comparatively convenient and easier interface choices. This is because the smoker that is easy to use ultimately ends up giving you the best, even cooked food.

Since they are not complex or complicated, you will definitely have the best experience of cooking in an easy and comfortable environment. Moreover, since you are using the smoker as a newcomer, you must not put yourself in the complications of grilling and barbequing.

Mobility And Portability

Mobility is the next important thing that you have to keep in mind when purchasing the offset smoker. Because if the smoker is mobile, you can easily transfer it from one place to another. Keeping it in mind, you have to make sure that the offset smoker you are purchasing comes with wheels.

Also, focus on the quality of wheels, they should be smooth in gliding and should make sure that they are made up of high-quality construction components.

Moreover, portable offset smokers are highly reliable when it comes to barbeque for outdoor parties. Keeping the purpose of purchasing the offset smokers in mind, you have to make sure that the one you’re purchasing is adequate when it comes to portability and mobility.

Quality Of The Paint

The outer structure of the offset smoker should also be kept in mind when purchasing it. You have to make sure that the product you are purchasing comes with outstanding quality paint on its outer surface. The paint on the outer surface should be stain resistant and should be weatherproof. It should not be difficult to clean and should not be easy to wear off.

Moreover, it is important to pay attention to the quality of the paint because you have to use the smoker in the outdoor area, and there are chances that they encounter lots of moisture in the form of rain.

In order to tackle the situation, make sure that the offset smoker you are purchasing is the one that comes with high-quality paint layering at the top. Always make sure to focus on the quality of the paint that is used in the outside layer of the offset smoker.

Storage Space

Focusing on the storage space should be another priority that you have to put your attention to if you are looking for the best smokers for beginners. You have to make sure that the smoker you are purchasing comes with storage space so you can put the essential items that are needed for barbecuing and grilling on the shelves.

Make sure to spend money on adequate smokers to get the best possible experience of grilling and cooking food easily. Moreover, more shells and more storage space ultimately help in a better, easy, and quick cooking experience. Keeping that in mind, never ignore the importance of shelves and storage space when purchasing the best smokers for beginners.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)


Offset smokers are basically designed to give you ample cooking surface. It makes sure that you can cook and add fuel without opening the cooking chamber, ultimately making it easier for you to cook by maintaining the temperature. This is because opening the cooking chamber several times during cooking can lead to lowering the temperature. And this adversely affects cooking.

One of the primary and basic disadvantages of an offset smoker is that you have to make sure that the temperature is properly maintained. Otherwise, the cooked food would not be efficiently cooked. It would be uncooked from some areas and would be cooked for other parts. This is because such smokers distribute the heat indirectly, and you have to put your effort in order to maintain the heat and deliver it evenly throughout the food surface. So the cooked food is luscious and yummy.

Outsunny 48″ Steel Portable Backyard Charcoal BBQ Grill is a versatile type of barbecue grill that is portable and made up of steel construction material. It is versatile and unique in construction and it delivers the next-level barbecuing and grilling experience. Furthermore, it comes with ample storage space and wooden handles so you can keep your essentials safely and can hold the grill without burning your hands.

Conclusion


Hopefully, you have gone through the above-mentioned article that lists about 6 of the best offset smokers for beginners. All of the offset smokers that are selected above are easy to use and easy to learn to barbecue. I have personally used them and know how conveniently you can groom your cooking experience and can transform your skill level from beginner to professional within no more than a few days of consistent effort.

Additionally, all of the smokers that are mentioned above are highly positively reviewed and high quality in construction, promising to serve you for longer times with the same efficiency and functioning.

Moreover, as a reviewer and professional barbecuing chef, I will recommend you go with:

  • Outsunny 48″ Steel Portable Backyard Charcoal BBQ Grill is a highly durable charcoal grill with ample storage space, high portability, and convenient usage. It comes with wooden handles and is outstanding in its construction, offering you stable and safer performance.
  • Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D comes with easy-to-use functioning and has 5 chrome-plated cooking grates. It makes cooking easy quick, and safe due to the presence of a cool touch spring lid that makes it safest to use by beginners.
  • Dyna-Glo DGO1890BDC-D Wide Body Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker comes with an inbuilt stainless steel thermometer and adjustable height of the cooking grates. This grill has an ash and charcoal management system and removable and adjustable cooking pan making it reliable for a neat and clean cooking experience.

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