Best Smoker Grill Combos: Grills That Smoke Too

A smoker grill combo is the one-cooker answer if you are short on room or budget: it grills burgers and steaks over direct heat on a weeknight, then smokes a brisket or pork shoulder low and slow at the weekend. The best smoker grill combo is the Oklahoma Joe’s Canyon Combo — gas, charcoal, and offset firebox in one unit.

If you want the deepest smoke flavour, buy charcoal offset instead; if you want the easiest smoke, buy pellet or electric.

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At a glance: the 6 best smoker grill combos

IMAGE	PRODUCT	CHECK PRICE
1. Best overall	Oklahoma Joe’s Canyon Combo Charcoal & Gas Smoker & Grill Best overall, best gas grill smoker combo • Cooking area: 750 sq in primary + 281 sq in firebox grate • Fuel: gas, charcoal and offset firebox • Gas side: 3 burners, 36,000 BTU total + 12,000 BTU side burner • Model: 24203004	Check the current price on Amazon Read Full Review
2. Best charcoal offset	Oklahoma Joe’s Highland Offset Smoker and Grill Best charcoal offset smoker grill • Main grate: 619 sq in + 328 sq in upper grate • Fuel: charcoal, flavoured by hardwood splits and chunks • Weight: 168 pounds • Model: 24203001	Check the current price on Amazon Read Full Review
3. Best digital charcoal	Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 Best digital charcoal combo • Cooking area: 1,050 sq in • Hopper: 10 lb lump charcoal or 16 lb briquettes • Smokes at 225°F, sears up to 700°F • Weight: 203 pounds	Check the current price on Amazon Read Full Review
4. Best budget	Royal Gourmet CC1830S Best budget offset smoker grill combo • Cooking area: 823 sq in total — 475 sq in main + 151 sq in warming rack + 197 sq in offset smoker chamber • Fuel: charcoal • Adjustable two-level charcoal pan, lid thermometer • Front and side tables	Check the current price on Amazon Read Full Review
5. Best pellet combo	Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24 Best pellet grill smoker combo • Electric pellet grill smoker • WiFi and Bluetooth • Controller: digital, monitors the cook from your phone • Smoke Box accessory takes real wood chunks	Check the current price on Amazon Read Full Review
6. Best electric	Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker OG321 Best electric smoker grill • 6-in-1: grill, smoke, bake, roast, air fry, broil • Power: 1,760 watts of electric heat • Smoke: real burning wood pellets in a dedicated smoke box • Needs nothing but a power outlet and a scoop of pellets	Check the current price on Amazon Read Full Review

What is a smoker grill combo, and how is it different from a smoker or a grill?

Short answer: A smoker grill combo is one cooker that does both jobs — direct-heat grilling and indirect, low-and-slow smoking — without you buying two units. A dedicated smoker only smokes well, and a dedicated grill only grills well. A combo trades a little peak performance in each job for the ability to do both.

There are four ways makers build that trade-off:

• Offset smoker grill. A horizontal cooking chamber with a firebox bolted to the side. Burn charcoal and wood splits in the firebox for smoke, or build a charcoal fire in the main chamber to grill. It gives the strongest smoke flavour of any combo type.
• Dual-fuel combo. Two chambers side by side — usually a gas grill on one side and a charcoal grill with an offset firebox on the other. Grill on gas when you are in a hurry, smoke on charcoal when you are not.
• Pellet grill smoker. An electric pellet grill smoker burns wood pellets automatically, so it holds a set temperature with almost no fire-tending. It grills at high heat and smokes at low heat, but the smoke is milder than an offset firebox.
• Electric smoker grill. An electric smoker grill heats with an element and makes smoke from wood pellets or chips. It is the easiest type to run and the smallest, but it cannot match the smoke depth of a charcoal fire.

Which type of smoker grill combo should you buy?

Short answer: Buy a charcoal offset smoker grill if flavour comes first, a gas-and-charcoal combo if weeknight speed matters as much as smoke, a pellet combo if you want set-and-forget control, and an electric smoker grill if you have a small patio or no room for a full-size cooker.

Work through these four questions in order:

1. How much smoke flavour do you want? An offset firebox burning charcoal and hardwood splits gives the deepest smoke. A pellet grill gives a cleaner, lighter smoke. An electric smoker grill gives the lightest smoke of all. Do not buy an electric combo expecting offset flavour.

2. How much fire-tending will you do? A charcoal offset smoker grill needs its fire checked and fed for hours. A pellet grill smoker and a digital charcoal grill feed themselves. The best grill smoker combo is the one you will actually use, not the one with the most impressive spec table.

3. What can you store and move? The Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 weighs 203 pounds and the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland weighs 168 pounds, according to their Amazon listings. Both need two people to assemble and move. If you need to roll a cooker into a garage, a smaller electric smoker grill is the realistic choice.

4. What fuel can you buy easily? Charcoal, lump and splits; propane; wood pellets; or just a power outlet — your combo is only as convenient as its fuel supply. Pellet and electric models also need an outdoor outlet.

Three things we found by comparing the spec tables

These are our own comparisons from the manufacturers’ published spec tables, not hands-on test results.

1. The firebox is a bigger share of the cooker than most people expect. On the Royal Gourmet CC1830S, the offset smoker chamber is 197 square inches of a total 823 — about a quarter of the whole cooker. On the Canyon Combo, the firebox grate is 281 square inches against 750 square inches of primary cooking area. A brisket that fits the headline number may not fit the smoking chamber.

2. Only two of the six picks let you switch heat source without rebuilding the fire. The Canyon Combo switches between gas and charcoal by walking to the other chamber, and the Ninja Woodfire switches between electric heat and wood-pellet smoke with a button. Every charcoal offset smoker grill here needs a new fire to change from grilling to smoking.

3. Gas output is only published for one pick. The Canyon Combo’s gas side is three burners at 12,000 BTU each, 36,000 BTU in total, plus a 12,000 BTU side burner. No charcoal or pellet pick publishes a comparable number — BTU ratings only help you compare gas grills with gas grills, not gas with charcoal.

The 6 best smoker grill combos

1. Oklahoma Joe’s Canyon Combo Charcoal & Gas Smoker & Grill — Best overall

Best for: the buyer who wants one cooker that genuinely does everything — gas grilling, charcoal grilling, and offset smoking.

The Canyon Combo (model 24203004) is a dual-fuel offset smoker grill combo: a horizontal charcoal chamber with a side firebox, plus a three-burner gas grill. Smoke low and slow with charcoal and hardwood splits, or grill fast on propane. The gas side runs on a 20-pound propane tank (not included); the three burners give 36,000 BTU in total. Primary cooking space is 750 square inches, with a 281-square-inch firebox grate that doubles as extra grilling space.

Why it leads this list: it is the only pick that answers the “best gas grill and smoker combo” and “best smoker and grill combo” questions at the same time, because it does not ask you to choose a fuel.

Watch out for: size and weight. This is a large, heavy, two-chamber cooker that needs a permanent spot on the patio and two people to assemble. The propane tank is an extra purchase, and you are maintaining two fuel systems.

Specifications

• Cooking area: 750 square inches primary + 281-square-inch firebox grate
• Fuel: gas, charcoal and offset firebox
• Gas side: 3 burners, 36,000 BTU total + 12,000 BTU side burner
• Propane tank: 20-pound, not included
• Model: 24203004

Pros

• One cooker that genuinely does everything — gas grilling, charcoal grilling, and offset smoking
• Does not ask you to choose a fuel
• 750 square inches of primary cooking space

Cons

• Large, heavy, two-chamber cooker that needs a permanent spot and two people to assemble
• Propane tank is an extra purchase
• Maintaining two fuel systems

2. Oklahoma Joe’s Highland Offset Smoker and Grill — Best charcoal offset smoker grill

Best for: the buyer who wants real offset smoke flavour first, and grilling second.

The Highland (model 24203001) is the classic offset grill smoker: a horizontal chamber with a side-mounted firebox, fuelled by charcoal and flavoured by hardwood splits and chunks. The main grate is 619 square inches, with a 328-square-inch upper grate, and it weighs 168 pounds. Do not confuse it with the Highland Reverse Flow (model 24203003) — that one is covered in our flagship 10 Best Offset Smokers guide.

Why it is here: if your main question is “which offset smoker grill gives the most authentic smoke?”, this is the answer in this line-up. The fire is a real charcoal and wood fire, and the smoke flavour shows it.

Watch out for: this is a fire-management cooker. Temperature control comes from the dampers and from how you build and feed the fire, so expect a learning curve. Thin spots around the doors can leak smoke, so budget for gasket tape if you want a tighter seal.

A note on the name: “oklahoma joe highland offset smoker grill” refers to this exact model. The related Oklahoma Joe’s Hondo offset smoker grill is sold at Academy Sports — we found no Amazon listing for it, so it is not a pick here and has no link.

Specifications

• Main grate: 619 square inches + 328-square-inch upper grate
• Fuel: charcoal, flavoured by hardwood splits and chunks
• Weight: 168 pounds
• Model: 24203001

Pros

• Classic offset grill smoker — most authentic smoke in this line-up
• Real charcoal and wood fire
• 619 square inches of main grate plus a 328-square-inch upper grate

Cons

• Fire-management cooker — expect a learning curve
• Thin spots around the doors can leak smoke

3. Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 — Best digital charcoal combo

Best for: the buyer who wants charcoal flavour with pellet-grill convenience.

The Gravity Series 1050 (model MB20041220) is a digital charcoal grill and smoker: a vertical GravityFed hopper holds up to 10 pounds of lump charcoal or 16 pounds of briquettes, and a digital controller with app connectivity holds the set temperature. It smokes at 225°F and sears up to 700°F, with 1,050 square inches of cooking space, and weighs 203 pounds.

Why it is here: the Gravity Series 1050 is the clearest example of an electric smoker grill idea done with charcoal: electric control, real charcoal fire. Its gravity-fed hopper feeds charcoal automatically and its digital controller holds the set temperature, so you get charcoal flavour with pellet-grill convenience — smoking at 225°F and searing up to 700°F across 1,050 square inches. It is also covered in detail in our flagship 10 Best Offset Smokers guide.

Watch out for: it needs power for the controller and fan, so it is not a fully off-grid cooker, and you still need to keep charcoal on hand.

Specifications

• Cooking area: 1,050 square inches
• Hopper: up to 10 lb lump charcoal or 16 lb briquettes
• Control: digital controller with app connectivity
• Smokes at 225°F, sears up to 700°F
• Weight: 203 pounds
• Model: MB20041220

Pros

• Charcoal flavour with pellet-grill convenience
• Digital controller holds the set temperature
• 1,050 square inches of cooking space

Cons

• Needs power for the controller and fan — not a fully off-grid cooker
• You still need to keep charcoal on hand

4. Royal Gourmet CC1830S — Best budget offset smoker grill combo

Best for: the buyer who wants a true grill-and-smoker in one unit for the least money and the least patio space.

The CC1830S is a barrel charcoal grill with an attached offset smoker: 823 square inches in total — 475 square inches of main grates, a 151-square-inch warming rack, and a 197-square-inch offset smoker chamber that also works as a small grill. It has an adjustable two-level charcoal pan, a lid thermometer, and front and side tables.

Why it is here: it is the cheapest way onto this list to get a genuine offset smoker grill combo — a grill you can cook burgers on, with a side chamber you can smoke ribs in.

Watch out for: the steel is thinner than the Oklahoma Joe’s models, and the doors are not perfectly airtight, so expect some heat and smoke leakage and more frequent fire-tending. Season it before the first cook and keep it covered between cooks.

Specifications

• Cooking area: 823 square inches total — 475 sq in main grates + 151 sq in warming rack + 197 sq in offset smoker chamber
• Fuel: charcoal
• Adjustable two-level charcoal pan
• Lid thermometer, front and side tables
• Model: CC1830S

Pros

• Cheapest way onto this list to get a genuine offset smoker grill combo
• A grill you can cook burgers on, with a side chamber you can smoke ribs in
• Lid thermometer, front and side tables

Cons

• Steel is thinner than the Oklahoma Joe’s models
• Doors are not perfectly airtight — some heat and smoke leakage
• Needs more frequent fire-tending

5. Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24 — Best pellet grill smoker combo

Best for: the buyer who wants the easiest low-and-slow smoking with real grilling ability, and does not want to manage a charcoal fire.

The Woodwind WiFi 24 is an electric pellet grill smoker: pellets feed automatically from a hopper, a digital controller holds the temperature, and WiFi and Bluetooth let you monitor the cook from your phone. It covers the “electric pellet smoker grill” and “electric pellet grill smoker” searches in one unit — electric control, wood-pellet fuel, hot enough to grill and low enough to smoke.

Why it is here: pellet cookers are the lowest-effort way to smoke, and the Woodwind line tries hardest to close the flavour gap with offset smokers — Camp Chef’s Smoke Box accessory takes real wood chunks alongside the pellets. See our guide to the best pellet smokers.

Watch out for: pellet smoke is milder than offset smoke, and you are tied to buying pellets and to having power at the cooker. If you cook for a crowd, check the cooking area against the biggest thing you smoke — a full packer brisket needs the full grate, not just the headline number.

Specifications

• Type: electric pellet grill smoker
• WiFi and Bluetooth — monitor the cook from your phone
• Controller: digital, holds the set temperature
• Smoke Box accessory takes real wood chunks alongside the pellets
• Model: Woodwind WiFi 24

Pros

• Lowest-effort way to smoke — pellets feed automatically, digital controller holds the temperature
• WiFi and Bluetooth
• Hot enough to grill and low enough to smoke

Cons

• Pellet smoke is milder than offset smoke
• Tied to buying pellets and to having power at the cooker
• A full packer brisket needs the full grate, not just the headline number

6. Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker OG321 — Best electric smoker grill

Best for: small patios, balconies, and anyone who wants smoke flavour without charcoal, gas, or a full-size cooker.

The Ninja Woodfire OG321 is a 6-in-1 electric smoker grill: grill, smoke, bake, roast, air fry, and broil in one compact unit. It runs on 1,760 watts of electric heat and flavours food with real burning wood pellets in a dedicated smoke box. It is the only pick here that needs nothing but a power outlet and a scoop of pellets.

Why it is here: it answers the “small electric smoker grill” and “electric grill smoker combo” questions honestly. It will not smoke a whole brisket, and it is not trying to. It will grill steaks and smoke chicken wings, salmon, and ribs for a small household.

Watch out for: capacity is the limit. This is a tabletop-scale cooker, not a replacement for a full-size offset smoker grill. If you want to smoke large cuts, buy one of the charcoal or pellet picks above — and a power cut ends the cook, with no charcoal fire to fall back on.

Specifications

• Type: 6-in-1 electric smoker grill — grill, smoke, bake, roast, air fry, broil
• Power: 1,760 watts of electric heat
• Smoke: real burning wood pellets in a dedicated smoke box
• Needs nothing but a power outlet and a scoop of pellets
• Model: OG321

Pros

• 6-in-1 compact unit — grill, smoke, bake, roast, air fry, broil
• Needs nothing but a power outlet and a scoop of pellets
• Will grill steaks and smoke chicken wings, salmon, and ribs for a small household

Cons

• Capacity is the limit — tabletop-scale cooker
• Will not smoke a whole brisket
• A power cut ends the cook, with no charcoal fire to fall back on

How do you use an offset smoker grill?

Short answer: Build a small, hot fire in the firebox, let the cooker settle at your target temperature with thin blue smoke from the stack, and cook the food in the main chamber — never over the fire. Grill by building the fire in the main chamber instead.

The detail is in the sequence:

1. Start small. Light a chimney of charcoal, pour it into the firebox, and add one or two hardwood splits. A big roaring fire overshoots your temperature and is hard to bring back down.
2. Wait for thin blue smoke. Thick white smoke tastes bitter. Wait until the smoke is thin and bluish and the cooker has held steady for 15 to 20 minutes before the food goes on.
3. Control heat with the dampers, not the lid. Open the firebox damper to raise the temperature, close it to lower it. Opening the main lid dumps heat every time.
4. Feed the fire little and often. Add one split at a time rather than loading the firebox — steady small feeds beat big infrequent ones.
5. To grill, move the fire. On the Highland, the Royal Gourmet, and the Canyon Combo’s charcoal side, build a charcoal fire in the main chamber and grill directly over it. Clean the ash out first.

For the full walkthrough, see the how-to articles linked from our 10 Best Offset Smokers guide.

Can an electric smoker grill really taste like real smoke?

Short answer: It can taste smoky, but it will not taste like an offset smoker. The smoke is real — the Ninja and pellet grills burn actual wood pellets — but the amount of wood burning at any moment is far smaller than a firebox full of splits, so the flavour is lighter.

That is a trade, not a flaw. Electric smoker grills win on convenience: push-button start, steady temperature, no ash management, and a cooker you can store on a balcony. They lose on smoke depth and searing heat. If you mostly grill chicken, burgers, and fish and smoke the occasional ribs, an electric smoker grill will make you happy. If brisket is why you are buying a cooker, buy charcoal or pellet instead — and read our best electric smokers guide.

What should you check before you buy a smoker grill combo?

Short answer: Measure your space, check the cooking area of the smoking chamber (not just the headline total), confirm you can get the fuel, and budget for assembly help and a cover.

• Cooking area, by chamber. The headline number usually adds every grate together. Check the primary grate and the firebox chamber separately, against the biggest thing you cook.
• Steel thickness and weight. Heavier cookers — the Gravity Series 1050 at 203 pounds, the Highland at 168 pounds — hold heat better through a long cook than thin, light ones. Weight is the most honest proxy for steel thickness when the maker does not publish a gauge.
• Assembly. Every full-size pick here needs two people and an hour or more to assemble. Have a socket set ready.
• Fuel and power. Charcoal and splits, propane, pellets, or an outdoor outlet — make sure your fuel is easy to buy and store.
• Cover and storage. A combo lives outdoors. A fitted cover costs far less than rust repair.

Verdict: which smoker grill combo should you buy?

Buy the Canyon Combo if you want one cooker that does everything and you have the space — gas for weeknights, charcoal and wood smoke for weekends. Buy the Highland if smoke flavour is the whole point and you are happy tending a fire. Buy the Gravity Series 1050 if you want charcoal flavour with digital control. Buy the CC1830S if budget and space are tight. Buy the Woodwind WiFi 24 if you want the easiest smoking with real grilling ability. Buy the Ninja Woodfire OG321 if you have a small space, no room for fuel storage, and only an outlet to cook with.

Who should NOT buy a smoker grill combo at all: if you already own a grill you like, buy a dedicated smoker instead — you will get better smoke for the same money. If you only ever grill and never smoke, a combo’s firebox is dead weight you will clean but never use. And if you want competition-level brisket, no combo beats a dedicated offset smoker; start with our 10 Best Offset Smokers guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best smoker grill combo for beginners?

The Ninja Woodfire OG321 is the easiest to learn — electric, with a set temperature and a pellet smoke box. For a full-size first combo, the Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24 is the easiest, because the pellet feed and digital controller do the fire-tending. A charcoal offset smoker grill like the Highland gives better flavour but needs practice.

Is a gas grill smoker combo better than a charcoal one?

Neither is better in general — they suit different jobs. A gas grill smoker combo, like the Canyon Combo’s gas side, is faster to light and easier to control for weeknight grilling. A charcoal offset smoker grill gives deeper smoke flavour for low-and-slow cooking. The best combo grill and smoker for most people is one that has both, which is why the dual-fuel Canyon Combo leads this list.

Can you grill on an offset smoker?

Yes. Build a charcoal fire in the main cooking chamber and grill directly over it, instead of building the fire in the side firebox. Every charcoal offset smoker grill on this list works this way — clean the ash out first.

How big a smoker grill combo do I need?

Match the smoking chamber, not the headline cooking area, to the biggest thing you cook. A full packer brisket needs a long, wide main grate; ribs need the width of a full rack. For a family of four, the CC1830S or the Woodwind 24 is enough; for a crowd, the Highland or the Canyon Combo gives you more primary cooking space.

Do electric smoker grills need wood chips or pellets?

It depends on the model. The Ninja Woodfire burns small amounts of wood pellets in a smoke box — that is what makes the smoke. A pellet grill smoker burns pellets as fuel, so it always has wood smoke. A plain electric smoker with no pellet or chip system will not taste smoky at all, so check the smoke system before you buy.