Best Smoker in Canada in 2022 | Charcoal & Electric BBQ Smokers Compared | Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

If you want to master the craft of barbecue smoking, you should first and foremost get the right device. Today’s barbecue smokers ensure better precision and make the entire process more convenient. You do not need to spend a lot of time checking the temperature and meat readiness, trying not to miss the right moment to add wood. Many modern BBQ smokers are designed to perform these functions automatically. On the other hand, since these machines have become more sophisticated and feature-loaded, it is crucial to buy a smoker from a reliable, trustworthy brand.

What Is the Best Type of BBQ Smoker?

If you want to find the best BBQ smoker, you should first determine your priorities, budget, and how much food you are going to smoke. Based on these considerations, you can pick a traditional charcoal smoker; a feature-packed electric model; a versatile ceramic Kamado cooker for grilling, barbecuing, roasting, and smoking; a space-saving vertical option, or a low-temperature cold smoker.

Charcoal Smoker 

If you are looking for a traditional flavor of smoky meat, go for charcoal BBQ smokers. They are available in different sizes and price ranges, so you can easily pick the one that suits your needs best. The most basic versions offer old-school methods of smoking. First, you place a heap of charcoal and then cover it with lit wood chips. To adjust the temperature, you need to tweak the vents. Despite its simplicity, this method allows you to cook for hours without worrying about fuel costs. What we do not like about charcoal BBQ smokers is that they can smoke only a small amount of food at a time.

You may like Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker 22", Charcoal Smoker. The product is made by Weber, a Chicago-based company with almost 70 years of experience with grills of all types. George Stephen, who founded the company in the 1950s, invented the first kettle grill and launched its production.

The device is engineered with heavy-duty steel legs, a hinged lid, and a metal finish. It is easy to use: open the lid to reduce the temperature and close it to add more heat. The temperature gauge is mounted on the top of the unit, while the ash bowel is at the bottom and easy to access. Thanks to large built-in wheels, you can effortlessly move the machine around your patio.

There is an affordable BBQ smoker, the Weber Smokey Joe Premium Portable Charcoal BBQ. No wonder that the Weber Smokey Joe is reliable and well-made despite the low price. With a weight of just 4 kg, this portable smoker is 37 cm in diameter. A perfect choice for camping and picnics.

Electric Smoker

Powered by electricity, this device is the most advanced and convenient type of smoker. With the firebox mounted on the bottom of the unit, the smoker keeps the required temperature automatically as well as distributes heat, and collects drippings. The other function of the heating element is to cause the wood chunks to create smoke. Some models are Bluetooth-enabled and let the user control the cooking process through a smartphone. Its main weaknesses include the lack of genuine smoke flavor and the need for a power source.

When it comes to electric BBQ smokers, we recommend the Masterbuilt brand, an American company with more than 45 years of history. It specializes in the production of innovative grills, smokers, fryers, and accessories and boasts world-class customer service. This top-notch Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker is made with a digital panel that lets you control the temperature, set the time, and turn on or off the device.

The integrated thermostat temperature control enables consistent smoking. One of the perks we like most about the Masterbuilt electric smoker is its unique system for loading wood chips without opening the unit’s door. The smoker is wheeled and has a handle for easy transportation. It includes 4 racks coated with chrome and a whopping 2,400 sq. cm of cooking space.

Vertical Smoker

This type is one of the most widespread options and is particularly popular with beginners. Due to their compact size and bullet-like shape, these machines take up less space on a patio. Vertical BBQ smokers are easy to use and it is not rocket science to figure out how they work. Fueled by wood and charcoal placed in the bottom, this dual-fuel BBQ with smoker uses a water pan to evenly spread the heat and maintain humidity.

The third component is a rack where you put meat for smoking. To regulate the temperature, you can open or close the vents located on the bottom and top of the unit. The advantages of this type include excellent smoke distribution and portability. Also, a vertical design is ideal for smoking sausages. Smaller cooking capacity is one of the main downsides.

For instance, Cuisinart COS-118 Vertical 18" Charcoal Smoker is suitable for families and small parties. The smoker can hold up to two pork shoulders or four chickens. The device has multiple beneficial features, such as multiple vents, a hanging bar for meat, probe eyelets, and a built-in thermometer. Another strength of this product is versatility.

Wood Smoker

You may opt for the Char Broil brand, a trusted American manufacturer of grills, fryers, and smokers. Founded in 1948, Char Broil was among the first producers of charcoal grills. The company continued to develop new products and in the 1980s, the Char Broil grill was recognized as the World’s Best BBQ Grill. In 2007, it introduced a “game-changing” infrared cooking system that makes restaurant-quality food.

Today, the company has a large assortment of products and one of them is the Char-Broil American Gourmet Offset 3-in-1 smoker, barbecue and grill. This is a heavy-duty Char-Broil Smoker with easy-access drawers to make replenishing water and wood chips a simple process. A steel box holds wood chips, and a porcelain-coated enamel pan contains the water.

Kamado BBQ Smoker

This type of charcoal smoker is becoming increasingly popular due to its small size and ability to maintain the needed temperature for a long time. Shaped like an egg, it looks like a traditional Japanese rice cooker. Kamado smokers are typically built with thick ceramic walls and have perfect insulation, something that ensures excellent heat retention. Another advantage of this option is versatility as it can be used for grilling, barbecuing, roasting, smoking, and more. With a fireplace situated on the bottom, it has a water pan and several racks to hold the food. As for drawbacks, Kamado smokers are pretty heavy and expensive.

Let's take Kamado Joe, an American brand that takes advantage of oriental cooking techniques. The company offers all-in-one cookers that combine an oven, a grill, and a smoker in one device. Made from 304 stainless steel, galvanized steel, and finished bamboo, Kamado Joe products feature enhanced weather- and mildew resistance. Additionally, the grill cart has a two-piece design, which makes it sturdier than competitive products.

Kamado Joe makes three models — the 75-pound Kamado Joe KJ13RH, 188-pound KJ23RH Classic I, and the KJ23RHC Classic II that weighs as many as 250 pounds. These machines require less heat for cooking and, at the same time, allow you to cook at very high temperatures for longer. Moreover, you can not only control the temperature but also fine-tune it to get the desired result. The machines maintain consistent temperatures ranging from 107 °C to 400°C and have a cast iron air vent.

The Kamado Joe KJ13RH model is the most lightweight and is built with carrying handles. The Classic I option offers 18 inches of cooking size and is engineered with locking wheels. The slide-out ash drawer makes cleaning easy, without the need to remove other elements from the grill. The Classic II model has a patented airlift hinge allowing the user to effortlessly lift the grill dome.

Cold Smoker

What separates this type from others is that it focuses more on smoke and less on heat. That is why cold smokers deliver an amazing smokey flavour that will satisfy even the most demanding gourmand. However, these devices are not created to cook raw meat and are mostly used to add delicious smokiness to the food. The thing is that the cooking temperature is not high enough to thoroughly heat the raw meat but is sufficient to give it a smoky flavour. Cold smokers are especially good for smoking cheese, vegetables, and fruits.

Best-Selling BBQ Smokers in Canada | Comparison Table

Testing & Customers Reviews

We found reviews from real YouTube bloggers about the products from our article.

Smoking Dad BBQ: "I wanted to find out if the Kamado Joe Jr. is the only barbecue you need for a family of four and to find out I had to sell my two classics and cook exclusively with the Kamado Joe jr. We did a number of things that were pushing some boundaries and the first few cooks were no disappointment. We started off with a bang or should I say 16 because that's exactly how many chicken thighs I was able to fit on the Joe Jr. It was way more than we were able to eat as just our family and we had an amazing leftovers for a few days. And speaking of amazing leftovers. How about a beer can chicken? We were able to fit it vertically on the Joe jr. We did a few family favorites and one of those is these Chipotle marinated strip steaks that we serve up in fajitas and we did this over direct hot coals until we had an amazing Maillard reaction. How about a couple of stuffed chicken breasts? Four was more than enough for our family but we could have fit a few more if we had guests coming over. So the Joe jr. rocked this one. Speaking of rocking and having fun since we can't go camping we brought the party to our backyard for a little bit of a marshmallow s'more pool party. And we made some awesome s'mores. Kids had a lot of fun doing this cook.

Now for me my kind of fun is smash burgers. I wasn't sure how the Joe jr. would compete against his bigger brother but to my surprise it had no problem fitting four and they came out awesome. And four is about as many as I can fit on the classic if I use just one of the cast-iron half moon plates. I knew it could take on a bigger challenge. So I went for a 5 pound pork shoulder roast and it absolutely crushed it. In fact it did so well with this I knew I needed to try something even more challenging. So next up I went from my favorite and my favorite beef is beef ribs. Call it brisket on a stick if you want. This is a really really fun cook and a really tasty beef. And when we were done after an eight hour low and slow cook they were probing like butter. So what do I love about the Joe jr. and why do I think it's a great barbecue? For a long time this size has always just been a soft spot in my heart. I loved cooking on it whether it's the portability in terms of cooking in different places even moving it around our yard or on the end of the driveway as we did. It's just fun not doing that with the Big Joe that took two friends to help me get it in place. And while I can move it freely around the deck on the wheels I'm not lifting it up and down regularly. So the versatility and portability of the Joe jr. is one of the main reasons to buy it.

The second one and a surprise for me is the capability and so since I've always had the Junior and a bigger brother I've always relied on the bigger grill when it comes to let's cook a big tomahawk steak or full chicken or ribs or whatever it may be. And I've always just used the Joe jr. as a searing station or sides or something like that. But now that's the only thing that I had I was shocked at how capable it was. I didn't know a vertical beer can chicken would fit. I didn't know that it could do an eight hour low and slow beef rib cook. I didn't know that pulled pork would come out just as good on the Joe jr. as its bigger siblings. These are amazing meals and we cooked more than our family of four could eat. I would say if you're cooking for just you and your family this is plenty of barbecue. You can do so many great cooks. It's only if you're gonna start looking to do full pack of brisket or ribs that you absolutely need to start looking at the bigger sizes. But if you just want to get into barbecue, maybe you're like me even waiting for your propane grill you got way early on to die and now you're looking for that next grill and thinking should I take the plunge and try a charcoal smoker? Absolutely. The price to entry to value that you get with the comodo Joe jr. is fantastic. And I'm so happy now that I'm recommending it not just out of an infatuation with the size and how much fun it is but also the utility. And I know that this thing has potential. You can push it and do some amazing cooks. So I hundred percent give the Kawano Joe jr. a two thumbs up recommendation."

McFarlin Reviews: "I was looking for a smoker and I've had Weber grills in the past and I really loved them. And I thought I'm gonna check out this Weber Smokey Mountain cooker because it had insanely high reviews on Amazon with nearly a perfect five star rating which you really don't see too often. Weber grills that I've had in the past it's weird like they just have an X Factor. I don't know what is the reason but food just tastes better when it's grilled in a Weber. I've had Charles I've had a lot of other ones and I always keep going back to Weber grills because the food just tastes better. I don't know really how to explain it. Either it's their design or whatever it is. It just does and this smoker is absolutely no exception to that rule. The food tastes unbelievably good that comes out of this thing. Whether it's chicken, beef brisket, ribs, barbecue anything just comes out perfectly in this smoker.

One thing I should tell you about this unit is I would highly recommend getting the 22 inch size. Now it's big. It's very big. It uses a little bit more fuel typically but you're gonna be able to do your ribs and pork shoulders and things like that without having to cut it up. So if you're on the fence between the 14 or 18 or 22 I would highly recommend if you have the space get the 22. The heat is super even on this. The food just comes out unbelievably tasty juicy and just has a great smoky taste. I should warn you though that your neighbors will probably come knock on your door and wonder what you're cooking because this thing will fill your entire neighborhood with the greatest smells you've ever smelled in your life. I'm not even joking. But all joking aside, I love this smoker. I highly recommend it."