The smoker is one of the best things to have if you are a grilling or BBQ enthusiast. A smoker is often a huge piece of equipment that is used to add flavor to BBQ meat or fruits by smoking it for a long time. It has been used in the BBQ process for years. In this post, we will see several best smoker under 1500. Before that, let us see more about the smoker.
A smoker is also used in other food products that aren’t similar to BBQ food. For example, bacon and jerky are smoked for at least 12 hours before they are packed and sent for customer consumption. Smoking helps to preserve the meat without adding any artificial preservatives. It also helps to add delicious flavor to the meat.
Product | Features |
Oklahoma Joe's Highland - Reverse Flow Smoker
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PIT BOSS 7.0 Pellet Smoker
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Traeger Grills Electric Pro Series 34 Smoker
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Masterbuilt Gravity Series MB20040221 Digital Charcoal Smoker
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Smoking meat also kills parasites and other microorganisms, which might spoil the meat. They extend the shelf life of the meat and add delicious flavor to it. The texture of the meats that are smoked, seared, or broiled is different. Some people like the texture of smoked meat more than others.
The best thing about smoking is that it is cheap and easy to do. All you have to do is get the best smoker under 1500 and add some hardwood of your choice. You can use different types of hardwood to create your desired flavor. After several hours of smoking, you will have the best-flavored bbq grills.
We have attached a brief buying guide to help you figure out the best smoker for you. Let us get into the buying guide and move to the reviews section, where you can find reviews of smokers by experts.
Best Smoker Under 1500 – Buying Guide
Factors to consider Best Smoker Under 1500
Cooking Surface: The most crucial feature one should look for before buying a smoker. The cooking surface of the smoker determines how much food you can smoke at a given time. For example, 24 hamburgers can be smoked or grilled with a 500 square inches smoker. If your budget is around $1500, you can go for smokers with a cooking area of 900 sq inches. It will provide you with enough space to cook up to 45 hamburgers simultaneously.
Portability: Smokers in this price range won’t be small and will be extremely hard to move. If you are buying a smoker for occasional uses only, you would need to take them from their storage and put them back often. If the smoker doesn’t have a wheel or anything that makes it portable, it will be hard for you to use them. It will take at least four grown adult men to move it from one place to another if it doesn’t have portability options. So check whether the smoker has any wheels to make it portable.
Fuel Type: Smokers and grillers have three major types of fuel systems. Some smokers work on charcoal and some work on gas or electricity. If you are looking for a smoker who costs less, charcoal-based smokers are the best option. It produces natural flavor too. However, if you focus on efficiency, gas, and electric-powered smoker might be the best choice. Some electric smokers also use charcoal.
Best Smoker Under 1500 Reviews
1. Oklahoma Joe’s Highland – Reverse Flow Smoker
Description
- Brand: Oklahoma Joe
- Weight: 180 lbs
- Cooking Surface: 900 sq inches
- Smokers Type: Charcoal
Performance:
The Oklahoma Joe’s Highland – Reverse Flow Smoker is the best smoker under 1500 because it has many intriguing and helpful features in it. The total cooking surface of the smoker is 900 sq inches. You can smoke BBQ food items equivalent to 45 hamburgers simultaneously. It will help you smoke BBQ dishes for many people simultaneously. This smoker helps you cook awesome flavored and textured dishes quickly.
Comparison:
The Oklahoma Joe’s Highland smoker is a portable one with two decently large wheels to move it with ease. The steel wheel’s width helps us move the smoker on bumpy surfaces easily. Some smokers have small wheels, which makes moving the smoker from one place to another an exhausting task. Apart from the 900 sq inches of cooking surface, it additionally has 215 sq inches of smoking area in the smoking chamber, increasing its cooking quantity.
Usage:
This smoker can smoke the best textured and flavored meat and other BBQ food items. The best thing about this smoker is that it has a very easy lid to close and open. It is one of the key features that is required in a smoker because without a lid, it will be hard and time-consuming to smoke the meat. If the smoker has a closing lid, the smoke will get trapped inside it and produce delicious flavor quickly.
Pros
- Large cooking area
- Portable
- Closing lid
Cons
- Old design
What’s New?
The smoker’s lid has an advanced handle which helps us open the door without getting heat burns. As you know, while smoking, the smoker lid will become hot, and it can cause heat burns with normal smoker handles. However, this one has spiral handles, which distribute the heat throughout its surface and keeps our hand from getting heat burns.
Why Should You Buy It?
The price of the smoker is below your budget and is built with premium quality materials. The outer body of the smoker is made up of high-quality stainless steel, which is extremely durable. The smoker can also be used as a grill. The grill grates are covered with porcelain which makes them non-sticky.
2. PIT BOSS 7.0 Pellet Smoker
Description
- Brand: Pit Boss
- Weight: 142 lbs
- Cooking Surface: 1815 sq inches
- Smoker Type: Electric powered
Performance:
Pit Boss is one of the most popular and reliable manufacturers of grills and smokers. The Pit Boss 7.0 XL-sized smoker has a cooking surface of 1812 sq inches, thrice the size of normal smokers. This will allow you to smoke 40 lbs of meat in a single go. It will be extremely useful for people running grilled or smoked meat shops, as it can cook for at least a hundred people simultaneously.
Comparison:
The Pit Boss 7.0 XL-sized smoker is the best pellet smoker under 1500. It uses electricity to smoke the meat in it. It is efficient and requires less cost to operate compared to gas-powered smokers. You can use both AC and DC currents to operate this smoker. Another great feature that the smoker has is that it is long-lasting. You can use this smoker for 24 hours straight without causing any problems to the smoker.
Usage:
The pellet-type smoker is commonly used in grill shops where there is a need to smoke a large quantity of meat in a fixed amount of time. This might be the best fit for you if you are having a home gathering or BBQ party with your friends often. It has six grill grates which are coated with porcelain. It will keep your meat in the right texture until the flavor is added without making it sticky.
Pros
- 1815 sq inches cooking area
- Pellet type smoker
- Auto igniter and shut down
Cons
- None
What’s New?
The smoker has auto-on and shut-down features. Since it is an electric-powered smoker, it has a powerful 300 watts igniter which will heat up the wood pellets you keep inside the smoker. Also, once it reaches a specific temperature or time, you can set it to shut down on its own. It will prevent any accidents and ensure the longevity of the smoker.
Why Should You Buy It?
The Pit Boss 7.0 is the best smoker under 1500 because it has many advanced features that are only available to much more expensive smokers. You can cook for a large crowd simultaneously with this smoker.
3. Traeger Grills Electric Pro Series 34 Smoker
Description
- Brand: Traeger
- Weight: 136 lbs
- Cooking Surface: 884 sq inches
- Smoker Type: Electric
Performance:
Traeger Pro Smoker 34 Electric smoker is the best offset smoker under $1500. It is one of the few authentic wood-based smokers with electrical igniters. The design is simple and attractive and performs for a long time without causing any trouble. With this smoker, you can add epic flavors to your BBQ foods with endless combinations. There are different chambers available for keeping your hardwood or fruitwood. This will help you to create different flavors by combining different woods.
Comparison:
The smoker comes with a protective bag that withstands all kinds of weather. It will keep your smoker from getting rusted or stained while keeping it fresh as new for a long time. It also has wheels to make it portable. You can control the internal temperature of the smoker precisely. It will allow you to smoke the meat to make its textures rich.
Usage:
The smoker’s internal temperature can go up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which is twice the temperature needed to smoke your meat perfectly. It has precise temperature control knobs which provide you insane control over the temperature. The temperature control is the electrical display. The grill grate is covered with porcelain for better performance.
Pros
- High internal temperature
- Electrical display
- Precise temperature control
Cons
- Small cooking area
What’s New?
The smoker comes with protective covers and another device that increases the life of the equipment. It also has a wheel which makes it portable. It is the best smoker under 1500 if we consider its features. You can also get a bag of wood pellets if you order one with the smoker. You can use it as fuel for the smoker.
Why Should You Buy It?
The Traeger Grills Electric Pro Series 34 Smoker might be the best option if you are looking for a high-end smoker. It allows you to control the temperature precisely, making the texture of the meat-rich. Also, the temperature is displayed on an electric display, making it much easier for you.
4. Masterbuilt Gravity Series MB20040221 Digital Charcoal Smoker
Description
- Brand: Masterbuilt
- Weight: 204 lbs
- Cooking Surface: 800 sq inches
- Smoker Type: Charcoal
Performance:
The Masterbuilt Gravity Series MB20040221 Digital Charcoal Smoker is one of the top-performing smokers in the world. It can reach up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit in just 14 minutes from starting. The temperature is three times higher than a normal smoker.
Comparison:
The smoker can start almost instantly and climb up to its top temperature within 15 minutes, which is good. Due to the advanced components installed in the smoker, the equipment is pretty much heavier. It weighs 202 lbs. However, the weight is compensated by the wheels on the four sides, making it easier to move around.
Usage:
This smoker can smoke, grill, sear, broil, etc. It is not just a smoker but a complete BBQ grill, and you can cook diverse BBQ food items using this smoker. It is much easier to use and has great features in it. You can easily replace the charcoal and wood inside the smoker without getting any heat burns.
Pros
- 6-in-1 versatility
- Portable
- Fast ignition
Cons
- Heavy
What’s New?
It is incredibly rare to see a smoker with four wheels and safety locks that prohibit it from moving. You can take out the locks and move them anywhere when you choose.
Why Should You Buy It?
The Masterbuilt Gravity Series MB20040221 Digital Charcoal Smoker is the best smoker under 1500. It is one of the few smokers that is under your budget and has great features, which is reflected in its performance.
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