Best Propane Smokers

Best Propane Smoker Review and Buying Guide

Having good barbeque with friend and family over the weekend is one of the best things life has to offer. Good food always gives us good memories that we will probably carry for the rest of our lives. Naturally, you need to prepare properly to get these good foods and of course get the right kind of equipment like a propane smoker.

During the days of our great grandpas, grilling and barbequing simply meant getting firewood, marinade the meat, prep the veggies, and then throw them to the grill. And waiting was a real test of patience.While grilling takes the faster and more practical route of barbeque, smoking is the exact opposite in terms of method. You take a chunk of meat, use less heat and cook the food in a very slow manner.

Whether you choose a gas smoker over a propane smoker, the point is you want your family to enjoy the best kind of barbeque and grilled food. The market, whether physical or online, offers a lot of these products, some great, while others not so much. Other perform to the needs of the owners, while some just simply was a waste of investment.The list below are just some of the best smokers currently out in the market. Reading each one carefully will help you make that educated decision in choosing which propane smoker fits your lifestyle the best.

Comparison Table

Model

Price

Dimensions

Cooking Space

Our Ratings

Weight

Masterbuilt 20051311 GS30D 2-Door Propane SmokerCheck Price43.5 x 21.4 x 21.1 inches717 sq. inches58.43 pounds
Smoke Hollow 38202G 38-Inch 2-Door Propane Gas SmokerCheck Price47 x 19 x 28 inches3.4 cubic feet68 pounds
Camp Chef SMV24 SmokerCheck Price17 x 25 x 30.5 inches21 1/2? W x 14? D74 pounds
Smoke Hollow 44241G2 Vertical Propane Gas SmokerCheck Price47 x 19 x 28 inches3.4 cubic feet68 pounds
Landmann USA Smoky Mountain Vertical Gas SmokerCheck Price47.25 x 21 x 26 inches1576 sq. inches92.6 pounds
Char-Broil Vertical Gas SmokerCheck Price45.5 x 21.5 x 19.5 inches595 square inches85 pounds
Masterbuilt Black Propane SmokerCheck Price36.6 x 18.8 x 26.6 inches1,307 square inches85 pounds
Camp Chef Smoke VaultCheck Price17 x 18.75 x 30.25 inches15? W x 14? D63.5 pounds
Smoke Hollow Propane Gas Smoker with WindowCheck Price17 x 25 x 47 inches3.4 cubic feet70 pounds
Smoke Hollow Gas SmokerCheck Price60 x 33 x 24.5 inches784 sq. inches100 pounds

Masterbuilt 20051311 GS30D 2-Door Propane Smoker

This model is primarily designed for outdoor cookouts. It comes with an electronic button that can be pushed for ignition. It comes with unique features that make it a standout option, including its durability, and the use of over 700 square inches of cooking space, and an overall durable construction.

Getting that smokehouse-style flavor will be an easy task for this 2-door vertical gas smoker. The igniter turns on with an easy and quick press of a button. Topping is off is the 700 square inch cooking space, plus clean-ups are a breeze with the wood chip tray and water pan are both removable. You’d know when to put in certain food from the built-in temperature gauge that helps you monitor the heat

Our Verdict

This is a very powerful smoker that can cook a lot of barbeque. It has so much space you can even invite neighbors to put in some of their meet while you do yours. If you don’t mind the price point (which is a very reasonable price point), then this smoker will give you all the barbeque needs you want. It uses less amount of propane than other models of other brands. We like that even at its lowest of 250 degrees, cooking for a quarter of a day will give satisfying results.

Medela Soft Shells
  • Four chrome coated smoking racks
  • Stainless steel burner
  • Push-button controls
  • Too much smoke leaks from the doors
  • Temperature gauge is not accurate
  • Loose cabinet doors

Camp Chef SMV24 Smoker

The only LPG smoker that outperforms most of the other models in the market. The cooking capacity of the 38” Double doors of the cabinet is the second biggest in dimensions. You don’t need to open the top door for wood pans or feeding the water. Offers great control of high and low temperature range with a cast brass gas control system.

The convenience of top quality smoked recipes is the promise of the Camp Chef Smoker. Smoke any and all variety of food like ribs, turkey and you can even bake pies.Dial and damper valves are in place for a complete control on the internal temperature. There is also a door thermometer to monitor the temperature of the smoker. With 25 years of service, the quality of outdoor cooking is notably one of the best.

Our Verdict

This is the Beginner Smoker’s starter set. Everything is in it, including tips on how to use smokers in general and a recipe book for smoked dishes. Assembling this smoker is not just easy, it lets your learn how the whole thing will work and how you can take better care of it to make it last for many years. The space it takes is not that big for a smoker of this level.

Medela Soft Shells
  • Adjustable Smoking Racks
  • Porcelain base removes easily for fast and easy clean-ups
  • Easy to read door thermometer
  • Matchless snap-ignition system
  • Maximum heat control from protected burner drum
  • Temperature control fluctuates at times
  • Temperature gauge does not work properly
  • Door hinges get easily loosen up

Smoke Hollow 44241G2 Vertical Propane Gas Smoker

This model features a 44-inch double door cabinet which makes it relatively to feed water and the wood pans without accessing the top door, thus releasing heat and smoke effectively.This design allows users to control internal moisture and internal heat that impacts the overall time needed to smoke food.

The two-door system of the Smoke Hallow 44241G2 not only makes for an easy and convenient entry for the water feed and wood pans, it also makes releasing the heat and smoke almost effortless. There is also a dual burner system for an easy control over the internal heat and moisture. The two stainless steel inline burner can be controlled separately.

Our Verdict

It doesn’t take long to figure out how to work with Smoke Hallow smokers. The assembly instruction were very precise and helpful leaving you with a very satisfactory smoker. If you just came from smoking through charcoal, this might be the one reason why you should go back to those days. The price is worth it for both beginners and novice smokers.

Medela Soft Shells
  • Double door cabinet system (44”)
  • 10.000 btu mark from burners
  • Porcelain coated wood chip pans
  • Burners tend to die out while smoking
  • Smoker needs to be re-lit over time
  • Propane tank included doesn’t match the smoker

Landmann USA Smoky Mountain Vertical Gas Smoker

TBA It is a WIFI enabled unit with several other interesting features, making it an ideal option for grill lovers.It comes equipped with an internal meat thermometer which allows for consistent monitoring to ensure that the meat is cooked evenly. It also contains features that are otherwise optional with other grill models.

The 1576-square inches of this vertical gas smoker means you get to cook a lot of food that can save you a lot of time and extra effort. Optimum temperature control is achieved through the adjustable top chimney and side damper vents.It is one of the very stable smokers because of the leg’s wide stance.

Our Verdict

The Landmann USA 3895 is at the head of the race for two reasons. One, assembly is done in less than an hour. Just read the instruction manual and follow the steps faithfully, you’ll be done in no time. The second thing is you can get a lot of cooking done with that large space. So if you have a big family who likes to eat a lot of good food, this smoker will fit right in.

Medela Soft Shells
  • Heat saving easy access drawers
  • Front door temperature gauge for adjusting the heat
  • Porcelain coated water pan
  • ​Heavy-duty steel wood chip with lid
  • ​Magnetic door closing system
  • Easy to assemble
  • Magnetic doors are weak at some point
  • Overly sensitive temperature control
  • Flimsy at some point

Char-Broil Vertical Gas Smoker

The large smoking chamber of the Char-Broil Smoker will let you smoke your choice of food to your heart’s content.There is easy access for tending the water and wood without losing heat in the chamber.A simple propane burner is installed to heat the wood chips and water when you do you barbeque.

The cooking the chamber is monitored closely and separately and a temperature control on the burner has been paced. As a bonus, you can heat up your sauces or marinades from the grate on top.

Our Verdict

This might be a good gift for your husband if he likes to invite friends over for the weekend. It smokes meat really well and fast. The smoker is easy to operate and doesn’t require much monitoring. We’d like to give a thumb’s up for the exceptional attention on the temperature controls and gauges. Like icing on top, the warming rack is just ingenious in our book.

Medela Soft Shells
  • Heat saving easy access drawers
  • Front door temperature gauge for adjusting the heat
  • Porcelain coated water pan
  • ​Heavy-duty steel wood chip with lid
  • ​Magnetic door closing system
  • Easy to assemble
  • Magnetic doors are weak at some point
  • Overly sensitive temperature control
  • Flimsy at some point

​Masterbuilt Black Propane Smoker

Quality smokehouse-grade barbeque at the convenience of your backyard. This vertical gas smoker has a large chamber that cook food with ease and quality.Adding wood chips and tending the water will cause only a minimal effect on the heat thanks to the two-door system feature. With 15,400 BTU on the stainless steel burner, a smoky flavor on your meat is not that hard to achieve.

Our Verdict

For any outdoor cookout, smoked food is the best route to go since it complements the environment pretty good. That’s exactly the kind of smoked food you will get from the Masterbuilt Black Propane Smoker. We commend how well the two doors work well with the 30” dimension. It cannot smoke a lot of food but it can smoke a food good enough to rival any high-end grill bars.

Medela Soft Shells
  • Push Button Ignition
  • Air damper and smoke control can be adjusted
  • Water bowl for added moisture and flavor
  • Heat doesn’t go below 225
  • Cannot smoke an entire rack of ribs
  • Latches come off easily after gradual use

​Camp Chef Smoke Vault

To infuse all the delicious smoky goodness of your meat inside this 18” vault, a heavy-duty gauge wood chip and water pan has be specialized to make simple smoking but quality barbeque.The dials and damper valves are full adjustable to get that right kind of heat you food needs. Cooking temperatures vary from 160F to 400F.

Our Verdict

Great quality barbeque from a price range you’d expect to be a bit higher. If this is your first time to buy a smoker, this might be a good way to start. The Smoke Vault is very easy to use and can give you an idea what to expect from higher models. The features on paper do exactly what they say and you end up with good quality barbeque. Assemble is also easy but very engaging as you will learn how a smoker works, and in turn, you’ll know how to give it proper maintenance.

Medela Soft Shells
  • Adjusting smoking racks
  • Door thermometers are easy to read
  • Three damper valves
  • Matchless snap ignition
  • Bottom vents are opened larger enough
  • Cannot control the temperature from the gauge
  • Smoke leaks from the door

Smoke Hollow Propane Gas Smoker with Window

Heat loss is prevented because of the 2-door system this smoker comes with—so putting in more wood or tending will be less worrisome because the quality of your smoked food will be affected.The chrome-plated cooking grills adjust easily to the height and size of the meat you will be cooking. The sausage hanger is also a very nice addition.

Our Verdict

If you have a very wide friend circle, you’ll be needing this smoker for backyards parties on the weekends and summer vacation. It is built to smoke a large number of food, so family gatherings will also not be a big of an issue.

Also, if you are just a beginner in the barbeque field, that window will help you more that you’d expect. Food tastes great when it comes out of this smoker, and once you get used to using it, smoking will almost become a reflex.

Medela Soft Shells
  • 2-door design with window
  • Push-button ignition
  • Porcelain coated water bowl and wood pan
  • Cast Brass Burner
  • 3.4cu ft. capacity
  • Smoke comes out from the cabinet depending to what your cooking
  • Assembly can be challenging for first time owners
  • Propane valve readings are exact

​Smoke Hollow Gas Smoker

Just like any other smoker from Smoke Hollow, this vertical LPG smoker performs with almost the same performance efficiency as its brothers.There are double door cabinets with large cooking space. Lees heat is lost when tending the water or feeding the wood pans. Internal heat and moisture is properly controlled. The dual burner system warrants for a great smoking experience.

Medela Soft Shells
  • Push Button Ignition
  • Air damper and smoke control can be adjusted
  • Water bowl for added moisture and flavor
  • Heat doesn’t go below 225
  • Cannot smoke an entire rack of ribs
  • Latches come off easily after gradual use

Points to Consider When Buying a Propane/Gas Smoker

It’s always good when you are offered with a handful of options especially when you’re cooking food.

A large smoker can cook food for a large family in the smallest amount of time. But if you’ve just been introduced to smoking your food, then a smaller sized smoker will do the job just fine

A smoker that can do lots of kinds of barbeque is always a good news, beginner lever or expert chef you may be.

Maintenance can be a pain but it is a must, especially for equipment that uses heat to function. Make sure that you get a smoker that can deal with the amount of barbequing you plan to make.

This may seem superficial, but the truth of the matter is, we want a quality smokehouse-style barbeque. Settling for an unknown brand is the wisestchoice to make.

Something in the middle of price and quality is always the wiser pick.

Conclusion

Food smokers are often seen as something you’d normally do over the weekend because of the amount of work it requires to get the right quality of smoked food. While there is truth in this, we should also consider the fact the smoked food is the best tasting food when there is a need to relax and unwind.

Sure, if comfort food is simply what we are looking for, then why not just hop in to the car and sit in grill bar and get your food cooked and served for you.

Having your own food smoker at home doesn’t only spell convenience, but also quality time that could have been spent inside a home instead of a crowded place.Lastly, food smokers are silent promoters of healthy eating, simply because there is no oil required to cook your food. Fire is very far from the meat as it is being cooked, so almost no charring occurs. And the flavor is always better than everything else.​