Access. Look for easy access to the firebox to add fuel if you buy a charcoal or wood smoker. If you use chips, chunks, or pellets for smoke, you will need easy access to the place they go. Most important, you want access to the food. Front-loading, cabinet-style smokers give you much easier access to all shelves than top-loading bullet-style smokers.

Capacity. If all you cook is an occasional slab of ribs for you and your spouse, then a small bullet will do the job. But if you throw an annual Fourth of July party, you may need more capacity.

Footprint. A bullet shaped smoker will only take up a space of about 3' x 3', allowing for a little space around it. That means it will fit on a balcony. On the other hand, an offset pit can take up 9' x 4' plus space around it. Don't forget that you need plenty of space around your smoker. And ventilation.

Tall enough for large turkeys. You will want enough room to smoke a turkey, so make there is enough headspace between a rack and the top of about 1'.

Wheels. You may want to move the thing when you set it up, perhaps to store it over the winter, so it should have wheels or it should break down easily. If it has wheels, how sturdy are they, and are they large enough to roll smoothly on a rough surface such a deck, concrete, pavers, or the lawn?

Grill. Some offset cookers have a rack that allow you to use the firebox as a grill like the Char-Broil Bandera at right. Some bullets can be easily converted to a brazier by removing the water pan. This is a nice feature. If there is a brazier, can you control the heat? Can you move the fire closer to or away from the meat or move the meat closer to or further from the fire?

Moveable shelves. It's nice to remove shelves to adjust the interior configuration so it can handle large slabs of ribs, half slabs, or pork butts and even large objects like turkeys. Removeable shelves also make cleanup easier.

Can you add fuel, wood, water, and check the meat easily? A good smoker should allow you to add charcoal, wood, and water easily. This can be a real problem with bullets and cabinets.

Water pan. Many smokers, especially bullets, have a pan that is placed above the heat source. You can fill it with water, beer, wine, herbs, and whatever. The liquid moderates the temperature fluctuations in the oven. The moisture raises the humidity in the unit and helps keep the meat from drying out while the aromatics penetrate the meat, adding subtle flavor. The pan can also catch drippings, which can be used to make a sauce. The standard bowl is 5-6 quarts. The bigger the better.

Drip pan. Fats and other fluids often drip from the food. Sometimes it is nice to have these liquids fall onto the fire and create steam and smoke. Sometimes it is nice to gather the drippings for sauces. Most of the time we just want to get rid of drippings, and a good smoker should have a way to collect them for disposal.

Easy cleaning. Cleaning the exterior is optional. But cleaning the interior is not. If you invest in a shiny stainless-steel exterior, you'll probably want to cover it between uses and polish it so that it shines brighter than Uncle Bill's bald head. If you don't want the hassle, get the black finish and don't worry if there are bird droppings on it. The inside is another thing altogether. When you cook, fat, seasonings, and juices will drip off and splatter. They can become breeding grounds for bacteria. Cranking the unit up will kill most everything, but you still want to clean out all surfaces that come into contact with the meat. That means racks. Stainless is easiest to clean, plated grates will wear out with time and then rust. Will the grates, drip pan, and water pan will fit in your diswasher? Can you hose down the interior? How easy is it to remove ash? Will water get into the insulation or electronics if you hit it with a hose or power washer? Before you buy, study the unit and ask yourself how you will clean it and if you are willing to do it. If not, then you won't use it and you'll be wasting your money.

Cover. Does it come with a cover? Will it last more than a week? Can you leave it uncovered without it getting wet inside or rusting?

Work surfaces and storage. Some cookers come with built-in tables and other work surfaces. You need these to put tools on, sauces, cutting boards, mitts, etc. The more work surfaces, the better. Some cookers also come with storage bins and cabinets for wood, tongs, etc. Those are also nice.

Bottom line. Price is important, but temperature control is also important. Don't buy crap.

This page was revised 4/28/2011