The award medallion at right is given to products that are highly recommended, that I have tested personally or that have been tested by reliable sources. Awards are based on features, quality, and value. Rest assured that when I recommend a product, it is really because I like it, not because someone has paid me to say so or because the company is an advertiser or sponsor. I purchase most products I review although occasionally suppliers send me samples.
When a product is available on Amazon.com, I often provide a direct link. Amazon.com often has the best prices anywhere, even better than many manufacturers' websites. That's because manufacturers know that if they undercut retailers, these important resellers may drop their products. In addition to low prices, Amazon.com offers fast delivery (often free), no sales tax (in most states), gift wrapping (on many items), and painless refund policies. Amazon's Gift & Wish Registry is a great way to drop not so subtle hints about what you'd love to get for Christmas, Mother's Day, Dad's Day, your wedding, housewarming, graduation, birthday or other event.
Full disclosure.Amazon.com pays me a small referral fee when you purchase from them after clicking on a link on this site, so purchasing from them helps underwrite the cost of operating AmazingRibs.com. If you like all the info I give you for free and would like to help me buy charcoal, copy the link below bookmark it. It takes you to Amazon.com and tags anything you buy with my code so I get that small referral fee. It works on anything from grills to diapers and it has zero impact on the price you pay. http://tinyurl.com/yazmwlq
Buying Guide, Reviews, and Ratings for Stovetop Smokers
Stovetop smokers are great for people who can't cook outdoors, or who can cook outdoors but don't want to use a larger grill or smoker. Stovetop smokers are great for camping trips because they can be used on campfires or small gas burners. And they are especially good for fish and fowl. You place a small amount of food grade sawdust in the bottom, place a drip pan on top of the sawdust, a rack on top of the drip pan, and the food on the rack. The unit is then closed so only a small amount of smoke can escape. The finished food is extremely moist, flavorful, delicate and complex, and you can control time and temp fairly easily.
There are a few caveats:
1) You need a good exhaust system or your kitchen will fill with smoke and your smoke alarm will drive you nuts.
2) They take practice (but so do almost all other smoke cooking methods).
3) They may not work on some flat top stoves.
4) The flavor and texture are significantly different from other smoking methods. Most stovetop smokers use smoldering sawdust in a pretty tightly closed environment. The flavor is a LOT different from logs, wood chips, chunks, or pellets burning and exhaling combustion gasses. The flavor is not bad, it's just different. The texture is also different. Moisture is trapped in the cooking unit, so you get much moister food. This can be good, but if you love the skinlike crust called "bark" you will be disappointed. Here are some models to consider.
Camerons Stovetop Smoker
Put two spoonsful of hickory sawdust in Camerons' stainless steel pan, put the drip pan on top of the sawdust, put the non-stick rack on top of that, and put the meat on the rack. Slide the lid on, turn your exhaust fan on high, turn the burner on high, and in about 30 minutes you have smoked, moist meat. Fish might be done in 30 minutes, but other cuts may not be. Chops will take longer, and ribs, much longer. So I them take the lid off and move it to the oven to complete cooking. Baby backs will take another 3-4 hours. Pork chops, perhaps only a few minutes depending on how thick they are. You can master this tool with the help of a really good digital instant read meat thermometer. In the case of ribs, you don't want to add sauce until the last five minutes, and then switch to broil them. For more about cooking ribs, read my articles in the recipes section.
3" high x 11" wide x 15" long, the Camerons weighs seven pounds and it is dishwasher safe. But it can warp under extreme heat. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
Emerilware Cast Iron 4-in-1 Smoker
It is called 4-in-1 because it is a smoker, a stovetop grill, a roaster, and a broiler pan. Made from cast iron and sold with a lifetime warranty, this is an impressive multi-tasker. Included are a stainless steel drip tray and rack. Cast iron has some real advantages: It is will not warp, has great heat retention, and keeps food warm at the table. Comes with an enameled drip tray and rack, a selection of wood chips, and Emeril's "Smokin' Hot!" recipe pack to get you started. As with all cast iron, it needs to be seasoned, and it cannot be washed in the dishwasher. It must be dried thoroughly or it will rust. Also, it weighs almost 30 pounds! For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
MIA Multi-Function Grill and Roaster
I've never used this nor seen it in action, but it looks interesting. Here is the manufacturer's description: "Works on any stovetop, oven, grill or heat source, indoors or out. It roasts, grills, steams and smokes. It can mix steam and smoke at the same time so your smoked food never dries out. It even cooks and infuses flavor into pasta or rice and makes a great bouillabaisse or soup." For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
Athena Max Burton Stove Top Smoker
Looks similar to the Camerons, only a bit less expensive. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
Chef Reece Williams Indoor Stovetop Smoker
Yet another stainless steel unit modeled after Camerons. Marketed by Bruce Foods, parent company of Cajun Injector, and it is packaged with a Cajun Injector hypodermic system, two Cajun Injector marinades, Cajun Shake Seasoning. For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, click here.
Tell Meathead what you think, or ask him a question
But please, please, please read this first:
1) Please use the sitemap or the search box, at the top of every page. There's a good chance the answer is already on this site.
2) Please read this article about thermometers.Chances are your thermometer is the problem! I cannot help you troubleshoot unless you tell me that you are using a digital oven thermometer at meat level (not in the lid), and/or a digital meat thermometer. You simply cannot believe your grill's built-in bi-metal dial thermometer. They are often off by as much as 50°F!
3) Please tell me everything I need to know to answer your question.
4) Please don't ask me "What grill (or smoker) should I buy?" Read my Buyer's Guides and follow the links. I've shared just about everything I know on those pages. I cannot pick the right cooker for you any more than you could pick the right car for me. But I've explained everything you need to know to make your decision.
AmazingRibs.com is all about the Zen of barbecue, grilling, and outdoor cooking, with great BBQ recipes and techniques: Barbecue baby back ribs, spareribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, steak, burgers, chicken, smoked turkey, lamb, barbecue sauces, rubs, and side dishes, with the net's best buying guide to barbecue smokers and grills. It is written, photographed, illustrated, and coded solely by Meathead.
My philosophy about food is simple. First of all it must taste great. It must be easy to make and emphasize fresh seasonal products with a minimum of processed ingredients. I think that people need to know why as well as how, and that there are no rules in the bedroom or dining room.
About Product Reviews and Meathead's Hot Stuff Awards. Meathead's Hot Stuff Awards are highly recommended products that I have tested personally or that have been tested by reliable sources. Awards are based on features, quality, and value. Rest assured that when I recommend a product, it is really because I like it, not because someone has paid me to say so or because the company is an advertiser or sponsor. I purchase most products I review although occasionally suppliers send me samples.
About links on this site. Other than clearly marked ads, links and recommendations on this site are all products, services, and websites I truly admire, and are never paid endorsements. Your suggestions are always welcome. If you would like me to link to your website, click here to read my links policy first. Advertising policy. I do not accept ads from products that I review such as grills, charcoal, etc. Click here for more on my advertising policy.
Meathead's Personal Privacy Promise.I promise to never sell or distribute any info about you individually without your express permission, and I promise not to, ahem, pepper you with email or make you eat spam. Click here for more details of my privacy promise.
Disclaimer. The information on this website is for educational purposes only. All material within comes without warranties of any kind. I am human, and capable of mistakes, so I make no guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or safety of the information. Under no circumstances am I liable for any damages that result from use of the site (so you can't sue me if you burn your tongue on hot ribs, or get a tummy ache, OK?).
GrillGrates are the best new product I have tested in years and the best thing to happen to beef since salt and pepper. The base superheats, eliminates hot spots, smokes, and blocks flareups. This is the concept behind the expensive new infrared grills. Click here for more about GrillGrates.
The Smokenator:
A Necessity For Weber Kettles
If you have a Weber Kettle, you need the amazing Smokenator and Hovergrill. The Smokenator turns your grill into a first class smoker, and the Hovergrill can add capacity or be used to create steakhouse steaks. Click here to read more.
ThermoWorks Pocket Thermometer - No More Guessing
A good thermometer is why I never serve overcooked or undercooked food. No more guesswork. This one has a very thin tip with a tiny thermocouple so it gives an accurate reading in just six seconds. I cannot recommend it more highly. It will improve your cooking overnight. And it is inexpensive. Click here for more about thermometers.
This link takes you to Amazon.com and tags anything you buy with my affiliate code so I get a small referral fee. It works on anything from grills to diapers and it has zero impact on the price you pay. Low prices, fast delivery (often free), good refund policies, and often there is no sales tax, are the best reasons to buy from Amazon.com, but clicking on that link before you shop helps me devote more time and money to you. Thanks!
The award medallion at right is given to products that are highly recommended, that I have tested personally or that have been tested by reliable sources. Awards are based on features, quality, and value. Rest assured that when I recommend a product, it is really because I like it, not because someone has paid me to say so or because the company is an advertiser or sponsor. I purchase most products I review although occasionally suppliers send me samples.
is a great way to drop not so subtle hints about what you'd love to get for Christmas, Mother's Day, Dad's Day, your wedding, housewarming, graduation, birthday or other event.
Put two spoonsful of hickory sawdust in Camerons' stainless steel pan, put the drip pan on top of the sawdust, put the non-stick rack on top of that, and put the meat on the rack. Slide the lid on, turn your exhaust fan on high, turn the burner on high, and in about 30 minutes you have smoked, moist meat. Fish might be done in 30 minutes, but other cuts may not be. Chops will take longer, and ribs, much longer. So I them take the lid off and move it to the oven to complete cooking. Baby backs will take another 3-4 hours. Pork chops, perhaps only a few minutes depending on how thick they are. You can master this tool with the help of a 
It is called 4-in-1 because it is a smoker, a stovetop grill, a roaster, and a broiler pan. Made from cast iron and sold with a lifetime warranty, this is an impressive multi-tasker. Included are a stainless steel drip tray and rack. Cast iron has some real advantages: It is will not warp, has great heat retention, and keeps food warm at the table. Comes with an enameled drip tray and rack, a selection of wood chips, and Emeril's "Smokin' Hot!" recipe pack to get you started. As with all cast iron, it needs to be seasoned, and it cannot be washed in the dishwasher. It must be dried thoroughly or it will rust. Also, it weighs almost 30 pounds! For discount pricing and direct ordering from Amazon.com, 
MIA Multi-Function Grill and Roaster
With a $25 donation you'll get a 100% cotton brushed twill adjustable low profile cap with the AmazingRibs patch sewn on. I'll even toss in a small bag of 
