Best Charcoal Smokers

Grill Picker tracks 3 charcoal smokers — charcoal smokers — from 3 brands, priced $399 to $630. The highest-rated is the Pit Barrel Cooker Classic at 4.9★, and the largest is the Weber Smokey Mountain 18 at 481 sq in of cooking area. Compare them all below.

~$399

Charcoal Smoker

Pit Barrel Cooker

Pit Barrel Cooker Classic

4.9(189)

The Pit Barrel Cooker Classic is an 18.5-inch porcelain-coated drum smoker that hangs meat vertically over the coals on hooks. It's beloved on r/smoking for being nearly foolproof - light it, hang the meat, and walk away.

Hang-Style Drum SmokingTruly Set-and-Forget8 Hooks + Grate Included

Charcoal240 sq inapprox 250–325°F

Best for: Foolproof smoking with zero temperature babysitting

See specs & owner notes

~$419

Charcoal Smoker

Weber

Weber Smokey Mountain 18

4.8(1,498)

The Weber Smokey Mountain is the legendary bullet-shaped charcoal water smoker that has been the 'first real smoker' recommendation for decades. Two stacked grates and a water pan turn out competition-quality BBQ for under $500.

Legendary Bullet SmokerTwo 18.5-Inch GratesBuilt-In Water Pan

Charcoal481 sq inapprox 225–350°F

Best for: Learning real charcoal smoking the proven way

See specs & owner notes

~$630

Charcoal Smoker

Oklahoma Joe's

Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Pro

4.6(22)

The Oklahoma Joe's Bronco Pro is a heavy-duty 21.5-inch charcoal drum smoker with a sealed intake-pipe airflow system that gives drum-style cooking unusually precise temperature control, plus meat hangers and hooks for classic hang-style smoking.

Precision Airflow Dial15+ Hour Fuel BasketHang or Grate Cooking

Charcoal366 sq inapprox 200–450°F

Best for: Backyard smokers who want set-and-forget charcoal cooking and hang-style drum flavor without pellet-grill electronics

See specs & owner notes