Best Grill Smoker Combo – Top 10 Choices in 2022 [SPECIAL REVIEW]

The first grill/smoker combination we will look at in this guide is a pit barrel designed to make all of your grilling, smoking, and outdoor cooking easy to do. It is designed to use charcoal as a fuel that is more than sufficient to create a lot of heat in the enclosed barrel. It comes with a grill rack that can be used to grill and sear the outside of a cut of meat.

Best Grill Smoker Combo – Top 10 Choices in 2022 [SPECIAL REVIEW]
Best Grill Smoker Combo – Top 10 Choices in 2022 [SPECIAL REVIEW]

18-1/2 in. Classic Pit Barrel Cooker

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The first grill/smoker combination that we are going to look at in this guide is a pit barrel that is designed to make all of your grilling, smoking, and outdoor cooking easy to do. It is designed to use charcoal as a source of fuel that is more than sufficient to create a lot of heat in the enclosed barrel. It comes with a grill rack that can be used to grill and sear the outside of a cut of meat.

If you prefer a low and slow cook, in the Classic Pit Barrel Cooker you can use the hanging rods and the hooks that are included in the set to hang your meat as you add a bit of smoky flavor to your food. There are eight hooks included with the purchase of this grill/smoker, so you will be able to cook quite a bit of meat at once.

18-1/2 in. Classic Pit Barrel Cooker Package

It’s easy to set up and use

It is a very portable unit that can easily fit into your car

It can hold up to eight racks of ribs at once on the hooks, which is a lot of food

The cleanup process is quite simple

The barrel could be slightly longer

The hook and grilling rack height is not adjustable

It can be difficult to regulate the temperature with this model

The coating that is on the hooks comes off easily

Our team agrees that this grill/smoker is great for creating consistent results when you cook, which means that no matter how many times you make a rack of ribs, the outside will have a nice crunch while the inside is nice and juicy.

REC TEC Wood Pellet Grill RT-700

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The REC TEC Wood Pellet Grill which we are going to look at is one that looks quite unique because of the bull horn handles on the front and the bright orange lid. It is positioned on wheels so that it is a more portable grilling option, and it even has a surface area where you can prepare your food. When it comes to cooking space, you will find that the 702 square inches is more than enough to make quite a bit of food for your family and friends.

This grill/smoker is designed with a wide temperature range as well. It can be set at 180 degrees to create a low heat that is perfect for slow cooking any type of meat, but it can also go up to 500 degrees, which can put a nice sear on the outside of a steak. The Smart Grill Technology also makes maintaining a specific temperature quite simple.

REC TEC Grills Bull | RT-700 | Bundle | Wifi Enabled | Portable Wood Pellet Grill | Built in Meat Probes | Stainless Steel | 40lb Hopper | 6 Year Warranty | Hotflash Ceramic Ignition System

The fuel consumption is very efficient

This unit has great temperature control

This is a very durable grill/smoker

It has a large capacity, so feeding a crowd is easy

The exterior of the unit has a unique look that is pleasing to the eye

The light inside does not illuminate everything

There is not another fuel option other than pellets, so your food will always have a smoky flavor

The wheels are a bit narrow, making it difficult to move in grassy areas

We all agree that this grill smoker combo is great for creating consistent results when you cook, which means that no matter how many times you make a rack of ribs, the outside will have a nice crunch while the inside is nice and juicy.

Traeger TFB42LZBC Grills Lil Tex Elite 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

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The Traeger Lil Tex Elite is a great grill to own if you like to cook for your family. It comes with 418 square inches of cooking space, which means that you can cook up to five racks of ribs or 16 burgers at once. This unit is designed to use wood pellets as fuel, so your food will have an amazing taste each time you use this grill/smoker to cook.

In addition, the unit offers quite a bit of versatility when it comes to preparing food, so you can grill and smoke your food, but you can also bake, braise, and roast it to give it the taste and texture that you want it to have. In addition, starting the grill is simple with the auto-start feature, which means that you will no longer need to struggle to light the grill. It even automatically feeds pellets to the fire to help maintain the temperature within 20 degrees.

Traeger TFB42LZBC Grills Lil Tex Elite 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker – Grill, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise, and BBQ (Bronze)

Works well in colder temperatures

Has a wide temperature range, which makes it great for all types of meat

Has a compact size that is ideal for most yards

Is very simple to assemble

The temperature can vary up to 20 degrees each way

There is not a working surface on this grill to prepare food

Wood pellets are the only fuel option for this grill/smoker

Versatility is important for any grill or smoker, which is part of why consumers enjoy this unit so much. It is easy to use, you can use six different cooking methods, and the entire unit is easy to clean. It is even a great grill to use in cold weather, especially if you purchase the insulated cover that is sold separately.

Camp Chef PG24DLX Deluxe Pellet Grill and Smoker

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This Camp Chef Pellet Grill and Smoker is a great cooking option if you enjoy versatility in an outdoor environment. You can smoke, grill, barbecue, braise, roast, and bake all of your favorite foods in the grill/smoker without babysitting or drying out the food. The digital temperature control that is built into the design allows you to adjust the temperature between 160 degrees and 500 degrees with the push of a button, and there is even an automatic pellet feeder that you can use to help maintain the heat on the food with ease.

There is 570 square feet of cooking space that you can make use of, and there is even a warming rack that you can use to remove the meat from the direct heat inside of the grill/smoker. When the food is done, you can even clean the unit with ease by pulling the lever to release the ash from the hopper.

Camp Chef PG24DLX Deluxe Pellet Grill and Smoker BBQ with Digital Controls and Stainless Temp Probe

The temperature controls on this unit are great

The cooking surface is quite large on this unit

The build quality is great

Cleaning inside feeder tube can be difficult

Large size

Many consumers who have purchased and used this grill/smoker combination agree that this is a great option when you need a wide temperature range. It is easy to set up and even easier to use, especially since the unit has an automatic pellet feeder that allows you to walk away from the unit as the food is cooking.

PK Grills The Original PK Grill & Smoker

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The Original PK Grill and Smoker has a lovely silver exterior design that was made because the aluminum grill was hand-poured. This grill/smoker is great for cooking hot and fast to get a nice sear on the outside of the meats that you are cooking as well as the option to cook low and slow, which is great for making tender meats that melt in your mouth.

Because of the way that this unit is built and the vents that are built into the design, the area where the food is cooked can reach a temperature of up to 700 degrees. This high temperature will definitely give your steak a crisp outer crust, but the inside will still be mouthwateringly juicy. On the low end, the grill/smoker can go down to 180 degrees, which will create ribs that simply fall off of the bone. In addition, this unit comes with a 10-year warranty, which shows just how durable its design is.

PK Grills The Original PK Grill & Smoker, Classic Silver (PK99740)

It has a very large temperature range

Has a very portable design

Grill hardware is designed to be rustproof

There is not an ash catcher at the bottom of this grill

Is a bit difficult to clean

There’s not enough cooking space

We should admit that the wide temperature range and the portability of this grill makes it ideal for backyard barbecues as well as cooking out at a park. The temperature is easy to control with this unit, and flare-ups are few and far between.

Traeger TFB65LZBC Grills Texas Elite 34 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

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Traeger TFB65LZBC Grills is one of the more versatile grill options out there. Not only does this product work as a true combo of grilling and smoking, but with it, you can also bake, roast, and braise on a high level. To achieve a high enough level of heat, the Texas Elite 34 utilizes wood pellets, simply load up the hopper and the Elite 34 uses a heated rod to ignite the pellets and provide heat in the grill.

As a result of this ignition source, the flavor of your food is greatly augmented, during the grilling and smoking process, you can simply change out the type of pellets you use in order to achieve different flavor profiles. On top of all of this, the cooking area of this combo smoker/grill provides 646 square inches of cooking surface, which means that cooking larger objects is a cinch.

Traeger TFB65LZBC Grills Texas Elite 34 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker – Grill, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise, and BBQ (Bronze)

Has more than enough room for most meat

The grill gates are made of porcelain, which means that they are fairly easy to clean

This is a portable grill, but when you need it to stay put, you can lock the casters

If you’re on a budget, this isn’t the cheapest grill/smoker out there

If you’re not careful, the grill gates can be scratched

The digital controller can be somewhat complex to get a hang of

One of the best features of this grill is its ability to be used even in colder weather. Simply put, when it’s cold outside, the quality lid and heating elements of this grill allow it to maintain an even temperature so that it can be used year-round. This product also has an insulation blanket that’s sold separately that can add to its functionality in the winter.

Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker

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Anyone that’s a grilling or smoking enthusiast will be familiar with the iconic brand, Weber. This Smokey Mountain Cooker has a durable barrel-shaped body that allows you to craft two different smoke-flavored foods via the two-tiered cooking areas. The body of the product is crafted of high-grade steel, and on the inside, Weber opted to coat the surfaces in easy-to-clean porcelain enamel, which was a great choice for product maintenance.

To manage internal temperatures, Weber opted for a more low-tech system, the product uses two dampers at the top and bottom that can be used to reduce or raise the heat. You can even use the porcelain-enameled water pan to add moisture to whatever it is you’re cooking.

Weber 721001 User Manual 

Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-Inch Charcoal Smoker, Black

Weber included a nice smoker cover for this, which is perfect for protecting this product as you store it

The temperature gauge on the lid is very useful for keeping the temperature just right

The included water pan helps add moisture to what you’re smoking

You can prepare two different types of meats simultaneously

The aluminum fuel door feels a bit flimsy despite a fairly durable construction

While it isn’t the heaviest smoker/griller, this is also not a very portable product

Works better as a smoker than a grill due to the somewhat limited grill surface

Many consumers consider these particular smokers to be some of the best on the market. In fact, more than a few professional barbecue champions swear by the product. Also, many consumers appreciate the rust-proofing Weber has added to this product. Webers have a reputation for rust, and the fact that this product is protected is very valued.

Char-Griller 16620 Akorn Kamado Cooker

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Versatility is the spice of life, and this product, which comes from Char-Griller 16620, has a lot of built-in versatility for home smokers/grillers to enjoy. In fact, not only does this product have an excellent grilling

18-1/2 in. Classic Pit Barrel Cooker

The first grill/smoker combination that we are going to look at in this guide is a pit barrel that is designed to make all of your grilling, smoking, and outdoor cooking easy to do. It is designed to use charcoal as a source of fuel that is more than sufficient to create a lot of heat in the enclosed barrel. It comes with a grill rack that can be used to grill and sear the outside of a cut of meat.

surface, but there’s more than enough room inside to smoke most meats at a temperature range of 200 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to this, you can even do some baking with a compatible pizza pan.

When it comes to grilling space, this product performs well, it has 314 square inches of cooking area and even utilizes a warming rack for keeping buns and other food items nice and toasty. The entire product is constructed of steel, and Char-Griller elected to add on a powder coat, which will protect the Akorn Komando Kooker from the elements, rust, and corrosion. This is also a very portable product, it has wheels and is light enough to take with you if you want to grill or smoke on the go.

Char-Griller 16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Black

The wheels are larger so that they can manage many terrain types

The wheels lock into place when you need stability

There’s a lot of grill space on this product

The dampers are very effective at providing nuanced heat control

The steel grates could be easier to clean

Over time, the lid seals tend to warp and not seal as well

It can rust over years of use

We tend to agree that for the price point, this griller combo has a very high amount of quality. Additionally, most agree that this is a great beginner smoker due to the fact that it has fairly simplified systems for keeping the temperature of your foods just right.

Char-Griller 2-2424 Table Top Charcoal Grill

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Char-Griller 2-2424 Table Top Charcoal Grill can be used as a standard tabletop grill, also it can be converted to a full-size fire box for Texas-style horizontal smoking. Not only does this product have a steel construction that evenly spreads the heat throughout the internal areas of the smoker, but it also has an excellent damper system that grants some heat customization so that you can cook your meats at your own pace.

When it’s time to clean up, you can simply remove the slide-out ash pan and dispose of the coal or wood chips that you’ve used as ignition sources. Additionally, this product can be physically be attached to Char-Griller’s Duo Gas and Charcoal Grill or any of their line of barrel grills, though, as you might expect, doing so reduces the portability of the unit.

Insofar as a cooking area, this product has a fairly impressive amount of space; in fact, it has a full 250 square inches of space, which is more than enough to cook a wide variety of meats.

Char-Griller 2-2424 Table Top Charcoal Grill and Side Fire Box

It’s a very inexpensive smoker/griller that you can rest on a table

It’s very easy to clean out ash or charcoal

The steel construction makes it a very durable option for grillers 

The handle is designed to stay completely cool

Once you add it on to another Char-Griller product, it can’t be used as a tabletop anymore

It doesn’t really have any protection from rust

The paint can peel over time, which will expose more raw metal to rust and corrosion

For the most part, many consumers simply use this product as a side box for adding extra smoking functionality to their existing Char-Griller barrel grills. Our opinion – it’s also a near-perfect size for just about anyone to smoke up a turkey during the holidays.

How to Find Best Grill Smoker Combo – Buyer’s Guide

When you are looking for a grill/smoker combination to expand the cooking options that are available to you at your home, finding the right one for your needs can be difficult. In fact, it can be downright overwhelming if you do not know what to look for. Let’s explore some of the questions that you may have when you are looking for your new grill/smoker so that you can find one that fits all of your needs when you are cooking for your family.Gas, Charcoal, or Wood Pellets?

When it comes to the type of fuel that your new grill/smoker uses, there is no perfect option. Typically, when you smoke your food, you are going to use a combination of the main source of heat as well as adding wood or wood pellets to the smoker box. A smoker box may not exist on every grill smoker combination, but it is an option that is designed onto quite a few models.

This design allows you to cook the food without having it over direct heat, which is great for smoking meat because low and slow is often the key to infusing the meat with that smoky taste while maintaining the juiciness of the meat.

When it comes to grilling, you will want to consider whether you prefer charcoal or gas. Many people prefer charcoal because of the flavor that it adds to the food, but cooking with charcoal is often a lot more imprecise when it comes to maintaining a constant temperature. Remember, most meats taste better when they are cooked low and slow, which is why a gas grill may be preferred. With these models, you can regulate the temperature quite easily, but you won’t get the sear on the outside of the meat that you can get using a charcoal grill.

SO, WHICH IS THE BEST?

The bottom line is that all of these fuel options work well, you simply need to select the one that flavors the meat the way that you want it.

Which Woods is Better for Smoking?t types of wood will give your food a different taste, so you will want to consider the type of wood that you smoke with. Here are some of the wood and meat combinations that you may want to try out:

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Hickory is great with most meats, but specifically with slowly cooked pork ribs and chicken.

Oak is great with beef as well as gamier meats like venison.

Apple gives meat a slightly sweet taste, so it is great with pork and chicken.

Cherry is great with white meat, which includes chicken, fish, and it will even taste good with some cuts of pork.

Pecan is ideal for large pieces of meat that are slow to cook like ribs and brisket.

Maple is great for most cuts of pork and chicken.Mesquite gives the meat an intense smoky flavor, which makes it great with beef.

Advantages of a Grill/Smoker Combo

e several benefits to having a smoker grill combo, which starts with the versatility and the cooking options that you will have. You can cook on a traditional grilling surface over direct heat, or you can cook over less direct heat to get a smokier taste in the meat.Using the smoker aspect of these grills is quite simple, and in many cases, you can even make use of an automatic feeder so that you do not have to tend to it as often during the cooking process. When the pellets are added automatically, it is even easier to maintain a specific temperature.

What to Look for when Purchasing

are ready to choose a grill smoker combination to purchase, you will want to make sure to consider a few specific features to make sure that the grill/smoker that you purchase is the right one for you and your family. Let’s take a look at some of the most important considerations to make.

Materials and Durability

When you consider the quality of the materials that make up the grill, the first aspect that you are going to want to consider is the frame. This means that you should check all of the areas where the frame is welded together to make sure that the seams are properly connected.

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Also, if you live in an area that is really humid or where it rains frequently, you will want to purchase your grill/smoker with that in mind because stainless steel may be durable, but when there is too much moisture in the air, it can rust. The same is true of copper and some other types of metal.

Next, make sure that you check the quality of the smoker/grill legs because you need a stable base to ensure that the unit does not accidentally topple over while you are cooking. If the base is designed with wheels, you should also check the stability of the wheels so that you can ensure that moving the unit while it is hot is safe.

Temperature Range and Controls

With a grill and smoker combo, you are going to want a unit that has a wide temperature range so that you can sear the outside of your steaks as well as slow cook your ribs. When you are smoking meat, you are going to need a temperature of about 300 degrees, so make sure that the temperature gauge in the unit that you are considering purchasing can cook at such low temperatures. On the other hand, to get a nice sear, you are going to need a high temperature of about 500 degrees, especially if you want a nice crust on the outside of your meats.

Maintaining a consistent temperature is very important for smoking meat, so shoot for a grill/smoker that comes with a thermostat so that you can easily monitor the internal temperature of the unit while the food is cooking.

Even Heating and Dampeners

When you are cooking on your smoker grill combo, you need your unit to heat up evenly so that the food that you are preparing cooks evenly as well. Some grills have tiny burners that only heat some of the grilling surface, which creates hot and cold spots on the grid.

Remember that a grill/smoker that has higher BTUs is not necessarily designed to provide you with more heat; you need to be able to heat the entire surface grill/smoker, so make sure that the burners are sufficient before you invest your money. The last thing that you want is a grill that cooks meat at a temperature of 50 degrees higher on one side of the grill.

When you are smoking, the heat inside the unit is controlled by the amount of air that is getting into the smoker. That being said, make sure that the smoker that you purchase has a few dampeners that you can use to adjust the heat.

Space for Grilling and Smoking

How many people are you going to be cooking for at a time with your new grill/smoker? If you have a large family, you are going to want more cooking space than if you are only cooking for two or three people. That being said, many people do not grill or smoke just a little bit of meat. Typically, you are going to want a smoker that has at least 12 inches of space so that you can grill an entire turkey if you want, but you also need a width of at least 16 inches so that you can put an entire rack of ribs in the unit without cutting them down.

Portability

Unless you have enough space at your home to have a dedicated spot to keep your grill/smoker, then you are going to need to have some portability so that you can move the unit with ease. Even if you will not be moving the grill/smoker, you may want a bit of portability to make set up easier. Purchasing a unit that has wheels will make moving it a much easier process, so make sure you consider how much portability you will need before settling on a grill/smoker.

Maintenance and Cleanup

When you use your grill/smoker, you are going to need to clean the interior of the unit so that it does not change the flavor of your meat. Stuck on food residue can cause bacteria to grow inside of the grill, so keeping it clean is essential. This means that you will also need to clean the cooking grates, so if you are looking for something simple to maintain, stainless steel is worth considering. Grates should always be washed by hand because any grease and stuck on food from grilling will not be removed in a dishwasher.

Warranty Provided

Any product worth purchasing is going to have a warranty from the manufacturer to stand behind the quality of the product that they created. It should cover the cost or replacements and repairs for at least the first five years of ownership, but if you get a great smoker/grill, you may even find a company that provides you with a lifetime warranty so that you can use the unit for years without worrying about making another smoker/grill purchase.

Winner: Camp Chef PG24DLX Deluxe Pellet Grill and Smoker

When you are shopping around for a new grill smoker combo, you are going to see a lot of brands on the market with options worth considering. Going for a specific brand is not necessarily going to guarantee that the quality of the unit that you select is going to be better than lesser known brands. All of the products that we’ve reviewed in this guide are great options for your backyard barbecues, but if you are looking for the combo, the Camp Chef PG24DLX Deluxe Pellet Grill and Smoker comes out on top. It is a grill smoker with quite a bit of cooking space so that you can cook for a crowd, it is a portable unit with an attractive exterior design, and it features smart digital temperature control, which is designed to make it much easier to regulate and maintain the temperature inside.


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