Best Smokers of 2026
We have tested and scored 19 smokers. The best is the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 18 at 8.4 out of 10. Vertical, cabinet, barrel and offset smokers, on charcoal, pellets or electric power.
Our picks
- Best overall Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 18 8.4
- Best for the money Char-Griller Smokin' Pro Barrel Grill and Offset Smoker 7.8
- Best for high heat Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 22 8.2
- Most reliable Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 14 8.3
- Easiest to use Weber Smoque XL Pellet Smoker 8.2
Best smoker overallWeber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 18
Charcoal smoker
Our verdict: The 18 is the size most people who want this system should own. Weber scaled up the fire and left the instruments untouched. Add a probe thermometer and the middle size asks nothing extra of you.
- Strongest: Long-term Reliability 9.5
- Weakest: Ease of Use 7.0. One built-in reading, taken at the lid, on a cooker whose fire you otherwise cannot see at all.
Best for the moneyChar-Griller Smokin' Pro Barrel Grill and Offset Smoker
Charcoal barrel cooker
Value 9.5: At $299.99 against the Competition Pro's $449.99, the cheaper grill carries the better grate material.
- Strongest: Value 9.5
- Weakest: Heat Performance 7.0. Cast iron sits under the lowest published ceiling in the family, and 3.1 lbs of fuel serves 1,130 square inches.
Best for high heatWeber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 22
Charcoal smoker
Heat Performance 9.3: The widest fuel bed in the range sits under one enameled water pan, and mass is what keeps a charcoal cook still.
- Strongest: Heat Performance 9.3
- Weakest: Ease of Use 6.5. Reaching coals under a loaded 48.5 inch column is a two-person lift, and one dial reports the whole cook.
Most reliableWeber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker 14
Charcoal smoker
Long-term Reliability 9.5: Ten years against rust through on bowl and lid, with aluminium at the door, so cover is longest where a smoker dies.
- Strongest: Long-term Reliability 9.5
- Weakest: Ease of Use 7.5. The thermometer and removable fuel door help, yet a small charcoal chamber means the cook checks in more often.
Easiest to useWeber Smoque XL Pellet Smoker
Pellet smoker
Ease of Use 9.5: Both meat probes, the LCD controller and Wi-Fi arrive in the carton, so a first cook needs no extra purchase.
- Strongest: Ease of Use 9.5
- Weakest: Long-term Reliability 7.0. Three years covers the burn pot, pellet slide, baffle, grates and electrics. Only the box gets five.
Smoker ratings: all 18 ranked
Every smoker we have scored on all six categories, best first. Swipe the table sideways on a phone.
Older reviews, scored before the six-category scorecard
What we learned testing 18 smokers
The average smoker we have scored earns 7.8 out of 10. They are strongest on value, averaging 8.5, and weakest on long-term reliability, averaging 7.3. Short warranties and parts that wear are where most of them lose points, so read the reliability line before you buy.
- Value8.5
- Heat Performance8.0
- Ease of Use8.0
- Build Quality7.9
- Maintenance7.8
- Long-term Reliability7.3
How we picked
Nobody chose these picks by hand. Each award goes to the top smoker on one column of our scorecard: the best overall score, then the best value, heat, reliability and ease of use scores. A smoker can win only one award. Picks come from the 18 that a retailer we check had in stock; the table above ranks all 18. Every score is built the same way, from six weighted categories. How we score grills, and what our data says about price.