A huge offset smoker is a pitmaster’s dream. They’re the most iconic picture that is a smoker from the past. they’re big enough that allows you to smoke meat to your entire neighborhood and look amazing. This article is all about Who should purchase the offset smoking device?
But, as with any other kitchen appliance, it is essential to have the right smoker for your preferences and needs. As beautiful as they look offset smokers have their disadvantages.
Must Read: Best offset smokers reviews
In order to aid you in deciding whether buying an offset smoker would be the best option for you here are the primary advantages and disadvantages of having one:
Offset Smokers Pros and Cons
Offset smokers pros:
- The huge central cooker allows offset smokers to be ideal to cook large quantities of food.
- Since the firebox doesn’t form a component that of the chamber for cooking it is possible to open it and add more fuel, without letting the smoke and heat go out during the process.
- Despite being referred to as stick burners offset smokers perform best when they are fueled by a mixture of charcoal and wood. Cooking using a mixture of charcoal and wood is much less difficult than cooking using all wood, resulting in a smoky taste without the danger of excessive ash, soot, or creosote damaging the meat.
- Certain models have a grill grate that is installed over the firebox offering direct grilling and smoking.
Offset smoker cons:
- Offset smokers aren’t light or mobile. They are able to weigh up to hundreds of thousands of pounds and, even though moving them isn’t hard but it’s not practical particularly if you’re trying to complete the task by yourself.
- They’re also generally massive, so if do not have enough outdoor space in which to keep them and make use of one, you may be better off with a smaller smoker.
- The cooking process on an offset smoker isn’t an easy task. They can take as long as an hour to heat up and are designed for the slow and low types of cooking.
- It is important to consider the climate. Offset smokers don’t work optimally in extremely cold climates. Their performance is also affected by strong storms and heavy rain unless you select the most expensive and sturdy models.
- Getting the most out of the offset smoker takes practice and perseverance. One of the main reasons that pitmasters love them is the fact that achieving the perfect smoke from the offset smoker is something of an art. If they’re well-designed they perform very well however, you’ll need to work hard to achieve the most from them.
In the end, An offset smoker is most suitable for a pitmaster who is able to install the massive and bulky piece of equipment in an area that is protected on their property, and the patience and time to master the art of getting the most out of a very experienced smoker.
Beware of offset smokers that are cheap
One of the biggest problems with purchasing off-set smokers is the fact that the marketplace is saturated with a low-cost model that is poorly made.
The issue with purchasing low-end equipment is that the quality of construction is what is required to get an offset smoker to function effectively. Offset smokers that are poorly constructed have poor heat retention and fireboxes that are not sealed properly, which leak oxygen, and inefficient doorways to the food chambers which dry out food.
The root of the issue is, like Meathead Goldwyn, notes, is one of Physics:
“Heat and smoke both want to move upwards rather than sideways. Therefore, smoke and heat exit the firebox from one side and attempt to climb up creating the the cooking chamber adjacent to the firebox hotter than the side that is next towards the chimney.
Practically it means that some items will cook faster than others unless you rotate the cook.
A well-constructed offset smoker allows hot air to run throughout the cooking chamber, which keeps the levels of oxygen and heat constant and equally disperses heat evenly.
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