Offset Smoker vs Kettle: Which is Better?

Doesn’t it seem amazing to smoke food using a kettle grill? The kettle grill is a cheap and fast option to smoke meat. But whether the classic offset smoker or kettle is the best to spend money. This guideline Offset smoker vs. kettle will help us to choose the best one according to your need.

Offset Smoker vs Kettle

What is a smoker

The smoker is a device that makes you enjoy smoking meat sessions. In addition to this, there is a tremendous variety of offset smokers in the market. The user finds himself in a fix as to which one to buy and which is to leave.

Utilizing an offset smoker provides you unbeatable results in your backyard. Hosting your guests with BBQ surely many sounds of thanks follow you. From a large variety of smokers, we will discuss offset smokers.

What is an Offset Smoker?

Oklahoma Joes Longhorn Reverse Flow Offset smoker

Offset smoker is a shining device in the world of smoking meat and barbecue. It has multiple names like pipe smoker, side firebox, horizontal smoker.

In addition to this, the offset smoker has a side firebox wherein you can add fuel without opening the food chamber.

Moreover, an offset smoker makes you cook food at low and slow temperatures. As a source of heat is indirect; however, heat gets divided in the food with an equal proportion.

Furthermore, the only difficulty with them is to start up for food smoking process and to maintain temperature balance.

Besides, offset smoker is the most popular and best appliance to produce efficient results. While using a ban offset smoker, you enjoy your party with a face red, but you get more for your struggle when your full flavor nourishment is ready.

Additionally, most of the units come with the facility of both grilling and smoking. So, having an offset smoker, you do not need to purchase a separate. In most of the offset smokers, you have 2 in 1.

To add this, to get the larger space for grilling, you can have it with only a little modification in the food chamber.

What is a kettle grill?

Kettle smoker Grill

A kettle grill is the simplest tool to grill food, keeping it juicy, tender, and chewable. Using it, you can cook meat over high heat as it is a grill but leaves you with the option of smoking food.

The kettle grill’s construction is simple in that it consists of a bowl with a charcoal grate, a cooking grate, and a lid with a damper to balance the temperature.

It is a user-friendly item and gives competition-ready results in your backyard.

Moreover, it is a space-saving device and takes a small place to put it. It is a space-saving, inexpensive and versatile appliance really worthy of purchasing and spending your money on.

Offset smoker vs. kettle

Offset Smoker

Kettle Grill

  • Offset smoker can do smoking and grilling.
  • It takes fuel in large quantity.
  • It cooks over low and slow heat.
  • Takes natural wood or charcoal with wood chips.
  • Takes a large place.
  • Offset smoker is portable but difficult to move.

  • Smoking and grilling.
  • Fuel efficient.
  • Cooks food over high heat.
  • Takes charcoal with wood chips.
  • Space-saving device.
  • Easy to move.

The pros and cons of offset smokers and kettle grills

The article’s gist, offset smoker vs. kettle grill, gets clear from looking into both these types’ pros and cons. So, let us jump straight to see what is here.

Pros of offset smoker

Pros of Kettle

  • Offset smoker has a lot of space for cooking food.
  • It cooks meat at low heat level.
  • Heat imparts equally to the food due to indirect sources.
  • Heavy-duty item.
  • A separate firebox makes you stuff fuel easily.
  • Separate firebox door.
  • Offset smoker is portable.
  • The temperature gauge gives an accurate reading of inward temperature.
  • Offset smoker is available with all range of prices you surely can get one keeping in your budget range.
  • It can hold large cuts of meat.
  • Kettle grill can do grilling as well as smoking.
  • Produces efficient results.
  • It takes less fuel.
  • Cooks on high heat.
  • The porcelain-enameled coating makes them free from getting spoiled easily.
  • It takes a small place to adjust.
  • Easy to move due to light in weight.

Offset Smoker Cons

Cons of a kettle grill

  • The user needs to learn to use it.
  • Offset smoker is mostly heavy.
  • Requires baby-sitting to cook food.
  • Balancing temperature needs a lot of struggle on your part.
  • Difficult to start it up.
  • A quality unit is inexpensive.
  • Poor quality can get rusted easily.
  • Cannot smoke efficiently in a way as a smoker can do.
  • Small cooking meal area.
  • Heat and smoking get leaked when adding fuel.
  • The cooking grates need to make empty when to add fuel.

The Features of offset smoker vs. kettle

To get every inch of information, we intend to compare the features of the most popular and result-oriented appliances, Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow with Original 22” Kettle.

Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow

Weber Original 22” Kettle Grill

  • Constructed with durable material.
  • Accurate temperature gauge.
  • Side shelves for putting utensils.
  • Separate firebox.
  • Can do smoking and grilling.
  • The large cooking capacity of 1060 square inches.
  • Warranty of 2 years.
  • Durable body.
  • Cleanliness is easy.
  • Dampers of high quality.
  • Grilling and smoking.
  • 363 square inches of cooking space.
  • 5 Years warranty on plastic and 10 years on the body.
  • Ash catcher is of high quality.

Bottom Line

After close observation of the article offset smoker vs. kettle, it is clear that offset smokers provide you the results of a higher level. They provide the real smoky taste that most of the bbq lovers love to enjoy. They are charcoal smokers in the sense that they take original wood or charcoal as fuel. You can have the larger grill area after making small changes in the food chamber. The food cooked on low heat is juicy and delicious.

Whereas, kettle grill has a small cooking area. But we will recommend you to buy a kettle grill if you are a small family. Nonetheless, the smoking option is not as result-oriented as the rival offset smoker.

If you want to smoke mainly, you must go for an offset smoker, but if the grill is your main ambition, you need to purchase a kettle grill.