Drum Smoker Vs Offset Smoker
The best barbecue smoker is the one that you use. That’s right, based on some pretty basic principles of physics and heat movement it’s clear which type will work better for your needs- drum or offset? It might sound surprising at first but don’t worry because we’re here to help! In order choose what kind would be perfect match with both quality over quantity (since they only require small amounts) as well any other preferences like appearance or price range; take note below:
Broil King Smoke XL 32-Inch Offset Charcoal Smoker
Gateway Drum Smokers 55 Gallon Charcoal BBQ Smoker
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST SMOKER?
The first thing you need to know about choosing the best smoker and for this you need to know some parameters.
* THE TYPE OF FUEL: If you are looking for a smoky flavor on your meat, then a wood-fueled smoker is the best for you. However, this type also creates more ash. For this, you can choose a lump charcoal grill, as this produces little smoke and they burn without flames too. You will get not much ash from it and the smoky taste will be there.
* TYPE OF SMOKER: If you choose offset smokers then you will get two compartments with it, one is small. You have to place the meat or veggies on the larger plate. These smokers usually need wood chips or charcoal. You can also use a drum smoker that requires a propane burner or an electrical element.
* EASY TO USE: When you are using the wood-burning product then it will have a curve and you need to get used to it. You can use wood pellet grills here.
* MATERIAL OF THE SMOKER: Search for smokers that are built from cast iron, aluminum, and stainless steel. Also, invest in a cover as you will be grilling outside.
WHAT IS AN OFFSET SMOKER?
After you have the idea about the smokers a little bit, now you need to know about the smoker types. First, we will talk about the Offset smoker. These things have their history with the Texas oil fields, and they are also known as horizontal, pipe, firebox, stick, and barrel smokers. This is the most common type of smoker in the market.
The offset smoker has a firebox that filters the smoke and heat through the big interconnected cooking platform. The heat and the smoke get out from the chimney that is situated at the furthest end of the firebox. However, some smokers have a reverse flow structure with an extra baffle plate. This steel plate has holes and it sits below the racks in the main platform and covers two purposes. The first thing is that it works like a heat sink to spread the warmth all over the cooking chamber. Then the next one is. It filters the smoke slowly, so the veggies and meat gets exposed to an even amount of smoke and heat, and you won’t even have to rotate the cooking pieces.
In the case of reverse flow offset smokers, you can easily identify the regular ones, as the chimney is located at the edge of the cooking chamber, and closer to the firebox. This is for the heat to spread over the meat and it will create evenness of the food.
WHAT IS A DRUM SMOKER?
A drum-oriented smoker is a drum smoker. For this type you have to use different types of fuel, even when you are using propane, electric, ugly drum, box, water, charcoal Drum and Drum offset smokers. But when you are looking for DRUM SMOKER VS OFFSET SMOKER comparison, then you must be searching for a similar fuel type with wood and charcoal.
Charcoal is the main ingredient of drum smokers, and this is an easier type like a cylinder where you light the fire at the bottom of the cooking rack. You can also use a separate firebox that is attached to the cooking platform through an internal damper.
These smokers work by drawing the smoke and heat directly to the upper section of the cooking chamber. You can work with double cooking racks with a drum smoker then, there is a single chamber that can have two or one pan to sit over the fire, wood chips, or water to get you the best result. Drum smokers are structured to get the best of charcoal fuel, and you will get the smell of wood and the smoky flavor. On the other hand, drum offset smokers require wood fire.
PROS AND CONS OF DRUM AND OFFSET SMOKER
There are some pros and cons of both smoker types. Let’s have a look.
DRUM SMOKER PROS
* Big cooking capacity
* More forget and set than an offset one
* Best for winning competition.
* It’s inexpensive
* It’s best used in cold temperature
* It’s portable
* You won’t require electricity to cook.
* Durable smoker
* Cooks faster than offset smoker
* Requires less fuel
* You can easily add fuel while cooking
* The drum design leaves a small footprint
OFFSET SMOKER PROS
* The price will be reasonable
* You will get long-lasting barbecue
* Cooking capacity is large
* You can use pure wood
* It doesn’t require electric power so, you can set it up anywhere you want.
* The dual-chamber design is easy to add fuel
* You will get the best tasting barbecue with an offset smoker
* Bigger cooking capacity
DRUM SMOKER CONS
* You can’t use it as a grill, this is purely a smoker
* Based on the size, you will find it difficult to use larger cuts
* Don’t have a dual-door design, so adding fuel can be a hassle
OFFSET SMOKER CONS
* It will take a longer time to learn how to use it than a drum smoker
* The temperature varies. So you need to do some careful arrangements
* If you use it in cooler climate, it will lose temperature
* It requires continuous tending while you cook.
OFFSET SMOKER VS DRUM SMOKER COMPARISON
Let’s compare the two types of smokers.
DRUM SMOKER
- Has a better portable option, but it’s large so you have to carry it on the back of a large vehicle.
- Best for smoking
- No electrical power required
- Has moderate running cost
- Runs on wood chips with charcoal so that the food gets the smoky flavor
- It can cost from $100 to $1000 or over.
- Has small to large cooking capacity
OFFSET SMOKER
- Best for grilling and smoking
- It’s not portable but you can always load it at the back of your vehicle
- No electric power needed
- Low to moderate running cost and it will depend on the fuel you are using
- Runs well on charcoal and wood
- Price ranges from $200 to $2000 or more
- Small to larger cooking capacity
Check out the vivid comparison of drum and offset smoker and you will understand the one you need for your home. Make sure to buy the same from a reputed seller always.