Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Offset Smoker | Ultimate Guide

Check out the difference between Weber Smokey Mountain Vs Offset Smoker here with some points of benefits and also included advantages or disadvantages.

What is Weber Smokey Mountain?

The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is a great way to cook food without having to worry about the weather. It has been designed with an airflow system that will regulate your cooking temperature, whether it’s hot or cold outside!  Furthermore, it will never rust because of its porcelain enamel coating!

Weber Smokey Mountain features

This cooker can be used to cook large quantities of food or just enough for two people. It comes with a water pan to maintain moisture in the air, but if you would prefer not to use this feature altogether you are free to do so. Most importantly though, what makes this cooker stand out from all other smokers is that it’s smokeless! You can still get that smokey flavor by placing woodchips over your charcoal and your food will only pick up a hint of smokiness!

The Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is very easy to assemble and there are several barbecue forums online where you can access tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of your smoker. If not, I suggest heading down to Home Depot and picking up a copy of The Barbecue! Bible contains more than 50 recipes for smoking meat.

Comparison Between Weber Smokey Mountain vs Offset Smoker:

Product one
Weber Smokey Mountain
Product Two
Offset Smoker
Product
Product
Weber Smokey Mountain
Offset Smoker
Cooking Type
Fuel Cost
Fuel Cost
Moderate running cost
Low-moderate running cost
Average Price
Average Price
$200 - $550
$200-$2,000+
Starter
Starter
No power required
No power required
Fuel Source
Fuel Source
Runs on charcoal with wood chips
Runs on wood or charcoal
Portable
Portable
Portable because of its small size.
Not portable, but, you could load on the back of a truck
Level
Level
Small to large cooking capacity
Small to very large cooking capacity

Weber Smokey Mountain Advantages:

Here is the list of WSM benefits:

WSM Pros
  • Separate fuel door so you can add fuel without disturbing smoke in the cooking chamber
  • Efficient fuel usage
  • High quality, durable build
  • Easy to use making it suitable for beginners
  • Takes up minimal ground space
  • Long warranty
  • Vertical design smokes more quickly than offset style
  • One of the best value for money smokers
  • Available in 3 sizes depending on your needs

Thoughts on the Weber Smokey Mountain

Weber Smokey Mountain Disadvantages:

Some Disadvantages of this smoker is given below:

WSM Cons
  • Limited cooking capacity
  • Can’t hang the lid off the side so you need to find somewhere suitable to put a hot piece of metal when it’s time to take the meat out
  • Not suitable for grilling
  • Doesn’t create as strong of a smokey flavor as an offset smoker

What is Offset Smoker?

An offset smoker is a type of barbecue that cooks meat with indirect heat and smoke at low temperature. An offset smoker’s heat source is separate from its cooking area, which allows users to choose where they want the meat cooked according to their preferences. The term “offset” refers to the way these smokers are designed so that the firebox is not connected directly to the cooking chamber.

Offset Smoker

This design makes it easier to control the heat flow and temperature of an offset smoker, but it can also result in a longer cooking time compared to other types of smokers. Offset smokers have more varied designs than other types of barbecue grills because they are made by different manufacturers.

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A smoker is a device used to apply fire over an area, with the goal of cooking food. Offset smokers are one type of smoker and are different from other smokers in that it is not directly attached to any heat source. The heat source in an offset smoker is placed in one location, while the food cooks in another location.

An offset smoker has two main compartments: the “firebox”, where the heat source is located; and the “cook chamber”, where the smoke comes into contact with meat or whatever you’re cooking.

Typically, if using wood for fuel,  it will be burned in chunks rather than logs.  Depending on how much space there is between the firebox and cook chamber (called the “fire-box gap”), one may need to adjust the smoking speed.  An offset smoker can achieve different temperatures by controlling airflow; however, because of this design, air usually travels in only one direction (from the firebox to the cook chamber).

down to half a rack of ribs

Offset Smoker Benefits:

Here is the list of advantages of Offset Smoker:

Offset Smoker Pro

  • Has separate firebox so you can add fuel without disturbing smoke in the cooking chamber
  • Unrivaled smokey taste
  • Can be used with pure wood or charcoal/wood combo depending on taste preference
  • Wide range of price/quality options to suit budget
  • Large cooking capacity
  • Durable type of barbecue if looked after properly
  • Some can be set up as charcoal grill in the main cooking chamber
  • Many can be used to grill over the firebox as well as smoking

The disadvantage of Offset Smoker:

Some Disadvantages of this smoker is given below:

See also  Offset Smoker Vs Vertical Smoker - Which one to choose?

Offset Smoker Cons

  • Most offset smokers are painted steel which can flake and/or rust if not looked after properly – but, it’s pretty easy to fix
  • Requires tending to fire every hour or so to maintain the target temperature
  • Cheap offset smokers are poor quality, won’t last, and will leak lots of smoke and heat
  • Can be harder to maintain the temperature in cooler or wetter weather conditions
  • Better suited to more experienced smokers or be prepared for the learning curve

Which Offset Smoker is Similar to the WSM?

BBQ Oklahoma Joe

The Oklahoma Joe Longhorn Reverse Flow Offset Smoker is an excellent alternative to the Weber Smokey Mountain. It has a similar price, capacity, and build quality but lacks some features found on the WSM such as water pan capability or side access doors which can make cleaning easier for those who are not able-bodied in this area of their home kitchen.

Conclusion:

Which smoker should you choose? We’ve compared the Weber Smokey Mountain versus an offset smoker.

If you are looking for a large capacity, easy-to-use option, then the Weber Smokey Mountain is your best bet. The offset smokers have greater versatility and more control over cooking temperatures but they require more work on your part. It all depends on what kind of experience you want out of smoking meat at home!

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