Do you love the taste of smoked food? Are you looking for a device that will allow you to make delicious smoked food whenever you want? If so, a smoker might be the best cooking device for you. However, there are many smokers on the market, and they all have their pros and cons.
We have reviewed several of these products under 500 to help ensure you have all the information necessary to purchase the right smokers for your needs.
Best Smokers under $500:
1. Masterbuilt MB20074719 Mes Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker
Masterbuilt is a popular manufacturer of smokers and other cooking devices, and this smoker has a lot of quality features that make it a smoker for beginners.
Its Bluetooth capabilities have made it easy for cooks to keep a closer eye on their food, and they added a rear-mounted handle and wheels to the smoker that makes it easy to move to wherever it is needed.
Plus, it has a side wood chip loading system that allows you to tend to the smoker while cooking without getting undesired ash or other trash into your food.
Overall, most consumers expressed that they were pleased with this smoker. They enjoyed the Bluetooth capability of monitoring the smoker without having to constantly go to the smoker.
A few have also expressed a minor issue with the temperature being correct, but they said if you just add a cooking thermometer it gets rid of this issue.
Pros
- Rear-mounted handle and wheels
- Side wood chip loading system
- Smart device control capability
Cons
- Minor temperature issues
- Poor customer response
2. Weber 711001 Smokey Mountain Cooker
Weber is a well-known manufacturer of smokers, and their Smokey Mountain cooker has several features that many others do not come equipped with.
It is designed mainly as a meat smoker, and they have designed it so that the fuel door can be removed entirely to make adding wood and charcoal into the smoker a breeze.
They have added a silicone temperature grommet inside of the smoker to help monitor the internal temperature while smoking meat.
It has two cooking racks, which makes it possible to smoke two large items at the same time, and they designed it to be easy to control the temperature by adding adjustable dampers.
Consumers enjoy the many features that this smoker has to offer. They rave about the removable door that makes it easier to add extra wood and charcoal while cooking, but there have been a few issues with smokers being damaged during delivery.
So, it is important to figure out return policies for the seller of the smoker you are considering.
Pros
- Silicone temperature grommet
- Removable fuel door
- Porcelain-enameled center section, lid, and bowl
Cons
- Poor delivery statistics
3. Z Grills ZPG-450A Upgrade Model Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
Z Grills is a well-known manufacturer of grills that are based in the United States, and they designed this model to work as a grill and barbeque smoker in one.
The racks and cover are rustproof, which means you can leave it outside at your grilling station without having to worry about it getting messed up by the weather.
Plus, you can do more than just grill and smoke with this grill. You can also braise, barbeque, and roast things, as needed. They also gave the unit locking caster wheels that make it easy to move the unit to where it will be most useful with ease.
Consumers committed that although it takes a good hour to assemble, they didn’t have any problems following the instructions.
Many expressed their enjoyment of being able to use the six different cooking styles with just one grill, but there were some concerns with the customer service experience. Some expressed they didn’t even get a call back from the company after expressing minor issues with their unit.
Pros
- Capable of cooking in six different ways
- Rustproof racks and cover
- Locking caster wheels
Cons
- Poor customer service response
4. Dyna-Glo DGY784BDP Vertical LP Gas Smoker
Dyna-Glo makes a variety of types of smokers, and this is a good propane smoker that they have designed for people who don’t want to deal with messy charcoal.
This smoker comes with a limited-year warranty and a porcelain enameled steel wood chip box with handles to make it easier to add chips while cooking. Plus, it comes with four adjustable steel wire racks.
Consumers agree that this is a good propane smoker. It is easy to assemble, and it provides a large cooking area. However, they suggest sitting this grill on the grass or on top of something that will not be messed up by leaking juices from the grill.
Pros
- Comes in different sizes and styles
- Limited 1-year warranty
- Porcelain-enameled steel wood chip box with handles
- 4 adjustable steel wire racks
Cons
- Minor leaking issues
5. Camp Chef SmokerPro DLX
Camp Chef designed this wood pellet grill to provide several functions in one device. It has been considered one of the pellet smoker grills, on the market, and it comes with an automatic pellet auger that feeds pellets into the grill without having to do it manually.
It comes with warming racks, and it was designed to be easy to maintain and clean.
Consumers enjoy the warming racks and the automatic pellet auger, and many of them believe this to be the pellet smoker grill they have used.
They agree that it is easy for them to clean and maintain, but if there is any need to contact customer service, they agree that the customer service could be better and more responsive.
Pros
- Automatic pellet auger
- Comes with warming racks
- Easy to clean and maintain
Cons
- Poor customer service solutions
- The price is higher than $500 but you can get it on sale for a more affordable price tag.
6. Classic Pit Barrel Cooker Package
A lot of effort was put into this design to ensure that it is the drum smoker available. It comes with everything you need to get started upon arrival. It even has eight stainless steel meat hooks that are designed to smoke hanging meat to ensure the entire thing is smoked to perfection.
Many consumers have commented on the easy assembly of this drum smoker, and due to the success of their food, they agree that it is the drum smoker for most situations.
The only fault that many consumers have found is that the coal basket sits low in the barrel, which can be fixed by using a small fan to force the heat up into the barrel.
Pros
- Includes entire kit
- 8 stainless steel meat hooks
- Minimal assembly required
Cons
- The charcoal basket sits low in the barrel
7. Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbeque Grill and Smoker
Char-Griller is a well-known manufacturer of grills and smokers and this model was designed to be the Kamado grill they have produced.
It has an insulated design that helps to ensure whatever is being cooked remains at the right temperature to get the best overall results.
The base of the grill is made from tubular steel, and it provides a large cooking area. However, it also provides warming space in case you have things that need to cook for longer periods.
Many consumers agree that this is the Kamado grill they have used, but many agree that this is not the ideal grill for a beginner who has never used this type of grill before. They like the amount of space that it provides, and the insulated design helps to keep the temperature at the right degree.
Pros
- Insulated design
- Made from tubular steel
- 447 sq in of cooking and warming space
Cons
- Difficult to use for Kamado grill beginners
8. Dyna-Glo DGSS730CBO-D-Kit Charcoal Grill
Dyna-Glo has been manufacturing smokers for many years, and this is one of their finest charcoal grills. They made it from heavy-gauge steel to make sure that it lasts, and the wheels are made of steel to make it easier to move across any type of terrain.
It has a large cooking area that is designed to be able to cook multiple large items at once, and the lid handle is a cool-touch spring to ensure that you can open the lid mid-cooking without getting burnt.
Customers have expressed joy at the amount of time this charcoal smoker keeps coal hot. Some have calculated it as keeping the coal hot for over three hours.
Most agree that it is easy to use, but they expressed that the instruction manual on how to assemble the grill is a little confusing and could be written better.
Pros
- Made from heavy-gauge steel
- Steel wheels
- Cool-touch spring lid handle
- 730 sq in of cooking space
Cons
- Poor instruction manual
9. Dyna-Glo Signature Series Heavy-Duty Vertical Charcoal Smoker and Grill
This charcoal smoker is one of Dyna-Glo’s signature series, and it was designed to work as a smoker and a grill.
It has a stainless steel temperature gauge to help you get an accurate temperature throughout the cooking process, and it was designed with large steel wheels that make it easy to move wherever you want, regardless of the terrain.
It was also designed to be an affordable offset smoker for those who are on a tight budget but need a smoker.
According to consumers, this grill works well. It doesn’t leak when using liquid-type seasoning, and it is easy to set up and use throughout the entire cooking process. However, a few consumers have expressed issues with their initial grill arriving with damage from the shipping process.
Pros
- Stainless temperature gauge
- Cool-touch spring lid
- Oversized steel wheels
Cons
- Poor shipping and handling
10. Masterbuilt 44241GW 2 Door Propane Gas Smoker
Masterbuilt is well-known for designing quality smokers and grills, and this model is one of their most popular propane gas smokers.
It is designed with dual stainless steel burners, which make them easy to clean, and the water pan comes with handles and is coated with porcelain. It has a total of seven grids that can be used for multiple things at one time.
Most consumers enjoy the different cooking grids that come with this propane smoker, and after looking into propane smoker reviews, they took the chance and purchased this smoker.
The only downside to this smoker is that consumers have expressed disappointment in the lack of customer service response from the manufacturer if they needed to contact them for anything.
Pros
- Dual stainless steel burners
- Large porcelain-coated water pan with handles
- 7 cooking grids
Cons
- Poor customer service response
Conclusion
We realize that choosing a smoker is a big investment, and there are a lot of features and factors that you need to consider to ensure you purchase the right one. After reviewing the above smokers under 500, we have concluded that the smoker is the Masterbuilt MB20074719 Mes Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker.
It provides a large surface for smoking multiple things at one time, and it comes with smart technology that makes it easier to monitor your food without having to constantly get up and open the smoke to take a peek.
However, we understand that this might not be an ideal choice for your situation, which is why it is important to research the things that you need in a smoker before making your final purchasing decision.
