Building a grilling station for your backyard to prepare those smoked meat delicacies is a great idea. It could be either a grill station or a smoker that you can choose. But, most of us pick the product without actually knowing the differences.
If you wonder does it make a difference in terms of taste or working? Well, it does and we are here to explain the differences between a smoker and a griller.
Well, no matter you love perfectly smoked or grilled meats and veggies, you should be well informed on which one to choose – smoker or grill station. Keep reading to find the available types of grillers and smokers and to find out how to choose between the two.
Smoker Vs Grill – Know the Differences
Although the difference can be felt while you taste the barbequed foods, in order to know the differences between a smoker and a grill to buy one, we need to compare its key features.
- Cooking Temperature
The entire work of a smoker and a griller differ from each other based on its cooking temperature. A griller will come in direct contact with the food and it uses direct heat coming from its power sources – gas, charcoal or electric – to cook food.
A smoker, as the name suggests, makes use of smoke derived to cook the meal. This means a smoker doesn’t come in direct contact with the heat sources and hence low temp ranges.
Irrespective of the power sources used, both have to maintain a particular range of temperature to cook those evenly cooked BBQ meats. A griller operates at a temp range of 400°F and above whereas the smoker can cook foods within the range of 150°F to 300°F.
- Design
Design that you see from its outer look can hardly suggest the differences. This is because both the grills and smokers use similar kinds of materials to construct its overall outer structure. It includes stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum and much more.
The actual design can be felt based on the placement of grating racks and power sources. For instance, in a charcoal smoker, the racks are placed well above the power sources with racks to boil water, a rack to burn the charcoal and a fire source at the bottom. In a gas smoker, the same construction will be there but with a propane gas power source.
On the other hand, the griller uses metal grates and burners to heat the grilling grates directly. As the temperatures get high with direct heat, be it gas or electric, it will grill meats and veggies in quick time.
- The flavor and Food Preservation
The flavor is one of the key factors that separate the two – Smoker vs. Grill. BBQ enthusiasts around the world enjoy smoked meats and other recipes a lot for their unique flavors. In order to infuse those smoky flavors into meats or on all types of foods, smoker takes a much longer time.
A grill cannot offer a smoky flavor to the food as it cooks the food on direct heat contact. However, if it involves cooking small foods such as prawns, fish slices or veggies, a grill station can be handy and perfect. Also, if the cooking time is one factor that you look for more than taste, you can opt for grills.
Preserving your meat ribs or steaks is a skill and with a smoker, you can ace it. All you need to preserve those meats is to smoke them for hours with salt. This is one feature that is hard to perform with a grill machine.
Types of Smokers Available in The Market
Charcoal Smokers
BBQ lovers and enthusiasts who love natural flavors on their cooked steaks or ribs should choose the charcoal smoker. It not only offers true flavors to meat but retains the moisture inside the food. As the name suggests, charcoal smokers use coal as their power source to produce heat. So, heat retention throughout cooking time is one factor that is hard to maintain.
Igniting a charcoal smoker can be tiring if the weather conditions are bad and can take on toll on you. It also needs some expertise to cook those perfectly smoked foods without spoiling it. Look for the best charcoal smoker variants available in the market with advanced ignition and safety features.
Electric Smokers
People prefer electric smokers for their max convenience factor. You will never need the expertise to ignite and operate the smoker to cook foods. If you are an amateur BBQ lover, an electric smoker is a perfect choice for you.
You might wonder how an electric smoker can generate flavored smoke sufficient enough to cook foods. Some of the top electric smoker brands offer vaporizer bars to create those flavors. But, to some extent, it is hard to recreate the authentic coal or wood smoke flavors in an electric smoker.
It is best suited for outdoor patios, apartment decks and backyards with an electric power outlet.
Propane Smokers
Propane smokers are considered the best among BBQ lovers because it has got the convenience as in electric variants and rich flavors as in charcoal smokers. Here the power source is from a propane gas tank. Look for the best propane smokers that offer accurate temperature control options.
Using a propane gas tank for ignition is an advantage for multiple reasons. Firstly, you do not have to wait long for the machine to heat up, unlike a charcoal smoker. Secondly, you carry them anywhere outdoors to a picnic or on a road trip. Finally, the power source is consistent enough to generate smoke to maintain the cooking temperature.
Types of Grills Available in The Market
Gas Grills
If you are a grilling enthusiast, you would have come across the gas grills more often than other types. It is because a lot of brands started to launch a wide range of gas grill variants. Gas grills are quick to heat, easy to use and most importantly affordable as well.
The gas grillers use either propane gas or natural gas as their power source. If you have no idea what type to choose, go for the best gas grills in the market that can switch between both natural and propane gas.
Charcoal Grills
Charcoal grills are not the most popular grills among all as they are too pricey. The design of the grills itself is so complex and it requires a lot of time and attention to cook the perfectly grilled foods. But, if you are too concerned about flavors in your grilled meats, ribs and steaks and not on cooking time, you can prefer charcoal coals. With the best charcoal grill, you can elevate the grilling experience to another level.
Electric Grills
For those who prefer convenience over anything without compromising on the taste of grilled foods, electric grills are a perfect choice. The grilling grates get instant heat from the electric source and start to cook the foods instantly. Usually, the grates are made of high-grade stainless steel with porcelain coating to retain cooking temp effectively.
Electric grills come in different shapes and sizes. If you are looking for a space spacing grilling station, you can opt for a compact electric grill with 2-3 burners. If you are a large family, go for the large electric grills with a larger cooking area. The only limitation with electric grills is that it cannot offer authentic flavors to your grilled foods.
Smoker vs Grill – How to Choose Between the Two?
If you wonder ‘which should you buy – smoker vs grill’, we are here to make it simple for you.
Smokers are the best choice for those who are passionate about BBQ flavors and taste and not too concerned about the cost and efforts it demands. That being said, the best charcoal smoker will help you to cook those authentic smoked foods.
Propane smokers are best suited for those who love to smoke foods on outdoor trips and vacations as it offers plenty of conveniences. If you want flavors and also look to cook food without much hassle, this is for you.
If you are a complete newbie who loves grilled foods at the comfort of your home, go for the top rated electric grillers available in the market. It is best suited for cooking small slices of steak, ham, prawns, and veggies and even for heating buns.
If you are looking for spacing saving options, both the smokers and grills are available in a wide array of sizes. Some of the best-selling compact grills are more popular among newbie grill enthusiasts.
If you want your foods to be smoked or grilled in quick time, then you should go to electric variants of them. Electric grillers are much faster compared to electric smokers because of their high cooking temperature – 400 degrees.
To cook massive slices of meat and to smoke them to perfection is an art and smokers are considered perfect for that. Even to cook flavorful meats for a large group of people, Smokers can be fantastic.
Smoker vs Grill – Wrap Up
The ultimate aim behind this comparison of smoker vs grill is to make you aware of how both of them work and how to pick one for your outdoor patio or apartments. We hope that this article provided you with the info that can help you choose between a smoker and a grill.