40" Masterbuilt MB20060321 Digital Charcoal Smoker (Gray) $202.44 + Free Shipping

I gave the Z Grills Pellet Smoker a good once over in Lowes when it was on sale for $218. I quickly passed...

An external PID controller (<$200) will turn a cheap electric smoker (<$100) into a great smoker.

Auber makes some good ones: https://www.auberins.com/index.ph...Path=14_28

I would say to stay away from this particular one. It's supposedly has serious design issues.
I'm not sure what you classify as "good" but is shouldn't be that difficult to find a charcoal or gas (or combo) for under $300 (maybe not pellet as I haven't researched those). I wouldn't blow the bank on your 1st smoker. This electric deal is still live at $100 and this dual one was live for quite a while - I got it as my 1st smoker. One thing to note with Charcoal is that it is more difficult to hold temps. I've only used mine with gas so far and I've been quite happy with it, but still learning how to get the temps to hold better. I'm still experimenting with the tyrpes of wood chips, whether to soak or not and how much to use. I've only done a couple cooks so far, and think I will have it down pat pretty soon as far as what works for me.

It's a bit over $300 for a 26" Weber kettle. It has a lot of space for indirect cooking and makes a great smoker.

Alternatively, used 22s sell for $40 - $60 across the country. Add a Slow n Sear and maybe a Tip Top Temp if you are worried about temp control and a chimney for starting your charcoal without lighter fluid. You would be around half your budget so add a remote thermometer. Or you could probably score a used 18" Weber Smokey mountain for $150 - $200 but you lose grilling ability. These really need a cover if you keep it outside. I've gotten almost all my kettles used and unregistered with Weber, so you can sometimes get years of warranty coverage, too. Hard to beat that deal.

Pellet wise, my Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett (now Trek) has been solid. It has a PID controller and wifi. I tried to buy a replacement power cord since mine got chewed by a critter but they went ahead and warrantied it even though they didn't need to. The thing with pellet grills is people usually buy them wanting easy. Pellet grills have to get cleaned out often and parts break. Maintaining them is not nearly as easy as making a small vent adjustment for a charcoal fire. They can be convenient, but they aren't great as your only grill if you plan to use it a lot and they're pretty poor grills if you want to grill and sear food. You really have to spend $2k+ to get a great one.

If you want masterbuilt, the gravity series grills seems decent enough. They got really cheap at Walmarts last year. No way would I buy one at full price but I would get one to try sub $200.

I'm a little biased towards Weber. They're just so simple and durable it's hard to beat the value, even if you are buying new.

I would seriously suggest an electric for what you said, best set and forget out there (if you have an outdoor outlet or can run cord through a door). Usually cheapest and I've had one for years and love how easy and consistent it works! Usually smoke butts or briskets overnight and have one helluva breakfast waiting

If you are just starting out, go for the electric smoker. I have had the digital Masterbuilt for 4 years and it is still going strong. During the summer, it holds a fairly constant temperature, but it sort of struggles a bit during cold seasons.

The one thing I would absolutely do with an electric smoker is get a pellet tray. Properly lit with a torch and given the right amount of air, the pellets will smolder for 8 to 12 hours, giving you plenty of good smoke. For more intense, but shorter, smoke you can just light both end to get double the smoke. Another advantage of these trays is that you can use them to cold smoke cheese or make wonderful smoked salmon.

The pellet tray adds the convenience of a pellet smoker to any other type. Just buy pellets of whatever kind of wood you like and don't be afraid to experiment with different kinds.

I bought the electric smoker figuring once I got experience with it I would go for something really good. Now I figure I will just keep using it until it breaks and probably just get another one.

BTW - We live in Kansas City and have done publicity for the American Royal, where we always get to taste the best BBQ in the world (Not what the public gets), so we know what the "good stuff is".

I'm going to go ahead and suggest you ignore anyone who gives you the advice to buy an electric smoker. That is not a smoker. That is an oven that people put wood chips in. I have owned electric "smokers", pellet smokers, charcoal smokers, and offset smokers. You get out of your product the effort you put into it. An electric "smoker" is easy, but it produces oven-quality food. Pellet smokers are barely a step up from that. These charcoal smokers produce a fantastic product relative to the effort involved (as easy as a pellet smoker). An offset requires the most babying, but will produce the cleanest/most robust smoke flavor if that's what you desire.

Lmao, please go make a post over at smokingmeatforums telling them that electric smokers are no good and aren't even smokers. 🤣🤣🤣

I could throw a smoke tube in my kitchens oven. If you want to call that a smoker, be my guest.

You could also have a smokey kitchen for the rest of the year. What type of ridiculous false equivalency is that? The electric units in question are widely accepted as [spoiler alert] smokers. Just because they don't fit some weird snobby pedantic box you think needs to be checked doesn't change the fact that they're still smokers, and still can do an excellent job of smoking if you use them properly.

Sorry for triggering you. Over a smoker of all things. Lmfao.

Sorry for triggering you. Over a smoker of all things. Lmfao.