Best Smokers under 300 for your Backyard

 

 

If you’re looking for some of the best value smokers on the market then you have come to the right place. We have done some in-depth research on a variety of models that will be ideal for your budget, outdoor cooking needs. So here are the best smokers under 300 on the market.

 

Where to buy a Smoker for under $300

There are plenty of online stores that sell smokers and other backyard cooking gear but we recommend using a retailer that has a good track record, competitive pricing and free shipping options and the obvious choice would be Amazon.

All the smokers that we review and list in this article are available to buy from Amazon.com and there are links to each model, where you can read more reviews and check the most up to date prices today.

 

 

 

Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker [Our Top Pick]

We are going to start off by taking a look at our top rated smoker for less than three hundred dollars. Weber’s Smokey Mountain Smoker is available in three sizes; 14, 18 and 22 inches.  We are going to disregard the 22-inch model here as it is over the $300 budget.

The Smokey Mountain 18 inch charcoal smoker is the most expensive that we review here. but at current pricing, it should just stay within your $300 budget. The 14 inch is obviously a lot cheaper but it will limit the amount of food you can smoke.

The 18 inch should easily provide enough tasty smoked food for 4-6 people. Users talk about cooking 6-7 chickens or 6 spare ribs with no rack or 6 small butts at a time. Another reviewer managed to cook a smoked a 20lb turkey and an 8lb brisket at the same time.

In this article, we are just going to briefly cover the main features and pros and cons of the Weber Smokey Mountain 18.5 Smoker.

If you want to read our detailed, in-depth review then click on the link below;

 Full and Detailed Review of the Weber Smokey Mountain Here

In that article, we will discuss all three models and what you can expect from them.

Smokey Mountain Smoker Features & Quick Overview

If you have even the slightest of knowledge about outdoor cooking then you are sure to have heard the name Weber and this is one of their top rated products. The ‘Smokey Mountain’ is often used and wins awards in big time BBQ competitions.

A charcoal smoker will give you that genuine smokehouse taste to your food and eating out at restaurants will be a thing of the past once you start experimenting with the WSM.

Features include a built-in thermometer and a water pan which means you get incredibly moist meat that is cooked to perfection.

Weber’s customer service is second to none and the smoker comes with a 10-year limited warranty.

The reality of a perfect smoker is that it just isn’t going to happen, we’ve looked at dozens of different models and all have their issues or quirks. So saying that, let us take a look at the good and bad…

Pros

☑ Easy to Assemble

☑ Easy to Clean

☑ Portable

☑ Great for single family cook outs

☑ Easier to control temperatures than most other charcoal smokers

 

 

Cons

🙁 Limited amount of accessories and attachments

🙁 Can’t cook large slabs of meat such as a full brisket

🙁 The Door doesn’t seal 100% [Read more about this in our Full Review]

Weber Smokey Mountain Video

 

The Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker has been nominated as our top pick for smokers under $300 for its exceptional features, ease of use and of course for providing great results for a family cook out.

At this point, we would suggest if you have time to check out some of our other recommendations. Everyone has different expectations and ideas of what they want from a smoker and you might find one that better matches your criteria.

If you are pretty much set on the Smokey Mountain you can read our detailed review  HERE or head over to Amazon for the current price more information and more user reviews.

 

So let’s take a look at our 2nd pick

Masterbuilt  30 Inch  Black  Smoker [No Frills Budget Electric Smoker]

 

 

 

 

With so many  positive reviews online this smoker certainly get a lot of overwhelming social proof.

We are going to look at why this electric smoker is so well received but also find out what the not so happy users are saying as well.

If you go to Amazon you will see various options to choose from. You can buy the straight forward black smoker with no window or for a little more you can the viewing window version or buy it with grilling tools, thermometer or smoking chips.

Masterbuilt smokers are really great for those who are beginners to smoking food or want more of a set and forget experience. We love the ease of use and the way you can increase and decrease the smokiness of your cooking. We also love that you can add different liquids to the water pan to add an additional level of flavor to your food.

Pros

☑ Easy to use

☑ Set and forget Controls

☑ Easy to clean

☑ Cheaper than most other smokers of this quality

Cons

🙁 Can’t smoke a full rack of ribs due to the limited size

🙁 The smoker with window option smokes up so not much use

🙁 The Cover is sold separately

The ease of use and set and forget functions make this a perfect entry model for the food smoking novice or the ‘lazy’ backyard cook who wants to sit and relax with his friends or family while producing tasty smoked treats for them.

And at less than $200 this means you come in well under budget on this smoker. Make sure you check the Latest price at Amazon.

Masterbuilt 30 Inch Top Controller Smoker Video

Old Smokey Electric Smoker

 

For great tasting smoked food you don’t need to spend a fortune and the Old Smokey proves this point. It’s pretty basic which makes it easy to use and less to go wrong and it compares well to the other budget electric smokers we have reviewed here.

It’s easy to set up out of the box and simple for the newbie to use, and set and forget for the more experienced backyard chef. A thermometer, timer and a drill for making a few holes is all that you need to turn this into a 5-star electric smoker.

Pros

☑ Simple to use

☑ Smokes food fast

☑ Easy to set up and to clean

Cons

🙁 No Thermometer

🙁 Doesn’t work that well for slow cooking

🙁 Attracts condensation

Many users talk about using Old Smokey products for decades so they have a great track record. The two main complaints were the lack of the thermometer and the problems with condensation. Both these are easily rectified by buying a quality thermometer and drilling a few holes in the lid of the smoker.

Old Smokey were established in 1923 and are based in Houston, if you are looking for a solid built smoker from a reputable US company then look no further.

Camp Chef  Smoke Vault [Top Rated Budget Propane Smoker]

 

We’ve taken a look at chargrill and electric smokers but what about budget propane gas smokers.

Our pick for the best propane smoker at a competitive price is the Camp Chef Smoke Vault.

Compared to other propane grills at the same price, it gets higher consumer ratings and at 100 less that your 300 budget allows for you to buy a few accessories to make your backyard cook out go with a swing.

Oh and the cool looking bank vault design is a nice feature as well!

Camp Chef Smoke Vault Video

Pros

☑ Adjustable Racks

☑ USA Made

☑ Sturdily built of heavy gauge metal

☑ Easily assembled in less than 30 minutes

☑ Great for making jerky

☑ Ideal for backyard or camper use

 

Cons

🙁 Difficult to maintain low cooking temperatures [under 200]

🙁 Some customers received damaged products but Camp Chef replaced them straight away.

🙁 The easiest smokers to use are electric but if you want more hands on temperature control and portability then propane is the way to go….

There’s not much wrong with this smoker a good sized family smoker that produces excellent results and works fine without any real modifications.

Customer service is exceptional.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced propane smoker then this would be our pick.

Smokehouse Products Big Chief Front Load Smoker 

This is another electric smoker that is well within your price point and it gets some great reviews online. Users seem to really like this smoker for cooking fish [though it is fine for meat as well].

They also mentioned that they much preferred it over the top loader version of the Big Chief.

This is a good entry level smoker for those who are interesting in smoking fish or meat but want to try out a low-cost model first

Pros

☑ Plenty of racks

☑ Front Loader makes it easier to use

☑ Great for smoking fish

Cons

🙁 Some consumers reported damaged products due to poor packaging when shipped

🙁 Doesn’t reach high heats

If you are smoking smaller items such as fish or sausages or making jerky we recommend this smoker but if you are cooking larger cuts such as pork butts or whole turkeys then we suggest you look at our other recommendations.

Realcook 20 Inch BBQ Smoker

Realcook are a new kid on the block in the World of smokers. Even though we hadn’t heard much about this brand it seems they are very popular.

This kamado style smoker offers a built in Thermometer and an impressive 969 square inches of cooking space.

As you can see from the images it also has 2 door access which is a nice touch.

Assembly is straight forward and takes around 45 minutes.

As you can see it also can function as a fire pit, BBQ grill or even BBQ bbq grills! Making it a great multi-functional oudoor cooking product for your backyard or camping trips.

 

Pit Boss Grills 77435 Vertical Gas Smoker

Pit Boss are a reputable brand and this is a nice affordable model.

The 77435 also known as the Pit Boss Red Rock Gas Smoker has 3 cooking racks and a 884 square inch cooking surface. It comes with wheels to make it easily transpotable.

If you are already a keen smoker then you will know with smoking meat, fish or vegetable its all about controlling the temperature. This one goes as low as 100°F and can reach a high of 350°F.

If you are looking for a sturdy, heavy duty smoker at a very competitive price then this would a good choice.

Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Charcoal Offset Smoker

Many outdoor cooking enthusiasts swear by using off set smokers so if you are in the market for that style of smoker then this could be a good match.

We liked the electronic pulse ignition that is showcased with this product making for a quick and easy ingnition. Its got a good sized cooking area at 784 square inches allowing you to smoke an impressive 100lbs of food at any given time.

 

 

Our Final Verdict on Smokers under $300

The smokers listed above are fine for providing delicious smoked food for families or small groups of people. If you are looking to provide for big parties of people then you will need to look at larger more expensive models.

You will need to decide if you would prefer an electric, propane or charcoal. Electric is the easiest to use, propane is the most portable while charcoal gives the most flavor and is for those who really like to be hands on with their cooking.

If you are a newbie to the joys of home smoked foods or on a budget then paying under $300 for a smoker should easily get you a smoker that will meet your needs.