Most of us love delicious slow-smoked food. You can cook that on a decent charcoal or pellet grill. It isn’t the case with a gas grill, however.
The problem is that it’s difficult to maintain a low and slow temperature range on a gas grill. Furthermore, gas is lacking in flavor and can’t impart any on its own.
But that’s why we have a smoker box.
In this article, we’ll show you how to buy one, starting with what a smoker box is, how to use it, and what factors to consider when you’re out shopping.
If you’re in a hurry though, we list the best smoker box for gas grill down below. Simply click in one of the links and it will lead you to more information, including the price and other details.
At A Glance: Our Top Recommendations For The Best Smoker Box For Gas Grill
- Broil King Imperial 60190 Premium Smoker Box
- Weber 7576 Universal Stainless Steel Smoker Box
- Cave Tools Smoker Box
- Char-Broil Cast Iron Smoker Box
- Charcoal Companion V-Shape Smoker Box
- A-Maze-N Smoker Tube For Gas Grill
Notice: The links above will direct you to either Amazon, BBQ Guys or Home Depot for more details and the latest information on the products.
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Top Picks For The Best Smoker Box For Gas Grill
Broil King Imperial 60190 Premium Smoker Box
Details
- Material: stainless steel
- Dimensions: 13″L x 3.3″W x 2″H
- Shape: rectangular & upside down V-shaped stand
- Weight: 2lbs
- Hinged Lid: yes
- Cleaning Instructions: hand wash
- Where To Put: on top of cooking grid or flavorizer bar
- Fit: most gas grills
Assessment
The Broil King Imperial is made from high quality stainless steel. One thing that caught our attention is the sliding lid damper. What it does is to let you adjust the amount of smoke output to your liking. This is really something that other smoker boxes don’t have.
The lid is also hinged. That means you don’t have to worry about it falling off. There are also two thick and sturdy handles on either end of the box. These make it easy to remove the box, especially when it’s really hot, away from the burners.
Moreover, the Broil King Imperial is rectangular with a reverse V-shaped leg underneath the main body. The leg allows you to put the box directly on top of the deflector bar. As a result, the wood is closer to the fire and it gets you smoking faster. The leg also fits if you decide to place it on top of a cooking grate instead.
Another cool thing about this product is that it has two internal chambers. You can fill one chamber with wood chips and the other with liquid (water, juice, beer, etc.). The liquid will add moisture to the smoke, allowing it to adhere better to the meat.
That being said, this smoker box is a bit smaller compared to the others on this list. However, it’s a great product with some handy and practical features. We think that the benefits truly outweigh the drawback here.
After reading this Broil King smoker box review, what we’d like you to do is to check it out today. We believe that you’re going to like this wonderful smoker box.
Weber 7576 Universal Stainless Steel Smoker Box
Details
- Material: stainless steel
- Dimensions: 9.8″L x 4.5″W x 2″H
- Shape: rectangular
- Weight: 1lb
- Hinged Lid: yes
- Cleaning Instructions: hand wash
- Where To Put: on top & underneath cooking grate
- Fit: most gas and charcoal grills
Assessment
To start off this Weber smoker box review, the first thing to notice about this product is the material. It’s made from durable stainless steel with a robust construction. It won’t warp under extreme heat. Though there will be some light discoloration but that’s expected after a couple of uses.
The Weber 7576 has that typical rectangular shape. Along its body, you will see a series of perforated holes. They’re small enough that your wood chips won’t bust into flame. Yet big enough to allow a decent amount of smoke to escape.
The lid is hinged with a tab on one end of the box, allowing you to open the lid easily. The box is also easy to clean. You just need a scouring pad and you’re good to go.
You can fit this box in most gas grills, such as the Weber Q Series or anything bigger. It has a large enough capacity for any smoking endeavors. Though it will take about 10 to 15 minutes to get going. But once it’s lit, it can go on for quite some time.
Whether this is your first time smoking on a gas grill or you’ve done it before, this Weber smoker box will get your covered. It’s durable, easy to use, and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. Better yet, it’s from a veteran of the grilling industry so you don’t have to worry about the quality there.
Seriously, have a look at it. Hit the button below for more information.
Cave Tools Smoker Box For Gas Grill
Details
- Material: stainless steel, 25% thicker
- Dimensions: 9″L x 3″W x 1.5″H
- Shape: rectangular
- Weight: 1.3lbs
- Hinged Lid: yes
- Cleaning Instructions: with cleaning pad
- Where To Put: below & on top cooking grids
- Fit: most grills (gas & charcoal)
Assessment
The Cave Tools smoker box is rectangular and made from stainless steel. However, it’s about 25% thicker, which allows the box to take the heat and maintain it well. It also reduces any potential warping if you have the box under high heat for so long.
Similar to the Weber box, the Cave Tools features a hinged lid for easy access and adding wood chips throughout the cook. Another benefit of the hinges is that they prevent the lid from falling off completely. That way, you don’t have to worry about it burning off something or somebody.
Keep in mind that this smoker box doesn’t have any holes at the bottom or on the sides. It instead has holes along the top, which limits the oxygen going into the box. As a result, your wood chips won’t combust but smolder slowly. You want a slow burning fire to get as much smoke as you want.
The Cave Tools box can fit a little over 2 cups of wood chips. And it can take about 15 minutes to start smoking. It also comes with 25 BBQ recipes and a free meat smoking journal App, available in both iOS and Android.
We really like the solid construction of the Cave Tools smoker box. You can fit it in pretty much any gas grill or on top of a charcoal pile. It’s also simple to use and features a lifetime satisfaction guarantee. What it means is that if you’re not happy with the product, you can return it for a full refund at any point.
Pretty good deal, we might add. Take a closer look at the Cave Tools smoker here.
Char-Broil Cast Iron Smoker Box
Details
- Material: cast iron
- Dimensions: 8″L x 5″W x 1.4″H
- Shape: rectangle
- Weight: 4lbs
- Hinged Lid: no
- Cleaning Instructions: use wire brush to clean & oil to season
- Where To Put: underneath the grates on the burners or on top the grates
- Fit: most propane and charcoal grills
Assessment
This Char-broil smoker box is the only one that is different from the rest here. It’s made from cast iron instead of stainless steel. That makes it the heaviest of them all, weighing around 4lbs. It won’t warp under high heat but, similar to any cast iron products, it needs seasoning with oil. Otherwise, it will rust away quickly.
With that said, this cast iron box holds heat extremely well once it’s heated up. So you don’t have to wait for the box to reheat when you take it out to add wood chips. But to get there, it’s going to take you a while.
One drawback of this smoker box is that it doesn’t have any hinges nor handle to open the lid. It’s also a bit small compared to some of the smoker boxes here.
But cast iron is durable and can withstand all sorts of abuse. You just have to care for it better than stainless steel. Char-broil recommends that you coat the box with oil and heat it for 20 minutes before the first use. That will seal all the pores and you can repeat the process a few more times to avoid any potential rusting.
All in all, if you’re into cast iron products and don’t mind the extra maintenance, you should definitely consider this Char-broil smoker box. If cared for properly, cast iron will last forever. For better pictures and more details about it, follow the link below.
Charcoal Companion V-Shape Smoker Box
Details
- Material: stainless steel
- Dimensions: 14″L x 4.2″W x 2″H (long model), 6”L x 4.2”W x 2”H (short model)
- Shape: V shape
- Weight: 1.3lbs
- Hinged Lid: yes
- Cleaning Instructions: wash by hands
- Where To Put: in between flavorizer bars
- Fit: most propane grills
Assessment
What we like about this smoker box from Charcoal Companion is the V shape. It allows the box to fit right in between the burners or flavorizer bars if your grill has them. Because of that, the wood chips inside are closer to the fire for a faster startup.
The lid is hinged which means it won’t fall off. Now, we wish Charcoal Companion would add a handle to make it easy for users to open the lid. However, you can still open it easily with just a tongs.
Another thing we like is that the ash will just fall down to the pointy edge of the smoker box. That makes it really easy to clean. Simply dump it once it cools down. Shoot the box with a water hose and you’re done.
The smoker box can also hold a decent amount of wood chips. You can expect around 2 hours of smoke before adding new chips. It’s made from heavy duty stainless steel that is built to last.
Available in two sizes, the Charcoal Companion smoker box can fit in pretty much any propane grills that you have. Find out more about it here.
A-Maze-N Smoker Tube For Gas Grill
Details
- Material: 100% stainless steel
- Dimensions: 12″L x 2″W x 2″H (12″ version), 6″L x 2″W x 2″H (6″ version)
- Shape: oval tube
- Weight: 1.4lbs
- Hinged Lid: no
- Cleaning Instructions: hand wash
- Where To Put: on top of cooking grates
- Fit: charcoal, gas, and electric grills
Assessment
This A-Maze-N smoker tube is another stainless steel addition to this roundup. However, the one distinction is its oval shape. It won’t roll away when you place the tube on the cooking grates.
Furthermore, you can also stand it up to save on some space if needed. That’s because the tube has a cap on one end, which prevents the fuel inside from falling off. You can even hang it if you have a big enough hook to grab onto one of the perforated slots.
Speaking of perforated slots, they’re big enough to allow a good smoke quantity. Because the fuel burns either side to side or top to bottom, it also burns slowly. In fact, you can have about 2 hours of smoke for the smaller 6” version while 4 hours for the longer 12” version.
In terms of fuel, the manufacturer recommends using wood pellets for the optimal results. You can use wood chips but expect an uneven burn throughout the cook.
You also need to light the tube yourself since it’s not ideal to place it between the burners. Because of that, the start-up time is shorter than other models in this list, which is about 10 minutes in total.
The A-Maze-N tube can work well on any grill, from propane, charcoal to electric grills. It’s easy to use and doesn’t require a whole lot of cleaning. The tube is also great for both hot and cold smoking. To learn more about it, simply click on the button here.
What Is A Smoker Box For Gas Grill?
A smoker box is a tool used to generate smoke from either smoldering wood chips or pellets. It has holes throughout its body to let smoke escape and air in to feed the slow-burning fire. Smoker boxes come in many shapes and materials.
They’re often used with gas grills, but you can also use them in electric or charcoal grills. The problem with gas grills is that it isn’t easy to smoke food on them. Therefore, using a smoker box is a cost-effective way to do so. Besides, having a smoker box, you don’t have to invest in a dedicated smoker, which saves you both money and space.
That being said, on a gas grill, a smoker box usually goes on top of the cooking grate or between it and the burners. On a charcoal grill, it sits on top of the hot coals.
How Do You Use A Smoker Box On A Gas Grill?
Before we get into the detailed step-by-step instructions, It’s important to understand that cold and wet meat takes in more smoke than warm and dry meat. That usually happens at the beginning of the cook or throughout the cook if you use a water pan.
Furthermore, although many people recommend that you should soak the wood chips, you really don’t have to. The steam will cool the fire and the wood won’t start burning until all the steam is gone. So, to save you the hassle, don’t do it at all.
And with that, let us show how to use a smoker box on a gas grill.
Step 1 – Put your wood chips inside the smoker box. Then place the box underneath the cooking grate but on top of the burners. Crank up the burners to high and let them heat up the box.
Step 2 – Close the lid and wait about 10 minutes until you see white smoke coming out of the grill.
Step 3 – Once you see the smoke, open the lid and start putting your food on the cooking grate.
Step 4 – Start your cook as you normally would.
Tip: If you plan to smoke food for many hours, have a second box ready just in case. That way, you can replace the first one and continue the cook without any interruption. Another solution is to buy a larger smoker box.
Are you a visual learner? We include a handy video from All Things BBQ. Chef Tom will walk you through this whole process. Enjoy!
What To Look For When Buying One?
Material
Smoker boxes usually come in either cast iron or stainless steel. Stainless steel is quick to warm up but doesn’t retain that heat very long. Cast iron, on the other hand, is slower but once it’s hot, it stays like that for a while.
Because of that, cast iron is actually better when you happen to refill the box many times. It will get the wood going faster than stainless steel. However, stainless steel is lighter than cast iron so it’s easier to handle the box when it’s hot.
Whichever material that you choose, always look for thick and sturdy boxes. They can withstand the heat from constant uses, and are less likely to discolor or warp quickly. Avoid thin and low-quality material.
Lid Design
The lid should be tight fitting. The reason is to prevent extra air from coming in the box. If that happens, the wood will burn out too fast before the smoke has the chance to flavor the food.
It should also be easy to open. That way, you don’t have to struggle trying to add more wood chips on the fly, especially if it’s hot and heavy. And finally, it should be hinged. Nothing wrong if it isn’t. But having hinges will keep the lid from falling off by accident when you open it.
Shape, Capacity & Dimensions
The next factor to look for is the shape. Smoker boxes often come in rectangle, oval, square, and V shape. Each has their own pros and cons. For example, the ash from the burning wood chips can fall down to one corner of a V-shaped smoker box. That makes it easy for you to clean up after.
However, the V shape box isn’t going to have as much volume or capacity as a rectangular box. Therefore, you have to refill wood chips more often. Depending on what you’re planning to smoke, choose a big enough smoker box.
Last but not least, you have to measure the clearance between the cooking grate and the burner to ensure that the box will fit in there. You can still place the box on the cooking grate.
But that will take up some space from the food. And you also have to light the wood chips manually in some cases.
Ease Of Cleaning
The smoker box is usually underneath the food, which gets it all kinds of dripping fat. Stainless steel is fairly easy to clean. Some models even have non-stick coating.
Cast iron is prone to rust so you might need to oil it up as part of your cleaning routine.
Conclusion
A smoker box is a great BBQ accessory to have. It allows you to smoke on a gas grill so you don’t have to spend money on an extra smoker. That also saves you space if you don’t have a big backyard.
Depending on what you’re planning to cook, you need to choose a smoker box that is right for your situation. First, you need to consider the material and the lid design. Then the shape, capacity, and dimensions. Finally, it’s whether or not easy to clean.
Is this your first time buying a smoker box? Or you’ve already owned many before? If so, what would be your recommendations for the new buyers? Let everybody know in the comment section down below.
Thank you!
