Top 6 Best Barrel Smokers – Is Drum Smoker Best For BBQ?

Many grill manufacturers make their own drum smokers with the best designs and features. This is one of my favorite smoking tools “barrel smoking”. The best barrel smoker offers versatility, and great taste, and is excellent for saving time with extremely easy use it.

This best drum smoker is perfect for slow and low BBQ cooking and easy for beginners or you are a master in chief.

As it appears from the name, its shape is like that of a barrel. In fact, you can make the best drum smoker with a drum and some other necessary equipment. For this, you need some time and efficiency.

Why Choose a Best Brum Smoker?

Here is the question why choose a drum smoker?

There are many reasons to choose a barrel smoker the best option to start with, it is used without any frills which can be used easily, and is very easy to assemble which can be better for everyone.

There are other reasons too versatile cooking, convenient storage, reliable and fast cooking process.

Top 6 Best Barrel Smoker reviews

This review article will take hardly 5-6 minutes after that you are able to choose your best barrel top grill.

1. Oklahoma Joe’s Barrel Drum Smoker

Oklahoma is one of the most trusted brands in the grill on the online market. Oklahoma Joe’s 19202089 barrel drum smoker makes a strong reason for the title of barrel smoker.

The Oklahoma Joe’s smoker is made of heavy-gauge steel which ensures durability. And porcelain-coated cooking grates allow heat to distribute evenly over the cooking area.

This smoker includes both cooking grates has meat hangers with hooks that one customize setup as your requirements and conveniently hangs on the sidebar when no use.

This best ugly drum smoker is designed for a unique airflow control system and seals the lid to a precise temperature. And use a side damper to control the air that enters the unit, and a top damper to adjust airflow and temperature as your desired.

Oklahoma barrel smoker has an ideal size basket to hold fuel for all-day cooking. The fuel of your choice can be used in wood, charcoal briquettes, or lump charcoal.

Removable ash pan with this best barrel top grill that is easily made for dirt-free dumping. Ashpan porcelain-coated protection from corrosion and make it easy to clean.

This smoker has included some extra features heavy-duty rubber handle grip for easy grab and staying cool touch. The large wheel offers easy mobility.

The drum grill has an optional feature to protect your Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco Drum Smoker with a custom cover. Protect from fade, water, dust, and more.

The best ugly drum smoker design for home patio, and balcony. This grill has a 2-year limited warranty with 88% of verified customers getting positive feedback.

2. Barrel House Cooker Smoker

Barrel House Cooker Company, LLC was founded in 1960 and manufacturing outstanding smoker grills for over 60 years, and barrel house cooker smoker BHC 18C is the top choice in this category & best competition Drum Smoker.

This Barrel House smoker has been built to last long with a high-grade 20 gauge metal barrel smoker and porcelain-coated outside and inside. And as stainless steel tools.

This barrel smoker has a 3500 cubic inches cooking capacity and you can hang 8 racks of ribs and big size turkey and more. this smoker has ideal for big events of the big party. And you have an option to maximize cooking space with the vertical hanging method.

This best ugly drum grill has 8 pounds of charcoal enough for 6 hours of cooking of the best delicious meat. You have an option addon wood chips and chunks for additional flavors.

The 55-gallon drum smoker allows you to cook the meat, as your requirements go with slow and low cooking for an excellent tender, juicy and smokey results. Cook it at 275˚F to 310˚F for quick results it will take 40% less time.

Barrel House Cooker Smoker has the need to be assembling to get start your grilling journey with this best ugly drum smoker.

This drum smoker grill has a feature built-in thermometer to monitor the internal temperature. And includes a manual & instructions booklet, H-frame, full grates, meat hooks, and accessory wand.

This barrel smoker designed for extremely good and non-abrasive stand provides stability and only weighs 45 pounds which makes it easy to back into the truck for mobility. As well as traditional wire-type handles for safety points of view.

Barrel House Cooker Smoker BHC 18C has come with a year limited warranty and 87% of verified customers give 5 stars and 4 stars by 8% of verified users.

3. 18-1/2 in. Classic Pit Barrel Smoker

55 gallon drum smoker, 18–1 / 2 in. The Classic Pit Barrel Cooker Package is the second choice with the best feature and performance of this best smoker. It is an award winner for being “the best deal on a smoker in the world” and receives the Best Value Gold Medal and another Competition Drum Smoker.

Classic pit barrel cooker package and barrel house cooker smoker BHC 18C have almost similar features but this barrel smoker has a high price tag as compared with our top choice.

Renowned TV host and writer Steven Raichlen have lineup pit barrels to smoke and grill at his BBQ University.

Classic Pit barrel smoker has made with heavy-duty steel with porcelain coated finish inside-outside which retains heat longer. And includes 8 stainless steel hooks for hanging large sizes of foods. As well as standard grates for smoking, grilling, and searing.

The smoker has 3500 cubic inches for the cooking area you have the option to minimize or maximize your cooking area as your requirements. Pit Barrel Cooker Package is properly designed for the best airflow throughout the cooking process.

This best drum grill has a unique design to make a PBC simple to manage and always gives you a consistent impressive taste, flavor, and perfect tender results.

This smoker package included everything you will need to start grilling and smoking but need minimal assembling.

This smoker has a fuel box for the ideal quantity of charcoal or firewood for the perfect cook and tender. This best ugly drum smoker has excellent portable and durable. Very easy to clean after the cooking task is completed.

The size of the smoker has excellent portability it comes on the truck and three sturdy legs provide excellent stability.

This smoker has a drawback temperature gauge not included with this smoker, but some tools include 8 stainless steel hooks, 2 hanging rods, charcoal baskets, standard grill gates, and hook remover tools. But excludes seasonings.

18-1/2 in. Classic Pit Barrel Cooker Package has a year limited warranty and 88% of verified customers give 5 stars and 4 stars from the 6% of verified users.

Overall, if your budget allows then go for this best ugly drum smoker. this is our second pic just because of the price.

4. Gateway Drum Smokers 55 Gallon Charcoal BBQ Smoker

The Gateway 55 Gallon Smoker looks like a hot water heater drum has two side vents and has a sleek exterior which is what came to your mind when I think it’s a good barrel smoker.

This drum smoker offers 3 levels of cooking, but with this drum smoker, you can only get one, if a backyard party needs a lot of cooking then buy these two which is not a big deal. You have now plenty of room to smoke with many medium cuts of meat.

The Gateway Drum Smoker has three vents, a lid vent, and two side pipes for temperature and smoke control. This helps you control the heat according to your food and the temperature is up to 450F which is considered good. It’s a great choice for roasting, baking, or direct grilling that’s great for a grilling adventure.

The barrel smoker itself is seamless, and all components are well welded with minimal heat loss and smoke leakage.

All three cooking grates give you 1386 square inches of grilling area but the cooker lacks tools to hold the beef i.e. it doesn’t have a meat hanger.

5. Weber 14-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker

Weber is a well-known brand in grill manufacturing that has launched many grills and smokers with great innovation and has become a market leader. The same range includes the Weber 14-inch Smoky Mountain Cooker, which is similar in size to the drum.

The barrel top grill has all the basic features of this charcoal smoker. Body structure made of steel with heavy structure porcelain-coated inside outside for heat retention.

The Best Barrel Smoker 2020 has a total cooking area of 286 square inches and the main grilling area of 143 ideal for 2-4 people and excellent for patio and balcony.

The temperature inside this drum smoker reaches about 190°F along with a lid-mounted thermometer that allows you to monitor the temperature.

This best drum smoker consists of heat and smoke which gives excellent taste and smoke flavor and two dampers allow to control the temperature and release excess heat and smoke.

This smoker allows you to cook at a slow and low heat best taste and the fuel door allows you to addon charcoal if needed for your foods.

This charcoal smoker has a pan of water for moisture which gives more tender and juicy meat and a charcoal chamber. Includes a cover for protects the smoker from dust and scratches.

This best ugly drum smoker has cool touch wired handle to protect your hands from overheating. And three stainless steel legs which are best for stability and rustproof.

This has an excellent portable size to take anywhere with you. it comes in the backside of your car.

This is the best ugly drum smoker plans to buy. This barrel smoker has 5 years limited warranty and 87% of verified customers give 5 stars and more than 3400 units sold out.

6. Char-Broil Bullet – Best Charcoal Smoker

Char-Broil is another great grill brand and is an option if you are going to buy this best ugly drum smoker. Char-Brill bullet charcoal smoker is one of those grills you can go to purchase.

Char-Broil Bullet another best barrel smoker is constructed durable porcelain-enameled heavy-duty steel body. And the cooking tools stand up to rust still easy to clean up.

This char-broil best drum smoker has a total of 370 square inches cooking surface which is best for 4-6 people and the smoker has 2 porcelain coated cooking grates which are heat retention long.

This char-broil smoker has an innovative airflow control system that simplifies the heat regulator and damper allowing control of heat and smoke.

Firebox has an access door to add fuel without opening the lid. And built-in thermometer allow monitoring of the heat in the cooking chamber.

This best ugly drum smoker design for conveniently accessible height with steel tube legs. And has two handles for lifting chambers.

This drum grill has a removable ash pan for easy cleanup. This grill has an excellent size for carrying with you and gives durability.

This char-broil need to be assembled and comes with a 5-years limited warranty also 78% of verified user give 5 stars. overall this excellent option if your budget is less.

Homemade Barrel Smoker

If you have a drum and want to make your own barrel smoker at home, you must watch this video, which will give you country instructions. For this DIY you need to drum smoker kit

The Disadvantage of Berral Smoker

Every new design has issues, but what worries me most about this smoker is the heat that can be felt within the drum a few meters away.

Drum smokers are extremely hot during cooking which can burn your lovely babies and beautiful animals. You need to be extraordinarily careful while cooking with these smokers units.

But to avoid such problems, we have the two best smoker manufacturers that offer a lot of conveniences. Gateway and Oklahoma offer more safety and security.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict

Your desire cannot be above the health and safety of your family. As far as choosing a barrel smoker is concerned, the smoker unit made of low-quality material is the cause of our concern.

Here we would like to thank Gateway and Oklahoma for designing the unit with safety in mind. But the Oklahoma barrel smoker is a better option, with a thick coating that doesn’t let heat out and performance is excellent.

We’ve given you several options, but we recommend buying a barrel smoker only in Oklahoma.