Are you tired of being able to cook only small batches of sausages for your guests? It is upsetting when the big game is playing on the television, but only half the sausages are cooked because your grill simply isn’t big enough. Well, that’s why many people choose to buy one of the best smokers for sausages. With one of the products from our review, half of your party doesn’t go hungry the next time the big game comes around.
In this article, we’ll introduce to you the top-rated smokers available on the market today. Below, we will discuss the most important features that you must keep in mind before making a purchase. These include the smoker type, power source, cooking area, dimensions, weight, and warranty. Each of them can affect your experience with the product. With this information, finding the right option should be a breeze. Are you ready to dive deeper? Let’s get started!
More features: two 17-1/2 inch diameter steel-plated cooking grates, rust-resistant aluminum fuel door, adjustable airflow vent, built-in thermometer
Our pick for the best smoker for sausages is the Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-Inch Charcoal Smoker. This sausage smoker offers the highest quality and smokiest sausages of any model on our list. It is made of solid steel material, which does an excellent job of trapping the heat inside to cook your sausages. Next, this vertical type of smoker is 41 inches tall, and it uses charcoal to generate heat. Despite being a vertical smoker, there is still a decent amount of space to cook your sausages as it comes out to roughly 481 square inches. To give you an idea of how much space that is, you can fit an entire turkey and a whole ham in here at the same time, and you’d still have enough room. But for larger parties, you will need to check something else. It’s not overly heavy at just 47 pounds, and it comes with a 10-year warranty on the bowl, lid, and center ring.
What we liked: We enjoyed the fantastic quality of this model, as the sausages were perfectly smoky and tasty. We also liked that this smoker came with a water pan, thermometer, and an adjustable vent.
What could be better: As great as this smoker is, we feel that there could be even more space to cook your sausages.
More features: easy-slide chrome-plated grills, aluminum construction, comes with recipe booklet, 1.75-pound bag of hickory flavor wood fuel, pan
For people looking for a product on a budget, look no further than our Best Value choice, the Smokehouse Products Big Chief Electric Smoker. This unit is another vertical type of smoker but is different in that it uses electric power to heat up your sausages. It can hold up to 50 pounds of sausages or other meats as well. This one was made in America, and it is not very big nor very heavy at all, so it is relatively easy to transport. It stands roughly 25 inches tall and 18 inches wide, and it only weighs 21 pounds. Next, the smoker is great because it has easy-slide chrome plated grills where you can cook your sausages on. People will also love that as well as a sturdy aluminum construction, ensuring this will last you for a while.
What we liked: We adore the ease with which we could put our sausages on these chrome-plated grill racks. It was convenient to check up on our sausages and take them out.
What could be better: Even though it’s constructed of aluminum, it can be almost too easy for this smoker to be dented or scuffed up when you’re transporting it to your backyard from your storage area. Also, be careful when you move it as the corners are sharp enough to scratch and puncture through the skin.
More features: automated electric feed system, smart digital controller, 8-in-1 design, large storage compartment, comes with waterproof cover
If you’re looking for the absolute beast, our Premium Pick, the Z GRILLS-700D, is your best bet. This sausage smoker is built like a tank and features a barrel grill to go along with the smoker. It uses pellets as its power source, and this is a great choice because wood pellets make it a much cleaner and more energy-efficient model compared to cheaper smokers. With this premium smoker, you’ll be able to cook your food using 700 square inches of space. This is enough to prepare 32 burgers and dozens of sausages, for example. As for its size, you might want to make note that this is a really big and heavy unit. It measures 42 inches wide and 48 inches tall, and it weighs 146 pounds, which makes it by far the heaviest sausage smoker on our list. If you’re worried about its durability, this smoker comes with a 3-year warranty, and this should be more than enough time for you to see if there are any problems with it.
What we liked: The large storage compartment underneath the barrel is convenient, and it also comes with a smart digital controller that helps to adjust the temperature as you need.
What could be better: It’s hard to find something that could be better with this smoker, but we feel that it could be much lighter and much cheaper as well.
More features: porcelain enamel coated components, top can be used as a tabletop, convenient side handles, comes with 40-inch propane hose and regulator
For people that are used to barbequing in the backyard using a propane gas tank will find it easy to work with the Cuisinart COS-244. This smoker comes with its own 40-inch propane hose and regulator. Also, this vertical smoker gives you the ability to cook plenty of meat thanks to its four stainless steel shelves that are fully removable. In total, you’ll be able to use 784 square inches worth of sausages and meat in this smoker. This smoker is relatively fair in size and weight, coming in at 40 pounds and 46 inches tall. It has two very convenient side handles that make transporting it much easier. While your sausages are cooking away, the door on this smoker will stay firmly sealed with its twist handle. Lastly, this Cuisinart smoker comes with a 3-year warranty.
What we liked: The built-in thermometer on the front of the door makes it really simple to monitor the heat at which your sausages are cooking. It also acts as a good gauge of when your sausages will be ready.
What could be better: Smokers can get extremely hot inside, and this one is no different. In fact, it can get so hot that it can damage the interior and form bubbles on the walls.
More features: digital control panel, four chrome-coated smoking racks, side wood chip loading system, fully-insulated body, water bowl, air damper
For people that are big on technology, you can try the Masterbuilt MB20071117. This smoker is another vertical one that runs on electricity. What’s unique about this smoker is that it features a digital control panel that allows you to adjust the cooking temperature and time. This frees you up to do other things rather than monitoring it closely. Also, this smoker looks and works much like a small fridge. It’s shaped like one and is 33 inches tall and only 20 inches wide. It opens through a hinged door and has four chrome-plated smoking racks that you can put your sausages on. You’ll be able to put plenty on these racks, as much as 730 square inches worth of sausages. This smoker is great and well built, coming with a fully insulated body and a 1-year warranty.
What we liked: We absolutely love the automated nature of this smoker and that everything is controlled digitally. It allowed us to cook other dishes in the house and periodically check up on the progress of its cooking.
What could be better: Surprisingly, when you look at this smoker, it’s not very big in size, but its weight is rather deceiving. We think this smoker could be a lot lighter than the 46 pounds it currently weighs.
More features: two 18″ stainless steel racks, porcelain-enameled water bowl, top and bottom vents, latching base
When cooking sausages in a smoker, it’s the smoke that does all the work, but where does that smoke go? Usually, they go out of vents, and these vents are essential for not having the smoke overcook and burn your sausages. That’s why it’s worth considering the Cuisinart COS-118 Vertical 18″ Charcoal Smoker. This model allows the smoke to escape via dual air vents with one at the top and the other at the bottom. This vertical smoker uses charcoal, and you can cook your sausages on the two stainless steel racks that offer 510 sq. in. of cooking space. This smoker is not very big at all at only 43 inches tall and is a breeze to transport thanks to its weight of 25 pounds. If you experience any issues with this smoker, you can take advantage of its 3-year warranty.
What we liked: It’s easy to check on the progress of your sausages. You can either remove the lid to see the top rack or pull down the door in the middle of the smoker to check up on the middle rack.
What could be better: The downside to using that middle door is that it can get fairly loose over time, and it may be hard to even keep it closed without putting a piece of tape on it.
More features: flat top, chip tray, comes with a heat thermostat, carry handles
One of the best ways to add flavor to your sausages is by using wood chips during the cooking process. That’s where the Old Smokey Electric Smoker comes into play. The wood chips can be placed in the chip tray above the electric heating element so that the wood flavor is able to carry throughout the smoker. This vertical smoker only has a cooking area of 280 square inches, which is spread out over two different racks. It is much smaller at only 29 inches tall and 15.5 inches wide, and so it may be the perfect smoker for a small family but not for a big party. Also, this electric smoker is not heavy at all, either at only 24 pounds, and it comes with a 1-year warranty.
What we liked: It’s worth mentioning that after a few hours of cooking with hickory wood chips, the smoky flavor is going to impress everyone around.
What could be better: If you use this smoker fairly often, it can be quite cumbersome to clean, as it is prone to rust. Try to be vigilant and give it a good clean every time you use it.
More features: dual valve/dual burner, three porcelain coated cooking grids, stainless steel burners, wood chip tray, large viewing window, built-in thermometer
The PIT BOSS 77435 Vertical Gas Smoker comes with amazing 800 square inches of cooking space that is spread out over three levels. This vertical smoker runs on propane gas and comes with a dual valve system that allows you to change the temperature between 100-350 degrees Fahrenheit. At first glance, you wouldn’t think this smoker is heavy by its size as it’s only 47 inches tall and 21.5 inches wide. Still, it is rather heavy at 52 pounds and can be difficult to transport due to a lack of handles.
What we liked: We adore the very large cooking area space over the three different porcelain-coated racks. It allowed us to cook substantially more sausages than we were anticipating.
What could be better: The biggest issue we have with this rather heavy smoker is that it can be very problematic to transport it, as it doesn’t come with handles. It’s recommended to use some help to carry it from the garage to the backyard in order to use it.
More features: double-wall construction, digital control panel, removable thermometer, glass door, stainless steel locking latch, 4 removable racks
Sometimes when your smoker is cooking your sausages, it may be tempting to open up the lid and check them. But what if you could check on them without having to open anything? The Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker 725 Deluxe has you covered. This small, vertical smoker allows people to monitor their sausages using the see-through glass door. By being able to look inside, you’ll be able to see how your sausages are cooking over its four removable racks. This smoker is powered electrically and has an excellent cooking area of 725 square inches. Lastly, it is slightly on the heavy side at 50 pounds.
What we liked: The digital control panel allows you to adjust the cooking temperature and time with the press of a button. It’s very easy and intuitive to use.
What could be better: One of the flaws of electrical powered smokers is that they can stop working or malfunction quite easily, and a number of people have had a similar complaint with this smoker.
More features: 5 cooking grids, dual door design, dual stainless steel burners, large porcelain-coated water pan
Sometimes more is better, and the Masterbuilt 44241G2 will impress anyone with the number of cooking grids. This smoker comes with five of them: two standard grids, two for jerky, one rack for ribs, and also it has a sausage hanger. Many people say that this smoker is great for the variety of meats you can cook it. It runs on propane fuel but weighs a lot, 100 pounds, to be exact. That’s probably because of its massive and dense stainless steel design. It also has a fairly massive frame at 60 inches tall and 33 inches wide. As if it’s not enough, its sturdy legs are quite big, too.
What we liked: It’s hard not to mention the different spaces and racks to cook various dishes with this smoker. While it’s great for sausages, it’s also very good to cook meats as well.
What could be better: The biggest issue with this is its massive size. At 100 pounds, it is incredibly difficult for one person to move. The legs on this smoker are quite large, so it can be hard to find ample space to store this away when you’re not using it.
After checking top-rated smokers for cooking sausages, it’s time to turn our attention to the buying guide portion of this review, where we’ll discuss more in-depth each product. With this information, making a final purchasing decision should be much easier. Here, we’ll explain why you need a sausage smoker, compare individual features of those models, give you a few answers to the most commonly asked questions, and finally, present to you our top three picks.
There are plenty of great reasons why you should get a sausage smoker and how it is really different from any other method of cooking your meats. Perhaps, the most important one is because of the excellent flavor your products get when they are cooked in a smoker. That smoked and charred flavor is what many people are looking for. Another important reason is that it can cook a much larger number of sausages than, say, a pan or stovetop grill. Cooking in bulk is great for when you have guests over for that big game, and you need to prepare many dishes at the same time so everyone can enjoy that. Lastly, you won’t need to constantly keep moving around your sausages into different positions as these sausage smokers are meant to cook them in the best way possible.
There are many fantastic sausage smokers, and we’ve already introduced you to the ten best ones. But how do you go about choosing just one to buy? Well, that’s what this section is for, and here, we’ll go over and explain in greater detail each of the individual features of a sausage cooker. By learning more about each characteristic, it may help to inform you more about what you need to think about when it comes to buying a sausage smoker. Here are just some of the features we’ll cover: type, power source, cooking area, dimensions, weight, warranty, and finally, its price.
When it comes to the best way to cook sausage in a smoker, as you can see, the number one way to do so is in best vertical smoker, just like the Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-Inch Charcoal Smoker. Whether you choose to cook your sausages lying flat or hanging on a hook on one of the smoker’s racks, it gives you a few easy ways to cook them right.
Vertical smokers aren’t fairly big at all and allow you to maximize the amount of space you use inside of it to cook your sausages.
On the other hand, our Premium Pick, the Z GRILLS-700D, uses a barrel. While you definitely have a very big and wide cooking area, you only really can cook your sausages lying down, much like a traditional grill.
When it comes to the power source, the smokers for sausages require various types of fuel. Some use charcoal as their power source, such as the Cuisinart COS-118. Also, all chefs are familiar with propane gas smokers. Propane gas is the power source often used in barbeque grills, and you can easily get the fuel at your local gas station. Electric smokers, such as the Old Smokey Electric Smoker, are becoming more common among chefs because they are much safer to use, and these require only plugging it into a wall outlet. Lastly, pellets are the last notable power source used in a smoker. This type, by far, is one of the most energy-efficient, and it draws its energy from a renewable energy source.
One of the crucial features of a sausage smoker is its cooking area since you’re probably going to want to see how much space you really have to cook your sausages. Depending on your needs, if you’re looking for a sausage smoker that can cook for a fairly big party, you might want to go with a sausage smoker that has a cooking area of at least 700 square inches and above. For example, the PIT BOSS 77435 Vertical Gas Smoker offers even more with its 800 square inches of cooking space.
The smokers will usually have different levels with which you can either hang or place your sausages on the racks to cook them. Ideally, what you’ll want to keep an eye on is how many racks the smoker comes with.
If you’re only looking for a smoker for your immediate family or really small gatherings, a cooking area of under 600 square inches should suffice.
Much like everything else on this list, the dimensions of the smokers for sausages can vary, but there are some key similarities. The biggest similarity is that vertical sausage cookers are quite predictable in their overall dimensions since they all follow a very similar design. You can expect the height of the cooker to be its biggest measurement, followed by its width. It’s quite common to find a 25 to 40 inches tall smokers, and if you add their legs here, you get another 5-6 inches. As for its width, it’s safe to expect somewhere in the range of 20-25 inches. The only anomaly on our list is our Premium Pick, the Z GRILLS-700D, and that’s because it is shaped more like a traditional barbeque grill than a vertical sausage smoker.
One thing many people may want to know is how heavy these smokers are. This can impact a buying decision because if it is too heavy, some may opt to purchase a more traditional barbeque grill because they may be able to get more usage out of it for its weight. Generally, these units should be fairly manageable weight-wise. You can expect a smoker to weigh in between 20 and 50 pounds. There may be a few outlier smokers that weigh 100 or as much as 150 pounds, but these are more uncommon. Some of these smokers can be easier to carry as there might be convenient side handles to help you with that.
The warranty on the sausage smokers is another factor that people may take into careful consideration, especially if they’re not familiar with the brand. Thankfully, most of the sausage smokers on our list have a very good warranty period, but they also do tend to vary in terms of the warranty policy itself. Some may come with an outright warranty period for a specific period of time, such as a 1, 3, or 5-year warranty plan. There are some that offer different warranties for different functions with a sausage smoker. For example, our Editor’s Choice smoker, the Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker, has a 10-year warranty on the bowl, lid, and center ring, and a 5-year warranty on the plastic components, and a 2-year warranty on other parts.
We recommend you to make sure you read the warranty and ensure that you’re comfortable with it before buying the smoker.
The best sausage smokers come in all sorts of different prices, and, depending on your budget, you will most likely be able to find one that’s right for you. Sausage smokers can range in price dramatically, and you can find something from $130 all the way up to $650. To give you an example, our Best Value selection, the Smokehouse Products Big Chief Electric Smoker, costs $130 and offers the best bang for your buck. For people that enjoy the finer things, they may opt for something a bit pricier like our Premium Pick, the Z GRILLS-700D. This one goes for $540 and offers the highest quality.
In our verdict, we offer you our top three choices. Number one here is our Editor’s Choice, the Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-Inch Charcoal Smoker. This smoker offers the best performance of any smoker on our list. It is incredibly reliable and durable and is bound to cook up the perfect BBQ sausage for you and your friends.
For more budget-conscious people, the Smokehouse Products Big Chief Electric Smoker is the best bet. Don’t be fooled by this smoker’s low price – you can pack up to 50 pounds worth of meat to cook all at once.
Lastly, for people that want to invest in the premium model, the Z GRILLS-700D is the way to go. This one combines a smoker and a barrel grill to give you a unique way to cook your sausages and other product. It has a luxury feel and design to it, and one that will be able to accommodate all of your sausage cooking needs. It’s no wonder why we’ve included this model on our list of the best smokers for sausage!
