5 Best Smoker for Apartment Balcony of 2021

You may be a crazy pitmaster in your family who loves to smoke or grill meat on a regular basis. Unfortunately, you are about to shift to an apartment, or you are living in an apartment and looking for a smoker for the balcony to enjoy the nicer weather from your balcony while smoking.

But along with the enjoyment you are a little bit worried about your precious smoking session. Don’t worry. In this comprehensive guide, we will go through different aspects of using a smoker on your apartment balcony.

Also, you will get a detailed buying guide that will help you to choose the perfect apartment balcony smoker on your own.

Ready to dive in? Let’s get started.

best Smoker for Apartment Balcony

Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker

The Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker is the perfect smoker for anyone who wants to start smoking meat at home or apartment. With a digital panel that lets you control the on/off, cooking temperature, and time, this smoker is easy to use and produces delicious results every time.

The patented side wood chip loading system allows you to add wood chips without opening the door, and the thermostat-temperature control ensures even, consistent smoking. The fully-insulated body retains heat, so your food is always cooked perfectly.

Digital controls

This Masterbuilt electric smoker has digital controls with an LED panel that helps you to control on/off, cooking temperature and time. This makes it easier for you to smoke your food the way you want it without any guesswork.

Side wood chip loading system

The side wood chip loading system on this smoker means that you can add wood chips without having to open the door. This keeps the heat in and prevents any drops in temperature, meaning that your food will be cooked evenly every time.

Thermostat-temperature control

The thermostat-temperature control on this smoker helps to ensure that your food is smoked at a consistent temperature. This results in perfectly cooked meat, every time.

Fully-insulated body

The fully-insulated body on this smoker helps to keep the heat in, meaning that your food will be cooked perfectly every time. No more dry, overcooked meat – with this smoker, you’ll get evenly cooked food every time.

Pros

• Digital control panel
• lightweight
• side wood chip loading system
• thermostat-temperature control
• Fully-insulated bodies all work together to produce perfectly smoked meat
• display easy to read
• controls are self-explanatory
• display easy to read
• controls are self-explanatory
• lots of room with 4 racks
• adjustable feet
• latching door

Cons

• Small wood tray
• sometimes the Thermostastat shows wrong result

Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker

This Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker is a great addition to any backyard grill. With 1,000 watts of power, this smoker gives you the ability to cook up to 540 square inches of food at once. The three chrome-plated cooking grates provide plenty of space, while the double-wall insulated construction and dual exhaust ports help keep the heat in.

Large Capacity

this Char-Broil smoker has a capacity of 544 square inches, letting you cook plenty of food at once. So, if you are looking for a larger smoker, this is a great choice.

Door-Mounted Temperature Gauge

The front-mounted temperature gauge on this smoker ensures that you always have accurate readings of the internal temperature. This way, you can better control your cooking.

Easy-to-Use Controls

The easy-to-use controls on this smoker make it a breeze to get started. Simply add your food, set the desired temperature and let the smoker do the rest.

The pros of this product include:

• Large capacity
• Door-mounted temperature gauge
• Easy-to-use controls

Cons

• The only con of this product is the challenge of adjusting the temperature.

Weber 18-inch Smokey Mountain Cooker

The Weber Smokey Mountain charcoal smoker helps you achieve an authentic smokehouse flavor at home. It can accommodate a whole turkey and an entire ham at the same time. It is made of porcelain-enameled steel, comes with 2 nickel-plated 18-1/2-inch-wide cooking grates, includes a water pan, thermometer, individual vents on bowl and lid, and heat-resistant nylon handle.

Consistent Heat

The smoker has a consistent heat that will help you create the perfect barbecue every time. The water pan helps to regulate the temperature and the thermometer makes it easy to monitor the progress of your food.

The individual vents on the bowl and lid help to control the temperature, so you can customize your cooking experience. And, the heat-resistant nylon handle ensures that you can safely transport your smoker from one place to another.

Heat Control

With the Weber Smokey Mountain charcoal smoker, you can enjoy delicious barbecue every time. The consistent heat and heat control features make it easy to create the perfect meal, while the water pan helps to regulate the temperature.

The thermometer makes it easy to monitor your food, and the individual vents allow you to customize your cooking experience. Plus, the heat-resistant nylon handle ensures that you can safely transport your smoker from one place to another.

Pros

• easy to assemble
• durable
• consistent heat
• heat control features
• water pan
• thermometer
• individual vents
• heat-resistant nylon handle

cons

• the temperature reading of the thermometer is not great

Cuisinart COS-116 Vertical Smoker, 16″ Charcoal

The Cuisinart vertical charcoal smoker was built to last. With two 16″ solid steel cooking grates, this smoker can accommodate just about any food you’re looking to smoke at the house. Working a charcoal smoker is as simple as lighting the charcoal, filling up the water bowl, & then casually adjusting the air vents to control the temperature.

This vertical barrel design makes it easy to keep a consistent temperature with minimal adjustments & accessing the water bowl & charcoal grate doesn’t get much easier with this vertically hinged door.

The Cuisinart smoker is an excellent addition to any outdoor cooking arsenal. With its sturdy build, dual air vents, and large cooking surface, the COS-116 smoker is perfect for the backyard barbecue. Along with the backyard smoking, you could use this smoker at your apartment.

Cooking surface

This smoker has two 16″ cooking grates. This gives you a total of 402 square inches to work with, which is plenty of space to cook up a large meal. The cooking surface is also made of stainless steel. This means that it is durable and easy to clean.

Water bowl

The water bowl on this smoker is made of porcelain enamel. This is a good material for the water bowl because it does not rust. It is also easy to clean. The water bowl can hold up to 1.5 quarts of water, which is enough to keep the smoker running for a while.

Vents

The smoker has two vents, one on the top and one on the bottom. This allows you to control the temperature of the smoker more easily. The vents also help to create a consistent flow of air, which results in an evenly cooked meal.

Latch

The smoker has a latch that keeps the door closed. This is important because it ensures that the heat stays in the smoker and that the smoke does not escape. This will help you to cook your food evenly and maintain the desired temperature.

Door

The door on the smoker is also hinged vertically. This makes it easy for you to access the water bowl and the cooking grates. It also makes it easier for you to put wood chips in the smoker.

Pros

• easy to use and assemble
• durable
• consistent temperature
• large cooking surface
• easy access to water bowl and cooking grates
• latch to keep door closed
• vertically hinged door

Cons

• the instruction of the manual is not clear and concise. you could face problem in attaching.

Country Smokers Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

If you’re looking for a sleek, transportable pellet grill that provides savory, wood-fired flavor, the Country Smokers Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker is perfect for you. This grill has a total cooking surface of 256 square inches, with a main surface of 191.4 square inches and a removeable upper rack of 64.6 square inches.

The cooking temperature can be set from 180°F to 500°F, and the digital dial-in temperature control ensures that your food is cooked perfectly every time. For your safety, please refer to the user’s manual before operating this grill.

Digital control type

The Country Smokers Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker has a digital control type, meaning that you can easily set the desired cooking temperature and have perfect results every time. With a total cooking surface of 256 square inches, this grill is perfect for any outdoor activity as well as apartment activity.

Flame Broil Technology

The Flame Broil Technology in the Country Smokers Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker allows you to sear your food to perfection. With a cooking temperature of up to 500°F, this pellet grill is perfect for any type of food. The black sand exterior finish gives this grill a sleek look that will complement any outdoor activity.

Portable Grilling

The Country Smokers Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker is the perfect portable grill. With a total cooking surface of 256 square inches, this grill is great for any outdoor activity. The black sand exterior finish gives this grill a sleek look that will complement any outdoor activity.

Pros

• Easy to control cooking
• Digital temperature control
• Sleek black sand finish with stunning look
• Portable and perfect for using in the outdoor and indoor
• this one is a combination of grill and smoker

Cons

• The temperature control unit is the main issue here. some of the users face terrible with the digital temperature control.

Smoker for Apartment Balcony Buying Guide

It’s totally fine that you can not hide your desire about smoking meat that’s because you are a real pitmaster.  But wait a minute, don’t forget to follow the rules of grilling and smoking in your apartment. Rules may vary from place to place therefore it’s crucial to learn all the necessary rules before you make a purchase.

Along with that, some key considerations can denote a smoking good or not. Take a look at this section cause it will help you to choose the right smoker according to your need.

Rules

Yes, it’s obviously the first key consideration. As we have said, you gotta know all the smoking and grilling rules and regulations because you don’t want to face any trouble while you are completely prepared to start smoking your favorite brisket, rib, or even chuck roast.

Besides, make sure you got permission from your landlord. Sometimes landlords are very particular about this kinda stuff. Consider you are a lucky pitmaster if the landlord is kind enough to let you do so.

Ventilation

This is another major key point to consider. You must need a balcony that is at least ten meters far from the nearest infrastructure. Besides, it’s a bit safer to keep the wooden and thin plastic product like plastic curtains. Just think for a minute if you are completely satisfied with your surroundings or not.

Fuel Source

There are plenty of different fuel sources for smoking or grilling. Some commonly used options are pellet, charcoal, propane gas, electric, and infrared. By using a wood pellet you will get a nice woody flavor that can turn your food a bit more tasty for sure. On the other hand, for grilling or smoking, almost everyone wants to use charcoal as a fuel option because of the smokey and tender meat taste.

But the thing is you won’t get permission for using these types of fuel sources that are considered as risky for smoking in apartment balconies. Propane gas is also the same as them. Besides, you may fall in trouble when it comes to the portability issue.  In that case, it is recommended to use an electric smoker if that smoker can match your requirements.

Reduce Smoke

You are living in an apartment where you may have a couple of neighbors just beside you. Which is why it’s important to keep in mind about the extensive smoking situation. It would be completely fine if you are smoking the food in an open space like you usually do while tailgating or camping. But in this situation, try to minimize the smoking level while smoking your favorite fatty cuts like beef brisket.

To do so, firstly, let’s take a look at what is acting behind because of the excessive smoke. The direct answer is grease and oil. These two are the main cause of this type of smoking. To get rid of this make sure to clean up the grease tray frequently.

We use oil to get an extra bit of taste that is also another cause for excessive smoke. So it’s important to use as little as we need in order to avoid this annoying condition.

Build Material

No matter why you are looking for a smoker or grill it’s obvious that you want a smoker made from durable material. Besides, you won’t tolerate rust therefore you need an option that is both durable and rust-resistant. Lastly, you should purchase a smoker that is elegant in look.

There are plenty of options out there. From them, mostly used are stainless steel, cast iron, porcelain-coated cast iron, normal steel and so on. But we want to keep stainless steel a bit ahead from all other materials because of it’s high durability, corrosion resistance, easy to clean, and nice user interface.

Cleanup System

Don’t forget to check if the smoker comes with an effortless clean up system or not. There’s some smoker out there that has pretty good ash and waste cleaning conditions that can deliver a tense free and excessive smoke-free balcony smoking.

Temperature

As you are looking for the best smoker for apartment balcony, make sure that you are getting the right smoker that is pretty good at temperature control. The ideal temperature for smoking is 225-250 degree Fahrenheit. You have to cook the food for a long period of time so that the smoker should deliver a great job.

Controlling

A serious pitmaster never tolerates anything that can interrupt and annoy him while he needs to keep his concentration on cooking. An annoying controlling system is able to easily ruin the whole enjoyment of his smoking session. Thus, make sure that the smoker is pretty easy to control.

There are some smokers and grills out there that have a WiFi controlling system that can let you control your smoker a short distance away from the smoker. This could be great if you are planning to smoke in the winter season.

After all, as the pitmaster is you and for that, you have to pick the right one that is trouble-free to control.

Final Thoughts

Now question yourself, which features seem too convenient for you? Compare your balcony space and personal preferences to select the best smoker for your apartment balcony. Hope you have already picked the perfect option. But if you are still in chaos, let me help you to get the best option for you.

According to this buying guide, our number one pick is Weber Kettle Charcoal Grill as it is highly adjustable, easy to clean, and gives a hassle-free heat control advantage. Be sure this well-featured grill will give you the best value and performance worth your money.

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