Top 5 Best Vertical Pellet Smokers for 2020 (Reviews & Buying Guide)

If you love preparing food for your friends and family, then having the best vertical pellet smoker will be an enthusiastic experience for you. The vertical pellet smoker can make your cooking experience enjoyable, simple, and hassle-free. And not only that, it will impart an exceptionally amazing flavor in your food as well. There is an overwhelming range of smokers available in the market, all seeming great. And picking the best one among them can be challenging. Here we have handpicked the top 5 best vertical pellet smokers for 2020. Skim through this list, and find the best-suited one for you.

PRODUCT

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FEATURES

PRODUCT

1. Pit Boss Grills 77550 5.5 Vertical Pellet Smoker

  • Excellent programmable temperature range
  • Easy to maintain
  • Sufficient cooking space
  • Automatic shut-off
  • Monitoring the food during cooking is easy
  • Meat thermometer

2. Smoke Hollow PS4415 Vertical Propane Smoker

  • Easy to clean
  • Hassle-free assembly of all parts
  • smoking temperature Management through heat indicator
  • 11,000 BTU heat generation capacity
  • Porcelain-coated water pan
  • Adjustable drag control
  • Even cooking of various kinds of foods

3. Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Vertical Electric Smoker

  • Adjustable air damper
  • Even cooking of meat
  • The grease tray keeps the smoker clean
  • The temperature knob helps in controlling the temperature
  • Removable water bowl locks in the moisture of the meat
  • Easy to keep and store this smoker

4. Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D Heavy-Duty Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill

  • Sturdy and heavy-duty construction
  • Easy to assemble
  • Little to no maintenance needed
  • The lid remains cool, so open it up during cooking without burning yourself

5. Char-Broil Analog Vertical Electric Smoker

  • Excellent control of temperature range
  • Huge cooking space
  • A high-quality heating element
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble
  • The dual latch on the door perfectly locks in the heat
  • Temperature gauge help in monitoring the internal temperature
  • The body is sturdy and strong
  • Durable

1. Pit Boss Grills 77550 5.5 Vertical Pellet Smoker

Pit Boss is a well-known name when it comes to providing premium quality durable products. This model, Grills 77550 5.5, perfectly depicts the excellence connected to this brand.

With the provision of ample cooking space of 1830 squares inches through 5 cooking grades, this smoker allows you to prepare plenty of food at the same time. And these high-quality grids are porcelain-enameled, so super easy to clean and will work perfectly for a long period.

In addition to great cooking capacity, the hopper can load up about 40 pounds and use it for 24 hours, without refilling. You won’t be needing to remove the ashtray or add up more pellets.

Now coming to another great feature of this smoker, the range of temperature. The temperature ranges from 150 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Such a wide range gives you the flexibility to cook all kinds of foods with ease. The best thing about this smoker is that you can keep a precise temperature during the complete smoking process.

And the 300-watt power auto-start and auto-shut igniter make operating this smoker super easy and simple.

Pros

  • Excellent programmable temperature range
  • Easy to maintain
  • Sufficient cooking space
  • Automatic shut-off
  • Monitoring the food during cooking is easy
  • Meat thermometer

Cons

  • Price falls on the expensive side
  • Heavy, so difficult to easily move around

2. Smoke Hollow PS4415 Vertical Propane Smoker

Smoke Hollow is the name of prestige, quality, and high standards. This PS4415 vertical propane smoker is another star in the immensely amazing range of products.

This smoker has incredible heat generation capacity. It has two burners that operate at 11,000 BTUs, ensuring even and maximum heating of food. These burners are made using stainless steel which ensures durability.

Talking about the cooking capacity of this smoker, you will love the ample space it provides. There are two standard grids and two jerky grids. A variety of grids offer ease of smoking different types of foods. And these grids are made with high-quality material, so use them as frequently as you want without worrying about any damage.

The presence of 2 large smoky flavored wood chip trays offers high capacity. And you can use the smokers for hours without worrying about refilling these trays.

Last but not the least, with the adjustable drag control, you can control the temperature during cooking.

Pros

  • Easy to clean
  • Hassle-free assembly of all parts
  • smoking temperature Management through heat indicator
  • 11,000 BTU heat generation capacity
  • Porcelain-coated water pan
  • Adjustable drag control
  • Even cooking of various kinds of foods

Cons

  • Difficult to control the temperature

3. Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Vertical Electric Smoker

Masterbuilt truly lives up to its name in providing masterfully designed and precisely constructed high-quality products. With an incredible range of top-notch quality products, they have created a prestigious name in the market and among the consumers.

This MB20071117 Digital Vertical Electric Smoker is an exceptional example of Materbuilt’s high standards. Those who desire to get a smoker with an expansive cooking capacity will love this model a lot. It has three racks, so you can cook a generous amount of food at a time.

Next talking about the temperature settings. It has a preinstalled 1500-watt heating element that offers even and consistent smoking of all kinds of foods.

You can also monitor the internal temperature of the smoker through an outside unit. Moreover, with the temperature control knob, you can set precise temperatures for slow smoking. This smoker also allows you to control the smoke these smokers are putting outside and you can regulate it using an adjustable air damper.

There is no need to open the smoker to add wood chips frequently. You can add wood chips after several hours of use. Plus, the heating capability of this smoker is great thanks to excessive insulation. It retains heat perfectly which allows consistent and even cooking and smoking of food.

There is a grease tray that catches excess fat drippings and juices. This helps in keeping the smoker clean.

Pros

  • Adjustable air damper
  • Even cooking of meat
  • The grease tray keeps the smoker clean
  • The temperature knob helps in controlling the temperature
  • Removable water bowl locks in the moisture of the meat
  • Easy to keep and store this smoker

Cons

  • The temperature gauge is not that precise

4. Dyna-Glo Signature Series DGSS1382VCS-D Heavy-Duty Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill

Dyna Glo is renowned for its remarkable services and maintaining quality in functionality, construction, and rigorous testing. This Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker & Grill embodies all the great qualities of an excellent Dyna Glo product.

This is one of the best vertical pellet smokers available in the market right now. The first thing that you’ll notice is its cooking space. There is a total of 1382 squares inches space distributed through five grates. You can cook different types of foods here in a sufficient amount.

Made with heavy-duty steel, the body of this smoker is sturdy, strong, and durable. Therefore, use it frequently and regularly, and it won’t get damaged any time soon.

The grates are also high quality and are chrome plated ensuring durability and ease of cleaning.

It has an interesting feature of “smoke zone” which imparts smoky flavor and moisture in your food. With the help of a temperature gauge, you can check when your food is in this zone.

Talking about the temperature, this vertical pellet smoker perfectly maintains a consistent temperature throughout the cooking process. And due to such incredible temperature consistency, the final food comes out to be perfectly tender and moisturized as you intend it to be.

Pros

  • Sturdy and heavy-duty construction
  • Easy to assemble
  • Little to no maintenance needed
  • The lid remains cool, so open it up during cooking without burning yourself

Cons

  • Welding is not great and may fail after a couple of uses

5. Char-Broil Analog Vertical Electric Smoker

Char-broil is famous for an incredible range of smokers, grills, and all products alike. You can surely find some of the best vertical pellet smokers right now at their store. This model of Analog Vertical Electric Smoker is surely one of this brand’s finest creations.

The Analog Vertical Electric Smoker has three cooking grates, offering sufficient space to cook different types of foods in a single go. These grates are of top-notch quality and are chrome enameled. The chrome plating ensures heat retention, durability, and ease of cleaning.

Another remarkable feature of this Analog Vertical Electric Smoker is that this smoker is heavily insulated. Such a generous amount of insulation lock up all the heat inside the heating compartment and allows quick and even cooking of all food.

Moreover, the presence of dual latches on the door completely shut the door, thus sealing all the heat inside during the cooking process. The availability of consistently high temperatures through cooking is one of the smoker’s most appreciated qualities.

And to know the exact temperature of the internal temperature, you can monitor the temperature gauge on the door.

There is a grease cup inside the smoker which holds all the extra fat drops and meat juices, thus helping in easy cleaning of the smoker. Other accessories include a wood chip tray and a water compartment. This smoker is a great pick to fulfill your smoking needs.

Pros

  • Excellent control of temperature range
  • Huge cooking space
  • A high-quality heating element
  • Easy to assemble and disassemble
  • The dual latch on the door perfectly locks in the heat
  • Temperature gauge help in monitoring the internal temperature
  • The body is sturdy and strong
  • Durable

Cons

  • The design of the wood tray is not efficient

Buying Guide

Surely, with a wide range of vertical smokers available in the market, it is an utterly difficult task to pick one. To help you make a good choice, here we have mentioned a few must-have features of a vertical pellet smoker. Before making a purchase, do consider these points.

  • Cooking capacity

There is a range of vertical pellet smokers available in the market of varying sizes. If you wish to buy a smoker just to fulfill the needs of your family, then picking a smaller smoker would be great. On the other hand, if you are a party person and love to gather people at your place, then purchase a smoker that can cook a hefty amount of meal.

  • Construction and Material Used

The quality of material and fineness of construction of the vertical pellet smokers matter a lot. The smoker must be sturdy, well build, and durable. You do not buy this every day, so pick one that has topnotch quality.

  • Range of Temperature

Temperature range is another important factor to consider. Especially if you love searing then the smoker should have as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit temperature. In general, a smoker having 400 degrees Fahrenheit temperature will be great too.
Benefits of Vertical Pellet Smokers

  • Cooking Grate

The cooking grate must be of high quality. The material of the grates can affect the quality of your food and how it finally turns out. Generally, cooking grates are made of stainless steel, cast iron, and porcelain.

  • Hopper Capacity

The hopper is the area where you put your pellets. A vertical pellet smoker having perfectly sized hopper that can hold enough pellets is a great pick. The lesser you open the door of the smoker, the better will be consistency in the heating chamber.

  • Ease of Use

Generally, electric vertical pellet smokers are easy to use. And are best suited for people who have just started smoking the food. The electric components of the smoker make it easy to use, proficient, and quick.

FAQs

  • Is a vertical smoker better than a horizontal smoker?

Well, both smokers have their specialties. Vertical smokers are great for roasting giving smoky flavor to the meat. But these smokers cannot grill. Whereas, horizontal smokers can smoke, bake, grill, and broil. On the whole, vertical pellet smokers are more preferred.

  • What makes vertical smoker special?

There is a lot of special about vertical smoker. To name a few, the smokers give a delicious flavor to your meat, are easy to use, function quickly, and are super easy to clean as well. One of the most important features of vertical smokers is that they blow very little smoke.

  • Is it difficult to assemble a vertical smoker?

The simple answer is no. Most of the vertical smokers assemble easily. However, it is advised to read the instruction manual to be sure of the correct assembly of all parts in a single go.

Conclusion

There you go! We are sure that this list will help you in finding the best vertical pellet smoker for your place. Now, you must be wondering which one we love the most. Well, in our opinion, the best vertical pellet smoker is Smoke Hollow PS4415 Vertical Propane Smoker. This smoker works operates on massive heat and can cook a variety of foods with ease. Moreover, it offers a combination of trays to smoke a variety of food items with ease. Nonetheless, you can pick any of the above smokers and it will work efficiently well. Happy cooking!

Editorial Staff

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