The 9 Best Smoker Grill Combos for 2024: Ultimate Guide

What if I told you that you can save time, money, and space with one simple BBQ hack? Think about having the ability to grill AND smoke on the same rig. Enter what we will call Smoker Grill Combos. We’ll help you select the Best Smoker Grill Combo to meet your specific needs so you can enjoy great grilled and smoked food while rolling around in the money you save.

I’ve been hooked on BBQ for over 20 years. I LOVE to load up the smoker and feed a bunch of hungry people. However, sometimes you just don’t have the time to go low and slow, or you just desire the amazing char flavor that only a high-heat grill can provide. The ability to smoke and grill in one product is a convenience you need in your life!

Quick picks for Best Smoker Grill Combo:

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Best Smoker Grill Combos of 2024

Based on 20 years of smoking and grilling expertise, we’ve rounded up the best combos to buy if you want to have flexibility to smoke and grill.

Best Overall — Kamado Joe Classic II Ceramic Charcoal Grill

The coveted top spot for overall best goes to a kamado-style cooker. Smoker grill combos tend to do a descent job at both grilling and smoking, but not great at either.

However, the Kamado Joe Classic II bucks the norm and is excellent at grilling AND smoking. With Kamado-style cookers in general, you can sear steaks at 750°F or smoke pork butt low and slow at 225°F with ease.

Ceramic charcoal grills provide great heat retention due to its thick ceramic construction. You can pretty much walk away for hours once you’ve got the temperature dialed in. I’ve smoked many times overnight with my kamado and barely had to make any adjustments.

Compared to a typical charcoal grill, Kamado’s don’t use much charcoal either…which is another byproduct of superior insulation of ceramic grills.

The Kamado Joe Classic II comes with the patented “Divide and Conquer” cooking system which just makes life easier. It’s basically a split-rack grate system that allows you to cook items on different levels at various temperatures. You can sear on one side and slow smoke on the other. This is a great system that is fairly unique in the kamado grilling world.

Big Green Egg is another kamado brand, but we like the pricing and versatility of Kamado Joe’s offereings better.

Best for Ease of Use — RecTeq Flagship RT-1100

Pellet grills are second to none when it comes to ease of use, due primarily to their built-in temperature controls. Most pellet grills allow the user to set and forget the temperature…which is AWESOME!

The RecTeq Flagship adds another level of convenience with its Wi-Fi controller which allows you to fire up the smoker, or monitor the cook, or make adjustments…from anywhere.

I’ve owned a Recteq pellet grill smoker for several years now and cooked countless meals on it. I’ve packed it full of pork butts, brisket, ribs, and just about any other kind of BBQ. Wi-Fi controls were an absolute game changer in my BBQ journey! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve smoked overnight, or monitored a cook while I left the house.

Considering the RecTeq Flagship’s precision temperature controls, large cooking space, and reliability and this smoker takes away the excuse “I just don’t have time to smoke something for X hours”.

Multiple friends and family have purchased Recteq’s for themselves after witnessing my experience with it; and of course tasting some of the awesome grub!

Best from a Popular Brand — Traeger Pro Series 575

The Traeger Pro Series 575 is very easy to use and has ample cooking area to feed your family.

The WiFIRE technology gives you precise temperature control using Wi-Fi, giving you the freedom to control from anywhere using the Traeger app. This feature allows you to adjust temperatures, monitor your cook, or even add some smoke, all from the comfort of your couch or while running errands.

The ‘set it and forget it’ temperature control system keeps heat consistent, ensuring your food cooks evenly. It lets you focus less on the temperature and more on the flavors that make your BBQ a hit. The ample cooking space of 575 sq. in. is ideal for large BBQ parties, allowing you to smoke a whole chicken, six racks of ribs, or 20 burgers at once!

Best Budget Charcoal — Weber Kettle Premium 22″ Charcoal Grill

The Weber Kettle Premium 22″ is the best bang for your buck if you are looking for an affordable grill, providing unmatched versatility at the price point.

This classic kettle grill is excellent at grilling (that’s what it’s designed for) and good at smoking as long as you monitor it closely. It won’t smoke quite as easily as a Weber Smokey Mountain, but will definitely come close with flavor.

While it’s considered a charcoal grill, it’s not JUST a charcoal grill. You can master live fire grilling/smoking using wood, lump charcoal, or charcoal briquettes.

This particular Weber grill isn’t designed to smoke low and slow, but you can definitely use it as a charcoal smoker with some simple techniques (2-zone cooking setup is easiest and cheapest).

When smoking, it will require more attention to monitor and maintain temperatures than some other smokers on this list.

The Weber Kettle Premium 22″ boasts top-notch components, including a porcelain enameled body and lid. It features a convenient hinged 22″ cooking rack for effortless charcoal or wood additions.

The lid comes with a built-in thermometer and a damper for precise control of airflow and temperature.

Food for thought: Weber stands as one of the leading brands in the world of grilling. Renowned for their exceptional quality and durability, they have achieved decades of sales.

Best Budget Pellet — RecTeq Bullseye

Multi-purpose products often fail to excel in any particular task. The Recteq Bullseye (RT-380) goes against this stereotype and is an incredibly versatile outdoor cooker, excelling at both grilling and smoking.

Similar to other pellet grills on this list, the RecTeq Bullseye excels at grilling and smoking. However, this pellet grill can reach a scorching 700°F, separating it from other pellet grills in the pack.

Another major advantage of the Recteq Bullseye is its compatibility with most accessories designed for other 22″ round grills. The Weber Kettle grill, a time-tested bestseller and included in this specific list, boasts a wide range of accessories. Many are also compatible with the Recteq Bullseye.

Best Tabletop or Small Spaces — Ninja Woodfire Pro 7-in-1 Grill & Smoker

The Ninja Woodfire Pro is a revelation if you’re short on space or need a portable option. This compact electric grill lets you grill, smoke, roast, bake, dehydrate, and sear.

With its built-in thermometer, you’ve got precise control over your cooking…similar to some of the pellet options on this list.

You really can’t beat the portability of this grill smoker. The Ninja Woodfire Pro is a solid option if you are working with a small space or need something for traveling, tailgating, camping, etc.

The tradeoff is of course, cooking area. There isn’t a whole lot of room. However, this might be a solution for a small family as it can be used at home or anywhere.

Best for Grilling (but can sort of Smoke) — Weber Spirit II E-310 Propane Grill

The Weber Spirit II propane grill is marketed as a grill and it truly excels. Weber propane grills are easy to start and heat up quickly letting you cook faster than other grill fuels; which is generally why you want a propane grill in the first place.

The Genesis II E310 gas grill comes with porcelain-enameled, cast iron grill grates providing 529 square inches of cooking space. A lot of gas grills don’t have even heat distribution, not so with this bad boy as Weber’s flavorizer bars help minimize hot spots.

How to smoke on Weber Genesis II E-130 Propane Grill?

In order to smoke food on this grill, you will need to get a little creative. I recommend a 2 zone setup (1 side low heat and the other side no heat) with the food you want to smoke on the cold side.

As a rule of thumb, BBQ is smoked around 225 degrees F. Generate heat by turning on 1 of the burners on a low setting. Use a thermometer to monitor smoking temperature.

Create smoke by placing wood chips in some water inside a universal smoke box or into a pan you have laying around. Place this pan over the heat which will heat the water and wood chunks creating simple smoke.

Place meat to smoke on the other side which should be the non-heated side.

Check out Weber’s on guidance on how to smoke on a gas grill.

Best Gas and Pellet Combo — Pit Boss Wood Pellet and Gas Combo Grill

The Pitboss PB1230SP Wood Pellet and Gas Combo is the only smoker grill on the list to offer the ability to grill and smoke at the same time.

The unit basically has a gas grill and a pellet smoker that operate independently from each other. Each has it’s own grill grate and controls. There’s a huge combined cooking area of over 1,200 square inches.

Having a dedicated grill and separate smoker is quite useful for reverse searing; where you first cook the meat on a lower heat setting and then finish it off with a high heat sear.

Pit Boss grills have been around for years which is a good sign.

Weber SmokeFire EX4 Wood Fired Pellet Grill Gen 2

The Weber SmokeFire Pellet Grill offers all the conveniences we love about pellet smokers. With it’s ability to smoke low and slow or grill at higher temps, it shines as a combo.

The SmokeFire EX4 can reach up to 600°F which is fairly uncommon for a pellet grill at places it amongst the most versatile grills.

The Weber SmokeFire EX4 offers flavorizer bars instead of a large tray underneath the grill grates for grease management.

While I am a fan of Weber’s famous flavorizer bars on their gas grills, I believe the traditional large pan/grease catcher design works better for pellet grills.

Buyer’s Guide when selecting Best Grill Smoker Combo:

There’s a lot to think about when you are getting ready to spend your hard-earned money. Here are a few things to consider.

Key Feature	Why is it important?
Temperature Control	The ability to monitor and control temperature is crucial. The less you have to monitor and adjust your equipment, the more time you can spend with your family.
Fuel Source or Type	Not only does fuel impact flavor, but ease of use is impacted too. Pellet grills and charcoal offer max versatility.
Build Quality	A solidly build smoker/grill can last a lifetime! Durable, thick-walled materials can make all the difference.
Cooking Space	Determines how many people you can cook for and ultimately how much food you can cook at a time.

Temperature Control – The Most Important Factor

How easy is the combo to use? When it comes to keeping your life simple, ease of use is the name of the game. In my opinion, the biggest contributing factor to ease of use is very simple: precision temperature control.

I’ve smoked a lot of food on a lot of different smokers and few things suck worse than walking away from you smoker (or grill) and the temp swings in either direction.

You need to be able to set your equipment to the desired temperature and it needs to maintain that temp. Set and forget. Sounds simple enough, right? You’d be amazed how difficult and evasive this task is on some smokers or grills!

Fuel Source or Type

Grill smoker combos come in several different types and fuel sources. Here are the basics:

• Pellet Grills — uses wood pellets as fuel; consistent temperature control
• Charcoal — uses either charcoal briquettes or lump charcoal; fantastic flavor
• Propane/Gas — uses propane or natural gas; usually need wood chips to add smoke flavor
• Electric — powered by electricity; ideal for indoor or small outdoor spaces where open flames are not allowed
• Kettle Grills — classic design featuring a domed lid and a circular cooking grate
• Kamado Style Cooker — Usually made of ceramic; known for excellent heat retention and control

Build Quality

No one wants to spend their hard-earned money on something just to have it fall apart, right? We want equipment that will last for years and years. I tend to trust brands who have been around for a while (Traeger, Weber, etc) or at least products with good warranties (RecTeq).

Build quality and insulation tend to go hand in hand too. A high quality, thick-walled smoker will help with temperature control and greatly impact ease of use.

While insulation is not super important when grilling, better insulation can make a world of difference when smoking for hours and hours (especially in cold weather!).

Cooking Space

Simply put, cooking space determines how much food you can cook at one time. Estimate how many people you will generally be cooking for and the types of food you will cook.

• Will you be grilling/smoking for a family of 4? 10? Just 2?
• Will you plan to cook for large gatherings (10-20 plus)?
• Do you plan to smoke briskets? Or smaller cuts?

Answers to these questions will help you determine how much cooking space you need.

There’s a common saying in BBQ that goes like this, “No one ever says they wish they had got a smaller smoker (or grill)”. Don’t skimp here!!

Features & Technology

If you are after the latest tech features, opt for a pellet style cooker. They come readily available with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth control capabilities not available on all grill/smoker types.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to control your equipment manually though. If you want to go that route then pretty much any other smoker type could be for you.

Overall Size & Portability

Grill smoker combos save space by their very nature since you don’t have to have a separate grill and smoker. However, you still likely need to think about how much room you have wherever your new equipment will be stored.

More cooking space tends to lead to larger overall size and footprint (the amount of space it takes up on your patio, deck, etc). Be sure you have enough room wherever you will setup the combo.

Size and weight will also impact portability. Will you need move your new combo around your property? Transport it to different places? These answers will lead you down certain paths.

Price

Of course you will be thinking about cost as you work through the selection process. You truly get what you pay for when it comes to outdoor cooking equipment. I’d recommend shelling out as much money as you can stand to maximize the other factors laid out above.

If you buy the most basic smoker you can find for $150 but you can’t set it up right, control temperatures, or experience a whole host of other bbq nightmares…your desire to smoke with crash on the rocks of inconvenience.

What’s the Difference Between a Grill and a Smoker?

A grill is primarily used for quick, high-heat cooking and gives your food a charred, smoky flavor, perfect for steaks or burgers.

On the other hand, a smoker cooks food at a low temperature over a long period of time, infusing the food with flavors from the smoking wood and creating tender, fall-off-the-bone results.

Why Would You Want a Grill Smoker Combo?

• Versatility: A smoker grill combo offers both smoking and grilling in one unit, giving you more cooking options.
• Space Saving: A combo unit saves space by combining the smoker and grill into one.
• Cost-Effective: Buying a combo unit is often cheaper than purchasing separate smoker and grill units.

When it’s time to think about getting a dedicated smoker

First let me say that dedicated smokers are great. I have multiple pellet smoker/grills and use them primarily as smokers.

I started out with a gas grill though; and used it happily for years. The first time I tasted homemade smoked ribs at a friend’s house, I was hooked on smoke flavor.

If you find yourself using your combo unit to smoke more and more, slow cooking BBQ left and right, it might be time to invest in a dedicated unit.

Is a pellet grill considered a grill smoker combo?

Yes, a pellet grill is indeed considered a grill smoker combo.

Here at New Creation Food, we are huge fans of Pellet smokers and their unmatched ease of use.

I’ve progressed through lot’s of different types of grills and smokers, but at my stage of life with work and kids…it’s hard to pass on the opportunity to smoker or grill fantastic food at the touch of a button or using my phone.

FAQ

Who makes the best grill smoker?

The answer depends on what’s most important to you. We believe ceramic kamado’s are the best overall as recommended in this article.

However, Pellet grill smokers are the easiest to use.

Can you get a smoker and a grill in one?

Yes! Smoker grill combos are pretty easy to find. Pellet grills in particular are widely available and can be considered smoker grill combos.

Can a smoker be used as a grill?

The answer is “it depends”. Most smokers are designed to smoke only and can’t achieve the high temperatures required for grilling.

Which smoker gives the best flavor?

Flavor depends largely on fuel type. A charcoal grill delivers the best flavor but can be more tedious to control temps.

What is the best and easiest smoker to use?

Pellet grills are the easiest to use by far. Most are capable of low and slow cooking and heat high enough to grill. Call them pellet smoker grills if you want 🙂

What is the best pellet grill smoker?

We love RecTeq products and recommend the RecTeq Flagship 1100 as the best pellet smoker.

What kind of smoker should a beginner get?

See our article for the Best Smoker for Beginners.