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BBQ smokers are notorious for the mouth-watering smell and taste of smoked ribs, chicken and beef.

It seems like we just can't get enough of them these days. Just down the road there's a great restaurant with a wood-burning smoker oven right in the building. The smell alone gets me to stop by when I'm in the area.

So, in response to the mounting popularity of barbeque and smoked food all over the world, manufacturers came up with barbeque smokers of all kinds, varying in sizes, features and prices.  All are designed to meet the specific needs of different individuals.

I just want to make sure you all know what Barbecue (BBQ or Q) really is. First, it's not grilling. Grilling is what most of the backyard chefs do. This is high temperature cooking and is geared toward convenience.

Barbecue is a tough topic to nail down. I usually think of it as low and slow cooking. There are some BBQ folks who cook at high temps. But for the purposes here, low and slow cooking is perfect for the less cuts of meat which are normally tougher or fattier. The long cooking times break down the tough connective tissue and the fat is what keeps it from drying out.

Smokers are designed to run at low temperatures (unlike grills). I try a smoke on my grill every once in awhile and it sucks down the propane and is nearly impossible to run at 225 F (nearly the perfect temp).

Manufacturers try to outdo each other in coming up with the latest innovations that gives barbeque lovers, and enthusiasts, a much better smoker; that turns out nothing but the most sumptuous smoked food. If you don't own a BBQ smoker yet and are planning to buy one, be sure to review what you really need before you go out shopping.

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Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-1/2-Inch Smoker  - There's nothing better than slow-cooked barbecue, and there's no better way to get authentic smokehouse flavor at home than with this charcoal smoker. An updated version of the Weber 2820, the smoker provides a spacious interior, which makes it possible to cook a whole turkey and an entire ham at the same time--perfect for large gatherings. Made of porcelain-enameled premium-grade steel, the smoker provides two, heavy, nickel-plated cooking grates that measure 18-1/2 inches in diameter--plenty of room for larger birds. A porcelain-enameled steel water pan adds steam to the cooking process, so meats stay moist and juicy

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If you are planning to go professional or serious about barbequing, go for BBQ smokers that have large cooking areas and many features. However, if you just want to smoke occasionally, or for a small family, you can go for a smaller model. This will be easier and more convenient for you to work on, and cost less too. Smaller models are also advisable for you if you don't know yet how far you'll go into barbequing. It can suck some folks in deep!

Among the most popular BBQ smokers out in the market today include the Char-Broil electric water smoker, which has the advantage of using a heat element that runs on electricity to cook your food and provide smoke. There is also the Open Range model, a charcoal smoker that comes with a convenient control which gives you the option to set the temperature exactly where you want it every time you use it. This model is easy to clean as it comes with a removable drip pan, ash pan and cooking grates.

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Bradley Original Smoker, Black  - The Original Bradley Smoker hot smokers, cold smokes and roasts to perfection. Unique smoke without fire system operates for up to 8 hours without refueling.

Traeger Pellet Grills, Traeger Lil Tex Pellet Grill BBQ070 - "Okay, so I was not looking to get this grill. I went in with the objective of going with a built in Natural Gas grill. However, a friend had a Traeger, and got me to try some of the food from the grill. I was sold right then and there." ~Amazon Buyer Review

Classic "smoker" design. 418 square inches of cooking surface is more than enough for the average size family. Features a fully automatic auger-fed burner, electronic autostart, solid state "smoker-medium-high" control system and EZ drain grease system.

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There are BBQ smokers that come with an optional digital feeder control (typically pellet smokers), which is just perfect for smoking for long periods. Just set the temperature to low and slow, then you can do your other tasks while 'smoking'.

In these times when there are just not enough hours in the day, smokers like this are the perfect answers. Looking for the ideal barbeque smoker for your needs is not a challenge at all, as long as you know what you exactly need. You'll find that shelling out money for a smoker is not a bad decision when in exchange, you'll enjoy years of great barbeque and smoked food.

Prices of BBQ smokers vary because the more features you get, the higher the price will be. In smokers, it might help you to remember that simplicity is always the best bet. However, since only you know what you need (or want), the decision is yours. Consider your needs and your budget. You can buy BBQ smokers for as low as $100 or as high as over $3,000.

There's no point in buying a barbeque smoker that would fit up to 20 chickens at a time when you know you will be barbequing for three or four people only (unless you're having a mid-life crisis!). There's also no sense in choosing a smoker that requires you to poke and tend to the fire for the whole time when there are models that allow you to smoke meats without having to stare at them all the time.

The whole idea of Barbecue is to stay cheap. Cheap meat, cheap ingredients, cheap tools. So don't feel like you need $1000 ceramic cooker (unless you got the dough!)

Nothing beats owning a barbeque smoker. BBQ smokers are not only designed for producing meat that has a real smoky and succulent flavor but you can smoke different types of food at a nice leisurely pace.

Here Are Some Great Smoker Related Websites...You'll Love Them!

• It's more than just smoked brisket recipes. Smoker-Cooking.com also offers smoker recipes for ribs, chicken, turkey, salmon and more. Learn how to smoke meats to perfection with the easy instructions provided.
• The Backyard Smoker Barbeque Chef is another great resources for you hearty souls that want to get up at midnight (or never go to sleep) and start a 16 hour smoke. You're all crazy, but man is the end result worth it! Invite me to dinner!
• Smoking Meat - The ultimate smoking meat "how-to" website with tips and tutorials on smoking ribs, chicken, brisket, pork shoulder, turkey and more. Also sign up for our free monthly smoking meat newsletter.

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