The Best Smokers
Verified by
Ryan V. Editor-in-Chief
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The Weber Searwood XL earned Best Overall because it solves the problem that holds back most pellet grills: it smokes low-and-slow and then sears like a real gas grill. The Barbecue Lab ran a five-minute burger test at its 600°F maximum and got much wider, more pronounced sear marks than any standard pellet cooker, describing it as cooking on a gas grill rather than a smoker. Smoked BBQ Source went further and called its searing the best they have ever tested, watching the internal components glow orange while it handled real smash burgers on a griddle.
That versatility is the heart of the pick. Instead of a smoker, a griddle, and a gas grill taking up the patio, the Searwood XL does all three, and it adds a rotisserie on top. In The Barbecue Lab's hot-and-fast wing test it produced gorgeous caramelization and crispy skin in about 30 minutes at 450°F, thanks to a flavorizer-bar heat tent that routes heat to the sides for even cooking rather than a traditional deflector plate.
Day to day, it is also the easiest cooker here to live with. Both reviewers singled out the slide-out grease and ash tray that funnels everything into a front catch tray, so there is no tearing the grill apart with a shop-vac after a few cooks. A large, easy-to-read display and a straightforward app round out a machine that behaves like a premium product for its $1,299 price.
What It Won't Do
The Searwood XL's biggest weakness is moisture on long cooks. Its cooking chamber moves a lot of air, and Smoked BBQ Source found that low-and-slow barbecue can dry out unless you add a water pan to every cook. It is an easy fix, but it is a step the best dedicated smokers do not require. The cheap plastic wagon wheels are the other sore point, flimsy enough that Smoked BBQ Source called them a joke on an otherwise premium cooker.
The Pit Boss 850DX is Best Value because it delivers the parts of the experience that matter most for a fraction of the Searwood's price. Smoked BBQ Source ran an overnight chuck roast on it without trouble, helped by a 21 lb hopper big enough to sustain a long cook without a refuel. Everything came off with a decent smoke level, which is the core job.
What sets it apart at its price is smart-tech that usually costs far more. Smoked BBQ Source highlighted a programmable food probe that automatically drops the grill into a 180°F keep-warm mode the moment your meat hits its target temperature, a genuine luxury feature at this tier. Locking rotating casters also make it the easiest cooker in the group to roll into a garage, and a powder-coated finish with enamel grates give it a build heavier and sturdier than most budget pellet grills.
For a first pellet grill, it covers the fundamentals of reliable overnight smoking and adds convenience most rivals reserve for premium models, which is exactly what a value pick should do.
What It Won't Do
The 850DX asks for patience in two places. Smoked BBQ Source spent about 45 minutes getting the WiFi app to pair on first setup, and the fire-pot ash clean-out is awkward, requiring you to pull the flame broiler handle and drip pan to reach the bottom. Its direct-flame sear zone is also small, so it is a smoker first and a griller a distant second.
Who Should Buy Which
Weber Searwood XL
The do-it-all pellet cooker that smokes low-and-slow and sears like a gas grill
- Serious backyard cooks who want one machine that smokes, sears, and grills
- Anyone replacing a separate gas grill, griddle, and smoker with a single unit
- Cooks who value easy cleanup and a polished app and display
- Buyers with a dedicated patio spot who rarely need to move the grill
- People willing to add a water pan for long low-and-slow cooks
Pit Boss 850DX
Overnight-capable pellet smoking with smart-probe convenience at an entry-level price
- First-time pellet grill owners on an entry-level budget
- Cooks focused on overnight low-and-slow smoking over high-heat searing
- Anyone who needs to roll the grill into a garage or shed after each use
- Buyers who want smart-probe keep-warm convenience without spending four figures
- People who can tolerate a fiddly first-time app setup