Smoking and grilling foods are two distinctly different cooking methods that will produce uniquely satiating flavors and textures for protein. Smokers offer a more delicate cooking process that involves infusing the meat with the smoke from wood chips. On the other hand, grills use a higher temperature to achieve a charred sear on the outside while maintaining the tender texture of the protein. When you compare the differences of smoking vs grilling to determine which your family likes best, you’ll first have to understand what happens to your food when it’s under the hood.
What is a Grill
A grill is a cooking appliance that prepares food quickly, most commonly over an open flame. Grilling is a popular cooking method for many types of food: protein, fruits, and veggies. By grilling food, the direct high heat will crispen and caramelize the exterior, developing complex flavors through the Maillard reaction: the process that occurs when sugars and proteins react to create a savory crust. This process can also help render fat and drip it off, producing a leaner finished product. In the grill vs smoker debate, a grill will offer more control and versatility with flavor, as well as a quicker finished product.
The most popular types of grills include:
- Charcoal grills
- Gas grills
- Electric grills
- Kamado (ceramic) grills
- Pellet grills
- Portable grills
What is a Smoker?
On the contrary to grills which utilize high temperatures and direct flame, a smoker cooks food by exposing it to the smoke from burning wood chips or other organic material. The food will be laden with this rich, smoky flavor as a result. This process takes patience, as the cooking time can extend well over 8 hours. Subsequently, smoking as a cooking method is perfect for meats like ribs, brisket, and pork shoulder.
The difference between a smoker and grill is all in the process — while smokers envelop the meat by cooking it with a flavorizing element, the grill uses direct heat to highlight the natural flavors in the meat.
There are many different types of smokers, including:
- Charcoal smokers
- Electric smokers
- Wood smokers
- Pellet smokers
- Offset smokers
- Kamado smokers
Differences Between Smoking vs. Grilling
While the terms smoking and grilling are often used interchangeably, they have some pretty stark differences including:
- Cooking time: The cook time for a smoker vs grill is incredibly disparate. To properly smoke a cut of meat, you’ll need at least 4 hours but should reserve double the time for the slow-cook process because of the low temperature required. While smoking meat can take up to 12 hours for the flavor to infuse, grilling food should take anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour on average.
- Temperature: Another main difference between a smoker and a grill is the temperature at which the food cooks. There isn’t any flame or direct heat cooking the food, but rather the smoke from burning organic material. On average, smokers reach an average of 180-250°F, which is roughly half of a grill’s average temperature. Because grills cook food under direct heat, they reach temperatures up to 600°F.
- Flavor: Both of these cooking techniques offer distinct flavor profiles that influence the meat or produce being cooked. Smokers introduce a deep, smoky flavor that is partially customizable based on the wood or organic material used in the process. While you can get a mild smoky flavor from the grill, it isn’t the same. The grill’s high heat creates a crispy and caramelized exterior sear, adding a savory and rich taste to the natural flavor of the food.
- Fuel source: Grills can use some of the same fuel sources as smokers, like wood chips or charcoal. However, grills most commonly use propane or natural gas to fuel the appliance. Smokers require natural materials like pellets of wood because it acts as a flavor enhancer as well as a heat source. When you compare the differences of a smoker vs. grill, the fuel source is generally where they have the most overlapping similarities.
Pros and Cons of Grilling vs. Smoking
Pros of Grilling
Overall, the main advantages of grilling meat, veggies, and other foods include:
- Quick cooking time
- High-heat searing
- Versatility
- Simplicity
Cons of Grilling
In general, the disadvantages of grilling are:
- Inconsistent temperature
- Risk of overcooking
- Limited cooking time
- Lack of deep, infused flavor
Pros of Smoking
The best benefits of smoking foods include:
- Tenderizes tough cuts of meat
- No supervision required
- Deeper flavor development
Cons of Smoking
Drawbacks to smoking as a cooking method are:
- Long cooking time
- Complexity of equipment
- Large area requirement
- Consistent monitoring required
Should You Buy a Grill or a Smoker?
There are many factors to consider when you debate between buying a smoker vs a grill, such as taste preferences and experience level. If you’re a new cook, you may enjoy learning about a more straightforward process before experimenting with a more complicated process. Moreover, the types of meat that your family eats should play a major role in your decision. Smokers have less versatility, as they can’t properly cook many family favorites like delicate and ground meat. However, a smoker can truly elevate specific cuts of meat like ribs and pork shoulder. In the long run, the best appliance for your family depends on your tastes, the cooking space you have, and your experience level.
FAQs
This ultimately depends on your preference. Smoking chicken creates a deep flavor in the skin that penetrates throughout the meat. Smoked chicken is juicier and more tender, so it is optimal for dry parts of meat like the breast. Grilled chicken is the more popular option as you have more versatile cooking options.
Smoking is actually a form of barbecue, which is a cooking term that refers to cooking meat low and slow, often over charcoal or wood. That deep, smoky flavor is the hallmark of a traditional barbecue, and that’s exactly what this cooking technique provides.
In some cases, yes. Certain smokers like pellet smokers and offset smokers may double as a grill. However, most of these appliances cannot reach the highest temperature that a grill can. This can leave you with certain limitations about what you can grill with a smoker.
