best cold smoker

The 5 Best Cold Smokers of 2023 – Buyers Guide and Expert Recommendations

The process of cold smoking when used in conjunction with curing, preserves and adds a distinctive smokey flavor to the meat. For decades people have used this method to increase the shelf life of food.

Do you want to preserve food for a longer time? Or would you like to add a smoky flavor to enhance your dishes? Then, a cold smoker could be the best solution for you.

We have made the task of buying the correct cold smoker easier. We will guide you through the various shapes, styles, and sizes on the market. Today we are going to discuss the best cold smoker with their advantages and shortcomings. So, let’s begin.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Cold Smoker

Choosing a cold smoker is no easy task. Even we suggest you the best cold smoker with their unique characteristics and detail, some of you still cannot understand the central fact. For this, we discuss some main features of the cold smoker should have in it. Here they are:

Smoker Type

To make the process easier we have rounded up the top 5 cold smokers for you to choose from. Cold smokers vary in size, shape, function, and style. That’s why choosing the best cold smoker can be a challenging task. Below we discuss the five best cold smokers with complete reviews to help you make the correct decision. Let’s get smoking

Smoker Type

Cold smokers have two variations, either electric or manual versions. The advantages of an electric cold smoker is they are generally fan-assisted, maintaining ignition of wood and a constant flow of smoke. They also have the ability to be used with various containers and offer great portability. Perfect for quick smoking. A non-electric cold smoker needs to be manually lit but offers the advantage of being used in existing grills or smokers. The benefit of a longer smoking time without fuss makes this ideal for longer cooking times.

Fuel

Wood is the standard fuel for both electric and non-electric cold smokers. Non-electric smokers work with small wood chips or pellets, and electric smokers work best with sawdust or fine wood shavings.

Smoking time

Smoking time is another crucial point to consider when buying a cold smoker. Most electric cold smokers like Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, produce only a few hours of smoke per refueling. On the other hand, non-electric cold smokers like Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Cold Smoke Generator can create more than eight hours of smoking.

Smoking Dimension

Choosing the correct location for your smoker is important to determine the dimensions of your cold smoker to fit within that space. While both types of smokers are small, an electric cold smoker is easy to mount to most containers. While non-electric cold smokers must be able to fit inside your intended container or grill.

Portability

Most cold smokers are generally portable. But it is an important consideration, as some cold smokers need to be permanently attached. Do you want to go camping or hanging outside with friends or family? A portable cold smoker like A-Maze-N AMNPS Pellet Smoker could be your best choice. 

Top 5 Best Cold Smoker | Our Top Picks

Title
Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Hot or Cold Smoke Generator | Works with Any Outside BBQ Grill | Electric Smoker Pellet Accessory | Add Your Favorite Blend of Wood Chunks or Chips to Customize Smoke Profile
Chefhut Cocktail Smoker Mini Smoke Infuser for Meat, Food,Drinks, BBQ Handheld Indoor Cold Portable Smoking Gun
LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches - 5 Hours of Billowing Smoke - Hot or Cold Smoking - for Any Grill or Smoker - An Easy and Safe Way to Provide Smoking - Free eBook Grilling Ideas & Recipes
A-MAZE-N AMNPS Maze Pellet Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking, 5 x 8 Inch
Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, Black
Preview
Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Hot or Cold Smoke Generator | Works with Any Outside BBQ Grill | Electric Smoker Pellet Accessory | Add Your Favorite Blend of Wood Chunks or Chips to Customize Smoke Profile
Chefhut Cocktail Smoker Mini Smoke Infuser for Meat, Food,Drinks, BBQ Handheld Indoor Cold Portable Smoking Gun
LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches - 5 Hours of Billowing Smoke - Hot or Cold Smoking - for Any Grill or Smoker - An Easy and Safe Way to Provide Smoking - Free eBook Grilling Ideas & Recipes
A-MAZE-N AMNPS Maze Pellet Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking, 5 x 8 Inch
Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, Black
Prime Benefits
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Title
Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Hot or Cold Smoke Generator | Works with Any Outside BBQ Grill | Electric Smoker Pellet Accessory | Add Your Favorite Blend of Wood Chunks or Chips to Customize Smoke Profile
Preview
Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Hot or Cold Smoke Generator | Works with Any Outside BBQ Grill | Electric Smoker Pellet Accessory | Add Your Favorite Blend of Wood Chunks or Chips to Customize Smoke Profile
Prime Benefits
More information
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Chefhut Cocktail Smoker Mini Smoke Infuser for Meat, Food,Drinks, BBQ Handheld Indoor Cold Portable Smoking Gun
Preview
Chefhut Cocktail Smoker Mini Smoke Infuser for Meat, Food,Drinks, BBQ Handheld Indoor Cold Portable Smoking Gun
Prime Benefits
More information
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LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches - 5 Hours of Billowing Smoke - Hot or Cold Smoking - for Any Grill or Smoker - An Easy and Safe Way to Provide Smoking - Free eBook Grilling Ideas & Recipes
Preview
LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches - 5 Hours of Billowing Smoke - Hot or Cold Smoking - for Any Grill or Smoker - An Easy and Safe Way to Provide Smoking - Free eBook Grilling Ideas & Recipes
Prime Benefits
More information
Title
A-MAZE-N AMNPS Maze Pellet Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking, 5 x 8 Inch
Preview
A-MAZE-N AMNPS Maze Pellet Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking, 5 x 8 Inch
Prime Benefits
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More information
Title
Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, Black
Preview
Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator, Black
Prime Benefits
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More information

Top 5 Best Cold Smoker Review

Best cold smoker: Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Cold Smoke Generator

Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Cold Smoke truly lives up to its name. It adds great smokiness to your food and has great flexibility, working on a standard size grill up to one the size of a large refrigerator. .

This is a fully powered and fully passive cold smoke generator. The Big Kahuna is basically a small firebox with an air hose. Load up the hopper with any fuel of your choice (as long as it burns) and connect it to your smoker. This can then be used for both hot and cold smoking.  

Most cold smokers work best with grills or smokers at low temperatures. The Smoke Daddy smoker can perform well in both mild and hot temperatures due to its air pump. Perfectly smoke a variety of foods from cheese, nuts, salt, brisket, ribs, pork shoulder, etc.

Smoke Daddy smoker comes with a high output adjustable air pump to provide an air supply to the main chamber. It is made from heavy gauge aluminum for a proper seal and long life. For all-around performances, we consider it the best cold smoker on our list.

Features:

  • A cold smoker that can perform with both cold and hot temperatures. So, you can smoke anything from cheese to brisket.
  • You attach the Smoke Daddy to the smoker’s main body of an existing smoker or grill.. Once lit and smoking, the adjustable air pump starts blowing the smoke out of the exit pipe and into your chamber.
  • It is important to note that the smoker needs to be permanently attached to your grill or smoker, and holes will need to be drilled.
  •  The Smoke Daddy Cold Smoker is made from high-quality heavy gauge aluminum.  A stainless-steel finish gives it a durable and shiny exterior.
  • Ideal for big cookouts thanks to its large hopper capacity.
  • Being an exterior device, you can refill your smoker at any time without having to open the smoker.

Pros

  • Generates a large volume of smoke
  • It can be used for both cold and hot smoking.
  • Airflow is adjustable to control smoke.
  • Aluminum built with stainless steel finish

Cons

  • Needs to be mounted to the smoker
  • The air pump requires a place to rest
  • Manual ignition of fuel

Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Cold Smoke Generator
Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Cold Smoke Generator
Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Cold Smoke Generator
Our Score
  • WORKS IN HOT OR COLD: A cold smoke generator uniquely able to perform in cold or hot temperatures so you can smoke anything from cheese to brisket
  • ATTACHES TO EXISTING UNITS: Attaches to just about anything, such as grills or your existing smoker, to pump out high quality smoke and get that extra smoke flavor
  • BUILT TO LAST: Made from heavy gauge SCH 40 6061 precision machined aluminum for a proper seal and long life and includes a stainless steel cleaning brush
  • HIGH VOLUME: For the big cookouts! Great for applications standard grill size up to refrigerator size
  • EASY REFILL: Can be refilled at any time without having to relight or open your smoker

Best cold smoker for Drinks: Chefhut Portable Smoke Infuser Mini Food Smoker for Meat, Cocktail, Drinks, BBQ handheld Indoor Cold Smoking Gun

Chefhut Portable Smoke Infuser, Mini Food smoker is the best cold smoker for items that require a short smoking time like fish, liquids, and cooked dishes. Ideal for smoking food in your kitchen rather than smoking on a grill/smoker oven. Perfect addition for sous vides cooking.

It easily adds a smokey aroma to meats, seafood, desserts, cocktails, nuts, sauces, vegetables for salad, and cheese. The simple design allows you to control the amount of cold smoke, delivered to the food. We think it’s the safest and most convenient indoor smoker device on the market.

Consisting of a small aluminum-alloy body and silicone tube, the compact design of the Chefhut Smoker makes it very portable. Allowing you to move the device from the kitchen to your dining table to wow your guests. Small enough to take along for your camping trips too. Easily control smoking time and effect by adding different flavored woodchips, teas, and dried herbs. The Chefhut smoker runs on 4xAA batteries, it’s lightweight and allows for cleaning the smoking chamber.

Features:

  • Chefhut smoker is made from food-grade aluminum alloy and silicon. Making it light, safe, and durable.
  • Allow you to easily experiment with different smoking flavors to enhance your cooking.  Easily smoke various types of meats, seafood, desserts, cocktails, nuts, and sauces.
  • The most convenient indoor cold smoker adds a smoky taste to food and drinks without any heat.
  • The Chefhut works quickly and will add a smoky flavor to your food as fast as 30 seconds to 1 minute.
  • Easy to use and clean.
  • The lightweight design makes it portable.

Pros

  • Portable and easy to use
  • Safe for indoor and outdoor use
  • Perfect for small quantities of food
  • Run-on AA batteries
  • Does not require a grill or smoker to operate

Cons

  • The smoke and propeller chamber can get clogged.
  • The flame needs to be monitored as it can easily die out.
  • Manual ignition of chips

Chefhut Cocktail Smoker Mini Smoke Infuser for Meat, Food ,Drinks, BBQ Handheld Indoor Cold Portable Smoking Gun
Chefhut Cocktail Smoker Mini Smoke Infuser for Meat, Food ,Drinks, BBQ Handheld Indoor Cold Portable Smoking Gun
Chefhut Cocktail Smoker Mini Smoke Infuser for Meat, Food ,Drinks, BBQ Handheld Indoor Cold Portable Smoking Gun
Our Score
  • DOESN’T GET HOT: This cocktail smoker gun is designed with premium quality food grade material aluminum alloy and silicon. Safe to use. This cold smoking gently infuses the right amount of natural cool smoke to enhance the flavors without soaking wood chips, changing the texture of food or cooking foods for hours. Perfect to smoke the food in your kitchen rather than of smoking on grill/stove. Great to use for Sous Vide cooking.
  • ADD REAL SMOKE FLAVOR: Variety of natural smoky flavors can be added within minutes by using this BBQ SMOKER to your all types of meats, sea food, desserts, cocktails, nuts, sauces, vegetables for salad and cheese. Various types of smoking wood chips such as Cherrywood, Mesquite, Applewood and Hickory or any natural flavor such as spices, herbs and tea can be enjoyed with this smoke machine.
  • INDOOR & OUTDOOR GATHERINGS: The most convenient indoor smoker device to add the best smoky taste to your prepared meals and drinks without any heat. It takes 30 seconds to 1 minute to add smoky flavor to your food. Perfect for your indoor and outdoor gatherings.
  • EASY TO USE: bbq smoker is powered by 4xAA batteries (not included). The mini smoker is much lightweight so can be carry around easily. After use it can be cleaned easily. You can separate its head by pulling it and can wash the head and net of chips hole.
  • CUSTOMER CARE PROMISE: Chefhut believes in “Customer first” so we make it sure that our customers should be 100% satisfied with our small smoker. If after purchase, you are not happy with the product for any reason, contact us and we will REPLACE or REFUND you happily.

Popular cold smoker on amazon: LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker

LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube is one of the top-selling cold smokers on amazon. A perfect BBQ party with LIZZQ Pellet Smoker Tube will inspire you and make the same old cooking routine more fun. The LIZZQ Pellet Smoker is made from stainless steel,  making this smoker very durable and rust-resistant. Want to learn about smoking and don’t have a big budget to blow on a fancy pellet smoker? Add the LIZZQ Pellet smoker to your BBQ tools to transform your charcoal grill into a backyard smoker or upgrade the performance of your current pellet smoker. LIZZQ Pellet smoker unlocks tantalizing and unforgettable smoked flavors in your meat, fish, vegetables, cheeses, nuts, and more creating bold new tastes.

Features:

  • Very light in weight, portable, and easy to use. This product is fantastic!!
  • The durable stainless steel design ensures many years of use.
  • The hexagonal shape ensures the pellet smoker doesn’t roll around and is easier to stay positioned on the grate.
  • The pellet smoker can produce smoke for up to 5 hours. Good value at this price point!!
  • You can use various wood pellets for different smoky flavors such as Cherry, Hickory, Mesquite, Apple, Pecan, and more.
  • The built material of the LIZZIQ Pellet is stainless steel. It is very durable and easy to clean.

Pros

  • Lightweight, portable, and easy to handle
  • Durable stainless steel body
  • The hexagonal design prevents rolling.
  • Can use different wood pellets for a smoky flavor
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Not like a traditional smoker
  • Does not include cleaning accessories.

LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches - 5 Hours of Billowing Smoke - for Any Grill or Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking - An Easy and Safe Way to Provide Smoking - Free eBook Grilling Ideas and Recipes
LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches - 5 Hours of Billowing Smoke - for Any Grill or Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking - An Easy and Safe Way to Provide Smoking - Free eBook Grilling Ideas and Recipes
LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube 12 inches - 5 Hours of Billowing Smoke - for Any Grill or Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking - An Easy and Safe Way to Provide Smoking - Free eBook Grilling Ideas and Recipes
Our Score
  • ✅ This accessory is designed to WORK IN ANY GRILL (gas, electric or charcoal) and with any smokers. It ADDS GREAT FLAVOR for your meat or fish and exposes them to a tasteful smoke of smoldering wood.
  • ✅ The pellet smoker can produce smoke for UP TO 5 HOURS SMOKING which is perfect for both hot and cold smoking pork, ribs, cured meat, hot dogs, sausages, chicken, cheese, lamb, fish, nuts, fruit, corn, bacon and more.
  • ✅ It can be USED WITH A VARIETY OF WOOD PELLETS such as Cherry, Hickory, Mesquite, Apple, Pecan and more.
  • ✅ Its NEW HEXAGON SHAPE ALLOWS FOR EFFICIENT DIFFUSION OF SMOKE, therefore, it will give you the best smoking result. Not like the traditional circular smokers that can roll around, this hexagon shape stays in place to provide balanced smoking.
  • ✅ This smoking tube is MADE FROM STAINLESS STEEL 304 which is safe, durable and easy to clean. smoke tube, smoker tube, pellet smoker tube, tube smoker, pellet tube smoker

Easy to use: A-Maze-N AMNPS Maze Pellet Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking

A-Maze-N AMNPS Pellet Smoker is a perfect portable pellet cold smoker ideal for camping. The compact, easy-to-use smoker makes it a great addition to your current smoker or grill for when you need that added smoke. Suitable for both hot and cold smoking, this is a great addition for a campsite, tailgate events, or any BBQ party.

A-Maze-N AMNPS Pellet Smoker is made from stainless steel. Making it very durable and rust-free. No need for drilling any holes or plugging in any cords. A-Maze-N AMNPS pellet smoker is famous for its versatile cooking ability, like smoked meat, fish, cheese, nuts, and more. It’s effortless to clean, as it’s a basic tray design, just dusting out the ash once completed.

Features:

  • The fuel efficiency of the A-MAZE-N pellet smoker is fantastic. You can smoke for up 12 hours without refilling.
  • Dual capabilities of hot and cold smoking. A perfect smoker for salt, cheese, poultry, fish, pork & steak.
  • The stainless steel construction makes it durable, rust-free, and easy to clean.
  • The lightweight and compact design make it very portable, ideal to take with on camping trips, and easy to store at home.

Pros

  • Stainless-steel construction
  • Use for hot and cold smoke
  • Easy to use and clean
  • Very portable
  • Long time smoking

Cons

  • Performance is not consistent
  • Manual ignition

A-MAZE-N AMNPS Maze Pellet Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking, 5 x 8 Inch
  • FULL SMOKE – Get a full-bodied smoke for up to 12 hours using a-maze-n pellets. Smoke time will vary depending on what chips or pellets you are using
  • PERFECT FOR ANYTHING – Great for use on salt, cheese, poultry, fish, pork & steak. Add a mouthwatering smoky flavor to anything you can fit in your smoker
  • RUST FREE – Stainless steel construction prevents corrosion to preserve the life of your pellet smoker
  • ONLY 12.6 OZ – The lightweight design makes A-MAZE-N Pellet Smoker easily transportable from the grill to the campsite
  • CONVENIENT SIZE – 5″ l x 8″ w size makes it easy to use with almost any grill

Best cold smoker for cheese: Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator

Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator is the best cold smoker for cheese. If you like smoked cheese this is the smoker for you. The Smoke Chief works very well. Fill the tube with BBQ pellets, plug it in, and you’re ready to go.

Works on most grills, it sits next to the grill and pipes the smoke through the rotisserie hole. You can smoke for up to 3 hours on just one cup of BBQ pellets. It operates on 12VDS or 110AC power. The Smoke Chief can be used with a gas grill, charcoal grills, smokers, and numerous other outdoor cooking devices. The Smoke Chief has the ability to smoke many foods such as cheeses, eggs, beans, salts, and many more.

Features:

  • Smoke chief operates on 110V Ac or 12V dc power. It can generate enough smoke to give your steak a smoky flavor.
  • You can find all kinds of accessories in the Smokehouse store. All of them are 100% genuine.
  • Very simple to use. Fill the pellets in the tube of the smoker and plug it in.
  • Easily connects with most gas grills, charcoal grills, smokers, and other outdoor cooking devices.
  • You can smoke different food, especially cheese. It can also smoke meats, ribs, fish, ham, beef, and others.

Pros

  • Easy to use on any gas grills, charcoal grills, or smoker
  • Smoking all meats 
  • Electric smoker
  • 3 hours of smoking 

Cons

  • The smaller pipe can causes clogged
  • Tricky to clean
  • Autoignition temperamental

Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator
Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator
Smokehouse Products 9500-000-0000 Smoke Chief Cold Smoke Generator
Our Score
  • Made in United States
  • Operates on 110VAC or 12Vdc power
  • Smokehouse Products is committed to supplying our customers with the very best smokers and accessories on the market today and will continue to look for ways to enhance your experience making your favorites recipes in the comfort of your own home.
  • Easily connects to any grill or smoker

FAQ

How cold is too cold to use a smoker?

Answer: Follow these two basic rules while smoking in cold weather.

First rule- Patience, the unit will take much longer to heat up in cold weather.

The second rule is- Increase time, You need to add twenty minutes extra for every five degrees below forty-five degrees.

Is cold smoking safe?

Answer: Cold smoking is safe. But it needs to be managed hygienically as the process and temperature can be an ideal environment for the growth of bacteria.

What is the best cold smoker?

Answer: The best cold smoker is Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Cold Smoke Generator.

What foods can I cold smoke?

Answer: You can cold smoke fish, roe, country hams, cuts of beef, cheese, sausages, fruits, veggies, and many more.

What is the best cold smoker for fish?

Answer: Chef hut Portable Smoke Infuser Mini Food Smoker is our choice for smoking fish. Can be used indoors and is ideal for taking along on your fishing trips.

Author

  • Brandt Elliot

    Hello, I'm Brandt, a Certified Grillmaster, chef, and culinary enthusiast with a lifelong passion for creating exceptional flavors through grilling and cooking. Over the past 30 years, I've honed my barbecue skills on a wide range of smokers, grills, and culinary techniques. I've served as a BBQ judge and earned awards and recognition for my achievements in the world of barbecue.

    I'm also an author, writer, and contributor to sites such as Fine Cooking, The Food Chronicles, My Tasty Dish, and The Cooking. I'm dedicated to sharing my expertise and guiding you on your culinary journey.

    Join me as we dive deep into the art of grilling, where I'll be unveiling my time-tested tips and secret recipes that bring people together, one sizzle at a time!

Last updated: September 24, 2023

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