Smoking meats is a great way to alternatively cook food. But if you’re not interested in buying a full smoker and still want that delicious smoky flavor, a BBQ smoker box is an affordable way to get a similar effect. Simply fill the smoker box with wood chips and put it on the grill beside your meat or beneath the grate.
If you’re looking for the best smoker box for gas grills, then we’ve compiled a list of great options for you. When considering smoker boxes, we looked at features that are important. The material will tell you what temperature it can sustain, size capacity how much wood it can hold, and form and shape can make a difference in how it will fit in your grill. We broke down our findings in a table with quick-to-find details as well as a more detailed review for those who are looking for the particulars. Among all the options, we decided to make the Cave Tools Smoker Box our Editor’s Choice.
More features: 25% thicker stainless steel; fits over 3 cups of wood
When purchasing the best wood chip smoker for gas grills, it’s important to make sure you choose one that won’t warp. This is why the Cave Tools Smoker Box is our Editor’s Choice. It’s made with 25% thicker stainless steel in order to prevent and limit the warping of your smoker box. Not only that, it also has a capacity of over 3 cups of wood chips so you can use it to smoke longer without having to refill it, making smoking easier on you, as well as giving a deeper smoky flavor. The bottom of the box doesn’t have any holes in it, to keep the wood chips smoldering instead of catching on fire. It also has a thinner profile which means it can sit comfortably between flavorizer bars or directly on top of charcoal, though some users stated that it didn’t fit well in their grills.
If you’ve never used a smoker box before, this is a great choice because it comes with a recipe book with over 25 professional-grade recipes, as well as step-by-step instructions and detailed grilling tutorial videos, though some users had a hard time keeping it smoking in their grills. One of the best features of the Cave Tools Smoker Box is the fact that it has a lifetime satisfaction guarantee, which means at any point if you’re unhappy with it, you can return it for a refund.
More features: holds 7 pounds of wood chunks that last for up to 3 hours
The DKS Smoker Cooker Box for Grill is a cube-shaped smoker box, which gives it a larger storage capacity. This makes it a great choice for those who are looking for a smoker box that they can use wood chunks with, not just wood chips. In fact, this smoker box can hold up to an incredible 7 pounds of wood that can last up to three hours for excellent smoking sessions. It’s built to turn your grill into a full smoker, which means you don’t need to use charcoal, electricity, or propane to generate the smoke because it is not relying on the heat already generated on your grill to add a smoky flavor. It uses the wood chunks to heat the grill instead, though some users stated that they had trouble maintaining the needed temperature with only the wood chunks and had to rely on propane for an assist. It can also be used to cold smoke as well, though DKS does offer a specific cold smoker model for those more interested in cold smoking. It does not have a hinged lid, though, which means adding wood chunks to the middle of a smoking session can be a bit more difficult, though its 3-hour smoke time alleviates this problem in a lot of cases.
More features: holds 3 cups (6.35 oz.) of wood chips
The Kaluns BBQ Smoker Box for Wood Chips has a hinged lid for ease of adding more chips during longer smoking sessions and is made of stainless steel to prevent rusting. It’s an extra thick stainless steel, too, to help limit warping at higher temperatures and there weren’t any user complaints about warping or the box falling apart. Many users actually said it was a sturdy choice for a smoke box. It holds three cups of wood chips and can be set underneath grill grates to allow for easy positioning and smoke direction, though some users stated they had issues with this box never producing smoke. This Kaluns smoker box also has a lifetime warranty, which means you can return it at any time for a refund if you’re unhappy for any reason. It’s lightweight, at just over 1 pound, and its dimensions mean it can fit inside most grills. Because it has holes on the top and the side it has an increased airflow which allows more smoke to flavor your meat making it an excellent choice for a small smoker box for gas grills.
More features: can be used on flame deflector bars or on cooking grates
The Charcoal Companion CC4133 Gas Grill V Box Cast Iron Smoker is a V-shaped smoker that fits in between the deflectors of a gas grill, or on the grates of a charcoal grill. Though users will want to make sure to double-check the measurements of their grill compared to this smoker box to make sure it will fit with their grill, as not all v-shaped boxes will fit with every grill. Though many weber grill owners stated this box fit perfectly for them making this a great cast iron smoker box for gas grills. This box is made of cast iron, which means you will absolutely never have to worry about it warping. The cast iron, though, creates a heavier weight of almost 3 pounds. And cast iron can rust easily, so users will need to make sure to properly take care of the box and never let water or moisture rest on the surface for any length of time. Cast iron can deal with high heat for a long period, but it can also take a while to fully heat so that’s something to keep in mind as well. Some users stated that it doesn’t do a good enough job producing smoke because the cast iron is too thick. It’s also on the smaller side and therefore doesn’t hold a lot of chips, so for full grill smoking, you may need to purchase more than one.
More features: wavy smoke outlets; can be placed between the flame deflector bars of gas grills or on cooking grates
The Skyflame Universal Stainless Steel Wood Chip Smoker Box with Wavy Smoke Outlet is a W shaped smoker box, which means it balances on top of a deflector bar or a grate, though it would not be a good choice for grills without those options, or thinly spaced grates, so make sure you take in the measurements of the box as it compares to your personal grill. It has a hinged lid for easily adding more wood chips during longer smoking sessions, and its thicker stainless steel means it should stand up to higher temperatures without warping. It uses a wave smoke outlet design, which concentrates the smoke and creates a large smoked area for the food above, creating a more permeable smoky flavor, though a few users stated that it didn’t give as much of a smoky flavor as they were hoping.
It weighs over 1.5 pounds, though, which is on the heavy side of stainless-steel smoker boxes. It’s quick to heat up because of how it rests right on the deflector, though some users stated this could cause the woodchips to burn during longer grill sessions so it may need to be monitored to prevent the chips from catching fire.
More features: works with most grills; placed directly on the cooking grate
Cast iron smoker boxes can be a great choice for users who don’t ever want to deal with the threat of warping. Cast iron is heavy-duty, with the emphasis on the heavy, as this box weighs over 4 pounds. But cast iron will never warp, and never fall apart. The user will have to make sure to prevent it from rusting, which is the biggest fault with cast iron. It can also take a while to heat up, though once it does it can deal with incredibly high temperature for any length of smoking sessions. It doesn’t have a hinged lid, though, which means the user may have some difficulty when adding more chips, though it does allow the user different options for the lid placement. However, it is important to note that this smoker box will not work with electric grills, only gas or charcoal, though some users stated that even gas grills weren’t a great fit because it takes too long to get hot enough to smoke the chips. Some users also stated that it takes up too much space in smaller grills.
More features: 3-cup wood chips capacity; fits in grills of all shapes and sizes
The Grillaholics Smoker Box is made to use with a gas grill or with a charcoal grill. Just place the box directly over the flame. They use extra thick stainless steel to help prevent warping and the hinged lid makes it easy to add more chips in the middle of longer grilling sessions, though some users did experience warping after some extensive use, which then made the lid hard to open and close. It can hold up to 3 cups of wood chips as well, offering longer grill time without refilling. They also offer a satisfaction guarantee so you can return your box if you’re unhappy with it for any reason. Because of its lighter weight and shape, it works well with grills with a variety of shapes and sizes, anything from infrared grills, to Big Green Eggs, though some users complained that it was smaller than they expected it to be. Other users, though, found that the Grillaholics Smoker Box worked really well with electric grills and was a great choice.
More features: v-shaped bottom, hinged lids
The Charcoal Companion Stainless Steel V-Shape Smoker Box is stainless steel smoker box made specifically for gas grills. Just place the smoker box in between the deflector bars of the grill and the wood will start to smolder. Because of this, though, it may not work with all grill types and sizes, so make sure to double-check your measurements. Some users noticed that if the box sits too low in their grill the wood will catch fire instead of smoldering because it doesn’t have holes in the bottom the wood ashes stay in the smoker box, making cleanup easier. It’s made with a hinged lid to simplify adding wood chips during longer smoke sessions. It’s made with stainless steel, though some users complained that their box rusted after a few years of use or fell apart. Though others stated that even rusted it still worked well and they continued to smoke with it, and a few users stated that as long as you keep it clean (no grease on the top, remove ashes after every use) it can prevent the tendency to rust.
Because you can move the smoker box to different deflector boxes in the grill, you can aim smoke from directly underneath the meat, or you can move the smoker box further away for a more indirect smoking experience. Finally, many users stated that this was the best smoker box for their Weber gas grill.
More features: can be used under or on grilling grates
The Weber 7576 Universal Stainless-Steel Smoker Box weighs only one pound and can be used underneath or on top of grilling grates, giving the user a variety of placement options. Its hinged lid allows for easy addition of wood chips during the smoking process, and its size means that it will fit inside most types of grills while still allowing space for meat beside it, though some users experienced warping, which made the lid unable to open and close while in use. It has a lot of holes to allow the rapid and thorough release of the smoke, but some users stated that the number of holes actually increased the likelihood that their chips would catch fire and burn up instead of smoldering and providing smoke. Other users, too, stated that the actual product has holes both in the top and the bottom of the box, which is what compounds the issue. Many users stated, however, that it does provide a long-lasting smoke.
More features: X-shape vent design, 48 smoke vents
The Silverius Pro BBQ Smoker Box is the lightest of the smoker boxes on our list, topping out at under 1 pound of weight. The x-shaped vent design offers the release of more smoke, adding additional smoky flavors to your food. The lid, however, is not hinged, which can make it difficult for some users to add more chips during a smoking session, though because of this it also means the user can have more options for lid placement, allowing for even greater smoke volume making it a great choice for anyone who’s looking for a smoke box that lets them adjust the smoke level. It comes with a satisfaction guarantee so you can return it for any reason if you’re unhappy, and the thick stainless-steel construction should prevent warping and will never rust. This smoker box can work with gas or charcoal grills and even infrared gas grills as well. It’s an average size, though some users stated it was too large to fit under their grill grates. Many users, however, stated it was heavy duty and never warps making it the best wood chip smoker box for gas grills.
After considering ten of the smoking boxes, we think are the best on the market, it makes sense to discuss the features you need to look out for in a smoking box. So, we gathered the most relevant of them below.
There are a variety of different smoke box shapes to consider when looking for the best smoker box for you and your needs, but the two most common ones are regular, rectangular boxed shaped ones and boxes that are shaped like a V. V-shaped ones are great because they sit close to the heat source, but the biggest downfall is that they don’t fit with every grill, so you will need to check the measurements of your grill to make sure it will work for you.
The main two material options for smoker boxes are stainless steel or cast iron. They both have their pros and cons. Stainless steel won’t rust (as long as it’s true stainless steel) but tends to warp at high temperatures. Cast iron will never warp or change shape, but it’s prone to easy rusting if not taken care of correctly. For a cast iron option, check out the v-shaped Charcoal Companion CC4133 Gas Grill V Box Cast Iron Smoker, and for a stainless-steel box that had no complaints of warping look at the Silverius Pro BBQ Smoker Box or the Kaluns BBQ Smoker Box for Wood Chips.
Durability is an important consideration when looking at smoker boxes, because if they don’t last long, or if they break easily, then there’s no point in spending the money on them. In general, cast iron will have the greatest durability because iron is heavy-duty and long-lasting as long as they’re well taken care of, but there are some good stainless-steel options, too, that are sturdy and well made, such as the Kaluns BBQ Smoker Box for Wood Chips.
When looking at smoker boxes, make sure you check out the dimensions and capacity. The dimensions will make sure that the box you’re interested in will actually fit in your personal grill, and the capacity will tell you how much wood the box can hold, which will allow for longer smoking sessions. For the smoker box with the largest capacity, check out the DKS Smoker Cooker Box for Grill which holds an amazing 7 pounds of wood chunks for 3 hours of smoking.
Lids on smoker boxes are either hinged or not and there are pros and cons to each version. Hinged lids make it easy to add more chips in the middle of a smoking session as you can just flip the lid open, then shut it. But hinged lids can be problematic if your box is prone to warping. Unhinged lids can be hard to take on and off in the middle of a smoke section, but they also allow the user to choose lid placement, too, allowing more choices of smoke level, such as in the case of the Silverius Pro BBQ Smoker Box.
Where a box can be placed often depends on its shape and size. Many of them are designed to go under the grill grates or even directly on top of the flame or charcoal in charcoal grills. Some have specialized shapes, though, which limit where they can go, such as the W shape of the Skyflame Universal Stainless-Steel Wood Chip Smoker Box with Wavy Smoke Outlet.
Cleaning and maintain your smoker box can help extend the life of your box as well as improve its durability. Follow these tips to maintaining your grill box:
Smoker boxes are a great, convenient way to add smoky flavor to your food when grilling and if you’re shopping for a smoker box, chances are there’s a model that fits your needs.
Our Editor’s Choice is the Cave Tools Smoker Box which is a rectangular box great for gas or charcoal grills. It comes with a lifetime satisfaction guarantee and is a great choice for new smokers due to the included recipe booklet and how-to guides for inexperienced users.
If you’re looking for a full smoker, then check out the DKS Smoker Cooker Box for Grill. This converts your grill into an actual smoker and fits an astonishing 7 pounds of wood chunks in its capacity, making it a great choice for longer smoking sessions.
Finally, our choice for the best smoker box made of stainless steel is the Kaluns BBQ Smoker Box for Wood Chips. Users stated that it doesn’t tend to warp even at higher temperatures, which is impressive for a stainless-steel box. Moreover, this product has a lifetime warranty, so you won’t regret your purchase.
