| I absolutely love to smoke my food, but I often hear | | | | smoked meat flavor. Obviously the gas and charcoal |
| confusion regarding hot and cold smoking: | | | | BBQ smokers are most common. |
| Cold smokers | | | | A version of the hot smoker is a water smoker. This |
| As the name suggests, this smoker unit works at very | | | | smoker is more a cooking technique than any special |
| low temperature. Have you ever had smoked | | | | kind of smoker. Think of a usual charcoal smoker with |
| cheese? These delicate food stuffs can be cooked | | | | a bowl filled with water. The mixture of charcoal and |
| slowly so that they retain their texture and juices, at | | | | flavored wood chips cooks the meat and smokes it. |
| the same time the flavors and aroma enter and stay | | | | The steam from the water bowl ensures that the |
| in the food - it just takes longer. However, given the | | | | moisture from the meat doesn't escape leaving it dry. |
| "cold" smoking, the food takes very long to cook, but it | | | | Any hot smoker that you can get the water bowl into |
| is still worth the wait. | | | | can be used as a water smoker. |
| Hot Smokers | | | | Personally, I highly recommend using both techniques! |
| If you do not have patience for the cold smoker, but | | | | There is NOTHING to compare to some slow, cols |
| want its flavors, you must look for the hot smokers. | | | | smoked cheese, but for my outdoor BBQ I often |
| These can cook the food much faster saving you the | | | | employ my hot charcoal smoker in addition to my |
| time, and still smoking it well enough to get the great | | | | typical charcoal grill. |