The Pros and Cons of Reverse Flow Smokers

If your looking for your first smoker then a reverse flow smoker might be the best option for you. Reverse flow smokers are easier to use then traditional offset smokers and offer some great benefits. Here is a list of some of the benefits you get from using reverse flow smokers over other smokers.

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Break Down

Now that you’ve seen the pros and cons lets dig in to each of them a little bit more. This will help you to better understand what to expect out of a reverse flow smoker.

Pros

Even Smoke Distribution

Sins a reverse flow smoker forces the smoke to the far side of the cooking area. Then brings it back over the meat to the exhaust it evens out the amount of smoke each piece of meat gets.

In a traditional offset smoker the smoke comes in from the side and goes over the meat and out the exhaust. But the smoke doesn’t always go over the meat evenly.

Sometimes the smoke doesn’t rise through the cooking greats right away so the meat closest to the inlet wont get much smoke at all. Other times it might rise right away then the meat closest to the exhaust wont get much smoke because it’s to high in the lid.

Even Heat Distribution

The plate inside a reverse flow smoker acks like a heat shield and cuts down on hot spots inside your smoker. All smokers have hot spots in them but reverse flow smokers tend to have less hot spots then other types of smokers.

The plate in a reverse flow will heat up as the smoke passes under it giving you a more even heat through out the cooking area.

Less Temperature Spikes

Again thanks to the metal plate in a reverse flow smoker your going to have less temperature spikes. This is all do to the metal plate having to heat up before the heat gets to the cooking area.

So if you lose control of your fire you’ll have time to get it back under control before all the heat gets inside the cooking area. This is good if your new to smoking meats and you are still learning how to control your temperature.

No Water or Grease Tray

I know i keep going on about the metal plate in the bottom of a offset smoker. But it is what makes it unique from other smokers.

So with the metal plate under the cooking grates you’re not going to need a tray under the meat to catch the grease coming out of it. Or one with water in it to help control the temperature.

Improved Flavor and Moisture

With the grease dripping on to the hot metal plate under the cooking area instead of losing all that flavor it’s going to go back into the meat. As the grease drips onto the plate it’s going to make steam and in return it’s going to add moisture back in to the meat.

Faster Temperature Recovery

Last with the plate holding the heat in from the fire box the temperature in the cooking area will recover faster. When you open the lid to check on the progress of the meat you’re letting out all the heat.

In a reverse flow the plate under the cooking area helps it come back up to cooking temp much faster them in a traditional offset smoker where the heat only comes in from one side.

Cons

Over Smoked Meat

One down side to reverse flow smokers is there’s more of a chance you could over smoke the meat. Sins there’s a more even smoke distributing through out the smoker it’s much easier to over smoke your food.

Over smoking can result in a bitter taste in the meat and ruin it. That’s going to put a damper on any party. You just need to keep a close eye on the meat in the smoker and you’ll be fine

More Fuel to Maintain Temperature

As we went over in the pros there’s a lot of upsides to having that metal plate under the cooking area. But there are a few down sides as well and one of them is it’s going to take more fuel to heat all that metal up and keep it hot.

Longer to Adjust Temperature.

Another problem with putting a plate under the cooking area is that it takes longer to adjust the temperature in the smoker. The smoke has to make it’s way all the way across the smoker before it can even start to change the temp.

Now that’s not really that big of a drawback. Considering it also protects you from temperature spikes if you lose control of the fire. So having to wait a little bit to see a adjustment is a small price to pay.

Harder to Clean

Having a plate under the cooking area has a lot of up side but for me one of the biggest down sides can be cleaning it off. Sins all the grease drips onto the plate some of it is going to burn on and some might find it’s way underneath it.

The burned on grease can be a pain but you can always lay some aluminum foil in it to make clean up fast and easy. But if it finds it’s way under the plate then it might be a hole nother ball game.

If the plate in your smoker is removable then it’s not so bad just take it out and clean the grease up. But some reverse flow smokers have the plate welded into them.

Than your going to need to find a way to get your arm under it. That can prove to be vary hard to do you might have to reach in from the fire box.

How a Reverse Flow Smoker Works

Now that we’ve gone over the pros and cons of reverse flow smokers lets take a look at the basic principle of how they work. I’m sure that by now you’ve gather there’s a plate under the cooking area.

What happens is the smoke leaves the fire box and has to pass under the plate to the far side of the smoker. Then it has to reverse it’s flow and come back over the cooking area to the exhaust pipe.

An easy way to tell if a smoker is just a offset smoker or a reverse flow smoker is to look and see what side the exhaust pipe is on. If the exhaust pipe is on the same side as the fire box then it’s a reverse flow if it’s on the opposite side then it’s just a offset smoker.

Top Reverse Flow Smoker.

Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn Reverse Flow Offset Smoker

The Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn has optional smokestack locations that let you choose between reverse flow smoking and traditional offset smoking. It has four baffles locked under the cooking area that deliver even heat and smoke through out the cooking chamber.

The cooking area itself has porcelain-coated wire grates for cooking on. Inside the fire box there’s a large charcoal basket that provides a more efficient burn, easier tending and quicker clean-up.

Convenient firebox door makes clean-up quick and easy. There’s 619-square-inches of primary cooking space; 281-square-inches of secondary cooking space

On top of the fire box there’s a warming area for added cooking versatility. All the Handles are cool-touch handles to protect your hands from the heat.

The temperature gauge is of professional quality for accurate monitoring. The large, wagon-style wheels make it easy to move around. That’s good if you plan on keeping it inside when your not using it.

As Always, Happy Grilling!