There are a number of smokers on the market. Cost ranges from about $40 to $200 and then up. Some of the big brand grill companies make smokers and there are some small companies online offering various custom models.
Char-Broil has the low-end model that is affordable for most any family. Char-Broil works well for smaller pieces of meat cooking for around 4 hours or so. Think of chickens split in half pieces with this smoker. For longer cooking sessions, the Char-Broil requires a lot of maintenance. Plan to baby-sit the cooker if going with the most cost-friendly option. Heat regulation is a key issue when using Char-Broil, but the price is really nice.
Brinkmann is a popular brand in smokers. Offering a gas cooking option means that most of the guesswork is taken out of the process of making barbeque. Another plus is that the company offers combination cooking with a gas cooker/fryer, gas grill, gas smoker, charcoal grill and charcoal smoker all in one. It’s attractive to buy an all-round piece of equipment, but it’s hard to be everything to everyone. Most gas cookers will stick with gas while most charcoal cookers will stick with charcoal. That means that the options are not really needed, though a newcomer to outdoor cooking may enjoy trying out the various techniques. The price bumps up with the Brinkman models offering a variety of options. Expect to pay close to $200 though online specials can cut that price back almost in half.
The hardcore smokers tend to favor the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker Smoker (WSM). This model is charcoal or wood operated, and most big time smoker cookers go for the more old fashioned approach. The WSM is a good basic model without frills, and the key complaints are that it does not have a built in thermometer and a deeper water pan. The WSM is quite popular, because it is very well built (and lasts for years), and the design is tight enough to maintain heat with very little maintenance. If you’re doing the long, overnight cooking sessions, you probably want to invest in the WSM. The cost is close $200, and it’s rare to find big deals on the Weber.