What is the Difference between a Smoker and a Grill

Every cook has their favorite recipes. Both grilled and smoked meat taste delicious, but different. There are times you just want a specific flavor on your tongue. Although they perform the same work, these two kitchen equipment are totally different. Many people confuse them though. Let us see how different a smoker is from a grill.

1.How they function

From the name, a smoker uses smoke to cook food. It can be powered by charcoal, gas, or electricity. Fire in the smoke chamber produces smoke which is then directed to the food in the cooking chamber. Here, there is no direct contact between fire and the food. The heat produced is used to gradually cook the food without burning it.

On the other hand, a grill enables you to cook your food directly on the flame. You can also move it aside so that the heat interacts with the food indirectly. It produces a grilled taste.

2.Length of cooking time

With direct heat, cooking is faster. This is the case with using a grill. Meat is placed directly on top of the fire. This is suitable for thin slices of meat since they cook faster.

A smoker is suitable for thick pieces of meat that need to cook inside without getting burnt on the outside. This takes a longer time since the process is slower.

3.Cooking temperature

Lower temperatures cook slower and longer. A smoker cooks at a temperature range of 160 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The food smoked has a nice smoky flavor. For a grill, the temperature can go as high as 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The grilled taste is different from a smoked one.

Your choice between a grill and a smoker should depend on these factors; time, preferred flavor, and size of meat. Both can use gas, wood, charcoal, or electricity.