Upcoming Events
Smoking Guide: Smokers, Setups and Techniques
How to choose a smoker, which wood and fuel to use, the temperatures that matter, and step-by-step setups for low and slow, hot and fast and cold smoking. Written for cooking in the UAE.
Quick Navigation
Jump to the section you want.
Types of smoker
Every smoker does the same job: it cooks food slowly with heat and wood smoke. What changes is how you control the fire, how much you can cook at once and how hands-on you want to be. Here is how the main types compare, and which ones we stock in the UAE.
Bullet (water) smokers
Charcoal sits in the base, a water pan above it and cooking grates in a stacked tower. The water keeps temperatures low and steady with little effort, and you can add stackers for more space.
Best for: ribs, brisket, whole chickens and fish. A great first smoker.
We stock: ProQ Ranger, Frontier and Excel
Shop ProQ smokers
Offset smokers
A firebox on the side sends heat and smoke across a horizontal cooking chamber. Big capacity and classic Texas-style results on charcoal and wood. Reverse-flow models run heat under a baffle for more even temperatures.
Best for: brisket, pork shoulder and big cooks for groups and events.
We stock: Oklahoma Joe's Highland and Longhorn (standard and reverse flow), Char-Broil 430
Shop offset smokers
Drum and barrel smokers
An upright drum with a charcoal basket at the bottom and meat on grates or hooks above. Juices drip onto the coals for extra flavour, and simple airflow control holds temperature for hours.
Best for: ribs, chicken wings and sausages in a compact footprint.
We stock: Oklahoma Joe's Bronco 2.0, Pit Boss Champion barrel smoker
View the Bronco
Pellet smokers
Wood pellets feed automatically from a hopper into a fire pot, and a digital controller holds the temperature you set. Wi-Fi models let you check the cook from your phone. Needs a power point.
Best for: overnight cooks and consistent results with minimal effort.
We stock: Pit Boss Pro Series, Burnhard Flint
Shop Pit Boss
Electric smokers
An electric element heats wood chips in a tray, so there is no charcoal to manage and temperature control is easy. Useful where open flames are not allowed; always check your building rules.
Best for: fish, poultry and smoking on balconies or small terraces.
We stock: Pit Boss PBV3D1 electric smoker
View the PBV3D1
Kamado grills
Thick ceramic walls hold heat for hours on very little charcoal. With a heat deflector a kamado smokes low and slow, and without it the same cooker reaches pizza temperatures.
Best for: anyone who wants one cooker for smoking, grilling and baking.
We stock: Monolith Junior, Icon and LeChef
Shop MonolithSmoking temperatures at a glance
The temperature inside the cooker decides the style of cook. Always finish by the internal temperature of the food, not the clock: use a probe thermometer and check our cooking times and temperature chart.
| Method | Cooker temperature | Typical foods |
|---|---|---|
| Cold smoking | Below 30°C | Cheese, salmon, nuts, salt and butter. Flavour only; the food is not cooked. |
| Low and slow | 105 to 120°C | Brisket, beef ribs, lamb shoulder, pork shoulder. Allow roughly 3 to 3.5 hours per kg plus resting time. |
| Hot and fast | 135 to 175°C | Chicken, turkey crowns, wings and fish, with crisper skin. |
| BBQ roasting | 160 to 200°C | Whole chickens, joints and vegetables, with a light smoke. |
Smoking in the UAE: summer heat pushes cooker temperatures up and makes them swing, so shade the smoker, use less fuel than the instructions suggest and close the vents a little sooner. Cold smoking works best in the cooler months, when the evening air is below about 25°C.
Wood and fuel for smoking
Good fuel makes temperature control easier and the smoke cleaner. Use charcoal for heat and add wood for flavour.
Charcoal
- Natural lumpwood charcoal lights quickly and burns hot, ideal for hot and fast cooks and searing.
- Sawdust briquettes burn longer and more evenly, ideal for low and slow.
- Light it in a chimney starter, never with lighter fluid. See lighting your BBQ or smoker.
Smoking wood
- Chunks for long cooks, chips for short cooks and electric smokers.
- Fruit woods such as apple and cherry are mild and suit chicken, fish and lamb.
- Hickory and oak are stronger and suit beef and brisket.
- More in our guide to choosing your smoking wood.
Pellets and good practice
- Pellet smokers need food-grade hardwood pellets; use the type the maker recommends.
- Never burn treated, painted or softwood timber.
- Thin blue smoke is good; thick white smoke makes food bitter, so give the fire more air.
- A water pan keeps temperatures stable and meat moist.
ProQ setups: one smoker, seven ways
ProQ bullet smokers are modular, so the same smoker can work as a water smoker, a hot and fast smoker, a roaster, three kinds of grill and a cold smoker. The step-by-step setups below are written for the Ranger, Frontier and Excel, and most of them work on any bullet smoker or kettle.
Hot Smoking: Low and Slow
“Low and slow” refers to cooking meat at a low temperature for a long time, usually at 100 to 120°C (220 to 250°F). Light around half a chimney starter of charcoal or briquettes and pour it into the centre of your charcoal basket, then fill the rest of the basket with unlit fuel. Add a couple of wood chunks on top for smoky flavour. Fill three quarters of your waterpan with warm water and place it into the first stacker with a grill on top. Add a second stacker and grill if needed, then cover with the lid. Start with all four vents open; once you reach your desired temperature, close one bottom vent slightly to save fuel. The water acts as a heat sink and helps prevent temps rising much over 107°C/225°F. If you prefer not to use water, sand or terracotta in the waterpan works in a similar way. Control temperature with the bottom vents.
100-120°C
Hot smoking
220-250°F
Low and slow
Hot Smoking: Hot and Fast
Hot and fast barbecue came from the BBQ competition scene. It gives the same flavour profile as low and slow with much shorter cook times (for example, brisket from 16 hours to around 5). Light around half a chimney starter of charcoal or briquettes, pour into the centre of the basket, then fill the rest with unlit fuel. Add a couple of wood chunks on top. Place the first stacker on the base with an empty waterpan (covered or lined with foil for easy clean-up). Add a grill to the first stacker, then add a second stacker and grill if you need more space. Keep all vents open; if temperature runs too high, close the vents in the base slightly.
150-175°C
Hot smoking
300-350°F
Hot and fast
BBQ Roasting
Roast using an empty waterpan (similar to hot and fast), but start with a larger fire. Light a full chimney starter of charcoal or briquettes and pour it into the centre of the basket, then fill the rest with unlit fuel. Let the fire catch for 10 to 15 minutes. Place the first stacker on your base with an empty waterpan (covered or lined with foil), add a grill, close the lid, and keep all vents open. If needed, reduce temperature by closing the base vents slightly.
175-205°C
BBQ Roasting
350-400°F
BBQ Roasting
Grilling: Long Distance Direct Heat
Long distance direct heat gives you more direct heat from the fire, which is great for pork crackling and chicken skin. Light around half a chimney starter of charcoal or briquettes and pour it into the centre of the basket, then fill the rest with unlit fuel. Place both stackers on the base after your fire is lit, with a grill on the top stacker. Place food on the grill and close the lid. Check every 15 to 20 minutes. Without the grill, this setup can replicate drum-smoker cooking: hang ribs using the meat hooks and the built-in hanging bar inside the lid. Reduce temperature by closing the base vents slightly if needed.
15-20 MIN
Check regularly
DIRECT HEAT
Long distance grilling
Grilling: Kettle Grill
ProQ smokers also work well as a kettle grill for beach days, camping or quick cooks. Light about half a chimney starter and scatter coals into the basket, then add more fuel to cover evenly. Add a grill and wait for coals to turn grey with little to no flames to reduce flare-ups. If you don’t have a stacker handy: light enough fuel to fill one third of the basket, push to one side, add a grill, and place food on the side opposite the fire with the lid on for lower-temperature cooking with good BBQ flavour.
½ CHIMNEY
Quick grilling setup
KETTLE STYLE
Beach & camping friendly
Grilling: Offset Grilling
Offset grilling gives more control over heat and is more forgiving than direct grilling, which makes it great for chicken. Method one: light around half a chimney starter, scatter into the basket, then add more fuel evenly. Add a stacker and a grill and wait for the fire to burn down slightly, then cook. Method two (camping or beach): light enough fuel to fill one third of the basket, push to one side, add a grill, and place food on the side opposite the fire with the lid on for lower, controlled cooking.
OFFSET HEAT
More controlled grilling
MORE FORGIVING
Great for chicken
Cold Smoking
Cold smoking is simple with the ProQ cold smoke generator. Empty your charcoal basket and place the generator inside once it’s lit. Add a stacker with an empty waterpan and a grill (add another stacker and second grill for more space). Close two of the vents in the base completely and open the vent in the lid. This gives the generator enough airflow.
COLD SMOKE
Low-temperature smoking
PROQ GENERATOR
Simple smoke setup
Smoking FAQs
What is the best smoker for beginners?
A bullet water smoker such as the ProQ Frontier, or a pellet smoker such as a Pit Boss, are the easiest to learn on. Both hold steady temperatures with little adjustment, so you can focus on the food.
Which smoker is best for brisket?
Offset smokers and bullet smokers are the classic choices for brisket. Cook at 110 to 120°C until the brisket reaches about 93 to 96°C inside and a probe slides in with little resistance, then rest it for at least an hour.
What wood is best for smoking meat?
Use mild fruit woods such as apple or cherry for chicken, fish and lamb, and stronger woods such as hickory or oak for beef. Many pitmasters mix a strong wood with a fruit wood.
Can I smoke on a kettle BBQ or a kamado?
Yes. On a kettle, set up two zones with the coals on one side and the food on the other, and add wood chunks to the coals. On a kamado, fit the heat deflector and run it at 110 to 120°C.
How long does it take to smoke ribs or brisket?
At 110 to 120°C, allow roughly 5 to 6 hours for pork ribs, 8 to 10 hours for beef short ribs and around 3 to 3.5 hours per kg for brisket, plus resting time. Always check the internal temperature.
Can I cold smoke in the UAE?
Yes, in the cooler months. Cold smoking needs the cooker to stay below about 30°C, so it works best on winter evenings with a cold smoke generator and no lit charcoal under the food.
Do you supply smokers and smoking wood to restaurants?
Yes. We supply smokers, charcoal, briquettes and smoking woods to hotels, restaurants and caterers across the UAE. Send a hospitality enquiry and we will recommend the right setup.
Buying for a venue? Send a hospitality enquiry or a trade enquiry.
Need help choosing a setup?
Explore the right setup for smoking, grilling or roasting and get the most from your ProQ smoker.
Contact Us