A great way for a consumer to add a bit of smoky flavor to their BBQ is to use the best pellet tube smoker they can buy. When we first started grilling and barbecuing meats, we had no idea that these devices even existed, and then we were introduced to them for the first time and ended up being blown away by them. These devices are inexpensive, durable, and do an amazing job of adding flavor to the grilling process. That’s why we reviewed some of the top ones being sold nowadays and picked the ones we liked the most. Let’s check ’em out.
- Editor’s Choice
Lanney 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Tube Smoker (Amazon) – Review - Also Recommended
Lizzq Premium 12-Inch Pellet Smoker (Amazon) – Review - Also Consider
Alsisk 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Wood Pellet Tube (Amazon) – Review
Editor’s Choice: Lanney 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Tube Smoker
Pellet tube smokers are a great way of adding smoke to the consumer’s grilling efforts—especially in an electric grill—but these pieces of equipment don’t operate in a vacuum. What we mean is that consumers need more than just the tube itself, they also need a tube brush that makes it easier to clean. Fortunately, this model does come with a tube brush that can be used for efficient cleaning.
But that isn’t the only extra equipment that came with the tube. It also came with a bonus silicone brush for applying sauces to food, two S-hooks for hanging up the smoker tube, and even an instruction manual that lets the consumer know how the tube smoker is to be used. That’s quite a lot of accessories for a piece of equipment that doesn’t cost that much in the first place.
The extra accessories that come with this pellet tube smoker aren’t what makes this a great product, however. It’s such a great product because of the way that it’s designed and the materials used to manufacture it. This is a product that can be used with wood pellets or wood chips—depending on the needs of the consumer. Let’s take a closer look at its features to see what else sets it apart from lesser quality tube smokers.
The first thing that we’d like to say is that this product is made out of 304 stainless-steel. In this stainless-steel tube are tons of holes that are small enough to keep the wood pellets or chips from escaping it, but large enough to allow smoke to escape it. On one end, the tube is closed, and on the other end is an open cap that’s 2-inches high and is easy to fill with pellets.
This tube is approximately 12-inches long and is dishwasher-safe so that it can be easily cleaned up after use. This is also a model that’s capable of being used in wood, charcoal, electric smokers, or grills. It’s for all of these reasons why we’ve selected this model as the best pellet tube smoker currently available.
– This product comes with several accessories.
– This pellet tube is made of high-quality 304 Stainless-Steel
– This tube can be used with electric, gas, or charcoal grills.
– None.
Also Recommended: Lizzq Premium 12-Inch Pellet Smoker
The next product didn’t make it to the top of our best pellet smoker tube list, but it did come in at a reasonable number two position on our list. We suppose that means that it’s a silver medal finalist that’s reasonably priced and is ready for handling the smoking needs of any consumer.
This is a product that can be used in just about any smoker or grill—it doesn’t matter if it’s charcoal or electric, and it can be used in both hot and cold smokers. Let’s take a closer look at some of this product’s features to see why we’ve placed it in the number two position on our list.
Let’s start with the shape and dimensions of this product. This smoker tub has a hexagonal shape to it and it’s approximately 12×2.16×2-inches in size. This is a product that’s made out of high-quality 304 stainless-steel for added durability and is filled with small holes that allow the smoke to escape it, all while holding the wood pellets securely.
As is the case with most smoker tubes of this type, this model has one closed end and one open end. That makes it easy to fill, but also means that some people might have problems with it when using with some grills. However, we’ve found that it worked quite well with a variety of different grills or smokers and we don’t think too many people will have problems with its open end.
This smoker tube is capable of providing the consumer with up to 5-hours of smoking at a time. This is a great way for people to add flavor to their barbecue. And because it’s made out of stainless steel it’s also a product that’s dishwasher safe—although we should say that most people just dump them out and add pellets to them without worrying about cleaning them.
– It’s made from high-quality 304 Stainless Steel.
– It provides up to 5-Hours of smoke.
– It can be used for either cold or hot smoking.
– None.
Also Consider: Alsisk 12-Inch Stainless-Steel Wood Pellet Tube
The last pellet tube smoker on our list is from Alsisk and is another hexagonal pellet smoker tube. This is a model that we liked because it was not only manufactured using high-quality components but because it had a nice design and even came with a few accessories that made it easier to use. It’s also a reasonably priced model that isn’t the cheapest priced model we’ve seen but is certainly isn’t the most expensive one either.
Let’s start with the size of this smoker tube and work from there. This tube is approximately 12-inches by 2-inches by 2-inches and is made from 304 stainless-steel. It has a hexagonal shape with one closed end and one open end, like most smoker tubes, and is covered in a ton of holes that allow smoke to easily escape from it. This model feels a little bit lighter than some other stainless-steel pellet smoker tubes that we’ve reviewed, but we don’t think that it’s flimsy or otherwise poorly made.
This is a product that can use both wood pellet and chips, and it will provide up to 5-hours of smoke when filled. It’s a product that can be used for both cold smoking and hot smoking and can be used in either charcoal or electric grills. Keeping all of this firmly in mind, we think that this is a quality product that’s ready to be pressed into service as soon as a person receives it. And because it’s made out of stainless steel, it’s a product that’s easy to clean and even comes with a cleaning brush to help clean it out, and some S-Hooks for hanging it up.
– This product is made from 304 Stainless-Steel.
– It comes with some nice accessories.
– It can be used for both hot and cold smoking.
– None.
Even though a lot of people might look over our list of the best pellet tube smokers available and think that all of them look very much alike, there are some key differences between them that the consumer needs to consider. They are also not the only smoker tubes on the market today that consumers might want to consider. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and although most of them are made out of stainless steel, there are some models that are made of lesser quality materials.
Besides, pellet tube smokers are new to some people and these people might want to learn a little bit more about why they should consider using them, how to buy them, and how to use them. We should know because we went through a similar process of discovering, learning about, and eventually using pellet tubes for our smoking needs. And it has been a fun journey. It’s also the reason why we’ve decided to write this guide on the subject. Follow along with us as we unravel the mystery behind these simple devices and help our readers find the ones best for them.
How Does A Pellet Tube Smoker Work?
One of the first questions that we asked when we first saw these tube smokers was how they worked, and we were quite surprised about how simple the answer to that question was. These tubes are simply filled with the consumer’s favorite wood pellets through the tube’s open end and then lit using a propane torch. The flame will travel through the wood, consuming it as it moves along and producing a rich smoke that adds flavor and depth to any BBQ or grilled foods.
How Do You Use A Pellet Tube Smoker?
The next question people often ask is how these smoker tubes are used. And that’s pretty simple as well. All the consumer has to do is to fill one end with their favorite wood pellets or wood chips, light the end with a propane torch, allow it to burn, blow out the flame and then place the smoker tube in the smoker. Most smoker tubers will recommend that the open flame on the wood pellets be allowed to burn for approximately 8-minutes before being blown out.
That isn’t the only way that we’ve seen these smoker tubes used. We’ve also seen people place these tubes directly on the grate of a gas grill to add in-direct smoke to the BBQ. We haven’t tried this method directly, but we have heard that it’s another way of using these tubes.
Okay, now that we understand how these devices work and how to use them, it’s time to turn our attention to the main purpose of this guide: finding a pellet tube smoker that works the best for the consumer. Below are some things for consumers to think about the next time they’re purchasing a new pellet tube smoker.
Think About Tube Smoker Shape
One of the first things that the consumer is going to want to think about is the shape of the tube smoker. They come in a variety of different shapes including square, round, and hexagonal models. We tend to prefer the hexagonal ones because they are the most efficient cell shape. That’s why bees use a hexagonal configuration for beehives. This shape allows the most wood pellets to be stored in it, without having too big of an exterior footprint.
Of course, some people prefer round or square pellet tube smokers. We would personally avoid round models because we feel that they have a tendency to roll and don’t have the interior space we feel that it should have. Every consumer, however, must decide for themselves what’s best for their needs.
Think About The Tube Smoker’s Size
Tube smokers also come in a variety of different sizes. There are models as small as 4-inches long, and models as large as 12-inches long. We prefer the 12-inch models because that size will deliver about 5-6 hours of smoke—depending on how fast the wood pellets burn and other conditions. 4-inch models are good for smaller grills, but they have a tendency of only burning 1-3 hours.
Last Thought: What The Tube Is Made From
The last thing that we would like our readers to think about is what the tube is made from. Most tubes sold today are made of quality 304 stainless-steel, but not all of them are made of this material. We recommend that our readers avoid pellet tube smokers that are made from anything other than stainless-steel. It’s simply the best material for these tubes.