The Oklahoma Joe comes in three main models: Highland, Longhorn, and Bandera, with each of these having different variations.
Each of these offer something different and comes available at different prices, so we’ll take a look at which of these offers the best smoking experience and best value for money.If you’re looking to up your game and take the next step to perfectly homemade Texas BBQ, then the Oklahoma Joe is one of the best smokers out there.
The smoker is the brainchild of the famous pitmaster Joe Davidson, and have been around on the market for over 20 years.The inspiration for the original Oklahoma Joe units were made with heavy gauge pipes. This was inspired by oil rig workers who made their grills and smokers using whatever they had at hand… which just so happened to be pipes.The success of this has seen the brand continue to use these pipes as the focus of their designs even to this day.In this time they’ve spawned into several different models of different sizes and for different budgets.Whichever model you get, these smokers are sturdy. They are simply built to last, so whichever you go for you know it’s built to last.
Here are 5 of their best offset smokers, so you know which one is best suited for you.After days of product testing and review gathering, we’ve made the ultimate comparison guide so you can make the best choice.
What marks mosts Oklahaoma Joe smokers out from the crowd is how well designed they are. Built with robust steel, they’re great at retaining heat, accommodating high heat levels, while also allowing you tight control over airflow through their dampers.All of this is key to perfect low and slow cooking, and is why the Oklahoma Joe brand is so well revered.
Oklahoma Joe’s Bandera Offset Smoker
Of all the Oklahoma Joe smokers, the Bandera is the one most built to last.But this unique smoker is more than just a behemoth.It’s a great combo unit that allows you to both smoke and grill simultaneously, allowing you to use advanced grilling techniques like reverse searing.Its vertical grill build allows you more cooking space, and this one offers you about 1000 square inches of cooking space. This is huge.This space is spread over 4 cooking grates, offering you an incredible amount of flexibility.For bonus features it has rib racks, meat hooks and a charcoal pan. A removable ash tray for easy cleanup. It has adjustable cooking grates and advance damper.
WHY IT’S OUR #1 PICK
It’s a really beautiful looking piece of equipment that doesn’t completely dominate your outdoor space. This thing is built to last and its vertical chamber gives you an authentic way of smoking meat.
Oklahoma Joe’s Highland Reverse Flow Smoker
While not as domineering as the Bandera, the one-of-a-kind Highland Reverse Flow is a solid and reliable unit nonetheless.This smoker allows you two forms of smoking all in one unit: Traditional offset smoking; and reverse flow smoking.You can easily interchange between the two by just adjusting the smokestack location.
This smoker has a generous 5 (yes, five) cooking racks, several dampers for precise airflow control, and a built-in temperature gauge.Its main cooking area provides 879 square inches of cooking space, which is more than enough to cook for a large party.As added features it has a removable ash bin, firebox access door so you can easily restock coals or wood chunks.
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
Despite being at the budget end of Oklahoma Joe’s range, this does not compromise quality at all. Huge cooking space and extremely versatile, seasoned smokers and newcomers alike will love this smoker.
Oklahome Joe Combo
This combo grill smoker has appeared before on some of our other best of lists, and it’s not difficult to see why.The Oklahoma joe combo offers the best of smoking and grilling all in one unit, and allows you to use them both in tandem.Quite often with combo smoker-grills you see a little compromise in quality so that both methods can be accommodated, but that simply isn’t the case with this combo. It’s simply an excellent grill and smoker.It’s also extremely flexible in its use of fuel. While other smokers often only allow one of wood pellets or coals, this smoker combo allows any of gas, wood or charcoal.It does this by having different chambers and burners to accommodate each fuel method.It has a chamber of charcoal smoking, a gas grilling chamber, as well as a gas-powered side burner and offset firebox for wood.While purists might look down their nose at the inclusion of a gas grill, this does make it really convenient if you’re in a rush, and also makes it a great entry point for newcomers to home barbecue.Other features are its instant electronic ignition, easy firebox access, porcelain-coated cast-iron grills, and an airflow regulator.
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
This packs absolutely everything into its build. Wood, charcoal and even gas fuels are available, making it one of the most versatile smoker-grill combos out there at the moment.
Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn Offset Smoker
Just like the other smokers on this list, the Longhorn has a huge cooking area, at 740 square inches.It accommodates both grilling and smoking, and is wood and charcoal fuelled.Its cooking space takes in four large porcelain-coated grates.Its damper controls and temperature gauge help give you precise temperature control.Just like a lot of the other smokers on this list it is built to last, designed with tempered steel.
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
This wood and coal fuelled smoker offers fantastic temperature controls, and is built to last.
Oklahoma Joe’s Longhorn Reverse Flow Smoker
OK let’s get this out the way: This smoker is massive.It’ll no doubt have its fans for its size alone, but this obviously comes at a cost. It is a beast to move around and weighs an insane amount.But if you’re after a huge smoker then there’s plenty here to get you excited.It’s built with heavy duty steel, and this doesn’t just make it almost indestructible, but also helps ensure that its heat retention is second-to-none.It has a total 1060 square inches of cooking space, which is spread between its main chamber and its firebox.This smoker isn’t just about power and build though. It’s also excellent at allowing you complete control over the heat levels in your smoker.Its fully customizable dampers allow you to tightly tweak the airflow within your smoker, which helps you control the temperatures within your main chamber to the single degree.It has four cooking racks, all of which are porcelain coated. This is the best material to use for coating grates and it doesn’t just protect them from general wear and high heat levels, but also distributes heat across your cooking surface perfectly.It does come built on steel wheels, but to be honest I’m not sure. Weighing at over 230 pounds, this thing is pretty much tied to wherever you set it.
WHY IT’S ON THE LIST
A huge monster of a smoker that will satisfy the most diehard of fans. Huge cooking space, excellent heat retention, and perfect airflow control. What more can we say?
Not seen something you like? Check out other options with our guide to the best offset smokers.
