The Best Smoker Tubes

The Best Smoker Tubes

Smoker tubes are a great way to add extra smoke flavor to your delicious food while cooking with any kind of grill or smoker. They’re easy to use and allow you to turn your gas grill into a smoker or to get more smoke in your charcoal grill or pellet smoker. If you’re looking for a way to add more flavor to your food, these are a great option.

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The Best Smoker Tubes

Pellet smoker tubes are perforated metal cylinders that hold pellets, or wood chips, and act as a smoke generator in your grill or smoker. You can use a pellet smoker tube on a gas grill or electric grill to introduce a smokey element to your BBQ or in a charcoal grill or pellet grill to help get longer-lasting smoke and an impressive flavor boost. They also work well for cold-smoking foods that rely on low-heat smoke.

A smoke tube is easy to use with virtually any grill. If you find that your pellet smoker isn’t producing enough smoke during your smoking time, it might be time to supplement it with a pellet tube. Simply add your smoking pellets to the tube, ignite it, and place on the grill grates or hang it from the grates using an S-shaped hook. Depending on the pellet smoker tube you choose, you will have hours of additional smoke penetrating your meat, resulting in a tender finished product.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the best pellet tube smokers for grill on the market right now and help you choose the right one for you and your BBQ needs!

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Our Picks: The Best Smoker Tubes

  1. Editors Pick: Kona Pellet Smoker Tube
  2. Best Overall: LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube
  3. Best Small Budget: Lanney Pellet Smoker Tube
  4. Best for Beginners: Kampfit Pellet Smoker Tube

Editors Pick for Best Smoker Tube

Kona Pellet Smoker Tube

Kona Pellet Smoker Tube

The Kona Pellet Smoker Tube is a great addition to your BBQ accessory lineup. The diamond-shaped holes allow the right amount of airflow, keeping your pellets lit with up to 8 hours of billowing smoke.

It’s made with 304 stainless steel that is easy to clean and maintain, making the whole process as easy as possible, from start to finish.

This pellet smoker tube can be used with wood pellets or chips on pellet smokers, electric, gas, and all types of grills. It’s great for hot or cold smoking, producing a clean burning smoke the entire time.

What we liked
  • Long burn time is great for long smokes
  • Patent-pending diamond inlets allow for excellent airflow
What we didn’t like
  • 12 inch design might not fit on smaller grills

Best Overall

LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube

Lizzq Premium Pellet Smoker Tube

The LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker tube is a great, affordable smoker tube designed to work on any grill, adding great flavor to anything you cook. The hexagonal shape allows for efficient smoke diffusion and stays neatly in place without rolling around.

Made from 304 stainless steel with a well-made and durable construction, this is built to last for years. Enjoy up to five hours of smoke, whether you’re hot smoking, cold smoking, or just adding a bit of flavor to your grill.

What we liked
  • Affordable
  • Durable and rust-resistant
  • Capped end for easy filling
  • Free recipe ebook included
What we didn’t like
  • Can be difficult to light

Best Small Budget Smoker Tube

Lanney Pellet Smoker Tube

Lanney Pellet Smoker Tube

The Lanney Pellet Smoker Tube is a great budget-friendly option if you’re looking for a premium pellet smoker tube that won’t break the bank. This 12″ smoker tube is made of premium stainless steel that is rust-resistant, heat-resistant, and built to last.

The hexagonal shape and capped end make this one of the most reliable and efficient. With a highly perforated surface area, air enters easily and smoke diffuses efficiently to deliver a smoky flavor to your food.

The best part is that it is inexpensive and comes with free bonus items like a silicone basting brush, a cleaning brush, and two S-hooks for hanging the pellet tube.

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What we liked
  • High-quality, hexagonal design
  • Inexpensive
  • Comes with grilling accessories
What we didn’t like
  • May be difficult to light

Best Smoker Tube for Beginners

Kampfit Pellet Smoker Tube

Kampfit Pellet Smoker Tube

The Kampfit Pellet Smoker Tube is available in 12 and 6-inches, so depending on your grill or grill grates, you can choose the perfect size.

The 6-inch smoking tube has about 2 hours of smoke time, whereas the 12-inch has about five hours of smoke time. This is great for both cold smoking and high-heat smoking.

The hexagonal design with a slight round shape provides excellent airflow and Kampfit offers a satisfaction guarantee on its products.

What we liked
  • The hexagonal shape prevents rolling around
  • Satisfaction Guarantee
  • Inexpensive
  • Easy to use
What we didn’t like
  • Smaller size has short burn time

Our Results for The Best Smoker Tubes

Well, there you have it! Here’s a recap of the best smoke tube on the market right now.

  1. Editors Pick: Kona Pellet Smoker Tube
    “diamond-shaped holes allow the right amount of airflow, keeping your pellets lit with up to 8 hours of billowing smoke”
  2. Best Overall: LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube
    “hexagonal shape allows for efficient smoke diffusion and stays neatly in place without rolling around”
  3. Best Small Budget: Lanney Pellet Smoker Tube
    “inexpensive and comes with free bonus items like a silicone basting brush, a cleaning brush, and two S-hooks for hanging”
  4. Best for Beginners: Kampfit Pellet Smoker Tube
    “excellent airflow and Kampfit offers a satisfaction guarantee on its products”

Things to consider when buying an amazing Smoker Tube

When searching for the best pellet tube smoker for pellet grill or any other grill, there are a few things you must keep in mind.

  1. First, a premium pellet smoker tube will be made of high-quality material, typically 305 stainless steel.
  2. Second, the smoke tube should have evenly spaced out holes that are large enough to allow adequate airflow, but small enough so that pellets don’t fall through.
  3. Third, you should pay close attention to the shape of the smoker tube. A smoker tube with a hexagonal or rectangular shape will stay in place without rolling around as a rounded or oval-shaped tube would.

Speaking of smoke tube shapes, it seems that in recent years, manufacturers are moving away from square or rectangular-shaped tubes, and moving more towards hexagonal-shaped tubes.

This may be because hexagonal-shaped tube allow for more airflow through the bottom, creating more smoke. If you’re looking for a square-shaped smoker tube, the Kaduf Pellet Smoker Tube is a great option.

BBQ Hero Tip: Ensure your pellet tube smoker allows for adequate airflow in and out or else your pellets might smolder out.


Features to consider when buying a Smoker Tube

When buying a pellet smoker tube, there are a few key features to look for, especially when compared to other smoker tubes at lower prices. Since pellet smoker tubes are typically very costly to begin with, it’s best to get the best pellet tube smoker right off the hop.

Construction Materials

Typically, the best construction material for pellet tube smokers is 304 stainless steel. This food-grade stainless steel is durable, rust-resistant, and corrosion-resistant.

Dimensions

Before purchasing the best pellet tube smoker, make sure it fits in your grill! The most popular size for pellet tube smokers is 12-inches. If you have a small grill that won’t properly fit this sized tube, look for a smaller one. The Kampfit Pellet Smoker Tube is available in both 6-inches and 12-inches.

Mounting

A smoker tube can either be placed directly on the grill grates or mounted using S-shaped hooks. To mount them, you would hook one end of the hook onto the bottom of a grill grate, and the other inside a perforated hole in the smoker tube. Some smoker tubes like the Lanney Pellet Smoker Tube come with S-hooks so you won’t need to purchase them separately.

Warranty

Before you make any purchase, it’s good practice to always check the company’s warranty policy. Some companies offer satisfaction-guaranteed statements or limited warranties, while others offer nothing at all.


Safety Tips For Smoker Tubes

Smoker tubes can get very hot and should be handled with caution and care at all times. Follow these safety tips to avoid any grilling accidents.

Wear Gloves

Smoker tubes are made of stainless steel and don’t typically have any handles that stay cool. It’s best to use heat-proof gloves and/or long tongs to keep your hands away from the grill.

Away From The House

Make sure your BBQ or pellet smoker is far enough away from your home before starting the smoking process. BBQs and smokers get hot and should be kept away from any kind of structure.

Secure The Smoker Tube

This is especially important if you have a rounded smoker tube that might be at risk of rolling around. Ensure the smoker tube is secured and won’t roll off the grill when opening the grill lid.

BBQ Hero Tip: Try combining different flavored wood pellets in your smoker and smoker tube for an unbelievable flavor combination.


Smoker Tube FAQs

Should I Use Wood Pellets Or Wood Chips In My Smoker Tubes?

Smoker tubes are designed for use with wood pellets, however, small wood chips will also work. Grillers typically choose wood pellets because they last longer and produce a steady smoker, whereas wood chips tend to burn faster, leading to shorter smoke times.

How Do You Cold-Smoke Food?

Smoker tubes work great for hot or cold smoking, especially if you have a grill that doesn’t go below 200F. For cold smoke, you can leave the grill off and rely solely on the smoker tube for heat and smoke. This is a great method for creating the perfect smoked cheese, like smoked gouda.

Can You Use A Smoker Tube On A Gas Grill?

Yes! In fact, smoker tubes are a great addition to gas grills, giving you the opportunity to add smoke without investing in a full smoker setup. Simply place the smoker tube on one of the racks and close the lid to infuse a wonderful smoky flavor into your meat.

How Much Actual Smoke Time Do Pellet Tubes Have?

Look for the maximum smoke time in the product description or owner’s manual of your smoker tube. Typically, a 12-inch smoker tube will give five hours of smoke time, but you can add as much or as few pellets as you want, creating as much smoke as you want!

How Do You Light A Smoker Tube?

The easiest way to light tube smokers is with a propane torch.

Do Smoker Tubes Produce Hot Smoke?

Smoker tubes use either wood chips or a wood pellet variety to create hours of smoke in a grill. Since you must ignite the wood pellets, there will be some heat given off, though the heat is low enough to be effective for cold smoking.

What Pellet Types Are Best For Smoker Tubes?

Any type of wood pellet will work effectively in smoker tubes. We recommend experimenting with different wood pellet flavor combinations to create truly delicious meals.

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