We haven't tested these; we compare published specs and independent sources.
That sentence appears on every comparison page, and this page explains what it means in practice.
Where the numbers come from
Every spec we publish, such as cooking area, temperature range, hopper size, weight or warranty, comes from the maker's official UK page or spec sheet. We store the link and the date we checked it alongside the figure. If a maker doesn't publish a figure, or we can't find a reliable source, the figure stays blank rather than being guessed.
UK and US versions of the same smoker sometimes differ in spec, accessories or warranty, so we use the UK page wherever there is one.
How comparisons are built
- Pick the criteria first. Each comparison states its criteria in the heading and near the top of the page, for example "compared on cooking area, temperature range and warranty".
- Collect the specs from the maker's UK sources and record the date.
- Explain what the numbers mean in plain English, including which specs matter for British weather and which are marketing.
- Say who each option suits. Different types of smoker suit different people, so we describe the trade-offs rather than crowning a single winner.
What we don't do
There are no star ratings, scores out of ten or hidden weightings. We don't use Review or rating markup in search results. We don't describe how something cooks unless we can point to the source of that description.
Type comparisons
Pages that compare smoker types (offset, kamado, pellet, bullet, electric and kettle) are editorial guides to how each design works: fuel, effort, power needs and how they cope with wind and rain. They don't rank individual products.
Prices
We don't quote prices. They change too often to be useful and can mislead. Check the current price with the retailer.
Commission
Some pages may contain affiliate links, labelled Ad. Whether a link earns money has no effect on the criteria or the order of a comparison. See our advertising disclosure.
Spotted an error?
Specs change and makers update their pages. If something looks out of date, tell us via the corrections page.