Having spent thousands of hours smoking over the last 20 or so years, I’ve worked with everything from improvised setups and pellet tubes to refined chambers and high-end commercial systems.
It has never been just meat either, because once you understand smoke, you start experimenting with anything that can take on flavor. What I care about most is control, consistency, and a repeatable process.
Smokai is a New Zealand company, and I was surprised to learn a large portion of their sales comes from the USA and Europe.
That lines up with what I see on this site too, since many readers want a straightforward way to add steady smoke to a home setup without rebuilding everything. Before Smokai, I used UFO smoke generators, another New Zealand design.
Over time, I got familiar with the strengths and frustrations of those earlier products, especially when trying to keep a session consistent from start to finish.
This review compares smoke generators in a practical way, focusing on what matters with regular use: ease of starting, smoke output control, burn quality, build quality, and long-term reliability. I’ve run these on gas grills, kettle grills, and even a wine barrel setup. I’m focusing on the Smokai Classic and Magnum, since those sizes cover most home and small smokehouse builds.
Smokai Smoke Generator Review (My Verdict)
I ended up having a few chats with Tony, the owner of Smokai, about the differences in smoke generators on the market. When I received two of the generators, I noticed some clear differences in design straight away. The whole point of this post is to explain those differences in a way that helps you choose the right unit and the right size.
Short answer: based on ease of starting, control of smoke, consistent burn, and solid design, Smokai has produced the best smoke generator I have used. That is the straightforward answer for anyone who just wants the recommendation and wants to get on with smoking.
For readers who want context, I have used other approaches for years. A simple smoldering pile of charcoal and wood can work, and a pellet tube or maze smoker is still useful for a lot of setups. Once I started using Smokai regularly, it became my go-to option because it is controllable and repeatable without feeling fussy.
Smokai Models and Burn Time (Bullet, Classic, Magnum, Monster)
First, some specs, then the practical details. The size you choose should match the chamber volume and how long you want to run a session without refilling. I use the Classic most often, and my mate uses the Magnum on a wine barrel chamber.
With the 1L Classic, half loads have been plenty for the kind of sessions I like doing, and the burn stays very consistent. If you turn the pump up and push a lot of air through it, it will burn faster and produce a lot more smoke. That flexibility is a big reason a generator beats a passive smoker when you want repeatable results.
More recently I’ve been testing cold smoking theory and equipment across different chambers, and that is where controlled smoke output really proves its value. When the generator is steady, you can focus on chamber airflow and how the smoke moves through the space, instead of constantly chasing a dying ember.
Performance Breakdown (What Matters in Real Use)
Now that the sizes and burn times are clear, the real question is how the Smokai behaves once it’s running. This is the part that decides whether a smoke generator feels effortless or frustrating, so here’s what stood out for me in day-to-day use.
Ease of starting
I was genuinely surprised the first time I started the Smokai. With wood chips, a normal lighter was enough to get it going. That might sound like a small thing, but when you run a generator often, easy starts matter because they reduce friction throughout the process.
Wood chips are recommended to be around 2 to 10 mm, and in my experience, chips in the 3 to 6 mm range are the easiest to light. Pellets work too, but chips are more forgiving when you want a quick, clean start.
With the earlier UFO-style units, I always needed a torch-style lighter. That was one of the regular annoyances, along with how much time I spent clearing blockages. The difference with Smokai is that the whole design feels built around easy ignition and a steady draw.
The pump creates a strong pull that helps keep the burn stable. The principle is closely related to the Venturi effect, where airflow helps draw smoke through a system, and the concept is explained clearly in this Venturi overview.
It also gets hot while running, so the mounting needs to be properly thought through. The built-in bracket makes that easy, since you just drill the mounting holes and bolt it on.
Control of smoke output
This is the main reason I like a smoke generator. A pellet tube is brilliant for simplicity, but a generator wins when you want to control how much smoke the chamber gets. With the pump dial you can run light smoke for a tighter chamber, or wind it up and push a heavy flow through a larger smokehouse-style build.
Dialing control matters even more when the weather changes or when you move between a small cabinet and a larger chamber. For a practical reference on how conditions and setup affect sessions, I keep a guide to cold-smoking temperatures and setup tips.
Clean burn and solid design
When a smoke generator is running well, it produces a steady stream of clean-looking smoke and maintains a consistent burn. I find the Smokai handles both chips and pellets well once it is lit properly. Different woods can also behave differently, so part of the learning is figuring out which fuel style matches the way you like to run your chamber.
Build quality is another strong point. The Smokai is made of 304 stainless steel, which makes it heavier and more robust than the lighter units I have used. The parts fit together snugly, and that tight fit helps the whole system feel stable and predictable during longer sessions.
Cleaning and maintenance
Cleaning is one of the overlooked buying factors. The UFO does not detach easily, while the Smokai does, and that difference adds up over time. The removable horizontal pipe locks in place, and it is a smart design choice because you can take it out, clear it, and put it back without fighting the unit.
The main routine is simple once everything has fully cooled down. Tip out the ash, wipe away any residue, and keep the airflow path clear. The more regularly it is cleaned, the more reliably it performs.
The bottom is locked, but can be twisted to release and empty ash after a smoking session.
Smokai vs Other Smoke Generators (My Comparison)
Before Smokai, I spent plenty of time with the UFO-style generator. It did the job, but I also spent a lot of time unblocking it and working around limitations. Once I switched to Smokai, the overall experience felt more refined and less fiddly, especially for repeatable sessions.
The Smoke Daddy is a US product I have avoided because of the burn style and the buildup people report. It may suit certain setups, but it is not the direction I want for the way I smoke at home.
UFO Smokers are a lighter product, and in my experience, less robust. There are also a couple of similar units around Europe. What made Smokai stand out for me is its combination of easy starts, consistent draw, and build quality that makes it feel like a tool you will still be using years later.
Check out the Smokai Options.
Mounting Ideas and Chamber Compatibility
I’ve used the 1L Classic extensively on my five-burner gas grill and kettle grill. I’ve also mounted the 3L Magnum on a friend’s wine-barrel setup, which suits its larger volume well.
The mounting bracket makes setup straightforward, and once it is installed, you can focus on airflow through the chamber rather than babysitting the smoke source.
Chambers, I’ve seen these mounted to
Smoke generators are flexible because the chamber can be almost anything that holds smoke and allows controlled airflow. Some common setups include wine barrels, old fridges or cabinets, wooden boxes, smokehouses, kettle grills, and barrel smokers.
I have even heard of people converting a small playhouse into a chamber, though a simple cabinet build is usually the cleaner route.
- Wine barrel
- Old fridge or cabinet
- Smoking cabinet or wooden box
- Smokehouse
- Kettle or barrel smoker
- Beehive box style modular chamber
- Pellet grill smoker (some models have airflow characteristics worth understanding)
For more chamber inspiration, I keep a roundup of DIY cold smoker ideas that help match a generator to the kind of build you want.
On the Smokai website, there are plenty of ideas worth browsing, especially for cabinet-style builds.
Why Choose a Smoke Generator Over a Pellet Tube or Maze?
The advantage of a generator is control. You can adjust airflow and smoke output, so you can match the smoke to the chamber rather than accept whatever the fuel produces. That is the reason I reach for a generator when I want consistent results across repeated sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Smokai size suits most home smoker setups?
For most home setups, the 1L Classic is the sweet spot because it fits common cabinet- and grill-based chambers and can run long sessions without feeling oversized. The 3L Magnum makes more sense when the chamber volume is larger, such as in a wine barrel or a smokehouse-style build.
Can I run wood pellets in a Smokai or is chips better?
Both work. Chips tend to light more easily and get going faster, while pellets can run steadily once they are properly lit and drawing well. If quick starts matter most, chips usually feel simpler.
What is the main advantage of a smoke generator over a pellet tube?
A smoke generator gives you active control of smoke output through the pump and airflow. That makes it easier to match smoke levels to different chamber sizes and repeat sessions without guessing.
What types of chambers can a smoke generator mount to?
They can be mounted on a wide range of chambers, including wine barrels, cabinets, wooden boxes, smokehouses, kettle grills, and other enclosed smokers. The key is stable mounting, a good smoke path into the chamber, and airflow that lets the smoke move through the space.
Order one here from Smokai directly from their site.
Have you mounted a smoke generator to a cabinet, barrel, or something unusual? Leave a comment with your chamber setup and what you learned from running it.
Tom Mueller
For decades, immersed in studying, working, learning, and teaching the craft of meat curing, sharing the passion and showcasing the world of charcuterie and smoked meat. Read More
I happened across the Smokai website when I was looking for a smoke generator to attach to an old refrigerator smoker my dad built, probably 40+ years ago. The product seemed solid, so I ordered the magnum from Smokai. I found your review after receiving and attaching the generator this week. Not that I was too concerned about the quality of the product, but I was glad I found your review to confirm what I suspected about the product. I’ll be giving it a test this upcoming week by cold smoking some salmon and for smoke generation while smoking some Polish style sausage.
Thanks for the review!
Awesome, yes it nice having something with control over smoke. I’m keen on those Polish, Hungarian and Czech/Slovak styles too!
I am interested in smokai but can’t get answers fom the company no telephone contact and they take for ever to get back to emails. And their response is usualy automated.
What do you think about the bella?
Haven’t used it, looks similar. Love the smokai I use, compared to some others it seems to burn/ smoke really smooth. I’d still go Smokai. Cheers Tom
How did it go Cameron?
I’m attaching a 3L Magnum Smokai to an electric oven that I replaced. The smoke tube isn’t long enough, so I need an extension. I’ve ordered a stainless 6” steel tube to fit over it, but it has yet to arrive. My concern is removing the tube for cleaning and reattaching it. It’s a tight fit and somewhat difficult reattaching through the hole in the Smokai even when not hooked up the smoker yet. Hopefully it will loosen up with use. Thought?
I’ve reached out to Tony who owns Smokai (good guy) and will respond here about his thoughts. Cheers Tom
Response: I would suggest longer mounting bolts from the inside of the oven to the outside and secure with wing nuts so the whole Smoke Generator can be quickly removed. Also, to empty ash, it can just be tipped upside down.
Thank you! I ended up mounting a black gas pipe on the end of the tube to extend it. A simple twist of the tube easily removes the Smokai as designed. I love this smoke generator.
Nice one, its definitely my go to smoker these days! Cheers Tom
I just ordered a 1L Smokeai! But they can’t ship wood chips to the US. What size chips are best? Can I use the chips, like the ones Weber sells everywhere or do I need something smaller, like little pellets?
Thanks.
I’ve used all sorts of thinks in smokai, but the recommended size works very well, as mentioned wood pellets are fine too.
What chips, available in the US, will for the Smokeai? Most of the ones I have seem are quite a bit longer than the 10mm maximum that Smokeai recommends.
Thanks
I mainly used Traeger or other brands of smoking wood pellets- pecan, hickory, apple etc.. Cheers T
You mentioned that you use pellets but it also sounds like they are more difficult to light. So, how do you light your pellets?
sorry late response, had no power for a week. To be honest, pellets are fine. The previous smoke generator I used was hard to light, I’ve found as long as the smokai is relatively clean. It will light easy with a normal ciggy lighter! Cheers T
You can get the small chips for the Smokai in the US at Smokinlicious.com. Get the Minuto #6. They burn great. Excellent customer service if you have questions.
Thanks Al, good to know!
what have you found works best for cleaning the Smokai? Anyone used oven cleaner, like they recommended on the Smokai site?
personally, I use a small gauge wire, and then just take it apart at make sure everything is clear. Not worried personally about it being spotless. Would use toxic cleaners either
Cleaning discovery: using bear mountain pellets, ended up with some serious buildup after a lot of use, including creosote, resulting in air flow obstruction in the horizontal tube. Couldn’t scrape it off, so disassembled and put in the self cleaning oven. Totally did the trick.
Yeah, i poke a bit of small gauge wire through the blow hole and make sure the pipe is clean, the rest I consider flavor!
just received my Smokai Magnum and mounted on my RecTec pellet smoker for more smoke. I used it for first time yesterday and didn’t use heat from RecTec but only smoke from Smokai. It worked great and smoke billowed out.
Today I’m hot smoking a brisket. The Smokai magnum is barely producing smoke. Most of the smoke is coming out of the lighter holes. What am I doing wrong??
from my experience, you’ve done nothing wrong.
lots of smoke isn’t a good thing, clean burning combustion is important i think.
The heat effects the smoke, so you don’t see it, but trust me its happening!
Cheers
T
I’ve had to much smoke and meat has come out bitter – !FYI!
I have just purchased the Smokai and I would like to also use it for hot smoking in my Kamado. Before I install it I am concerned that introducing the smoke will increase my temp in the kamado and my temp will run away with me? Have you tried this?
Haven’t no, but the smokai doesn’t generate heat since you are blowing in cold smoke vapor cheers T ps check out the smokai site for details
Thanks for the great review and vid. I was trying to decide whether or not to purchase. I’ve tried smoking tubes; but, they don’t stay lit in the BGE while doing a low & slow cook. Your review and vid pulled me over the edge, placing my order today.
Also plan to order the attachment for my Weber to use when doing a quick weeknight cook.
Thanks again.
Thanks, yeah can’t beat the consistent clean burn, just remember to clean it. Any of these cold smokers build up creasote/resin. Also, depends on the wood pellets you burn. Cheers Tom
I have the UFO and have been using it for a few years now. Here’s what I have learned which applies to any brand:
CLEANING: I did have a problem where the volume of smoke started to drop off noticeably over timedso I phones the UFO guys and they said to clean it with oven cleaner, which I did and the result was amazing. So now, when I’ve finished, I tip out the remaining embers then immediately spray with the oven cleaner while it is hot. In minutes it is spotless then I just hose it down well.
PELLETS: I only use pellets these days, I buy a 9kg bag on trademe, separate it into 1kg bags the vacuum seal it. I big learning for me was to dry it before smoking. Wood absorbs a huge amonut of water which will adversely affect the smoking action. I microwave it in 30 second bursts, agitate then nuke. ( I also use the wife’s hair dryer, but only when she’s not home). I find that the results with pellets are more consistent when compared to wood chips.
Manuka Wood Chips: I found that it is easy to “over-smoke” with manuka wood chips and this tends to leave a very bitter taste on whatever you are smoking. I have also had batches that seem to be quite old and the quality varies a lot on all types of wood chip.
Thanks
Cheers,
Yeah I’ve compared both- and still say Smokai (since everyone just copied them, I like to support the original!), higher gauge steel, and burns cleaner.
Cleaning, yep part of the process
Pellets, nuking them – interesting idea. I haven’t needed to go to that extreme. Any wood hold some moisture (its noticeable when comparing to gas based hot smoking or indirect hot smoking or low and slow)
Manuka – over smoking can also occur from lack of ventilation or the size of the smoker too!
Cheers
T
I adapted the Smokai to my Pellet grill and have trouble keeping it generating smoke into the grill, especially when the lid is closed. I did crack the lid and that helped but seem to keep babysitting the thing to keep it producing good smoke… any advice on use with pellet grills. If you close the lid it will push smoke back through the tube. I have it on the strongest air setting. I have a Pit Boss…
Here there! I reach out to Smokai, Tony replied in detail: “It depends……….. the high heat from burning the pellets create pressure within the lid, the level of which depends on the size of the vent, the fan speed and of course the temperature. If the Pellet Grills fan blows into the grill directly opposite the position of the Smoke generator, this can impact the flow of smoke. The best course of action with pellet grills is to run the smoke generator on high, moderate the grill temperature (if needed) and ensure good airflow (if the venting is insufficient, propping the lid open ever slightly can help considerably….. in effect mimicking the slots you see on the back of most BBQ’s).
Sometimes the very high heat vaporises the water particles within the smoke (creating that blue smoke people talk about), therefore making the smoke exiting the smoke generator very hard to see. People often think that because they can’t see the smoke, it’s stopped smoking. If the wood volume in the hopper is going down, it’s smoking.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Tony”
I contacted Smokai folk before buying to ask if the smoke generator would work in cold temperatures, because I live in Canada and like to use the bbq all year. They said they don’t recommend using it in cold temperatures (like minus 30) but I bought it anyway. It works great in the summer, and is useable in winter, but has some problems. The combustion of the pellets creates water vapour, which rises up through the pellets and condenses on the lid. Over time, the pellets absorb this moisture, swell up, and block the tube. The. The smoke stops. Also, the air pump doesn’t like the cold and started to make a lot of noise and work poorly. I can’t say they didn’t warn me! However, I am going to try using chips instead of pellets to help with the moisture problem, and I ordered a battery powered pump that I can put in a box with some hand warmers. That should do the trick. When the Smokai is operating in its RECOMMENDED weather, it produces great smoke and flavour both hot and cold. I did a brisket at Christmastime and it was perfect with lots of smoke flavour.
Interesting, it gets alot colder your way then New Zealand! Pretty mild, I have noticed condensation on wooden lid before, has effected performance yet though. I’ve used various woodchips successfully. Found that using coarse sieves can help get a more consistent size woodchip. All the best, Tom
Hello! Anyone installed one on a Memphis pellet grill? I’d love to have this product but wondered if there is any history with the Memphis brand? Thanks
I haven’t seen that before, suggest emailing smokai – they should know the details – Cheers Tom
Hi Tom, Thanks for the review, really appreciated the information.
I have a 3 burner Weber gas grill. The burners run parallel to the sides. If I install a 1L Smokai on the side, what would be the best location? Would it be towards the back, centered or towards the front? Would the smoke tube be above or below the grill grate? And since I will be using indirect heat, should the burner I use be on the Smokai side or the opposite side of the grill? I was curious about this last question because I wonder if the smoke tube being to close to a hot burner would negatively impact the flow of smoke. Thanks in advance for your input. Al
Hey Al, I havent done a Weber, but here is some info 🙂 – https://smokai.com/collections/2023-weber-q
Hi Tom, Thanks for the info, I appreciate it.
I read your review again and see that you have attached a Smokai to a 5 burner gas grill. Can you please tell me the location of the Smoke, i.e is it centered on the side and is the smoke tube above or below the cooking grate. And, is the Smokai on the hot side or the cooler side when using indirect heat. Just trying to get the best performance out of the 1L as possible. Thanks again.
Hey, I was a bit brevado and drilled a hole on a lower shelf. So I remove the grease pan. Then I sometime place wooden rods over some of then venting holes on the hood! Smokai on indirect side with food. Heat on other side. Windy day and make it challenging! All the best, Tom
Thank you! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Sounds Good, setups varies, checkout the smokai website as well for ideas, here is the link
Cheers mate. Just added the 1L Smokai to an old stainless steel electric smoker box and it seems to work great. Only issue is it gets a little too warm in the box (up above 85F/30C) so I’m wary of using it to smoke fish (which is what I really want to do). Any thoughts? Thanks.
You mean cold smoke the fish? Do it at night, is what I do in warmer months. Or wait until winter. If the smokai is external it shouldnt heat it up. If you havent, keep it out of the sun too! All the best Tom. When I really wanted to smoke something on warmer days, I used a tray of ice in smoker to drop temps.
Hi looking at building a smoker big enough to cold smoke sides of beef , this is not for preserving the meat , just for flavour , The carcass will then get broken down and cut into the cuts we prefer , there is a subtle taste to all the meat that is quite delicious. My question is will the biggest model they have handle the job ? as there small model we have found frankly disappointing and after many years of trials it just was not up to its task of small cold smoking jobs .
Many thanks
Rob
yep sure will, also breaking down the animal a bit will mean more surface area is exposed to the smoke vapor, might boost the smokyness