While electric and pellet smokers are easier to use, they don’t quite compare to the cooking area offered by an offset. If you’re in the market for one, brands like Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s carry several models and styles across the board. Dyna Glo’s best-seller is its Signature Series Barrel Charcoal Grill and Offset Smoker. With its large cooking space, it’s a favorite for its grilling and smoking versatility.
Oklahoma Joe’s, a brand acquired by Char-Broil, has the Highland Offset Charcoal Smoker as its best bet. While smaller than Dyna Glo, the Highland is top-rated thanks to its sturdy design and affordability. Does the affordable option beat the premium one? Or are you still getting more bang for your buck from Dyna Glo than Oklahoma Joe’s?
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Dyna Glo vs Oklahoma Joe’s Offset Smoker Comparison Chart
Design
Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s boast well-built offset smokers with plenty of storage space.
Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s smokers are horizontal offset smokers with a barrel-style design. If you’re new to smokers, it’s easy to mistake them for regular charcoal grills.
Unlike your usual BBQ grill, however, the Dyna Glo Signature and the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland feature two chambers — a large one for cooking and a second small firebox on the side. There’s also a smokestack with adjustable dampers for regulating the smokers’ temperature. The secondary chamber — where the charcoal and wood go in and are ignited — is central to how these offset smokers work.
From afar, Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s smokers share a striking resemblance. Both brandish a heavy-gauge steel construction. They also come in a matte-black powder-coated finish that’s capable of handling high temperatures and lends the smokers an industrial aesthetic.
Below the units, you’ll find storage space and steel wagon wheels for mobility. In front of the main cooking chambers, front shelves provide additional workspace. Oklahoma Joe’s lower and front shelf sport a mesh design. This means you can place smaller items without worrying about them slipping. Dyna Glo’s smoker is larger but its lower shelf looks narrower and uses a wire design.
Cooking Performance
Casual smoker fans will find the Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s as capable offset smokers.
The Dyna Glo Signature smoker provides a larger main cooking area than the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland. Dyna Glo’s offset smoker has a total cooking space of 962 sq. in. Its main cooking area measures 675 sq. in. That’s enough room for twenty 4-inch burgers.
On the other hand, Oklahoma Joe’s has 619 sq. in. of primary cooking space, with the side firebox adding 281 sq. in. The company says the main chamber can accommodate four 8 lb. pork shoulders or seven 4.5 lb. whole chicken.
Both smokers use porcelain-coated steel cooking wires for the primary cooking area. The material is durable and maintains and transfers heat quite well. However, compared to other smokers, the grates are thinner. The accompanying side box of the smokers is also smaller than average. While it can fit charcoal and flavored wood chips, larger logs won’t fit.
To control temperature, Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s smokers feature multiple adjustable dampers on the smokestack and firebox. Their fireboxes also have an easy access door for adding fuel or stoking wood. You can use Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s smokers as regular charcoal grills; however, their main chambers don’t come with an ashtray.
Other Features and Accessories
Oklahoma Joe’s offers more accessories than Dyna Glo.
Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s offset smokers come with a temperature gauge. This makes it easier to control and adjust the heat while keeping the smokers’ lids closed. Their main chamber and firebox also have cool-touch handles. However, their smokebox and firebox adjustable dampers don’t have the same feature, so don’t ditch your gloves or mittens just yet.
As mentioned in the design, you get sturdy front shelves on both the Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s smokers. Because they run the length of the main chamber, you have enough room for food, cookware, and utensils. For easy cleanup, the Dyna Glo and Oklahoma Joe’s firebox has its own ashtray as well.
In terms of accessories, Oklahoma Joe’s has the advantage. The brand carries its own catalog of tools, cookware, gear, and mods. They also sell a range of woods — from flavored chips to wood pellets, and fire starters to wood chunks. In contrast, Dyna Glo is limited to a few smoker covers.
Check out more Dyna Glo reviews here.
Verdict
While slightly smaller, the Oklahoma Joe’s Highland offset smoker gives more bang for your buck than the Dyna Glo offset smoker.
When it comes to offset smokers, you want a unit that’s heavy-duty, offers good ventilation and comes with ample storage space. The Dyna Glo Signature Series and Oklahoma Joe’s Highland offset smokers meet all three. So which one do you choose? Although Dyna Glo’s smoker is larger, its advantage in cooking space is negligible.
Oklahoma Joe’s Highland is cheaper but comes with the same feature set as Dyna Glo. In addition, the Highland smoker offers slightly more storage space with better-designed shelves. If user ratings and reviews are to be relied on, Oklahoma Joe’s smoker performs better, too, making it a stronger addition to your backyard.
FAQs
Dyna Glo ratings are fairly positive. Many users commend the brand for its well-designed and versatile grills and smokers.
Yes, you can. Oklahoma Joe’s Highland’s main chamber can be used as a regular grill. However, the main chamber doesn’t come with an ashtray, so cleaning it may take time.
Oklahoma Joe’s Highland offset smoker comes with two years warranty on the lid, firebox, grates, and other parts.
No, Dyna Glo’s barrel offset smokers do not come with a smoking rack.