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The best cookbooks for smoking food to master the art at home

HappySprout Contributor
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Step out of your comfort zone and upgrade your dishes with the smoking techniques outlined in these cookbooks. You can say goodbye to bland barbecue after you become an expert smoker with one of these handy manuals.

When choosing the right cookbook, it’s important to assess your own skills first. Do you want to start with the basics of smoking or do you want to enhance your skills? Also, there are different cookbooks specially designed for the type of smoker you have. If you strictly use a wood smoker, an electric smoker cookbook won’t be the right choice for you. This list is here to help you decide which guide is the perfect fit for your needs.

Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen

Best Cookbook Overall

The best overall meat smoker cookbook is Project Smoke by Steven Raichlen. Referred to as “The Barbecue Bible,” this step-by-step manual can transform any amateur smoker into a master. In addition to outlining classic recipes like jerk chicken and brisket, this cookbook will help you understand the ins and outs of the tools, wood types, and fuels that go into making these delicious recipes.

Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin

Best Value

A New York Times bestseller, Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto by Aaron Franklin is the definitive guide to conquering the art of meat-smoking. Aaron Franklin is the mastermind behind the popular, acclaimed Franklin Barbecue joint in Texas, and he shares his smoking secrets in this cookbook. In addition to recipes, this book has sections devoted to everything you need to know about customizing your smoker, finding the right wood, making the best fires, and finding quality meat.

The Complete Electric Smoker Cookbook by Bill West

Best for Electric Smoking

Master your electric smoker with the Complete Electric Smoker Cookbook by Bill West. Featuring more than100 recipes outlined in a user-friendly, step-by-step guide, you can turn your electric smoker into a vessel for delivering great-tasting smoked meals with every use. With this cookbook, you’ll be able to tackle recipes like Smoky Brined Turkey and Caramelized Honey Buffalo Chicken with ease.

The Wood Pellet Smoker and Grill Cookbook by Peter Jautaikis

Best for Wood Smoking

This book covers everything you need to know — tips, techniques, and secrets — for infusing the best smoky flavor into your food with your wood pellet smoker. Recipes like Texas-Style Brisket, Alder Wood-Smoked Trout, and Peach Blueberry Cobbler to perfection, because desserts should be smoked too!

You’ll be able to consider yourself a pro after mastering the technique of smoking with one of these cookbooks. Use this list to find the best guidebook to help you on your journey from becoming an amateur smoker to a pro. Follow the carefully curated steps in each cookbook and your tastebuds will thank you.

HappySprout Contributor
HappySprout Contributor
8 gifts for the gardener who has it all
Colorful potted flowers and garden tools arranged against a wooden wall with peeling blue paint

What do you get the gardener who has everything? It’s a question that a lot of people ask, so you aren’t alone! If you’re wracking your brain for a creative, fun gifts for your already well-prepared friend or family member, here are eight great ideas that are sure to be a hit!
Old Farmer’s Almanac gardening calendar
Old Farmer’s Almanac has been helping  gardeners for generations, and this latest calendar is no exception. With beautiful artwork and tips on growing the plants featured, the 2021 calendar is a perfect gift for gardeners. Use it to keep track of planting times and growing seasons or just for planning your weekends. Either way, it’s a useful and lovely gift.
CartChamp’s garden claws
Clawed garden gloves for digging have started increasing in popularity, but what if you already have gloves, don’t like gloves, or are looking for something a little less expensive? CartChamp has you covered with these handheld claws! They’re great for tilling your garden and can be used in combination with any gloves you already own.
HOMENOTE plant labels
Remembering where you’ve planted everything can be a hassle. It may not be an issue unless you have plants that have wildly different needs. An easy way to avoid that problem and improve the general look of your garden is to add garden signs. These plant labels from HOMENOTE are made from bamboo, so they’re durable and eco friendly. They even come with a permanent marker, so you can be sure your sign will stick!
The garden journal by Kieffer
While the plant labels can help you keep track of what you’ve planted in different parts of your garden, this garden journal by Joy Kieffer can help you keep track of everything else. It’s the perfect way to note things like planting times, what types of fertilizer you’ve been using, and anything else you might want to record!

40 varieties of Black Duck vegetable seeds
Well, you can’t be a gardener without plants to grow! Black Duck seeds are high quality, non-GMO, and heirloom varieties. The gardener in your life will be spoiled by choices with this pack containing 40 different vegetable seed varieties.

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Pro gardeners will love these 5 gifts
A small wicker basket on a table containing several gardening tools with green and yellow handles and floral gardening gloves

Experienced gardeners can be hard to shop for. They may already have a set way of doing things, certain types of tools they like, or even specific plants they prefer to grow. If this sounds like the gardener in your life, don’t stress about what to get them! Here are five useful and thrilling gifts that even pro gardeners will love.
XJYAMUS gardening claws
Garden gloves are a useful tool for keeping your hands clean or dealing with thorns, but these gloves have another purpose, too! Aside from looking pretty cool, these garden genie gloves have plastic claws to make digging easier than ever. These gloves are essentially a 2-in-1 tool, and they’re waterproof, too!

Sonkir soil pH and moisture tester
Does the gardener in your life get frustrated about never knowing the exact quality of their garden soil? This tester from Sonkir will take the guesswork out of the garden by letting you know the soil’s pH value, moisture level, and how much light it’s getting. The dial is easy to read, and you don’t need to worry about batteries or extension cords.

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These are the best gifts for a novice gardener
Several potted plants arranged on a table with gardening tools

Do you have a friend, family member, or loved one who is just starting to get into gardening? If so, maybe you’re wondering what you could get them for a holiday or birthday gift to support their hobby. If that’s the case, look no further than this list! Here are seven amazing gift ideas for the new gardener in your life.
Cooljob breathable garden gloves
Gloves may not be a necessity for all gardeners, but they are a preferences for many. These gloves from Cooljob are durable, breathable, and relatively fashionable. Reviewers have found these gloves to be very comfortable, and they hold up well under regular use. They’re even washable!

The Garden Journal
“The Garden Journal, Planner, and Log Book” by Joy L. Kieffer allows gardeners to keep track of what works, what doesn’t, and what to do when. This gift would be excellent for any gardener, but novice gardeners may benefit the most from having a designated space to record their gardening habits. The ability to look back and see what you did, when you did it, and what the result was can take a lot of the stress out of starting a garden.

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