Top 5 compared
The best cocktail smoker kits
A smoky Old Fashioned made at home, with a wisp of oak or cherry wood smoke in every glass.
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The top 5 at a glance
A cocktail smoker is a small chimney that sits on top of the glass. You light a pinch of wood chips in it, the smoke fills the glass beneath, and within a minute you lift the top off a drink that smells of oak, cherry or apple. It suits whisky above all, but works on most short drinks. Most kits light the chips with a butane torch; electric smokers do it at the press of a button.
Torch kits arrive without butane: the can of butane lighter refill is sold separately, and in the UK the law stops shops supplying it to anyone under 18. The electric ones charge over USB instead, so there’s no gas to buy. Every kit here comes with six flavours of wood chips.
What matters
- A steel filter or scorch shield between the chips and the wood.
- A top or glass rest that fits the glasses you already own.
- On an electric smoker, a magnetic cover that stops the burn when lifted.
- Glasses and ice moulds only if the drinks cupboard lacks them.
#1ComboJoy Whiskey Smoker Kit with Torch, 2 Glasses and 2 Ice Ball Moulds
£30–£50
A complete bar in a box: an oak smoker top with a steel mesh, a torch, six chip flavours, two glasses and two ice ball moulds, so nothing but the butane needs buying before the first smoked drink. Three of the four kits below score higher, but it outsells every one of them.
What owners say: Owners describe a well-made kit that works well and is good value, and enjoy using it. The smoky taste divides them, though: for some it lifts a whisky, while others taste nothing at all, and the chips get mixed reports too.
Heads up: The torch arrives empty: fill it from a can of butane lighter refill before the first use (its inlet takes the standard cans), and let it stand a minute before lighting.
A closer look: A big ice sphere takes hours to set, so the moulds want filling the night before; chill the glasses while the chips smoulder. Hold the top down lightly as the smoke gathers under it, then lift it straight up so the cloud rolls out over the table, and tip the ash from the steel mesh once it has cooled.
- Steel mesh catches the ash
Best for: Smoked whisky and Old Fashioneds
- Smoker top
- Oak
- Lights the chips with
- Torch
- Butane included
- Not included
- Glasses
- 2
- Ice moulds
- 2 ice ball moulds
#2G&J’s Finest Mahogany Whiskey Smoker Kit with Quad-Flame Torch
£30–£50
A mahogany top that looks the part on a drinks tray, with a rest that takes any glass, a four-flame torch that gets the chips smouldering fast, a scorch shield between flame and wood and six chip flavours. G&J gives three ways of using it, for lighter or stronger smoke.
What owners say: Owners rate the quality, find it simple to use, helped by clear instructions that are easy to follow, and like having several chip flavours to choose between.
A closer look: Spoon a pinch of chips into the well, play the torch over them until they catch, then take the flame away and let the smoke settle for a moment before lifting the top. The shield keeps the mahogany’s finish clean; brush the ash out of the filters once the kit has cooled, ready for the next round.
- Scorch shield protects the wood
- Two mesh filters
- Choose lighter or stronger smoke
- Cleaning brush and recipe book
Best for: Choosing how smoky each drink is
- Smoker top
- Mahogany, glass rest
- Lights the chips with
- Quad-flame torch
- Butane included
- Not included
- Glasses
- No
- Ice moulds
- No
#3iljimae Flameless Electric Cocktail Smoker with LED Ring
£10–£20
No torch, no butane: a button press lights the chips, an LED ring and a countdown show it working, and a magnetic cover stops the smoke when lifted. It charges over USB-C, good for more than 170 smokes a charge by iljimae’s figure, and the six chips run from pecan and beech to pear and cherry.
What owners say: Owners find it quick to set up, enjoy the six wood flavours and say it does the job well, and they consider it fairly priced.
A closer look: Charge it before the first evening, then hold the button for a few seconds until the ring glows and press again to start the smoke. Go easy on the chips: a small pinch burns clean and a heaped one chokes. It sits on tumblers, rocks glasses and mason jars, and suits anyone who’d rather not keep gas in the house.
- Over 170 smokes a charge
- LED ring and countdown
- Smoke stops when cover’s lifted
- Sits on jars and tumblers
- Pecan, beech, pear, cherry chips
Best for: Smoking drinks without a flame
- Smoker top
- Electric, plastic body
- Lights the chips with
- Electric, USB-C
- Butane included
- Not needed
- Glasses
- No
- Ice moulds
- No
#4Ritual Life Cocktail Smoker Kit with Torch, Glasses and Ice Ball Makers
£30–£50
A sixteen-piece set: a reversible wooden top that Ritual Life says fits all glasses, an adjustable-flame torch that doubles as a kitchen torch for crème brûlée, two steel filters, six chip flavours, two crystal tumblers and two ice ball makers. Its score is higher than the ComboJoy’s, which leads because it sells far more.
What owners say: Owners are impressed by the quality and the looks, find it easy to use with everything needed in the box, are happy with what they paid and say it adds real flavour to a drink. Some, though, have had trouble getting the torch to work.
A closer look: Try both faces of the top on your own glasses early on, to see which way up suits each, and turn the torch down to a gentle flame for the chips. The steel filter sits between chips and wood: swap in the spare when the first clogs, which is what protects the top over months of use.
- Torch doubles for crème brûlée
- Two steel filters
- Sixteen pieces in all
Best for: Any glass in the cupboard
- Smoker top
- Wood, reversible
- Lights the chips with
- Adjustable torch
- Butane included
- Not included
- Glasses
- 2 crystal tumblers
- Ice moulds
- 2 ice ball makers
#5SMOKPUB Electric Whiskey Smoker Kit
£30–£50
A stainless-steel electric smoker that lights the chips at a button press and needs no torch or gas: SMOKPUB puts a charge at up to 130 smokes, and the magnetic cover cuts the burn off as soon as it is lifted. Six chip flavours, hickory and beech among them, come with it.
What owners say: Owners say it’s simple to use and makes drinks that taste great. How much smoke it makes varies, though, and a few units don’t work at all.
A closer look: Hold the button until the green light flashes, set it over the glass and press again; two seconds of smoke is plenty for a short drink, so stop early and add more if the taste is faint. Tap the ash out after each use and keep the chamber dry.
- Up to 130 smokes
- Burn stops when cover’s lifted
- Hickory and beech chips
Best for: A steel smoker for short drinks
- Smoker top
- Electric, stainless steel
- Lights the chips with
- Electric, USB
- Butane included
- Not needed
- Glasses
- No
- Ice moulds
- No
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1ComboJoy | #2G&J’s Finest | #3iljimae electric | #4Ritual Life | #5SMOKPUB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best mahogany kit | Best budget | Best reversible top | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.0 |
| Price | £30–£50 | £30–£50 | £10–£20 | £30–£50 | £30–£50 |
| Smoker top | Oak | Mahogany, glass rest | Electric, plastic body | Wood, reversible | Electric, stainless steel |
| Lights the chips with | Torch | Quad-flame torch | Electric, USB-C | Adjustable torch | Electric, USB |
| Butane included | Not included | Not included | Not needed | Not included | Not needed |
| Glasses | 2 | No | No | 2 crystal tumblers | No |
| Ice moulds | 2 ice ball moulds | No | No | 2 ice ball makers | No |
| Best for | Smoked whisky and Old Fashioneds | Choosing how smoky each drink is | Smoking drinks without a flame | Any glass in the cupboard | A steel smoker for short drinks |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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