Pure Grill BBQ Smoker Box, Heavy Duty Stainless Steel, Hinged Lid Review (2026)

What it is and who it is for

The Pure Grill smoker box is a small stainless steel container that sits directly on the cooking grate or over a burner on a gas grill, letting wood chips smolder and add smoke flavor to food that would otherwise cook without it. It suits anyone with a gas or charcoal grill who wants smoked ribs, chicken, fish or vegetables without buying a dedicated offset smoker. The box measures roughly 9 inches by 4 inches and about 1 and 3 quarter inches high, small enough to tuck into a corner of most grates while still leaving room for direct cooking space. Because it works on gas grills as well as charcoal setups, it is a low-cost way to test whether smoking is a technique worth investing in further before buying larger equipment.

Build quality and materials

The box is made from heavy duty, food grade stainless steel, which is the detail that matters most for a product that sits directly over open flame or a lit burner for extended periods. Thinner metal smoker boxes tend to warp after repeated heat cycles, which can pop the lid open and let chips flare up instead of smolder. The gauge used here is built to resist that kind of warping, which should extend its useful life over cheaper boxes. The hinged lid is a practical touch since it stays attached to the body instead of becoming a separate loose piece that can get lost or misplaced between grilling sessions, and it makes it easier to check or add chips mid-cook using tongs or a grill glove.

Smoke output and venting

Smoke escapes through a series of vent holes cut into the lid, and Pure Grill sizes these holes at about a quarter inch across to balance airflow against smoke retention. Vents that are too small can smother the chips and produce thin, inconsistent smoke, while vents that are too large let smoke escape too quickly. The sizing here is meant to keep chips smoldering rather than igniting outright, which produces steadier smoke over a longer stretch of cook time. Because the box sits on the grate rather than inside a dedicated smoke chamber, placement matters. Positioning it close to a lit burner speeds up the time before smoke starts, while placing it farther away slows ignition but can extend how long the chips last.

Fit and grill compatibility

This box is sized for full-size grills but Pure Grill also states it works on portable grills, though owners of compact tabletop or camping grills should measure the space under the grate before buying, since a box that will not sit level or that blocks airflow to a burner can be more trouble than it is worth. Grills with limited clearance between the grate and the burner tubes may not have room for the box at all. Anyone shopping for a smoker box for a small two burner grill should check their own grate height and burner layout first, since this is a common fit issue across smoker boxes generally and not specific to any one brand or model.

Using it and getting good smoke

Soaking chips before use is common practice with smoker boxes generally, since damp chips smolder rather than burn quickly, though preferences vary by cook. Because the box and its contents get hot during use, the product should always be handled with a barbecue tong or a heat resistant grill glove rather than bare hands, especially when opening the hinged lid to add more chips partway through a long cook. The stainless build should hold up to repeated use and is described as dishwasher safe for cleanup by some retailers, though hand washing after cooled is the safer habit for keeping the hinge mechanism working smoothly over time. Overall it is a straightforward accessory rather than a set-and-forget smoker.

Frequently asked questions