The best Cold smoke generators, compared.
Top pick: EDITBYLIBRA Smokit Best value: QWORK 12 inch pellet tube – About £8.99 with 4.6 from 190 reviews. A short pellet burn, not the highest score. Updated October 2026.
The chamber is still a lidded barbecue or a box, with air in low and out high. On amazon.co.uk the name covers a dust maze, a pellet tube, and an electric pump with a hose. You want cheese, bacon, or salmon flavour, or a little smoke on a lit gas barbecue. ProQ says keep the chamber cool, cook bacon afterwards, and stay outdoors because of carbon monoxide. Separate these nine listings by fuel, by a burn UK reviews actually describe, and by the stated chamber size. A pump needs mains or USB-C and can keep the burn off the food. The Original is stated for about 30–150 litres, and the Artisan from about 150 litres. A 5.0 from four reviews is weaker evidence. The checks before you buy are in the [cold smoke generator buying guide](/hub/grill-accessories/cold-smoke-generator/sub/cold-smoke-generator-buying-guide). A dust maze, such as the ProQ Original or the Artisan, needs no plug. You light the dust with a tea light or a torch and take the flame out once the dust smoulders. A pellet tube, here the QWORK, sits on the grate. It is cheaper and the burn is shorter. An adaptor, a fog machine, and a whole electric barbecue are not this category. Reviews report both long burns and an ember that dies early.
The chamber is still a lidded barbecue or a box, with air in low and out high. On amazon.co.uk the name covers a dust maze, a pellet tube, and an electric pump with a hose.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you filling with smoke?
EDITBYLIBRA Smokit is about £119, 2 kg, USB-C, with 304 and silicone in the bullets and a stated size of 28 × 90 × 36 cm. Stars are 5.0 from 4. The only UK review is enthusiastic and adds 0.9 litres and up to 12 hours, which the specification table does not. Two of the four reviews are Australian and note that camping needs a power bank. There is no defect text in the saved reviews, and four reviews are a thin base next to the ProQ maze.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A trial of a USB pump if four reviews are enough for you.
Less suitable: Anyone who wants a deep UK review trail before spending about £119.
Specifications
Common questions
How is it powered?
The bullets say a USB-C lead. A power bank is not included, which an Australian review repeats for camping.
What do the four reviews cover?
One UK review praises fast adjustable smoke and names 0.9 litres and up to 12 hours. Those two figures are not in the specification table. Two reviews are from Australia. No captured review describes a defect.
Is 304 stated?
Yes, in the bullets, with silicone. The listing dimensions are 28 × 90 × 36 cm and the weight is 2 kg.
The starter set is about £49.99, model 456610, origin listed as the United Kingdom, item weight 1.65 kg. It is the maze plus a book and two dusts, stated for up to 150 litres. Stars are 4.7 from 144. UK reviews treat it as a gift and a first kit. They also report the generator going out, sharp edges, and run times that felt optimistic. One review says a small box can warm slightly. The Grocery salt rank is what the saved listing shows. Generator dimensions are not stated.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first cold smoke where the book matters as much as the maze.
Less suitable: Someone who already owns fine dust and a method.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the box?
The bullets list the ProQ cold smoke generator, a beginners’ curing and cold smoking book, and two types of wood dust.
Does it fit any grill?
The listing says a lidded barbecue up to 150 litres and names Weber Smokey Mountain, offsets, kamados, and cabinet smokers. UK reviews also mention a cardboard box and a filing cabinet.
Is the book what reviewers mention?
Yes. Captured UK reviews single out the book and the dusts for a first attempt, and they still report the ember going out while learning.
QWORK WD40874 is a hexagonal 304 tube at about £8.99, 30.5 × 5 × 5 cm and 200 g, with 4.6 from 190. The bullets claim about 5 hours of smoke from pellets on gas, charcoal, or electric grills. A UK review puts the pellet maximum at 4 hours and warns about temperature. The fuel-type field says charcoal and electric, which does not match the pellet bullets. It is a short in-chamber burn, not a 12-hour maze.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A few hours of smoke on a grill you already own, including a lit gas barbecue.
Less suitable: An overnight cold smoke where the chamber must stay cool.
Specifications
Common questions
Will it fit an electric grill?
The bullet says it is compatible with gas, charcoal, and electric grills and smokers.
How long does a fill last?
The listing says about 5 hours. A UK review says a maximum of 4 hours on pellets.
Is it only for cold smoking?
The bullets say hot and cold. Many captured reviews use it on a lit grill. One UK review says the chamber can warm and mentions an ice bath under the food.
ProQ Original is the dust maze at about £34.99, model 151610, 150 × 180 × 40 mm and 370 g. The listing says up to 12 hours in 30–150 litres, with an oak dust sample and a tea light you remove once the dust smoulders. It is 4.5 from 807. UK reviews describe cheese, bacon, and fish in a kettle or a small box, and they also describe the ember dying on coarse or short dust. Stainless is not given a grade on the saved listing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A lidded kettle or box around 30–150 litres, if you will buy fine dry dust.
Less suitable: A cabinet the listing rates above 150 litres, or a shopper who will not troubleshoot dust.
Specifications
Common questions
What fuel does this maze use?
The bullets say ProQ oak dust, and they list whisky oak, apple, cherry, hickory, maple, alder, beech, and oak. A specification field says wood pellet. Chips are not the stated fill.
How big a barbecue is it for?
The listing says 30–150 litres with a lid, and it names Weber Smokey Mountain, offset smokers, kamado brands, and cabinet smokers. It points larger containers to the Artisan.
What do the reviews say goes wrong?
Across the captured UK reviews the ember goes out when the dust is coarse, damp, or spread thin, and the included bag is often only a partial fill.
DOBADN is a 304 pump generator at about £46.99 and 1.4 kg, 4.5 from 103. The bullets claim an adjustable electric pump, a 50 cm hose, no drilling, and 5–10 hours from 2–10 mm chips or pellets. UK reviews praise smoke volume and cheese with the burn kept away, including about 10 hours in one note. They also describe ash stopping a session after about an hour and a unit that is unstable on a Weber gas grill. Plug complaints in the notes are from outside the UK. UK reviews in this sample do not describe a plug fault.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A gas or charcoal grill where you can route a hose and want the fire away from cheese.
Less suitable: A spot with no power, or a buyer who needs dimensions on the saved listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Do I have to drill the grill?
The bullets say no. They describe a 50 cm hose through a vent, a grease hole, a rotisserie gap, or under a slightly open lid.
What fuel does the listing specify?
Wood chips of 2–10 mm or barbecue pellets, with a stated 5–10 hours on one fill. The power-source field says Manual, while the bullets describe an electric pump.
What fails in the UK reviews?
Ash blocking a full load, a pot called too small, a thin hose one reviewer replaced, and a unit that would not stand steadily on a Weber gas grill.
ProQ Artisan, model 151630, is about £49.99, 250 × 280 × 40 mm and 770 g. The listing says up to 16 hours from 150 litres upward, with oak dust included and no mains lead. It is 4.4 from 74. UK reviews cite long burns in a Smokey Mountain, a cabinet, a Monolith XL, and a kamado, including figures from over 12 hours to about 18 hours and one 24-hour claim. One UK review calls a salmon session unreliable, and others call about £50 a lot for the metal.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A large lidded cooker the small maze did not fill.
Less suitable: A 57 cm kettle, where the Original is the size ProQ states.
Specifications
Common questions
When is this the size ProQ states?
The bullets say at least 150 litres, 250 × 280 × 40 mm, 770 g, and up to 16 hours. UK reviews bought it because the small maze did not fill a cabinet or a kamado.
Is oak dust included?
Yes. The bullets say ProQ oak dust is included. A review still says the amount did not fill the maze.
How do people light it?
The bullets say a tea light, removed once the dust smoulders. A UK review prefers a lighter because the candle slot is awkward.
Stollinger CSG1400 V2 is about £60.99 and 1.9 kg, corded, stainless with no grade stated. The listing says 1.4 litres and 4–5 hours outdoors, and that wood chips are required. It is 4.1 from 35. UK reviews praise adjustable smoke, including about 8 hours on medium, and they also report chips going out, a wooden cap one person dislikes, and a unit that arrived with ash already in it. A hose length is not stated.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A mains socket outdoors and a willingness to try chip size.
Less suitable: A no-power pitch, or a buyer who wants a stated hose length.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The bullet says outdoor use. The listing asks the indoor question and does not answer yes.
How long is a fill?
The listing says a 1.4 litre capacity is enough for 4–5 hours depending on airflow. One UK review says about 8 hours on a medium speed and another says about 3 hours on maximum.
What fuel do reviews actually use?
The bullets require wood chips. UK reviews also mention pellets, a chips-and-dust mix that worked, and chips that kept going out.
LIROPAU is about £49.99, 1.8 kg, 37 × 14 × 38 cm, with a stated 1 litre chamber, a two-channel electric pump, and stainless steel of no stated grade. It is 3.4 from 4. Two of the three UK reviews describe little smoke, a manual that does not match the build, a pump that is not fixed to the base, and a missing filter. One review is positive. There is no stated hour claim in the bullets beyond a seller line about 5–25°C.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Not a first choice in this set on the review text.
Less suitable: Anyone who can buy the DOBADN hose or a ProQ maze at a similar or lower price with more reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
What fuel does it ask for?
The bullets say wood chips of 2–10 mm or pellets, in a chamber of up to 1 litre.
Why is the score 3.4 from four?
One UK review says very little smoke and poor instructions. Another says the pump falls off, sits near the hot tube, and that a claimed filter is not in the tube. A third review is positive about the steel.
Does ash drop out as claimed?
The bullets describe an ashtray. A UK review says the ash sits above the fan and can pass into the smoker.
UtaUla AA132B0U1 is about £49.99, 1.85 kg, 19 × 19 × 27 cm. The bullets say 304 stainless steel, an adjustable electric pump, a 50 cm hose, no drilling, and 5–10 hours from 2–10 mm chips or pellets. There is no star line and no review text on the saved listing. The pattern matches the DOBADN listing on paper. That is not evidence of the same performance.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Only if you accept a listing with no UK review text.
Less suitable: A buyer comparing real session notes. DOBADN is the reviewed hose in this set.
Specifications
Common questions
How does the tube attach?
The bullet says a 50 cm tube through vents or existing openings, with no drilling.
Will the listing say it works on charcoal?
Yes. The bullets name a charcoal grill and a gas barbecue.
Are there reviews on the saved listing?
No customer-review line and no review text, so there is no star line to quote.
Nine amazon.co.uk listings were scored from 0 to 100 from the star line, the review count, and UK review notes that name a kettle, cheese, a cabinet, a hose, or a fault. Stars are the largest part. A listing with no review line does not get a star score. The top pick is the highest score, the ProQ Original maze. Best value is the QWORK tube at about £8.99 with 4.6 from 190 reviews. It does not have the highest score. This is not a lab burn.
Stars
40%The largest share comes from the amazon.co.uk star line. A 4.5 and a 4.7 are not the same record, and a 5.0 from four reviews is still a thin star line.
Review volume
25%More amazon.co.uk reviews add more weight, up to the share below. 807 reviews on the Original outweigh 144 on the starter set and four reviews on the Smokit or LIROPAU.
UK session notes
20%Points come from reviews that name a real job: a kettle, cheese, bacon, a cabinet, a kamado, or a hose that keeps the burn off the food. Faults in those reviews, such as coarse dust or ash blocking, are deducted.
Stated size, burn, or grade
15%A stated litre band, an hour claim, or a stated 304 grade adds a smaller share. ProQ states stainless steel and gives no grade. An hour claim is not a timed lab result.
Choose the type before the star count. A maze needs no plug and fine dry dust. A pellet tube is the cheap short burn, and it adds heat on the grate. A pump needs power and can send smoke down a hose. On this page the saved amazon.co.uk prices run from about £8.99 to about £119. A 4.5 from 807 reviews is a different record from a 5.0 from four reviews. Cold smoke does not cook the food, and the generator has no thermometer.
A cold smoke generator makes wood smoke. It does not cook. The chamber is a lidded barbecue or a box, with air coming in low and leaving high. On amazon.co.uk the name covers three types. A dust maze, such as the ProQ Original or the Artisan, needs no plug. You light the dust with a tea light or a torch and take the flame out once the dust smoulders. A pellet tube, here the QWORK, sits on the grate. It is cheaper and the burn is shorter. An electric pump needs mains or, on the Smokit, USB-C.
A maze wants fine dry wood dust. UK reviews of the Original describe the ember dying when the dust is coarse, damp, or spread thin. The included bag is often only a partial fill. Do not judge a pellet tube by a 12-hour maze claim.
ProQ states the Original for about 30–150 litres and the Artisan from about 150 litres. UK reviews bought the larger maze because the small one did not fill a cabinet, a kamado, or a Smokey Mountain. Sealing every vent is a separate mistake. The chamber still needs air in low and out high.
ProQ warns of carbon monoxide and says not to use the generator indoors. The NHS says not to use a barbecue or camping stove indoors or in a tent. Cold smoke does not cook bacon, and it does not make raw fish safe. If anyone feels unwell around the smoke, use NHS 111, or 999 if breathing, confusion, or consciousness is affected.
Type is the first fork. A maze needs no plug and walks an ember through dust. A pellet tube is cheaper and shorter. A pump needs mains or USB-C and can keep the burn off the food. Chamber size is the second fork. ProQ puts the Original at about 30–150 litres and up to 12 hours, at 150 × 180 × 40 mm and 0.37 kg, and the Artisan at about 150 litres upward and up to 16 hours, at 250 × 280 × 40 mm and 0.77 kg. Fuel is the third fork.
A hose pump can sit the fire outside the food. A tube on the grate adds heat, and a UK QWORK review mentions an ice tray. The Original is 4.5 from 807 at about £34.99. The starter set is 4.7 from 144 at about £49.99. The tube is 4.6 from 190 at about £8.99. The DOBADN hose is 4.5 from 103 at about £46.99. A 5.0 from four reviews, on the Smokit at about £119, is weaker evidence. 304 appears on some tubes and pumps. ProQ says stainless and states no grade here.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have a lidded kettle or box around 30–150 litres and you will buy fine dry dust. The ProQ Original is about £34.99, at 4.5 from 807 reviews, with no mains lead. UK reviews describe cheese, bacon, and fish, and also an ember that dies on coarse or short dust. Cook bacon afterwards.
You already found the small maze too quiet in a cabinet, a kamado, or a Smokey Mountain. The ProQ Artisan is about £49.99, stated from about 150 litres and up to 16 hours, at 4.4 from 74 reviews. The included dust is still called short. It needs no plug.
You want smoke on a gas, charcoal, or electric grill you already own, not an overnight cold chamber. The QWORK tube is about £8.99, at 4.6 from 190 reviews, with 304 stated. The listing says about 5 hours. One UK review says about 4 hours and warns that the chamber can warm.
The top pick is the ProQ Original maze at about £34.99. It is the highest score in this set: 4.5 from 807 amazon.co.uk reviews, stated for about 30–150 litres and up to 12 hours. UK reviews name cheese, bacon, and fish, and they also describe the ember dying on coarse or short dust. The best value is the QWORK pellet tube at about £8.99, at 4.6 from 190 reviews. It is a short burn on a grate, and a UK review warns about heat. It does not outscore the Original. The starter set is 4.7 from 144 and still scores lower, because the review trail is thinner. A 5.0 from four reviews is weaker evidence again. None of these scores is a lab burn.
QWORK 12 inch pellet tube
About £8.99 with 4.6 from 190 reviews. A short pellet burn, not the highest score.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 21 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines for these ASINs. We did not run a lab test.
