Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Electric cold smoke generator vs maze

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are choosing between a ProQ maze with no plug, a pellet tube on the grate, and a small electric pump with a hose. Amazon.co.uk sells all three as a cold smoke generator. The maze is the long unplugged burn. The tube is the short, cheap burn. The pump needs power so the fire can sit outside the food. Rows and prices are on the [cold smoke generator comparison](/hub/grill-accessories/cold-smoke-generator). Peter F. compared this set on 20 October 2026 from ProQ’s UK page, two UK tube shops, and the amazon.co.uk rows. It is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are choosing between a ProQ maze with no plug, a pellet tube on the grate, and a small electric pump with a hose. Amazon.co.uk sells all three as a cold smoke generator. The maze is the long unplugged burn.

Our top picks

QWORK QWORK 12 inch pellet tube

Best overall

QWORK QWORK 12 inch pellet tube
6.6/10about £8.99
View offer
ProQ ProQ Original maze

Rank 2

ProQ ProQ Original maze
7.8/10about £34.99
View offer
DOBADN DOBADN hose pump

Alternative

DOBADN DOBADN hose pump
6.2/10about £46.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Maze, no plug
  2. 2.Tube on the grate
  3. 3.Pump and a hose
  4. 4.Which job gets which tool

Maze, no plug

ProQ’s own page explains only the maze. There is no lead, the fuel is dust, the stated burns run in the 10–16 hour range depending on the size, and the use is outdoors. The page does not mention a pump. The Original is stated up to 12 hours for about 30–150 litres, and the Artisan up to 16 hours from about 150 litres upward. Neither needs a socket. Reviews on the Original describe a burn that goes out when the dust is coarse, damp, or too thin, and an ember that jumps if the track is overfilled. The starter set is the same mechanism with a book. Litre detail stays on the cold smoke generator buying guide. Pellets do not belong in the ProQ track.

Tube on the grate

The QWORK tube is £8.99, described as 304 stainless, with a listing talk of pellets and about five hours. A UK review put the maximum nearer four hours and warned about temperature. Other UK tubes, not this ASIN, print the same short burn: Black Box BBQ’s 300 mm tube at £14.95, up to about four hours, and Blazers Fuels’ 30 cm tube from £6.49 including VAT, about three to five hours. Those prices are not the QWORK price. The tube sits on the grate, so some heat is with the food. 4.6 from 190 reviews supports a short smoke, not an overnight cold smoke.
QWORK QWORK 12 inch pellet tube

Testsieger

QWORK QWORK 12 inch pellet tube
6.6/10about £8.99
View offer

Pump and a hose

The DOBADN is £46.99, 4.5 from 103, with a stated 50 cm hose and about 5–10 hours from chips or pellets. UK reviews praise the smoke and also describe ash stopping a session after about an hour, and a unit that sits badly on a gas grill. The power field says Manual, which fights the electric-pump bullets, so check the lead. The hose moves the burn away from the food and does not mean the pump adds no heat. The UtaUla has a similar brochure and no star line. The Stollinger’s hose length is n/a. The Smokit is £119, USB-C, with four reviews at 5.0.

Which job gets which tool

For an overnight smoke with no socket, the maze is the tool. The Original covers the 30–150 litre band, up to 12 hours, if you will manage dust. The Artisan is the choice from about 150 litres, with fewer reviews. For a few hours on a lit barbecue, the QWORK tube at £8.99 is the tool. Skip it when the food has to stay cool for much longer. For cheese or fish with the fire outside, and with power, the DOBADN is the hose with UK fault notes. The 30°C ceiling and the 21°C pause stay on cold smoking cheese and fish.

Common questions

Which burns longer, the maze or the electric generator?
ProQ states up to 12 hours for the Original and up to 16 hours for the Artisan, with no plug, on dust. The DOBADN listing states about 5–10 hours through a 50 cm hose, and one UK review describes ash stopping a load after about an hour, so the longer claim depends on the airway staying clear. The QWORK tube is the short burn, about four to five hours. On stated time, the maze is the long one, unless ash stops the pump early.
Which adds less heat under the cheese?
The maze keeps a small dust ember in the chamber and has the longer, cooler pattern UK and maker pages describe, provided the chamber stays at the temperatures on the cheese page. The tube sits on the grate, and a UK review flags heat over a four-hour pellet burn. The hose moves the burn outside, and the wood still burns at the other end. This page will not claim the pump adds no heat. You still need a thermometer beside the cheese.
Do I need a socket?
The ProQ mazes do not. The QWORK tube does not. The DOBADN and the Stollinger are mains pumps, and the Smokit is USB-C. If the pitch has no power, the maze is the tool that matches the limit, and you take the dust faults with it. With a sound outdoor socket, the DOBADN is the reviewed hose. Its power field says Manual even though the bullets say electric, so check the plug before you buy.
Why did the pump stop after an hour?
A UK review of the DOBADN describes ash stopping the session after about an hour, against a listing that claims about 5–10 hours. Ash in the burn chamber or in the airway cuts the smoke even when the pump is still powered. Let it cool and clear it. The same reviews mention stability on a gas grill, so a unit that leans can end the run as well.
Is the tube enough for cold smoking?
It is enough for a short smoke when you accept some heat in the chamber. The QWORK at £8.99, the four-hour UK review, and UK shop tubes at about three to five hours all describe that job. It is a poor match for an overnight cold smoke, because the pellets sit on the grate. One hundred and ninety reviews support the tube as a tube.

Related pages

Best cold smoke generator UK

Cold smoke generator

Cold smoke generator buying guide: size, fuel, plug

Cold smoke cheese temperature for cheddar and fish

How to use a cold smoke generator: candle and vents

Sources

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.

  1. ProQ: cold smoke generator (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. ProQ: CSG expert guide (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. ProQ: cold-smoked cheese (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. ProQ: home-cured bacon (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. Sous Chef: home smokers (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK: freezing fish and fishery products (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. GOV.UK: Listeria (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. NHS: carbon monoxide poisoning (retrieved 21 October 2026)