There are few things in this world as great as slow-cooked, smoked meat, but popular smokers can cost hundreds of dollars. Luckily, you can build your own with just a few flower pots, a hot plate, a skillet and a saucepan.


Inspired by Lifehacker favorite Alton Brown's terra cotta smoker, this guide over at DIY web site Instructables details everything you need to do to build your own backyard smoker for around $60 (you could probably get it for less with savvy shopping). For the most part, it just consists of removing the handles from the cookware and stacking them on top of one another inside a flower pot (and then covering it up with a second one when you're cooking). She even adds a frying thermometer on the top to keep track of the inside temperature, which is pretty handy.

The only real tools the project requires is a drill—depending on the model hot plate you use, it should be easy enough to drill a hole in the flower pot big enough for the control knob to fit. Otherwise, you'd have no way of controlling the hot plate's temperature from the outside, which would be a big pain. Hit the link for the full guide, and share your smoke building tips (and smoke cooking tips) in the comments.


A Little Brown Egg in Maine: Terra Cotta Smoker [Instructables via Make]