Oklahoma Joe's Highland

What the Highland is and where it comes from

A horizontal smoking chamber, to the right and slightly lower a smaller firebox, on the left a vertical chimney: that is how an offset smoker is built, and that is how the product photo shows the Highland. The fire burns in the side chamber. Heat and smoke travel across the large chamber and leave it through the chimney. Char-Broil Europe lists the smoker on charbroil.de as item 140755, Model 18202045, and describes it as a charcoal smoker with offset firebox and chimney. You can see which other smokers we compare by the same standards in the smoker category.

On Amazon the smoker was listed as currently unavailable on 5 October 2026, with no price; our price box last showed approx. €469. Char-Broil gives a recommended retail price of €569.00 (retrieved on 2 October 2026). Char-Broil itself does not link to Amazon. Whether the Amazon listing really is this smoker therefore rests on one number: the catalogue gives 140755 as the model, the same number as Char-Broil’s item number.

The brand is older than this model. According to the company history on oklahomajoes.com, Joe Davidson sold all twelve smokers he had built with 2,000 dollars at the Oklahoma State Fair in 1987; in 1998 W.C. Bradley Co. took over the brand. In the Highland manual, Char-Broil, LLC of Columbus, Georgia is named as the rights holder.

Two chambers, five cooking grates, one thermometer

In the photo both chambers are horizontal cylinders with a hinged lid, the handles on them silver wire coils. Char-Broil calls them cool-touch handles; they are meant to protect hands and fingers from the heat. In front of the smoking chamber hangs a mesh shelf, a second sits at the bottom between the legs, and a flat plate lies on the firebox. The two spoked wheels run on the firebox side. At the other end two legs stand on foot plates, and under the chimney a bracket for pulling sticks out. So the smoker is moved on its wheels, with the chimney side lifted by the bracket.

For a charcoal appliance, what matters most in the manual’s parts list is what is not in it: an ash pan or grease tray. What is listed instead is the warming plate that is screwed onto the firebox hood, a door latch, a vent damper assembly kit, the chimney with damper, hood and spring, and an air damper screen.

Grilling is done on five grates, three large ones in the smoking chamber and two small ones in the firebox. In addition there are three fire grates: two on the floor of the smoking chamber, one in the firebox. As material, the German product page names enamelled steel grates, and the technical details name porcelain-coated ones; the same thing is meant.

Measuring happens at exactly one point. The parts list contains a single temperature gauge, and according to assembly step 11 it goes into a socket in the lid of the smoking chamber; the firebox stays without a gauge. It can be opened separately. According to Char-Broil, you tend the fire there without opening the main chamber, and Amazon’s catalogue text describes an access door through which you can add wood chips at any time.

Dimensions and weight come from the Amazon catalogue, in inches and pounds. Converted, that is around 144.8 cm wide, 85.1 cm deep, 134.6 cm high and 83.7 kg, with the weight possibly including packaging. The dimensions are close to what Oklahoma Joe’s gives in the USA for the Highland Classic 24203001 (59 × 33.5 × 52.8 inches), so they probably describe the assembled appliance. For the US model Oklahoma Joe’s gives 156 pounds, around 70.8 kg, almost 13 kg less than the catalogue for the Highland.

The following details are missing from all the Char-Broil documents we went through (German and British product page, spare parts list, 2016 manual):

• Cooking area and grate dimensions, more on this in the section on how much meat fits
• Wall or steel thickness in millimetres; the promotional text only says “solid steel”
• Material of chambers and lids in detail, type and heat resistance of the exterior paint
• Capacity of the firebox in kilograms of charcoal or as log length
• Fuel consumption per hour or per smoking session
• A recommended temperature range for smoking, there is only an upper limit
• Measuring and scale range of the lid thermometer
• Heat-up time of the smoking chamber to smoking temperature
• Minimum distances to walls and combustible materials in centimetres
• Heat shield or insulation; in the data sheet the shield material entry reads “not specified”
• Appliance dimensions and weight; both appear only in the Amazon catalogue
• Country of manufacture of the appliance; only the manual was printed, in China
• What changed between model 16202045 (2016 manual) and 18202045 (current website)
• Full warranty terms; the spare parts page refers to the user manual for them, but the linked 2016 version has no warranty section

The documents also contradict each other in several places. The German assembly text also sends the three large cooking grates “into the firebox”, while the drawing and the French version show them in the smoking chamber. In the German smoking paragraph the fire is supposed to be “burnt out” before you set the dampers; what is evidently meant is burnt down, since a fire that has gone out would need no regulation. The lighting steps speak of a charcoal grate, ash pan and ash catcher, two of the six grilling tips of an adjustable charcoal grate and a drip tray; none of these parts appears under that name in the parts list, and the text is evidently written generically for charcoal appliances. And the manual still carries the older model number 16202045. On the grate material, the British page names cast iron under Key Features and porcelain-coated steel in the specification of the same page; we go with the German statement: enamelled steel.

In detail: how heat and smoke travel through an offset

An offset separates fire and meat spatially. What burns in the firebox flows as hot gas through an opening into the smoking chamber, travels under the lid across the grates and leaves at the other end through the chimney. So the meat does not lie over the embers, it cooks in hot, smoky air. Char-Broil lists convection as the grilling system and speaks in the manual of indirect heat transfer. A sudden grease fire that spoils the food is therefore said to be no concern.

It is controlled with two dampers. The manual calls both of them exhaust dampers, but technically the one on the firebox works as an air inlet: it determines how much oxygen reaches the fire, and with that how fiercely it burns. The damper in the chimney determines how quickly gas and smoke escape. In between, the chimney draught is at work. Warm air rises in the pipe and draws fresh air in through the firebox; a chimney that is closed far slows this draught, smoke and heat stay in the chamber longer, and the fire also gets less air. Anyone who turns one damper therefore always changes temperature and smoke quantity at the same time.

Because the heat comes from one side, the smoking chamber is not equally warm everywhere. It is hottest where the gas enters from the firebox, and that is exactly where the manual draws a line: you place food no closer than 15 cm to this opening. The German text writes “15cm Zoll”, the French version clearly 15 cm. The upper limit is 230 °C in the smoking chamber; above that the smoker should not be operated.

We would plan a separate probe for the temperature at grate level, because in our assessment the lid thermometer only shows roughly how warm it is where your meat lies. In the photo it sits in the left half of the lid, on the chimney side, so in the half facing away from the fire and a little above the grates.

You grill directly over the embers in the firebox, on the two small grates. For the large chamber the assembly manual lays two of the three fire grates on the floor, but does not say what for. Whether charcoal may lie there is not stated by the manufacturer; all that is documented is that, according to the manual, grilling and smoking happen by indirect heat transfer.

Seasoning, lighting, smoking: what the manual specifies

Before the first meat goes in, the smoker is seasoned. According to Char-Broil this makes the coating durable and hardens the steel inside the grill body; skipping it risks a damaged coating and a metallic taste in the first meals. You coat all interior surfaces of the grill body and the grates with vegetable oil and light a small fire on the fire grate or in the ash catcher, without placing charcoal against the walls. Then door closed, exhaust damper and chimney damper about a quarter open, and the flame burns for at least two hours, the longer the better. Only then do you open both dampers halfway, add charcoal and drive the temperature up. What happens on the steel is familiar from the cast iron pan: the oil polymerises in the heat into a thin protective layer.

For lighting, the manual specifies six steps:

1. Stack briquettes or wood in a pyramid on the charcoal grate or in the ash pan. To get started, Char-Broil recommends 3 pounds, approx. 45 briquettes, and more if needed. The French version of the same manual says 1.5 kg; converted, 3 pounds would be around 1.4 kg.
2. If you use lighter fluid, apply enough of it to the briquettes and let it soak in for approx. 5 minutes. Chimney starters, electric starters or other fire starters you use according to their manufacturer’s instructions.
3. The hood stays open while lighting until the briquettes are fully lit. Otherwise combustion gases from the lighter fluid can build up in the grill and cause a flash of flame when the lid is opened.
4. Never apply lighter fluid to hot or warm charcoal, as this could cause a flashback, which could lead to injuries.
5. The embers are ready for cooking when the stacked briquettes are covered with a layer of ash and glowing red, after approx. 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Depending on the cooking method, the briquettes stay stacked, or you spread them evenly over the charcoal grate with a long-handled poker.

The 12 to 15 minutes from step 5 describe the time until the stacked briquettes are burning through. Read step 2 together with the safety notes further down, which specify which lighters come into question at all.

As a rule of thumb, according to the manual charcoal is ready for grilling when 80 percent of it glows ash-grey; you then carefully spread it depending on the grilling method. The six tips on this are written generically for charcoal appliances (more in the paragraph on contradictions further up):

• If the coals are too hot, spread them a little further apart so the heat becomes less intense.
• Set the adjustable charcoal grate higher or lower.
• Partly close the vents; this reduces the oxygen that feeds the fire.
• Grill indirectly: coals to the side of the drip tray, food over the tray instead of directly over the coals.
• If flames flare up strongly, spray them with water from a spray bottle, carefully, because this can blow the ash around.
• Add 2 or 3 briquettes at a time to extend the burn time, and wait 10 minutes until they carry a layer of ash before adding more.

For smoking, you take the cooking grate out of the firebox and build the fire on the fire grate below. Charcoal works, but Char-Broil primarily recommends wood, because of its burn rate and the flavour it gives the food. According to the manual, most proven smoking woods are suitable; hickory, mesquite, pecan, oak and fruit tree wood are named. You leave out bark, according to the manual, because it has a high acid content and gives a bitter taste. Green or freshly cut wood can blacken the smoked food and make it bitter, so Char-Broil requires well-seasoned wood. If you smoke with briquettes or lump charcoal and want a stronger smoke flavour, the manual advises wood chips or wood shavings in the fire, generally from fruit or nut trees.

Once the fire has burnt down, you close the doors and regulate temperature and smoke with the dampers on the firebox and chimney. You open the smoking chamber as rarely as possible, because every opening lets heat escape and lengthens the cooking time. On the cooking time of large cuts, the German text contains a garbled sentence; for individual cuts Char-Broil refers to a cookbook. The French version of the same manual gives a rule of thumb of one hour per 500 g.

How much meat fits in the Highland?

Char-Broil writes that the smoker has “a generous cooking area for large cuts of meat”, and rates it for more than 6 people. How big the grates are, the manufacturer does not state for the European model; three large grates in the smoking chamber and two small ones in the firebox are documented.

The area figures from Oklahoma Joe’s US site cannot be transferred to the European model: the Highland Classic 24203001 is a different, newer appliance, with rubber wheels among other things. For it Oklahoma Joe’s gives 616 square inches in the main chamber and 263 in the firebox, 879 together.

We do not calculate the area from the external dimensions: even if the catalogue values describe the appliance, the width includes the chimney, pull bracket and the firebox attached at the side, and the depth includes the front shelf. And because the smoking chamber is a horizontal cylinder, the depth of a grate from front to back depends on the height at which it sits.

If quantity matters to you, for instance because you want to lay two pork shoulders or several racks of ribs side by side, ask for the grate dimensions before buying, from the retailer or from Char-Broil.

What else comes into question?

The prices are the guide values from the price boxes of our reviews and were not all checked on the same day. The rating is our editorial assessment based on manufacturer and catalogue data; we have not handled any of the four smokers.

When the Highland suits and when another smoker

The items differ in their time budget: seasoning happens only once, while topping up in small portions happens on every smoking session, as in the grilling tips above. Purely arithmetically, with the rule of thumb from the smoking section, a 3 kg piece would sit in the chamber for around six hours; pulled pork takes significantly longer to reach pulling core temperature. With any offset, a damper adjustment also takes effect on the whole chamber only with a delay. If you also want to buffer the temperature with water, a look at a water smoker such as the Weber Smokey Mountain 57 is worthwhile, because evaporating water absorbs heat.

From our point of view, most of the appliance stays unused if you mainly grill steaks and rarely smoke. The Highland is built for slow, indirect cooking. You grill directly on the two small grates of the firebox; for the smoking chamber, the manual sets the limit of 230 °C.

For the spot, allow around 145 cm of catalogue width, plus swing room for both lids and space in front of the firebox. The spot has to be outdoors, away from anything the safety notes below list as flammable. If you often manoeuvre the smoker, weight matters too: the Highland is listed in the catalogue at around 83.7 kg, and the catalogue values for Landmann and tepro in the table are lower.

The budget includes approx. €469 for the smoker according to our price box and €54.95 RRP for the cover, together around €524 if you buy the cover at RRP. On top come fuel, lighters complying with EN 1860-3 (which applies in the EU) and your own probe for grate height. How much wood or charcoal a smoking session swallows, you are best off writing down over the first few sessions. If your budget is below €250, the tepro Biloxi is the only one of the smokers in the table left. If you have never smoked before, our guide smokers for beginners explains the designs from the start.

Cover, spare parts, care and safety

The cover is an accessory and is bought separately. Char-Broil lists the Oklahoma Joe’s weather cover, item 140505 (Model 9539969), as suitable, made of polyester with a rain-repellent PVC coating, RRP €54.95. On the Highland product page there is also a three-piece grill tool set for €27.95 RRP (both prices as of 2 October 2026).

Char-Broil lists spare parts under model number 18202045. The fire grate sits directly in the embers, and with a wood fire we expect it to be the part most likely to wear; the list carries none for the Highland, and the separately listed fire grate CB884-030 is marked as no longer available. Orderable on 2 October 2026 were the cooking grate for the smoking chamber (1884026) for €16.95, the one for the firebox (1884027) for €14.95, a wheel (1884033) for €24.95 and the lid thermometer.

According to the manual, individual parts may differ depending on sales region or retailer requirements. If you buy second-hand or abroad, ask for the model number beforehand and compare it with this list.

When you have finished grilling and the smoker has cooled down sufficiently, you remove all remaining combustion residues. The manual’s reasoning: ash attracts moisture, which leads to premature rusting and decay. How often it needs cleaning depends, according to Char-Broil, on how often you use the smoker. Before you clean the inside, the coals must be completely extinguished. Then you rinse thoroughly with water, let the appliance air dry before the next use and wipe the inside with a cloth or paper towels.

If you use a bristle brush on the grates, make sure before the next grilling that no loose bristles have been left behind. Char-Broil does not recommend cleaning the cooking surfaces while the grill is hot.

On the inside, rust can occur according to the manual. A thin layer of vegetable oil applied regularly to the interior surfaces helps protect it, according to Char-Broil. On the outside, repainting may occasionally be needed. Char-Broil recommends ordinary black spray paint suitable for high temperatures. You never paint the inside; the manual says so in capital letters.

The safety notes are on the first German page of the manual. It also says that the operating manual contains important safety information and details on correct assembly and safe operation; during use you are to follow all warnings and instructions. Two signal words classify the notes. ACHTUNG (warning) marks a potentially hazardous situation that could lead to death or serious injury if not avoided. VORSICHT (caution) marks a potentially hazardous situation or action that could lead to minor or moderate injury. We give the notes themselves as close to the wording as full sentences allow:

• For outdoor use only, do not use indoors.
• Carbon monoxide hazard: burning charcoal in enclosed spaces can be fatal. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which has no smell. Never burn charcoal in houses, vehicles or tents.
• Do not use the appliance on or near flammable surfaces or structures, such as wooden decks, dry leaves or grass, vinyl or wood cladding, etc.
• Do not use methylated spirits or petrol to light or relight; use only fire starters complying with EN 1860-3. Never use charcoal starter fluid with an electric starter.
• The grill hood must always be open when lighting the fire. Always be careful when handling hot coals. Anyone who does not read and follow the instructions for lighting charcoal risks serious injury and/or damage to property.
• Most surfaces are hot during use: take extreme care, keep other people away from the appliance, always wear protective clothing. A second note says all surfaces can be hot and requires protective clothing as needed. Keep children and pets away from the appliance.
• Do not move the appliance while it is in operation.
• Even if a charcoal fire seems to be extinguished, glowing pieces of charcoal can retain heat for up to 24 hours and unexpectedly burst into flames in fresh air. Outside the firebox or grill they are a fire risk and can set flammable surfaces such as wooden decks on fire.
• Some parts can have sharp edges; wear protective gloves if necessary. The appliance is heavy, do not assemble it without the help of another person.
• Suitable for domestic purposes only, not intended for commercial kitchens.
• Before assembly and before first cooking, read and follow all safety information, assembly, operating and care instructions and keep the manual; anyone assembling the appliance for someone else hands it to the buyer. Anyone who does not follow the manufacturer’s instructions risks, according to Char-Broil, serious injury and/or damage to property.

Independently of this manual, the following applies: ash goes in the bin only when it is completely cold, and until then into a container that cannot burn.