If you’ve been barbecuing for a while, you may already be aware of the practice of naming your smoker.
As with pets, naming it can help establish a bond and identity.
While a smoker may be an inanimate thing, naming something that’s close to you can give it identity and character.
Think of it as something similar to naming a car. It can help you remember your smoker for years, even if you stop using it altogether.
So, what should I name my smoker? Well, the only right answer to the question is that what you feel is right.
If you’re fresh out of ideas, don’t worry. This article provides you with a few options for nicknames for your smoker.
If you don’t fancy any of the names, they may still offer some direction on what names to choose. So, let’s get into it.
What Should I Name My Smoker?
Instead of simply providing you with names, we are giving you aspects that you can use to name your smoker.
The purpose of that is to help you discover a name that feels right to you.
So, a name that’s personally chosen by you is a great way to have a newfound respect and bond with your cooking apparatus.
Human Names for Your Smoker
A simple route to take is to give your smoker human names.
If you feel like your smoker has a certain gender, you can then narrow down names based on that.
For example, many people refer to their as boats “she,” but you can choose whatever you see fit.
For coming up with names, in this case, it’s best to just focus on the names that you like or would give to a child or pet.
A few examples to guide you some guidance include the following.
- Sam
- Anne
- Tim
- Mel
- Jim
- May
- Gaba
Smoker Names That Are References from Other Things
If you consume a lot of pop culture or other media, you could take inspiration from those to name your smoker.
This could relate to the smoker’s appearance or a character who uses a smoker, for example.
A good example is to name a large black smoker Vader. This is, of course, a reference to the Star Wars character who has a black helmet and is dressed in black.
Smoker Names After Pitmasters
What should I name my smoker? Well, one of the best routes is to take existing or legendary pitmasters’ names as references.
Doing so is a great way to show your respect to them and their craft.
You could also try to restrict the names based on your region. For example, if you live in Texas, you could consider naming your smoker Tootsie.
This is the name of Tootsie Tomanetz, the 87-year-old pitmaster from Snow’s BBQ.
Smoker Names That Are Funny
If you’re generally someone who loves expressing their humor, then your smoker’s name is just another way to do that.
If you’re trying to think of these names on your own, consider a certain factor of the smoker that you can poke fun at.
You can then work around that. You could also consider using references of existing names and making them BBQ-related.
For example, you could turn the name Bigge Smalls into Biggie Smokes.
Why Do People Name Their Smokers
Now that you have an answer to the question, “what should I name my smoker?” you should know why you may even want to do that.
Commercial BBQ places also choose to name their smokers, grills, and other devices.
Considering how intimately involved pitmasters are with such devices, it makes sense for them to have a nickname.
Of course, you don’t have to work at a BBQ joint to name your smoker. With that said, here are a few reasons why people choose to name their smokers.
It Helps Them Stay in Your Memory
As mentioned above, naming smokers give them identity and character. Therefore, they are more likely to stay in your memory as long as you live.
Think about it this way: you may have multiple smokers in your life. So, it can be easier to remember them when each one has a name.
It can also give a smoker a lot more value if it has been used from one generation to the other.
It Makes It Easier to Identify Them
If you have multiple smokers, especially if you work in a BB restaurant, it can become extremely important to refer to each one among your colleagues.
Therefore, giving the smokers specific names can make communication easier with other personnel working in the kitchen.
You don’t want to have your colleagues mistake one smoker for another if you’ve given them instructions.
For example, if you tell them to reduce the heat in Paul, but they check it in Kim, you may compromise your cooking.
This factor is especially important if more than one of the smokers looks the same.
The Smokers Deserve Your Respect
This factor may seem silly, but it’s true; your smoker deserves your respect.
It’s a cooking apparatus that can help feed several people at once and can create spectacular memories.
So, give it the respect it deserves with a name. In addition to that, people also name several other inanimate objects, like cars, boats, sewing machines, etc.
Last Few Words
After gaining an answer (or at least some direction) to the question, “what should I name my smoker?” you may still have some doubt about the point of it all.
It may still seem silly to you. However, there’s virtue in forgoing that doubt and focusing on your smoker instead.
If you want your cooking apparatus—the device that may potentially serve you some delicious meals and incredible memories—to remain in your memory forever, then naming it is the right way to go about it.