The main difference between the Yoder Smokers 20" Loaded Wichita and the Yoder Smokers 24" Kingman offset smokers is cooking capacity: the Wichita gives you 1,610 square inches, while the Kingman jumps to 2,242 square inches for feeding bigger crowds.
Both are handcrafted in Kansas, USA from heavy-gauge steel, so the choice comes down to how much you actually cook, not which is "better." The most common mistake is buying the larger Kingman to "grow into it" — but a bigger cooking chamber burns more wood and demands more fire management, so it's the wrong call if you're really cooking a couple briskets and some ribs most weekends.
Our pick: Yoder Smokers 20" Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker with Casters — the right size for most backyard pitmasters, with enough room for several briskets or a full spread of ribs and a fire that's easier to settle in.
Runner-up: Yoder Smokers 24" Kingman Offset Smoker with Casters — step up to this when you're regularly feeding big crowds and want the extra 632 square inches to load full runs of meat in one shot.
Choose based on your the biggest cook you do at least a few times per year, not your once-a-year blowout: if you're not consistently maxing out 1,610 square inches, the Wichita is the smarter buy.
If you've decided you want a true stick burner — a real wood-fired offset where you're in command of the fire, the airflow, and the smoke — you've probably narrowed it down to two Kansas-built pits and hit a wall trying to tell them apart. This guide is for the backyard cook or aspiring pitmaster choosing between the Yoder Smokers Loaded Wichita and the Yoder Smokers Kingman. By the end, you'll know exactly which one fits your cooking volume, your space, and the way you like to work a fire. The decision genuinely matters here, because an offset smoker is a lifetime purchase — you're buying a platform meant to be passed down, so getting the size and capacity right the first time is worth slowing down for.
What to look for when comparing offset smokers
Offset smokers aren't like pellet grills, where a control board manages the fire for you. On a stick burner, you are the thermostat. That means a few specific things separate a pit you'll love from one you'll fight with:
Steel thickness and thermal mass. Thin-walled offsets swing wildly in temperature every time the wind shifts or you crack the door. Thick steel holds heat, evens out those swings, and responds predictably to your fire adjustments. Both Yoder Smokers offsets in this comparison are built from 1/4-inch steel, which is the foundation of stable, low-and-slow cooking over a long overnight brisket.
Cooking chamber capacity. This is the number that should drive your decision. How many briskets, racks of ribs, or pork butts do you realistically need to run at once? A pit that's too small forces you into batches; a pit that's bigger than you need burns more wood to keep hot. Match the square inches to your actual crowd.
Airflow and draft. Clean, thin blue smoke comes from good combustion, and good combustion comes from a well-designed draft. Look for a taller exhaust stack and dual-damper through-draft control, which let you dial in a steady burn from the firebox all the way through the cook chamber. A removable heat management plate is the other half of this equation — it evens out heat across the chamber for low-and-slow, or comes out entirely when you want higher heat and more airflow.
Mobility and workflow. A loaded offset is a heavy piece of equipment. Quality casters, a balanced stand, and a usable front shelf are what make the difference between a pit that lives in one spot forever and one you can reposition for the wind or your setup on cook day.
Our picks
Both of these are handcrafted in Kansas, USA from heavy-duty steel, and both are shipped by freight straight to your door when you order through All Things Barbecue — no lumberyard pickup, no wrangling a pallet across town. Here's how to choose.
Best for most backyard pitmasters: Yoder Smokers 20" Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker with Casters
The Yoder Smokers 20" Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker with Casters is a customer favorite and, for good reason, the offset most backyard cooks should start with. Its 20" x 42" x 20" smoking chamber gives you 1,610 square inches of cooking surface — enough to run several briskets or a full spread of ribs for a weekend gathering without feeling cramped. This is the pit for the serious backyard cook who wants a true wood fire and real capacity, but isn't cooking for a whole neighborhood every weekend.
Built from 1/4-inch steel, it holds temperature through those long overnight cooks and takes your fire adjustments in stride. A taller exhaust stack sharpens the draft, and the removable heat management plate lets you set up distinct temperature zones or pull it for hot-and-fast cooks. Inside, you get 304 stainless steel cooking grates and a flexible two-piece second shelf, plus a pot warmer over the firebox for holding sauce or beans while you cook. The redesigned stand with upgraded front casters makes a roughly 800-pound pit surprisingly easy to reposition when the wind turns on you. There's also a removable front shelf for the workspace you always end up needing mid-cook.
Best for high-volume cooks and big crowds: Yoder Smokers 24" Kingman Offset Smoker with Casters
Step up to the Yoder Smokers 24" Kingman Offset Smoker with Casters when capacity is the priority. Its larger 24" x 52" cooking chamber delivers 2,242 square inches of cooking space — a substantial jump that lets you load full runs of brisket, ribs, and pork shoulder for a big family reunion, a fundraiser, or the kind of cook where the neighbors start showing up uninvited. This is the pit for the cook who's regularly feeding a crowd and wants room to spare.
The Kingman shares the same 1/4-inch steel construction and the fundamentals that make a stick burner a joy to run: an extended exhaust stack for strong natural draft, dual-damper draft control, and a removable heat management plate that lets it work as a patient low-and-slow smoker or open up for more direct heat. It rides on rugged 10" casters — meaningful when you're moving a pit that comes in around 932 pounds — and comes with a stainless-steel front shelf that wipes down easily after a messy trim. You also get a grease drain, a door counterweight for easy lid lifting, and a pot warmer up top. The two main grates each measure 24.3" x 23", with a slide-out second shelf adding even more room overhead.
The through-line: the cook has command of the fire
Whichever pit you land on, you're buying into the same philosophy — real wood or charcoal, clean thin blue smoke, and a build meant to outlast trends. That craftsmanship is exactly why All Things Barbecue is the exclusive online retailer of Yoder Smokers, and why these pits have earned a place among the brand's best-selling smokers alongside the wider catalog of gear that's helped ATBBQ collect more than 5,000 five-star reviews site-wide.
What most guides get wrong
The most common mistake is buying the biggest offset you can afford and assuming you'll "grow into it." With a stick burner, that logic backfires. A bigger cooking chamber takes more wood and more fire management to bring up to temperature and hold there, so if you're routinely cooking two briskets and a couple racks of ribs, running the 2,242-square-inch Kingman means you're feeding a fire built for far more food than you're making. That's more fuel, more attention, and more heat than the job needs. The 1,610-square-inch Loaded Wichita will cook that same spread with less wood and a fire that's easier to settle in. Buy for the cooks you actually do at least a few times per year — not the once-a-year blowout you can always plan a batch cook around.
The recommendation
If you're a backyard pitmaster who wants a genuine wood-fired offset with real capacity, a manageable footprint, and a fire that's easy to learn and control, choose the Yoder Smokers 20" Loaded Wichita Offset Smoker with Casters — it's the right size for the vast majority of home cooks. If you regularly cook for big crowds and want the extra 632 square inches of chamber to load full runs of meat in one shot, step up to the Yoder Smokers 24" Kingman Offset Smoker and its heavier-duty casters for moving all that steel. Both are handcrafted in Kansas, USA, both are built from 1/4-inch steel, and both ship by freight to your door through All Things Barbecue — so no matter which you choose, you're set up for the kind of barbecue that brings people together for years to come.
