Our Expert Testers
Every review published on SmokyHQ is produced by a credentialed expert with genuine, hands-on domain knowledge. We hire pitmasters and engineers — not generic content writers.
3 certified testers · KCBS, B.S. Mechanical Engineering & 10+ yrs field experience · 6+ grills tested combined
Marcus Reilly
Marcus Reilly has spent 15 years competing on the KCBS circuit and is a certified competition judge. He leads all grill and smoker testing here, running every unit through multi-cook burn-in tests across searing, low-and-slow, and high-heat scenarios before writing a word.
Responsibilities
- ✓Develops and oversees the standardized testing protocol
- ✓Approves all expert scores before publication
- ✓Leads thermal mapping and multi-cook burn-in testing
- ✓Reviews all competition BBQ and technique claims in our guides
Areas of Expertise
Dana Okafor
Dana Okafor brings a mechanical engineering background to grill testing, focused on build quality, heat retention, and material durability. Dana designed our standardized testing protocol — thermal mapping, weld inspection, and long-term wear assessment across every review.
Responsibilities
- ✓Leads build quality and durability inspection on every unit
- ✓Designs and runs thermal mapping across grates and chambers
- ✓Evaluates weld quality, steel gauge, and hardware longevity
- ✓Reviews technical specs and safety claims for accuracy
Areas of Expertise
Tom Bricker
Tom Bricker analyzes reader data, price trends, and value tiers to build our best-of lists. With a decade of backyard grilling experience across every fuel type, Tom focuses on which grills deliver genuine performance at their price point versus which ones underdeliver.
Responsibilities
- ✓Builds and maintains our best-of and value comparison lists
- ✓Analyzes reader survey data and price-tier trends
- ✓Fact-checks marketing claims against real testing data
- ✓Covers budget and mid-range grills across every fuel type
Areas of Expertise
Want to know more about how we test?
Read our full testing methodology to understand exactly how our team evaluates every grill.
View Testing Methodology →