Would you like to smoke your favorite meat on the grill in the easiest way? Here are five of the best electric smokers for the ultimate easy at-home grilling.
Electric smokers are the perfect backyard cookers for BBQ fans looking for the easiest way to smoke their food at lower, slower heat without the problems that airflow and charcoal cooking can cause.
- Best Electric Smoker: Masterbuilt MB20071117
The perfect full kitchen for the garden. A robust device that contains everything YOU need to smoke the barbecue. - Runner Up: Char-Broil 17202004
An intuitive remote control system and quick access to wood chips make the Char-Broil easy to use, while its double wall insulation ensures it’s a dependable stove. - Best Budget Option: Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow
This inexpensive outdoor kitchen has impressive insulation, but its awkward ease of use may put off seasoned users.
This guide is here to show you the best electric smokers out there today and the key features to consider when making your choice.
Let’s get into that.
Masterbuilt 30-Inch Digital
The Masterbuilt 30-Inch Digital Electric Smoker is a great option if you’re on a tight budget. Needless to say, this smoker doesn’t measure up to the high-end models we’ll see on the list, but it offers excellent value for money.
This electric smoker has good insulation quality and a lot of comfort. Most importantly, the wood chip tray system here doesn’t require you to open the door to add chips, while the water damage allows you to carry moisture and flavor to the food as it cooks.
The Masterbuilt Electric Smoker also has a good amount of shelf space: about 730 square inches. There are also four racks on this smoker. There is little headroom in the baskets when full so for larger groceries YOU may remove some of the baskets.
The digital controls on the Masterbuilt 30-inch smoker are pretty decent. Control the cooking time and temperature while the thermostat ensures even smoking.
However, the built-in thermostat does not seem to be very accurate: in some cases, its readings can differ from actual temperatures by 40-50 degrees. So & you check the temperature of the food with your own probes to see how far away the thermostat is.
Advantages
- Cheap
- Good isolation
- Lots of cooking space
Disadvantages
- Invalid thermostat
- Digitally controls on/off, temperature and cooking time
- Electric Smoker Dimensions: 20.47″ W x 19.88″ L x 33.26″ H | Maximum temperature setting:…
- The patented side-feed chipping system lets you add woodchips without opening the door
Char-Broil 17202004
The Char-Broil Digital Electric Smoker is a great option when you want more convenience. The highlight of this model is the glass door: it allows you to see the food without having to open the door.
The great thing about the smoker is that Char-Broil includes a remote control in the box. Its range is somewhat limited, but it can be very useful in some situations.
The adjustable shelves are also noteworthy: they allow you to flexibly place food in the smoker. You can also remove the racks if you need more space. And in total there are 4 racks in this smoker for a total cooking area of 725 square inches.
The Char-Broil Smoker’s control panel is also very nice, especially the large temperature gauges. You can easily see the temperature from afar!
Char-Broil also offers buyers a meat sample, but the quality is pretty poor and it suggests you use your own food sample.
Advantages
- Double wall insulation
- Easily accessible wood chip system.
- Adjustable grill
- Includes a remote control system.
Disadvantages
- The included meat sample is of poor quality.
Final Verdict
An intuitive remote control system and quick access to wood chips make the Char-Broil easy to use, while its double wall insulation ensures it’s a dependable stove.
- Insulated double wall construction. Power 750
- Advanced control panel with easy-to-read blue LED display
- Removable food thermometer
Masterbuilt MB20074719 Bluetooth
The highlight of this master-crafted digital electric smoker is its Bluetooth connectivity. Once YOU have the Masterbuilt app installed on your smartphone and connected to the smoker via Bluetooth, you can remotely monitor and control the smoker.
The app can be buggy at times and the Bluetooth range is very limited, but the added convenience sure is nice. However, we wouldn’t recommend buying this smoker just for Bluetooth.
Also notable about the smoker is the cooking chamber – a whopping 975 square inches! The glass window in the door also allows you to look at the four cooking grates without opening the door and letting the heat escape. You also don’t have to open the door to add wood chips.
Wheels on the back also make the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker easy to transport. It’s quite large, so wheels are a welcome addition.
Advantages
- Controllable via Bluetooth
- 975 square inch cooking area
- It has a glass window to look inside.
- Wheels at the back for easy transport
Disadvantages
- Limited range of the Bluetooth connection
- Buggy mobile app
- Bluetooth Smart technology allows you to monitor and control the temperature of your meat and smoker…
- A meat thermometer included
- Patented side-loading wood chip system allows wood chips to be added without opening the smoker door
Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow
The Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow Smoker is a good alternative to the 30-inch smoker we discussed earlier. This is also a budget model, but it has limited features.
The two main differences in Smoke Hollow are the number of racks and the chipping system. There are three racks in the Smoke Hollow, giving you less cooking space than the Masterbuilt 30-Inch Smoker. With the woodchip system, whenever you open the door to add woodchips, resulting in heat loss.
As the price of Masterbuilt smokers can fluctuate over time, we advise you to be gentle when purchasing at this price point. If YOU see that the Smoke Hollow is priced similarly to the 30 inch smoker, then you should go for the 30 inch smoker as it is more functional. But if your budget is tight and Smoke Hollow is way cheaper by the time you see this post, go for it.
Final Verdict
This inexpensive outdoor kitchen has impressive insulation, but its cumbersome ease of use may put off seasoned users.
- Outside: 33.5″(H) x 18.2″(W) x 18.7″(L) Inside: 26.2″(H) x 14.8″(W) x…
- Digital panel controls on/off, temperature and time
- Three chrome grill grates
Bradley BTDS76P Smoker
Then we have the Bradley Pellet Smoker. Compared to wood chips, pellets tend to offer a more authentic smoke flavor. While it’s not exactly what you get with live fire, it’s pretty close.
What is also very nice about the Bradley Pellet Smoker is that you can control the amount of smoke produced. Not only that, the smoker will feed the pellets automatically, eliminating the need to manually add pellets to keep the smoke going.
In addition to the smoke, this smoker lets you program the time and temperature. The temperature in the Bradley smoker rises to 320 degrees, while previous units only rise to 275-300 degrees. In terms of time, this smoker reached up to 8 hours.
The main disadvantage of the Bradley smoker is that wood pellets are expensive. If your budget is also limited, a pellet smoker may not be the best option for you.
Advantages
- The granules give a better smoke flavor than wood chips.
- It is YOU in control of the smoke.
- strong and durable
Disadvantages
- Pellet costs can add up over time
While other BBQ enthusiasts live and die on their pellets, I see the benefits of a good electric smoker at hand. Buying an electric smoker requires the presence of certain characteristics. This can mean the difference between an electric smoker that gets the job done quickly and one that is just great and efficient. Asking the right questions can help you get to the conclusion you want.
Let’s look at electric smokers, their benefits, how they work and other guides.
Benefits of Electric Smokers
There’s a reason electric smokers are popular. Let’s take a look at some of these factors.
Temperature Control
One of the reasons electric smokers are a good buy is that they are temperature controlled. When using traditional heat sources like fire, it can be difficult to control how hot it GETS. You can control electric smokers, giving you control over how food is cooked. This is thanks to the thermostat.
Wood smokers impart a unique aroma to the smoked food, but the problem is that YOU need a certain level of experience to ensure that the temperature increases in a controlled manner. Luckily, electric smokers make this task a lot easier. Fitted electric smokers are equipped with a thermostat and rheostat so they can maintain a constant temperature while cooking, allowing them to eat an evenly cooked meal.
Temperatures can vary widely, especially in smokers using charcoal or other heat sources with uncontrollable temperatures. But with an electric smoker, you retain some control and know what to expect. If you’re just starting out or don’t grill much, this will come in handy in the kitchen.
Heat Convection
Smoking is a way of using convection at a lower temperature for cooking. The electric smoker uses convection heating to heat and circulate the air inside the smoker.
‘Set and Forget’ Kitchen
The electric smoker has a set-and-forget setting. By that I mean you don’t have to keep an eye on the grill like you might with a fire-fed smoker. You can easily set the smoker to the temperature you need to get the internal temperature you want. Most electric smokers have a digital temperature control that is also easy to read.
Security
Smoking your meat is a great way to impart a flavor to the meat that you couldn’t with spices or spices. Electric smokers are often preferred for their safety. No fire needs to be lit for it to work. Although they glow differently, a push of a button is all it takes to turn most electric smokers on at the end of the day.
To ensure overall safety, as with any electrical appliance, you should follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Also, make sure the meat you put in is completely thawed. If you seasoned it properly, you probably would have if the meat was thawed. Either way, make sure. YOU don’t want it to take longer in the smoker than it should, which would allow dangerous bacteria to grow on the meat.
With electric smokers, less smoke comes out and less heat is generated. This also makes it easier to use an electric smoker indoors. For example, if you live in an apartment, you can use this. There is less chance of flaring up as no direct heat or flame is generated.
They are also safer in terms of the smoke produced. It is less inhaled and is a good buy for people with breathing problems or conditions like asthma as it is less. It is also healthier for the environment as it causes less air pollution.
How do Electric Smokers Work?
Electric smokers don’t use direct flame, but instead use convection heat, which circulates heat and smoke within a cooking chamber to flavor food. The first thing to do is turn on the smoker and put it on standby. Then one element heats up and turns on the heat for the grill.
The element then heats the metal shell and dies into granules or chips. The chips will start to burn, filling the smokehouse with flavored smoke. This will heat the water in a pan of water. The burning wood then gives off smoke that cooks the food and gives it a special flavor. The steam hydrates the meat.
The flavor of the wood also plays a role, so choose carefully what type of wood you choose and make sure it matches the food you’re smoking. The subtle flavors of dishes like seafood go well with sweet-tasting wood like applewood. You can also use steam to loosen dirt when cleaning the smoker.
Both an electric smoker and a pellet smoker are powered by electricity. The difference is that an electric smoker uses electricity to create smoke, unlike a pellet smoker or a charcoal smoker, which do not. Also, electric smokers use convection heat while charcoal and pellet smokers use combustion.
The other big difference is the taste. Pellet smokers and charcoal smokers carry more flavor than electric smokers. Heavy smoke is produced when wood is burned in stoves. Are incinerators harder to clean than electric incense burners.
Additionally, pellet smokers can command higher prices and therefore offer a greater range of options for cooking your food. They are therefore more versatile than electric smokers. The other difference is that you get a different result. Meat smoked in a pellet smoker has the typical smoke ring, unlike smoking in an electric smoker.
There is a distinct difference in how meat smoked in an electric smoker tastes than meat smoked in a pellet smoker.
How to Use an Electric Smoker
There are a few steps you can follow to get an electric smoker that will make your life a lot easier.
The first thing you can do is flavor the smoker. This is especially important if the smoker has never been used. Another way of explaining this concept is to purify it and raise the possibility for the fumigation process. This is important because when the smoker is new, it often has different smells from the factory and manufacturing process. How to season or kurt the smoker, we’ll take a closer look a little later.
connect smokers. It is a good idea to make sure that YOU do not use an extension cord for this, but plug the smoker directly into the power source. Also make sure that there are no obstructions in the power cord and that the cord cannot unexpectedly come out of the wall.
Place about a cup of chips on the tray. Remember that the flavor of the wood chips you use will determine the flavor of the smoke WILL be put into the food.
Preheat your smoker at about 225˚F for about 45 minutes. This is usually enough time to reach the optimum temperature from a cold state. At the same time, most smokers are marked with ˚F. You need to make sure the drive IS in use so you don’t make a silly mistake.
Be sure to fill the water bowl as well. The purpose of the water is to ensure there is enough steam to hydrate the meat. After YOU continue to use both the water and the wood chips throughout the smoking process. Also, be sure to fill the tray with hot water and not cold water.
Then set it to about 225°F or any other temperature YOU need SO YOU can properly smoke your food. For most meats, 225˚F is the ideal temperature. The digital temperature display helps you monitor the temperature. However, you will check what temperature you need to use for the food being prepared.
You can also control smoker temperatures by manipulating the vents. Make sure the meat is properly seasoned, pickled, and marinated before placing it in the smoker. While you’re grilling, you can keep adding the wood shavings.
A dual probe smoking thermometer is a great way to be sure when the meat has reached the optimal internal temperature. Improve your accuracy in cooking the perfect cut of meat. You don’t have to wonder if meat is often made or not.
Be sure to find the perfect spot on the meat. I usually prefer to go through the thickest part of the meat to insert the probes into the meat. Most dual-probe thermometers will show you the smoking thermometer and the internal temperature of the meat. With a dual-probe thermometer, you can set the temperature and walk away without the risk of opening the smoker and releasing valuable heat.
To make things easier for you, you can also look for one with Wi-Fi connectivity, which allows you to monitor temperatures even when you’re not near the grill.
How to Season an Electric Smoker
Your electric smoker must be branded before use. This must be done as with other electrical kitchen appliances.
Clean the smoker, clean the racks, the walls and every part of the smoker. You can use a damp cloth for this. You can also run the smoker dry to remove some of the factory equipment.
Then use cooking oil to clean the grates. An easier way to do this is to use a spray oil type, as long as it’s a light coat of oil. It is not necessary to soak the oil for the spice to take effect. It’s easier to do this if you remove the racks.
Replace racks in smoker. Turn on the smoker and let it run for another 2-3 hours.
Cleaning
Keeping your smoker clean will help you grill efficiently. That way, you only get the flavors you intended. If you don’t clean it, cross-pollination of flavors can occur. Relive the flavors of the previous cooking session every time you light the smoker. Keeping the viewing window clean will also give you a better view of the smoker’s interior.
Cleaning the incense burner also helps maintain it. It also protects your health. The same reason we clean pots and dishes after use is also why you should keep your smoker clean.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have burning questions about where to start BBQ smoking? Our FAQs will help you with this.
Can an Electric Smoker be Used in the House?
If you can. They don’t produce as much smoke as other backyard kitchens, making them a great option for people who don’t have a backyard.
Do They Use a Lot of Electricity?
An electric smoker is not the least bit economical. It is powered and must remain on for at least three hours.
Do you Need to Soak Wood Chips Before Using an Electric Smoker?
There is a lot of debate about this, but to get straight to the point, no, YOU do not have to remove wood chips before using them in your electric smoker.
Will Rain Damage My Electric Smoker?
A little rain won’t harm your grill, but it’s important to do your best to keep it dry. This is where a waterproof cover comes in handy.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
