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Smoking food has been a part of a very long tradition for quite a while now. From smoked meat to vegetables and fish, there have been endless recipes and possibilities when you get the right smoker mixed with the right cook. However, it can take a lot of effort, time and even skills to make your BBQ meat be smoked perfectly and be tender just like the pros make.
This experience can only be gained after years of paying attention to your BBQ pit in order to get the perfect temperature and smoke. However, with the advancement of technology, there are some great electric smokers present in the market that make it easy to cook like professionals. In this review, we’re looking out some of the top electric smokers available and why you must get one.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Electric Smokers
- OUR TOP PICK: Little Chief Front Load Smoker
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Smoke Hollow ES230B Digital Electric Smoker
- Old Smokey Electric Smoker
Comparison of the Best Electric Smokers
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How We Choose These Models
Finding the best electric smoker can be a tough task; however, if you know what to look for, then this task can be made simple for you. Some features to look out for to ensure you end up with the best purchase include:
Construction
Before checking the price of the smoker or the features it comes with, it is important that you check the materials used to make it. The materials used will help in determining the durability of this product. Most smokers present in the market are made with stainless steel that is one of the best materials for such products.
Stainless steel is especially good for the interior since it is able to handle high heat very well. This makes sure that the temperature is steady. Moreover, steel smokers are easy to clean and incredibly durable.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the exterior of the smokers, you can look for corrosion-resistant aluminized steel and even embossed aluminum. Both of these materials keep the unit durable.
Size of the Cooking Area
The cooking area is the space you will use in preparing the dishes. Since these units are designed to be used outdoors, they come with large cooking areas. Ideally, it is essential that you invest in a unit that has a lot of rack space present; four racks will give you a cooking space of 700 inches. The key to investing in the perfect smoker is that your cooking needs are met.
Portability
For most people, using these products is not something they do on a daily basis. This is the kind of stuff especially for weekends, barbecues, and dinners are made of. Since these units are used occasionally or once a week, portability is extremely important, and for this reason, you should invest in a unit that is less than 50 pounds.
This way, you can easily carry it around and move it from one place to another on your own.
Willy's Top Picks - Best Electric Smokers
Here's the top 3 best smokers electric smokers:
Review of the Best Electric Smokers
The market is full of numerous electric smokers which ultimately leaves one confused about which is the best option. To help you with this, here are some of the best electric smokers you can get your hands on to get the perfect smoked meal!
Best Overall:
Little Chief Front Load Smoker
Pros
Cons
This is a front loading electric smoker that comes with an instruction manual and recipe booklet too. It also has a 1.75-pound bag filled with hickory flavor wood fuel. Little Chief Smoker also provides users with a consistent low-temperature setting; this makes sure that your food is cooked at the perfect temperature.
The smoker has a capacity of 25 pounds which is ideal for many households. This capacity allows you to smoke fresh salmons, cook sausages and even feed the entire family at one time. Moreover, it is easy to use the unit and can is suitable for all applications of meat. Even beginners can enjoy this product due to its user-friendly nature.
Little Chief comes with an engineered smoke ventilation system that comes with proper dehydration and circulation of smoke. This makes sure that you get the deep and rich flavor of smoke that you desire along with the perfect texture that professionals achieve flawlessly.
Also, with this unit, you can leave your washing worries behind since it comes with a dishwasher safe drip pan. In addition, the durability of this unit is pretty good since it has embossed aluminum construction, making it worth your money.
Bottom Line
This is a good and durable unit that works perfectly well for medium-sized families. You can enjoy its huge capacity of 25 pounds and cook steaks and other meat products on it with ease.
Best for the Money:
Smoke Hollow ES230B Digital Electric Smoker
Pros
Cons
The Smoke Hollow Digital Electric Smoker is incredibly easy to use. You can simply plug this unit in and allow it to work on its own. It comes with digital control that makes this smoker incredibly simple for beginners.
Since the construction on this unit is insulated, it helps in keeping the heat inside. With an 800-watt element, you can enjoy the consistent and even smoking on this unit.
Moreover, this smoker comes with an adjustable air damper that provides easy smoke control. Also, with this unit, you no longer have to scratch your brushes in order to clean it. Since it comes with a removable drip pan, you simply have to remove it to clean it.
You also get a removable water bowl that helps in adding flavor and moisture to your food.The digital panels on this unit allow you to turn it on and off and even set the timer and temperature on this product. With this smoker, you can effectively smoke nine chickens, two turkeys, 24 burgers and 36 sausages.
Bottom Line
This is a cheap product, yet it has great features that make sure you get the most out of your electric smoker. It makes sure that your meat is smoked properly and provides you with easy control due to the digital panels present on top of it.
3. Old Smokey Electric Smoker
Pros
Cons
The Old Smokey Electric Smoker provides users with delicious smoke flavored meat using excellent features and effective working mechanism. It comes with flat top features that allow consistent heating, ensuring that your food remains tasty and not dry.
This unit is ventilated properly that assists in the pasteurization and dehydration process. It is a portable unit due to the two carrying handles, and it also comes with two smoking racks in case you want to make steaks for the whole family in one go.
With this unit, you can also enjoy a convenient drip pan and wood chips that ensure that you get the flavor in your food. Apart from being easy to use, this unit is also easy to assemble. Its flat top design helps in locking in the juice, and it provides you with two cooking levels that you can choose from.
You can also control the heat easily using the variable thermostat, and with this product, you no longer need to add in water to the smoker.
Bottom Line
This is a great choice for a beginner as well as an advanced user. Despite its lack of good insulation, this unit is reliable and durable and provides your meat with the taste you long for.
4. Cuisinart COS-330 Electric Smoker
Pros
Cons
This is another great smoker that is not only easy to use but is also incredibly convenient. It's perfect for beginners as well as seasoned expert smokers. To use this product, you simply have to plug it in and place the meat on its rack. Then you can set its temperature and let this unit work on its own.
Moreover, you can keep track of the temperature using the easy-to-read thermometer present on the door of this product. This helps in keeping proper track of the internal temperature of this unit to ensure that your meat gets the heat it requires.
This is a lightweight product, and the two side handles make it easy to move. The 1500 watt heating element on this unit provides it with a temperature between 100 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Not only is this smoker fun and easy to use, but it is also incredibly versatile and has 548 inches of interior cooking space. This means that you can add in plenty of meat and vegetables to smoke. Plus, the racks present in the unit along with the trays are very easy to clean making it a worry-free investment.
Bottom Line
Overall, this is an easy-to-assemble and use unit which provides sufficient smoke to the meat. The construction on this unit is solid and very lightweight, and it has an elegant design making it perfect for placing in your modern household. Despite its small bowl and tendency to leak sometimes, this is truly one of the best you can get.
5. Char-Broil Vertical Electric Smoker
Pros
Cons
This is another amazing electric smokers present in the market. Not only is this unit at an affordable price but also has some great features. Using this unit is a piece of cake and can be easily done by a beginner. With this unit, you can enjoy 504 square inches of cooking space, and this may not be too much, but it is perfect for a 20-pound turkey on Thanksgiving.
Moreover, this unit is simple, and that is what makes it easy to use. You can categorize your meat on the racks present on this unit, and you do not have to hassle around with it. With a built-in temperature gauge, you can keep track of the inner temperature. This allows you to notice heat loss right away and you can work on reducing that instantly.
Also, this unit comes with a water basin and a porcelain wood chip pan; since porcelain is a high heat resistant material, it can withstand high temperature.
This unit provides no heat loss at all since the insulation on this unit is very good. This helps in keeping the inner temperature optimal and ensures that your meat is cooked to perfection. Since it has no heat loss design, you can only lose heat once you open the front door. In other words, you can get the meat cooked perfectly given its efficiency.
Bottom Line
This is a good smoker for beginners as well as professionals. It provides you with amazing results and even good features. The best part about this unit is that it is very cheap, simple, modern and even compact which adds to its portability.
6. Masterbuilt Digital
Pros
Cons
With this Masterbuilt unit, you can get your hands on the right tools and master the art of cooking. You can make products such as slow-cooked rib and try different flavors and seasoning easily.
This unit is user-friendly and easy to use due to the digital panel controls present that allow you to turn the unit on and off. You can also set the time and temperature according to your wish and let the smoke do the work for you.
Moreover, this unit comes with a remote which allows you to monitor the smoke temperature, internal meat temperature as well as the cooking time. It even has a blue LED display that allows you to read this unit easily even when standing in direct sunlight.
The thermostat temperature control provides you with even cooking and allows you to cook with temperature from 100 to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
This also comes with a side wood chip loading system which makes it easy to add the chips without opening the lid of the unit.
Bottom Line
This is an overall good unit to invest it. You can enjoy its great features and elegant design and have parties at your house every weekend with this electric smoker. Plus, given its large cooking space, you’ll have no issues with catering to many people in one go.
Benefits of Investing in a Great Electric Smoker
Electric smokers have a lot of advantages over traditional smokers, and this is what makes them incredibly good. These advantages include:
Ease of Use
Traditional smokers require a lot of work; you not only have to ignite the flame and let it be but you also have to focus on proper regulation of air flow. Moreover, you need to check the temperature as well as continuously.
However, with these electric smokers, all you have to do is simply plug it in and set the temperature; it does the rest of the work for you.
Safety
With a traditional smoker, you need real fire in order to create smoke, and most of the time you will need to leave it burning. If you have pets and kids around, then this can be very dangerous especially if they can knock the unit over. However, with an electric smoker, there is no danger of an open flame, and this makes it safe to have around.
Cost
Traditional smokers can be cheap to buy at first, but they cost more in the long run. The reason behind these additional charges is that you will have to invest in wood and charcoal to ensure that your flame does not burn out. If you are focusing on cooking for many hours, then you will have to add in more fuel and wood hence being more and more expensive.
But with an electric smoker, you can relax since it does not use too much power and doesn’t require wood; hence making it cheap in the long run.
Conclusion
With the advantages mentioned above, you can easily decide why these electric smokers are taking the world by storm. They have great features and make cooking an easy task for you to do. Using these products, you can create BBQ meat that is perfect on the outside and inside, making it no less than food prepared by professionals. So, make use of the guide and product reviews mentioned above in order to make an informed choice!