The affection for grilled food is centuries old. The smoky flavors that accompany grilled fish, meat, and vegetables excite our taste bud far more than any food cooked using traditional methods. With technological advancements, smokers also upgraded from using woods and charcoals to using power as a heating source.
People prefer electric smokers over traditional ones for obvious reasons. They come with temperature control, a user-friendly design, and don’t use any wood or charcoal. If you’re close to buying a smoker, we picked the 10 best electric smokers here for you as they’re getting popular by the day.
Contents
- 1 10 Best Electric Smokers
- 1.1 Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker
- 1.2 Masterbuilt MB20070210 Analog Electric Smoker
- 1.3 Masterbuilt MB20074719 Bluetooth Best Electric Smoker
- 1.4 Masterbuilt SH19079518 Digital Electric Smoker
- 1.5 Char-Broil 17202004 Digital Electric Smoker
- 1.6 Bradley Smoker BTDS76P 990216 Digital Smoker
- 2 Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker
- 3 Advantages of an Electric Smoker
- 4 How Do Electric Smokers Work?
- 5 How to Use an Electric Smoker?
- 6 How to Clean an Electric Smoker
- 7 Reason Why You Should Buy an Electric Smoker
- 8 FAQs
- 9 Bottom Line
10 Best Electric Smokers
If you’re buying an electric smoker for the first time, it’s easy to get lost among numerous alternatives. To help you choose the perfect one, we summarized the ten best electric smokers based on features and user feedback.
Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker
The taste acquired from cooking in this smoker is more intense compared to many others. It’s one of the best electronic smokers for beginners and has a reliable and durable build quality. It’ll let you control temperature and time, along with displaying you the temperature measurement while cooking. The smoker has enough space inside to cook for 3 to 4 people at once. If you see the temperature dropping, you can insert wood chips without opening the door. There are four racks with chrome coating, a water bowl for adding moisture, a wood chip tray for removing ashes, an air damper to control smoke, and more.
If you judge this model based on aesthetics, it may not be your first choice because it’s pretty plain looking. But if we’re talking about performance, this model from Masterbuilt should definitely be on your list.
Masterbuilt MB20070210 Analog Electric Smoker
The Masterbuilt 30 MB20070210 smoker might be the best electric smoker for the money. It’s an inexpensive product, but you can’t underestimate its performance in any way. Electric heating can raise the temperature very quickly and maintain it at a predetermined level. Another feature is better insulation inside the smoker. Control the temperature using the knob on the side. With this precision and consistency, the food will smoke evenly and result in a tasty meal.
You can cook 3-4 people at a time with this smoker. There is enough space on the top shelf to put in a large piece and cook perfectly. You can hold small family gatherings or a close gathering with this electric smoker without worrying.
Masterbuilt MB20074719 Bluetooth Best Electric Smoker
Electric smokers are for people who want to set the appliance and forget about their kitchen.
So Masterbuilt did something smart and created a smoker that connects to your phone via Bluetooth. You can sit back, relax, and monitor a smoker’s temperature using the app on your phone. You can turn the smoker on or off and regulate and control the smoker’s temperature.
Another highlight of this smoker is the capacity. With the 40-inch model, there’s a lot of space to cook for enough people.
Masterbuilt SH19079518 Digital Electric Smoker
It can take a while to warm up in the winter, but The Masterbuilt SH19079518 smoker works well in summer and winter. It is worth mentioning this machine’s insulation because, during cooking, you will notice constant temperature maintenance. This is one of the key factors that will help get the flavor like a professional chef’s work.
If there are four shelves inside and there is enough space between them, you can cook 9 chickens or 2 turkeys at a time. That is enough to eat 5 or 6 people.
It is a hollow smoked electric smoker with a control panel on top. With a small opening on the side of the panel, you can control the airflow inside. You can open it fully, open it partially, or keep it closed. Thus, the flavor will not change, and you will have the food perfectly prepared.
Char-Broil 17202004 Digital Electric Smoker
The unit has a remote control that allows you to comfortably watch and regulate the cooking chamber’s temperature and turn off the smoker if necessary. You can also control the internal temperature and cooking time using the smoker’s digital control panel.
A glass door allows you to see every shelf. Watching smoked food is not the most exciting past-time, but the ability to check the appearance without opening the door is a useful feature.
The Char-Broil Deluxe is very sturdy and well built. The outer walls are made of stainless steel and guarantee adequate heat retention. Glass doors are durable, but you should be aware that some heat is dissipated, so be careful if you have children around.
Bradley Smoker BTDS76P 990216 Digital Smoker
Bradley offers you one of the best electric digital smokers. As a digital smoker, you get a control unit that can be quickly and smoothly adjusted and removed. This way, you can disassemble the control unit when not in use and avoid damaging it from the weather. There is also a chimney that fits at the top of the control unit.
This Bradley Smoker BTDS76p uses wood bisquettes that can be smoked for 20 minutes. You can make them at home or buy them. In addition to the traditional smoking style with auger or sawdust pallet, these bisquettes allow you to understand exactly how many units you need to smoke. This can be better tailored to the specific needs of the individual.
Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker
It’s an analog smoker with an old-school analog thermometer, insulated cooking area, large wood chip box, and water container built into the smoker base. There are three chrome-plated racks, so you can choose a large or small quantity of meat to smoke. You have the option of ordering a fourth rack to make your smoking projects even bigger.
This smoker is not a sophisticated alternative to smoking. Don’t worry about mechanical or digital glitches and errors, as this type has precise, 100% analog readings, and consistent results. This smoker is so easy to operate that it might be the best electric smoker for beginners on this list.
Smokehouse Big Chief Electric Smoker
The Big Chief is a classic American smoker built in the United States. If you’re looking for a traditional smoker to run “cold smoking,” the reputation and price are hard to overlook. Just remember when smoking hot pork shoulder, breast or ribs, at least give them enough time in the oven before serving.
The Big Chief is actually dedicated to things like smoking fish to perfection or adding smoke to a homemade ring and combining sausages. If you want to play with other cold smoking foods, this should definitely be on your list. With a Big Chief in your hand, you can make homemade bacon, pastramis, shelled shrimp, smoked jalapeños, and even fresh country ham.
This is for outdoor use only so that you can consider it as one of the best electric smokers for camping.
Bradley Smoker BS611 Electric Smoker
The Bradley Electric BS611 smokehouse proves its worth with its spacious cooking surface that makes it easy to smoke vegetables, meat, and fish. Due to the separate controlled heat element, the smoker can act as a hot smoker, cold smoker, oven, or dehydrator.
This fridge-shaped smoker burns Bradley bisquettes to flavor up your smoked food. You can detach the smoke generator and place it in a safe place to avoid the weather conditions. If you are a beef jerky lover, the Bradley Smoker BS611 Original would be the best choice for you.
Royal Gourmet SE2801 Electric Smoker
If you’re looking for a budget-friendly smoker, this model from Royal Gourmet will not disappoint you at all. With a 1500 watt heat element in this price range, the smoker really exceeds your expectations. There are three chrome-plated cooking racks in the smoker. The handle stays cool to the touch.
You can use this smoker for diverse cooking, including barbeque, grilling, drying, and steaming. In other words, it’s the best electric smoker grill combo available at this price range.
Advantages of an Electric Smoker
The most obvious reason to love an electric smoker is you can easily control it without much hassle. You don’t have to start a fire manually and then maintain it. Temperature control is another thing to worry about traditional smokers. Although analog smokers have their benefits, there aren’t fewer reasons why electric smokers are the best type of smoker.
Perfect for Beginners
Electric smokers can help people who are learning to smoke meat for the first time. Beginners see these smokers as a way to skip the traditional way of starting and maintaining a fire. Ideally, you can “flip the switch,” and you’ll be ready to smoke a few ribs.
Even though this logic is flawed, an electric smoker can work as a great motivational tool for those who want to start smoking right away!
Set and Forget
Electric smokers offer the possibility of continuous operation without maintenance. The idea of putting meat in the smoker, going to work, and then coming home to a meal of perfectly smoked meat is just irresistible.
Many people buy this smoker only based on this advantage, even though most sellers recommend never leaving an electric smoker unattended because there’s always a possibility of an accident.
Comparatively Compact
Getting a huge traditional smoker for your home is not always possible, given the urban lifestyle.
Sometimes you have to deal with this fact and make the most of your situation. An electric smoker offers a solution to your problem with its compact design and lets you organize your barbeque get-together as frequently as you wish.
A Low and Slow Process
An electric smoker can smoke at a lower temperature, which is tougher to achieve with traditional smokers. With a digitally controlled electric smoker, you can smoke various meat that requires a low heat cooking method.
Safety
Let’s not forget how much safety an electric smoker offers you. Suppose you’re comparing an electric smoker with a traditional one. In that case, the possibility of burning anything down is drastically low with an electric smoker because it doesn’t use any wood or charcoal. Some smokers even offer you a few advanced security options to avoid overcooking or burning your meat.
Diversity
Electric smokers come in different sizes depending on your need. Let’s assume you chose a small portable one. If you need to cook a larger meat potion, you can remove the racks to make more space for the meat. The diversity of an electric smoker isn’t a feature people ignore while buying.
How Do Electric Smokers Work?
Assuming you’re using an electric smoker for the first time, you’re probably wondering how these smokers work without fire, wood, or charcoal.
Electric smokers use power instead of wood and charcoal. It provides you with more innovativeness than traditional smokers because you get to control the temperature to cook different meat according to your necessity. Not using fire also reduces the chance of an accident caused by fire.
A heating chamber produces heat inside the smoker using the power source, circulates the air inside, and uses convection to cook the meat. There’s an option to burn wood and a water tray to keep the meat moist and provide a smokier flavor.
How to Use an Electric Smoker?
If you’re a first-time electric smoker user, here’s a quick guide for you on how to use your electric smoker.
Step-1: Season your Smoker
Place the wood chip box and water tray (make sure it’s empty) where they’re supposed to be. Plug your smoker in and turn on the power button. Raise a minimum of 275o F temperature and set the timer for 3 hours. After 2 hours, add 1 or 2 cups of wood chips. When the timer goes off, let it cool, and your smoker is seasoned.
Step-2: Preheat
Fill the wood chip box with the recommended amount of wood chips and turn the smoker on. Then preheat your smoker at 200-225o F. It generally takes 30 to 45 minutes to heat up.
Step-3: Start Cooking
Fill the water tray up and place it inside the cooking chamber.
Season your meat with preferred flavors and place it inside the cooking chamber. Lock the door from the outside and set the timer depending on what meat you are cooking.
Add more wood chips or water while cooking according to necessity. Let your meat sit for 10 to 15 minutes before eating.
How to Clean an Electric Smoker
If you are wondering if cleaning a smoker will cost you a fortune, you’re mistaken. There are many cost-effective ways to clean an electric smoker. You can even use your kitchen products. Let’s go through some ideas.
Apple Cider Vinegar
You can find apple cider vinegar everywhere. Apple cider vinegar is made from acids that remove grease or dust in minutes. Make a mixture of vinegar and warm water using equal parts. Spraying the mixture into a dirty chamber will result best. After spraying, let the vinegar stay for five minutes. Clean the chamber with a cloth. You will be surprised to see the final results.
Another advantage of apple cider vinegar is that acidity kills and helps prevent bacteria and future molds’ build-up.
Soapy Water
If you clean the electric smoker after each use, the job can be done with a simple soap mixture. Simply mix liquid dish soap with water and wipe the chamber with a damp cloth. Pour the soap mixture into a spray bottle to apply easily.
Oven Cleaner
Oven cleaners explicitly made to remove stubborn dirt from the smoker is another effective solution. If you’re on a budget, invest in a good oven cleaner. The cleaner will not only clean your electric smoker; it will also save you a lot of time. Just spray or spray the solution over the smoker and wipe it clean.
Bristle Brush
You can use a bristle brush to clean a dirty chamber. When you don’t clean the chamber from time to time, the dirt on the walls becomes stubborn. Dust does not come off quickly when you use a cloth. You’ll get better results with a bristle brush instead, which is more effective in this case. Just make sure the brush is plastic and not metal; otherwise, it will damage the chamber walls.
Wood Grill Scraper
There are a variety of grill scrapers to remove all dirt and grease from the chamber walls. With a wooden scraper, you can easily scrape away stubborn dirt. That way, you won’t have to put too much effort into cleaning the smoker.
Cleaning Process
Clean all the parts separately. Remove the racks, wood chip box, water tray, and all other removable parts. Clean the removed pieces, the chamber, the exterior, and the thermostat using the most suitable element, depending on your preference.
Let them dry, and then re-assemble all parts, and you’ve got yourself a clean smoker.
Reason Why You Should Buy an Electric Smoker
If you weren’t interested in buying an electric smoker, you wouldn’t have come this far, right? To erase any second thoughts you might be having, consider the reasons why you shouldn’t make any delay buying your own electric smoker.
The User-Friendly Feature doesn’t Require any Experience at All!
Let’s say you’ve never smoked meat before. Starting with a smoker that runs on woods and charcoal will cause you so many troubles. You can just follow the instruction with an electric smoker as you would with any other electric devices.
Unlike a charcoal or wood smoker, you can control the temperature using a thermostat, so you don’t burn your meat or make it undercooked.
Because it’s easy to use, you can experiment with cooking different meat using different time and temperature range to see what brings the best results out.
Environment-Friendly and Clean
You don’t get a lot of mess using an electric smoker. There’s a separate part for storing ash, so the chamber doesn’t get dirty from burning the wood chips. Everything stays in place, making it easy for you to maintain and clean the smoker. As mentioned earlier, the cleaning process is also super easy. You can clean your smoker without much effort and cost.
Another bright side of an electric smoker is it’s environment-friendly and safe. You don’t need a vast amount of wood or charcoal that emit unhealthy smoke into the environment.
You can use this smoker in fire-ban areas because there is no fire in an electric smoker. Moreover, if you live in an apartment where barbeque is prohibited for safety issues, an electric smoker saves the day there too. Because lets be honest, burning anything down with a smoker that runs on electricity is insane.
Cost-Effective
If you’re trying smoking for the first time, electric smokers come cheaper than many other smokers. So you can get started with a reasonable amount of investment. The operating cost of an electric smoker is also very reasonable compared to others. So, to sum up, you’re getting a very cost effecting option with an electric smoker.
Try Cold Smoking
The usual way of smoking meat is known as ‘hot smoking.’ With an electric smoker, you can also try to do cold smoking. Some food can’t be cooked at temperatures as high as 200 degrees F. You can lower the temperature to smoke them, and it will also be a healthy addition to your diet.
For example, you can cold smoke cheese without melting it, nuts without roasting them, and so on. Many electric smokers will offer you cold smoke generators. Talk about adding diversity to your food!
If you’re a cooking enthusiast, you’ll definitely love an electric smoker of your own because of the things you can do using this device with the lowest maintenance possible; you simply won’t go wrong with these!
FAQs
Are electric smokers as good as charcoal?
It depends on your preference. If you value convenience over flavors, an electric smoker is a better choice for you. If you value better smoky flavors over convenience, charcoal is the better one.
Can I cook all kinds of meat on electric smokers?
The only limitation is the size and quantity of the meat. If you own a small electric smoker, it’s impossible to cook a large meat portion in it.
How do electric smokers make smoke?
Wood chips are placed over the heating element, and the heat makes the wood chips smolder. In other words, using the electricity, an electric smoker heats up and create smoke without any flame.
Can electric smokers be used indoors?
Electric smokers don’t use woods or charcoal, so yes, you can definitely use an electric smoker indoor.
Are electric smokers durable enough?
The durability varies from brand to brand. Some offer excellent durability with lengthy warranty options. Go for those to ensure maximum durability.
Do I Add Water to an Electric Smoker?
Yes. There’s a box or tray on almost all smokers to add water inside. The water helps to control the temperature and keeps your meat moist.
Is electric or propane better for smoking?
It’s debatable which one is better for smoking. Propane smokers provide a smokier flavor, where electric ones are convenient to use and provide precise temperature control.
Bottom Line
With all the confusion that accompanies a buying process, it’s easy to get lost in hesitations. That’s where the list of best smokers come in. We’ve considered all elements you’ll think of while spending a fair amount of money on an electric smoker. Combining all notable features and characteristics, these ten smokers made the list after an in-depth evaluation process. Now it’s your turn to choose your winner.
Don’t restrict yourself from an amazing electric smoker and get your cooking instinct working. Maybe a new electric smoker is all you need to elevate your cooking passion.
