Its a Smokin’ Hot party you’re planning and you need the best smoker to flavourise that meat or smoke grill that cheese? And yeah, you want all of it without the hassle of sweating it out in front of a fire on a hot summer day outdoors?
You are at the right place to decide the right piece.
Today, we will list out 5 of the best electric smokers you can buy on Amazon.
For the uninitiated who wish to learn more about what a smoker is (no it’s not the cigarette smoker we are talking about), we have a mini guide below our recommendations.
Let’s admit it, nothing quite really matches up to the flavour of smoked meat — brisket, wings, bacon, chicken, pork, ham, lobster tails, turkey or smoked cheese and mac, corn on the cob, smoked salmon among other delicious delights.
Since we know any random smoker won’t do, we collated a list of the best electric smoker from hundreds available online.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at our 5 best electric smoker picks.
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Table of Contents
1. Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker
BEST OVERALL
+ Digital panel controls on/off, cooking temperature and time
+ Max temperature setting – 275ᵒ F | Inside capacity – 2 Turkeys, 4 Pork Butts, 4 Racks of Ribs, 6 Chickens
+ Patented side wood chip loading system allows you to add wood chips without opening door. Fully-insulated body retains heat
2. Cuisinart COS-330 Smoker
EASIEST TO USE
+ Spacious 548 square inch interior. The vertical footprint makes it a perfect size for patios and barbecue kitchens.
+ Three stainless steel racks can be easily removed for smoking large cuts of meat. Racks are dishwasher safe, making cleanup easy.
+ Features easy-to-read thermometer on the front door for accessible monitoring of the internal temperature.
3. Masterbuilt MB20074719 Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker
MOST TECHNO-ADVANCED
+ Bluetooth Smart technology allows you to monitor and control your meat and smoker temperature from your smart device or digital control panel
+ One meat probe thermometer included
+ Patented side wood chip loading system allows you to add wood chips without opening smoker door
+ Interior light illuminates food in low light when door is open
4. Char-Broil 19202101 Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker
BEST LARGE SIZED
+ Insulated, double-wall construction
+ Advanced control panel with easy-read, blue LED display
+ Glass door allows you to monitor the smoke without opening the door. Large, steel locking latch for smoke-tight seal
– Remote control not included, (Only with deluxe stainless steel model)
5. Masterbuilt MB20070210 Analog Electric Smoker with 3 Smoking Racks
MOST DURABLE
+ Composed of robust material: Cast Iron
+ Three chrome-coated smoking racksBuilt-in temperature gauge. Temperature control is easy with analog dial.
+ FRONT ACCESS GREASE TRAY: Catches excess food drippings
What is a Smoker?
A smoker is an equipment to cook ‘smoky’ flavored food or barbecue in a regulated heating environment.
Smokers come in all sizes – to feed a small family or to cook for a large contingent.
These cooking equipments are of different kinds, based on the fuels which power them – electricity, propane or natural gas, wood, charcoal, and pellets.
Smokers other than those that run on electricity ignite wood to create both heat and smoke and cook your food. Electric smokers need to have wood added to a heated chamber to produce smoke.
In technical terms, any form of cooking equipment that can hold a low cooking temperature for several hours and create smoke is a smoker.
What is an Electric Smoker?
Smokers which run on electric power are electric smokers. The biggest convenience with an electric smoker is they don’t require constant replenishments such as that of a fuel to keep the fire alight. Since it runs on electricity, it merely requires power supply. Plug it, set it and forget it (but don’t forget to switch it off once done).
Electric smokers allow temperature setting control box, which in meat smoking is one of the best features a smoker can have. This is so because the constant temperature functionality makes cooking uniform and time-bound. This is certainly not the case with non-electricity smokers.
Electric smokers are environment friendly alternatives to their fossil fuelled counterparts too. They also allow you to prepare an array of food types like fish or sausage. You can also easily convert them into a cold smoker for making bacon and cheese.
And talking about extraneous factors, in a residential complex where charcoal burning is prohibited, electric might be your only choice.
Disadvantages of an Electric Smoker
- Needs electricity and so is not as convenient to operate outdoors
- Heavy to carry around and essential parts aren’t as handy. Moreover the repairs for these ancillaries could prove to be an expensive affair.
- Certain traditionalists consider electric smokers incapable of lending the natural distribution of smoky flavor as it keeps a temperature uniform. In traditional smokers such as those fueled by charcoal, temperature keeps varying as fuel expends out giving it a heterogeneous taste.
How to Choose the Best Electric Smoker
Bestselling electric smokers are packed with some great features like – size, ease of use, ease of cleaning, digital controls, durability, affordability, and good maintenance of desired temperature with set it and forget options besides time control.
Here’s an in-depth guide on the features to zero in on the right electric smoker for your needs
Size Does Matter
Space is generally generous in most electric smokers. The width of the smoker though is something you should be mindful of. Consider a larger width model (more than 35 inch) if you want to fit larger items such as full ribs, large briskets, ham etc. Quantity of racks is good (generally 4) but their width is more important.
Feature-Filled
Smokers with utility features = such as allowing you a way to wood chip tray wthout opening main door and letting heat and smoke escape – are a better bet than those without them.
Here are some useful features you’d want in an electric smoker you buy:
- Temperature controls and settings
- Meat probing mechanisms
- A digital dashboard with all controls
- Cooking time controls
- Strong Bluetooth
- Remote controls
Easy to Carry
The bulky nature of electric smokers and power requirements make electric smokers unportable to start.
However, there are now models which are external battery compatible with removable internal parts such as pellet grills.
On the Money
The expansion in electric smoker market has meant that models as cheap as 100 bucks too are readily available. however, a good brand with optimum features will take around 200-300 bucks out of your pocket. For latest Bluetooth variants, be ready to fork out around 500 bucks.
Hungry for more electric gadget reviews? Read them here!