Review Of The Best Electric Smokers On The Market

It is true that some barbecue aficionados are going to react to you going electric with your smoker like folk music fans reacted to Bob Dylan swapping out his acoustic guitar for an electric guitar. But when they taste the great food that you are able to cook with your smoker they are going to quieten down.

If you are looking at getting into smoking food but you have no experience, electric smokers are a great option for you. If you are a more experienced barbecuer, there may be some very valid reasons why getting an electric smoker is the choice for you, and we are going to give you some real food for thought.

There are some beautiful choices available and we are going to look at some of the best-rated electric smokers, to help you choose the right electric smoker for you.

What Are The Benefits Of An Electric Smoker?

You may have wanted to get into barbecue, but you may have been more than a little intimidated by the idea of getting a traditional charcoal burner, and wondering if there is an easier alternative that will give you a good entry point. Electric smokers may be exactly what you have been looking for.

Anyone that can use an oven can use a smoker. You can set the time and temperature with an electric smoker. So there is more of an option to set and forget the smoker than you are going to get with a gas or charcoal smoker.

After seeing how smoking works and learning more about the whole process, you may want to move to a more traditional smoker.

They are also going to be cheaper than a lot of the more traditional forms of burners.

Another thing that may be worth considering is whether you are even allowed to barbecue in your neighborhood because an electric smoker is going to sidestep that fire ban.

Some electric smokers also make it possible for you to easily cold smoke your meat or other foodstuffs.

How To Choose The Best Electric Smoker

Your Available Budget

When you buy anything, you want to make sure that you aren’t spending more money than you have. It is not such a huge concern with the models we are looking at, which are all very affordable, but you want to shop around and make sure you get the best price.

Your Proficiency

If it is your first time using a smoker, your criteria are likely going to be a little different than someone who has done a lot of smoking. Most electric smokers are designed to be a little easier to operate than charcoal smokers, which make them a great choice for beginners. Simplicity may be why you are opting for an electric smoker. 

You may also be experienced and want the smoker to be able to do certain things, but you’re looking for something that is a little bit easier to set and forget. 

The Type Of Food You’ll Be Grilling

Are you looking to cook huge briskets or racks of ribs? Or were you thinking about something smaller like chops, chicken, sausages, and cuts of meat that are on the smaller side? Maybe some vegetarian fare? The size of the food is definitely going to determine the size of the cooking surface that you need.

Available Space

How big is the area that you have to cook in? This is still something of a consideration, but perhaps less so with an electric smoker versus a traditional charcoal smoker. 

Though if you are getting an electric smoker that doesn’t have an insulated cooking chamber, you might need more space so that the heat won’t be a problem.

Mouths Being Fed

How many people are you looking to feed? If it is a small family, then you are going to need an electric smoker that matches that demand. Likewise, if you are wanting to cook for a small army, you are going to want something a little bit bigger.

Local Fire and Smoke Regulation

If you have been sitting on the fence about whether to get an electric smoker or a traditional smoker, you should check into your local laws regarding lighting a fire. You may not be able to even use a traditional smoker, and your electric smoker is going to make it possible for you to continue smoking to your heart’s content.

How We Chose The Best Electric Smoker

When we were reviewing these electric smokers, we put ourselves in the shoes of different consumers and asked ourselves certain questions. How much does it cost? How easy is it to use? How much can you cook in it?

5 Best Electric Smoker Reviews

When you are looking at the best electric smokers under $300 you may be surprised by how much bang you are actually getting for your buck, but as you will see from these top-rated electric smokers, you are getting a piece of equipment that offers a great introduction to smoking food, or a simpler solution for the more experienced. barbecuer.

Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker

Features:

• Bluetooth Smart
• Built-in meat probe thermometer
• Grill + finish element.
• Four chrome-coated smoking racks.
• Patented side wood chip loading system.

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This our favorite of the top-rated smokers. It may be the most expensive of the electric smokers we are looking at, but the difference between the most affordable smoker and this one, and what you get for that money makes this smoker more than worth it.

This smoker has Bluetooth functionality, and that means you can control the cooking temperature, time, power, and the meat temperature from your smart device or the smoker’s own digital control panel.

You have three standard racks and a custom-notched rack where you can secure your Masterbuilt pan, which you can buy separately.

You also get a grill and finish element for grilling and finishing off recipes, which means you aren’t going to have to switch to a grill if you don’t want to.

When your smoke is in progress, sometimes having to change out those wood chips can be a problem. But with this smoker, you can load those wood chips through the patented side-loading system, meaning you don’t have to open the door.

Pros

• Easy to use
• Can be controlled from your phone
• Grill + finish element
• Sideload wood chip system

Cons

• More expensive compared to other electric smokers

Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker

Features:

• 544 sq. in. of cooking space
• Three chrome-plated cooking grates
• Double-wall insulated construction
• Dual exhaust ports
• Front-access water tray, grease cup, and wood chip tray
• Measures 20.7 in w x 33.5 in H x 15 in D.
• 1,000-watt electric element

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Of our best-rated electric smokers, this is one of the best electric smokers under $300 you are going to find. This electric smoker gives you 544 square inches of cooking space over its three chrome-plated grates, and the front-loading set up makes these easy to access.

It has double-wall insulated construction and dual exhaust ports which means the inside is going to get to the temperature that you want, while those outside walls remain unaffected. That door is sealed with dual latches, and you have a door-mounted temperature gauge, so you can confidently monitor your food without having to interrupt the smoke.

The water tray, grease cup, and wood chip tray are all front access, making the whole cleaning process super simple as well. That integrated water means your meat isn’t going to dry out while smoking, and it will remain juicy.

The side handles make it easy to move around, and the construction is built to last.

Pros

• Insulated cooking chamber
• Front loader
• Front access to all trays
• Integrated water tray

Cons

• You have to open the door to change the chips

Smokehouse Products Big Chief Front Load Smoker

Features:

• Durable, embossed aluminum construction
• Maximum capacity flavor fuel pan
• Dishwasher safe drip pan
• 3-wire plug and cord grounded to the body of the smoker
• Recipe booklet
• With 1.75 lb. bag of Smokehouse natural wood chips
• No assembly required

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This smoker is designed to give you a consistent low temperature of 165 degrees F. This means you can have a degree of certainty when smoking when it comes to the results you can expect. This may not be ideal for someone that wants a degree of flexibility with their smoker though.

It is durable, and easy to clean with a dishwasher safe drip pan, and easy-slide chrome plated grills. This smoker is vented for proper dehydration.

It has a capacity of up to 50 pounds of meat or fish.

This smoker is from an American company that has been making smokers since 1968, so you know they are a trusted company. It comes with a great recipe book and you also get a 1.75 lb bag of smokehouse natural wood chips.

Pros

• Consistent results
• Easy to use
• Easy to clean
• Reputable company

Cons

• One fixed temperature

Landmann Smoky Mountain Electric Smoker

Features:

• 3-in-1 Combination Tray
• Non-insulated Cooking Chamber
• Product Is 26 Inches
• Double Walled Door

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This great smoker is designed to be super easy to use. You can move it around easily thanks to the handles on the side, but you may want to be a little careful where you put it as it doesn’t have an insulated cooking chamber.

The tray that sits over the element is 3-in-1 so it is simple to remove and change when you need to. This means that it is easy to clean and easy to change things out between smoking sessions.

You can see how your food is doing through the window, and the front loader makes it easy to grab food when it is done. You have three racks, so you can cook a good amount of food. This is going to work for someone who is a beginner, and someone who can’t burn charcoal in their area.

Pros

• Front loader
• Easy to clean

Cons

• Non-Insulated cooking chamber

Old Smokey Electric Smoker

Features:

• Size: 15.5″w x 15.5″d x 29″h
• Chip Tray
• Heat Thermostat Control

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If you are looking for something that is super easy to use, then this is a really good choice. This smoker appeals to beginners, but may also work for someone that wants a no-nonsense piece of equipment that is great for turkey, chicken, brisket, pork, seafood, or wild game.

This smoker definitely is not the best-looking of the bunch, and there are a couple of things that may make you rule it out. Changing out the woodchips is not going to be something you can do right after you’ve been smoking, as the tray sits over the element, and under the food, which is not an issue you are going to face with a front loader. The outside of the smoker can also get pretty hot.

You do have a timer, and you do have handles on the rack to lift them out of the smoker, and when you get used to it you may fall in love with it.

This smoker has a flat top, so juices drip right back onto the food. It is controlled by a heat thermostat to allow a wide variety of cooking times and styles.

Pros

• Simple set up
• Timer
• Outside gets hot during use

Cons

• Toploader
• Price (Seems expensive for what it is)
• Changing out wood chips is not easy

Conclusion

Whether you are a beginner that is looking to put your toe in the water and start off with the best electric smoker for beginners, or you are a more experienced barbecuer looking for a simpler set up, these top-rated electric smokers are a great solution.

Our favorite choice here, MasterBuilt Digital Electric Smoker, is surely one of the top 10 smokers on the market. It is the most expensive of the smokers we looked at here, but it is still a super affordable choice. And with all of the features that you get with it, it is a clear winner. It is something experienced and beginning barbecuers would love to have. It is easy to use, easy to clean, and it has a lot of extras that are going to help you get that perfect result with your smoking.

The Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker, our best value winner, edged out its nearest competition because it had all the functionality you would want from an electric smoker, and a degree of flexibility and safety that bumped it up in our consideration. You are going to want good insulation if you are using it inside, and being able to modulate your smoker’s temperature is going to be important as you get more familiar with smoking.