However, let’s get one thing straight. An electric smoker can never be a perfect substitute for a wood-fed smoker. If you wish for juicy food and the same cooking experience, you won’t be satisfied with an electric smoker. However, if you are looking for convenience and a modern way of doing things, an electric smoker might be your best purchase.

Before you delve into the best electric smokers, here is a buying guide that might aid you in choosing a quality electric smoker.

Why Choose an Electric Smoker?

Here are some of the reasons why selecting an electric smoker will be a wise decision on your part.

Excellent for Beginners

Anyone who hasn’t used a smoker before would find an electric smoker to be the perfect first purchase. Compared to wood-fed smokers, these are comparatively easier to use. As a beginner, the first thing you need to nail is merely smoking your food and at this point, perfection shouldn’t matter. This is because this is just the first step. You can learn to master the cooking element later on as well.

The ease of use isn’t just because of the lack of excessive smoke produced or a clear procedure of what to do. The fact that you can control the temperature and time also ensures that your first dish will be smoked adequately and won’t come out burned.

Slowly, you will become used to the process. Once you do so, you can even move on to a traditional smoker if you so wish. For beginners, however, an electric smoker is the safest bet.

Low Price

Another reason why you might want to choose an electric smoker is the price difference. The chances are that you don’t use a smoker, regardless of what kind it is, very often. This means that if you invest a lot of money in it, you won’t get enough value from it.

Rather than spending huge bucks on something you rarely use, it is a much wiser decision to select an electric smoker. These smokers cost less and work quite efficiently. Actually, as far as convenience is concerned, the benefits of electric smokers are unparalleled.

Hence, for all those of you who are budget-conscious, an electric smoker is more cost-effective than a traditional smoker and should be used instead.

Avoid the Fire Ban

In most states and countries, fire bans are imposed in the summer. This renders the use of a charcoal or wood-fed smoker impossible. Considering the fact that summer is the perfect time for BBQs, these bans can be frustrating.

However, if you use an electric smoker, you won’t have to worry about any such bans. This is because an electric smoker doesn’t exactly rely on fire for smoking your food. It does so by using electricity and a heating element. Moreover, unlike a traditional smoker, it can be used in a variety of ways. You can use it for cold smoking your bacon or cheese as well. This function is not delivered by a wood-fed smoker.

Why You Might Want to Avoid an Electric Smoker

There is no such thing as the perfect product. Everything comes with its vices. Thus, not everyone will prefer what an electric smoker might have to offer. Here are some disadvantages of the product.

Hassle of Assembly

An electric smoker is not as easy to assemble as a traditional smoker. This makes sense as wires are involved. Whenever there are power cords and technology involved, this is bound to get difficult. Individuals who are living a time-compressed lifestyle and don’t wish to undergo the hassle of assembling an electric smoker every time they wish to smoke a dish might be disappointed with an electric smoker.

Dependence on Electrical Outlets

The chances are that you saw this one coming the moment you heard of electric smokers. Anything that is electric is quite inconvenient to use in outdoor settings, and a smoker is almost always used outdoors. After all, no one wishes to fill their house with smoke. Also, there is a certain vibe and fun connotation attached to BBQs under the sun.

If you have an electric smoker, your usage of the product will be dependent on the presence of an electric outlet. While you might have one at home, the chances of you finding one at the park are close to zero. This means your picnics are going to have to be limited to your house and that too only to the parts which have an electric outlet nearby. That’s a lot of limitations and when you wish to relax, boundaries are the worst.

Hassle of Cleaning

Assembly isn’t the only hassle that you would have to undergo when dealing with an electric smoker. You also have to make a point of cleaning the plates frequently. If a lot of grease accumulates on the plates, it might lead to a fire.

Thus, the security benefit of an electric smoker can get undermined if you don’t clean it properly. Considering that you should clean your tools and utensils anyway, some don’t think of this as a disadvantage. If you look it from a hygiene point of view, this logic makes sense.

To Buy or Not to Buy?

If you were to ask us, we would tell you that the benefits delivered by an electric smoker are far greater than the disadvantages. At the end of the day, we live in a fast-paced world. Convenience and ease of use matter a lot to millennials, and an electric smoker is much more aligned with our lifestyle.

Factors to Consider When Choosing an Electric Smoker

There is an abundance of seemingly similar-looking electric smokers in the market. Don’t make the mistake of choosing just any of them. There are various factors that you must take into account when selecting an electric smoker. Here are some of the most important ones:

Price

Even though electric smokers are cheaper than traditional smokers, this doesn’t mean that they are absolutely cheap. Also, different products may vary in price depending on the features offered and the brand name attached to them.

Just like in any other purchase decision, try to strike a balance. Don’t go for something that is too cheap or too expensive. Opting for the cheapest product might translate to lack of durability and poor quality. Understand that there is a trade-off between price and quality. A brand shouldn’t lower its price so much that it affects its quality, and a smoker which is available at a bargain price is a risky investment.

However, at the same time, don’t go for the most expensive products either. Remember, a smoker is not used frequently, so there are some features that you can do without. Not to mention that not all premium products deliver value for money. It is important to analyze the features offered and see whether the price is justified or not.

Since electric smokers are available at a wide spectrum of prices, it is best that you set a minimum and maximum budget prior to searching for the best electric smoker for you. This will filter your choices. You might think that having more choices is better, but the more choices you have, the more confused you will get and a confused buyer is not a wise buyer.

Temperature Control and Heat Flow

One of the benefits of using an electric smoker is that It allows you to alter the temperature as per your desire. Sadly, not all electric smokers deliver this needed function. Any electric smoker that doesn’t do so shouldn’t be considered, especially if you are a beginner.

You will find that cheaper items tend to be devoid of temperature control. This is another reason why having a reasonable budget is important.

Additionally, the design of the smoker matters to ensure that your food is cooked consistently and swiftly. The design of the product governs the heat flow delivered by the smoker. Try to look for a product which features an upward to downward heat flow. This will ensure the consistency and quality of food while delivering high speed.

However, if you are not pressed for time and willing to wait for your food to be cooked, a downward to upward heat flow design might work as well. It all depends on why you need a smoker in the first place.

Food Tray Structure

You also need to make a decision about the structure of the food trays. Different electric smokers are equipped with different types of trays. For example, they can be placed horizontally without inclination or horizontally with inclination.

Which type of food tray structure is perfect for you depends on the type of food you wish to cook. For example, for smoking meat, a tray without inclination is perfect. However, for fish, you might need an inclination.

Another difference among the included food trays is in the material used for construction. Some of the materials used include steel and stainless steel. Different materials have different extents of durability. Try to look for a food tray that is perfect for what you wish to cook and is durable as well.

Size

Another important factor which will decide which electric smoker is perfect for you is size. Electric smokers are available in different sizes and have different capacities. You must decide what size you want.

This decision should be based on where you wish to use the product, how you will store it, and how many people do you wish to use it for. Think of the spot where you are likely to place the assembled product when you are cooking. You must make sure that the electric smoker you choose can easily fit into the available space.

Since electric smokers are used primarily in summers, you will need to disassemble them and store them when they are not being used. This is why you must also take into account how much storage space you have and how much space the smoker will take. These two considerations are essential when selecting the size.

After the product has passed the space test, it is now time to think of the ideal servings you wish to cook on the electric smoker. If you are a small family, you won’t need a huge electric smoker even if you have a lot of space. Go for a practical size and don’t be too extravagant about your choices.

Durability

Electric smokers don’t come cheap either. You can’t afford to buy one every year. This is why it is important to look for durability. Look at the quality of the thermostat to decide whether the electric smoker will be durable or not. To the naked eye, making this assessment is difficult. This is why user reviews are helpful.

Read what other users of a given product have to say about it. They can provide you with the needed insight on durability.

Moreover, having a warranty helps. After all, it shows that the brand believes in its offering. Why would a company back up its product if it knows it will break? Hence, opting for products with an extended warranty is a less risky investment.

Best Electric Smokers

Are you confused about which electric smoker to purchase? Here are some of the best products in the market. We have filtered them on the basis of the factors discussed above. Decide on these products based on your priorities and needs.

1. Bradley Smoker BTDS76P Digital 4-Rack Smoker

You might have known Bradley Technologies for its various food and meat processing products. This Digital 4-Rack Smoker manages to be one of its most successful products. Whether it be quality or convenience, the masses have been satisfied with it all.

Main Features

The first thing you will notice about this smoker is its unique design. Generally, you see the same old conventional design when it comes to smokers. However, this product succeeds in standing out from a sea of similar-looking products. This has been achieved by the fact that the smoker looks like a mini-refrigerator.

This means that even if you are not using the smoker, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to stack it away. You can place it in your kitchen and it will blend in with the décor seamlessly. Unless someone opens it, no one would know it is a smoker.

Furthermore, when it comes to delivering the required functions, the Bradley Smoker has been successful in doing that as well. The temperature of the smoker can be controlled and altered up to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. It makes use of wood chips to deliver the smoke, but you don’t have to worry about adding them. They are added automatically by the smoker after every 20 minutes. Anyone who has used a wood-fed smoker would agree that this is a huge convenience.

To further add to this convenience, the smoker also has a “set and forget” function. Since there is not much for you to do when using this smoker, you can simply set it and go back to doing your tasks. Also, its functionality makes it usable by beginners and experts alike.

The operation of the product is as simple as it can get. All you need to do is plug in the smoker, put wood chips on the loader, add water to the dish and set the temperature to a value that you think is the best.

Additionally, the smoker is quite light at just 57 pounds. Compared to other smokers in the market, this weight is quite light. This weight also makes the smoker easy to carry when you are on your way to a picnic. The fact that it has a capacity of 499 mm on top of its light weight makes it a great smoker for picnics and BBQ nights.

The use of stainless steel has further allowed this smoker to deliver an enhanced performance. The construction makes sure that maximum insulation is delivered. This, in turn, allows the smoker to retain a lot of heat. This means you can expect your food to be properly cooked.

Specifications

• It has 4 racks, which can be used to cook an array of items ranging from meat to pork.
• The settings can be controlled digitally.
• The dimensions are 17 by 14 by 31 inches.
• The capacity of the product is 499 mm.

Pros

• The smoker is very easy to clean owing to its stainless-steel exterior.
• It is easy to assemble and disassemble, thereby being very convenient.
• The cooking space is huge, which makes it perfect for large groups.

Cons

• The price of the product is very high.
• There is no viewing window, so you can’t observe if your food is being properly cooked.
• In cold climates, it can get hard to keep the product delivering high temperatures.

Verdict

While the smoker is quite expensive, the features delivered by it make up for it. You should consider buying it if you are a beginner and want great control.

 CLICK HERE for Best Deals on Bradley Smoker BTDS76P at Amazon

2. Smoke Hollow D4015SS 40" Digital Electric Smoker

It is hard to find an electric smoker that does a good job while looking good. Smoke Hollow has managed to deliver a product that offers a combination of both.

Main Features

If you wish to have a smoker which can feed a lot of people simultaneously, you would love this smoker as it is large enough to do so. However, at the same time, it manages to make for great décor. When it comes to style and aesthetics, this smoker has taken it to the next level and looks like a stylish cabinet.

However, if you are short on space, you might not want an extra cabinet in your kitchen. Hence, whether or not you appreciate the extravagant size and style of the product depends on whether you have enough space to begin with.

Another feature of this Smoke Hollow smoker that has been applauded by the masses is its fast speed. No one has the time to spend on cooking food as most of us live a busy life. Hence, a smoker that takes too long is a source of hassle for the masses. To ensure users don’t have to suffer from such a flaw, the manufacturers have taken various steps. For example, the product has two heating elements instead of one, so you can expect it to cook your food at least twice as fast as other smokers.

If you are very particular about how you cook your food, you might not be fans of smokers as controlling the quality of the output can be very difficult with a smoker. This is where this electric smoker succeeds in being different. It offers three smoke modes to its users. You can cold smoke, hot smoke or fast smoke your smoker. Hence, regardless of how you wish to cook your product, you can rest assured that this smoker will do it for you.

Moreover, the capacity of the electric smoker is satisfactory. With a space of about 4.5 cubic feet, you can rest assured that you can easily use the smoker to cook up meals for a lot of people. Not only does this smoker offer this essential feature, but it does without compromising and portability. The latter is guaranteed by the 40-inch size of the smoker, which makes it easy to store it anywhere.

Merely having a large capacity doesn’t boil down to much. This is because whether or not you can cook a lot of food using the smoker also depends on the capacity of the wood chip drawer. If the capacity is low, you will end up constantly filling the wood chip drawer. This is a hassle and affects the consistency of the temperature delivered. The capacity of the wood chip drawer of this product is large enough to make sure you don’t face any issues constantly.

Specifications

• The cabinet is 40-inch tall.
• It delivers a cooking space of 4.5 cubic feet.
• There are various control settings included. Some of them are a meat probe and an LED light.
• There are four wheels added to the product.
• It weighs 88 pounds.

Pros

• Even though the size of the smoker is huge, you can easily move it via the included wheels.
• The included LED display ensures that your food is visible to you as it cooks.
• Adding water is marked by ease of use.
• The construction of the product is excellent and add to the durability.

Cons

• While the smoker has a Bluetooth function, it rarely works.
• Some might find the cold smoke mode to be too hot.

Verdict

The user-friendliness of this smoker can be improved. While there are a few flaws in the product, none of them are big enough to overpower the features and benefits delivered. If you don’t prioritize cooking modes, there isn’t much stopping you from giving this smoker a try.

 CLICK HERE for Best Deals on Smoke Hollow D4015SS at Amazon

3. Cookshack SM025 Smokette Elite

Cookshack is known to be the best manufacturer of an electric smoker. Ever since electric smokers have flooded the market, Cookshack has been a market leader. When you look at Smokette Elite, you understand why the company has managed to uphold its legacy for so long.

Main Features

The best thing about this smoker is that it is not made for you; it is made for commercial use. However, it has been tailored to be usable at home gatherings as well. By blending the two uses together, this smoker has been successful in giving an unlikely yet convenient experience. Plus, it is as easy to use as any other smoker for your home.

It is made to be used for cooking meals for small families. This is because the capacity of the product is quite low. With a 20-25-pound capacity, you can’t cook up a meal for a huge gathering swiftly.

You can use the product to smoke a variety of food options. To achieve this, the product comes with a 750-watt heating element.

The range of temperature delivered by the smoker is from 140 to 300 degrees. This allows the product to be excellent for slow cold smoking as well as swift hot smoking. The smoker is also accompanied by two nickel racks which have enough capacity to easily hold a full slab of ribs. The interiors of the smoker have been insulated to make sure there is no loss of heat.

The included meat probe delivers a unique feature. It lets you see the exact temperature at which your food is cooking. Hence, you can decide whether you want to alter the temperature based on the information provided. This is a beneficial feature to have and is the saving grace of this smoker. This is because it doesn’t include a window which would have allowed you to see inside the smoker.

Also, it is a much better way of judging the progress of your food than a window. After all, it allows you to monitor whether your food is cooked from the inside. Merely, looking through a window can’t allow you to gauge this.

Specifications

• It is made of stainless steel.
• It has a 750-watt heating element.
• Its capacity is 20-25 pounds.
• It comes with a removable drip pan and two racks.

Pros

• The durability of the product is excellent and is ensured by the use of stainless steel in its construction.
• You can cook all kinds of food using the smoker since it has a huge range of temperature.
• Time and temperature can be easily set using the control panel, which increases its ease of use.
• It is excellent for serving a small gathering.

Cons

• It is on the pricey side.

Verdict

If you don’t mind spending more in the short run to reap benefits in the long run, you will find this Cookshack smoker to be worthy of your investment. Most of its customers have been satisfied with its performance.

CLICK HERE for Best Deals on Cookshack SM025 Smokette Elite at Amazon

4. Smokin Tex 1400 Pro Deluxe Package

Are you looking for a smoker that is easy to use? If so, the Smokin Tex 1400 is perfect for you. The best thing about this smoker is that it doesn’t have any flaws. This is seldom achieved by any product in any category and automatically makes it worth a try.

Main Features

This product delivers enhanced capacity for effectively smoking food. The other listed smokers’ capacities have nothing on the space offered by this product. It might be the biggest difference between this smoker and others offered on the market. With a 1300-square-inch capacity, you can bid any space constraint goodbye.

The fact that you can easily fit 60 pounds of meat into this product means that it is ideal for cooking food for huge gatherings. Rather than cutting ribs to fit them into your smoker, you can put them as a whole and wait as the smoker doe its magic. The huge capacity also renders this product capable of cooking different types of meat or food in one go.

The smoker succeeds in delivering quite a lot of unique functions. One of them is the double thermal insulation done on the four sides of the smoker. The insulation is what helps this smoker deliver quality performance consistently.

The walls are so well-insulated and thick that the required temperature is maintained easily throughout the cooking time, regardless of how cold the weather is. The company claims that the product can function in temperatures below zero. We have not tested this claim, but the double insulation does make a case for it.

Anyone who has used a traditional smoker would know the importance of different types of wood. Each wood delivers a unique taste to your smoked meat. Many find this benefit lacking in an electrical smoker. However, via this smoker, you won’t have to give up on this benefit. The package itself comes with five types of sample woods that can be fed to the smoker. The included wood are pecan, cherry, grape, and bourbon. Thus, even though this product is modern in some ways, it still manages to uphold the traditional taste that many crave.

When it comes to ease of use, this smoker does not disappoint. The design of the product helps ensure this. There are four wheels included in the smoker, which make it easy for you to transport the smoker from one place to another.

This enhanced mobility is perfect for this smoker. Since it has such a huge capacity, you are bound to want to use the smoker in outdoor settings, and the wheels make it easy to transport it from your house to anywhere you want.

Specifications

• It has a capacity of 38 pounds per load.
• The outside of the smoker has a stainless-steel construction.
• The heating element is 800 watts.
• It weighs 71 pounds.

Pros

• It delivers good value for money, thereby being cost-effective in the long run.
• Every feature is the same as advertised and succeeds in delivering the promised benefits.
• The smoker looks aesthetically pleasing.
• It is ideal for home use as well as for professional or commercial use.
• It is very easy to clean.

Cons

• There are virtually no flaws in this smoker.

Verdict

The fact that neither we nor other users were able to find any flaws in the product speaks volumes about the value delivered. You have to try this smoker. There isn’t much for you to lose in this deal.

CLICK HERE for Best Deals on Smokin Tex 1400 Pro Deluxe at Amazon

5. Masterbuilt 20078715 Electric Digital Smoker Front Controller

Regardless of where you live, the chances are that you have heard of Masterbuilt. This company has been a market leader for kitchen devices and machines for a very long time. This electric digital smoker manages to live up to the expectations of loyal Masterbuilt customers.

Main Features

Since all customers, whether they are cooking for four people or fourteen, wish for a high-capacity smoker, this product delivers a capacity of 721 square inches. This cooking area is cumulative and includes the four cooking racks included in the smoker. These racks ensure that the entirety of the provided space can be used in one go.

Normally, even if the capacity is high, the fact that there is only one rack limits the type of meat you can cook together. After all, you don’t want your fish to taste like your chicken, do you? However, if you cook them on different racks altogether, you can easily avoid this problem. This is exactly what this electric digital smoker aims to do.

The huge capacity is also convenient because of the time and power it allows you to save. By the end of your cooking extravaganza, you will have enough time to enjoy your day.

Furthermore, what makes this product digital as well as electric is the control panel. All types of settings are included in the digital control panel for easy usage. You can use this control panel to alter the temperature as per your liking. The range delivered is from 100 to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. You can make this change using the thermostat control embedded in the control panel.

Rather than just altering the temperature and being clueless about the temperature delivered, you can easily monitor the conditions inside using the LED display. This makes sure that you are well aware of both the time and temperature.

The LED display has been made after taking various factors into account. Since an electric smoker is mostly used in outdoor settings for barbeque days, the manufacturers have realized the importance of making the display sun-friendly. The last thing you want to do on your picnic is squint at your smoker, trying to ensure that you are cooking your meat right. This is why this display has blue intuitive lighting. Hence, regardless of how glaring the sunlight gets, you will be able to see the display and easily control the settings.

The quality and durability of the smoker are guaranteed. This is because it is equipped with premium quality elements. Let’s take the four racks as an example. Each rack is coated with chrome, which plays a huge role in ensuring that the rack can bear continuous heat without rusting or getting damaged. This, in turn, makes sure that the food cooked in the smoker is safe to consume.

Specifications

• The heating element has a power of 800 watts.
• The cooking capacity is 721 sq. inch.
• The drip pan can be accessed from the front.
• It features a patented chip loading system, where the chips are fed from the side.
• It weighs 50 pounds.

Pros

• The smoker can be used by beginners and professionals alike. This has been ensured by the ease of use and ease of assembling the product.
• Since you can set the time and temperature, it renders the need for constant checking unnecessary.
• The cooking area is quite large and perfect for picnics.
• The various elements of the product are quite durable.

Cons

• It doesn’t come with a wheel, so transportability is very difficult.
• You can’t know the temperature of the food since it doesn’t have a meat probe.

Verdict

The fact that this smoker can easily be fixed if any damages occur add to the excellent customer experience. Even though there are a few flaws in the smoker, the number of benefits overpower them. If you think you can deal with the lack of portability, give this smoker a try.

CLICK HERE for Best Deals onMasterbuilt 20078715 at Amazon

Conclusion

Among the five products, we found Smokin Tex 1400 Pro Deluxe Package to be the best. Not only is the price of the smoker reasonable, but the fact that it doesn’t have any flaws make it an even better purchase when you consider its huge capacity and durability.

You can select any product you like from this list. Rest assured that you will be satisfied. It is time to move on to electric smokers if you haven’t already. The world is changing; change with it. Free yourself from the hassle of using a traditional smoker.