How to use Electric Smoker

Step 1: The first thing you need to do is make sure that your electric smoker is in a safe place.It is important to make sure that the smoker is setup on a flat surface that will be able to firmly sustain the weight of the smoker.

Step 2: Next what you will want to do is add water to your water pan. The water pan is not necessary to smoke and you will find that it is about a 50/50 split between the people that use it and the people that don't.

It just depends on your personal preference while cooking, we suggest using it because the water pan helps keep the temperature stable and makes sure the grease dripping from the meat doesn't start any fires.

Once your smoker has finished preheating, fill the small metal cup included with your machine with hot water and slide it into its designated slot at the bottom of the smoker. If your smoker doesn’t have a separate slot for the water cup, simply set it on the floor of the chamber. The steam created as the water evaporates will keep your meat moist.

Step 3: After that your next step will be to add the wood chips to your smoker. This is a fairly easy process, especially if you have the Masterbuilt Smokehouse Electric Smoker since it has easy slide doors that will allow you to add more chips without opening the smokers doors.

A good rule of thumb is to use about 4 cups (600 g) of chips for every 3-5 hours of smoking you plan on doing. This means you may have to replenish the chip tray at regular intervals.

Always use hardwood chips in your smoker, such as mesquite, apple, pecan, birch, or hickory. Soft wood, like fir and pine, burn fast and tend to produce unappetizing flavors.

Step 4: Next turn on your electric smoker to your desired cooking temperature WITHOUT THE MEAT and wait until it is reached. You can use the thermometer on your smoker or an external one that you bought separately either way, it will tell you the temperature inside the smoker.

Once the temperature is reached it doesn't mean you are ready to add your meat just yet, I like to wait until I get the smoke that I want. Also having your wood chips start to ash and nice coals start to form is the ideal time to add your meat.

Step 5: After all of the above steps are completed you are now ready to get to the part we have all been waiting for, adding the meat! Open up the smokers door and add the meat to the racks inside.

Use a long-handled meat spatula or tongs to transfer the meat to the smoking racks safely. Arrange the meat according to how the racks are set up—situate the biggest items on the wide lower racks and save smaller ones for the upper racks.

Always open and close the door on your smoker using the built-in handle. The metal on the surrounding parts of the door can get extremely hot, and may burn you if you're not careful.

Try to do this as quickly as possible to try and retain as much heat as possible. Close the doors and sit back, now all you have to do is sit and smell the aroma of smoked meat until the meat is finished cooking.

Step 7: The last step is to enjoy your perfectly smoked meats with your family and friends!

 

Brands of Electric Smoker

 1. Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Brand 

There is no denying that is the dominant brand in the electric smoker industry.The company has been around for over 45 years and sells a variety of different types of grill including charcoal, propane, and pellet.

In 2017 Masterbuilt acquired the Smoke Hollow brand from Outdoor Leisure Products, although they continue to sell under their own brand name.

One of the most famous electric smoker brands is the Masterbuilt brand. It is not the oldest brand on my list but it is definitely a brand with most electric smokers to choose from. Their first electric smoker was introduced to the public few years after they were established, which was in 1973.

It is a true family business because Dawson McLemore started Masterbuilt in his backyard from a hobby. He had a job n the tire production business, but he decided to leave it and focus on his hobby which was his main passion. He loved to weld so he combined his passion with most interesting food preparation appliance at that time and everything else is history.

They have every model from analog to the digital smart electric smokers which means you will probably find what you are looking for in their offer. There are even some electric smokers that could be used in restaurants even though it is not their domain.

Today, Masterbuilt electric smokers are distributed all over the world. You can find them every corner of the world and that way their main goal. They are the family-oriented company which means that they treat their customers like a family which is far better than average companies.

These days all grills are manufactured in China. Masterbuilt is typically a mass-market brand, with low-cost products that appeal to beginners and casual people.

Quality seems to be on the rise in recent years, and there has been a steady stream of new product releases and updates lately so you can often get a good deal on an older model.

2. Char-Broil Electric Smoker Brand

Char-Broil is probably better known in the gas grill space where they sell a range of popular, affordable models.

Their grills were originally made in the USA way back in 1948 but today they are owned by W.C Bradley and manufacture in China.Another popular electric smoker brand is the Char-Broil and it is older than the first two I have shown you. This Americal electric smoker brand was established back in 1948 when they were one of the first producers of charcoal grills in America.

Since they are on the market for more than 50 years they have developed a wide number of electric and charcoal smokers, but today, I want to focus only on electric smokers.

They have models for everybody, you can find analog, digital, smart smokers and even bullet smokers in their offer. That means they aren’t afraid to adjust their product to the trend and that is why they are on the market for such a long time.

Char-Broil smokers are made for homes which means that they have to be easy to use. That means you don’t have to be an expert to end up with great smoking lunch, all you need is a good electric smoker made by a good electric smoker brand like Char-Broil.

Char-Broil is an electric smoker brand which started as the charcoal smoker and evolved into electric smokers, which are made with the same amount of quality and attention to details as the first charcoal smoker.

If you want to see their path since 1948 until now and get to know each of their electric smokers, read my full post about Char-Broil electric smoker brand. In that post, you will read about analog smokers, digital smokers, and smart smokers. Those smokers have two things in mind, they are made with care and they are all electric.

Generally, folks seem to prefer Char-Broil more, but this could just be due to the overabundance of Masterbuilt grills.

3. Bradley Electric Smoker Brand

Based out of Canada, Bradley is most well known for producing an electric smoker that burns their own proprietary discs or “bisquettes” to create heat and smoke.Bradley is another well-known electric smoker brand which produces smokers you can recognize the moment you see them. They are really good quality smokers and they have a unique feature which makes them extremely popular these days.

They are also established around 1970’s which means that people realized the true value of electric smokers for the future. Those years were years when ordinary people started to smoke food in electric smokers and Masterbuilt and Bradley were the electric smoker brands who recognized its potential.

Like I have already mentioned, you can recognize the Bradley electric smoker the moment you see it because it has a special design. Every Bradley electric smoker consists of two parts, the smoking/cooking chamber, and the automatic bisquette feeder. That means you can use the smoke as the oven and as the smoker.

But, the automatic feeder has one more surprise. The bisquettes you use to smoke the food in the chamber you can only buy from Bradley as they are the only producers. The automatic bisquette feeder means that you fill the box with bisquettes and the smoker adds every 20 minutes few bisquettes which provides equal smoke during the entire process.

Bradley is a special electric smoker brand which uses automation as much as it is possible and I must say, they haven’t failed in that yet. I hope it will stay like that for a long time.

4. Old Smokey Electric Smoker Brand

If you are in Texas then I am sure you know a thing or two about the Old Smokey electric smoker brand. This is the most famous brand in Texas and around Texas as it is used to smoke food for almost 100 years.

Yes, the Old Smokey brand was established in 1923 and they are very popular since the first year. Of course, they didn’t produce electric smokers then, but they used their experience to create simple smoker with amazing performance and only one electronic part – the heating element.

The Old Smokey electric smoker is one of the simplest smokers on the market. It has an only heating element which you can adjust and that is it. It doesn’t have thermostats, temperature gauge or special Bluetooth features and the smoker smokes perfectly when you get to know it.

It is the only electric smoker by this electric smoker brand and they have made it in 1953, 30 years after they were established. And you know what? The smoker hasn’t changed since. It looks the same it heats and smokes the same and it is as popular as before.

If you don’t like hearing about smart smokers who have so many electronics they can turn into a computer, then this smoker is the one you were searching for.

5. Cookshack electric smoker brand

Cookshack electric smoker  is an electric smoker brand which is not as popular as other brands in the residential smokers category, but it is pretty popular in commercial smokers category.

The company is also on the market for a very long time but you don’t have to be surprised if you haven’t heard about them, that doesn’t mean they aren’t good. Actually, they are pretty good because they use the same materials and experience in the residential electric smokers which they use in the commercial smokers. Basically, they are producing commercial-grade residential electric smokers.

The main reason why they aren’t so well-known, in my opinion, is because their designs aren’t attractive. Every electric smoker made by this electric smoker brand looks the same. They are all in stainless steel, without windows and with controls on top of the smokers.

That is their main disadvantage because rookies in smoking love to see inside of the smoker which is why most electric smoker brands put windows on the doors. Also, people want their appliances to look nice. They don’t have to be in most vivid colors, but they have to be more than just a silver box.

But, if you don’t mind the simple silver design and you want an electric smoker with good performance. 

6. Smokehouse Products Electric Smoker Brand

Smokehouse products is an electric smoker brand that is not so well known by the name of the brand, but I am sure you have heard of the smokers they produce. Their most famous smoker is the Little Chief electric smoker.

The electric smokers made by Smokehouse Products are actually made for slow smoking, which means that they do an excellent job in smoking fish. That is why in 1968 their first smoker was so popular.

The Little Chief is their first model and I am sure you have heard of it because it is on the market since 1968. Since then, the overall design of the smoker hasn’t changed a lot which means that they did a great job with it.

Besides Little Chief, the Smokehouse Products electric smoker brand has Big Chief, which is basically a bigger version of the Little Chief and Mini Chief (which is smaller than Little Chief). Every model is made on the same principle which is great if you are looking for slow smokers.

If you want special smoker made for smoking fish, I would suggest you go with the Smokehouse Products. Each of those smokers knows how to smoke fish which is great, and you can choose the type of load between the front and top load. 

7. Smoke Hollow Electric Smoker Brand

Smoke Hollow Electric Smoker LogoSmoke Hollow is one of the few electric smoker brands on this list that is very young. The brand itself was established in 2005, which means it has more than 10 years of experience. But, the people behind Smoke Hollow electric smoker brand say that they have more than 125 years of experience in preparing food on grills and smokers. You can believe that when you find out that this electric smoker brand is actually a part of the Outdoor Leisure Products.

But, enough about the brand, let’s focus on electric smokers. Smoke Hollow has more than 10 electric smokers in their offer, but they can all be separated into 3 main models. The analog electric smoker, the digital electric smoker, and Bluetooth electric smoker.

I prefer their analog model because it is simple, easy to use and really works wonders with the smoke. Even though they have 125 years of experience their digital electric smokers aren’t the best one on the market.

Their models experience problems with electronics, especially Bluetooth which doesn’t want to pair your smartphone with the smoker from time to time so I wouldn’t recommend them in the Bluetooth smoker category, but other categories are really good.

8. Pit Boss Electric Smoker Brand

Pit Boss Electric Smoker brand is a brand that produces smokers that are easy to recognize because they are colorful. Yes, they aren’t afraid to use colors with their smokers so don’t get surprised when you see silver, brown, red or blue smoker.

They produce other types of smokers, not just electric ones which means that the colors depend on the type of smoker you want to purchase. I think that the best color is reserved for the electric smoker because you can find a blue Pit Boss electric smoker on the market.

The Pit Boss electric smokers can be divided into two categories; the analog electric smoker and the digital electric smoker. 

Electric Smoker Vs Wood Smoker

 Ease of use

When we talk about ease of use we mean how much time and energy you are willing to put into your barbecue? This will be something that not only impacts your initial decision on which type to choose but will also impact every cook you do and ultimately how satisfied you are with your choice and how often you use it.

Many folks overestimate their willingness to prepare for, tend, and clean up after a cook. As a result, they lose interest in using their smoker and it sits in the yard unused. Regardless of the quality of the barbecue, if the time or hassle involved isn’t worth it to you, your meat smoker will go unused.

The time you’re willing to spend assumes that the smoker you choose is actually capable of producing a high-quality barbecue. As you’ll see below, many of the offset smokers available at Home Depot or Lowe’s are not worth the trouble.

Trying to control fire and smoke with them is like chopping down a tree with a sled hammer – no fun at all. That’s a bad situation and one that can be avoided.

Smoke and flavor

There is zero question that electric smokers produce a milder smoke flavor and less bark than wood smokers can produce. I own an electric smoker and it makes a fantastic barbecue – ribs, port butt, brisket, etc. However, there is no debating the difference when I use a charcoal smoker or wood smoker.

A wood smoker is going to provide an array of combustion gasses and more intense smoke that will enable you to duplicate the best barbecue you’ve ever had. So, if the flavor is your primary concern, and you don’t care as much about budget or simplicity, a wood smoker is the only choice that will meet your needs.

Cost to buy and operate

First off, if you have a decent gas grill you can achieve some pretty nice quality smoked meat using a 2-zone method and some wood chips.  You don’t need to buy a dedicated smoker if you don’t want to. There are numerous videos about how to smoke meats using your charcoal or gas grill and some wood chips.

There are dozens of smoker tubes on the market and they work really well. I highly recommend you give these a try before you make any decisions about a dedicated smoker. The results really are pretty good and you may be surprised to find that this is enough for your needs.

If however, you know you want a dedicated smoker, the cost difference between electric and wood can be significant – especially at the lower end of the market.

An entry level electric smoker can be had for under $200. Typically these do a pretty nice job, add a bit of smoke flavor, and produce some nice barbecue. They all work on the same principle – a heating element and some form of smoldering wood.

The knock on the entry-level units is they tend to be cheaply made, leak smoke, don’t hold heat very well, and are small requiring racks of ribs and packer briskets to be cut in half to fit.

Stepping up to a nicer level of electric smoker fixes all these issues but prices approach $500 and above for the popular manufacturers.

That said, electric smokers are very cheap to run using only electricity and a minimal amount of wood chips.

Wood smokers on the other hand – specifically offset smokers start closer to $300. Unfortunately, these do not typically do a decent job. They leak heat and smoke. provide poor drafting and temperature control, and they rust. In my opinion, buying a cheap offset wood smoker is the quickest way to sour on the smoking barbecue for a long time.

A decent offset smoker will run you $700 and up. I’m sure many folks will argue about this but if you do the research you’ll find the experts agree – do not buy a cheap offset smoker.

So, if you want to get into smoking barbecue and want to do it for a couple hundred dollars, the choice between electric vs. wood smoker comes down on the side of electric – hands down.

Electric Smoker Vs Gas Smoker

 Easy to use

They are both easy to use. However, with an electric smoker, it is convenient and much easier to operate. All you need with an electric smoker is just to plug in the socket to the power outlet, then set the temperature you want using adjusters, and within 20 minutes, you are ready to start smoking.smoked from traditional charcoal

Flavor

The taste of food smoked through a gas smoker is equally similar to that of food smoked from traditional charcoal.

The flavor of electric smoke food tastes incredibly good. However, the final taste depends more on the skills of the person smoking.

The controller

Gas smokers are designed with a simple controller switch that opens and closes the flow of gas. It has a burner controller knob that requires to be appropriately adjusted so as to achieve the required temperature.

With electric smokers, each model is equipped with a digital temperature controller, which often contains additional useful features such as timer or plugins.

Cold smoking

Without proper adjustments, it is difficult to achieve low temperatures with the gas smoker. However, with an electric smoker, the temperature ranges, and the precise controller enhances cold smoking.

And if the electric smoker doesn’t give the expected results, you can as well purchase a specialized cold smoking kit.

Warranty

Most gas smokers have a relatively large warranty ranging from a few months to several years. Unfortunately, electric smokers, in most cases, have a shorter warranty duration that usually lasts for one year.

Maintenance needs

Gas smokers are easy to clean and maintain compared to an electric smoker.

Temperature range

Temperature range controlling the temperature when using a gas smoker can be challenging, although a gas smoker can easily result in higher temperatures above 300 degrees.

Electric smokers offer more flexible temperature ranges. Most electric units provide a temperature range of 100 to 300 degrees that is ideal for cooking meat and cold smoking.

Safety

Baring the fact that gas smoker uses some sort of highly flammable gases, always means there is a risk if you fail to pay attention to safety precautions. We have electric equipment almost around us, which signifies that electric smokers are safer throughout and can be left for several years without unattended.

Mobility

Gas smoker receives a thumb up for its versatility. You can use this type of smoker anywhere as long as you have a steady supply of gas.

An electric smoker can as well be mobile provided you have a generator, or you can use a power cord to deliver electrical current on the smoking bay.

Whether

There is a contradiction of whether it is safe to use gas smoker in any type of weather, but you need to take into account that some weather conditions may cause difficulties in maintaining a constant temperature.

Electric smokers are restricted from being used in rainy weather. Everyone is aware that electricity and water are mortal enemies.

Electric Smoker Vs Propane Smoker

 1. Temperature Range

On average, propane gas smokers will have a relatively wider temperature range than the electric ones as most can provide anywhere from 150 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit depending on the model and efficiency of the burners.

With electric smokers, on the other hand, you will get a temperature range of around 100 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit which despite not being very wide is still more than enough for smoking.

From the temperature ranges, it is clear that propane smokers can attain a significantly higher temperature than electric ones which makes them ideal for other things like searing and will also cook relatively faster.

But, electric smokers also offer the advantage of being able to cook at relatively lower temperatures which makes cold smoking easy, but with a propane smoker, it would be hard to cold-smoke as it is difficult to get the low temperatures required.

2. Temperature Control

Besides the difference in the temperature range, these smokers will also differ when it comes to temperature control as they use different mechanisms for this.

With propane smokers, temperature control will require you to twist the burner knob to increase or decrease the temperature. And while this is effective enough, it is not always very precise.

For electric smokers, temperature control is more precise as most models will be equipped with a digital controller, and you can easily select the temperature you want to cook at. And on top of this most models will also include a timer to give you more control over the smoking process.

3. Ease of Use

Both electric and propane smokers are fairly easy to use as they will not come with extra work of having to light up the charcoal before you can start smoking like charcoal smokers.

However, there is a steeper learning curve with propane smokers as you will need to master how to alter the temperature to get to your preferred cooking zone which is not as easy as when using an electric smoker. But, you should be able to master it in no time.

With electric smokers, on the other hand, things are more straightforward as most models are more of plug and play. Everything from the ignition to the temperature control is simple which makes them generally easier to use.

But, also note that it will take a little longer for the electric heating element to get to the ideal temperature to ignite the wood chips.

4. Safety

Both smoking methods will come with significant risk given that both the highly inflammable propane gas and electricity pose a significant fire hazard.

But when comparing the two side by side, electric smokers will be the safer option, and you can hence leave it unattended for many hours. And this is even more so if you are using a model that comes with a built-in timer.

With propane smokers, you will need to pay more attention to safety as any accidental gas leaks can be catastrophic. However, using one of these smokers should still be safe enough provides you with follow the basic safety procedures.

5. Food Flavor

Both propane and electric smokers will have no direct impact on the food's flavor, and this is why most models will come with a wood chip box for producing smoke to add flavor to the food.

With that said, propane smokers will deliver foods that are relatively more flavorful than electric smokers and will be closer to what you would get with a traditional charcoal smoker.

Because propane smokers will deliver higher heat output, they will often produce more smoke and hence add more flavor to the food. Also, the overall quality of food that you get with the electric smokers will be much better than what you get with the electric smokers.

6. Starting Prices

Despite providing relatively better quality food, propane smokers will also come at a relatively smaller price tag than the electric models

Prices for propane smokers will typically start at around $150 but given that they are more widely available and prevalent, it is also possible to get something for as little as $80 although it will be smaller and less efficient.

For electric smokers, on the other hand, you should be ready to spend at least $200 to get a simple model while the larger and more feature-rich ones can cost thousands of dollars.

7. Approximate Operation Cost

Buying a smoker is just the first step of the process as you will also need to use it, and here there is also some cost that comes with it as you have to buy propane gas or pay for your electricity.

When it comes to the cost of operation, several factors come into play from the size of the smoker to the model, and so it is hard to come up with an accurate cost. The best you can get is an estimate.

While it does not cost much to refill a tank of propane in most places, electricity is still cheaper in most places.

When you take into account the cost of refilling a propane tank and the average number of cooking hours you get from it, the cost of operating your propane smoker will be between $0.4 and $0.5 per hour. And for electric smokers, it will be around $0.06 and $0.15 per hour.

Electric Smoker Vs Pellet Smoker

Getting Setup

Electric

Electric smokers are plugged into a nearby outlet and powered by electricity. All you have to do is push a button and you can start smoking your meats. Place wood over the internal heating rod, and the smoker will slowly cook the meat until you reach your ideal temperature.

Pellet

You’ll need to plug your pellet smokers into a nearby outlet to power it on, but these devices do not cook meat primarily through electricity. Instead, they function similarly to a traditional grill and operate via pellet fuel. A heating rod moves pellets from the hopper to the fire pot when it’s time to smoke. The convection heating system takes care of smoking the meat just the way you like it.

Smoker Controls

Electric

The device interface will most likely be digital, but this depends on the model that you choose. It’s also possible that your controls are analog. Either way, your display will be simple to learn and easy to use. You can quickly set your temperature, insert your meats, and wait until the timer is done. Electric is that simple.

However, electric can become more advanced to used if your model comes with a rheostat or thermostat. A rheostat controls how much electricity is being used to power the machine, like a hotplate, while a thermostat will allow you to adjust the temperature. With electric, you can set your device at a precise level of heat.

Pellet

With pellet smokers, you have temperature control with a simple dial that you can adjust as your meats cook. However, you’re likely not to have a rheostat or thermostat for precise temperature control. A pellet smoker can be set at a temperature you’re comfortable with. However, there is no timer on these machines. You will need to stand by and closely monitor to make sure everything is cooked to perfection.

Meat Flavor

Electric

Electric smokers provide the flavor of an authentic charcoal-powered unit. Heated directly from the wood, you’ll taste a huge difference from your traditional grill at a faster rate. However, the flavor comes mostly from the heat, rather than completely from wood. An electric grill is not as rich as the taste offered by pellet smokers.

Pellet

Pellet smokers are admired for their rich and smokey flavors. You’ll get the smokiness you long for with each session, all powered by wood pellets that are capable of completely altering the taste of the meat.

You also have the option of buying flavored pellets, which allows you to enrich your meat with a specific flavor. With wood pellets, you get to experiment with tastes and make each dinner surprising. Overall, pellet smokers produce way more smoke and flavor, due to close contact with the wood-burning pellets. You will be able to serve meats that you no other device can cook.

Operating Cost

One of the biggest factors that makes these two devices different is cost. Both the initial cost of your purchase, as well as the cost to operate your machine, will be different depending on whether you go with pellet or electric.

Electric

To run an electric smoker, all you need to do is plug your unit into an outlet and prepare about 6-8 ounces of wood. This will add a little bit to your electricity bill, not any more than any other appliance. Because you won’t need that much wood to operate, it’s easy to buy in bulk and store it next to your unit. You won’t feel as if you’re constantly running to the store to pick up some more wood to burn.

Electric smokers are also more affordable to buy from a retailer. You can take home an entry-level model for just under $100. The interior design of these machines is much less complicated than pellet-powered models, so the price is much lower.

Pellet

Pellet is still going to use electricity, but a lot more wood than electric. If you’re not willing to stock up on pellets, then you’re not going to be able to cook in high quantities.

To smoke, you’ll need about 1-2 lbs per hour. Because this type of cooking is dependent on slow and low cooks, you’re going to end up burning through more pellets than you might expect at first. If you’re grilling meat for 8 hours, expect to add on a total of $8 to your budget. This adds up if you’re planning on frequent use.

Pellet is also much more expensive to purchase. Expect to pay at least $500 for an entry-level model. Some are even sold at over a grand.

Keep in mind that with a pellet smoker, you’re paying for a system that completely immerses your meats in smoke directly from the wood source. Your meats are going to be smokier, and that comes at a higher price tag. 

Electric Smoker Vs Charcoal Smoker

Easy of Use

Charcoal smoker requires your attention pretty much throughout the entire cooking process. Among the basic responsibilities are getting the charcoal burning, adjusting the air vents or temperature control.

Without a doubt, the electric smoker wins in this regard, all you have to do is start it, select the temperature and you’re done.

Flavor

Nothing can compare to the characteristic intense smoky flavor that charcoal gives – number one among all types of fuel.

Electric smoker is definitely far from what can be achieved with a charcoal grill, but still tastes very good. Thanks to a bowl with wood chips that generates smoke, the food’s flavor is slightly enriched.

Temperature Control

Most of all, Charcoal smoker requires experience, it is not a complicated task, but it does require your attention. It mostly consists of adjusting the air vents and the amount of fuel.

Incredibly simple, in case of electric smoker once you set the temperature using the controller, you don’t have to worry about anything. The heating element and the thermostat will take care of stable temperature throughout the smoking process.

Convenience and Fun

Plenty of responsibilities, like getting the charcoal burning or constant temperature control, it is an upside to some and a downside to others.

From the moment you start electric smoker, you don’t have to worry about temperature control or amount of fuel ( set & forget style smoker ).

Weather

You can easily smoke in nearly any weather conditions. No rain or snow is a problem to charcoal smoker, but you have to remember about good insulation.

Sadly, due to the electrics, electric smoker is strongly advised against using this type of smoker in places where it’s at risk of being exposed to water ( when it’s raining or snowing ).

Cold Smoking

Charcoal smoker is a precise method of smoking that requires very good and precise tools, which means it is possible, but very difficult.

The ability to select a low temperature and knowing electric smoker will be stable makes cold smoking possible. This fact is definitely confirmed by the information that leading manufacturers sell a dedicated cold smoking kit for this activity.

Features

Charcoal smoker has a very broad selection of different accessories and modifications.

Depending on the model,electric smoke also a significant selection of modifications and accessories.

Starting Price

A lot depends on the type of charcoal smoker, but for a low price, you can buy a high-quality model covered with whole 10 years of warranty.

You will find something decent for people with a limited budget, but when it comes to electric smokers, I would advise something better from at least the medium range.

Warranty

You can expect a very good warranty with most manufacturers. Charcoal smokers aren’t very prone to malfunctions, some manufacturers even offer 10 years of warranty.

The structure of an electric smoker consists of many complicated elements that can break down much faster, which is why with most manufacturers you can only expect a few months to 2-3 years of warranty.

Mobility

The offer of charcoal smoker includes many different models ( big, medium-sized and small ), most of which are definitely mobile.

Due to the source of heat which is electricity, you can forget about mobility here. Wherever you’re planning to use an electric smoker, you have to make sure you can plug it in.

Statistics of Electric Smoker User

• Surveys have also shown that 68 percent of Americans do not need a special occasion to fire up their barbecue.

• Perhaps unsurprisingly, the vast majority of barbecue parties occur from late spring to early autumn, with 73 percent of American grill-owners throwing a barbecue party on the Fourth of July.

• In 2017, 70% of U.S. adults owned a grill. Portable barbecue grill demand rose due to increased outdoor activities. (Grand View Research)

• According to an HPBA (Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association) consumer survey in 2017, 29% or around 1/3 of consumers planned to use their grill or smoker frequently that year. (HBPA)

• In 2019, about 1.36 billion U.S. dollars worth of grills and barbecues were sold in the United States, up from 1.21 billion dollars in 2009

• The classic American barbecue typically involves the grilling of steaks, burgers, and hotdogs, and as of 2017, this tradition has persisted, with 88 percent of U.S. consumers typically barbecuing meat or steaks.

• The annual retail sales of barbecue sauce were forecasted to reach 918 million U.S. dollars by 2021, demonstrating its enduring popularity. Hot sauce is also a common sight at barbecue parties and has seen an increase in sales from 1.31 billion U.S. dollars in 2016 to 1.37 billion dollars in 2017.

• In 2018, 88% of Americans who attended barbecue gatherings preferred meat or steak as their choice of food at the event. (Statista)

• Statistical research and surveys found that 50% of American grill owners have at least the basic accessories for BBQ grilling.

• U.S. grill manufacturers’ revenue rose from 2013 to 2018. Sales have surged by an average of 2.8% each year, mainly due to projections of regular purchases. (New York Post)

• The U.S. BBQ Grill market size was estimated to be at around $930 million last year. (IBISWorld)

• Among grill owners, gas continues to be the preferred fuel with 61% using propane, next is charcoal with 49%, followed by the electric grill with 10%, while 9% use the natural gas grill and 3% use wood pellet grills.(GlobeNewsWire)

Necessities of Electric Smoker

1. Electric smokers don’t use a lot of electricity

A majority of electric smokers use 800 watts per hour. If you were to smoke your meat for eight hours a day for thirty days, your charges would be as follows: If we take 800 times 8, this gives us 6400 watt hours or 6.4 kilowatt hours. 

Multiply this by 30 to get your total monthly consumption of 192 kilowatt hours. If you multiply this by the average kilawatt hour cost in your area, you will see that an electric smoker is very cheap to operate.

 For example, at a typical rate of 12 cents per kilawatt hour, it would cost less than $25 a month to smoke food all day, every day. So you can definitely use an electric smoker often without having to worry about incurring high electric bills. 

2. An electric smoker doesn’t need constant supervision

If you were using a charcoal or propane smoker, you would have to keep monitoring it to ensure that the process is not interrupted by the depletion of fuel. The same does not apply to an electric smoker since it feeds off electricity, which is in constant supply. (For more on this, read our article on electric smokers versus propane smokers.)

 While using an electric smoker, you just set it, and you are free to participate in other activities as you wait for your meat to be ready. For a better understanding, learn more about how electric smokers work.

3. They’re more earth-friendly

Electricity is a far cleaner source of energy than propane, charcoal or wood, meaning electric smokers are more environmentally-friendly. The particles in wood smoke contribute to haze and overall air pollution.

4. Cooking with an electric smoker is healthier

And in addition to being better for the environment, electric smokers are also better for your health. Burning wood and charcoal have been shown to produce carcinogens which are thought to cause cancer.

 Also, cooking with an electric smoker is healthier than other cooking methods like sauteing or frying because you don’t need to use oil or butter.

5. It’s easier to maintain a consistent temperature

Most electric smokers come equipped with a rheostat and a thermostat. The purpose of this is to maintain a consistent temperature inside the smoker, which is crucial for your food to cook evenly.

 Unlike charcoal or wood smokers where the inside temperature can vary widely, you have absolute control over the temperature that your food is subjected to.

6. Electric smokers requires very little know-how

You do not need to be a barbecue guru to use an electric smoker. This is unlike wood-fueled smokers, which require significant know-how to master. In fact, if you can use an oven, you should have no problem using an electric smoker.

7. They’re safer to use

The dangers involved with this type of smoker are quite small compared to some other smokers such as the propane smoker. You would be safer using an electric smoker than you would be while using any other smoker. Nonetheless, keep in mind that it’s still never a good idea to use an electric smoker indoors.

8. They are easy to clean

A majority of electric smokers are made of stainless steel. The food cooked does not stick to the sides of the smoker, which means you have less cleaning up to do after you are done smoking.

 However, you’ll want to take care in cleaning your electric smoker and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for doing so. Due to the electric components, you’ll want to be careful when getting an electric smoker wet.

9. Electric smokers are energy efficient

Most smokers of this type are made of thick steel that absorbs the heat and redistributes it in the cooking chamber. Very little energy is, therefore, lost. It also ensures that your food is cooked evenly. The thick steel sides also ensure that it is capable of withstanding the test of time.

10. They’re sturdy

Being made of metals such as aluminum or steel, most electric smokers are very sturdy devices. You can set it to smoke your meat overnight while you sleep without worrying about the wind or a pet knocking it over and messing up your meal.

What is an Electric Smoker?

An electric smoker cooks your food using heat produced by electricity. In essence, they are like an oven that cooks low and slow, with the added advantage of being able to add wood chips so you can get that coveted smoke taste into your food.

Electric smokers are some of the most renowned inventions in the world. Not only are they great at providing a unique subtle flavor to the protein, but they are also reliable and portable to use. The electric smoker comes in various shapes, sizes, and settings; it is almost impossible to pick out one that will fit all of your needs.

The most convenient of the various types of smokers are insulated electric smokers. These devices house a heating element that can maintain temperatures ranging from that required for a cold smoke all the way up to 135 °C (275 °F) with little to no intervention from the user. Although wood chunks, pellets, and even in some cases automatically fed wood pucks are used to generate smoke, the amount of flavor obtained is less than traditional wood or charcoal smokers.

There are also vents to help control the temperature, but the bulk of the work is done by the heating elements. Bearing this in mind, you do need to allow some time for the element to heat up before you can start cooking.