Choose the Best Electric Smoker on the Market for All Your Needs

Do you enjoy smoking your meat, fish, or vegetables but your conventional smoker makes the process challenging and long? The simple solution you need is to find the best electric smoker.

Above all, an electric smoker is easy to use(as we’ve mentioned in our everything you need to know page).

You only need to add the wood—or another fuel resource—set the temperature and walk away.

Therefore, if you haven’t done so already, switch to an electric smoker.

It’s understandable however, that you may feel uneasy about deciding which one to buy.

Namely, there are so many on the market that the decision-making process can be overwhelming.

Hence, we made this buying guide to make your decision a lot faster and easier.

This buying guide aims to teach you all there is to know about electrical smokers.

Hopefully after you’ve read this guide you will be confident enough to compare electrical smokers without help and find the perfect one for you.

In addition, two cover accessories are also reviewed to help you pick the best one.

Specifically, they protect and prolong the lifespan of the smoker you buy.

What to Know When Buying the Best Electric Smoker

It’s important you familiarize yourself with these electrical smokers’ components.

Above all, the following facts will help you understand what is needed for the product to work effectively.

Temperature Control

Thermostats help you to know the heat inside the smoker and the cooking chamber.

Additionally, Heat and time play two crucial roles during the smoking process.

If you want high grade smoked meat each time, then buy a smoker that also comes with a thermostat.

Installed Caveats

Caveats are ventilation systems that release some heat and smoke during the process.

This allows you to control the smoke density that is cooking the meat.

This is important for even the best electric smoker, so the meat is cooked thoroughly without unwanted burn marks on the food.

Heat Structure

The heating structure determines how the heat is distributed inside the smoker.

Therefore, if you’re a beginner or don’t have much practice in using a smoker, then purchase the best electric smoker in the electricity category.

Moreover, the heat flows upwards which helps cook your meat and other ingredients to perfection.

How to Pick the Best Electric Smoker

When Making your final decision make sure to consider these important characteristics.

Even the best electric smoker doesn’t need to have them all however, but find one with the features you need most.

Types of Resources Used

Electricity powers an electric smoker. But, there are four main resources you can use to create the smoke:

Wood or Charcoal:

Use this if you want an authentic BBQ or smoky flavored meat.

Additionally, there is normally a tray built into the electrical smoker to feed it wood during the smoking process.

You can use the following woods chips:

  • Peach
  • Pear
  • Cherry
  • Maple
  • Mesquite
  • Hickory
  • Oak

Gas Propane:

Smoke is created when the gas burns up. Furthermore, this type of electric burner is said to be one of the easiest to use because you only need to set it up.

Hence you don’t have to regulate it and add more gas as you would with the wood or charcoal types.

Electricity:

The electricity type doesn’t need any other type of resource. It’s also easy to use by just plugging it in.

An artificial smoke is created during the cooking process.

Trays and Racks

An electric smoker either has a hollow tray or a grill type tray. However, for the best smoking results pick the best electric smoker model that has the latter.

For one thing, the grill type smokes your meat consistently.

Moreover, one aspect of grills you must look for is if they have proper foiling above the grills.

If your electrical smoker has an open top grill, there is a chance the meat or fish will fall on the grill. This can cause the smoke to stop.

Cooking Space

The cooking space is the area that covers your food. More importantly, there are generally three sizes of electrical smokers:

  • Two rack
  • Four rack
  • Six rack

Notably, the two rack is ideal to smoke larger pieces of meat because the shelving space makes it easier for you to place the meat.

A six rack is used for smaller cuts of meat and smoking vegetables too. Finally, the four rack is a convenient size for most uses.

Thus, whichever cooking space you pick there is a common factor.

These cookers are ergonomically designed which makes them easier to fit in most spaces.

Operations

Electrical smokers can be difficult to use.

Therefore, if you don’t want to constantly check the temperatures, then purchase an electrical smoker that allows you to input the temperature settings before the smoking begins.

As a matter of fact, to make the process easier there are electrical smokers that can be controlled remotely.

Thus allowing you to monitor the temperature without needing to check it physically.

Important features that the best electric smoker should have

There are certain factors regarding electrical smokers you must consider. Including:

User Friendliness:

Pick an electric smoker that’s easy to start up and operate. Once you do this you can go about your day.

Mainly, you don’t want to do the tedious tasks required with conventional smokers where you have to start the fire to create smoke.

Be concerned about drafts and, remember to check the temperatures.

Safety:

Electric smokers are safer than conventional ones. Additionally, most have timers and shut off features.

These prevent the smokers from burning up and becoming fire hazardous.

Therefore, make sure to look for the best electric smoker with these features.

Accessories:

Pick an electric smoker that can be covered with a specialized and, well fitted material to protect it from further damage such as rust caused by rain.

The weight:

The average weight of an electric smoker is 40lb to 60lb. More importantly, purchase a smoker within that weight bracket.

Thus, these will be easy for you to carry and cause less friction when you do.

Cleaning:

Make sure the electric smoker you purchase has drip pans.

Specifically, the juices from the meat will fall into the pans and not anywhere else on the smoker.

These pans prevent the drippings from getting into hard to reach areas which makes cleaning easier.

Construction:

The typical materials used to make the electric smokers are chrome, stainless steel, and aluminum.

Furthermore, these materials are known for their durable and rust resistant properties.

Durability:

Durability is important when you purchase an electric smoker.

Namely, don’t compromise on this because it could mean your electric smoker won’t last long.

Recap

Do you want meat that is full of flavor, moist and tender?

It’s time you enhance your cooking skills with the best electric smoker possible.

Without a doubt there are a lot of factors to consider when picking out your electric smoker.

Namely, you want to make sure that you don’t gravitate towards the masses and pick an electric smoker just because other people are picking the same.

You have to always check what is it exactly that you are looking for.

And ask yourself a few questions, how many people am I going to be cooking for? How often will i be cooking for? Etc.

Picking out your best electric smoker really depends on your particular necessities and specifications.

What is perfect for one consumer, may be the worst for you .

Hopefully, you now have a deeper understanding of electric smokers.

So you can quickly finalize your decision as to which is the best electric smoker suited for your cooking needs.

Please feel free to leave us any questions or comments below.

And, make sure to check out some of our other popular posts in our reviews and blog section.

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