Electric smokers are very easy to use. Typically you set temperature, add some wood chips and meat, then wait for done.
Different smokers will vary in terms of the way you set temperature, the types of wood chips that you add, configuration of the water pan, etc. But those basic steps are the same for all of them .
Here are five things that make an electric smoker easy to use:
- The heat source is an electric element – just like an oven. No messy charcoal, firewood, or 40 lb. bags of pellets to load
- Electric smokers produce moist food pretty easily
- Supplies are simple: wood chips , aluminum foil
- Cleanup is simple: change the aluminum foil and clean the racks
- Maintaining temperature is automatic : set it and forget it
That said, some electric smokers are easier to use than others. Some are built with better quality than others. Some electric smokers maintain heat better than others. Some electric smokers enable a greater variety of chips to be used. And electric smokers come in all shapes and sizes.
Let’s take a look at what makes the difference between excellent and poor in terms of quality. Capacity, Heat Retention, Wood Chips
In terms of ease-of-use we want to check the smoker for its construction. How stable is it? Are you going to be able to load a 15 lb brisket? How many racks of ribs will it handle at one time?
An electric smoker is definitely not easy to use if it doesn’t hold the amount of food you need to smoke A smoker that wants to fall over is certainly not easy to use. When doing your research, ensure that the smoker you’re going to purchase handles the volume of food you’re looking to cook at one time. The same type of thing you would do when shopping for a grill.
In terms of quality some smokers are built with heavier gauge metal, better hinges & door seals etc . The most popular electric smoker on the market -Masterbuilt- will definitely smoke food and lots of folks get great results. But if you are looking to do six racks of ribs at one time it’s going to help you.
Also, take a look at the construction and thickness of the metal and the smokers ability to seal when considering its ability to retain heat. This is much less of a problem in the summer than it is in the winter. Also check how well the smoker will retain smoke . A common quality issue is smoke leaking out of every single seam and door. It needs to flavor the meat.
In terms of variety of chips, read the manual or inspect the smoker that you are interested in to confirm that it will handle the wood chips you’re going to want to use. Some electric smokers, like a Brinkmann, use special wood chip pucks. That doesn’t leave much flexibility in terms of what chips you can buy or where you can buy them. Other electric smokers will allow you to use fairly large pieces of wood which generate much more smoke.
Know these things before buying and you’ll really enjoy how easy it is to use an electric smoker.