What about offset wood burning smokers? While these can use charcoal or wood, we’ve left them off this list for a good reason. In 2017 Masterbuilt acquired the Smoke Hollow brand from Outdoor Leisure Products, and seems to have phased out those models. If you don't have an opportunity or desire to get a traditional smoker but still would like to enjoy smoked food, you may like this 40" Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker. The Masterbuilt really knows its onions when it comes to smoking delicious food, so we bet you won't be disappointed with this mighty guy. While pellet smokers also run on electricity, we’ve focused this guide on more basic wood chip-burning electric smokers. If your budget can stretch, we would recommend considering a pellet grill, as they’re more versatile and easier to use. Unlike your traditional smokers, where you just fire up some charcoal and add wood, electric smokers have a lot more technology involved.

We always recommend starting off with a pork butt or two for your first smoke. This more forgiving cut of meat will still taste good even if you make some mistakes while you are learning the kinks of your new smoker. These elements are much easier to control, allowing you to maintain lower temperatures for hours at a time. This is ideal for cold-smoking delicate fish or cheese and to smoke meat.Best value for money – Hard to beat the combination of size, construction quality and usability at this price point. Dimensions – While total square inches of cooking space is high, the actual usable space can limit you. As a brisket man, I don’t like that I can’t fit a whole brisket into this smoker. Smokehouse Big Chief Front Load Smoker: The instruction manual was woefully unhelpful with this bare-bones smoker, and it never reached a food-safe temperature to cook poultry or meat in our tests. It’s worth mentioning that one can add flavoured wood chips to this electric smoker without opening its door. This helps in maintaining its internal temperature. Pellet smokers (commonly marketed as pellet grills) are generally more expensive than other types of smokers. They make fantastic beginner smokers due to their “set it and forget it” style of cooking.

Make sure you allow your smoker enough time to get up to temperature first, before adding any food. Since this is a guide for beginners we thought we should explain some of the basics of barbecue. We don’t want you to get your new smoker home and have no idea what to do with it! What’s the difference between smoking and grilling? This close-up of the inside of the Cusinart COS 330 shows a common electric setup with the heating element sitting under the wood tray. You then have the water container off to the side.

The front window looks kind of cool until you’ve been smoking about 10 minutes and realize there isn’t really anything to see! It also tends to get dirty which defies the point. Pellet and electric smokers are both great options for a set-and-forget smoking technique. The former "allows for different cooking options such as baking, smoking, charring, grilling, roasting, and more, while providing wood smoke flavor," says Stachyra. And an electric smoker "is suitable for smoking, usually vertical in design, and relies on heat from an electric element, just like an oven, that sits at the bottom of a vertical box," she says. "There is a water pan that sits just above that to keep meat moist and a wood chip pan that releases smoke throughout the cooking chamber. The results will be a lighter smoke flavor without a smoke ring, and a softer bark." You need to make sure the smoker you decide on is large enough to fit the type of food you’ll be cooking. The unit comes with a remote control that lets you view and adjust your temperature from the comfort of your home, as well as turn the smoker off if you need to. Not everyone has the same needs or budgets, so we’ve selected our favorite electric smokers across a range of price points. 1. Best Overall – Masterbuilt 30-Inch Digital Electric Smoker

Furthermore, it boasts solid construction and a double-walled firewall that aids in retaining heat and maintaining consistent heat and smoke temperature inside the smoker. Water is an essential thing for successful smoking. For example, a generous 270-kg load of meat puts out approximately 90 kgs of water during the smoking process. And to keep the inner chamber of the smoker moist, you can place a bowl of water, use soaked wood chips, spray ingredients with apple cider or wine, or mop the food with a special BBQ mop sauce. Surprising Ingredients We’ve tried to limit ourselves to value-for-money smokers which are good enough to learn on without dealing with the frustration of a poorly built smoker. 1. The best smoker for beginners – Weber Smokey Mountain With electric smokers, you give up a little in the flavor department in return for simple temperature control and convenience at a fraction of the price of a pellet grill. Unlike more conventional smokers, electrics rely on electronics. When they go bad they can leave you with expensive repairs

Grilling is higher temps (350°Fish) but shorter duration. It may or may not include wood smoke depending on what you’re doing. The main cabinet of the smoker is made from steel with plastic trim, while the interior is made from aluminum.

This digital electric smoker comes with a fully insulated body for excellent heat retention and thermostat control for its temperature. Most people who want a pellet grill go shopping for a Traeger, but it’s a lot of money to drop on your first smoker.The reason an electric smoker is suitable for both beginners and pros is that you simply turn it on to get started. There’s no need for a chimney starter to get a flame going like with a Kamado grill or charcoal smoker. Wood chip tray is on the small side– Will need to refill the chip tray, or you can always add a cheap pellet tube to amp up the smoke.