The 10 Best Electric Smokers Consumer Reports for 2021

If you don’t want to pollute the environment using charcoal or propane fuel, you should opt for an electric smoker.

Luckily, we have compiled the following 10 best electric smoker Consumer Reports reviews for 2021.

An electric smoker isn’t just eco-friendly but also efficient. It automates the entire smoking process by allowing you to customize temperature and timer settings.

In this way, you save your time and manual effort while continuously monitoring the grilling process.

Moreover, you can conveniently use electric smokers both indoors and outdoors. Other benefits of electric smokers include easy maintenance and even heat distribution.

The 10 Best Electric Smokers for 2021

Enjoy!

#1. Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker, 30 inch

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As the name suggests, the Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker, 30 inch, comes with digital panel controls for cooking time and temperature.

This featureful electric smoker offers four chrome-coated racks to provide enough surface area for cooking and smoking.

Not only that, the coating serves a dual role of enhancing resistance towards corrosion and facilitating easy cleaning after use. Moreover, it also doesn’t let the door stick on the racks.

The patented wood chip loading mechanism allows you to add the wood chips without opening the smoker’s door. You can find a small cylindrical wood loader at the bottom.

All you need is to push the loader out, fill it with a wood chip, and then insert it back.

Additionally, it comes with integrated thermostat control to guarantee even and consistent cooking.

Moreover, you can control the temperature up to 275F degrees.

This 39.34 pounds electric smoker comes with a fully insulated body to minimize all the chances of heat leakage.

By the way, you can quickly cook a meal for four to five people in one batch.

The best thing about this electric smoker is the convenience of cleaning. It comes with two types of cleaning trays. One collects the grease and oil drippings, while the other manages the ashes of the wood chips.

You only need to remove these trays and clean them with warm, soapy water.

Pros

• Patented wood-chip loading system
• Complete insulation
• Recommended for large families
• Four chrome-coated racks
• Integrated thermostat

Cons

• Expensive
• No viewing window

#2. Bradley Digital 4 Rack Electric Smoker

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The Bradley Digital 4 Rack Electric Smoker features a cabinet-like shape with 14 x 17 x 31 inches.

Unlike the previously reviewed electric smoker, it comes with an adjustable control unit that can be removed smoothly. Moreover, you can dismantle the smoker’s control unity when not in use to minimize external or weather damages.

In addition to that, you can also adjust the chimney stack on the top of the control unit.

It uses wooden bisquettes, which can smoke for up to 20 minutes.

By the way, there is an advantage of using these bisquettes over sawdust pellets or other drum styles. You know the exact number of bisquettes required for a single smoking session.

Besides, the feeder tube can hold at least 20 bisquettes at one time.

Consequently, you can drastically reduce your cost.

In the end, the smoker automatically pushes the empty bisquettes to the water in the bowl once done.

You only need to place these bisquettes in the chimney and throw in a couple of rings to push them to the burning plate.

Luckily, you can adjust the time, temperature, and smoke with the help of the user-friendly control panel.

This sturdy electric smoker comes with a stainless steel interior to maintain the set temperature.

Moreover, you can control the temperature up to 320F degrees and time up to eight hours.

Pros

• Includes four racks
• Allows customization of time, temperature, and smoke
• Supports 12 discrete flavors of wood bisquettes
• Comes with weather cover
• Removable control panel
• Includes auto shut-off feature
• Weatherproof construction

Cons

• Hard to read the LED display
• No wiring window
• Larger footprint

#3. Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker

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The Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker features 725 square inches of cooking space within double-steel wall insulation.

It comes with four chromed racks, which are large enough to hold a full rack of ribs. By the way, you may have to cut the ribs in half and place them side by side.

This easy-to-move smoker weighs only 50.2 pounds with total dimensions of 16.5 x 18.1 x 32.5 inches.

Moreover, it comes with durable wheels so that you can move it around your backyard and patio quickly.

Another distinguishing feature about the Char-Broil Deluxe smoker is its temperature probe and thermometer. In this way, you can measure both the internal meat temperature and the ambient temperature.

This sturdy smoker comes with double steel-walled insulation to keep the exterior cool, even when the inside temperature is 265F degrees.

This efficient smoker can burn for a full seven hours with a single four-cup fill of wood chips.

You can find a small control panel above the door to set the cooking temperature, internal meat temperature, and cooking time.

Moreover, the display also shows the countdown of time remaining to don’t need to babysit the smoker. When the cooking time is up, the smoker beeps loud three times after every 30 seconds.

Pros

• One-year warranty
• 725 square inches capacity
• Four adjustable racks
• Advanced control panel
• Removable food thermometer
• Glassdoor

Cons

• Cooking time may prolong
• Can only be used on high heat materials like concrete
• Doesn’t include a convection fan

#4. Smokin-It Model #2 Electric Smoker

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The Smokin-It Model #2 Electric Smoker features a spacious capacity to smoke around 31 pounds of meat simultaneously in a low-temperature environment.

Steve and Rebecca founded Smokin-It in 2009 and have been expanding their company across the US, Canada, and Europe.

You can place the wood chunks in a small box at the bottom of the smoker. An electric heating element slowly burns the wood chunks to release the smoke and heat into the chamber.

This handy smoker comes with a cook box, firebox, four three inches casters, four grilling racks, smokebox, and drip pan. Moreover, it also includes the owner’s manual and hickory wood samples.

You can adjust the temperature with its thermostat between 100F and 250F degrees.

The four rubber casters allow you to roll the smoker to the desired location from the storage without any banging or jostle.

There is one light on top of the smoker for your convenience, which turns on when the heating element is operating.

Moreover, you can easily slide the wood tray and load it with the wood chips.

The components such as removable racks, shelves, and drip pans are dishwasher safe, so you don’t have to spend time manual washing.

Pros

• Large capacity
• Easy start-up
• Stainless steel construction
• Easy shelves configuration
• Dishwasher safe components
• Extra-long power cord

Cons

• No WiFi or temperature probe ports
• Low to the ground without the cart

#5. Masterbuilt Analog Electric Smoker

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The Masterbuilt Analog Electric Smoker is a smart and compact 30 inches machine with industrial-grade components and wiring. It comes with a black finish made of sturdy cast iron.

The 1500-watt heating element quickly raises the temperature and holds it consistently on the desired level.

This convenient smoker comes with a removable grease pan, a wood-chip tray, and a water pan.

On a downside, it comes with analog controls. It means you need to change the temperature with a dial pointing to the required temperature.

But again, you need to open the door to fill the water pan and wood-chip tray. Consequently, you lose heat each time you open the door.

By the way, it’s a perfect portable smoker for small families.

Pros

• Affordable
• 1500-watt heating element
• Better insulation
• Can cook food for three to four people
• Three chrome-plated smoking racks

Cons

• Analog controls
• The door opens every time you fill the water pan

#6. Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker

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The Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker is a 40 inches stainless steel advanced electric smoker with Bluetooth connectivity.

This smoker is an actual demonstration of the ‘set and forget’ form of cooking with its digital control panel. All you need is to start it up, set the temperature, monitor it remotely, and your meat is done.

The Bluetooth feature allows you to pair the smoker with your smart device to control both the time and temperature remotely. In addition to this, the meat probes also monitor the internal meat temperature.

This spacious smoker comes with four chrome-coated smoking racks, which offer a combined cooking area of 721 square inches. It means you can cook full racks of ribs, a whole turkey, and massive cuts of meat.

You can attain a maximum temperature of 225F degrees with this Masterbuilt Bluetooth digital smoker.

To complement the consistent temperature inside, it comes with a patented side wood chip loading system. It means you can add wood chips without opening the door. Thus, the temperature remains constant with minimal changes of any heat leakage.

It includes an interior light to illuminate the food in low light when you open the door.

Pros

• Affordable
• Huge smoking capacity
• Fully insulated body
• Easy-to-use digital panel
• Bluetooth connectivity
• In-built thermostats
• Patented side wood chip-loading system

Cons

• No wheel at the bottom
• Difficulty portability
• Heavyweight

#7. Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow Digital Electric Smoker

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The Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow Digital Electric Smoker is a featureful smoker with a digital control panel, three chrome-coated racks, and an integrated thermostat.

This all-rounder smoker comes with a fully-insulated body to maintain a consistent temperature during the cooking cycle. However, it doesn’t come with a viewing window, which may turn off certain people.

It comes with a separate grease or water collecting tray and an ash keeping tray to facilitate cleaning. Consequently, you can easily clean all the components, including the racks, with soapy water.

Moreover, it comes with an incorporated air dampener to control the amount of smoke inside the chamber.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with an external wood loader. It means you need to open the door to load the wood chips. Subsequently, you may lose some heat during the lading process.

The three chrome-coated smoking racks can accommodate nine chickens, two turkeys, three racks of ribs, three pork butts, 36 sausages, or 24 burgers.

Pros

• Insulated smoker chamber
• 800-watt heating element
• Digital LCD
• Adjustable dampener
• Drip pan
• Removable water bowl

Cons

• No viewing window
• No external wood chip loading mechanism

#8. Smoke Hollow 26-Inch Electric Smoker

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The Smoke Hollow 26-Inch Electric Smoker features a heavy-duty 1500-watt heating element with side handles and a cool-touch spring wire door handle. Based in Missouri, Outdoor Leisure Products has been designing affordable Smoker Hollow since 2005.

This featureful smoker comes with two stainless steel cooking grates, a water pan, wood chip pan, plug and temperature control unit, and a manual.

It weighs around 35 pounds with 1.3 cubic feet cooking area. Moreover, it features a wide range of adjustable temperature between 150F and 250F degrees.

The heating element wraps around the two pans allowing more heat to reach the time. Consequently, you achieve lower cooking times by ensuring an even heat throughout the chamber.

You can easily remove the two pans and cooking grids and wash them with warm, soapy water and air dry.

It’s better to coat the smoker’s inside and grid with vegetable oil to resist rust and corrosion.

Pros

• Cool-touch handle
• 1500-watt heating element
• Welded steel cabinet
• Infinity adjustable thermostat
• One-year warranty
• To chrome-plated cooking grids

Cons

• No digital readout
• No wheels for repositioning

#9. Masterbuilt Bluetooth Smart Digital Electric Smoker, 30-Inch

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The Masterbuilt Bluetooth Smart Digital Electric Smoker, 30-Inch, features 721 square inches of cooking space with its four chrome-coated racks.

You can easily remove and adjust the racks based to fit in higher food items. Not only that, the chrome coating doesn’t let the meat stick on the shelves.

Moreover, the thermostat allows you to control the temperature up to 275F degrees.

Besides, the built-in meat temperature probe guarantees that the meat cooks at the right temperature.

This smart smoker comes with Bluetooth connectivity allowing you to adjust the temperature remotely via your smart device.

The front LED control panel comes with a removable sunshade.

You can monitor the cooking process through the front viewing window.

Lucky for you, it comes with a patented side wood chip loading system. Meaning, you don’t need to open the doors to load wood chips.

Pros

• Front Blue LED digital control panel
• Removable sunshade
• Bluetooth smart technology
• High output LED interior lights
• Patented side wood chip-loading mechanism

Cons

• Limited range of Bluetooth

#10. Old Smokey Electric Smoker

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The Old Smokey Electric Smoker features a high-quality aluminized steel exterior with a 125-watt heating element and heat thermostat. Old Smokey has been designing high-quality products for the past 90 years.

It comes with an advanced heat thermostat to regulate the interior temperature. Once you set the temperature, it digitally controls the inside temperature with sensors and a heat regulator.

By the way, you can adjust the temperature up to 475F degrees.

The tightly fitting lid perfectly seals the heat and smoke inside to create condensation. In this way, the meat remains juicy and tender on the inside.

It weighs only 25 pounds allowing you to carry it around your house quickly. Moreover, you can use this multi-purpose smoker both indoors and outdoors.

However, it comes with only two cooking levels – an upper grill and a lower grill.

This reliable smoker comes with a one-year warranty to ensure a safe investment.

Pros

• Advanced heat thermostat
• Tightly fitting lid
• Lightweight
• 125-watt heating element
• Sturdy, fireproof handles
• Easy inserting and removing grills

Cons

• Small size
• Recommended only for small families

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How To Choose an Electric Smoker?

Modern-day technology has elevated the overall smoking experience by introducing multiple features in today’s electric smokers.

Read along to select an electric smoker to match your household requirements.

Size

Of course, size matters!

The size of the electric smoker directly corresponds to that of your family.

A smaller electric smoker is perfect for a small or medium-size family; however, you won’t be able to host parties for your friends and family.

It’s better to check the quantity of food which you can cook in one batch.

Electronics

The electronics which come in the electric heaters serve as the make or break factor. You want to buy one equipped with the latest technology.

For instance, good quality smokers use thermostats, while the low-quality ones use Rheostats.

So, what’s the difference?

A thermostat provides a more accurate temperature, while Rheostats exhibit better performance.

As a buyer, you should be aware of the electronics used in the smoker.

Trays and Racks

A majority of the electric smokers come with grill-like trays, while others include plain trays.

Now, it all drills down to your plan to cook either barbeque or a smoked Sardine.

If you wish to see classic smoke grill marks on the food, it’s better to go for the grills.

You also need to check the foiling above the grills. In the case of open top grills, you’ll find the masala or marination of the chicken or meat fat dripping down on the lower grills.

Other Features

You also need to check the availability of supporting features, including Bluetooth compatibility, wood chip tray, insulation, and warranty.

The Bluetooth connectivity allows you to monitor and regulate the temperature from your smart device.

Moreover, you can add more wood chips to the tray without opening the door. However, in an inside fuel loading system, opening the door will let the smoke out, causing the temperature to decrease.

Most importantly, the smoker should feature adequate insulation to keep the temperature consistent throughout the cooking cycle.

Warranty plays an essential role in saving your money in case of manufacturing malfunctioning.

How To Use an Electric Smoker?

After choosing the most suitable electric smoker based on the factors discussed above, it’s time to use it.

• You should reserve proper space where it is safe and dry. Please note that electric smokers may damage if they get wet, so place them in a protective cover in all kinds of weather.
• Plug in and turn on the electric smoker using the power button places usually in front.
• Next, set the desired temperature and wait for it to reach the level before placing any food item over the grate.
• The temperature depends upon the type of meat. For instance, salmon requires a temperature of 200F degrees and 2.5 to 3 hours to cook. At the same time, shrimp need 225F degrees and one to two hours to cook. Additionally, you can cook a whole chicken at 200F degrees for one hour.
• Many electric smokers come with a wood chip tray located on the lower side of the appliance. You can purchase the required flavor of wood chips from the market, such as apple, pecan, hickory, or mesquite.
• A general rule is to use approximately 600g or four cups of wood chips for three to five hours of smoking.
• Moreover, the electric smoker takes 30 to 35 minutes to heat up from the cold. It’s better to add the wood chips before turning it on.
• Putting the food inside the smoker is a bit tricky. You need to quickly load the racks to prevent the smoke from leaking through the open door. It’s better to take out the smoking racks, load them, and then place them back. In this way, you don’t keep the door open during the loading time.
• A word of advice is not to open the smoker’s door frequently to change the inside temperature.
• Always clean your smoker after every use. To ensure your safety while cleaning, unplug it from the electric connection. You can remove the racks and wash them with warm, soapy water. On the other hand, you can clean the smoker’s interior with a clean, damp cloth.

Conclusion

To sum up, an electric smoker is an excellent addition to your household. It guarantees even distribution of heat for consistent cooking without any manual monitoring.

The most significant advantage of vertical electric smokers is that heat naturally rises without moving in any other direction.

All you need is to select the time and temperature and insert the marinated food.

It’s a perfect choice for remote home chefs who want to spend more time with their families while the food cooks inside the smoker.

If you want to enjoy the natural wood flavors in your food and automate the entire smoking process, you should buy the best electric smoker Consumer Reports right away.