Smoking is an age-old process of flavoring, cooking or preserving food through the use of smoke coming from a heating system.
There are different ways to smoke food by means of wood, charcoal, gas and electric smoker.
But, if you want the most convenient and easiest way to smoke then you’ve come to the right decision of looking for the best electric smokers in the market out there.
Related Post: The Best Vertical Charcoal Smokers For Amazing Flavors
The use of electric smokers is a great start if you are a beginner.
The process of smoking involved here is really simple. You can just set it up and leave. Your electric smoker will just do the rest.
Check our post to Find The Best Smoker Recipes For Electric Smokers.
In our best electric smoker reviews and buying guide, we give you our choices of the top-rated electric smokers that you can choose from for your home smoking needs.
Now, let’s get going with our review.
* Please note: all product links in this product review are affiliate links. That means, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Page Contents
Best Electric Smokers [Must-Read] Reviews
Old Smokey Electric Smoker – Best Cylindrical/Vertical Electric Smoker
This Old Smokey Electric Smoker is a cylindrical smoker with 2 cooking racks and a chip tray on top of the cooking element.
The upper rack is wider with 14.5 inches in diameter. The upper rack is more convenient to use if the food you are cooking is not much and can be accommodated by it. However, if you need an extra height or if you are cooking for more people then the lower rack comes in handy.
The lower rack measures 12.5 inches in diameter. It has a flat top design so food juices are not wasted away.
This electric smoker is designed with a heat thermostat and allows you to adjust the temperature by turning the knob control.
This electric smoker from Old Smokey measures 15.5 x 15.5 x 29 inches and weighs 24 pounds. It requires 1250 Watts to operate and comes with a 6 feet long extension cord for your added convenience.
Here Are The Pros
This electric smoker from Old Smokey is designed to cook consistently smoked dishes every time.
It has temperature control so you can achieve the best results for your different dishes. It is relatively lighter and more compact than the other products of our choice.
It works efficiently and is easy to clean.
What Are The Cons
The smoker’s body can turn very hot when in use so extra-precaution must be taken. It also consumes relatively more electric power than the other products of our choice.
There is no access to add chips during the smoking process.
Overall
This electric smoker from Old Smokey is our choice for the best cylindrical/vertical electric smoker.
It does its work and has temperature control to give you some control when you are cooking different dishes.
It gets consistently high ratings as well from Amazon users.
Please View The Price On Amazon
Masterbuilt 20078715 Electric Digital Smoker – Best 4-Rack Electric Smoker
This Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is designed with a 721 square inch cooking area. The heating element is made with thermostat temperature control so even cooking is achieved.
You can adjust the temperature from 100 to 275 degrees F to suit your cooking needs. You can smoke up to 80 pounds of food in it.
This electric smoker from Masterbuilt is designed to give you all the convenience you need when cooking from its front-access drip pan, easy to read LED display to its locking door.
Its walls are also insulated so you can use it in differing weather conditions. You can even load wood chips into it without opening the door. If you do cold smoke then you can also attach cold smoker into it.
We do like that this electric smoker has 2 wheels for easy mobility.
Please bear in mind that the wood chip tray doesn’t hold a lot of chips. They burn down in around an hour or less so you will need to keep an eye on it.
Technical details: It measures 19.7 x 16.9 x 32.1 inches and weighs 50 pounds.
It is run by an 800-Watt heating element and comes with a 6 feet cord.
This electric smoker is covered by 90 days warranty and additional warranty coverage can be purchased as well.
Here Are The Pros
This electric smoker from Masterbuilt has a large cooking area and is designed with temperature control to give you more flexibility when cooking.
It is convenient to use with its drip pan and wood chips loading features. It is relatively affordable as well compared to other products of the same kind and capacity.
Also, the top air damper is great to control the smoke.
What Are The Cons
Some customers had issues with durability. Also, as mentioned before, the chip tray is small so you will need to tend to refill and keep the smoke consistents throughout the whole smoking process.
Overall
This electric smoker from Masterbuilt is our choice for the best 4-rack electric smoker. It is a great smoker for larger households and is relatively affordable and popular amongst Amazon buyers.
It is designed with thermostat control that delivers and produces consistent cooking all the time.
Please View The Price On Amazon
Bradley Smoker BTDS76P Electric Smoker – Runner Up Best 4-Rack Electric Smoker
This electric smoker from Bradley Smoker is a 4-rack smoker with a total of 2288 cubic inch cooking volume. It is made of powder epoxy steel construction on the outside and polished stainless steel inside.
This electric smoker is designed to give you full control of the temperature, time and smoke for your cooking needs. There are two controls, one for the smoker where you can set the time that you would like to smoke and the other is the oven control where you can set the cooking time and temperature.
You can do cold smoke for 8 hours on this machine and it lets you adjust the temperature to up to 320 degrees F.
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The Bradley electric smoker requires briquettes to smoke instead of wood chips.
It comes with a recipe booklet, a rectangular tray, and a drip bowl.
It measures 17 x 14 x 31 inches and 24 inches wide when the generator is attached.
All up, it weighs 57.5 pounds and is covered by a 12-month warranty. It is ETL and CE listed and requires 500 Watts for its cooking element and 125 Watts for its smoking element to operate.
Here Are The Pros
The Bradley Smoker is a 4-rack smoker with a large cooking volume. It lets you control the smoke, cooking time and cooking temperature giving you much flexibility with your cooking options.
It is safe and is relatively energy-efficient than the other products of our choice.
What Are The Cons
It is relatively costly to buy and it needs briquettes as its smoker fuel that can be an added cost.
The use of foil is also not allowed in this smoker.
Overall
If you are looking for an energy-efficient electric smoker with a large cooking area, full digital controls and is made of durable materials then this electric smoker from Bradley Smoker is your go-to product.
This smoker is our choice for the Runner Up for the Best 4-Rack Electric Smoker.
Please View The Price On Amazon
Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker – Best 3-Rack Electric Smoker
The Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker is designed with 544 square inch cooking space distributed in 3 chrome-plated cooking grates. Each grate measures 15.15″ x 12.44″.
This electric smoker is able to reach around 400 degrees F.
This Char-Broil electric smoker is designed with double-wall insulated materials and has 2 exhaust ports. It has a temperature gauge mounted on the door and has a reliable dual latch to keep the door shut.
This electric smoker makes operation easily manageable with its front-access water pan, grease cup, and wood chip tray. The water pan helps prevent the meat from drying out so a juicy dish is produced when needed.
This electric smoker from Char-Broil measures 20.7 in w x 33.5 in H x 15 in D and weighs 49.5 pounds.
The heating element needs 1200 watt electric power to run.
The smoker also comes with side carrying handles for easy movement and 1-year warranty coverage.
Here Are The Pros
This Char-Broil electric smoker is a reliable 3-rack cooker that is able to reach a temperature to as much as 400 degrees F.
Its doors and walls are insulated and is designed to give convenience to the user.
The unit gives beginners as well as advanced backyard smoker enthusiast good value for money.
What Are Th Cons
The Char-Broil electric smoker consumes relatively higher wattage than the other products of the same capacity.
The wood chips tray is only accessible by opening the door so refilling may lead to heat loss when cooking.
Overall
This Char-Broil electric smoker is our choice for the best 3-rack electric smoker because of its reliable heating system material construction, and the great value for money.
This electric smoker suits those looking for an average-sized smoker with reliable quality.
Please View The Price On Amazon
Masterbuilt SH19079518 Smoke Hollow Digital Electric Smoker – Runner-Up Best Electric Smoker
The Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow Digital electric smoker is fully insulated with an internal volume of 2069 cubic inches.
With this generous cooking space, you can cook 9 chickens, 2 turkeys, 3 racks of ribs, 3 pork butts, 36 sausages or 24 burgers.
It comes with 3 chrome-coated racks, an adjustable air damper, a removal drip pan, and a water bowl.
The smoker is run by an 800-watt heating element and has a temperature and time control digital panels. The temperature range of this smoker is 100-275 degrees F.
Its exterior measures 17.8 in. H x 16.3 in. W x 19.3 in. L and the item weighs 46.5 pounds in total. It comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
Here Are The Pros
This Smoke Hollow Digital electric smoker is easy to use with temperature and time digital controls. It has a generous size that will allow you to save time and cook for one big household.
It is relatively cheaper as well than the other products of the same kind and capacity.
What Are The Cons
Reloading chips in this smoker requires you to open the door that may cause the smoke to come out and also causes a drop in temperature.
Overall
This Smoke Hollow Digital electric smoker is our runner up for the best 3-rack electric smoker.
It has digital controls for temperature and time, fully insulated built, relatively cheap and comes with a 1-year warranty.
Please View The Price On Amazon
Masterbuilt 30162EW Electric Smoker
This Masterbuilt 30162EW electric smoker is fully insulated with a cooking area of 490 square inches. It measures 30 x 16 x 14 inches on the inside.
It comes with 3 racks, a wood chip box with lid and a porcelain-coated water pan.
This electric smoker is designed with a glass window in the front so you will see what is going on inside your smoker.
The door comes with a latch so you can securely close it when cooking.
It is run by a 1500-watt heating element and has a temperature control that is adjustable and removable.
Its exterior measures 18 in. H x 21.5 in. W x 38 in. L and the item weighs 47 pounds in total. It comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
Here Are The Pros
The Masterbuilt electric smoker is easy to use with temperature control and a glass window in front so you can see the inside when you are cooking.
It has 3-racks and is large enough to cook several foods at a time.
The Cons
This smoker requires you to open the door to load chips that may cause the smoke to come out when cooking is ongoing.
Overall
The Masterbuilt electric smoker is our choice for the best electric smoker featuring a front window.
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It has a temperature control and a glass window to give you the convenience you need when cooking.
This product suits you if you want to see the inside of your smoker while you are cooking.
Please View The Price On Amazon
Buying Guide Best Electric Smokers
So, you are still undecided about which electric smoker suits you best?
Read on with our buying guide and check important criteria before choosing the best electric smoker to satisfy all your smoking needs.
Capacity
Capacity in electric smokers usually refers to the cooking area, the number of racks or the total quantity of food you can smoke on it per batch.
Know your cooking requirements and make sure that the electric smoker of your choice is not too small or too large in terms of size and capacity.
Unfortunately though as the size or capacity of the smoker increases, the cost and electrical consumption increase as well.
Materials and Built
Materials and the built of electric smokers should be designed to last.
The best electric smokers have a fully insulated body so you can cook with it in differing weathers. It is also important to remember that door latches should be secure to avoid any inconvenience when cooking.
In line with the built as well, it is important to note that electric smokers come in different designs. In this review, we have choices of vertical/cylindrical and cabinet/oven type electric smokers.
Heating Element and Controls
The heating element is where the heat is generated. The best electric smokers have thermostat temperature control so you can adjust the temperature accordingly to your cooking needs.
The heating element usually consumes 625 to 1500 Watts depending on the size of the smoker.
Wood Chip Tray
The wood chip tray system is the heart of an electric smoker.
The best ones have a wood chip loading system that can be loaded without the need to open the door. This way there no heat loss especially if you need to add wood chips in the middle of your cooking.
Electric smokers require wood chips, briquettes or wood pellets. These fuels give your food the needed smokey flavor to satisfy your taste buds’ cravings.
Useful Features
Water bowls and drip tray may not be necessary for the operation of electric smokers but they can give you added convenience.
The water bowl helps your cooking more delicious as it helps to prevent the meat from drying out.
While the drip pan is where the grease goes in during cooking. This makes cleaning easier.
A removable and dishwasher safe water bowl and drip tray can give you the much-needed convenience in maintaining and cleaning your electric smoker.
Dimensions and Weights
All electric smokers have available information on their dimension and weights.
You may want to look into it so you will have a plan on where to store it securely and safely every after use.
Some electric smokers have wheels while others have side handles for easy mobility.
Price
The price will really depend on your budget but it should always be balanced with the features and quality of the electric smoker of your choice.
Some Extra Tips
1. An electric smoker needs seasoning prior to use. This is done by setting the temperature above 250 degrees F.
Let the smoker run for 3-4 hours and add wood chips in the last hour so smoke is created.
Let it cool down fully and your electric smoker is good to go.
2. Some advice from manufactures on what wood chips to use state that Hickory wood chips are ideal for meats. Applewood chips are great for chicken and pork, Mesquite is perfect for beef and Alder for fish.
3. Preheat your electric smoker before putting in the meat.
4. Follow the recipes and menu guide. Over smoking can spoil the food.
5. Even though it seems obvious but we still going to mention it: Clean your electric smoker every after use. Clean the removable parts with dish soap and a mixture of vinegar and lukewarm water can do the job in cleaning the internal walls.
6. You may need around 1 cup of wood chips per hour of standard operation.
7. Leave the vent open during smoking.
Conclusion
Now, we have come to the last part of our review and buying guide. Our aim is to help you choose the best electric smoker for your home.
As you have already seen, there are several products in the market to choose from and choosing the best can be a bit of a challenge.
We hope that you were able to find the best electric smoker for your home from our list and hope that our guide has provided you useful information in understanding the electric smoker of your choice.
It is always a challenge to find a perfect product but it’s alright to have some expectations for this one.
This way, you can choose wisely and get your money’s worth in return.
Outdoor cookouts are especially great with friends and family and with the addition of the best electric smoker of your choice, you can add more interesting recipes in your meal plan arsenal to make your outdoor cookout even more exciting and memorable every time.
