Best Electric Smokers 2021: Top Picks and Guide !!

Who does not enjoy using the best electric smokers 2021? Well, unless you are not a meat lover, you may never get to tell the difference in taste. Most of us avoid smoking our meats and instead choose to enjoy them at hotels. We tend to think that smoking meats is a tiring process and needs expertise. Nonetheless, this is not the case if you use electric smokers.

In comparison to charcoal and gas smokers, there is usually an unmatched difference when using electric smokers. They enhance the flavor of your meats, thereby making them tender while applying less effort over a short period.

Most electric smokers do not need much human supervision because of their advanced features. This ensures hassle-free smoking even for someone who is just starting to smoke.  Their best features include their ability to control heat retention and temperature. Through this, you are able to achieve excellent smoking results.

Electric smokers are generally easy to start because you just have to plug them in and begin the smoking process. However, you need a power supply to make this possible. Also, they are always more massive than the other smokers, and their parts require regular maintenance and replacement.

Making a pick of the best smoker among a variety of them is a difficult task. Different brands have different features, so it becomes confusing. No worries! We review the 10 best electric smokers of 2021, not forgetting their pros, cons, and buyers guide.

How Do Electric Smokers Work?

An electric smoker comprises a cooking chamber, water pan, grill racks, vents, dampers, wood chip tray, and heating rods. Basically, once you plug it into a power source, it starts heating the cooking chamber where air circulates so as to heat food through the convection process.

The heating rods at the bottom of the smoker simmer the meat to give it a rich taste. Further, there is a wood chip tray that allows you to place chunks of wood that burn slowly to produce smoke that cooks the meat. You are not limited to one type of wood, but you can use a variety ranging from oak, maple to hickory. Different wood types deliver different tastes of meat.

Moreover, there is a water pan where you place cold water before you begin cooking. The cold water helps to control the temperature inside the smoking chamber, in turn, emitting steam that contributes to cooking the meat. Stainless steel grill racks are for placing meat on them in readiness for roasting.

How To Use An Electric Smoker

Using an electric smoker is not hard and should not worry you because you do not have to monitor the smoking process. First and foremost, you need to season your smoker before use in case you are using it for the first time. You have to do this to get rid of any strange smell, dust, etc. by running it when it is empty.

Before turning it on, rub its surfaces with some oil then let it run for between 1 and 3 hours at a not so high temperature. After it has run, turn it off and wait for it to cool off before using it again. Then you need it to plug it to a power source and press the power button on its front. Further, fill up the wood chip tray with hardwood chips and slide it back.

Preheat the smoker to a temperature of between 200-225 degrees Fahrenheit and add water to the water pan located at the bottom of the smoking chamber. The smoker is ready for use. You can now season your meat and place it on the grills and start smoking after setting your desired temperature. Simple!

The Top 10 Best Electric Smokers 2021 Reviewed

1. Master built MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30 inches, Black

With an option of digital control panels, the Master built MB20071117 electric smoker provides you with the excellent smoking results. What makes it the best rated electric smokers 2021, is because of it being hassle-free as there is no need to use charcoal or propane to power it up. All you need to do is plug it to a power source and begin smoking at the comfort of your garden.

It is 30 inches in height, thereby allowing you to have enough room to smoke different kinds of meat all at once. Besides, it features four chrome-plated racks that are large to give you enough space to smoke 4 pork butts, 6 chickens, and two turkeys all at once. This is enough serving for a group of friends or family at a barbeque.

Furthermore, you do not need to open up the whole smoker so as to load wood chippings into it. On its bottom right side, there is a patented wood chip loading system that enables you to add chippings, thereby preventing heat loss because you do not have to open the door. With its fully insulated steel body, heat retention is taken care of.

Additionally, the thermostat control feature ensures that your meat cooks evenly and consistently to give you excellent, flavorful taste by controlling the cooking temperature. Besides, there is a water pan beneath the smoking chamber that moisturizes your meat, thus enhancing its flavor.

Pros

Cons

2. Cuisinart COS-330 Electric Smoker, 30”

Perfect for both beginners and pros, the Cuisinart COS-330 electric smokeris mainly useful for barbeques because of its large interior of 548 inches. It allows you plenty of room to smoke both meat and vegetables concurrently. You can easily create a memorable experience with your friends and family by inviting them over for a barbeque.

The meats smoke under perfect temperatures to give you excellent results. Once you power it up and set the temperature according to your preference, there is no need for monitoring. Just sit, relax, and wait for your food to be ready. It has a 1500 watt element and a dial style thermostat that generate temperatures of up to 400 degrees.

Three removable stainless steel smoking racks enable you to smoke large amounts of meat. Also, they are super easy to clean and are durable. Because of the removable water pan, your meat not only gets enough moisture but also becomes really tasty.

Using an in-built thermometer that is easy to read, you are able to monitor the internal temperature of the smoker as your meat cooks. Moreover, it needs wood chippings to produce smoke, so you can use different types of woods, including hickory and maple, to increase flavor.

Pros

Cons

3. PIT BOSS PBV3D1 3 Series Digital Vertical Electric Wood Smoker

Taking you through both cold and quick smoking for large batches of meat, the PIT BOSS electric smoker does not disappoint, especially if you are starting to concentrate on smoking. With a heating element of 1650 watts (doubling the elements of most smokers in the list above), it smokes your food up to a temperature range between 150- 400 Fahrenheit.

It boasts of a 760 square inches smoking area, fitted with three removable chrome-plated racks that allow you enough space to smoke not only meats but also bake vegetables and pizzas at your desired temperature. You are able to monitor its internal temperature using an easily programmable meat probe.

Do you know that you can easily adjust the smoke temperature to either high or low depending on your preference? It is an inbuilt redesigned wrap-around lower element that makes sure of this. The digital push-button control panel enables you to easily monitor cooking temperature and time to give you excellent results.

Additionally, a 1008 square inches water pan coated with porcelain keeps your food moist all the time, thereby adding flavor to it. Because of its double walled construction, together with blanket insulation, there is a lot of heat retention within the smoker. Besides, an oversized wood chip tray at its front offers you about two hours of cooking time for each load.

Pros

Cons

4. Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-inch Electric Smoker with Adjustable Temperature Control

Prepare your meat comfortably without worrying about getting burnt during smoking with the Smoke Hollow electric smoker. It comes with a fully welded steel cabinet comprising of a cool-to-touch spring wire door handle with a sure-lock latch system, side handles, and adjustable draft controls. All these work together to ensure your safety.

Nonetheless, adjustable chrome-plated double racks make it easy for you to smoke your meats at any height you prefer using the grid track system. Combining a heating element of 1500 watts and temperature ranging between 175- 325 Fahrenheit, you are able to smoke your meat evenly and with much consistency.

Furthermore, it has a porcelain coated water pan at the bottom of the smoking area that produces steam, which helps in the cooking process and also moisturizes your food. You get to quickly load your wood chips when exhausted via a porcelain coated chip tray.

Moreover, there are adjustable air vents that control airflow into and out of the smoker. Unlike other smokers, its temperature gauge sits at the front door, thus eases supervision during smoking. Besides, it has a compact design that simplifies its storage and portability altogether.

Pros

Cons

5. Royal Gourmet SE2801 Electric Smoker with Adjustable Temperature Control, Black

Versatility is vital for the Royal Gourmet electric smoker as it does not limit itself to smoking only but also does functions such as firewood grilling, drying, and steaming, among others. Owning this smoker allows you a variety of activities to suit your barbeque needs and create memories with friends and family.

It boasts of a double-walled construction that enables it to retain enough heat to maintain a constant smoking temperature for optimum results. Three chrome-plated racks are sitting on a smoking area measuring about 458 square inches. This allows you to smoke food that can serve up to about 15 people at once.

Additionally, a 1500 watt heating element ensures consistent smoking at all times to achieve food rich ina smoky flavor. Checking the internal temperature of the smoker is simple by the use of an integrated thermometer hence easy monitoring. The presence of two side handles ensures that you can quickly move it from one point to another without a hassle.

Furthermore, it’s cool to touch the spring door handle curbs against burning your hands during smoking. Cleaning this smoker is simple as there is a replaceable grease cup lying under the smoker that collects drippings generated while you smoke your food. A removable water pan makes your food moist, thereby enriching its flavor.

Pros

Cons

6. Dyna-Glo DGU732BDE-D 30” Digital Electric Smoker

Suitable for both pros and beginners, the Dyna-Glo electric smoker smokes meat slow and low to give you a rich and an unmatched flavorful taste. You do not need to use charcoal or gas to run this smoker. There is a side access wood chip loader that allows you to reload your chips, making sure that no heat is lost as you do not have to open the door.

Besides, it is easy to monitor the smoking process with the use of digital push-button controls. A digital integrated meat thermometer helps you keep track of the internal temperature. Remember, there is no need to open the door once again. Instead, you just push a button to manage the temperatures.

Additionally, its smoking area is large enough to accommodate four chrome-plated smoking racks. These can smoke food that serves between 15- 20 people at most. Further, there is even cooking because of the 800-watt heating element.

Similarly, it retains heat efficiently due to its double-wall construction firebox, which is insulated. Also, its high-temperature door seal plays a significant role in heat and smoke retention. It offers hassle-free cleaning as there is a removable tray that helps to dispose of grease, oil, and other unnecessary liquids.

Pros

Cons

7. Char-Broil 19202101 Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker, Large, 725 Square Inch

Ideal for outdoor barbeque or patio smoking, the Char-Broil electric smoker serves to deliver tasty food rich of the smoky flavor leaving you craving for more. A 725 square inch smoking area houses four chrome-plated racks that are not only removable but also adjustable to allow you to smoke a wide variety of food at any height you desire.

It features a double-wall insulated construction on its exterior that ensures maximum heat retention during smoking. No heat is lost. Also, there is a glass door that gives you a clear view of the interior, thus easy monitoring. With an extensive stainless steel locking latch system, you are assured of a smoke tight seal, thus keeping smoke within the smoker.

Additionally, its 4-cup capacity wood chip box is large such that it accommodates wood chips that can give up to between 4-7 hours of smoke without having to refill. Very convenient, right? It is easy to monitor the internal temperature of your food using an integrated meat probe that is easily removable.

Furthermore, your food stays warm even after cooking as you wait to serve because of its dynamic warming feature. Besides, there is an 8.5 cup capacity grease tray that collects grease and other drippings during smoking, thus allowing you an easy time to clean afterwards. You can quickly move it across your backyard with the in-built wheels at its back.

Pros

Cons

8. Bradley Smoker BTDS108P 990223 Bradley Digital 6 Rack Smoker

This is a vertical electrical smoker that is very easy to use, allowing you to have maximum control of the temperature, smoke, and cooking time of your food. Using its digital LED display panel that is simple to operate, you can easily adjust the time, temperature, and even smoke levels according to your preference. This ensures your food cooks low and slow with much consistency.

It features an auto-thermostat that helps you monitor the internal temperature of your smoker while you relax and wait for your food to cook, making it the best electric smokers 2021 under 500. There has been an upgrade on this smoker that includes an auto-off function that automatically turns off your smoker for you in case you forget to.

Additionally, it is durable and retains heat efficiently thanks to its stainless steel double-wall construction with a coating of epoxy. Its 6 wide removable smoking racks are easy to clean and also give you enough room to smoke a large number of different food varieties. Besides, it allows you to use 9 different flavors of wood briquettes to provide your food rich taste.

Similarly, the removable ashtray collects ash and any other residue that generates during smoking to simplify the cleaning process. Wipe the stainless steel exterior using a damp cloth, and you are good to go. Because the smoking racks and drip trays are removable, you can wash them after use.

Pros

Cons

9. Old Smokey Electrical Smoker

The Old Smokey electrical smoker exhibits a vertical design for smoking. This means that it uses a convection process whereby smoke moves from the bottom part of the smoker up as it cooks your meat low and slow. Besides, it boasts of a compact design, which makes it easy to store even in tight spaces.

Its exterior consists of a stainless steel material that ensures its durability and also helps to retain heat. With a total of 280 inches of the smoking area, you can make food to fit about 8 people for a single serving. This may not be a perfect fit for barbeques as the capacity is regrettably small.

Even though this smoker is not perfect, it still does its job and is well worth the price. Its downside is mainly on the temperature control feature as it does not come with a temperature gauge, so it might be hard to monitor the temperature as the food cooks.

Furthermore, its flat top lid creates a system that is entirely sealed, thereby curbing smoke and heat from escaping during smoking. Therefore, food gets tastier and tender as all the moisture contained inside the smoker.

Pros

Cons

10. Landmann MCO 32954 Landmann Smoky Mountain 26” Smoker- Black

The Landmann electric smoker is a great smoker from Landmann MCO, which manufactures the best of the best barbeque making tools across the globe. It is one of the few smokers that have a compact design allowing you to store it comfortably even though you lack enough space for this.

Uniquely, it boasts of a 3 in 1 combo tray that houses the water pan, grease pan, and wood chip box altogether. The water pan steams the food by the use of the convection process, thus leaving it moist and with much-improved taste. Removal of grease and excess drippings is a simple procedure when you use the greased pan.

Usually, it has three steel cooking grates coated with chrome that provide you enough room to smoke different types of food all at once. Its door has an adjustable latch for a perfect seal to prevent smoke from escaping. Further, the door has a transparent glass window to enable you to get a sneak peek of whatever is happening inside the smoker during cooking.

Additionally, it has a 1500 watt heating element that smokes the meat evenly and consistently to enrich its flavor. Besides, there sits a temperature gauge on its door that allows you to adjust the temperature and smoke so as to attain excellent smoked food. The two handles on either side of this smoker make it easy to shift it from one point to another without hassle.

Pros

Cons

What To Look For When Buying An Electric Smoker Of 2021?

FAQs on the Best Electric Smokers 2020

Conclusion

Having gone through this article, you can now identify some of the most popular brands of electric smokers, including Masterbuilt, Char-Broil, Dyna-Glo, and Bradley, among others. These smokers give out the best smoking results with their unmatched features.

We mostly recommend the Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker as the best among all-electric smokers. Try it out, and you will not regret it. Alternatively, the rest of the smokers in this article also give out quality results having been tested.

Get to understand the factors you need to consider before purchasing to make the right decision. The top-notch features of smokers are what make them the best electric smokers in 2020. Also, get to read reviews from other people who have purchased so as to be sure.

We hope our article will help you make the right decision of the smoker basing on the best 10 that we have discussed in depth.

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