Smoking Tools

Best Electric Smokers of 2020 (Reviews and Buying Guide)

Editorial Staff
November 12, 2020
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1 min read

Do you wish to smoke meat and looking for the best electric smoker for a beginner? If so, then you are in luck, here we have handpicked the top 5 the best electric smokers. The electric smokers are designed to let you enjoy the smoked meat without worrying about the unpredictable weather or putting on fire. The following picks will help you choose the best electric smoker from the market.

PRODUCT

IMAGE

FEATURES

PRODUCT

1. Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker

  • Has ample cooking surface of 730 square inches.
  • The body is perfectly insulated, thus maintain a consistent internal temperature.
  • Digital control system for cooking temperature and cooking time.
  • Presence of water bowl to give moisture and flavor to the food.
  • Chrome coated racks offer excellent space for grilling.
  • Air damper controls smoke.
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2. Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-Inch Electric Smoker

  • Ample temperature range of 175 – 325°F with a 1500 watt heating element.
  • With adjustable temperature control, you can easily manage the heat during operation.
  • 3 cu.Ft. cooking capacity.
  • Easily cook large pieces of food with the help of adjustable shelves.
  • Assembly of all parts is simple and easy.
  • A porcelain-coated water bowl makes your food juicy and makes cleaning easy.
  • The heat indicator allows you to read the internal temperature of the grill.
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3. Char-Broil Deluxe 17202004 Digital Electric Smoker

  • Well-insulated and doubled walled body retains heat inside.
  • The large cooking surface of 725 square inches.
  • An 800-watt heating element distributes ample heat all over the cooking area.
  • Adjustable racks allow fitting meat of a range of sizes.
  • A digital temperature indicator allows you to check the temperature easily.
  • With a glass door, you can check up on the condition of food during grilling.
  • Smoke-tight door lock with a stainless steel latch.
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4. Smokein-It Model #2 Electric Smoker

  • Constructed with high-quality stainless steel.
  • A perfectly insulated body restrain heat loss.
  • Comes with 12 feet long cord allowing you to set it up easily.
  • The presence of wheels makes mobility hassle-free.
  • Efficient use of wood as you’ll need just 2-5 oz of wood.
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5. Masterbuilt MB20074719 Bluetooth Smart Digital Electric Smoker 40 Inch

  • This digital electric smoker is equipped with Bluetooth smart technology.
  • Easy to control and monitor the temperature of the meat and smoke from a distance.
  • Comes with a meat probe thermometer.
  • The heating element offers 1,200 watts of power.
  • Reloading of the wood chips is easy and simple.
  • Huge cooking space of 975 square inches with 4 racks.
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  1. Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker

Electric smokers are built to offer “set it and forget it” ease of cooking. And this Masterbuilt MB20071117 digital electric smoker is cleverly designed to provide make the cooking process easy, fun, and joyful for the users.
This smoker is constructed with topnotch quality material ensuring efficient cooking, low maintenance, and durability. The primary cooking space or cabinet is made of steel with plastic finishing; and the whole interior is constructed using aluminum.

It also features a built-in digital panel that puts you in control of changing/ setting the cooking temperature and time. You can set the temperature between  100- 275°F. And with thermostat, heat distributes evenly all over the cooking area.

Coming to the cooking space, it offers ample 730 square inches of cooking space through 4 chrome-coated smoking racks.

And no need to worry about mess, as it contains a water bowl that captures grease drippings and food juices, easing the cleaning process for you.

This is the best electric smoker for the beginner or someone who needs generous size with a convenient cooking system.

Pros

  • Has ample cooking surface of 730 square inches.
  • The body is perfectly insulated, thus maintain a consistent internal temperature.
  • Digital control system for cooking temperature and cooking time.
  • Presence of water bowl to give moisture and flavor to the food.
  • Chrome coated racks offer excellent space for grilling.
  • Air damper controls smoke.

Cons

  • The wood chip tray is smaller, so needs refilling after a session of cooking.
  • Quite difficult to cook large pieces of meat on the cooking racks.
Check Price on Amazon
  1. Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-Inch Electric Smoker

With a powerful heating element and simple to understand functions, this is the best electric smoker for a beginner. If you are looking for an easy to use, simple yet utterly efficient smoker, and do not require a large unit, then Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-Inch Electric Smoker is the best option to go for.

However, saying that doesn’t mean it is not adequately spaced for cooking. There are two chrome-plated cooking grids that can be adjusted to changeable heights, thus easily making room for differently sized portions of food.

And as far as the heating power is concerned, this electric smoker is equipped with a 1500-watt heating element. This heating element generates enough temperature to consistently heat the cooking space.

Moreover, the temperature of the smoker is fully adjustable. The temperature gauge is present on the door allowing you to adjust the temperature easily.

The water pan and chip tray, both are porcelain coated which not only improves the durability of the parts but also makes them easy to clean.

Adorned with all the efficient features, this electric smoker is a great pick as the best electric smoker for beginners.

Pros

  • Ample temperature range of 175 – 325°F with a 1500 watt heating element.
  • With adjustable temperature control, you can easily manage the heat during operation.
  • 3 cu.Ft. cooking capacity.
  • Easily cook large pieces of food with the help of adjustable shelves.
  • Assembly of all parts is simple and easy.
  • A porcelain-coated water bowl makes your food juicy and makes cleaning easy.
  • The heat indicator allows you to read the internal temperature of the grill.

Cons

  • It comes with a warranty of only 90 days.
  • Cleaning the heating element is a task as a water pan not efficiently catches the drippings.
Check Price on Amazon
  1. Char-Broil Deluxe 17202004 Digital Electric Smoker

Char-Broil 17202004 Digital Electric Smoker is adorned with various “smart” features that make it simply the best electric smoker for beginner usage.

This electric smoker perfectly locks in smoke and heat with insulated double-wall construction. Such an amazing design and high-quality material make this smoker efficient. Moreover, the side-locking latch tightly seals the smoke and heat inside.

The full-size glass window allows you to keep an eye on the food. You can monitor the internal temperature with a removable temperature gauge. Plus, with an advanced panel, you can make adjustments as well. All in all, this electric smoker cooks your food juicy, smoky, and tender as per your requirement.

This smoker has 725 square inches of cooking space, which is enough to cook meals for a small gathering. It also features a slide-in porcelain-coated water pan that catches all the juices and fat drippings. Plus, its porcelain coating makes cleaning easy.

Pros

  • Well-insulated and doubled walled body retains heat inside.
  • The large cooking surface of 725 square inches.
  • An 800-watt heating element distributes ample heat all over the cooking area.
  • Adjustable racks allow fitting meat of a range of sizes.
  • A digital temperature indicator allows you to check the temperature easily.
  • With a glass door, you can check up on the condition of food during grilling.
  • Smoke-tight door lock with a stainless steel latch.

Cons

  • The remote control function of setting up the temperature does not work from a far distance.
Check Price on Amazon
  1. Smokein-it Model #2 Electric Smoker

Wondering what’s the name of the model is? Well, if you have noticed the emptiness in the name, you will be amazed by the wholesomeness of its features. Its quality, cooking capacity, power of the heating element, and steadiness of the temperature; all are commendable.

The body of this electric smoker is strong, sturdy, and hard. Moreover, it is perfectly insulated, thus retain high steady internal temperature. Once you lit the fire up, you’ll notice a sudden rise in temperature to  40 to 50°F. And once the smoker reached your desired temperature, it will remain there for hours.

The new version of this model is equipped with an 800-watt heating element that is enough to generate enough heat to quicken the cooking process.

Interestingly, this electric smoker comes with a long cord which makes it convenient to use if the power plug is at distance.

With such remarkable features in an affordable range, this is the best electric smoker for the money got to spend.

Pros

  • Constructed with high-quality stainless steel.
  • A perfectly insulated body restrain heat loss.
  • Comes with 12 feet long cord allowing you to set it up easily.
  • The presence of wheels makes mobility hassle-free.
  • Efficient use of wood as you’ll need just 2-5 oz of wood.

Cons

  • The temperature could be higher.
Check Price on Amazon
  1. Masterbuilt Bluetooth Smart Digital Electric Smoker 40 Inch

Materbuilt is known for offering top-notch quality equipment to its customers that make cooking simple and hassle-free. With this MB20074719 Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker, Materbuilt has truly lived up to its class and created a cleverly designed machine.

This electric smoker lets you control the cooking through your cell phone via Bluetooth system. So, just chill out, and relax with your friends and control the smoker through the app on your phone. In addition to monitoring the temperature, this allows you to turn on or off the smoker,.

While it uses the technology to give you the ease of use, this smoker’s ample cooking capacity is another highlighting feature. You can get it in two sizes, 30” and 40”. 30” size is great, but if you think that you may need more space then go for 40” instead of being in doubt.

The availability of 4 adjustable racks gibes you plenty of room to cook for a large gathering at the same time.

There is no need to open the electric smoker to add wood chips, thus the heat and smoke retain licked inside and it is convenient for you as well.

Pros

  • This digital electric smoker is equipped with Bluetooth smart technology.
  • Easy to control and monitor the temperature of the meat and smoke from a distance.
  • Comes with a meat probe thermometer.
  • The heating element offers 1,200 watts of power.
  • Reloading of the wood chips is easy and simple.
  • Huge cooking space of 975 square inches with 4 racks.

Cons

  • The range of Bluetooth is limited.
  • The app needs constant improvements.
Check Price on Amazon

Things to Consider Before Purchasing an Electric Smoker

Whether you are buying an electric smoker for the first time or replacing the old one; finding the best electric smoker can be confusing. However, to make things a little easier for you, we have enlisted a few important points to check before making a purchase. So, here we go!

  • Size and Cooking Capacity

First and foremost, check how much is the cooking area of the smoker. The size of the smoker can be dodging as it may appear big, but because of the non-adjustable racks, it won’t be able to fit large chunks of meat. A smoker with four racks is of no good if you can’t grill a large piece of ribs in it. Plus, if you wish to cook full racks of ribs as a whole, without folding it, then it is best to buy 40” model rather than 30” model.

  • Convenient Features

Do look for features that improve the convenience and working efficiency of the electric smoker. These may include,

  • Digital Control Panel: This feature allows you to set the internal temperature and in some models cooking time as well.
  • Remote Temperature Control or Bluetooth System: Some smokers allow remote temperature control either with Bluetooth or any app.
  • Temperature and Meat Probes: This feature allows you to check the internal temperature of the grill and the tenderness level of the meat.

 

  • Budget

Budget is one of the most important factors in choosing the best electric smoker. The best electric smoker for the money you have must be adorned with all the necessary features. You can get an electric smoker under $100, but we recommend you to find the best electric smoker under 200 or the best electric smoker under 300. As we all know, the more the merrier. Therefore, if you are looking for a Bluetooth-enabled electric smoker then the price can go up to $500.

FAQs

  • Is It Possible to Use Electric Smoker Inside House?

The temptation of enjoying the grilled food in the cozy environment of your home is surely understandable. But just thought about the permanent smell of smoke that is nearly impossible to get rid of. So, unless, you have installed a topnotch restaurant-style extraction system, the idea of running the electric smoker inside your home doesn’t seem feasible.

  • Is It Easy to Clean the Electric Smoker?

Yes, it is easy and also necessary to keep your electric smoker clean. Simply wipe the grilling racks and remove/ lightly scratch any burnt food from the surface. It is important to keep the internal body of the smoker dry to avoid mold growth. To be on the safe side, just read the manual and you’ll know the best way to clean a particular electric smoker.

  • Which One is Better Electric or Propane Smoker?

While electric and propane smoker shares a lot of similarities, both are quite different in functioning and maintenance. When it comes to similarities,

  • Both need a one-time setting and you’ll get the product after the programmed time.
  • None of them need to lit up fire or light charcoal.

But a number of differences make electric smokers convenient, simple, and easy to use as compared to gas smokers. These include,

  • Gas smokers heat up through the process of combustion whereas electric smokers heat up by heating element.
  • Electric smokers are cheaper than propane smokers.
  • With electric smokers, you won’t need to worry about the shortage of fuel.

 

Conclusion

There you have it! Hopefully, you must have found this list of the best electric smoker for beginners helpful.

For people who are wondering which electric smoker would we recommend, the answer is Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker. It comes in two sizes, 30” and 40”, thus giving you ease to choose any as per your requirement. Plus, it is handy and efficient to use, offers an easy wood chip tray system, allows cold smoking, and has a wide temperature range.

However, if you are on the budget then the best pick would be Smoke-Hollow-SH19079518-Electric-Exterior smoker. The best part of this smoker is that it offers incredible insulation and heats up perfectly well.

Talking about its size and cooking capacity, this smoker can easily fit in 2 turkeys, 3 racks of ribs, or 3 pork butts. So, sounds adequate to prepare enough meal for a small gathering. Moreover, this smoker has a digital control panel that allows you to set the temperature.

An electric smoker is a great pick if you do not want to meddle with charcoal or expensive log.

Editorial Staff

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