The Best Electric Smokers In 2022
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Whether it's meant for the best summer barbecue or a hearty winter meal, smoking is an excellent way to impart flavor and richness to meat, seafood, and even vegetables. For those who don't want to fumble with charcoal, wood, or propane, electric smokers are the answer. These use electric rods to heat the food, much like a toaster oven. Wood chips add that signature smoky flavor, which is where you can take some liberties and add your own flair with different varieties.
No matter the quality, an electric smoker has a few key parts that ensure your food comes out perfectly cooked each time. There are the food racks, which suspend the food within the smoker, ensuring the steam can circulate. Electric smokers will also have a water pan that, when heated, releases steam that helps to keep your food moist as it cooks. Meanwhile, the thermostat allows the smoker to hold a stable temperature. So you can keep your eye on the temperature and get perfectly cooked food, there should also ideally be an external thermostat or control panel (via Perfect For Home).
For at-home chefs who want to try their hand at smoking food with an electric device, there are plenty of options on the market. Whether you're hoping to make brisket, pork butt, or some smoked salmon, we've rounded up some of the best electric smokers in each category to give you some tips on what to look out for.
How we selected the products
Because there's no actual flame involved in electric smokers, these gadgets are ideal for those home cooks who want restaurant-quality smoked food without the need to keep an eye on the process the entire time. They're great for a wide variety of meats, all told. To be clear, an electric smoker still requires hours to fully cook your food. Yet it's more of a foolproof way to get that same smoky flavor offered by more traditional smokers. Consider electric smokers the crockpot of the outdoor cooking world that you can set and (almost) forget.
We've rounded up our top picks for a variety of electric smokers based on a few important criteria. Each smoker has received excellent consumer ratings and reviews. They're also generally accessible and don't require a degree or technical certification to operate. There's also a lot of variety here. These smokers range from easy models that are perfect for beginners on a budget to ones that are ideal for experts who need some more room and everything in between.
All told, there's an electric smoker for everyone. So, if you've been considering getting one, rest assured the perfect kind of smoker is waiting out there. Keep reading to see which type of electric smoker is right for you.
Best overall electric smoker
When choosing the best overall smoker, it was a no-brainer that the model in question had to be easy to use, should offer a high-quality cooking experience, and had to be compact enough to fit in many types of outdoor spaces. The Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker offers all of that and then some. First, there's the matter of capacity. With a cooking space of 711 square inches, you'll have no issues feeding a crowd with racks of ribs, steaks, vegetables, and more.
At just 45.9 pounds, this smoker is compact, yet powerful. This is a smoker that's ready to use right out of the box. Just unpack, plug it in, add your water pan and wood chips of choice and you're good to go. The wood chip loader is smaller in size so you may need to refill it a few times during your cook, but because it's located on the side of the smoker, you don't need to open the door and release heat to refill.
275 F is the highest setting here, which is more than hot enough for larger cuts of meat like ribs and brisket. The ease of reading and interpreting this smoker's digital display makes it practically foolproof.
Amazon sells the Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker for $199.99.
Best small electric smoker
Don't let Old Smokey's appearance fool you. At first glance, this smoker admittedly looks like a tin can. Technically speaking, it kind of is. At just 28 by 15 inches and weighing in at only 23 pounds, this is truly a compact smoker. But give it a try and you'll see that Old Smokey proves big things do indeed come in tiny packages. This smoker's best feature is arguably its small size. If you don't have a lot of outdoor space to work with, this will tuck neatly away in a corner. There's no need for a huge, hulking smoker to turn out stellar smoked meats for guests.
This smoker's second best feature is its sheer simplicity. Who wants to fiddle with buttons and levers and adjustments when you could just add meat and let the smoker do its job? This smoker also has a sizeable cooking area, with around 15 inches of interior space, as well as solid heat distribution. It does get rather hot externally and isn't the best to move around on a constant basis. Still, once it's found its home in your yard, there's a strong chance it'll stay there for quite a while. The smoker's heating element has 1250W of power and can heat up to 250 F.
Purchase the Old Smokey Electric Smoker for $149.95.
Best electric smoker under $200
Leave it to Masterbuilt to create yet another list-worthy smoker. This time, it's the brand's 30-inch Analog Electric Smoker, which has the model number MB20070210.
The cooking space of this smoker is a comparatively small 536 square inches. But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in power. To that end, this smoker has 1500W of power and has a cooking range of 100 to 300 F. This makes it the ideal smoker to heat even the largest and most dense pieces of meat in a reasonable time. And you can still fit in a fair amount of food for a small group, from three chickens to three racks of ribs.
This smoker also has a standard analog temperature control and gauge, though rest assured that the dials are clearly marked and very responsive, making it super simple to operate this smoker. This smoker feels sturdy, too. For the price point, you might expect to have to sacrifice some level of quality, but chances are good that you won't with this particular model.
You can buy the Masterbuilt MB20070210 on Amazon for $189.99.
Best electric smoker for beginners
Char-Broil's Analog Electric Smoker offers plenty of exciting features in an easy-to-manage model. If you've never smoked food at home, no need to be intimidated because Char-Broil's Analog Electric Smoker does all the hard work for you.
With 544 square inches of cooking space, an insulated cook chamber, and a 1200W heating element, you'll have no problem getting chickens, ribs, and anything else you can fit inside smoked to perfection. There's also a sizeable wood chip box, which means you don't need to remember to refill it every hour or so. The wood chip box is inside the machine, however, so you'll need to open the smoker door to access it. If you fill it with enough wood chips, though, there's no need to worry about that. The smoker comes with three trays but fits four if you decide you need the extra shelf space.
Design lovers will adore the simple industrial look, which almost looks like a chic piece of furniture for inside the home. Thankfully this smoker offers both style and substance.
Buy the Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker 18202077 for $219.
Best Bluetooth electric smoker
Bluetooth connectivity is great ... until it's not. Struggling to connect with a gadget or even finding the device on your smartphone's pairing list is a pain. Add that Bluetooth functionality to a smoker and it's either a brilliant idea or a terrible one. For the Masterbuilt MB20074719 Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker, it's way more brilliant than terrible.
Bluetooth connection to your cellphone is pretty simple, but you may need to read through the instruction manual just to be safe. Once you're connected, though, you're in the clear. Because you can manage timing and temperature controls for your high-tech smoker via the app on your smartphone, you just need to make sure your phone is handy to keep an eye on your food. While many of the smokers here allow you to roam about your backyard party without too much fuss, this one makes that all the easier.
At 66.31 pounds, this commercial-grade stainless steel smoker is an attractive option. This is clearly a cooking tool for the tech lovers out there, with digital temperature controls that allow home cooks to get precise heating. There's a lot to love about this smoker but the Bluetooth connectivity functionality is at the top of the list.
Buy the Masterbuilt MB20074719 Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker for $449.99 on Amazon.
Best electric smoker for brisket
Nothing can quite top perfectly smoked brisket, though it can get tricky to make the stuff. Once you've done your due diligence and chosen the best piece of meat you can, you'll expect your smoker to take over. The Dyna-Glo 30-inch Analog Electric Smoker DGU505BAE-D is more than ready for the challenge.
This smoker has 1,650 watts, which is adequate heat to smoke meat even in colder temperatures. But the reason this makes it to the top of the list for the best electric smoker for brisket is that the temperature is consistent and unbelievably accurate. Once you set a target temperature, this Dyna-Glo model doesn't experience much fluctuation. It's easy to cook your brisket exactly how you want it with this smoker. The super-accurate temperature is also helped by the double-walled firebox, which will keep the heat secure as your meats reach that perfect level of smokiness.
Another plus is that this smoker boasts 505 square inches of cooking space, with solid construction to hold heavier cuts of meat, so you won't feel like your smoker will tip over or be unsteady. The cooking racks are also adjustable, further adding to the cooker's versatility. What's more, this smoker has a woodchip loader located on the side, so you won't need to disturb your brisket for a top-up.
Purchase the Dyna-Glo 30-inch Analog Electric Smoker DGU505BAE-D on Amazon for $204.80.
Best electric smoker for seafood
Seafood lovers know the joy of smoked fish. If you want to recreate that at home, the Big Chief Electric Smoker will help you achieve the same mouth-watering results.
Smokehouse Products prides itself on simplicity. There will be no fiddling with settings and wonky temperatures here. There's even a removable wood chip pan that won't require you to open the door, so heat won't escape. The capacity is pretty considerable, as you'll be able to prepare up to 50 pounds of fish or sausage in this smoker. And although the temperature only goes up to 165 F, Smokehouse Products is convinced you'll come to love the low smoking temperature.
The device uses a 450W heating element and is made out of aluminum, making it light and easy to transport. You can cook other cuts of meat but the low and slow method of this smoker is ideal for fish. Amazing Ribs says this model is ideal for fishing trips where you'll have access to an outlet for enjoying your freshly caught fish.
Buy the front-loading Smokehouse Products Big Chief Electric Smoker for $139 on Amazon.
Best high-end electric smoker
No matter how much you spend on a smoker, you should expect quality. There are some excellent options at every price point, but what does a little extra money get you?
Well, a lot if it's the highly-regarded Bradley Smoker BTDS76P Digital Electric Smoker. Take the use of wood chips. One of the most important parts of any smoker is the component that allows you to add wood for smoking. In this smoker, it comes in the form of an external vertical hopper located on the sidewall. This lets you stack wood discs for up to nine hours of hands-off smoking. The model also has a generator that's both digital and removable.
Max temperatures can reach 280 F and the smoker has 520 square inches of cooking space. At 61 pounds, this isn't a smoker you'll want to move around too often. Then again you'll use it so often that you won't need to move it.
Purchase the Bradley Smoker BTDS76P Digital Electric Smoker at Amazon for $579.99.
Best large electric smoker
What do you get when you combine 800W of cooking power, 114 pounds, and 900 square inches of cooking space? The Smokin-It Model #2 Electric Smoker.
As our top choice for large smokers, this model checks many boxes. It provides a perfect smoke, for one, but the real magic lies in its considerable size. It's no problem to cook six chickens at a time in this thing. Also, because the smoker has such a large cook area, the smoke has more room to circulate so you end up using slightly less wood during the smoking process.
This smoker is seriously heavy, clocking in at 79 pounds, though it does come with wheels to help you move its bulk. Smokin-It also includes a double-latch door as well as fiberglass insulation so your device will stay consistently heated giving you that ideal cook.
The Smokin-It Model #2 is available for sale on the Smokin It website for $629.99.
Best portable electric smoker
The Cuisinart 30″ Electric Smoker is the ideal model for those who want the best quality in a smaller size model. We rated this the best portable electric smoker because it stands at just 30 inches tall but still has 548 square inches of cooking space. At 59 pounds, it's not the lightest smoker on the market, but for the quality plus the compact size, it gets high marks. Plus, this model comes with convenient side handles so you can move it where you need to. You can easily pack it in the car for a weekend trip or transport it to another part of the yard with a minimum of fuss. What's more, the legs provide a level of stability that wheels just can't offer.
This model offers a 1500W heating element and can reach temperatures up to 400 F. Temperature control comes in the form of a side dial letting you crank it up or down based on your needs. It has a removable water pan and wood chip tray as well.
The Cuisinart 30" Electric Smoker is sold for $219.98 on Amazon.
Best electric smoker grill combo
Smoking and grilling go hand in hand. Long, lazy summer days that slowly turn into warm barbeque-filled nights are made all the better by delicious smoked meats. What better way to achieve that than with a smoker/grill combo? Luckily, there are some solid options. Of all your options out there, chances are that the Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker may be your best bet.
At 107 pounds, this is a rather heavy piece that, even with wheels, demands to stay where you put it. The interior contains 572 square inches of cooking space so you can accommodate up to four chickens if you're feeding a crowd. It'll require some assembly but it's a pretty straightforward setup and, boy, is it worth it.
Purchase the Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker on the Traeger website for $649.99.