The Best Electric Smokers

Masterbuilt Digital 30-Inch Electric Smoker

If you've got 'em, smoke 'em

With top-notch heat retention and patented technologies, this smoker is one sizzling-hot pick.

Best Overall

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With over 40 years of grilling & smoking experience, Masterbuilt is one of the premier brands for home cooks and professional BBQ chefs alike. The Masterbuilt Digital is their signature electric smoker, featuring a fully-insulated interior designed for maximum heat retention, a patented wood chip loading drawer that allows you to add wood chips without releasing heat, and a thermostat temperature control for even smoking. An air damper provides smoke control to 4 chrome-plated racks providing approximately 6 square feet of cooking space. 

Pros:

• Water bowl to provide moisture
• Replaceable heating element
• Quick heating
• Also available with a protective cover

Cons:

• Max temperature of 275 degrees
• No internal meat probe

Masterbuilt 40-Inch Electric Smoker

When bigger is better

This enormous smoker from Masterbuilt gets the big jobs done.

Best Large Capacity

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This 40-inch smoker has the capacity to cook 16 chickens, 4 turkeys, 8 full racks of ribs, or 8 pork shoulders, all with integrated thermostat control to provide steady, consistent heating. And with its Bluetooth capability, you can monitor your food’s progress via your mobile device. Plus, the large, glass door makes it easy to take a look and see what’s cooking.

Pros:

• Wood chip loading with heat escape
• 4 smoking racks
• Built-in temperature probe

Cons:

• LED screen is hard to read in daylight
• Assembly required

Bradley Smoker Digital 4-Rack

Lean, mean smoking machine

With up to eight hours of controlled, cool smoke, this beauty from Bradley Smoker provides one of the longest smoking times on the market.

Longest Smoke Time

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This digital four-rack unit from Bradley Smoker is loaded with both the high-tech and low-tech features that define a great electric smoker. That includes full digital controls, a polished stainless steel construction, and a multi-rack design. But what sets this smoker apart is the uniquely designed CleanSmoke Technology integrated to the side of the unit, where a hopper automatically feeds the company’s proprietary wood Bisquettes into the unit’s heating element. This provides for up to nine hours of uninterrupted meat smoking.

Pros:

• Designed to accommodate meat hooks
• Heats up to 320 degrees
• Four-rack cooking system

Cons:

• The door frame is plastic
• Insulation can melt

Cuisinart 30-Inch Electric Smoker

Smoke to go

For tailgaters, boating enthusiasts, and other weekend warriors, this smoker brings the party wherever you go.

Best Portable

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This 30-inch electric smoker from Cuisinart is a compact, no-frills workhorse that is perfect to load into the truck and take to the party. With its sturdy base and wide legs, it’s perfect for house parties and family dinners — especially since it’s large enough to help you feed the whole crew. This option features three stainless steel cooking shelves, an easy-to-read built-in thermometer on the front door, and a chrome spring door handle.

Pros:

• 1,500-watt heating element
• Heats up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

Cons:

• Requires monitoring to maintain the temperature
• No grease tray

Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker

Utility meats design

This marvelous unit utilizes all the best design elements of electric smoker technology in one simple package.

Most Well-Rounded

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If you’re looking for an electric smoker that’s basically a “Greatest Hits” package of digital smoker technology, the Char-Broil Deluxe is it. With an insulated, double-wall construction, a stainless-steel locking latch to retain smoke, a dual-tone finished glass and steel door, and an advanced control panel with a crystal clear LED display, this smoker literally has it all. Included in the package is a 30-inch smoker stand that raises the unit for easier access.

Pros:

• 725 square inches of cooking space
• Removable food thermometer
• Four cooking racks

Cons:

• No timer control
• Racks mounted without stainless steel screws

Frequently Asked Questions

Do electric smokers give off no smoke at all?

No, electric smokers still give off smoke. The thing that electric smokers do best is maintaining a consistent temperature in the cooker, freeing you from having to constantly look after your smoker to keep it at the perfect temperature. But if you want to smoke some meat, you’re going to need to add some form of wood chips, which means it will smoke. Though modern technology helps to hold the smoke in the unit — and imparting the flavor requires less smoke than conventional smokers — you’re still going to get smoke.

What are the best wood chips for smoking meat?

It’s purely up to your taste. Woods that impart a mild taste include fruit tree wood like pear, cherry, peach, and apple. These are great for lighter meats like fish or poultry and sometimes even pork. Birch and cedar are great for fish with a stronger flavor like salmon. It’s hard to go wrong with hickory, maple, oak, and pecan. Think of those as all-purpose woods for everything from pork to beef to game meats. And of course, there’s mesquite, which seems to be the hands-down favorite of smoking enthusiasts. It’s a heavy-flavored wood, however, so use it in moderation.

Can I use my electric smoker as a slow cooker?

Absolutely. There’s no requirement to put wood chips in your electric smoker — without them, you have what basically amounts to a second oven. You can use it to cook a variety of foods for big family dinners or parties or use it for slow cooking foods that have lengthy cook times. Just remember, some electric smokers are designed for low temperatures only.