Is this viable?

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tpc74

Meat Mopper
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
May 8, 2012
262
216
Berkley, MI
Ok so I'm new here and I realize this is only my second post so hope it's in the correct spot.

I found this on the web and found the idea intriguing.

[=http://www.williams-sonoma.com/prod...Facet-_-NoFacet-_-Top_Wide_Agrarian - copy-_-][/]

What I was thinking of doing is adding some sort of heater element to the bottom instead of using it on the grill so I could have my own little portable mini-smoker. I kinda like little projects and this seemed simple and fairly easy to do.

Is it viable to do so though? I'm not sure I can construct a bottom for holding a heat element but I was thinking maybe if I had two of these I could double up the bottoms to make a housing of sorts. Do you think a small, charcoal starter might work well as an element?

Ahhh...so many questions and ideas hehe.
 
You should take a look at Todd's Amazing smokers (advertized to the right)  many of us here at SMF  use them.  They work great and sooo easy to use .
 
Boy, really looks easier to just buy the Cameron's one. I wonder if I can successfully convert it to hold an electric element underneath. Thanks for showing it to me, has me thinking ths might be the way to go.
 
Boy, really looks easier to just buy the Cameron's one. I wonder if I can successfully convert it to hold an electric element underneath. Thanks for showing it to me, has me thinking ths might be the way to go.
 
I saw somebody use one of those cooktop smokers on Chopped the other day. He used it to smoke some Swiss chard.

Unless you have an industrial strength airvent, I don't know how they'd be practical.
 
I agree. Or if your stovetop was outside. My initial thoughts on this was just something small and portable run off of electricity. Strictly for doing small amounts of...whatever. I know I could just put it on my gas grill but I'd rather make it into a project to pass the time in the summer. I have all the beginnings to make other larger units (weber kettle style) but this just kinda intrigued me.

I always could just buy a dedicated full on smoker, but cost and space restraints become an issue. Summer isn't over yet though....hell it hasn't even started! I'm always on the lookout at Wally world, eBay, Craigslist etc. :)
 
The Cameron smokers have a sliding lid that seals up fairly tight.
It won't smoke you out of the house if used inside (that's what they are intended for)......once the sawdust is spent, there's little residual smoke.

If you use an electrical element, it does need to come into direct contact with the bottom of the smoker.

Another option would be using the following set-up that I came up with inside some container, the container could be as simple as a cardboard box......

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/108139/small-batch-indoor-cold-smoking

~Martin
 
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Thanks Martin. I may actually be putting this on the back burner for awhile as I ran into a sweet deal on a brand new brinkman vertical charcoal smoker. Of course I don't get paid till Tuesday so it may be gone be then, but hopefully not.

I did have a question about your comment about the heating element being in direct contact. My dad has a master built electric...big one with a glass front window, and he told me today that the element in that one doesn't come in contact with his pan that holds the wood chips. Do you think that is a problem? Or done by design for that unit? I know he has issues with the pan not holding enough chips.
 
I did have a question about your comment about the heating element being in direct contact. My dad has a master built electric...big one with a glass front window, and he told me today that the element in that one doesn't come in contact with his pan that holds the wood chips. Do you think that is a problem? Or done by design for that unit? I know he has issues with the pan not holding enough chips.

I think it'll depend on the element that you use, you may get away with it not touching.
I had in mind an off-the-shelf hot plate when I made the comment above.

Good luck on the Brinkman smoker, I hope it's still there when you get paid!!!


~Martin
 
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