# How can I find the best Electric smokers?



## Ashraf jaman (Apr 2, 2018)

There are a lot of things to consider while buying an electric smoker. I want to know about those factors that I should consider while buying an electric smoker.


----------



## BandCollector (Apr 2, 2018)

Well,  do a Google search for "Best Electric Smokers" and you should receive a wealth of information.

I hope this helps,

John


----------



## sm0kin (Apr 2, 2018)

Your budget will have a great deal to do with the many “options” available.


----------



## jted (Apr 2, 2018)

OK you want opinions. Remember they are only opinions.
A electric smoker is just a box with a element in it to provide heat.
Everything else is just a option.
As far as the amount of heat  I would not want less than 5 watts per sq" by volume.
I hope I wrote that right. l x h x w / wattage. 5 watts would be the minimum but more than 6 would be excessive for low and slow smoking. The type of controller comes into play also.
If you are talking the best and most versatile the PID type would be my choice ae best. The best brand in my opinion would be The Auber. Interior options like the meat thermometer, I would not pay for a intergrated one. Most from smoker manufacturers are not very accurate or the operator does not understand them. I use a 732 but there are several others that are as good and more hi-tec. With that said I would not want or pay for a wifi capable smoker.  I may be showing my age with the above opinions . I just described a Smokin-It 2D or 3D. Those would be my choices  for a electric for under 1000.00
At 899.00 and 699.00 delivered for a quality chinese smoker with a good warranty, it is not a bad price. You can buy a smoker of lesser quality for less money but you wanted opinions on the best.


----------



## idahopz (Apr 2, 2018)

I use a dual probe Auber with a cheap $49 (3 decades ago) Big Chief and it works great. I also use the Auber with an OBS (Bradley). As mentioned above, an electric smoker is simply a heat source and wood - it can be as simple or complex as you like.


----------



## Hank R (Apr 2, 2018)

Welcome here and I am also new and have made my mind up on a Smokin-it. I feel you get the bang for you Buck with this smoker. I have been reading all could find  trying to learn about smokers.

http://www.smokin-it.com/

http://smokinitforums.com/index.php


----------



## tallbm (Apr 2, 2018)

Ashraf jaman said:


> There are a lot of things to consider while buying an electric smoker. I want to know about those factors that I should consider while buying an electric smoker.



Hi there and welcome!

My opinion on the best smoker to buy would be the following:


Has a PID controller (holds very very very tight temp control)
No built in meat thermometer.  You will buy a 3rd party thermometer anyhow so may as well save the money plus the meat thermometers that come with most electric units seem to be off anyhow forcing you to buy a Wireless multi-probe thermometer anyhow (get at least 2 probes but the more the better)
I feel that a glass door is not worth it.  Some like it but I don't, especially since I gave up on keeping it clean and I never sat outside and watched the food through the door anyhow.  The wireless thermometers tell me all I need to know :)
Size - Is Big Enough to smoke a whole packer brisket.  You want enough size to do larger cuts of meat without having to split the meat or be limited by your smoker size.  I don't smoke for a large group of people very often BUT I like that I can put a 16 pound brisket or 20 pounds of pork butts into my smoker and smoke them if/when needed.  This is why the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker 30" (MES30) is no good for me but the MES 40" is fine.
Can accommodate the use of the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray for set and forget smoke generation.  The AMNPS allows you to burn pellets or dust for 9-12 hours or so without having to watch it and it produces perfect Thin Blue Smoke (TBS).  This means you don't have to fight with adding more wood every 30 minutes AND/OR you don't have to worry about managing the wood to produce the right kind of smoke.  The AMNPS does this all for you with basically zero effort
The body is Insulated and of good construction.  I've not heard of any of the big brand names producing poor body and insulation but I'm sure they are out there.  The masterbuilt analogue electric smokers have no insulation so that would be a turn off for me.

In all I think I just described the Smokin-IT 3D or 4D unit.  
If I had it to do all over again I would have gone into those units OR just buy a used MES for cheap and rewired and added the HeaterMeter PID controller, etc. like I ended up doing anyhow lol.

I hope this info helps :)


----------



## normanaj (Apr 2, 2018)

Budget will be your #1 concern I assume,on the low end Masterbuilt is your best option and on the high end Smokin-it is your best option and in the middle are a ton of other smokers.Research everything you can.All this is just my opinion.


----------



## old sarge (Apr 2, 2018)

The chart below is a couple of years old so prices are not up to date.  These are the best consumer electric smokers available (I am biased toward Smokin-it and Cookshack)) so you will pay more. Suggest you visit their individual sites for current info.  I hope the download works. But if not, just look at Smoking-it, CookShac and SmokinTex. Feature for feature and warranty for warranty, Smokin-it is the hands down winner.


----------



## reyesmkc (Apr 1, 2020)

Can anyone suggest me the best smoker under $200?


----------



## schlotz (Apr 1, 2020)

tallbm's comments are spot on!

Just remember, you generally only get what you are willing to pay for.


----------



## Murray (Apr 1, 2020)

reyesmkc said:


> Can anyone suggest me the best smoker under $200?


Keep an eye on the used market. Spend some time on this forum lots of info


----------



## reyesmkc (Apr 1, 2020)

Murray said:


> Keep an eye on the used market. Spend some time on this forum lots of info


Yes, I'm a new on this forum


----------



## low-n-slow (Apr 2, 2020)

reyesmkc, I bought one probably 10yrs ago for $200.  I immediately modified it and it works great every time I want to use it.  It was a basic Masterbuilt model with an element that is something around 1500 watts and no fancy digital control.  It has a knob for low/medium/high.  That is not the best solution, but it works.  I modified it by purchasing an Auber PID and use that to maintain the temps.  Just plug the element controller into the Auber, set the temp and sleep all night without worry. 

I also discovered that the wood box that sat on top of the element worked but it required reloading and I needed to use a very heavy glove or pliers to remove it or get badly burned. That also let all the heat out.  So, I bought a thing that held pellets (A-maze-n Smoker). Using that required some air flow, so I drilled two holes on each side of the smoker a couple of inches from the bottom and it worked great.  It is low profile and I set it on a bottom rack with an aluminum pan on a shelf above it. That pan keeps juice from extinguishing the smoke.   It does require a torch to get it lit and burning well.  I use a kitchen torch  to light it.

The Auber controller sits on top and the probe goes into a hole on the back of the smoker.  Easy.  The thing I learned the hard way was buying the Auber controller that could handle the wattage. The first time, I bought one that was not rated for the wattage of my element and burned out the SSR.  They actually replaced it and it was my error.  I don't think that is a problem now and I think the one they sell for the Bradley is the one I have.  I see it is on sale too.

Links to my smoker setup are below:







						A-MAZE-N Products - Smoker Tubes, Fuel, Fire Starters, and More
					

A-MAZE-N Products builds and sells quality BBQ Smoker Tubes, smoker boxes, fire starters, wood pellets and Q-MATZ for gas, charcoal, and pellet grills.




					amazenproducts.com
				










						Programmable PID Controller for Bradley Smoker [WS-1211H] - $129.99 : Auber Instruments, Inc., Temperature control solutions for home and industry
					

Auber Instruments, Inc. Programmable PID Controller for Bradley Smoker [WS-1211H] - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Holiday sale ends on 1/1/2023! The WS-1211H is a plug-and-play PID temperature controller for Bradley Smokers and other electric smokers. The original temperature control...



					www.auberins.com


----------



## old sarge (Apr 2, 2020)

I am biased, no doubt about it.  I would look for a well insulated, stainless steel smoker.  If made in USA is important, look no further than the models from Cook Shack.  They are manufactured in Oklahoma.  There racks are NOT stainless steel; that would be an upgrade.  As for the other stainless steel smokers, Smokin-it (SI) and SmokinTex (ST), they are Chinese imports of high quality.  Racks are all stainless steel.  Smokin-it has the most options available from analog to PID to PID with wi-fi.   The PID models are equipped with controllers manufactured by Auber.  

In checking the SI and ST websites, there are folks using the AMNPS with the smokers for long smoke times as well as cold smoking.  They are very efficient and produce long smoke times as per the many users here on the forum.  Other folks use an external smoke generator and pump to get longer smoke times for normal smoking as well as cold smoking.  Probably the best known brand in the Smoke Daddy line.  Another line introduced last year does from SI and is called Bella.  Both of these units can be used with just about any electric smoker.  It pretty much comes down to what you want to do, and like the smoker itself, your budget will have to dictate what you can afford.  Here is a link to a comparison of the two smoke generators:

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/smoke-daddy-or-the-bella-cold-smoker.296168/#post-2067949


----------



## dr k (Apr 3, 2020)

low-n-slow said:


> reyesmkc, I bought one probably 10yrs ago for $200.  I immediately modified it and it works great every time I want to use it.  It was a basic Masterbuilt model with an element that is something around 1500 watts and no fancy digital control.  It has a knob for low/medium/high.  That is not the best solution, but it works.  I modified it by purchasing an Auber PID and use that to maintain the temps.  Just plug the element controller into the Auber, set the temp and sleep all night without worry.
> 
> I also discovered that the wood box that sat on top of the element worked but it required reloading and I needed to use a very heavy glove or pliers to remove it or get badly burned. That also let all the heat out.  So, I bought a thing that held pellets (A-maze-n Smoker). Using that required some air flow, so I drilled two holes on each side of the smoker a couple of inches from the bottom and it worked great.  It is low profile and I set it on a bottom rack with an aluminum pan on a shelf above it. That pan keeps juice from extinguishing the smoke.   It does require a torch to get it lit and burning well.  I use a kitchen torch  to light it.
> 
> ...


The Auber WS-1211GPH is 12 amps 1,440 watts max output. You have a 1,500 watt element 12.5 amps. The controller you have is still under powered for your amp draw. They should have recommended the WS-1510ELPM that is 15 amp  1,800 watts max output. How long have you been using the WS-1211GPH?  Does the heat sink get hot?


----------



## reyesmkc (Apr 4, 2020)

Thank you for your help


----------



## jdixon (Apr 19, 2022)

jted said:


> OK you want opinions. Remember they are only opinions.
> A electric smoker is just a box with a element in it to provide heat.
> Everything else is just a option.
> As far as the amount of heat  I would not want less than 5 watts per sq" by volume.
> ...


Looking for advice on electric smokers. Something budget-friendly (a couple hundred) that's reliable and works well. Any recommendations?


----------



## old sarge (Apr 23, 2022)

Look into this smoker.  Same design for decades:








						Old Smokey Electric Smoker
					

Description Specifications Additional Information The Old Smokey Electric Smoker has a heating element like an electric oven. On top of the heating element is a chip tray where you put wood chips for smoke flavor. The first cooking level has a drip pan(no need to add water!!) and a lower grill...



					www.oldsmokey.com
				




And this which is utterly simple:








						Masterbuilt Analog Electric Smoker in Black  | eBay
					

With the Masterbuilt Analog Electric Smoker, you will achieve competition-ready results in your own backyard, without the hassle of charcoal or propane. Master the art of smoking with Masterbuilt. Masterbuilt Analog Electric Smoker in Black Removable Wood Chip Tray Side Handle.



					www.ebay.com
				




Or this which has been around for decades:








						Smokehouse Little Chief Front Load Electric Home Smoker BRAND NEW  | eBay
					

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Smokehouse Little Chief Front Load Electric Home Smoker BRAND NEW at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



					www.ebay.com


----------



## bbqjefff (May 2, 2022)

Personally I really like Masterbuilt. I have a 40 inch Masterbuilt electric smoker and have had it for 5 years. Never really had any problems. I replaced the wood chip tray once but that's it.


----------

