# Electric smokers vs charcoal smokers?



## pargeman (Jun 24, 2015)

I have been smoking for the last 2 years with a charcoal smoker.  With wind, etc it is hard to keep the temperature constant at 220 and over.  My meats are all taking at least an extra hour because of the way the temp fluxuates up and down.  I am now thinking of an electric smoker to try and digitally put  the temp I need in and keep it over 200+ degrees.  I have always thought smoking without charcoal is the easy way out but I really would like to get a couple of real good smokes without going over time or worrying about temp??  Does this make sense?? Of course I cant afford the big smokers that you see on TV.  Anyone with thoughts about switching to electric?

Thank you so much for any opinions.   (I'm a rookie)    Mike


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## old sarge (Jun 24, 2015)

Mike,

Electric is a great way to go.  Sort of the crock pot method of getting good BBQ.  Put the food in, add some wood, turn it on, walk away till done.

You can use the search feature at the top of the page for the smokers I am listing. Also, visit the various smoker's own site (and forums if available).  These smokers are all good, some are better - more reliable/less problematic than others.  Some analog, some digital.  All electric. 

Cookshack, Smokin-it, SmokinTex, Masterbuilt, Landmann, Old Smokey.

Smoking takes time. If you are smoking low and slow (225 -235 degrees), ribs can take 4 - 6 hours; a butt 10 - 16 hours. 

Analog will have temp fluctuations as per each manufacturers site in the FAQ  (20 or so degrees above to below the set temp) as the element turns on then turns off. No different than the average electric oven. Digital is more accurate but it too will turn the element on and off.  

Most on this forum have their favorite. For me it was Cookshack (a few years ago) if you have the money; otherwise, go for the Smokin-it.  It is a lot of smoker for the money and the best bang for the buck in an all stainless steel electric smoker. 

Just do you research. Look up the brands I have mentioned  in each section here as well as their own manufacturer's site. And good luck.


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## pargeman (Jun 24, 2015)

Thank you Sarge.... I checked the Cookshack and don't think I can go with the $700 + smokers so I will check the others and will get back to you.... I do appreciate the help!   The one question I do have,  if I am using "electric smokers" will my electric bill skyrocked after using the smoker??   Thanks again.....


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## themandlj32 (Jun 24, 2015)

Mike. 

I started out using a smoke hallow that I picked up for $150. It was a great smoker but as I discovered the joy of smoking I purscased a Cajin Injector w glass door. If you can find both in your area you'll fine they won't break your back pocket and are good starter electric units. Your bill won't skyrocket matter of fact I haven't noticed a change in my bill at all. You can find a good mastebuilt at Lowes. Hav you checked there or any home improvement store?
I hope I provided some help. 


DJ


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## pargeman (Jun 24, 2015)

I have just started my search for an electric smoker. I have gone online but I would rather come to this site and listen to the wisdom of people here.  I will check out the items you mentioned. Thank you so much.


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## old sarge (Jun 24, 2015)

pargeman said:


> Thank you Sarge.... I checked the Cookshack and don't think I can go with the $700 + smokers so I will check the others and will get back to you.... I do appreciate the help!   The one question I do have,  if I am using "electric smokers" will my electric bill skyrocked after using the smoker??   Thanks again.....


Any electricity usage will be charged, but not really noticeable. Some of the smokers I mentioned only need wood at the beginning of the smoke, typically 2 to 6 ounces.  Some need chips added every 20 or 30 minutes or so, or an optional accessory that holds either pellets or sawdust for hours of continuous smoke.

The CS, SI ans ST smokers use wood chunks. You can also use branches from tree pruning if you are located near orchards. Trimmings are typically free.  The three stainless smokers mentioned above use glass insulation, like an oven. Owners of the SI smokers report using them throughout the winter without any problem in freezing temperatures. 

Here is a video showing the construction of a SI smoker. Actually it illustrates hard wiring in a digital controller.  But you can see the construction. 

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/171613/installing-an-auber-controller

Hope this helps.


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## divotmaker (Jun 24, 2015)

Pargeman - If you want to "step up" to an electric smoker, you owe it to yourself to check out the Smokin-It line of smokers.  Absolutely the "best bang for the buck" in the world of all-stainless-steel construction, pro-line smokers.  This is not your "big box" plastic dorm fridge smoker.  The SIs are built like tanks, come with a longer warranty than anybody else, and have a user forum that blows away all other "manufacturer" forums for smokers, bar none!


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## mummel (Jun 24, 2015)

The MES BT 40 + AMPS is all you need. It's genius. I am so happy with my setup. The Cabelas one was $285 out the door. You can't go wrong.


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## ak1 (Jun 24, 2015)

How can I put this?   Electric sucks. It's not smoking. It's a glorified oven..... You cannot make good smoked food in electric boxes. Just look at all the stuff that this one member here called Bearcarver posts. You wouldn't consider that smoked food!!!!

OK, all BS and sarcasm aside; Charcoal is good, Wood is good, electric is good, gas is good. Some are better than others at times depending on the person. In the end you need to make yourself happy. I would suggest if you are getting electric, get an MES and talk to members like Bear... These guys will help immensely.


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## regular guy (Jun 25, 2015)

Here is my take on this. I have been smoking, grilling, cooking out, BBQing or whatever you want to call it for a long time. Since I was a kid basically, watching my Dad and pitching in where I could in those days. I have cooked on almost every type of commonly found cooker that is meant for home use. Gas grills of varying quality, water smokers, bullets, Webers, offset smokers, Kamados, pellet grills. You get the idea.

I have gotten pretty dang good at what I do and I am very competent with my skill set on whatever I choose to cook on. I currently have a Traeger Pellet grill, 2 Big Steel Kegs (Kamados), a Natural Gas drop in gasser AND..............A Smokin-It #3 ELECTRIC smoker, lol.

You may be wondering why I bought an electric smoker since I already had 2 Kegs and a Traeger. My Wife wondered the same thing to be honest with you. I like to experiment, plain and simple. You see, I used to be in the "Electric Smokers suck!" club. I would see people that had Masterbuilt smokers and my thought was "Well, that's nice" but not in a good way. Think of it more being annoying, somebody telling you that with no sincerity at all :P

I thought that there is NO WAY that a cheapo electric TOY could make _real_ BBQ. I needed WOOD, not electricity! So, when I decided to get rid of my old sidebox offset style smoker and move over to the Kamado side of things (which I absolutely recommend BTW) I chose the Kegs for portability and versatility. I use ATCs on them (Automatic Temperature Controllers) to keep the fire stoked and I can sleep knowing that it's doing what it needs to do. No babysitting, no running out of lump and worrying about keeping a steady temp. I had enough of that on the old offset!

I had it made my friends, no worries, but the thought of electric began creeping into my brain. I had turned my nose up at them for years but never cooked on one. How could I form an opinion on it if I had never used one or eaten food from one? They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but yet I had done just that for YEARS!

Short story long, I began to think more and more about electric but I didn't want a MES, no offense intended to anyone. I wanted something a little more robust. I found a Cookshack on Craigslist and that intrigued me. I began researching that style of electric smoker and that lead me to price inquiries which lead me to one of my favorite places on the entire world wide web. Yep, AMAZON! :)

I saw Cookshack, Smokin' Tex and that lead me to Smokin-It smokers. I read and read and then read some more. I spent a week comparing all three of these smokers and to be honest, they all look EXACTLY the same, like they all used to work together and then branched off and created Smokin' Tex and Smokin-It after leaving Cookshack. These are commercial grade smokers, built like a friggin' tank! These are not your flimsy little $99.00 smokers found at Home Depot. These are not your windowed dorm fridges (that cracks me up BTW). I've never understood the window anyway, after a few smokes it would seem that the window would get gunked up and you're not seeing what's going on inside anyway. I personally see no need to look inside while doing a low and slow. I'd rather not look at it until it's time to eat but I digress.

As you know, I pulled the trigger and bought a Smokin-It #3, hated the shipping costs but even with that as part of the deal, I came out better off than if I had chosen a Cookshack or a Smokin'-Tex. Much more bang for the buck. One thing to know about electric smokers, you will NOT get a smoke ring. I don't care what people tell you, it's a fallacy. It just doesn't happen. It can't happen in that environment. It's scientific, I'll let you do the research. I've typed a book already, not going into the explanation here, lol. You CAN fake it though, a faux smoke ring makes people feel better but taste is where it's at. I can tell you that the food off of my SI smoker is as good as anything off of my Keg or Traeger. The very first thing I smoked on it was a butt for some friends. I helped them move and took it for lunch on moving day.













gfbutt01.jpg



__ regular guy
__ Jun 25, 2015






Sorry for the long read, but I don't half ass anything :P

** It looks like someone edited my post to remove links that showed comparison cooks that I did on my Keg/SI/Traeger.  Not sure why a moderator would take that out as it's very informative. What a shame. The SI held it's own.


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## gregbooras (Jun 25, 2015)

Over the years I have had lots of different smokers and I can tell you this, a good electric smoker like Smokin-it will change the way you smoke. Not only will your food taste great you will spend less money. The amount of wood needed for a smoke is between 2-6 oz. and the cost to run your smoker for 24 hours is less than $1.00.

These babies are built like tanks and are super well insulated, which means you can smoke in the heat and you can smoke in the snow with the same great results.

I know some of the the more traditional types turn their noses at electric. But have you been watching BBQ Pitmasters lately, look at the smokers they are using.... Not electric but many of them don't require the skills running a true pit used to.

Just my 2 cents.

Greg


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## swthorpe (Jun 25, 2015)

Mike...when I decided a couple of years ago to try out smoking meat, I wrestled with what kind of smoker to get...charcoal, propane, electric.  I did a lot of research online and watched way to many youtube videos of various types of smokers.    When I determined that electric was my choice, my research led me to the Smokin-It smoker.   I looked at several others, but reviews were mixed at best, but the reviews on SI smokers were nearly 100% positive.  I ordered the SI #2 and have been smoking meat pretty much every weekend.  I absolutely love it, built like a tank and produces excellent Q that has fam and neighbors raving up and down the street!   They have a great forum on their web site that I recommend you check out for further evidence of how happy people are with this smoker.   Good luck with your research!


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## mummel (Jun 25, 2015)

The reason I went electric is because I knew deep down I would use it a lot more than a WSM or similar.  I just dont always have the time on weekends.  And whats even better, is that my wife did her first smoke on our MES this week while I was at work.  There is no way she would have ever done anything like that with a WSM.  I feel I'm going to get 10X times more use out of my electric.

This actually reminds me about my decision to go with a gas grill years back.  I was always a charcoal guy and shunned gas grills (you know, "thats not real grilling").  Well, again, I would never come home at 7pm at night these days and fire up a charcoal fire.  But we grill all the time on gas!

I'll say it again, the MES + AMPS is genius.


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## dr k (Jun 25, 2015)

Regular Guy said:


> Here is my take on this. I have been smoking, grilling, cooking out, BBQing or whatever you want to call it for a long time. Since I was a kid basically, watching my Dad and pitching in where I could in those days. I have cooked on almost every type of commonly found cooker that is meant for home use. Gas grills of varying quality, water smokers, bullets, Webers, offset smokers, Kamados, pellet grills. You get the idea.
> 
> I have gotten pretty dang good at what I do and I am very competent with my skill set on whatever I choose to cook on. I currently have a Traeger Pellet grill, 2 Big Steel Kegs (Kamados), a Natural Gas drop in gasser AND..............A Smokin-It #3 ELECTRIC smoker, lol.
> 
> ...


My favorite smoker is my Char-griller Big Red Kamado Kooker.  I got the Gen 1 MES for reasons many may not consider other than smoking between 225*-250*F (an outdoor oven for the summer,  an additional oven for the holidays for all the dishes people bring, a prime rib oven with or without smoke, an over night smoker without baby sitting and a smoker for super low temps so I can reverse sear steaks/roasts at 150*F etc.)   The link below on mythbusting the smoke ring has some good scientific data on CO and NO gases that form the ring.  Since I use the AMNTS and not the chip tray I'll be trying the Kingsford briquette test in the chip tray, since it has sodium nitrate to see if that produces enough CO/NO gas for ring formation.  This link was provided to me by daRicksta.    

http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html

-Kurt


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## mummel (Jun 25, 2015)

Hey Kurt, please report back on your findings.  I am really curious too.  What about crushing up a kingsford bricket and sprinkling it over your AMPS?  I wonder if you would get more creosote?  How much charcoal do you think would be needed to form a smoke ring?


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## dr k (Jun 25, 2015)

mummel said:


> Hey Kurt, please report back on your findings.  I am really curious too.  What about crushing up a kingsford bricket and sprinkling it over your AMPS?  I wonder if you would get more creosote?  How much charcoal do you think would be needed to form a smoke ring?


The link I posted is a good read.  The ring is all about the invisible tasteless odorless carbon monoxide/nitric oxide gas that can get into the meat to lock in the pink color of Myoglobin before the IT hits 170*F.  It mentions vigorous burning of charcoal briquettes and wood produce the most CO/NO gas so I'm thinking like the article said to put a whole briquette in the chip tray where it's the hottest.  I have no idea how long it takes the briquette to turn to ash and if a Kingsford will fit in whole.  Lump charcoal is almost 100% carbon so it doesn't have nitrogen to produce NO gas.  You can get a small ring in 30 minutes because the adequate amount of gas starts the ring instantly.  Pop's has a good article on this forum on the colors of meat and how myoglobin reacts to oxygen and carbon dioxide, changing the color of freshly butchered purple beef to a bloomed cherry red oxymyoglobin then to the oxidized brown metmyoglobin you see in the butcher's deli case. 

-Kurt


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## mummel (Jun 25, 2015)

I have brickets and lump at home.  I was thinking lump would burn better, but from what you're saying, I should crush up some brickets and try it.  Worth a shot.


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## mummel (Jun 25, 2015)

So the question is, how many briquettes do I crush up?  How many are required to get the right PPM to get the smoke ring?


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## cliffcarter (Jun 25, 2015)

pargeman said:


> I have been smoking for the last 2 years with a charcoal smoker.  With wind, etc it is hard to keep the temperature constant at 220 and over.  My meats are all taking at least an extra hour because of the way the temp fluxuates up and down.  I am now thinking of an electric smoker to try and digitally put  the temp I need in and keep it over 200+ degrees.  I have always thought smoking without charcoal is the easy way out but I really would like to get a couple of real good smokes without going over time or worrying about temp??  Does this make sense?? Of course I cant afford the big smokers that you see on TV.  Anyone with thoughts about switching to electric?
> 
> Thank you so much for any opinions.   (I'm a rookie)    Mike


The way I see this is that you have 3 problems.

The first two, wind and temp fluctuation, are easily addressed. First build a wind break or place the smoker out of the direct wind. Second cook at a higher temp, nowhere is it written in stone that proper BBQ must be cooked at 220° or any other temp. However it is my experience that if you cook at higher temps you get better and more consistent results.

The third problem is with your expectations, charcoal smokers are not set and forget cookers, they require that you monitor the fire and make adjustments as needed. I find that the more you do this the easier it gets. JM2C.


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## pargeman (Jun 25, 2015)

cliffcarter said:


> The way I see this is that you have 3 problems.
> The first two, wind and temp fluctuation, are easily addressed. First build a wind break or place the smoker out of the direct wind. Second cook at a higher temp, nowhere is it written in stone that proper BBQ must be cooked at 220° or any other temp. However it is my experience that if you cook at higher temps you get better and more consistent results.
> The third problem is with your expectations, charcoal smokers are not set and forget cookers, they require that you monitor the fire and make adjustments as needed. I find that the more you do this the easier it gets. JM2C.


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## pargeman (Jun 25, 2015)

Thanks JM2C I was thinking of building a wall type structure in the back yard to stop most of the wind from slowing the heat to stay at a temp over 200. I do constantly check charcoal and chunks of hickory, Apple, etc that I use to smoke also. I love charcoal flavor but am just researching what an electric smoker can do for me.  I am checking out all the different ideas here and want to buy something that will prove to work every time.  I come to this site to ask questions and throw around ideas to become a better smoker. Watching TV is definitely not enough! Ha.  That you for your comments. Be talking to you again I hope.  Mike


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## dr k (Jun 25, 2015)

mummel said:


> I have brickets and lump at home.  I was thinking lump would burn better, but from what you're saying, I should crush up some brickets and try it.  Worth a shot.


Kingsford is hardwood charcoal, coal dust, bits of hardwood sawdust, sodium nitrate for even burning and starch to bind it all together.  The sodium nitrate is nitrogen to produce the nitric oxide gas as well as wood bits that will burn hot in the briquette plus the carbon monoxide it'll produce.  The other thread you just posted in has 50 posts and one person mentioned starting two briquettes and putting it in the chip tray with the chip loader after it started to turn grey.  Probably to get only the gas and no smoke from the briquette.  I may do baby steps like this and see what one pre lit briquette does.  The next smoke put a pre lit one in and then an hour later another.  The chip tray has the capacity to hold four unlit briquettes if you place them by hand but I'll try one at a time.  I think the lump works but you'll probably get more bang for your buck with a briquette.  The link I put up mentioned the same.  

-Kurt


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## daricksta (Jun 25, 2015)

pargeman said:


> I have been smoking for the last 2 years with a charcoal smoker.  With wind, etc it is hard to keep the temperature constant at 220 and over.  My meats are all taking at least an extra hour because of the way the temp fluxuates up and down.  I am now thinking of an electric smoker to try and digitally put  the temp I need in and keep it over 200+ degrees.  I have always thought smoking without charcoal is the easy way out but I really would like to get a couple of real good smokes without going over time or worrying about temp??  Does this make sense?? Of course I cant afford the big smokers that you see on TV.  Anyone with thoughts about switching to electric?
> 
> Thank you so much for any opinions.   (I'm a rookie)    Mike


I bought my electric smoker because I didn't want to hassle with either charcoal or propane. Electric gives you a cheap source of heat without having to add charcoal or change propane gas canisters. I also use wood pellets in my smoker and it's all worked great for 3 years.


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## rabbithutch (Jun 25, 2015)

I was at the same place you are a few years ago.  I looked at offsets and pored over Craigslist.  Finally my wife said that I was being foolish because I would never have the patience to tend a fire for long periods, at night, etc. and should get an electric.  I bought the MES at Sams club.  After the first cook, I decided that it just didn't produce enough smoke . . .  the chips burned up too quickly.  The solution to that particular problem was the A-MAZE-N maze tray and pellets  from Todd Johnson.  It has worked well for me.

Over time I found a good Weber kettle for grilling and have done some good smoking on it.  That led me to make a mini-WSM (search here).  Now I'm jonesing for a small horizontal or reverse flow but haven't found one yet.

One thing you should do, is read as much here (and if you really really must do) on other cooking forums to learn as much as you can about other people's experience.  that will help you make a decision.

Once you have your research done and really start shopping DON'T FORGET CRAIGSLIST!!!!!


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## pargeman (Jun 25, 2015)

Thank





daRicksta said:


> I bought my electric smoker because I didn't want to hassle with either charcoal or propane. Electric gives you a cheap source of heat without having to add charcoal or changed propane gas canisters. I also use wood pellets in my smoker and it's all worked great for 3 years.


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## pargeman (Jun 25, 2015)

pargeman said:


> Thank


Thanks daRickster.  Appreciate the words!   Mike


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## daricksta (Jun 25, 2015)

rabbithutch said:


> I was at the same place you are a few years ago. I looked at offsets and pored over Craigslist. Finally my wife said that I was being foolish because I would never have the patience to tend a fire for long periods, at night, etc. and should get an electric. I bought the MES at Sams club. After the first cook, I decided that it just didn't produce enough smoke . . . the chips burned up too quickly. The solution to that particular problem was the A-MAZE-N maze tray and pellets from Todd Johnson. It has worked well for me.
> 
> Over time I found a good Weber kettle for grilling and have done some good smoking on it. That led me to make a mini-WSM (search here). Now I'm jonesing for a small horizontal or reverse flow but haven't found one yet.
> 
> ...


Talking about smoking on a Weber kettle grill. Just so happens I'll be grilling beer can chicken on my Weber Silver One Touch 22.5 inch charcoal kettle grill tonight. Gonna make to foil smoker packets for each fuel holder since I'll be cooking the chicken over indirect heat. I like to use cherry wood chips for chicken. I'll done this before and it's always turned out great.


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## mummel (Jun 25, 2015)

Dr K said:


> Kingsford is hardwood charcoal, coal dust, bits of hardwood sawdust, sodium nitrate for even burning and starch to bind it all together.  The sodium nitrate is nitrogen to produce the nitric oxide gas as well as wood bits that will burn hot in the briquette plus the carbon monoxide it'll produce.  The other thread you just posted in has 50 posts and one person mentioned starting two briquettes and putting it in the chip tray with the chip loader after it started to turn grey.  Probably to get only the gas and no smoke from the briquette.  I may do baby steps like this and see what one pre lit briquette does.  The next smoke put a pre lit one in and then an hour later another.  The chip tray has the capacity to hold four unlit briquettes if you place them by hand but I'll try one at a time.  I think the lump works but you'll probably get more bang for your buck with a briquette.  The link I put up mentioned the same.
> 
> -Kurt


I dug up some old charcoal threads.  Check the new posts section.


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## trip (Jun 26, 2015)

Can't help with the versus part of this thread, but I posted a thread on here awhile back that gave me advice on electric smokers you might of want to look through.  old sarge was a big help, bearcarver has a lot of great posts here as well.   In the end I picked a Smokin It 3 and built something called a heatermeter for it.  You may want to look at this device for your charcoal smokers as well as electrics.  With charcoal, it uses a blower to control the temp in a lazyQ fashion so you don't have to watch the smoker all night, I used a solid state relay to control my SI3.  You can check on it from any PC or smartphone/tablet as well.  It's pretty neat and you can buy them assembled from auberins.com now.

I am very happy with my heatermeter controlled SI3 and would recommend electric (especially Smokin It) to anyone who wants to save a little time and clean up and still get great food.


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## durangosmoker (Jun 27, 2015)

I decided to go electric last fall, after thinking long and hard about just how much I wanted to be fussing with maintaining temperature while the meat cooked... I realized that I had better things to do with my time.  I finally decided on a Smokin,-It smoker, and couldn't be happier.  It is extremely well built, well insulated so you can use it in all weather (though the food was excellent, I didn't particularly enjoy going out in the single digit temperatures to load/unload the smoker last winter, but the unit worked fine.), easy to clean, and even for a novice smoker like me, has produced excellent food.  I also like the fact that it uses less than 6 ounces of wood per smoke, so your wood supply will last a long time, and the cost of the fuel, even on a long smoke, is just pennies.  Overall, I couldn't be happier with my choice.


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## joe black (Jun 27, 2015)

Mike,  I am a stick burner and don't care for electric at all.  IMO, you are trying to cook at too low of a temp.  200*-220*  would be hard to control on any cooker.  This is also contributing to your longer cooks.  Try your cooker at 250* (+/- 25*) and don't get excited about an exact temp.  Let if fluctuate and relax.  It's not an exact science, it's a hobby, and should be fun.  If you can let this happen, you may actually find that you like it.  Good luck,  Joe


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## nhns4 (Jun 27, 2015)

Durangosmoker said:


> I decided to go electric last fall, after thinking long and hard about just how much I wanted to be fussing with maintaining temperature while the meat cooked... I realized that I had better things to do with my time.  I finally decided on a Smokin,-It smoker, and couldn't be happier.  It is extremely well built, well insulated so you can use it in all weather (though the food was excellent, I didn't particularly enjoy going out in the single digit temperatures to load/unload the smoker last winter, but the unit worked fine.), easy to clean, and even for a novice smoker like me, has produced excellent food.  I also like the fact that it uses less than 6 ounces of wood per smoke, so your wood supply will last a long time, and the cost of the fuel, even on a long smoke, is just pennies.  Overall, I couldn't be happier with my choice.









Made the switch recently as well.  Still have the kamado but slowly learning the electric way.  What is your wood pref?


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## ak1 (Jun 28, 2015)

mummel said:


> The reason I went electric is because I knew deep down I would use it a lot more than a WSM or similar.  I just dont always have the time on weekends.  And whats even better, is that my wife did her first smoke on our MES this week while I was at work.  There is no way she would have ever done anything like that with a WSM.  I feel I'm going to get 10X times more use out of my electric.
> 
> This actually reminds me about my decision to go with a gas grill years back.  I was always a charcoal guy and shunned gas grills (you know, "thats not real grilling").  Well, again, I would never come home at 7pm at night these days and fire up a charcoal fire.  But we grill all the time on gas!
> 
> I'll say it again, the MES + AMPS is genius.


That is at least IMO, where I call  BS.  I come home start a chimney of charcoal, and it's ready in about 15 min. Or, I come home and turn on the gasser and let it preheat for about the same amount of time. Either way, the few extra minutes don't make a heck of a difference.


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## mummel (Jun 28, 2015)

As for the gas griller comments - what about killing it after you're done? And the cleanup time? And having to head to the store when you run out. And the cost? I'm all for charcoal on weekends. But as for gas, it kicks charcoals butt on weekdays.


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## jp61 (Jun 28, 2015)

I have both types of smokers and for end results, I vote for charcoal, much better than electric IMO.


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## brickguy221 (Jun 28, 2015)

I have both charcoal and electric smokers and my vote is for electric (MES)

Heat it up, set tempreature, set time, put food in and go off and forget it until it is time for food to be done.

On charcoal, light coals, spread them when ready, put food in, and keep checking every xx minutes or so and keep adding charcoal as needed, hoping you didn't get too much or too little to maintain correct temperature and continue this process until food is done. A lot more work than electric.

Thus, this is a no brainer, my vote goes for electric, hands down.


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## mummel (Jun 28, 2015)

Yeah he was talking about a grill.  But for smoking, MES ALL THE WAY!


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## brickguy221 (Jun 28, 2015)

mummel said:


> Yeah he was talking about a grill.  But for smoking, MES ALL THE WAY!


oooops!!!!! ... seems my reading skills are disappearing with age ... sigh ... 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  

As for charcoal vs electric on grills, my vote goes for charcoal all the way.


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## icyhot (Jun 28, 2015)

There's no right or wrong answer on which is better.I have an electric,two stick burners,and a pellet smoker.they all have there uses.so really it all comes down to personal preference.


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## jp61 (Jun 28, 2015)

Brickguy221 said:


> I have both charcoal and electric smokers and my vote is for electric (MES)
> 
> Heat it up, set tempreature, set time, put food in and go off and forget it until it is time for food to be done.
> 
> ...





JP61 said:


> I have both types of smokers and for *end results*, I vote for charcoal, much better than electric IMO.


There is absolutely nothing hard or time consuming about using a good charcoal smoker.

However, I've been getting a little lazy my old age and was thinking of using my oven and some liquid smoke instead of my 40" MES. That way I don't even have to go outside.


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## brickguy221 (Jun 28, 2015)

JP61 said:


> There is absolutely nothing hard or time consuming about using a good charcoal smoker.


I have both and know that charcoal is more time consuming than a MES, at least for me anyhow, but to each his own ...


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## pargeman (Jun 29, 2015)

Thanks to everyone for your ideas and thoughts.... I went to my local Gander Mountain store and checked out the Landmann 32" electric smoker. Still deciding if I would l purchase that or possibly check out the electric smokers at Smokin-It   Either way I would like to see the difference in charcoal smoking to electric.....


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## old sarge (Jun 29, 2015)

One of the differences is the time spent reloading fuel to maintain a relatively stable temperature. Another difference may be the appearance of the finished product. Example:  With my offset ribs had a mahogany color. My electric less pronounced. Flavor is pretty much the same, a lot depends upon the rub and sauce. 

I recommend an electric that is all stainless in and out rather than partial or painted. If you are wanting to stay with wood/charcoal get a good offset. While Weber does not make an offset you can do very well with their Wsm or their 27 inch kettle. However for sheer convenience you cannot go wrong with electric. 

Other than that if you need a side by side comparison you would have to buy one of each, test them and list the loser on Craigdlist.


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## jp61 (Jun 29, 2015)

old sarge said:


> One of the differences is the time spent reloading fuel to maintain a relatively stable temperature.


I have the 22.5" WSM charcoal smoker. Not once did I have to add more charcoal during any of my smokes. Once you have it dialed, she couldn't be any more stable. However, I usually smoke during good to fair ambient conditions. Pros and Cons with all smokers.


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## pargeman (Jun 29, 2015)

Thanks again "Old Sarge" you were a real help as were the others who commented...I do enjoy bouncing questions off the many wise people here!


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## pargeman (Jun 29, 2015)

JP61,  I have the 4 grate Smoky Mountain series smoker and the bottom drawer for charcoal isn't that big....Even in perfect temperatures outside I am adding charcoal to it to keep the temp to the 190-200 mark....Figured an electric would keep the temp steady throughtout the smoke only adding chips to smoke the meat... I am buying an electric and compare the 2....Thanks!


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## jp61 (Jun 29, 2015)

pargeman said:


> JP61,  I have the 4 grate Smoky Mountain series smoker and the bottom drawer for charcoal isn't that big....Even in perfect temperatures outside I am adding charcoal to it to keep the temp to the 190-200 mark....Figured an electric would keep the temp steady throughtout the smoke only adding chips to smoke the meat... I am buying an electric and compare the 2....Thanks!


Sounds like a plan.

Good luck and enjoy!


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## old sarge (Jun 29, 2015)

pargeman said:


> JP61,  I have the 4 grate Smoky Mountain series smoker and the bottom drawer for charcoal isn't that big....Even in perfect temperatures outside I am adding charcoal to it to keep the temp to the 190-200 mark....Figured an electric would keep the temp steady throughtout the smoke only adding chips to smoke the meat... I am buying an electric and compare the 2....Thanks!


With the smokers I initially listed (CS< SI< ST),  you put in wood chunks at the start of the smoke and walk away.  No need to add more wood during or throughout the smoke. You can do so, but it is not necessary.


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## pargeman (Jun 29, 2015)

old sarge said:


> With the smokers I initially listed (CS


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## pargeman (Jun 29, 2015)

pargeman said:


> [/quot
> Thanks Sarge.  I do know that about the wood chips.  Debating on the Masterbuilt 30" electric smoker and the Landmann 32" smoker.  Both have good reviews and a few that scare me.  I will get one by end of week and take a chance!  Thanks again


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## old sarge (Jun 30, 2015)

Good luck and let us know how it goes.


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