Old Smokey Electric Smoker
When it comes to looks the Old Smokey Electric Smoker will probably end up at the bottom of the class. It looks like an oversized tin can or a small water tank. Except for a power cord trailing from the back of the unit and a couple of handle bars at the side and one at the top, this is a really plain looking appliance. This is definitely not the type of kitchen appliance to show off to envious friends. Fortunately for the Old Smokey Electric Smoker, it is a perfect example of the old saying, “Looks can be deceiving”. Like the Little Chief smoker, the Old Smokey Electric Smoker has also held on to its roots as far as design is concern. The company that produces this smoker has been around for more than 75 years and as you can probably tell from the looks of it, the design of their smokers haven’t changed much. Some people may look at this as a bad thing but when it comes to smokers we believe that more often than not, it is better not to mess around with a good thing. The Old Smokey Electric Smoker also shares similarity with the Smoking Tex Pro 1400, one of of picks for Best Overall Electric Smoker. Both smokers rely on tried and tested designs that have remained relatively unchanged over the years. There are no bell and whistles. What you get is a solid performing smoker. However, despite their minimalist designs, both are also the most expensive smokers in their respective categories. What we like about the Old Smokey Electric Smoker First of all, we would like to stress that you need to look past the Old Smokey Electric Smoker’s simplistic tin can design and relatively high price to see its true beauty. Although it may not look like much but the Old Smokey Electric Smoker is one of the easiest smoker to use and it is highly recommended for the beginner smoker or a truly lazy one. One of the things that you may have noticed about the Old Smokey Electric Smoker is that it has no access door for either the water pan or the wood chip pan. In fact, like the Little Chief smoker, it doesn’t even have a water pan. The reason for this is that this smoker uses a fully sealed system to retain both the smoke and moisture in the smoker. Having a fully sealed system means that no moisture escapes. Any moisture that dehydrates from the smoked meat just condenses under the flat lid and drips right back sealing in all the juices and preventing the meat from drying out. The same goes...
Meco 5030 Electric Combo Water Smoker
The term “electric combo water smoker” may sound exotic but the Meco 5030 Electric Combo Water Smoker is nothing more than just an electric smoker with a built-in water pan. Water smoker here just means that the smoker heats up water in a water pan to produce steam that is used to both keep the moisture in the meat plus also for aiding in the cooking process. The Meco 5030 Electric Combo Water Smoker deserves a place in our Top 3 Budget Electric Smoker because despite its relatively low price, this smoker has a lot to offer in terms of features and versatility. The Meco 5030 Electric Combo Water Smoker is a bullet type smoker and thanks to popular brands like Weber, most people have the impression this is what a smoker should look like. We do have to admit that bullet shaped smokers do have a certain charm but on the other hand, bullet smokers are top loaders which are a little more hassle to use compared to front loaders. Compared to the Little Chief Front Load Smoker, the Meco has a few extra features that are missing from the Little Chief including temperature control via a thermostat. What we like about the Meco 5030 Electric Combo Water Smoker One of the things that we love about the Meco 5030 Electric Combo Water Smoker is that it comes with temperature control albeit a simple one. The thermostat only has three settings – low, medium and high. We would have like more precise control but it is better than nothing. The medium setting seems to be the best setting for most smoking tasks and the low setting is better suited for fish and other seafood that are more delicate. The Meco 5030 Electric Combo Water Smoker comes with a 1500 W heater and this is very surprising as even the much larger 40″ Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse Smoker only comes with a 1200 W heater. While this may seem like a huge plus point, in reality, high cooking temperatures are not really a necessity for smokers. We suspect that the main reason for including such a high powered heater in the Meco 5030 is that it is required for producing enough heat to create steam from the water pan. On the other hand, you will have no problems using this smoker during the cold winter months. The smoker has a 5.5 quart water pan that holds enough water for about 5 hours of smoking. Heat from the steam helps with the cooking process while keeping the smoked meat moist and preventing it from drying out easily. The construction of the Meco 5030 Electric Combo Water Smoker may seem a little...
Little Chief Front Load Smoker
The Little Chief Front Load Smoker have been around for decades and the only big change it has seen over the years is the change from top loading to the current front loading. This is a small change in terms of design but it is a huge improvement in terms of usability and user friendliness. When something remains practically unchanged for decades and it is still selling well, it can only mean that the design is tried and tested. As far as designs go, the Little Chief Front Load Smoker is nothing more than just metal box made from aluminum with an electric heater attached to the bottom of the box. The entire smoker is very light and you can lift it up by its top handle with just one hand but don’t let its lack of weight deceive you as this smoker is as tough as nails. As long as you don’t bang it up by accidentally dropping it, this smoker will last for many years to come and the only reason you may want to replace it is if you need a bigger model. The Little Chief Front Load Smoker has no bell and whistles. In fact, it doesn’t even have a proper hinged door. However, that also means that this smoker doesn’t also have a hefty price tag to go along with it. In fact, it is less than half the price of the cheapest smoker from our Top 3 Overall Smoker list. What we like about the Little Chief Front Load Smoker The best thing about the the Little Chief Front Load Smoker is of course its low price. It is reasonably sized and there is just no comparing against cheaper non-electric smokers because of the convenience one gets from using an electric smoker. Although the construction of the Little Chief Front Load Smoker may not look like much, the smoker is actually very well built and durable. Its simple construction and lack of any form of electronics means that there is less chance of anything breaking down. The heating element is just a simple coil heater that is sitting at the bottom of the box. This is the only component that may break down other than the chassis of the smoker itself. The Little Chief Front Load Smoker is a small smoker. Its outside dimensions are 24.5 by 11.5 by 11.5 inches (H x W x D). Its capacity is rated at 25 pounds of meat or fish but the actual amount that will fit in the smoker will depend on the cut size and how you arrange the smoked items in the smoker. However, you should be able to easily smoke enough food...
Review: Smokin Tex Pro 1400 Smoker
While the other two electric smokers in our pick for the top 3 best electric smoker are packed with tech gadgets to help users produce great tasting smoked meats with minimal effort, the Smokin Tex Pro 1400 electric smoker sticks with the tried and tested design. The current Smokin Tex Pro 1400 design has been around with minimal changes for more than 15 years. The Smokin Tex Pro 1400 has a simple but sturdy fully stainless steel smoking compartment with a front door that is mounted on four castor wheels. Inside the smoker is an electric heating element and there is a temperature controller mounted at the top of the unit. While the Smokin Tex Pro 1400 doesn’t have the bell and whistles of an automatic wood chip feeder system like the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker or a wireless remote control like the Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse Smoker, it has a design that has stood the test of time. In fact, many top end electric smokers use the same design including the Cookshack brand that costs many times more than the Smokin Tex Pro 1400. If you are looking for an electric smoker with a traditional design that has proven to be simple but effective, the Smokin Tex Pro 1400 electric smoker is the smoker for you. ModelSmokin Tex Pro 1400 Image Cooking capacity (lbs)Approximately 38 Adjustable racks (nos)3 (Capacity for 5) Temperature Controller TypeThermostat, analog Cooking Temp Range (°F)100 to 250 Heating Element Power Rating (W)700 TimerNo External Dimensions (in)17.5(W) x 21(D) x 29(H) Other featuresAll stainless steel smoker Comes complete with 3 grills, wheels, wood, drip pan, 6' power cord, cookbook, and instructions Warranty (months)24 What we like about the Smokin Tex Pro 1400 The Smokin Tex Pro 1400 has a fully stainless steel smoking compartment that has a double wall. The stainless steel construction means that this thing will last while the double wall provides excellent heat insulation. Heat gets retained effectively so that less energy is required to maintain the temperature inside the smoker. At the same time, the smoker is less affected by the outside temperature. Users have commented that they have used the smoker at temperatures of 30 below zero. The sealing on the door is very good with minimal heat loss. This also helps to keep the moisture trapped in the smoking chamber and prevents the meat from drying out. In fact the chamber is so well insulated and sealed, all you need is about half a cup of wood chips to smoke a fully loaded smoker. However, as with any smoker, you must learn to resist opening the door. Just load...
Review: Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker
Bradley is a well known name for producing smokers including a line of great electric smokers. Bradley Smoker’s top of the line electric smoker is the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker. However, if you are a technophobe, don’t let the word “digital” in the product name frighten you off. All that it means is that the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker is probably the easiest to use smoker ever designed. The strong point of electric smokers is that they are easy to use but Bradley took the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker to new heights when it comes to easy smoking. The Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker is a cabinet style electric smoker with a epoxy coated steel cabinet. It has a separate smoke generator that is attached to the side of the smoker cabinet. The smoke generator uses special Bardley flavor bisquettes that are supplied by Bradley themselves. The bisquettes are made from hardwood chips. A wide variety of wood flavors are available including Apple, Alder, Mesquite, Hickory, and Maple. The Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker gets our pick as one of our Top 3 Best Overall Electric Smoker because it is the only smoker that is truly set it and forget it. It is also the only electric smoker that allows for cold smoking. This makes the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker easiest to use and it is more versatile than the other electric smokers. ModelBradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker Image Cooking capacityApprox 35 lbs Cooking space (square inches)520 Adjustable racks (nos)4 Temperature Controller TypeThermostat, digital Cooking Temp Range (°F)Up to 280 Heating Element Power Rating (W)500 TimerYes, digital External Dimensions (in)17(W) x 14(D) x 31(H) 24(W) with Generator on side Other featuresSeparate fully automatic smoke generator Full digital control for temperature, time, and smoke Two smoking methods: hot and cold Polished stainless-steel interior Warranty (months)12 What we like about the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker The feature that allows the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker to be a set it and forget it smoker is the smoke generator with the automatic wood bisquette loader. When in use, the generator will automatically load a bisquette on the heating element. The element heats up the bisquette to release the smoke that flows into the main smoking chamber. Each bisquette burns for about 20 minutes before it is disposed into the water tray and another bisquette is loaded into place. There is a bisquette magazine that holds many bisquettes for many, many hours of smoking without reloading. All other electric smokers will require replenishing of the wood chips if you want to do continuously smoking. With the Bradley, no...