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...