If you’re looking for a smoker that’s convenient and simple to use, electric smokers are probably the best solution. These plug-and-play devices are designed to help regulate the cooking temperature, providing the ultimate cooking experience. If you’re someone who would like to try smoking meat, then a digital smoker is your ideal first smoker to own. But what exactly is an electric smoker, and how does it differ from a conventional charcoal smoker?

Digital electric smokers are built the same as charcoal ones, and they need wood chips and water for smoking the meat. Depending on the type of smoker you buy, you may also have to perform specific measures, like preheating and coating the insides with oil, in order to remove the remaining residues from the last smoking escapade you had, to name a few. One major advantage of the electric smoker over charcoal models, however, is that you don’t have to monitor the meat you’re smoking all the time. Smokers have slow cooking times and temperatures, and you probably know that the shortest time to produce quality-smoked meat is about 8 hours. Some heavy meats may have to be smoked overnight.

With an electric barbeque smoker, all you have to do is prepare the food, set the temperature, and you’re all set. It has a digital temperature panel inside, and all you’ll have to do is refill the water for moisture and add wood chips for smoke. There are two basic types – horizontal and vertical. The vertical version requires little space and is ideal for first-time smoker owners. The disadvantage of vertical models, however, is that they can be difficult to use outdoors during the winter season, simply because they’re more sensitive to temperature changes due to the thin coating of their mainframe, which makes them preheat slower. Horizontal smokers, on the other hand, offer a higher yield, but cost more and require more space.

Advantages

An electric smoker is ideal for beginners, simply because it’s convenient and comfortable to use. First-time owners can use this as their stepping point in delving more into the smoked meat world. You can easily experiment on your preferred combinations of cooking time and temperatures without compromising the quality of the meat being smoked inside. Further, it allows you to learn about the different wood chips and how to tend to them.

Moreover, digital smoker models are much safer to use than charcoal smokers. This is due to the fact that you won’t have to deal with the fire to keep the smoking process running. In other words, the chances of you causing a fire hazard are pretty slim. Additionally, you can use your electric BBQ smoker indoors as well, which can be especially beneficial if you have a vertical model and want to smoke some food during the colder seasons.

As briefly aforementioned, electric BBQ smokers feature a digital control panel that lets you control their temperature with ease. All you have to do is set the cooking time and temperature to keep the smoking process running. Some smokers have an alarm that reminds you to replace the wood chips and to tell you that the food is ready.

And my favourite thing about electric barbeque smokers is that they’re extremely easy to clean when compared to charcoal smokers. Conventional smoking requires a lot of wood to keep the process running, which translates to a lot of ashes as well. The electric smoker, however, only requires cleaning of the wood chip tray which you can conveniently pull out and clean. Most electric BBQ smokers for sale have a special plate that catches the drippings from the meat, which you can also just pull out and clean.

Disadvantages

As briefly aforementioned, electric smokers, especially vertical models, are sensitive to environmental temperatures around them. They can be difficult to start during colder seasons, especially if you keep them outdoors. You should also avoid and control the humidity around them at all costs, which means you’ll have to clean them often, even when not using them.

And the other major disadvantage of electric barbecue smokers is the difficulty to transport them, simply because they’re bulky and heavy. Even the most straightforward model can require three or more people to move around. Currently, there are no portable electric smokers that provide the same quality food as a heavy-duty electric and charcoal smoker. This means that you can’t take the smoker on a camping trip unless you prepare for it beforehand.