--- title: "The Best Electric Smokers, Tested and Reviewed" description: "Our expert tested the best electric smokers to see which ones produced the most consistent flavors. See how they compared in this review." date: "2022-05-04" modified: "2023-07-12" authors: - name: "Michael Pendley" link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/michael-pendley/" url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/best-electric-smokers/" categories: - "Gear" tags: - "Evergreen" - "Gear Reviews" --- # The Best Electric Smokers, Tested and Reviewed ![The Bradley P10 ran the steadiest temps out of all the tested smokers.]() *The Bradley P10 ran the steadiest temps out of all the tested smokers. Bradley* It’s hard to argue with the culinary magnificence of slow smoked barbecue, and thankfully, electric smokers give us that without all the hassle of traditional barbecue methods. It’s hard to devote the time and attention required by a traditional barbecue pit and juggle whatever else life demands. But with electric smokers, you just add the food, set the smoker at your desired temperature and cook time, and go do something else. The smokers do the work for you. Just check on it a time or two over the cooking cycle, and dig in when it’s finished. Modern electric smokers use technology like PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) control units that instantly adjust temperatures to maintain a steady cooking level. They also utilize fans to maintain consistent air and smoke flow around the meat and timer controls that turn smoker features on and off at preset times. All of these make slow smoked food much more attainable, especially if time is at a premium. For this review, I tested the best electric smokers to see which ones produced the most consistent barbecue flavors with ease. - **Best Overall:** [Bradley Professional P10]() - **Best Woodchip:** [Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital with Window]() - **Best Beginner:** [Cuisinart 30-inch Electric Smoker]() - **Best Automated Controls:** [Bradley Digital 4 Rack 31-inch]() - **Best Charcoal-Powered:** [Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800]() ## How I Tested the Best Electric Smokers To test the best electric smokers, I looked for several variables that have an affect on the cooking process and finished product. The test meat for each smoker was a similar sized whole chicken, seasoned identically with a commercial barbecue chicken rub, and I set each smoker at 250 degrees for the duration of the cook. Here’s what I looked for before, during, and after the cooking process: - Set temperature and start process - Consistent or varied temperatures - How to add fuel during the cooking process - Temperature and smoke control during the cooking process - How long did it take the chicken to reach the 165 degree internal temperature? - Ease of cleaning ## Best Electric Smokers: Reviews and Recommendations ### Best Overall: [Bradley Smoker Professional P10]() With a fully-insulated stainless steel body, four cooking racks, dual temperature probes, and a fully digital PID control system, Bradley’s new P10 is both easy to use for the beginner and advanced enough to keep an experienced or commercial smoke master happy. During the test, temperature levels remained steady throughout cook times and only varied a few degrees above or below the preset level. Cleanup simply required emptying the burned Bisquettes and wiping down the drip tray. ![Loading the P10 with the Bradley Bisquettes.]() *Loading the P10 with the Bradley Bisquettes. Michael Pendley* I’ve used one of the original-style Bradley smokers for several years now with great results. But the new P10 adds a ton of versatility to the design with better control options like the ability to add smoke without heat and heat without smoke, and you can even control the amount of smoke you want to use. The fully-insulated body holds steadier temperatures throughout the cook time better than the original. It also regains the set temperature faster after you open the door. Bradley Smokers are one of the best electric smokers because each Bisquette only burns for 20 minutes. They claim the short burn time leads to cleaner smoke with less of a bitter flavor that sometimes results when wood fuel burns completely. I have to agree. The smoke flavor from the Bradley smoker tasted cleaner than other smokers in the test, with less bitter or acrid aftertaste. ### Best Wood Chip: [Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Smoker with Window]() Perhaps the best thing about the 30-inch model is Masterbuilt’s side loading chip system. This allows you to load additional chips throughout the cooking process without opening the main door and releasing heat. This feature comes in handy on long cooks like brisket or pork butts that need multiple chip refills. And with other features like a digital thermostat control, four chrome plated racks, and intuitive air dampers, this smoker will accommodate both beginner and experienced cooks. This one was just about ready to go out of the box. After a short assembly and seasoning process, I filled the chip tube with a blend of hickory and cherry wood chips and set the smoker for 250 degrees. It didn’t take long to see a nice plume of smoke wafting from the vents. I seasoned the chicken and added it directly to the shelf. Midway through the two-hour cooking process, I noticed the smoke tapered off, so I refilled the chip tube for additional smoke flavor. Cleanup wasn’t bad for one chicken, but adding an aluminum drip pan on the shelf below the food would make it even easier. ### Best Beginner: [Cuisinart 30-inch Electric Smoker]() ![With the Cuisinart 30-inch Electric, you simply set the temperature and start smoking.]() *With the Cuisinart 30-inch Electric, you simply set the temperature and start smoking. Michael Pendley* While this smoker eliminates most of the guesswork, it lacks some of the bells and whistles found on the other options, and it didn’t take long to notice. To reload additional wood chips during the cooking process, you have to open the door, which releases heat and lengthens the cooking process. This smoker took longer to clean since it lacks a drip pan to collect falling grease. Not having a digital temperature controller made it tougher to dial in the desired cooking temperature. And the included thermometer varied as much as 30-50 degrees from the actual temperature inside, which I measured with a calibrated thermometer. That being said, you can’t find a more user-friendly smoker. If you want to set the temperature and walk away until your food finishes, this is one of the best electric smokers to set and forget. ### Best Automated Controls: [Bradley Smoker Digital 4 Rack 31-inch]() ![The advanced controls on the Bradley Digital 4 Rack allows you to smoke food without having to monitor the entire process.]() *The advanced controls on the Bradley Digital 4 Rack allows you to smoke food without having to monitor the entire process. Michael Pendley* One of the great things about electric smokers is their ease of use. And the Bradley 4 Rack Digital Smoker is just about ready to go as soon as you unpack it. It took about 10-15 minutes to put together, and it was ready to go. The upgraded digital control takes a bit of study to get to the desired settings, but once you figure it out, it’s easy to set. In fact, this control is easier to use than the Bradley P10 Professional. ![A whole chicken smoked on the Bradley 4 Rack.]() *A whole chicken smoked on the Bradley 4 Rack. Michael Pendley* I really enjoyed the separate burners to control the smoke and temperature independently of each other that allow you to use heavy smoke levels and lower temperatures for foods like brisket or pork shoulder or with higher temperature and lighter smoke for things like fish. This unit also allows you to smoke for a certain amount of time, and then continue cooking without smoke. I’ll be using this one for venison jerky in the near future with heavier smoke at low temperature. ### Best Charcoal Powered: [Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800 Digital Charcoal Griddle + Grill + Smoker]() The Masterbuilt Gravity Series is the perfect do-it-all machine. With three cooking racks for a total of 800 square inches of cooking surface, this smoker will feed a crowd. The included griddle insert is perfect for smash burgers or a large breakfast, and it’s one of the most versatile smokers I’ve ever tested. ![This grill can do it all and feed a crowd.]() *This grill can do it all and feed a crowd. Michael Pendley* Even though this smoker looks more like the best charcoal grills on the market than an electric smoker, I included it in this test because the digital electronic control precisely maintains the set temperature during the cooking process. Unlike other smokers I tested, the Masterbuilt Gravity Series uses traditional charcoal in either lump or briquette form. For true wood fired flavor, you can add chunks of hickory, oak, pecan, fruit, mesquite, or other cooking woods to the fuel chamber. Once you light the fire, the digital control unit operates a fan that controls the air flow to create heat and smoke. And the fan cycles on or off to hold the temperature at the set level. ![The Gravity Series 800 produced great flavors and excellent bark on brisket.]() *The Gravity Series 800 produced great flavors and excellent bark on brisket. Michael Pendley* I really enjoyed this smoker. Besides the test chicken, I grilled ribeyes and strip steaks at 450 degrees and slow smoked a full packer beef brisket with a mixture of Masterbuilt Lump Charcoal and oak chunks. The finished products on both cooks were perfect with great flavor, bark, and a juicy, tender interior on the brisket. The large cooking area gives this unit a bit more versatility than the other smokers in the test, especially when it comes to smoking large cuts of meat or feeding big crowds. And with a maximum temperature of 700 degrees, you can sear things like steaks and burgers with perfect grill marks. ### Best App and Wi-Fi: [Traeger Timberline 1300]() Traeger is the pioneer in the pellet smoker game, and the Timberline 1300 is one of the best electric smokers with Wi-Fi features I tested. With Traeger’s WiFiRE technology, I monitored cooks and adjusted smoker temperature. Another easy-to-use feature on the Timberline 1300 is the reversible auger. It makes clearing pellet jams quick and easy. ![A black open best pellet smoker]() *The Timberline has a great app for controlling the smoker remotely. Michael Pendley* The smoker has a fully insulated body, three levels of removable cooking racks, and a special low rack position close to the fire box for easy searing of steaks and burgers. I found it to be one of the slower smokers to heat up, but it held a consistent temperature. The courtesy light that comes on when you open the pellet hopper and the low pellet indicator on both the smoker and the app are nice touches. This is actually one of my personal smokers that I’ve put through quite a bit of use already. I’ve cooked everything from side dishes to a whole 50-pound pig on the Timberline 1300 with excellent results, and it heats faster than other Traeger models I’ve used in the past. See more great pellet smokers in our [best pellet smoker test](). ## FAQs ## Things to Consider When Buying an Electric Smoker ### Electric Smoker Size Of course, bigger smokers hold more meat, but that larger size requires larger storage and cooking space, more electricity, and more wood fuel to maintain a good smoke level. If you’re only cooking for your immediate family, a smaller electric smoker with two to three smoking racks will probably suffice. If you like to cook for a crowd or cook large cuts like whole pork shoulders or entire packer beef briskets, go ahead and invest in a smoker with a little more size. ### Electric Smoker Fuel Type For smoking, you need [to use wood chips]() or other wood fuels like charcoal, pressed briquettes of wood shavings, or pellets. With any of the fuel choices, you have an option of traditional hickory or oak and fruit woods like apple, cherry, or peach. Mesquite also makes a great option. For this test, I tried two smokers with wood chips, two with pressed wood discs, and one with a mixture of charcoal and wood chunks. Each wood lends a slightly different flavor to the smoke. Try them all and see which one you prefer. ### Electric Smoker Control Style Choose the best smoker with controls that match your cooking style. The most intuitive smoker in the test simply required turning a dial to the desired temperature, while the most complex smoker I tested allows you to control smoking time and the amount you need independently of temperature. You can even program recipes complete with cooking cycles or insert a USB for additional custom recipes on this smoker as well. Other smokers I tested fell somewhere in the middle. If you’re a smoker who likes to experiment and loves the extra control, go with a more complex unit. If you want to throw something in the smoker and carry on with your day, choose one with a basic control style. ## Final Thoughts on the Best Electric Smokers With any of the best electric smokers, you’d be hard pressed to find one that doesn’t conveniently create tasty wood-smoked food. Figure out your preferred cooking methods and how much food you’ll realistically want to cook, and get to smoking. - **Best Overall:** [Bradley Professional P10]() - **Best Woodchip:** [Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital with Window]() - **Best Beginner:** [Cuisinart 30-inch Electric Smoker]() - **Best Automated Controls:** [Bradley Digital 4 Rack 31-inch]() - **Best Charcoal-Powered:** [Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800]()