The 7 Best Electric Smokers on Amazon for Delicious Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
Amazon
Best Overall:
foodandwine - 400 Available at Amazon
Best Digital:
foodandwine - 199 Available at Amazon
Best Char-Broil:
foodandwine - 249 Available at Amazon
Best Small Electric Smoker:
foodandwine - 100 Available at Amazon
Best Budget:
foodandwine - 170 Available at Amazon
Best Under -$200:
foodandwine - 194 Available at Amazon
Best Analog:
foodandwine - 246 Available at Amazon
Upon first biting into sticky smoked ribs, it's natural to conjure up images of Southern pitmasters, barrels of wood pellets, and plumes of infused smoke. And while the art of smoking meat may seem quite complicated and reserved for a bonafide pitmaster, it's actually a technique that just about anyone can accomplish rather quickly.
For the uninitiated, smoking is simply the process of placing food in a heated, smoky environment to brown, preserve, and add flavor. To smoke, racks filled with meat and seafood are slipped into a large chamber that traps the smoke started by a hardwood fire. Smoking differs from traditional grilling because it focuses on low, indirect heat, where food is placed further away from a direct heat source and takes much longer to finish cooking.
There is a wealth of smokers you can buy to use at home, including charcoal, pellet, gas, and electric smokers. Each one depends on a different fuel source to smoke the meat low and slow, from wood chips to metal coils. For those who don't want to deal with the hassle of gas or charcoal smokers, electric smokers have been rising in popularity thanks to their ease of use.
Here are the seven best electric smokers on Amazon, according to thousands of five-star reviews:
Best Overall: Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker
Best Digital: Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker
Best Char-Broil: Char-Broil Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker
Best Small Electric Smoker: Smokehouse Products Little Chief Electric Smoker
Best Budget: Royal Gourmet Electric Smoker with Adjustable Temperature Control
Best Under -$200: Cuisinart COS-330 30-Inch Electric Smoker
Best Analog: Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker
What's the Difference Between a Pellet Smoker and an Electric Smoker?
Rather than wood pellets, propane, or charcoal, electric smokers rely on electricity to heat and cook meat. These smokers typically use a thermostat to control the temperature, heating up a coil inside the chamber to smolder a bowl of wood chips typically placed at the bottom. The wood chips in turn create the smoke that's infused into the meat.
Pellet smokers, meanwhile, use hardwood pellets as their main fuel source. To operate these smokers, a pitmaster will pour the pellets into a burn pot and light a fire over them, which is sustained over time as more pellets are constantly added. This provides the indirect heat that's circulated throughout the smoking chamber.
Keep scrolling to check out top-rated electric smokers on Amazon, from a Bluetooth-controlled Masterbuilt smoker to a no-frills smoker that's ideal for small spaces. All boast thousands of reviews from shoppers, some of whom have been converted by the ease of electric smokers and may never go back to traditional barbecuing ever again.
Best Overall: Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker
With the Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric smoker, anything is possible. The large-capacity smoker is big enough to hold up to 16 pieces of chicken or eight cuts of pork. The Bluetooth-enabled smart technology lets you control the smoker temperature from your phone as well as the digital control panel on the outside of the appliance. All you’ve got to do is load in wood chips from a side door—no need to open the main one—and place racks of ribs and brisket on one of the four chrome-coated smoking racks inside.
If you’re smoking meat at night, you can rely on the interior light that turns on when it’s dark out so you can see exactly what’s going on inside. Plus it comes with a meat thermometer, a handy tool that allows you to track how everything’s cooking.
“I will never be without one,” one five-star reviewer shares. “This smoker is a cut above the rest. It is so easy to use and our cell phone can be used to let us know when it is time to turn meat over, when the preheat is done, and when our time is up. If everything in our life could be so easy and make the perfect meal too. Add pecan wood chips to the smoker and you have the best meat ever.”
To buy: Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker, $400 at amazon.com
Best Digital: Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker
This top-rated digital smoker does all of the heavy lifting so you don’t have to. An easy-to-use digital panel controls the cooking temperature and time, allowing you to sit back and relax. The thermostat shows you the temperature, so you always know how hot it is inside. Once the smoker is on, you can continuously add wood chips through the loading system on the side—without having to open the main door every time. Plus it’s large enough to fit two turkeys, four pork butts, four racks of ribs, or six chickens.
Over 4,000 shoppers have given this electric smoker a five-star rating, citing fantastic results for the relatively inexpensive price. “I’m a chef, not a pitmaster or hobbyist smoker,” one of them says. “That being said, as a tool similar to what I use daily in professional kitchens, this Masterbuilt is fantastic. It heats quickly enough and maintains consistent temperature. I’ve been able to make restaurant quality baby back ribs, chicken, [and] short ribs.”
To buy: Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker, $199 at amazon.com
Best Char-Broil: Char-Broil Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker
Char-Broil is one of the best names in electric smokers, and this deluxe appliance is Amazon shoppers’ preferred model. Complete with an insulated, double-wall construction, the electric smoker locks in smoke and heat for long periods of time. A high-tech control panel has an easy-to-read LED display that shows you the temperature, and a removable food thermometer is included to test the internal temperature of the meat.
The electric smoker is designed with a full-size glass window—so you can check how things are cooking without opening the door—along with a side latch that can be locked to ensure smoke doesn’t escape. Four cups of wood chips can produce up to seven hours of smoking, and there are four adjustable shelves inside that fit everything from brisket to ribs.
Shoppers can’t stop raving about the ease of this smoker, with one reviewer writing, “I never knew smoking items could be so easy! We have no experience in this house. We have made chicken, ribs, and tofu so far. It’s so silly simple. Just as easy as using a crock pot. I love this little thing and I hope to get many more years out of it!”
To buy: Char-Broil Deluxe Black Digital Electric Smoker, $249 at amazon.com
Best Small Electric Smoker: Smokehouse Products Little Chief Electric Smoker
Not everyone has the space to store a bulky device, but that doesn't mean you can’t smoke your own meats at home. That’s where the Smokehouse Products Little Chief Electric Smoker comes into play: It stands 2 feet tall and can smoke up to 25 pounds of meat or fish at a time.
This front-loading smoker is built with chrome grill racks and comes with a flavor fuel pan and nearly 2 pounds of wood chips to get you started. Despite its smaller size, it’s been engineered for premium smoke circulation and dehydration, ensuring meats receive a deep, smoky flavor and tender texture.
“My family has been using Chief brand smokers since the beginning of time,” one shopper says. “You just plug it in and go about your business, a real straight shooter. We have always loved the product they help us produce; from fish to elk, it makes it all delicious.”
To buy: Smokehouse Products Little Chief Electric Smoker, $100 at amazon.com
Best Budget: Royal Gourmet Electric Smoker with Adjustable Temperature Control
Smokers can easily run you a few hundred dollars, but you don’t have to spend that much to get high-quality results. For those on a budget, opt for the Royal Gourmet Electric Smoker, which has all the bells and whistles of more expensive models but for half of the price.
The large-capacity smoker comes with three smoking racks, a 1500-watt heating power, an adjustable digital controller, and an attached thermometer. Oil residue is caught in a removable grease cup, making cleanup easy, and the door handle is cool to the touch so you won’t burn yourself accidentally. Plus, the heat-retaining walls keep the smoking temperature at the appropriate heat for as long as it’s on.
“I cannot wait to bring it with me to my camping site,” one five-star reviewer says. “Even in winter and at home I can do a lot of things with it. With the flexible meat temperature control, I can easily use it as a BBQ furnace. Highly recommend if you are a meat lover but don’t want to get your hands full of black dirt constantly.”
To buy: Royal Gourmet Electric Smoker with Adjustable Temperature Control, $170 at amazon.com
Best Under-$200: Cuisinart COS-330 30-Inch Electric Smoker
A reliable option that doesn’t require a ton of money is the Cuisinart Electric Smoker, a roomy model that boasts 548 square inches of cooking space. It’s constructed with three stainless steel racks (that are also dishwasher-safe) to hold large slabs of meat and a built-in thermometer on the front door for checking the internal temperature.
The 1500-watt heating coil can generate temperatures between 100 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit simply by twisting a dial. A set of stainless steel trays at the bottom hold wood chips and water—minimizing cleanup—and its compact size means it can squeeze onto patios, on decks, and in the garage.
Hundreds of Amazon shoppers can’t get enough of this electric smoker, noting its excellent quality as a great introductory smoker. “If you are hesitant like me to take the plunge, do it,” one user shares. “I’ve never smoked anything a day in my life, and I’m not even comfortable on the grill. However, I really wanted a smoker. I didn’t want the hassle of a propane tank, so this seemed like the best option. Food was amazing! I will be using it far more than planned.”
To buy: Cuisinart COS-330 30-Inch Electric Smoker, $194 at amazon.com
Best Analog: Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker
Although this smoker doesn’t have a digital temperature display, it does come with a temperature gauge mounted on the front of the door. The compact smoker has 544 square inches of cooking space distributed across three cooking grates, perfect for holding lobster tails and turkey. The integrated steel water pan prevents the meat from drying out—keeping everything juicy and tender—and the removable drip tray catches excess oil, limiting what you have to clean up. Plus, it includes a spacious wood chip box that lends itself well for hours of smoke without needing to constantly refill.
Tons of Amazon shoppers think this is a great little smoker, with many noting that it consistently cooks well and compares to much more expensive models. “Bought this for myself as a birthday present because I’ve never tried smoking meats,” a five-star reviewer says. “This Char-Broil smoker is easy to use and works great. The smoker racks, floor, and pans are small enough to go in the dishwasher if you needed, but you could also smoke two whole chickens at one time. So far we’ve done chicken thighs and wings, a pork shoulder, and a whole chicken. Everything has come out delicious.”
To buy: Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker, $246 at amazon.com
