Electric pellet smokers have been growing in popularity due to their ease of use, consistency, and delicious smoky flavor. I should know, I have one myself. A lot of people question whether it is better to purchase charcoal smokers, electric pellet grills or electric wood chip smokers when researching the grill that will be best for their needs. As someone with experience using an electric pellet smoker and a charcoal wood chip smoker, I definitely think the electric smoker is more user friendly and also creates a delicious and consistent product.
Grilling, especially with a smoker grill, gas grill or flat top griddle has become increasingly popular during the summer months. They are especially popular to use when hosting a summer barbecue for Memorial Day weekend, Labor Day weekend or July 4th. Using these grills is also great for an easy weeknight dinner. It can essentially be used like a slow cooker in a sense so it is a great way to cook something low and slow with little maintenance during the day.
This smoked mac and cheese recipe is a great recipe to get started with if you are just learning how to use your new smoker.
What materials do you need to get started with the smoking process?
A lot of what you need depends on the grill that you have. If you have an electric pellet smoker, you just will need pellets. They can be found typically anywhere you would buy wood chips or charcoal and come in a variety of flavors. If you are using an electric wood chip smoker, you will need to purchase wood chips. Charcoal smokers are not electrically run, so charcoal is not needed. Make sure you are aware of what type of smoker you have and what your specific electric smoker requires before use, if you have a pellet grill, wood chips will not work in it and vice versa.
Other than the pellets or wood chips, additional materials you need really depends on what food you will be making. If you are smoking a brisket, you will need butcher paper, meat thermometers and bbq gloves. If smoking something simple like smoked mac and cheese, you will only need a cast iron skillet. Being prepared ahead of time assures that you have a successful and delicious outcome when smoking food.
How do you prep an electric smoker for use?
Pellet Smoker
The first step to prepping a pellet smoker is to prime the auger. This only needs to be done the first time the pellet grill is used or if the pellets run out of the grill completely. This process basically fills the auger with pellets so that they start dropping in the burner hole with the ignitor. If there are no pellets in the burner hole, the pellets will not lite and typically this will cause the grill to burn out. The presence of pellets in the burner hole and throughout the auger is essential in your grill turning on and starting correctly.
To prime the auger, you will fill the wood pellet hopper with your pellets. Turn the grill on. There then should be a prime button. Press that in and hold it in until you see or hear pellets dropping into the burner hole. Once there are about 10-20 pellets in the burner hole, let go of the prime button. Pellets should continue to feed into the burner hole automatically through the rest of the cook.
Wood Chip Smoker
An electric wood chip smoker works a little different and requires a little more attention. You need to start by seasoning your smoker. To do this, rub the interior surfaces with cooking oil. To get the grill starter, empty the water pan if you are using one and also empty the wood chip cooking chamber. These need to be emptied before each use. You will then preheat the smoker. Once the smoker is preheated, add the wood chips to the wood chip tray and if using a water pan you will add water to help regulate the temperature and moisture.
For either type of grill, if this is the first time you are ever using your smoker, you need to burn off any of the factory oils that may be leftover from production and packaging. This only needs to be done before the first use. To do this, set the temperature of your grill to anything over 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once up to temperature, keep the grill closed and let it burn off any of the leftover factory oils for at least 30-40 minutes. After this, you grill will be ready for use.
How do you cook on an electric smoker?
Modern electric smokers are very easy to cook on. They keep a consistent temperature with little maintenance and little work throughout the process of cooking. The main difference between the modern electric food smokers and traditional smokers is the electric heating element and the digital temperature control. This is going to be your best friend, especially if you are a beginner in smoking and not very comfortable and confident with the process. The electric heating element continuously feeds the smoker with wood pellets so the cooking temperature stays consistent. With a traditional smoker, you need to continuously feed the smoker manually and also adjust the chimneys and air flow valves to assure your smoker stays at the proper temperature.
The cooking process is going to vary depending on what you are cooking on your bbq smoker. If you are following a recipe, make sure you are following it exactly. Some foods, such as pork, chicken wings or a smoked mac and cheese, allows for a little more room for error and are great recipes for beginners. While delicious meats such as a brisket or racks of ribs can be a little more complex and require a little more attention to detail.
Low and Slow Cooking
Smoking foods is a low and slow cooking process. Smoking at lower temperatures allows the meat to cook to their desired internal temperature at a slow rate. This helps the meat retain its juices and also assures for a very tender meat. This delicious food you get from smoking is the best part and you get better results at the low temperatures. The smoke levels can also be controlled depending on the amount of smoke flavor you want in your meat. This can be controlled by adjusting the chimney and also the valve that covers the burner hole on an offset smoker.
Finding the Right Smoker
Everyone has different needs when it comes to finding the perfect smoker and electric models are not the only option. If you are looking for a very authentic, competition level smoke flavor and have the time to really invest in your smoker jouney, a traditional smoker may be the correct route for you. If you are busy, short on time and a beginning, an electric smoker is a great place to start. I went the route of an electric smoker because being busy with kids at home, it is much easier to have something that requires a little less maintenance when cooking.
FAQ
Yes, it is possible to grill on a smoker. Grilling or searing typically requires high temperatures. Most smokers are adjustable and can release more heat by adjusting the valve over the heat source. You can also adjust the temperature settings and put the grill at a higher heat if using it like you would a gas grill. This is great when cooking steaks or burgers.
One of my favorite topics. I don't think brand matters. Now a days, you are getting a good product in most cases. If you are getting an electric smoker, almost any product from any brand in the $500-$1,000 range is going to be comparable. Whether cooking on a Pit Boss or a Traeger, you are going to be cooking on a good quality smoker. The real differences come in with quality of smoker when you are getting into competition or commercial grade smokers and spending thousands. Any home smoker will work. It is not about the brand, it is the cook that makes the food great.
The hopper holds a lot of pellets. You typically will not need to continuously feed the hopper throughout the cook if you start off with it full. You may not need to refill it at all. It is important to check the hopper before you start any cook to gauge if you have enough in the grill to get through a cook and if it seems low, it is easier to just add a little more in the beginning so you don't have to worry about it.
If you have any questions about smokers and how to use them or need any other suggestions, leave a comment below!
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