Best Electric Cold Smoker

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By

James

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Possibly, one of the two reasons you landed on this page was to better understanding an electric cold smoker. Or maybe, you just wanted to know which is the best electric cold smoker in the market. 

Either way, we have got you covered! In this article, we will address the following:

  • What is a cold smoker?
  • How long do you cold-smoke meat?
  • What food can be cold smoked?
  • What is the difference between hot smoking and cold smoking?

Our Top Picks


Below is a summary of the top picks from our SummerBaron.com team. To help you understand where each pick ranked, we have included “badges” next to each pick’s key findings. “Best Overall” is a combination of price and value. “Best Budget” is great for summer lovers who want a top-quality product but are on a tighter budget. “High End” is for people who just want the best, and price is no object.

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Product

How did we pick these products?

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Our Top Pick

Breville BSM600SIL Smoking Gun Food Smoker

Folds compactly for storage and offers three different height adjustments

Easy to clean with a cup holder for baby

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Best Budget and Value

Smokehouse chief cold smoke generator

Folds compactly for storage and offers three different height adjustments

Easy to clean with a cup holder for baby

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Best High-End

Homia smoking gun smoke infuser

Folds compactly for storage and offers three different height adjustments

Easy to clean with a cup holder for baby

Reviews of Each Pick


Below are our detailed reviews of each product. Each product included in this review is reviewed by our team ⎯ with 1,000s of hours testing and working with products to help you pick the best one for your specific situation.

Our Top Pick

Breville BSM600SIL Smoking Gun Food Smoker

Pros

Very easy to use with endless possibilities.

Great quality

Very easy to store in a cabinet

Cons

Only made white smoke, not blue smoke

Breville’s smoking gun food smoker is our best pick because it is, without a doubt, the best among electric cold smokers.

WHY?

First off, it is exceptionally versatile in its high-quality performance and effortlessly easy to use. 

Not only does it effortlessly add a smoky aroma and flavor to your food and drinks in just about 5 minutes, but it also does not require you to pre-soak wood shavings/chips.

Moreover, its sleek design specifications – like dual airflow speeds, a separate stainless steel chamber for burning, low noise, and light in weight, all make it portable and for easy single-hand use. The best part of it all – It is dishwasher safe.

If you want to elevate the flavor of your food and cocktails in just a few minutes, get Breville’s smoking gun food smoker.


What is a cold smoker?

In straightforward terms, a cold smoker is an appliance for augmenting the taste and flavor of the food by introducing smoke to it.

A cold smoker eliminates heat to impart that smokey flavor to the food item, as its name suggests. Since the heating compartment is on a separate side from the food-holding tray, no heat encounters the food directly.

Therefore, adding that distinctive smokey flavor to drinks and meat while preserving it simultaneously, using a cold smoker is cold.

How long do you cold smoke meat?

The duration requirement to cold smoke meats is entirely dependent on the type of meat and the intensity of the flavor.

Higher intensity of smoky flavor in the meat will require you to cold smoke for about three days. However, a few hours of cold smoke infusion will be good enough for a low-intensity smoky flavor.

It is important to remember that before cold smoking, a lump of meat, a curing step to remove moisture, is necessary. This way, the infestation of bacteria or any other microorganism is prevented.

What food can be cold smoked?

Overall, the enhancement of any food item that will complement a smoky flavor is suitable for cold smoking. 

Sausages, salami, and fish varieties (salmon, tuna) are a must-try, as their flavor magnifies greatly upon cold smoking.

Cheese, tofu, and nuts are also great options for cold smoking. Besides, cold smoking all kinds of vegetables, eggs, and garlic tastes considerably better.

Moreover, did you know that you can cold smoke your cocktail too, for a classic old-fashioned drink? Speaking of which, smoked ice cream is an entirely new experience in tasting good and complementing that smokey flavor.

What is the difference between hot smoking and cold smoking?

There are three distinct differences between hot smoking and cold smoking.

  • Hot smoking involves smoking at a high temperature, ideally at 225° – 250°F. Whereas in cold smoking, the setting of the internal temperature is usually at 45 and 75 °F.
  • The food is more or less cooked in hot smoking, while in cold smoking, curing of the food takes place.
  • Contrary to cold smoking, hot smoking involves placing the food near the heat source. In cold smoking, the heating chamber is separate.
Best Budget and Value

Smokehouse chief cold smoke generator

Pros

Simple set up and easy to use.

High emission of smoke.

Cons

It is expensive.

Smokehouse chief cold smoker generator is our best luxury pick from over a range of electric cold smokers.

If high-grade quality and wholesome cold smoker is what you are looking for, this is your go-to appliance.

It comes with a full range of smoker accessories and cleaning tools. They also come with different varieties of heating components for different flavor generations.

The working efficiency is notable – 3 hours using just one batch of BBQ pellets. Moreover, it can easily connect to multiple outdoor cooking appliances – charcoal grillers, pellet/gas grillers, and smokers.

Best High-End

Homia smoking gun smoke infuser

Pros

Value for money.

Appealing design body.

Efficient to use and portable.

Cons

Requires a long lighter to flame the wood chips.

Homia’s electric cold smoker is compact and sleek in design, and the efficiency of its functioning is excellent. 

It comes with two modes of smoking speed, which can efficiently infuse smoke into your food in less than about 2 minutes. 

The set comprises 14 pieces along with accessory parts and seven distinct flavors of wood chips. The coolest part of the package, though, is the tall lid for infusing aroma for your cocktail drinks.

The originals kits company’s cold smoker

Pros

Reasonable price

Easy to use.

Cons

Smoking duration for different food items not listed in the instruction booklet.

The original cold smoker is among the easiest to operate cold smoker, with an elementary design body.

You will find the heating element in the kit box, the smoking unit, along with sample packs of bbq pellets and wood. The smoker unit consists of high-grade stainless steel. It also allows the use of closed barbeque grillers into a cold smoker, using its smoking unit. 

Smoke infusion starts quickly after setting it up, and one load of chips for burning lasts up to a few hours. 

NIA handheld smoking gun

Pros

Extensively portable and easy to store.

It does not require electricity.

Cons

It does not come with sample wood chips or pellets.

NIA’s handheld food smoker gun is battery-operated and effortlessly easy to operate. It is light in weight and therefore is highly portable.

The design body is compact and is made of food-grade quality materials – aluminum and silicone. 

It is effortless to operate and convenient to use both indoors and outdoors.

There is no need to pre-soak the burning materials. Also, you can use a wide variety of wood shavings and chips, hay, tea, herbs and spices, and even dry flowers.

About The Author


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Reviewed by

James

James is a writer who is a self-confessed kitchenware and coffee nerd and a strong advocate of Sundays, good butter, and warm sourdough.