5 Best electric smoker for cold weather

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By

James

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Every season is the perfect season for an aromatic, smoky flavored meal. Although barbecuing, grilling, and smoking food is synonymous with a summer afternoon in the backyard, this cannot be further from the truth.

With the development of better technology, you can enjoy a delicious, aromatic, barbecued, smoked meal on a cold winter’s day as well. You only have to choose the right smoker, and you’re good to enjoy hot smoked meat and vegetables throughout the winter season.

The best type of smoker for cold weather or the winter season is an electric smoker. With electric smokers, you don’t have to keep loading it with coal or worry about the gas flaring up since electric smokers start instantly. Some of the best solutions for the best smoking experience in cold weather and the winter season are these five electric smokers:

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

Masterbuilt MB20071117

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

Smokin-It Model #2

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

Old Smokey

Folds compactly for storage and offers three different height adjustments

Easy to clean with a cup holder for baby

Reviews of Each Pick


It’s cold, but you still need to get great tasting smoked food. What do you do? Get an electric smoker made for the cold! We’re here to help you find the perfect smoker for that winter weather.

Our Top Pick

Masterbuilt MB20071117

Pros

The wooden chip loader is one of the best features because you don’t have to keep opening the door.

The insulated design is a plus, especially for the cold season, and retaining heat is key.

Cons

The one drawback of this digital smoker is that it doesn’t have wheels.

The Masterbuilt 2007117 Digital Electric Smoker is known for its excellent performance in any weather conditions. It comes with a wooden chip loading system that helps you get the smoky flavor into the food evenly.

With a fully insulated body, this electric smoker retains the ideal temperatures even if it changes. It comes with four different chrome-plated racks that are easy to clean and manageable.

You get a proper thermostat control that helps you control the temperature inside the smoker and helps you cook the food precisely. The digital control panel that comes with the smoker makes it easy to monitor the temperature.

Even with all these high-tech features, the Masterbuilt 2007117 Digital Electric Smoker is relatively easy to operate and manage.

Heavy Duty

Smokin-It Model #2

Pros

Generous 12-foot power cord to ensure an easy set-up for the Smokin’ It Model #2 Electric Smoker.

Double latch seal helps prevent any heat or smoke from escaping the box when cooking.

It comes with castor wheels attached to the smoker, which makes it easy to move around.

Cons

The absence of a side-loading port requires you to open the main door to load the wood chips so that you may lose some heat momentarily.

The Smokin’ it Model #2 Electric smoker is made with stainless steel construction with a double latch door. This makes it perfect for sealing the smoker’s heat. It comes with 100 % heavy gauge stainless steel fiberglass insulation that aid in reducing heat loss. The 800-watt smoker comes with four removable shelves that make the smoker easy to clean and maintain, and It has side handles for easy movement.

Like any other electric smoker, you get a ‘set and forget’ temperature control that makes for easy use. Another notable feature about this smoker is that it has a shallow drip pan that is removable and dishwasher safe.

The Smokin’ it Model #2 Electric smoker is indeed a heavy-duty smoker that maintains the target temperature effortlessly. It is also rust-resistant and durable, making it even more competent to face weather changes.

High Temperatures

Old Smokey

Pros

It has foldable handles on the sides that are heat resistant for easy movement and keeps your hands safe.

It includes a wood chip tray, a drip pan, and grease absorbing granules that make this smoker easy to clean.

You don’t need to add water to this smoker.

Cons

The Old Smokey can get extremely hot due to its high temperature, so you have to be very careful when working near it.

The Old Smokey 1250 Watt Electric Vertical Smoker comes with adjustable heat control, making it easy for you to manage the smoker’s temperature. With various temperatures you can choose from, it helps you cook food at your preferred temperature. The Old Smokey 1250 Watt Electric Vertical Smoker is very easy to assemble and entirely made with aluminized steel that enhances its durability.

This smoker also comes with two plated steel racks that are easily removable, making it easy to clean. The sealed lid that comes with the Old Smokey 1250 Watt Electric Vertical Smoker helps to keep all the juices inside and let the food absorb all the flavors.

The Old Smokey 1250 Watt Electric Vertical Smoker’s effective heating mechanism coupled with 1250 watt heating makes this smoker ideal for cold weather.

Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow

Pros

The built of the Smoke Hollow 30162E Electric Smoker, although small, is sturdy and durable.

Another great bonus about this smoker is that it is very affordable despite high tech innovations.

The temperature gauge indicates the temperature of the smoker accurately.

Cons

The only drawback to this smoker is that it is not big enough to smoke large barbeque meats. However, it is the compactness of the smoker that makes it desirable to a lot of enthusiasts.

The Smoke Hollow 30162E Electric Smoker’s small size helps this smoker heat up quicker than other smokers, which is a plus point during the winter. This smoker is also easy to move around because of its lightweight, making it very convenient.

The doors on the Smoke Hollow 30162E Electric Smoker have magnetic sealing that ensures a leak-free seal. It also comes with handles, making this smoker easy to maneuver. The Smoke Hollow 30162E Electric Smoker is also great for temperature regulation since it can quickly return to preset temperature levels when the door is open.


Bradley Smoker BS611

Pros

It comes with four removable racks supported by the smoker’s interiors to ensure that it doesn’t tip over when removing.

It also has a detachable control unit to set the smoker timer.

The bottom has a drip bowl filled with water that catches the coal after cooking.

Cons

You have to purchase Bradley biscuits

The Bradley Smoker Digital 4 Rack Electric Smoker is a simple smoker that gives its user total control in choosing the temperature and cooking time at the push of a button. This smoker gives you the pure smoke taste aided by the smoker’s insulated stainless steel.

Also, it comes with a digital interface, which is excellent for long smoke sessions for up to 8 hours. It is a double-duty smoker that you can use for both smoking and as an oven.

Final Thoughts

Using an electric smoker during the winter season is ideal since you don’t have to heat it for a long duration, unlike other smokers. You can also purchase insulation jackets to keep your regular smokers warmer and retain more heat than usual.

The most important feature to consider when buying a smoker is to consider getting a smoker with fire-resistant insulation. This feature is helpful when smoking food in cold weather because as the cooking temperature drops, the smoker tends to absorb the heat from the inside.

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.