Best Cheap Electric Smoker for the Money

When it comes to food, there are many different ways of cooking. When it comes to food like, in particular, meat, then nothing can really beat the authentic barbecue flavor of having cooked your food in a smoker!

Of course, traditional smokers take quite a lot of effort, and you need to be careful when handling the fire and the burning hot coals so that no accidents occur while you’re cooking!

The easier to use an alternative, which is becoming increasingly popular, is the electric smoker. All of the benefits of a normal smoker, but a lot easier and safer to handle!

You can still use wood chips or pellets in your electric smoker, so you’re still getting the delicious smoky flavor, and it’s an accessible way into barbecue life! 

Nevertheless, purchasing an electric smoker is somewhat of an investment, so you need to be sure that you’re going to get good use out of it. You also need to make sure that you’re buying the best possible electric smoker for your money.

The cheaper the better, as long as it doesn’t compromise quality and standard!

With so many options available in today’s market, it can be quite tricky to find the right products, and it requires a bit of searching to find those budget-friendly options that manage to keep up with the very best.

To help you out, we’ve done the searching and have compiled a list with our top five picks for cheap electric smokers that give you the best value for money.

In a hurry?

Getting an electric smoker is a great decision that can result in tastier, smokier food (which is always a plus!).

There are plenty of options so it’s easier than you might think to find a good quality electric smoker, able to compete with the best products, for a good budget-friendly price.

If you’re in a hurry to get one, then we recommend you check out our top number one option, as we find it to be the overall best for your money: the Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker. 

Masterbuilt is a highly reliable and well praised American brand, and with many products that range from grills to smokers, it is no wonder that they offer a product that has made the top of our list.

The Digital Electric Smoker is a great choice for those looking for the best value for money possible, and especially for beginners that are just getting into the world of smoking their food.

The digital panel allows you to control the smoker, including the temperature and cooking time. It comes with thermostat-temperature control, which is very useful for ensuring the meat is cooked to perfection. This smoker has a good size ratio, and it comes with four chrome-coated smoking racks.

Compared to other electric smokers, this one has excellent body insulation, and it keeps the heat consistent while being highly power-efficient.

It also has a patented side wood chip loading system which is highly convenient, as it allows you to insert more wood chips into the smoker without having to open the door which would let heat escape. 

Here are some of the main features:

• Highly reliable and praised brand
• Excellent body insulation - consistent heat and power-efficient
• Thermostat-temperature control
• 4 chrome-coated smoking racks and great size ratio
• Patented side wood chip loading system
• Water bowl and air damper, easy to control for even smoking

Best Cheap Electric Smoker for the Money Buying Guide

Those that choose to buy an electric smoker, rather than the more traditional charcoal smoker, tend to do so for convenience. They’re far easier to use, and a lot safer too.

Electric smokers are also a lot cheaper, and it is far easier to find budget-friendly options that offer a good value for the money you’re paying.

There are many options in today’s market, so finding the best possible electric smoker at the lowest price (without compromising the quality, of course,) can be quite the trick. What should you be looking out for?

There are a few factors you should always take into consideration, to ensure that the electric smoker you choose covers all of the basics and does so to a high standard while being conveniently cheap!

We hope this small buyer’s guide helps you get familiarized with the main features to look out for!

Insulation and Heat Consistency

One of the most important things, when it comes to electric smokers, is the insulation of the body and the heat consistency. If you want your meat to be smoked evenly and to perfection, it is vital that the heat is consistent and doesn’t escape the smoker.

Always look out for electric smokers that have enhanced insulation, as it will also make them more power-efficient! You can also look out for added heating elements that help keep the heat within the smoker to consistent levels. 

Capacity

If you’ve seen the meat that people cook in smokers, you know that the pieces are huge. Smoking meat is all about those big junky and juicy pieces of meat, so you need a smoker with enough capacity to handle them.

Usually, electric smokers come with more than one rack for smoking the meat, so it’s good to look out for ones that are either removable, adjustable, or both. That way you can adapt the smoker capacity and size to the meat pieces you’re wanting to smoke. 

It’s also good to choose an electric smoker with as many racks as possible. They can come in very handy when you want to cook a larger amount of smaller meat pieces, and they can be removed when cooking larger ones.

Control and Adjustability

Most electric smokers have a digital panel from which you can control the temperature and time while cooking. Adjusting the temperature is very important, so it’s good to look out for electric smokers with an integrated thermostat-temperature control feature. 

Some of the more advanced electric smokers will have smarter technology options for controlling and adjusting both temperature and time.

One of our picks, the Masterbuilt Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker has Bluetooth Smart Technology that allows you to control the smoker from an app in your phone, meaning you can sit down and relax, and check on the progress of your smoker without having to move!

Added Features

When it comes to hunting for good budget-friendly deals, you want to cram as many added features as possible, so that the value for price ratio becomes even better. Added features can improve convenience and comfort while using the electric smoker, and can be a wide range of different things. 

One of our favorite added features is the patented side wood chip loading system that most Masterbuilt electric smokers have, as it allows you to add more wood chips into the smoker without having to open the door. 

Other added features could be extra items included with the products, like a meat probe thermometer, an air damper, a water pan, a wood chip tray… We recommend you always read the product descriptions to know exactly what you’re getting with each electric smoker.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do electric smokers create smoke?

Unlike charcoal smokers, electric smokers don’t use any charcoal to burn or create a fire, so it’s natural to doubt whether they can actually create smoke. 

The way electric smokers create smoke is by having a heated surface upon which wood chips are placed to burn and smoke. 

Can electric smokers be used indoors?

The good thing about electric smokers is that they’re a lot safer to use than charcoal smokers, as they don’t pose as much of a risk or fire hazard.

If you have a good extraction system (so that the smoke doesn’t completely invade your indoor space when the door is opened), and you don’t mind the smell of smoking meat filling the room, then you can use the electric smoker indoors.

Makes for a great option when it’s raining outside or cold! However, this is only recommended for indoor spaces that are well suited to the use of an electric smoker. 

Are electric smokers as good as charcoal smokers?

The end result doesn’t vary too much whether you use an electric smoker or a charcoal smoker.

It’s true that with the charcoal smoker, you’ll get a more authentic smokey flavoring to your food.

However, the difference isn’t massive, and electric smokers are far more convenient and easy to use.