Electric smokers for beginners are usually different than traditional smokers. They are uncomplicated to use, so a beginner faces no difficulty in learning to brown food. A perfect smoker for a beginner would have a front or a top controller, a window so he can see the whole process and built-in thermostat so temperature maintenance would not be a burden on him.
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Best Electric Smokers for Beginners Compared
It is really exciting when you are starting cooking, and in this excitement, you mistakenly choose up a smoker, which is hard to use. It can kill your passion for smoking meat. When choosing a smoker for beginners, make sure your smoker fulfills the following criteria; otherwise, it is not for a beginner.
- A front viewing window is present: A beginner is usually keen on seeing food being smoked, and only a front window can satisfy your desires in such a case. Also, you can keep a close eye on through the window.
- The smoker must have digital controls: Analog electric smokers are hard to operate, and a digital one is accurate and easy to use. Thus, suggested for beginners.
- Front/top Controller: You do not want the temperature to go up or down the optimal temperature, and a front controller will keep you informed about real-time changes in the temperature. Thus, it is also highly suggested for a beginner.
Electric Smoker Model Rating Price
MB20073519 Masterbuilt – Best Beginner Smoker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Char-Broil Deluxe (725 sq in) – Best Budget ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Dyna-Glo DGU732SDE-D 30″ – Easy to Use Smoker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
LANDMANN 32954 Smoky Mountain - Beginner’s Friendly ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Masterbuilt 20072318 – Basic Smoker ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Without wasting any time, here are five best electric smokers for beginners to buy in 2023.
1. MB20073519 Masterbuilt – Best Smoker for the money
MB20073519 can serve you as a proper tool to start your new hobby of smoking meat. It is the absolute choice of both advanced and novice users as it is specifically built for BBQ. The digital controls and Bluetooth connectivity makes it further easy to use.
Advanced Monitoring: You can monitor your foodstuff through many tools available with this smoker. For example, it has an in-built thermometer and BT. Both, when functioning together, will let you monitor your smoker from your living room. Also, the thermostat is fast and efficient.
It can keep you updated about the real-time changes in the internal temperature of your smoker. Advance monitoring feature made it Best Seller Electric smoker for beginners.
Remote Controls: If the thermostat fails to keep the temperature in an optimal range, you can adjust the temperature from Bluetooth without even touching your smoker. You can use any smart device like an android phone to connect with the smoker and turn it on or off. Bluetooth connectivity also has enough range so you can control it while watching TV.
Grill Design: With four chrome-coated racks, you have sufficient space to crisp your chicken, barbecue ribs, or even sear burgers. These grills not only provide exceptional heat but are also stain resistant. The racks and build quality of this smoker is of heavy-duty, which will keep running for many years.
Wood Loading: You can add wood in the patented side wood-chips loading system to boost the flavor. Also, there is no need to open the main door to load wood as this smoker has a separate door for it.
2. Char-Broil Deluxe (725 sq in) – Best Budget Starter Smoker
Char-Broil Deluxe is the choice of people who are low on budget. It offers the same digital controls and advanced features but at a reasonable price.
Assembly: It does not need any prior assembly knowledge. Just take it out of the box, follow the instruction that comes with the box, fill up the water pan and firebox and it is ready to smoke.
Design and Build: It might feel annoying when you are trying to peek inside the smoker. It is small in height, and using a stand would fix this problem for sure. Other than that, its exterior is plastic, but it doesn’t feel cheap. However, the glass and the interior looks like sturdy material. Place it anywhere for an outdoor smoked Turkey and enjoy the weekend.
Portable: It is more mobile than other smokers, which are so-called portable smokers. First, it looks like a small wine fridge and secondly little curvature and makes it easy to fit it in any truck or back of your car. It is entirely rectangular with no legs, so you can easily place it in your SUV without disassembling it.
Heat Range: If you are a hard smoker, then this smoker is not for you as it can go as high as 275 degrees Fahrenheit only. While other smokers can go up to 400 degrees but this can struggle up to 275 only. Thus, it is not suitable for a huge family yet enough for smoking fish, hot dogs, or burgers.
Electric Heat Coil: This is its unique feature as compared to other smokers. While usually, smokers rely entirely on the wood for heat, it has an electric coil to maintain the temperature. It is just like the electric element in most of the ovens. It also keeps the temperature and even helps in heat retention and fast heat accumulation. Do not worry about the electric bill as its heating element is of just 800 watts.
Two Automatic Modes: This smoker has two working modes. If you are new, you can select the meat temperature mode. In this, the in-built thermometer will try to attain the temperature of the meat you desire. It is most appreciated by those who love cooking by following recipes. Once you gain some experience, you can also set a specific time mode. This mode is like a set-and-forget feature. You set the temperature and time and forget about the smoker. Once a particular time passes, the smoker automatically shuts down.
Capacity: It looks like a small and compact smoker but has enough capacity of around 725 sq inches. It is a plentiful space to add three average size salmon in it covering its whole cooking space. As it is not very big, it is easy to clean as well. Nearly each of its part is removable and can fit in your dishwasher.
Drawbacks: Overall, it is an excellent small smoker with many options, yet it is not perfect. It can not attain a very high-temperature level, and it was the only drawback found in this smoker. But it has excellent heat retention, so even if it can achieve high temperatures, it can retain low temperatures very well. Thus, it cooks food faster as compared to other smokers. Still, we can say that it is one of the best entry level smokers for beginners.
3. Dyna-Glo DGU732SDE-D 30″ – Easy to Use Smoker
With a single push button, you can set up your cook time and monitor the temperature using Dyna-Glo DGU732SDE-D 30. It is one those smokers made, especially to reduce the burden of checking your smoker again and again.
Auto turns off: It is a technically advanced smoker as it can automatically turn off when the meat reaches the assigned temperature. All thanks to its digitally controlled meat thermometer as you will no more have to worry about turning the smoker off or overcooking the meat.
Advance Controls: As everything is under digital control, you can see the real-time temperature of your meat and control it without opening the door. Thus, no smoke leaves the container.
Bluetooth: Unlike other smokers. It has Bluetooth with a considerable range so you can keep an eye on your smoker while socializing.
Drawback: Overall, it is an average smoker. But it has a single disadvantage, which is its startup. It is a bit difficult to start as you will have to place the grease-pan carefully. If you haven’t washed the grease-pan and it is filled, there are chances that you may even start a fire.
4. LANDMANN 32954 Smoky Mountain – Beginner’s Friendly
Unlike other small electric smokers, Landmann 32954 is the beginner-friendly smoker, which can also is liked by many advanced users. It has 1500 heating elements (40% more than the above two) to cook your food while adding a smoking flavor.
Front View Window: Now, you do not need to lose smoke or heat to check the meat as you can see it directly from the window. The window is less than half in size of the smoker, yet it is enough to take a peek at the hot dog. Thus, you can maintain the flavor of the meat while you are checking its progress.
3-in-1 Tray: The 3-in-1 combo tray combines the wood-chip box, drip tray, and water pan. In other words, it solves your problem of washing each plate separately or placing each of them correctly as you have to these tasks only once.
Capacity and Optimized Cooking Space: The cooking space is so designed to get maximum advantage form minimum space possible. There are three cooking grates, and all of the grills are chrome plated.
Portable: This smoker is big and bulky with no wheels, yet you can transport it easily through its side handles. Unfortunately, these handles are of the same material as the exterior, so It is never wise to touch them while the smoker is ON.
No Cookbook Provided: If you ever bought smokers before, you know that most of them come with a cookbook, but this doesn’t have any cookbook with it. If you are a novice in cooking, then I would suggest you order a separate cookbook as well. It will have all the references of optimum temperature for various foods. However, I have already mentioned a few them in the buying guide.
5. Masterbuilt 20072318 – Basic Smoker for Beginners
Just like other models, Masterbuilt 20072318 is also a very basic electric smoker with a few different features. This is the easiest smoker to use for beginners. 
Design:Â It comes in two versions, one is regular steel, and the other one is stainless steel.
Assembly: The assembly is straightforward. You have to connect wheels, handles, and feet. Everything else comes ready out of the box. You can leave handles or feet if you have a dedicated place in your home for the smoker.
Mobility: For mobility, you attach wheels. They are like small plastic coaster type wheels. They are detachable, so the smoker turns into a box that is far easy to transport then using wheels. However, if you are displacing over a short distance, then you can use wheels for that.
Smoke Retention: Smoke retention is as necessary as heat retention. For this, your door needs to be tightly sealed, and the construction needs to be done correctly, so no smoke leaves the smoker. This smoker prevents any smoke from leaving the smoker with the help of the adjustable latchet.
A Beginners Guide on Picking a Right Smoker
Smoking meat is now accessible than ever before. An electric smoker does most of the work, and you have to adjust the temperature. As, all come on adjusting the right temperature, for the right time and with suitable moisture for each type of meat. Here are a few guidelines which will help you to smoke a perfect thanksgiving turkey by choosing a correct smoker.
Select Suitable Fuel
Smokers come in three types of fuel types, for your knowledge these are
- Charcoal
- Gas
- Electric
Electric smokers have no waste; they are easy to use and can give you an authentic taste. These electric smokers also come in different styles. Most popular among these are Box and Vertical Electric Smoker. If you are a beginner, then the box electric smoker is spacious and thus suggested for you.
Set Optimal Temperature
Here are a few recommended internal temperatures you should keep in mind while smoking meat.
| Type of Meat | Degrees (Fahrenheit) |
| Poultry Breast | 170 |
| Beef, Veal & Lamb Roasts | 145-170 |
| Whole Poultry | 180 |
In short, an electric smoker is suitable for you if it is effortless to use and doesn’t disturb you to look at it again and again. If it is straightforward to assemble, easy to transport and meets all your requirements, then that smoker is beginner-friendly. To prevent any trouble looking for the best smoker for beginners, you can pick one from the above list. For more updates check Electric Smoker Reviews.
