Pellet smoker or electric smoker?

[BigVMan23]

Was going to get me a new propane smoker after the one I have broke...but I have decided to go ahead and repair it while still getting another smoker, and instead of getting another propane smoker I think I am going to go another route. Been looking at pellet smokers and electric smokers. Heard/read where the electric smokers are almost fool proof, and "set and forget". However, they don't impart as much smoke flavor and you don't get the nice smoke ring when using them. The electronic feed pellet smokers are close to "set and forget", automatically feeding the pellets to keep the desired temp set on the electric thermostat while imparting good smoke flavor...but then they have moving parts that can go bad (augur motor). I also don't know anyone off hand that has one that I can personally talk to and can tell me how they like it.

 

So, any recommendations?

[coldweatherfan]

I know 3 people that have pellet smokers and they love it. And everything that I have eaten off of one has been fantastic.

 

They're not cheap though.

[JDEaston]

Both are a lot alike. If you go the pellet route, be careful which one you choose, spend a little more money to get one that is made of thicker steel otherwise you'll lose a lot of smoke and have some wild temp fluctuations depending on the weather. To help sales they have started using thin steel (almost like sheet metal) in some of the well known brands newer models to lower the price. But anytime your looking to maintain a constant temperature, thicker still and or insulation goes a long way in keeping your temperatures steady. Especially in bad weather.

 

Personally if you don't want to go with something truly wood or coal fired I'd go with an electric smoker. They will hold a constant temp and are truly a set it and forget it smoker. As far as not producing as much smoke, out of the box they don't. But if you add a pellet box or tube and light one end of it with pellets, you will end up with an excellent smoke profile. I'll provide a link at the end of my post.

 

I primarily use coal and wood, I have an offset smoker and an Akorn kamado style grill. Since buying the Akorn I've only used the offset maybe once or twice. Mainly due to the Akorn is nearly a set it and forget it type deal. It's so well insulated that once you get the vents set where you want them it'll burn wood and coal for 16+ hours and maintain a more consistent temp than my oven can.

 

That said, I nearly bought a Masertbilt electric smoker in December to put in the basement for use in the winter. I figured if I can vent the smoke out via adding another dryer vent, I can smoke in the wintertime without having to go outside. To me that's another nice thing about the electric smokers, they can be used in a lot of different ways.

 

A-MAZE-N Products, LLC

[00Rocket28]

Get a Green Mountain Pellet Smoker

[rjs4470]

I have a Traeger that has served me well for nearly 10 years. I'm going to be upgrading soon, and I might go high end and get a Yoder. But I'm also looking at another Traeger since this one has served me so well or a Grilla. Either way, I love pellet smokers...they are very easy to use. Yes you have to deal with a little dust/ash, but they are set and forget, and can be used for many different foods.

[JDEaston]

I have a Traeger that has served me well for nearly 10 years. I'm going to be upgrading soon, and I might go high end and get a Yoder. But I'm also looking at another Traeger since this one has served me so well or a Grilla. Either way, I love pellet smokers...they are very easy to use. Yes you have to deal with a little dust/ash, but they are set and forget, and can be used for many different foods.

 

The old school Treager's were great, but their lower line stuff today isn't anywhere near the quality of their old school stuff. By that I mean the models you find in the box stores. Seen some at Rural King not long ago and they have cheapened them up a bit to help increase sales. I'm sure some of his more expensive models are still great though.

[rjs4470]

The old school Treager's were great, but their lower line stuff today isn't anywhere near the quality of their old school stuff. By that I mean the models you find in the box stores. Seen some at Rural King not long ago and they have cheapened them up a bit to help increase sales. I'm sure some of his more expensive models are still great though.

 

I agree. They've definitely added some lower line stuff that isn't worth it's price. Which is why I'm looking at other brands.

[Beechwoodfan]

We have owned both, but prefer the pellet. Part of the fun is watching the husband go out and get it started and watch him fuss over it during the day. It's part of the adventure of smoking!

[TAC]

Set and forget sounds good to me. Bro In law has one. Need to get the internal thermometer.

[JDEaston]

We have owned both, but prefer the pellet. Part of the fun is watching the husband go out and get it started and watch him fuss over it during the day. It's part of the adventure of smoking!

 

I'm with ya on the adventure part of it. That's why I'm strictly a coal/wood burner at the moment.

[BigVMan23]

We have owned both, but prefer the pellet. Part of the fun is watching the husband go out and get it started and watch him fuss over it during the day. It's part of the adventure of smoking!

 

I have a propane smoker...it must be babied as well so "set and forget' might be a welcomed addition.

[rjs4470]

I have a propane smoker...it must be babied as well so "set and forget' might be a welcomed addition.

 

It's not exactly set and forget. You do have to make sure your hopper doesn't run out of pellets. And I've had the fire go out as well, mostly due to my lack of maintenance (you should vac the dust out every 2 or 3 uses). But it is so much easier to control temperature with the wood pellet grills.

[JDEaston]

How much loot are you looking to spend @BigVMan23?

[BigVMan23]

It's not exactly set and forget. You do have to make sure your hopper doesn't run out of pellets. And I've had the fire go out as well, mostly due to my lack of maintenance (you should vac the dust out every 2 or 3 uses). But it is so much easier to control temperature with the wood pellet grills.

 

Was referring to an electric smoker when saying "set and forget". Yep I assumed a pellet smoker might require a little watching over...maybe not quite as much as my propane smoker but more than an electric one.

[BigVMan23]

How much loot are you looking to spend @BigVMan23?

 

Not a ton. I smoked the best baby back ribs and chicken I have ever eaten last summer, bar none, on a cheap Char-Broil vertical propane smoker that was under $200. So it doesn't have to be expensive to get excellent results. I know some of the pellet smokers can run into 4 digits...not looking to do anything near that.