Do you relish smoked food? Would you like to cook yourself some smoked ham and bacon or a chicken deli or anything else? But you know you cannot because you stay in an apartment or a condo where you cannot have mini-fires lighted for safety reasons. Now smoke-up your worries into the air because you don’t have to stop eating smoked food or spend high-end dollars to have a meal at an expensive restaurant.
Smoke dishes that are your favorite right inside your home’s comfort with the electric smokers that too under $500. An electric smoker is versatile equipment that you can easily master and be a great host for barbecue parties. No more coughing with smoke from charcoal or propane. Convenient, easy to use, and durable electric smokers are just that.
Though you may find multiple alternatives to buy, you must keep some aspects in mind while selecting an electric smoker. To solve your problem, we have selected the best five electric smokers under $500 and taken the time to review each of them. Now you can opt for the one that suits you the most!
Table of Contents
Best Electric Smokers under $500
| Image | Best Electric Smokers under $500 | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | 1. Green Mountain Davy Crockett Electric Smoker | 99% |
 | 2. Smokehouse Products Little Chief Electric Smoker | 96% |
 | 3. Cuisinart COS-330 Electric Smoker | 92% |
 | 4. Bradley Smoker Digital 4 Rack Electric Smoker | 89% |
 | 5. Dyna-Glo DGU951SDE-D Two Door Digital Bluetooth Smoker | 85% |
Want to learn more?
Here are our reviews of the best electric smokers under $500.
1. Green Mountain Davy Crockett Electric Smoker
Now control the electric smoker from the palm of your hand with your Android or IoS enabled phone over wifi. A specially designed sensor called Sense-Mate monitors grill temperatures throughout the cooking process to give you consistent and quality cooked food. It is powered by 1500 watts electricity on 110 volts AC. You may also power it by your car at 12V using a step-down converter. The best part is that it can be folded and carried in the back of your car or RV.
The main packing includes the main unit, a meat probe, a lid raised for rib racks, and a convenience tray. It weighs 57. 32 pounds and has a dimension of 29. 92 (L) x 14. 96 (W) x 21. 65 inches (H).
Some people who have bought this product say it is good for cooking and smoking for 2 to 6 people easily. They recommend that you should clean the pellet burn pot for every bag of pellets used. This will help you manage the heat controls much better. The conveniently placed temperature control gives you an update on the food’s temperature inside so that you don’t have to keep opening the door and losing the heat.
The Bluetooth compatibility allows you to control the heating temperatures on the grill. If you have preset profiles with steps and instructions, you can refine and improve your smoke. A fan inside the smoker keeps the smoke flowing for the cooking.
Why do we like it?
- Foldable and portable
- Includes all essentials like a meat probe and a convenience tray
- Easy to assemble
2. Smokehouse Products Little Chief Electric Smoker
This product is an excellent choice for everyone who enjoys grilling food outdoors. Smokehouse has been manufacturing electric smokers since 1968 in the USA. Now enjoy an evening out, grilling food, relaxing yourself with this easy-to-use electric smoker that brings fun into your life. As you wait for the food to be smoke grilled, you are laughing away and not covered in smoke. This unit has comprehensively designed smoke ventilation while the food retains the smoke flavor to your taste.
Bring home this electric smoker, prepare the meat, chicken, or vegetables because you do not have to go out to buy wood. Finish your batch of chicken thigh or braised beef dishes cooked on low heat (165oF) with convenience. The package has a silver-finished front-loading electric smoker, a recipe booklet with instructions, and 1. 75-pound wood fuel. The hickory flavored wood fuel is by Chips and chunk.
It is powered by 250 watts volts of electricity. It weighs only 12. 2 pounds, and its dimensions are 1. 5 (L) x 11. 5 (W) x 24. 5 (H) inches. The entire unit is made from high-quality aluminum construction and is a great buy for outdoor use.
The easy-to-clean and maintain easy slide grills are lightweight chrome plates. It even has a pan for grease collection that is dishwasher safe. Available for a large gathering, it can cook up to 25 pounds of meat or fish in one-go, reducing waiting time for other diners. The small chip pan at the unit’s base can be accessed by you directly while replacing wood chips. It helps you retain the smoke and heat as you don’t need to open the main unit door.
Why do we like it?
- No-assembly required
- Easy to use
- Cook up to 25 pounds of meat at once
- Smoke is evenly distributed
3. Cuisinart COS-330 Electric Smoker
Huff the charcoal and propane puff away. Bring in the new with the Cuinsart’s electric smoker. Get that smoky flavor without using a traditional charcoal smoker! Friendly, lightweight, and easy to use, this electric smoker has under 550 square inches of space to smoke and cook your food. The racks made up of chrome enable you to have different food items smoked separately for taste and finish. All racks are dishwasher friendly, and you are done cleaning without messing-up.
Both the wood tray and the water pan are detachable for ease in replenishing the smoker and later for cleaning. A water pan ensures that there is enough moisture inside the electric smoker that tenderizes the food. This vertical front opening smoke-house adorns your patio as you barbeque food and make merry. It weighs 51. 5 pounds and has a dimension of x 37. 5 (H) x 22 (L) x 19 (W) inches.
It has a thermometer on the front door, which monitors the temperature inside for a perfect finish. At the backend, a 1500 W heating coil is cooking food like steaks, ribs and other delicacies. The heating coil provided is durable and does the job easily. It has a large and sturdy handle on either side to help move it.
Why do we like it?
- Chrome racks can be removed easily for cleaning
- Front-door has a built-in thermometer
- Lightweight and portable
- 3-year limited warranty
4. Bradley Smoker Digital 4 Rack Electric Smoker
You can never go wrong with a Bradley. This powerhouse is a combination of quality and perfection with a unique wood smoking hopper that produces cold or hot smoke. Unlike others, the unique clean smoke technology uses specially designed wood smoking bisquettes. They are designed to extinguish before they turn into ash.
There is no need to monitor; plug it in, add water, pellets/bisquettes, and the food, set the temperature, and be ready for a delicious meal. Remember, this unit only has a temperature sensor but no meat probe that you can use to check the food item’s temperature.
People who have bought and used it say that it does not burn more than three bisquettes an hour while it can hold about 25 in one go. This large storage of 25 bisquettes lasts you about 8 to 9 hours of non-monitored cooking. You must ‘prime’ the electric smoker before the first use for high-quality results. Great, isn’t it? You get to enjoy the company of friends and other diners, no need to sit alone by the smoke-house.
The silver color of the unit adds a good background to all textures and colors of food cooked. This unit is super easy to clean and maintain with its external stainless steel chrome-plated finish. There is a digital control to maintain temperature throughout the cooking process. You can always remove the detachable generator unit from the main unit and store it separately for durability.
Why do we like it?
- No monitoring
- Ease of installation
- Good exhaust/ventilation system
5. Dyna-Glo DGU951SDE-D Two Door Digital Bluetooth Smoker
Here is an electric smoker with two doors and a Bluetooth. It has a digital control panel, digital thermostat, an internal meat probe, and Bluetooth connectivity, so you can control the smoking process with convenience while enjoying a drink with your friends. No need to go to the electric smoker again and again to check on the food. This means no more losing temperature or inhaling smoke as you don’t need to open the doors frequently. A dual door system ensures that you open either the main unit or replenish wood and water in the lower part of the smoker.
This powerful unit produces even heat throughout, even in cooler weather. It has an adjustable door latch with a high-heat seal to reduce heat and smoke loss for your convenience. This unit is available in 30″ too for people who need to cater to smaller families or have less space at home for an appliance. This unit is available with removable rib racks and sausage hooks that are placed above the racks. The overall unit is made of stainless steel, which ensures it is durable, while the grates themselves are chrome-coated steel.
Powered by a 1000 watts/110 AC plug-in electricity, the overall dimensions are 32. 5 H x 19. 4 W x 19(D) inches. This unit offers a three-year warranty on the burner, one year on other parts, 90 days on a water/wood tray.
Why do we like it?
- Easy to install and use
- Dual doors
- Huge (794”) of cooking space
Electric Smokers under $500 Buyer’s Guide
Buying and investing in an electric smoker under $500 could be a daunting task. You have to watch out for so many things to ensure you can serve a perfectly smoked meal, hot or cold. For your benefit, we have listed down some important points for you to consider while picking the best electric smokers under $500. We have listed here all the major ones!
Capacity
To enjoy a superb meal, you don’t want to be running the food in batches. This only delays food coming to the table from the electric smoker as your friends and family look hungry. How many folks do you have over generally? Are these electric smokers going to be used for a large get-together? Will you be using any other appliances for cooking, like a one-insta-pot or anything else?
Once you are clear about the number of people or the number of portions you cook for, you are sure to know the size you need. A trade-off with a smaller-sized yet feature-filled electric smoker may be of little use later when you have to cook food in batches.
Convenience
Handles: opt for one with handles on both sides for ease of moving it. Cool-touch handles allow you ease in handing without burning yourself.
Water pan: The presence of a water pan is helpful to ensure meat and vegetables don’t become dry and are moist enough
Smoke exhaust ventilation: A high-powered exhaust system ensures that your food doesn’t taste bitter due to the bad smoke which stayed inside if the exhaust was low power.
Easy to assemble: While most electric smokers come already assembled, some may not. As a first step, ensure that you have all the parts needed by matching it with the instruction manual before assembling.
Temperature
Consider an electric smoker which has a wide range of cooking temperature. This will give you options to cook at low temperatures (150o F) or very high temperatures (450o F). Experienced folks know that they also need to consider the heating element and its placement. Ideally, you want your smoker to bellow enough smoke to be absorbed by the food dish but not overhang the dish with acid rain.
Most electric smokers come with a temperature probe to check the finishing of a food dish. Some don’t. It is always best to have one to ensure good quality and safe food practice.
Mobility
While buying, most folks don’t consider mobility as an important factor. Once you have used the electric smoker two or three times, you will see that your friends and family love you’re cooking. Presto, they invite you over with your electric smoker, and that’s when things change. Mobility is affected by weight, ease to move like castors/wheels, and a long enough power cord.
Maintenance
Electric smokers offer you ease in cleaning and maintenance. Most of them have easily removable racks, making cleaning the racks and insides a quick clean job. Ensure that you can reach the customer service helpline easily via telephone or by email address in case of any problems.
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