Electric Smoker Vs. Pellet Smoker: How Are They Different?

Tom Gaffey
by Tom Gaffey

A barbecue just isn’t the same without some fragrant smoked meat. The smell of hickory burning in the backyard triggers all sorts of mouth watering nostalgia. If you love smoked meat, you have probably considered buying a smoker for your own backyard gatherings. Upon researching, you will find that both electric smokers and pellet smokers require electricity, and you may wonder what exactly the difference is between the two. But more importantly, which type of smoker is better?

Pellet smokers provide a better overall flavor than electric smokers. Pellet smokers slow cook food using combusted wooden pellets, giving it the desirable smokey flavor. These smokers are also easy to use, and can often bake, and grill in addition to simply smoking food. Electric smokers, however, are often much more affordable, easy to clean, and you can often fit more food in them.

When you decide you are ready to bite the bullet and buy your own smoker, you are likely ready to get started right away. While it is always a good day to smoke some meat, it is best to consider your options first. Before you choose between an electric smoker and pellet smoker you should ask yourself a few questions and weigh the pros and cons.

Five Questions To Ask When Choosing The Right Smoker

1. Is The Smoker Easy To Use?

Whether you are brand new to smoking food or you’re an old pro, the last thing you want is an over-complicated smoking system. Both electric smokers and pellet smokers have modern and easy to use options.

2. How Well Does It Smoke Food?

At the end of the day, you want a smoker that delivers the best flavor. Be sure you understand and know the exact flavor profile you are after, and what you plan to smoke the most. Electric smoker and pellet smokers offer different flavor profiles and intensity.

3. How Much Does It Cost?

Smokers can cost a pretty penny. Before you decide on a pellet smoker or electric smoker, be sure you know your budget. After all, your budget may limit your options, making your decision all that much easier.

4. How Portable Is It?

You have to consider how you will store your device and where you will set it up. You also need to consider the smoke, the electricity and how you will store it during the winter months. Do you require a smoker you can move in different areas, or will you have a designated area near a power supply for your smoker?

5. How Versatile Is The Smoker?

Some types of smokers can act as more than just a smoker. Some can also grill, and essentially perform the role of an oven. Think about the type of meals you are looking to execute with your smoker.

What Is An Electric Smoker?

An electric smoker is a cooking vessel that uses an electrical heating element to cook and smoke your food. These smokers normally have a vertical design, almost resembling a miniature stainless steel refrigerator. They have several racks, which are heated by an electric coil.

There is an area by the heating element to place wood chips (normally a metal bowl of sorts). These wood chips heat up with the element and infuse the sealed unit with rich and fragrant smoke as it cooks the food inside. These smokers often come with a thermostat, enabling you to cook at your exact desired temperature.

Pros Of Electric Smoker

Precise Temperatures

The thermostat on most modern electric smokers enables you to cook your meat at exact temperatures. Cooking meat on a grill or pan is often less precise, but with most electric smokers you can simply set the temperature, and your timer. It makes for a very easy, hands-off cooking experience.

Affordable

Electric smokers are often cheaper than most pellet smokers. This makes them a great option for those who want to smoke meat and other foods but are on a tighter budget. It also makes them a good option for those who have never used a smoker before. It’s a smaller financial commitment, and they are easy to use.

Easy to clean

Electric smokers are also very easy to clean. Simply remove the racks to clean them. Sometimes you may have to wipe the inside of the smoker as well, but it is no more work than wiping an oven.

Lots of Cooking Space

The vertical design and multiple smoking racks allows you to cook plenty of food at once. This is great for those looking to smoke meat for larger groups of people. Simply load up your racks, and cook as normal.

Cons Of Electric Smoker

Need electricity and wood chips

Electric smokers require a significant amount of electricity, and they also require wood chips. This makes them less fuel efficient. It also means you need reliable electricity outside the house. Electric smokers use a fair amount of electricity. It’s almost like bringing your oven outside.

Not As Portable

Because electric smokers rely so heavily on electricity, they are not as portable as some other types of smokers. They are best for those who have a specific outdoor location designated to smoking.

Can Create Drier Final Products

Sometimes electric smokers dry out your smoked meat. They cook like an oven, and more rapidly than some other smokers. They are often accompanied by a water pan to reduce dryness, but that may only combat the problem to a degree. Be sure to read the reviews on how moist and tender smoked products are before purchasing an electric smoker.

Not As Much Smokey Flavor

Perhaps the biggest con to electric smokers is they are not known to create the best (or strongest) smokey flavor. This can be a major deterrent for those looking for a smoker that packs as much of that classic smokey flavor in as possible.

What Is A Pellet Smoker?

A pellet smoker uses both electricity and food-grade wood pellets to smoke your food. While these smokers sometimes look similar to a grill, the food is not cooked directly over the flame like a grill. Instead it uses radiant heat, similar to your home oven.

The difference is the heat comes from the smokey wood pellets. This encapsulates the food in rich smoky air – giving it its robust flavor. Unlike the electric smoker, pellet smokers rely on the wood elements for heat. This difference is also what gives pellet smokers their signature slow cooked smoky flavor.

Pros Of Pellet Smoker

Simple to Use

Electric smokers are not the only modern smokers that are easy to use. Pellet smokers are also very user friendly. They allow you to “set it and forget it” once you program it properly.

Low Electrical Consumption

While pellet smokers require some electricity (in order to monitor temperature, and operate the contraption that releases pellets), it requires far less than electric smokers. This allows pellet smokers to be more transportable than electric smokers in many cases.

Rich Smoky Flavor

The wood pellet combustion creates a rich smoky gas that infuses the food, which electric smokers do not have. This is due to the method the wood pellets burn in the pellet smoker. This flavor is just like classic smokers, and is usually the exact flavor most cooks are after.

A Variety of Cooking Methods

While electrical smokers often can only be used as an oven-like smoker, pellet smokers can serve multiple purposes. They can smoke, bake, and horizontal pellet smokers, for example, can even be used as a grill.

Cons Of Pellet Smoker

Typically More Expensive

The main con of a pellet smoker is the price tag. These smokers are almost always more expensive than electric smokers. There are several affordable options out there, but top of the line products cost much more than their electric smoker counterparts.

Not As Much Space For Food

Pellet smokers might pack a lot of flavor, but you can not always pack much food in them. Because they require room for the smoking pellets and elements, there often is not as much space to smoke meat and other items as the vertical racks in an electric smoker. You can find some pellet smokers that have lots of space, but they tend to cost more.

Require More Wood

It may seem like a no brainer, but pellet smokers require lots of pellets. This is not a major issue, but the costs do add up, and they take up space. This is not a problem if you have ample storage, but if you do not, be sure to factor this into your decision.

Can I Use Pellets In An Electric Smoker?

You might wonder if you can buy a cheap electric smoker and use the flavorful wood pellets from a pellet smoker. The answer is no. Pellets are designed for pellet smokers. Also, the way pellets burn is a completely different method than how wood chips for electric smokers use.

If you are looking for that rich flavor from a pellet smoker, there really are no shortcuts. If that smoky flavor is your priority, you are likely going to have to pay a bit more and opt for a pellet smoker.

Wrapping Up Electric Smokers Vs Pellet Smokers

When it comes to that classic smokey flavor you know and love, pellet smokers are always going to perform superior to electric smokers. They slow cook the food with actually smokey heat, which is similar to the way meat has been smoked at barbecues for generations. There are, however, still some reasons to consider an electric smoker.

Both pellet smokers and electric smokers are very user friendly and easy to use. You don’t need to be a smoker expert, or even a great cook to make great smoked food in an electric smoker. Electric smokers are also easy to clean, and often much more affordable than pellet smokers.

Tom Gaffey
Tom Gaffey

Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.

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