Are you considering purchasing a new smoker but need to know Are Electric Smokers As Good As Charcoal? The choice depends on the individual making it. For instance, those searching for ease of use can choose electric smokers, while those seeking a more traditional experience can opt for charcoal smokers.
There are also several other things to consider before making the best decision. You’ve come to the right place if you’re new to this field or need assistance analyzing the two possibilities.
To give our readers the finest information possible, we spoke with grilling industry professionals and investigated both smokers’ benefits, drawbacks, and other aspects.
We have included comprehensive information about both electric and charcoal smokers below. To choose wisely, read the entire article. Before comparing the types, let’s first examine an overview of electric and charcoal smokers.
Are Electric Smokers As Good As Charcoal?
For those who wish to smoke a lot of meat at once, charcoal smokers are often the best option. Although they are often more expensive than charcoal smokers, electric smokers are practical and simple. You don’t need to worry about an open flame or lighter fluid, and they may heat up quickly.

Charcoal Vs Electric Smoker: Detailed Comparisons
When selecting a smoker, there are many factors to consider. Let’s examine some of the most crucial elements to consider before making a purchase. Which one do you think is most crucial?

The Finished Foods’ Consistency And Quality
This had to be covered first. The most delectable food you can make should be your ultimate objective. If you’ve never smoked food before, an electric smoker will immediately give you the most reliable results.
Why? Since maintaining a steady temperature is necessary for smoking, a competent electronic smoker will do it without your continual attention. But if you get the hang of it, a charcoal smoker can produce results with equal consistency.
However, there is no comparison regarding quality; charcoal smokers win out by a wide margin. For instance, electric smokers don’t do a fantastic job crisping skin or producing a killer bark due to their excessively effective moisture retention. However, charcoal smokers thrive at it because of their ventilation.
As charcoal burns, it emits complex molecules that adhere to the meal and contribute to taste. This results in a different, more complex flavor profile.
Additionally, more smoke is produced, and more smoke equals greater flavor.
Versatility
You wouldn’t describe an electric smoker as “versatile.” On one, you can only effectively smoke; you can’t grill or roast.
Low temperatures allow for some cold smoking, but true cold smoking requires temps about 85 °F (30 °F), so it isn’t the same.
Returning to charcoal While you can cook with direct heat on a charcoal barbecue, you can’t smoke on one, at least not on a barrel or vertical-style one.
Some offset smokers have a grate that can be placed over the charcoal to create a small cooking area.
Getting your smoker to roasting temperatures, or roughly 350 °F (177 °C), shouldn’t be a major difficulty. Therefore, charcoal has you covered if you like options.
Utilization And Convenience
It’s all about the electric smoker in this category. Really: GFI outlet vs a chimney starter? Nothing beats plugging it in and turning it on for a quick startup.
Additionally, once the electricity is turned on, it stays on (barring a power outage) – no need to reload the charcoal during an extended session.
With an electric, you can start smoking more rapidly because of the instant-on feature. Before the charcoal is ready for wood to be thrown on top, your chips will already be smoking.
The temperature is set on a digital electric heater, and the thermostat takes care of the rest: no vents, no baffles, and no way to account for wind and drafts.
Of course, electricity becomes suddenly less handy or even possible if there isn’t a readily available outlet. A heavy-duty extension cord is advised if the outlet is not conveniently located for you.
With charcoal, you may start a fire anywhere you choose, including while camping, coddling, or RVing.
Range Of Temperature: High Heat And Low Heat
An electric smoker’s temperature range is constrained because they are designed solely for smoking. A typical model’s temperature range is roughly 38-135 °C (100-275 °F).
That would be perfect for low-and-slow smoking and perhaps some low-end smoking of cheese, nuts, vegetables, and fruit.
Are you roasting and searing? Disregard it. A charcoal fire is more difficult to maintain at a low temperature; a thermometer may go as low as 100 °F, but you would struggle to do so.
Your realistic lower limit is most likely near 125 °F. Although slightly higher temperatures are attainable with a roaring fire, the upper end will be closer to 350 °F. But why on earth would you want that?
You can sear as a bonus if your offset has a cooking grate in the firebox — but only if you build up the fire.
Dimensions, Footprint, And Space Needed
How much room would your new smoker require? How much space DO YOU HAVE for your new smoker might be a better question.
Set your criteria, then buy with that information in mind.
Depending on the capacity, a barrel- or vertical-style smoker will have a footprint up to around 2 feet by 2 feet, whether you choose an electric or charcoal model (Weber, for instance, manufactures barrel-shaped smokers with 14″, 18″, and 22″ diameters).
Few are bigger than this, although some are smaller. However, if you use charcoal, you can choose an offset smoker.
These massive badasses have a footprint that is comparable to a typical barbecue. Expect to require a place between 3 and 4 feet deep and up to 6 feet broad.
Cooking Potential
Although you might anticipate that charcoal smokers would generally be larger, they are equivalent to electric smokers. More king-size charcoal choices are available, but an electric smoker that can smoke 6 turkeys at once is still available.
Similar miniature versions are available for each, but again, there are more options for charcoal. The benefit of stacking racks vertically is that vertical models provide (again, on average) higher capacity than offsets.
Reliability
With a charcoal barbecue, only some things can go right. There are no electric or electrical components to fry or a component to harm unless yours has a built-in lighter. In reality, a hinge is the most complex object there is.
Rust will be your biggest opponent, but it may be easily defeated with the right care and storage.
Electric smokers need complex electronics to reach and maintain the appropriate smoking temperature. Nothing here isn’t tried-and-true technology, but keypads eventually wear out, and electronics may only sometimes get along with the outdoors.
We don’t mean to imply that electric smokers are by nature less dependable than charcoal ones.
But in reality, if it’s outside the scope of your warranty, there’s a greater chance that something will go wrong, and repairs could be expensive.
Maintenance Necessary
Because electric appliances don’t emit much smoke, cleaning is minimal. To prevent moisture problems, it’s crucial to wipe clean the exterior.
You should also naturally scrape off your racks after each use.
However, a charcoal smoker will require more cleaning because of the more intense smoke. This is particularly true if you unintentionally produce thicker and less thin blue smoke.
Additionally, the chimney should be kept free of creosote buildup to ensure that the smoke can circulate easily.
Initial Purchase Price
You decide how much you want to spend on your smoke. Top-rated electric smokers typically cost more than comparable charcoal smokers.
Charcoal is the best option if you want to start because there are many affordable options. Both offer quite pricey versions if you’re looking for offset charcoal smokers or electrics with intricate, digital Bluetooth interfaces.
Ongoing Operating Costs
Electric is the undisputed champion in this category. If you disregard the price of wood chips, which will be roughly the same regardless of the type of smoker you purchase, a charcoal smoker will cost you many times more per hour to operate than an electric one—ten times, at the very least.
Unlike an island, electricity is reasonably priced everywhere unless you are in a remote area with little power resources.
Before you spend as much money as a bag of charcoal, you can run an electric smoker for a very long period.
Even the least expensive charcoal can deplete your wallet faster than plugging in (which we wouldn’t recommend).
Community And Popularity
This one is another category with a clear winner, although charcoal is the winner this time. It is the most enduring fuel and is incredibly well-liked.
For information and assistance, there are countless websites, and social media groups, not to mention endless YouTube videos.
If you purchase charcoal, you’ll never smoke alone. On the other side is a very small community of electric smokers.
Despite being somewhat popular because of their simplicity, they don’t elicit the same love and dedication as charcoal.
Effects Of Bad Weather
The effects of the cold can be partially reduced by effective insulation. In other words, regardless of the fuel, a cheap smoker will always perform worse in the cold than a more costly one.
However, an electric smoker can have difficulty maintaining your aim since they normally have a lower maximum temperature than a charcoal smoker, assuming the insulation is the same.
Electric systems don’t have to worry about wind because they don’t rely on vents and chimneys, making it impossible for wind to enter and mess things up.
There isn’t a flame to put out even if it could. To keep things kosher inside a charcoal smoker, you’ll need to find ways to stop or reroute the wind.
Another aspect to consider is precipitation, which includes rain wherever you live and snow if you live far enough north. In addition to cooling your charcoal smoker, rain and snow can enter your chimney.
This will be fine if you have a hood over the top unless the wind is coming in from the side; in this case, you shouldn’t be outside smoking.
Electric smokers are not appropriate in wet environments. Even the slightest fractures and flaws can allow moisture to enter, ruining the control panel.
When not in use, keep your electric smoker covered, and avoid smoking in the rain if you live somewhere that gets wet (i.e., anywhere that isn’t a desert).
Charcoal wins out in this comparison purely due to moisture concerns.
Conclusion
To conclude, Are Electric Smokers As Good As Charcoal? Whether you possess either type of smoker depends on your interests and circumstances (or both, if money is not an issue!). However, if we had to choose just one kind, we’d pick charcoal.
A charcoal smoker’s flavor benefits vastly outweigh an electric smoker’s ease. You know what’s best for you now that you’ve read this post.
Whether the food is prepared using gas, electricity, or charcoal, it will be tasty.
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