I\’ve been specific in my choice of words (energy source rather an heat source) because technically electricity isn\’t heat despite the fact that what we\’re actually going to use this energy for is to heat our smoker.

Heat is desirable in a smoker for two purposes:-

1. To make heat for cooking (unless cold smoking)
2. To make smoke

Generally speaking the source of the heat is in the lower chamber of the smoker because hot air rises and and this creates the draft that passes the smoke over the food in the food chamber. The one exception to this is if you have a remote smoke generator (other than in the bottom of the smoker) and in this case you might want to have a secondary heat source directly in the food chamber.

The fuel or energy source that you use must be a clean source in that the products of combustion are odorless (in most cases just carbon dioxide and water) otherwise you will taint the flavor of your food. Thus the preferred choices for fuel are charcoal, gas (propane or natural gas) or electricity. The one exception to the clean source rule is wood which when burned does give off a flavor but seeing as it\’s this flavor that we are trying to capture, forgive me if I refer these energy sources as clean, I\’m trying to make the distinction to petroleum and oil based products.

The advantage of electricity is that it is super clean, it is pure heat and nothing else. Electricity is also really convenient in that you can just plug it in and go and assuming that you smoker has a method of adjusting the flow of electricity then it also makes for a really easy way to control the temperature within your smoker. If cost comes into the equation then generally speaking electricity is a good source of energy.

The down side to electricity is that it\’s dangerous especially when used outdoors and or where water is concerned. If you\’re on a long cookout then you are going to have your smoker outside for long periods of time – what if it rains? For these reasons any electrical appliance should be sheltered and placed on an inert surface such as concrete, so electricity itself might be relatively cheap but if you have to build a dedicated smoking area in your backyard just to use electricity then it puts a different complexion on the costs.

You could argue that provided you have a long cable and your external socket is protected then you have the answer. There issue with this is that the longer the cable, the more significant the voltage drop and therefore the less efficient your heat provision will be even to the point where it might not be sufficient. Another point to mention with long cables is that the cable must have the appropriate current rating otherwise it will get very hot and could potentially catch fire.

One final point about electricity is that it is only as portable as where you have a socket. For sure you can get electricity at most camp grounds but if you\’re into hunting and fishing than an electric smoker is going to be a challenge. If portability is important to you, then maybe electricity isn\’t the right way to go.

Author Bio: Paul Yates writes reviews for meat smokers as well as gas grill reviews. He also hosts his own barbecue forum to answer your questions and concerns.

Category: Cooking
Keywords: electricity, smoking food, energy source