Best Electric Smokers Under $300 – Review and Buying Guide

So do you love making barbecue at home? If so, why wait, take a look at some of the best electric smokers and start cooking right away. Making barbecue at home has never been this easier.

Electric smokers don’t require a lot of trouble and can be fired up instantly. All you have to do is just marinate your meat, adjust the temperature and you’re good to go.

How do electric smokers work?

Every electric smoker comes with a heating element at the very bottom. This element is fired up once the smoker starts and creates smoke throughout the chamber to cook your meat thoroughly.

Best Electric Smokers Under $300 Overview

IMAGE	PRODUCT	DETAILS
Best Overall	Best Overall	Masterbuilt MB20071117	Weight: 45.9 lbs. Power Source: Corded Electric Material: Steel	Check On Amazon
Highly Recommended	Highly Recommended	Smoke Hollow 26142E – Best 26 Inch Electric Smoker	Weight: 34.9 lbs. Power Source: Electric Material: Steel	Check On Amazon
Editor’s Choice	Editor’s Choice	Char-Broil Deluxe	Weight: 50.2 lbs. Power Source: Electric Material: Stainless Steel	Check On Amazon
More Durable	More Durable	Bradley Digital – 6 Rack Electric Smoker	Weight: 60.5 lbs. Power Source: Corded Electric Material: Stainless Steel	Check On Amazon
Budget-Friendly	Budget-Friendly	Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow 30162E	Weight: 47.2 lbs. Power Source: Electric Material: Steel	Check On Amazon
		Old Smokey Electric Smoker	Weight: 24 lbs. Power Source: Corded Electric Material: Metal	Check On Amazon
Highly Recommended	Highly Recommended	Smokin-It Model #2 Electric Smoker	Weight: 114 lbs. Power Source: Electric Material: Stainless Steel	Check On Amazon
Premium Pick	Premium Pick	Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow SH19079518 Electric Smoker	Weight: 46 lbs. Power Source: Corded Electric Metal: Metal	Check On Amazon
		Masterbuilt 20072115	Weight: 53.7 lbs. Power Source: Electric Material: Stainless Steel	Check On Amazon
		PIT BOSS PBV3D1	Weight: 53.7 lbs. Power Source: Electric Material: Stainless Steel	Check On Amazon

10 Best Affordable Electric Smokers Under $300 Review

So, keeping that in mind, we have come up with top 10 Best electric smokers that you need to consider right away. Also, don’t forget to read our detailed buyer’s guide at the end of this article.

Our first recommendation for best electric smokers is a very easy to use product. The Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker is one of the most affordable and easiest to use electric smoker in the market. The fact that this is a digital smoker makes it this convenient that we recommend it for all the beginners out there.

If you happen to be someone who is just getting used to grilling meat or doesn’t want to get into the fuss of using charcoal to barbeque, you really need to check this smoker out.

The Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker has also been integrated with a thermostat that takes care of the heating system and controls the entire setup efficiently. We absolutely loved the total built and the features of the smoker while the chrome finished stainless steel makes it look high-end and is very easy to wipe clean.

The smoker also heats up pretty quickly and is a master in maintaining a constant temperature. Don’t worry; it is going to cook your meat deliciously. All you have to do is plug it in, fix your meat, adjust the temperature and you’re good to go. If you have read our previous guide about pellet smokers and grills then you must know that we absolutely adore it as one of the best Masterbuilt electric smoker for its quality products and amazing price range.

You can find this model in four different configurations which differ on the basis of sizes and internal space. It also has two Bluetooth models which will work conveniently well for you.

Why I Recommended Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker

The Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker is a solid choice for people looking for affordable electric smokers. The incredible control panel housing, solid design and great temperature maintenance ensure your food gets cooked well. It is an affordable electric smoker that comes with a 5-year warranty.

If you’re looking for a compact electric smoker then Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-Inch Electric Smoker would be our top choice.

The design and the overall construction of this smoker is so perfect that you won’t find any other smoker as compact as this one. The price of this product is also pretty reasonable and the fact that it’s from Smoke Hollow gives us the surety we need regarding its quality and performance.

Smoke Hollow is one of the very few names in the market that offer affordable kitchen cooking range in a very premium quality. The company has made sure all their products are FDA approved and fall under the standards set by the US government. You’re going to love how convenient Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-Inch Electric Smoker is to use.

The 26” model offers you a heating element of 1500-watt while the maximum cooking area you get with this one is 1.3 cubic feet. The heating element is amazing and the constant maintenance of temperature ensures your meat is cooked well.

The Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-Inch Electric Smoker has also been integrated with two chrome-plated cooking grids you can adjust according to the height you require. For an instance, if you’re cooking ribs and a brisket at the same time, you can adjust the heights of the grids to fix everything inside accurately. The design of the smoker is quite similar to all the other smokers you find in the market featuring a heating element at the bottom.

Bottom line

For those who want affordable and compact electric smokers to take anywhere with them, the Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-Inch Electric Smoker is the one you need to invest in.

If you are not convinced by our previous recommendations then Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker will have you sold.

This is an excellent alternative to the Masterbuilt smoker. The overall construction and the features are something you rarely find in the market and convenience is definitely something that comes handy.

The Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is quite identical to the Masterbuilt smoker. It comes with four cooking racks and features some really smart options which makes it one of the best electric smoker in the market.

Another thing that we liked about Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is the glass door. It allows you to keep a check on your food without having the need to opening it up again and again. With this addition, you can ensure that your food is rightly cooked without disturbing the internal temperature of the cabinet.

We also love how sturdy and durable the Char-Broil Deluxe Smoker is. The walls are made up of stainless steel that provide amazing heat retention and keeps your food from getting cold. The glass door is also durable but if you have kids around, you need to be very careful because it doesn’t radiate a lot of heat so might be very dangerous if your child accidentally touches it.

The capacity is more than enough for a cooking a regular meal for you a family of six. But in case you have to host dinners, we suggest go for larger volume smokers.

Bottom line

The Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker is a stylish and sleek smoker that comes with a whole lot of features. It is convenient and easy to use.

We found Bradley Digital 6 Rack Smoker to be very addicting. The reason behind that it comes with a very convenient user-interface that makes cooking not just easier but a whole lot of fun.

All you have to do is insert your food, close the door, adjust the temperature and wait! You cannot look at how everything is looking since there is no glass window but trust us when we say; the smoker gets your recipes made in the best manner.

Apart from being easier to use, the Bradley Digital 6 Rack Smoker is also very spacious. It can cook food for all the people you’re hosting at the dinner. We totally suggest this for families who have gatherings every now and then and love to barbecue.

All the smoke that Bradley Digital 6 Rack Smoker creates is complete natural and nothing artificial about it so it also won’t damage your health. The interior of the smoker is constructed out of stainless steel that we found to be very adequate because it is easy to clean and doesn’t leave stains. Also read a detailed guide to clean an electric smoker.

However, if you don’t host enough parties and are a small family then we would suggest you take a look at our other recommendations. The Bradley Digital 6 Rack Smoker is pretty expensive and will be worth for those who have a lot of guests to host very often.

The Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow 30162E Electric Smoker is the best outdoor electric smoker that you could find.

The fact that it comes in a very simple design and has been engineered efficiently makes it capable of fitting into any place. You can easily use it inside or outside as you want. Masterbuilt has some of the most thought out smokers in their catalog. While manufacturing, they make sure to look into all the aspects to make their product of premium quality.

The Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow 30162E Electric Smoker offers incredible insulation throughout the internal storage to keep a consistent temperature and cook your food thoroughly. Masterbuilt 30162E Electric Smoker comes with bow handles on each side that makes the transportation an easier process. It doesn’t feature wheels so you will have to drag it or pick it up, whatever that will suit you.

One thing that set us off with this smoker is that it doesn’t feature a digital control panel. That means, the smoker isn’t tech oriented so you will have to be able to understand the analog adjustments. The Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow 30162E Electric Smoker is also very affordable because of its simple design. It doesn’t have any digital control panel or Bluetooth or any other tech options so we recommend it for those who are not looking for too much technology.

Bottom line:

An affordable electric smoker with not too much technology, the Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow 30162E Electric Smoker is a good option for outdoor cooking. If you are looking for a simple design with not too many shenanigans, you can go for it.

This is by far the most affordable electric smoker on our list of recommendations. The Old Smokey Electric Smoker is basically designed as a barrel that stands vertically.

Inside it you will find a metal tray, a number of racks to place your food on and a heating element. The reason why we have added Old Smokey Electric Smoker on our list is because of the simple design and the fact that any beginner can make use it pretty easily.

It produces smoke at the bottom of the barrel that slowly drifts around the entire barrel and cooks your meat perfectly. The barrel is very well-capable of producing enough smoke to cook meat thoroughly and the design keeps the temperature throughout the internal storage consistent, keeping your food from getting burnt.

If you’re on a budget and this is your first time buying an electric smoker then we suggest that Old Smokey Electric Smoker is a great option for you. This smoker is easy to use and it will allow you to test all your recipes in a fairly safe manner. It offers great value for money and you can start working with it before investing on a more expensive smoker.

The Old Smokey Electric Smoker is made out of aluminum and features two grills inside. The grills can be easily adjusted with the help of handles once you have loaded your meat on it. The racks are sturdy and solid, well capable of holding a number of patties and other food stuff.

One thing you should keep in mind is that this smoker doesn’t come with any numeric control panel and all you get is a single dial to adjust the internal temperature. You will have to get a smoker thermometer to get the accurate reading of the heat.

Bottom line:

The Old Smokey Electric Smoker is simple and reasonably priced smoker that will allow you to test several of your recipes accurately. It is easy to use and you will get the hang of it pretty quickly.

Unlike all the electric smokers that we have reviewed above, the Smokin-It Model #2 Electric Smoker might be a little under-rated smoker. The quality and the size of the smoker are ideal for anyone looking for a large-sized smoker.

It can easily accommodate a huge volume of meat easily if you have a habit of hosting brunches every now and then. The thing that this bad-boy lacks is basically recognition. Not many people know about how good this smoker is which is exactly why we have chosen to add it on our list.

We know when it comes to buying stainless steel smoker, we are all afraid of buying those flimsy smokers that need reinforcements but this one doesn’t. On its own, it is incredibly well constructed, has a lightweight construction, and doesn’t require any modification to keep it steady and sturdier.

Once you initially start Smokin-It Model #2 Electric Smoker, you will see the heat level up to 40 to 50°F but once the internal chamber has been heated up, you can easily bring it to your desired temperature and it will stay that way until your food is completely cooked.

The fact that it has an incredible built quality and is very user-friendly, it will make to be an amazing choice for people who need outdoor smokers. The smoker comes with 4-adjustable cooking racks that make things a whole lot easier and give you enough space to cook for several people.

Bottom line:

The Smokin-It Model #2 Electric Smoker is a solid recommendation for anyone who needs a durable long-lasting electric smoker. It comes with a 5-year warranty and ensures you can cook food for several people conveniently.

Here comes another recommendation from Masterbuilt as we are moving on to our last few recommendations for best electric smokers. The Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow SH19079518 Digital Electric Smoker is another solid choice for people who are looking for compact and sturdy smokers.

This is a very well-built smoker that can accommodate a ton of meat and provide you with a top-quality barbecue.

While we were doing our research, we came to an understanding that electric smokers are by far the cheapest and most affordable smokers available in the market. They usually cost less than the budget you may have fixed for yourself yet you get to bring an incredible model at home.

The Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow SH19079518 Digital Electric Smoker is easy on the budget and very convenient to make use of. All the products of Masterbuilt are FDA approved and fall under the standards set by the US government.

The size of this smoker is also same as the Char-Broil Smoker however it only features 3-adjustable racks. We won’t recommend it for people who are looking for smokers to cook larger volume of food but if you have a small family and you enjoy Sunday brunches just for your own kin, then we totally suggest that you go for it.

The digital control panel allows the user to easily adjust the temperature of the internal heating system while the thermostat ensures the temperature remains in a consistent form throughout the cooking process.

The design of Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow SH19079518 Digital Electric Smoker is also pretty similar to most of the electric smokers that are easily available in the market. It comes with a detailed instruction manual to make things a whole lot easier for you. All you have to do is just plug it in the socket and start cooking.

Bottom line:

For those who want affordable and compact electric smokers to take anywhere with them, the Masterbuilt Smoke Hollow SH19079518 Digital Electric Smoker is a smoker that will definitely add value to your money.

Our second last recommendation for best electric smokers is also from the previous brand but this time, we have a product for you that come with a Bluetooth feature and have some pretty smart specs that make it a wonderful option.

For those who need a powerful electric smoker, going for technology oriented option would be wise because these smokers have a lot more processing power as compared to the traditional smokers and are also very easy to operate.

With robust controls and whole set of features, the Masterbuilt 20072115 Bluetooth Smart Digital Electric Smoker is a smart and one of the very commendable choice for chefs looking for a digital electric smoker. The smoker is capable of holding up a maximum capacity of 80lbs meat which is more than enough for hosting a brunch for your fellows.

It features a digital control panel that will help you adjust the internal heating temperature with utmost ease. You can adjust the temperature 100 degrees to 275 degrees. The window allows you to peek in while your food cooks and keep a constant check to ensure your food doesn’t get burnt.

The internal storage is spacious. It can cook a huge load of food within one go and the thermostat keeps a constant temperature to ensure the heating is equally distributed and maintained in the cabinet.

Bottom line:

The Masterbuilt 20072115 Bluetooth Smart Digital Electric Smoker is one of the best electric smokers for people who need more power and space for cooking their favorite recipes or for hosting dinners and lunches.

Our last product for the list is PIT BOSS PBV3D1 3-Series Digital Vertical Electric Wood Smoker may not look like a lot but it has a number of features to offer that makes it bring a lot to the table.

The PIT BOSS PBV3D1 3-Series Digital Vertical Electric Wood Smoker is a highly recommended smoker for people who need something reasonably priced. This is not too expensive and not too cheap and falls under a moderately priced smoker.

It comes with a highly insulated double stainless steel chamber that gives it an excellent heat retention system. The front of the door has an integrated window, one that will allow you to keep a constant eye on your food without having to go through the trouble of opening the door. This keeps the internal temperature maintained throughout the cooking process while allowing you to see the process.

The digital controls are easy to use and very precise to handle. You can also control the dampers inside manually through the panel and keep a constant check on the moisture and smoke thickness. The PIT BOSS PBV3D1 3-Series Digital Vertical Electric Wood Smoker has four adjustable racks that provide a total cooking area of 760 sq-in. The area is more than enough to cook the maximum capacity of meat as mentioned by the company.

The smoker is pretty tall and features four wheels that make transportation a whole lot easier. You can easily shift it indoors or outdoors without having to go through any extra trouble.

Bottom line:

The PIT BOSS PBV3D1 3-Series Digital Vertical Electric Wood Smoker is an incredible electric smoker with a look of cooking space. It is very easy and convenient to use and also has a 3-year manufacturing warranty.

What to Look for While Choosing an Electric Smokers

Now that you have taken a look at all our product recommendations for best electric smokers, here is some additional information that is really going to help you out in making the right choice.

When investing on an electric smoker, there are a lot of things you need to consider before purchasing. You cannot just go out in the market and buy the very first smoker that you lay your eyes on. If you do that, chances are you will end up regretting your purchase and might even make your hard earned money go to waste.

So, to keep things simple and to ensure you don’t make a mistake, here is a list of some standard aspects we like to consider before we make the final buy.

Capacity and size of an Electric Smoker

So, the very first thing you need to think about is the size and the capacity of the smoker you need. It completely depends on the volume of cooking you plan on doing and how much food you will need to cook.

While most of the smokers come in a reasonable size, you need to look into numbers and consider the width of the smoker. There is no point of having numerous racks if you cannot fit in a complete pack of ribs in it.

The most common size available in the market is the 30” smoker. This may cause you some trouble while fitting in your meat so you will have to make adjustment by cutting it. Otherwise, the 40” smoker is the best if you don’t want to make extra hassle.

Electric Smoker Brand

The next thing you should consider is which brand you would like to go for. The most popular brand of kitchen equipment includes Char-Broil, Masterbuilt and Bradley Technologies. They have the best options available when it comes to buying pellet grills, electric smokers, propane gas smokers, grills, microwaves and what not.

Choose your brand carefully and then start your research. We highly suggest Masterbuilt as they have huge options available and their products fall under various price ranges.

Additional Features of an Electric Smoker

We always look for smokers that have more features and ensure less hassle like opening the woodchip tray without having to access the main compartment. This is a feature we all look for because we don’t want to disturb the cooking process by opening the door and letting the heat out.

Take a look at what kind of heat probes are included in the package and how much heat the smoker ensures. Also, look for smokers with digital control panels and what other options are they offering.

Most of the models allow you to adjust the heating temperature while some will even let you set the cooking time so once the designated time is over; they will turn off the smoker to keep your food from burning.

You can also look for features like remote control or Bluetooth to make your cooking experience all the more convenient.

Electric Smoker should be portable

Since electric smokers need a designated electric socket to be plugged in, these aren’t really popular for being portable.

But, one thing that you can look out for is a compact size and lightweight construction. If you plan on using your smoker mostly outdoors, you will need something lightweight and easily dragged in.

So go for wheels, they are hard to find but make some extra effort.

Budget Friendly Option

Last but definitely not least, decide you budget beforehand so you don’t end up confused at the time of shopping.

If you like your smoker to last for a very long time and plan on using it a lot, then choose a smoker with a warranty claim and a whole lot of features to make things interesting for yourself. This will be a little expensive but the expense will be very worth it.

If you only want to buy a smoker for casual use or you’re just starting out in this domain, then buy something inexpensive, something that will help you polish your cooking technique and later you can buy something with dozens of features.

Read reviews

Before buying any product online, always go through the customer reviews. These reviews are there for your own conveniences so don’t forget to make use of them.

We always suggest to buy products physically by testing them beforehand but in case you cannot do that, read reviews before you make a purchase. These reviews are verified and have a lot of detail regarding the product you’re considering. They can truly be your saving grace.

So, these are a few aspects that you must keep in perspective before making any kind of purchase.

FAQs about Electric Smokers

Here are some frequently asked questions about best budget electric smokers.

Can an electric smoker be used indoors?

This is one of the most frequently asked question and we have to say, that depends on your smoker. While some electric smokers are designed to be used indoors, most of them aren’t. You need commercial grade heat extraction system to use them indoors so it is better to keep them outside.

Are electric smokers as good as charcoal smokers?

The answer to this question completely depends on what exactly are you looking for. If taste is your priority and you have the time and patience to learn how charcoal smokers work then there is nothing better than them. They take time and a lot of persistence but the end result is commendable.

Wrapping Up Electric Smokers Under $300 Review

So, this is everything we had on electric smokers. We hope this article has been helpful to you. We wanted to provide you with an ultimate guide for buying best electric smokers so we included everything in it.

Our Top Three Choices for Budget Oriented Electric Smokers Are Enlisted Below!

Low budget electric smoker – Old Smokey Electric Smoker

Medium budget electric smoker – Char-Broil Deluxe Digital Electric Smoker

Maximum budget electric smoker – Bradley Digital 6 Rack Smoker