INTRODUCTION
The Cuisinart 30″ Electric Smoker is a fantastic product that can be used for cooking, smoking, and roasting all types of meats and veggies. This new model is highly rated, very reasonably priced, and a consistent top-seller on Amazon. It can smoke a wide variety of food and features 548 square inches of interior cooking space spread out over 3 adjustable racks. This unit from the trusted Cuisinart brand comes with a built-in water pan and an internal chip smokebox giving you 45-60 mins of delicious smoke before it needs to be recharged. I like this model because it’s compact, easy to maneuver around, and packs a punch for its size. It’s a serious rival to the Smoke Hollow 26″, being similar in size, with many of the same awesome features.
Power
The Cuisinart 30-inch utilizes an opaque front door design with a chrome spring door handle to keep everything secure. There’s a powerful 1500W heating element that heats the wood chips to generate smoke and control the temperature. All of this sits in an insulated box that nicely contains all the vapors and heat. The temperature dial on the side of the smoker regulates the output of the heater element to keep the unit at your desired temperature. Its internal temperatures range from 100 to 400 degrees. So again, for a unit of this compact size, it definitely packs a punch.
Wood Chips
This smoker uses an electronic heating element at the bottom of the oven to get the wood chips burning. Unlike the Masterbuilt, the chips are pre-inserted into a metal box that then is secured in place above the heating element. Although you have to open the door to replace these chips, the box is big enough that fully filled should give you about a solid hour without having to replenish. If you soak your chips before cooking, they can potentially last even longer and generate a nice moist smoke.
Other Features
It has 3 adjustable steel shelves and an internal thermometer mounted on the front door for convenient viewing. It measures 22 x 19 x 37.5 inches and has a spacious 548 sq-inch cooker oven. There is a removable drip tray at the bottom of the cabin that slopes slightly to the left, making it easier to collect grease and other liquids in the water bowl underneath. Filling the water tray is optional, but it’s always a good idea if you want to keep your food moist. Like all the other models I’ve featured here, be sure to wipe this smoker out using a cloth dampened with a mixture of vinegar and water every 3-4 uses.
Pros
- Easy to use.
- Lightweight.
- Great buy for the money.
- Powerful for its size.
Cons
- Some users complain of relatively low smoke development.
- Smallish wood chip box.
- No digital readout or built-in meat probe.
Conclusion
The Cuisinart 30 Inch is a great electric smoker. It’s heavy-duty, reliable, and gets the job done. Cuisinart is of course a well-known brand- I own plenty of great smaller gadgets from them that make my cooking projects easier. This unit is no exception and should make smoking meat easy and fun for you all year long. For the price, it’s absolutely one of the best models on the market right now.