If you want a smoker that will be with you for a long time, a Smokin-It Analog Electric Smoker would be a great choice. It will give you perfectly smoked meals while asking for very little attention or effort. Carefully designed and built, one of these smokers will serve you for many years.
Meet The Smokin-It Analog Electric Smoker
This unassuming little smoking cube could be mistaken for a safe or maybe a bar fridge. Its functional purpose is reflected in its looks; all about the job it needs to do, no bells and whistles.
The aim of the design of the Smokin-It Analog Electric Smoker is to provide the customer with the best smoking experience possible. The result is an easy-to-use quality smoker that uses energy efficiently.
Steve and Rebecca Larnier started producing their smokers in their garage, and they sold the first one in 2009. They have since moved to their new warehouse facilities in Montgomery, Michigan, and are enjoying living in the country.
They supply smokers for both restaurants and for backyard chefs. You won’t find their smokers available in stores because they did not want a potential price increase for any dealers.
Their comany has a great reputation for customer service, and this can be observed in the Smokin-It smoker forum, full of smoker owners with their questions and suggestions.
Compare Smokin-It Electric Smoker Models
| Smoker Model | Smoker | Cooking Capacity (Pounds) | Cooking Surface (Square Inches) | Weight (Pounds) | Footprint (W x D x H Inches, Including Casters & Controls) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smokin-It Model 1 |  | 18 | 468 | 60 | 15 x 19 x 25.375 |
| Smokin-It Model 2 | | 31 | 841 | 75 | 17 x 20.5 x 29.25 |
| Smokin-It Model 3 |  | 42 | 1232.50 | 135 | 17 x 28 x 31 |
Construction
This smoker is constructed from 100% 18-gauge 201 stainless steel. Steel of this type is not magnetic.
In the bottom of the cooking chamber is the wood box, which sits on the powerful heating element. If you want to use a water pan, this is the place to put it.
The floor is sloped so that the drippings and grease will flow through the drain hole in the bottom to the drip tray below the unit, which slides out for easy cleaning. Above the fuel source area are the adjustable and removable stainless steel cooking racks.
The high-quality stainless-steel doors are just as strong as the rest of the body, but don’t feature a viewing window.
The doors latch with a compression fit and do not require gasket seals, which means you won’t ever need to fit pesky replacement gaskets. The number of doors depends on the model.
Is The Smokin-It Smoker Certified For Restaurant Use?
Yes, it certainly does have certification by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), so it can be used in commercial premises such as restaurants.
Where Are Smokin It Smokers Made?
According to the NSF certification, the smokers are made by Helen’s Wooden Crafting DBA; this is the HWC Company mentioned on the serial number label on your smoker.
The smokers are manufactured in China according to Smokin-It’s thorough requirements.
Temperature Control
These smokers have a temperature range of 100 to 250 degrees F. After you’ve set your desired temperature using the knob on top of the smoker, the rheostat will monitor and maintain that temperature.
The smoker is insulated with fiberglass to hold the heat in, and the doors are sealed by compression rather than gaskets for the same reason. You’ll find that the smoker does not get hot to the touch during the cook; the heat is really held inside!
You can place a water pan in the bottom of the smoker if you wish. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy as long it is not flammable. A recycled foil food tray will be fine. There’s a hole in the top of the smoker to allow the smoke to escape, but there are no vents or dampers.
Ease Of Use
This unit needs to be seasoned before use. You’ll find instructions in the owner’s notes, but basically, it means doing a smoke for a few hours but with no food and no cooking racks. Smokin-It even provides some sample hickory wood chunks for this purpose.
How to use the Smokin-it Smoker
- After the unit has been seasoned and your food is ready to be smoked, you can have the smoker in action in less than 5 minutes.
- Place the wood chips in the wood box at the bottom of the smoker. The wood box slides out for your convenience and will only go in one way so there is no danger of being inserted incorrectly.
- Place a small water pan on the floor of the smoker if you wish.
- Set the temperature that you require and the red LED light will come on. There are no complicated settings with this unit. The single dial on top of the smoker allows you to set the temperature.
- Place your food on the cooking racks and latch the door.
- There is no need for pre-heating.
- Then go about your life and come back when the food should be done; do not open the door during the smoking session. Make sure you check the internal temperature of your food before serving. It should be at least 165 degrees F.
- There is very little monitoring required with this smoker and certainly, no special talents are required.
Flexibility
This smoker has a maximum temperature of 250 degrees F. Because this smoker does not achieve high smoking temperatures, no grilling is possible.
However, without wood, this smoker can be used as a food warmer or an oven, keeping that maximum temp in mind.
Assembly
Unlike other electric smokers, your new smoker will arrive almost assembled. You’ll need to attach the wheels and the cord holder at the back. The holes are predrilled and the appropriate screws are included. Plus you get a small wrench to do the job.
How To Clean The Smokin-It Smoker
You can remove everything except the heating element from inside the smoker plus the slide-out drip pan below.
- All the components are dishwasher-safe, or you can wash them with hot soapy water and rinse.
- Give the interior a wipe-down with a damp cloth (no soap), but don’t scrub it – you don’t want to undo your seasoning.
- Covering the floor of the smoker with foil will reduce cleanup; just make sure you don’t cover up the drain hole that leads to the drip pan.
- The wood box slides out and can be easily emptied. Since only a couple of knobs of wood are needed for each cook, there won’t be much ash to speak of.
Warranty
The warranty is for 3 Years on parts and workmanship, which is pretty good compared to some other smokers.
Smokin-It Analog Smoker Summary
What’s Nifty About The Analog Smokin-It Smoker
- Commercial-grade build quality
- Easy to use
- No pre-heating required
- Can also be used as an oven
- Requires only a small amount of wood chunks for the whole cook
- Sturdy wheels + handles for transporting
- Dishwasher-safe cooking components
- 12-Foot power cord
- Cord hanger on back panel
- NSF-Certified
What’s Not So Nifty About The Analog Smokin-It Smoker
- No viewing window
- No inbuilt thermometer
- No external wood loader
- You can only use wood chips if you have a chip screen
- Low to the ground, requires bending and crouching
- Requires access to an electrical outlet
- No cover included
Who Is The Model 1 Electric Smoker For?
With the size of this smoker, it would suit someone who is cooking for their family.
Who Is The Model 2 Electric Smoker For?
This one is not too big and not too small. If you cook for your family plus friends, this one may be for you.
Who Is The Model 3 Electric Smoker For?
The biggest of the Smokin It analog smokers would suit a restaurant unless you’re intending to do a whole lot of smoking at home.
How Could The Smokin-It Smoker Be Improved?
These are very effective smokers as they are, but in a world where cost didn’t matter, a viewing window, an inbuilt thermometer, and an external wood chunk loader would be great features.
Tips For Best Performance Of Your Smokin-It Smoker
- Cover the floor of the smoker in aluminum foil to reduce cleaning; make sure you don’t cover the hole in the floor that deposits the excess grease to the drip tray below.
- Cover the lid of the wood tray in foil.
- You can place a small water pan on the floor to add to the humidity in the cooking chamber.
- You only need about half an inch of liquid. Do not place this over the hole that leads to the drip tray.
- Don’t fill the wood box with chunks, it only needs a few ounces. Because of the holes in the bottom of the wood box, wood chips and small chunks are not suitable.
- Don’t open the door until the recommended time has elapsed. Store the assembly wrench with all the paperwork regarding your smoker – you may need it in the future.
Contacting Smokin-It
- If you have a question, have a look at the Smokin-It forum first. Your question might have been answered there already.
- You can email them on smokin.it.info@gmail.com
- Or you can contact them in Montogmery Michigan on 260-417-9951.
A note from Tom: I emailed Smokin-It with a question about the weights of the smokers. It was a Saturday, so I wasn’t expecting a reply until Monday at least. Within 2 hours I had a reply from Steve himself! How’s that for customer service?
Verdict
These Smokin-It Analog Electric Smokers are honest smokers which are designed to be super-easy to use and durable. They are one of the best electric smokers on the market. We like them a lot.
Should You Buy The Smokin-It Smoker?
If you want digital controls and messages about your smoker’s progress to beep you on your smartphone, this is not the one for you. One of these smokers will look after itself, no messages needed; it’s a forget it style smoker.
If you like being very involved with your smoker, watching, adjusting tweaking…this is not a good choice for you. Instead of babysitting it, this smoker allows you to get some other stuff done while it does its work, and you can come back to a meal of delicious smoked foods.
How Does The Smokin-It Smoker Stack Up Against Similarly Priced Smokers?
| Smoker Name | Smoker | Hopper Capacity (Pounds) | Cooking Surface (Square Inches) | Weight (Pounds) | Footprint (W x D x H Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 20 | 885 | 175 | 27 x 53 x 47 | |
Camp Chef 36 Inch Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker with Sear Box |  | 22 | 1236 | 187 | 64 x 30 x 49 |
Wishing you sunny smoking days!
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