Electric smokers are very convenient when it comes to smoking your food. Unlike the traditional charcoal and wood smokers, the electric smoker does not require constant monitoring.
Instead you can simply set up the smoker by adjusting the temperature and adding food and pretty much forget about what happens next.
But a lot of people believe that electric smokers are not capable of producing the original and unique ‘smoke’ taste because of the way they operate.
This is absolutely incorrect because most electric smokers are designed to be used with wood chips to add that wood smoke flavor.
Today we are going to show you how you can use any electric smoker wood chips with any kind of electric smoker you own.
Here’s how you use chips in an electric smoker:
Nearly every electric smoker to date comes with the properties of allowing you to add wood chips in them. The area where you can add the wood chips is usually found at the bottom of the smoker where the heat source is. The closer the wood chips are to the heat source, the better the taste you get.
Now before you start adding wood chips to your electric smoker, it is important that you know how many hours you will require to cook the food to get that taste. Such requirements are mostly mentioned on the recipes you follow.
But as a general rule, about 4-5 cups of good quality wood chips will get you nearly 5 hours worth of cooking.
Next you need to understand the different kinds of chips available.
For a rough idea, here are the most popular kinds of chips being sold and bought by people:
- Cedar chips
- Maple chips
- Hickory chips
- Alder chips
- Plum chips
- Cherry chips
Recommended 5 Best Wood Chips
These chips are then available by different brands in the market. Make sure you always buy your chips from a trusted brand like Jack Daniel’s.
The kind of chips you use determines the kind of smoked flavor you get out of your food.
Tips for getting the best taste
Getting the right taste all depends on the kind of chips you use and the key temperature required. Most popular recipes will tell you which kind of chips to use and what kind of temperature is needed to get the desired taste.
However, if you love experimenting or desire your own unique flavor, just remember that getting the right taste will require patience.
When you set the required temperature, ensure that the smoker has reached that temperature before you add your meat in it. To do this, you may require a thermometer if your smoker doesn’t come with one.
Even if it does include a thermometer, its always a good idea to have another external thermometer for accuracy.
Once the smoker has reached the right temperature, just add in the meat and let the smoker do its job. You will have to wait at least 5 to 8 hours before the right taste comes out.
Leave a Reply