Pit Boss Electric Smoker Reviews and Buyer Guide

Electric smokers have made low-and-slow barbecue genuinely accessible to backyard cooks who don’t have the time or space for a full offset setup. On a 16×14 concrete patio with an HOA watching, the ability to set a temperature and walk away is not a convenience , it’s the only practical path to a weeknight brisket. The Electric Smokers hub covers the full category, but this guide focuses specifically on Pit Boss electric smoker options and the closest competitors worth considering alongside them.

The gap between a capable electric smoker and a frustrating one comes down to a handful of design choices: cooking area, temperature control method, chip-loading convenience, and how well the unit holds heat. Get those right and the technology works for you. Get them wrong and you’re babysitting a box that’s supposed to free you up.

What to Look For in an Electric Smoker

Cooking Area and Rack Configuration

Square inches of cooking space is the obvious spec, but rack configuration matters just as much as raw area. A smoker with 710 square inches spread across four well-spaced racks handles a full brisket, a rack of ribs, and a pork shoulder simultaneously. One with the same area compressed into two close-together racks limits what you can actually fit, especially with taller cuts or upright wings.

Vertical designs make efficient use of a small ground footprint, which matters on a patio where every square foot is accounted for. The tradeoff is that heat and smoke distribute differently at the top and bottom racks , worth understanding before you load up all five racks and expect uniform results on the first cook.

Count how many full racks you realistically cook on a given Saturday. For a family of four with occasional company, something in the 500, 725 square inch range with three or four racks covers the realistic use case without buying more smoker than the situation requires.

Analog vs. Digital Temperature Control

Analog controls are simpler and more reliable in the sense that there’s less to break. A dial that sets a heating element to approximate temperatures is a solved problem. The limitation is that “approximate” is doing real work in that sentence , analog thermostats in this price range typically hold temperature within a range rather than a precise target, which matters more for delicate proteins than for long-smoked brisket.

Digital controls let you set an exact target temperature and monitor it without opening the door. The side-loading chip system that pairs with most digital units adds real convenience , you’re adding smoke wood without introducing a cold air spike every time. For someone cooking frequently and chasing consistent results, that precision compounds over multiple sessions.

Neither option is wrong. Analog works for cooks who run the same recipes repeatedly and know their unit’s behavior. Digital works for cooks still calibrating their process, or anyone who wants to set it and not think about it.

Wood Chip Access and Smoke Delivery

How you add chips mid-cook determines how much you interact with the smoker during a long session. A top-load system requires opening the cabinet , fine for a short smoke, disruptive for an eight-hour brisket. A side-load system lets you push chips into the tray from outside, which maintains chamber temperature and keeps smoke consistent.

Chip tray capacity also varies. Some units need refilling every 45 minutes; others run several hours before you need to check. On a Saturday with soccer pickups in the middle, that difference is not trivial. Know your schedule before you prioritize one over the other.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Electric smokers live outside. The better-built units use thicker steel with tight door seals that hold heat efficiently and don’t require you to compensate for constant temperature leakage. Door seal quality is harder to assess from a spec sheet than cooking area, but it matters more over the long run.

For units that will stay outdoors year-round, a fitted cover is worth thinking about from day one , not as an afterthought. Protecting the electrical components, the chip tray, and the door gasket from moisture and UV extends the useful life significantly. Exploring the full range of electric smoker accessories and options before your first purchase is time well spent.

Top Picks

EAST OAK Ridgewood Pro 30” Electric Smoker

The EAST OAK Ridgewood Pro 30” addresses two friction points that matter on a real cooking day: it includes a built-in meat probe, and the unit sits on an elevated stand. Not having to own a separate probe thermometer is a genuine convenience , one fewer thing to buy, one fewer device to charge or calibrate. The stand keeps the unit at a working height that doesn’t require crouching to load racks.

At 725 square inches of cooking area across the 30-inch cabinet, this is a genuinely spacious unit. It handles a full packer brisket without compromise, and there’s enough rack space left for sides or a smaller cut running simultaneously. The adjustable side chip loader means you’re adding smoke wood without opening the chamber door, which matters for temperature consistency during long cooks.

The honest limitation is the same one that applies to every electric smoker: the flavor profile is cleaner and milder than what comes off an offset running full splits. For a suburban patio cook who values set-it-and-step-away convenience over the full offset experience, that’s a reasonable trade. The Ridgewood Pro earns best overall here on the combination of integrated features, capacity, and practical design.

Check current price on Amazon.

Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker

The Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker is the unit I’d point someone toward when they want digital precision and the largest cooking footprint in this group. At 710 square inches, it’s close to the EAST OAK in capacity, but the Masterbuilt name carries a longer track record in electric smoking and the digital controller is straightforward to use from the first session.

The side wood chip loader is a legitimately useful feature. On a long brisket cook, being able to add chips without cracking the door keeps your temperature profile stable. That stability is where electric smokers earn their reputation , this unit reinforces it. Chrome racks clean up reliably after greasy cooks, which is a detail that sounds minor until you’re scrubbing a rack at 9 PM.

The placement constraint is real: you need a power outlet within reach, and vertical smokers don’t tuck under a shelf or slide along a wall as easily as a horizontal drum. Plan your patio layout before committing. For cooks who want the most control without moving to a pellet grill, this is the serious electric option.

Check current price on Amazon.

Masterbuilt 30-inch Analog Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker

The analog Masterbuilt is the simpler version of the digital unit above, and simple is not a flaw. The Masterbuilt 30-inch Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker with Analog Temperature Control runs on a dial rather than a digital panel, which means fewer components to fail and no display to worry about in direct sunlight. At 535 square inches, it’s more compact than its digital sibling, which makes it the right size for a household that isn’t regularly feeding ten people.

Chrome racks are consistent across both Masterbuilt units , they hold up over time and don’t require special cleaning chemistry. The analog thermostat won’t hold temperature as precisely as digital, but for low-and-slow pork shoulders and chicken thighs, the variance is manageable once you know how your unit behaves. Most experienced electric smoker cooks know that any unit requires a session or two to understand its actual temperature curve.

If you’re buying your first electric smoker and aren’t sure yet how much you’ll use it, the analog Masterbuilt offers a lower-stakes entry point with the build quality and brand support that makes it easy to get started.

Check current price on Amazon.

Royal Gourmet SE2805 28-Inch Analog Electric Smoker

The Royal Gourmet SE2805 competes in the same analog space as the Masterbuilt above, with 454 square inches across three cooking grates. For a buyer who cooks for a family of four without regularly hosting large groups, three grates at this size covers what most weekend smoking sessions actually require.

Analog temperature adjustment is straightforward , dial it up, learn where your unit settles, cook accordingly. Royal Gourmet’s build quality is adequate for occasional use on a covered patio. The 28-inch form factor is modestly more compact than the 30-inch Masterbuilt, which can matter on a tighter patio footprint.

Where this sits in the lineup: if the Masterbuilt analog is the first electric smoker I’d recommend, the Royal Gourmet is the honest alternative for a buyer who wants to spend less and has a more limited cooking frequency in mind. It does the job at a budget price band without pretending to be something it isn’t.

Check current price on Amazon.

PIT BOSS 73322 Electric Smoker Cover

The PIT BOSS 73322 Electric Smoker Cover is not a smoker , it’s the accessory that protects one. That distinction matters enough to state plainly: if you’re comparing this to the units above, stop. This is a cover designed to fit Pit Boss electric smokers and protect the unit between sessions.

What it does well is the thing a cover needs to do: keep moisture, debris, and UV exposure off the surfaces and components that degrade without protection. Black covers hide surface dirt better than lighter colors over a season of outdoor use. For a Pit Boss electric smoker owner, this is a logical addition rather than an optional luxury , electrical components and door gaskets that stay dry and covered last longer.

Include it in your planning budget if you’re buying a Pit Boss unit. It’s not the reason you choose a smoker, but it’s the reason a good smoker holds up over several years of outdoor use.

Check current price on Amazon.

Buying Guide

Matching Capacity to Your Actual Use Case

The most common mistake in buying an electric smoker is purchasing for the biggest cook you can imagine rather than the cook you do regularly. A 30-inch cabinet with 700 square inches of cooking space is genuinely useful for feeding a crowd. It’s also a large piece of equipment to heat up for two racks of ribs on a Tuesday evening.

Map your typical session before you commit: how many people, how often, what proteins. A household regularly smoking for four to six people will find the 454, 535 square inch range sufficient for most sessions. If you regularly host groups over twelve, the larger 700-plus square inch units justify their footprint.

Digital Controls vs. Analog , Which Matters for Your Cooking Style

Precision matters differently depending on what you smoke. Brisket and pork shoulder are forgiving , a 15-degree temperature variance over a twelve-hour cook rarely produces a noticeable result. Poultry, fish, and anything with a target internal temperature and a narrow window requires more consistent heat, and that’s where digital controls deliver a real advantage.

If you run the same three recipes repeatedly and learn your unit’s behavior, analog is reliable and uncomplicated. If you’re still dialing in your process, or you cook a wide variety of proteins, digital controls reduce one variable and let you focus on the food. The side-loading chip system common on digital units is a separate advantage worth weighting in your decision , browse the full electric smoker category to see how different units handle chip loading before committing.

Power Access and Placement

Electric smokers require a dedicated outdoor-rated outlet. Extension cords are generally not recommended by manufacturers , if you need one, use a heavy-gauge outdoor-rated cord of minimal length. This isn’t a minor planning note; the wrong extension cord creates a fire risk.

Placement relative to your outlet also determines how much flexibility you have in positioning the unit. Vertical smokers have a small ground footprint but need clearance overhead and to the sides. Map your outlet location and your available patio space before you order , it affects which unit makes sense.

Protecting Your Investment With the Right Accessories

A fitted cover is the single most effective way to extend a smoker’s useful life. Moisture intrusion degrades the electrical heating element, the chip tray, and the door gasket faster than regular use does. On a patio that sees rain, humidity, and temperature swings across seasons, leaving a smoker uncovered between sessions accelerates every failure mode.

Buy the cover that fits your specific unit , not a universal approximation. Budget the cover as part of the initial purchase rather than an afterthought you add after the first season of moisture damage.

Chip Type, Tray Size, and Smoke Duration

Not all electric smokers accept the same wood chip size. Some units require fine chips; others accept larger chunks. Using the wrong size can clog the chip tray or burn incompletely, producing acrid smoke rather than clean flavor.

Tray capacity determines how frequently you reload during a long cook. Smaller trays need attention every 45 to 60 minutes. Larger trays or units with side-loading systems reduce interruptions significantly , during a Saturday cook that competes with family obligations, that difference is real. Match the chip system to your schedule before you pick a unit based on cooking area alone.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between analog and digital electric smokers?

Analog electric smokers use a mechanical dial to set approximate heat levels, which is simple and reliable but produces some temperature variance. Digital units let you set an exact target temperature and often include features like side chip loaders and built-in probes. For most weekend cooks, analog is sufficient for brisket and pork. If you want precision for poultry or fish, digital is worth the step up.

Can I use an electric smoker on a covered patio or porch?

Electric smokers produce less smoke than offset or charcoal units, but they still require outdoor ventilation , a fully enclosed space is not appropriate. A covered patio with open sides works well and has the advantage of protecting the unit from direct rain during a cook. Check local codes before placing any smoker near a structure, and make sure your power source is outdoor-rated.

How do I get more smoke flavor from an electric smoker?

The most effective approach is choosing the right wood species for the protein , hickory and mesquite for beef, apple or cherry for pork and poultry. Soaking chips is debated; most experienced electric smoker cooks use dry chips for cleaner smoke. Adding chips at the beginning of the cook and keeping the door closed as long as possible maximizes smoke exposure during the critical first hours.

Is the EAST OAK Ridgewood Pro meaningfully better than the Masterbuilt digital for a beginner?

The EAST OAK Ridgewood Pro 30” and the Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital are close in capacity and both offer digital controls. The EAST OAK adds a built-in meat probe and elevated stand, which reduce the accessories a beginner needs to buy separately. The Masterbuilt has a longer category track record and is slightly easier to find replacement parts for. Either is a strong first electric smoker , the built-in probe gives the EAST OAK a slight edge for someone buying their first setup.

Do electric smokers require a dedicated outdoor circuit?

Most electric smokers draw between 1,200 and 1,500 watts and can run on a standard 15-amp outdoor outlet. A dedicated circuit is not required in most cases, but the outlet should be outdoor-rated and GFCI-protected. Avoid daisy-chaining with other high-draw appliances on the same circuit during a cook. If you’re using an extension cord, use a heavy-gauge outdoor-rated cord , manufacturers generally recommend against extension cords, but if necessary, shorter and heavier gauge is safer.