Smoke Hollow 26142E 26-Inch Electric Smoker with Adjustable Temperature Control

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Steven G. Hughes - Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2018

Easy to recommend, just do your homework befure using it!

So, this was my first foray into smokers (Electric or otherwise). I didn’t want to spend too much, since this was kind of an experiment, so I went with this inexpensive model. In this case, inexpensive does NOT equate to cheap! I consider myself a HUGE fan of BBQ goods and cook several times a week on the Char Broil BBQ grill that has served me well for many years, and will continue to as well – this smoker is NOT a replacement for my grill. I wanted to dip my proverbial “toe in the water” for smoking foods, specifically Boston Butt (Also called pork butt) and pork loin. The entire family LOVES pulled pork sandwiches, pulled pork BBQ plates, as well as a nicely cooked and seasoned pork loin. I was as prepared as possible for using my smoker, as I purchased a Kindle eBook through Amazon called “The Unofficial Masterbuilt Smoker Cookbook 2: A BBQ Smoking Guide & 121 Electric Smoker Recipes (The Unofficial Masterbuilt Smoker Cookbook Series) Kindle Edition”. Yeah, I know, this book doesn’t reference the make and/or model I purchased, but it’s still a VERY valuable resource. The Kindle eBook is about $1, and worth MUCH, MUCH more. The main thing you need to know when using a smoker is that you cook by internal meat temperature, not time. Anyway, I ordered my smoker, it arrived in 2 days thanks to Amazon Prime, and went together quickly and easily. The instructions are pretty clear and with my handy dandy cordless screw driver, I was ready for seasoning the smoker in about 20 minutes. I seasoned the smoker that evening; it takes about 3-4 hours and is straight forward. Fast forward to my first use of the smoker. The wife picked up a Boston butt and I coated it with a rub, letting the flavor soak in overnight in the fridge. Early the next morning, I loaded the smoker with wood chips (A mixture of apple and cherry), filled the water pan, set the temperature on the smoker grill to low and let it preheat to 225 degrees – the desired smoker temperature for this process, according to my eBook. Once preheated and maintaining a constant temperature, I threaded my wireless thermometer cable through the back of the smoker (Using the adjustable air flow vent), inserted the thermometer probe into the Boston butt, placed it on the top rack and let the magic begin. The process went pretty smoothly, taking about 9 hours from start to finish. I stopped the process when the internal temperature of the meat reached 200 degrees. My remote wireless thermometer notified me with a BEEP when this milestone was reached. I quickly went outside, turned the smoker off, removed the Boston Butt and let it sit inside for about 30 minutes to cool down. After cooling a little, I took my “meat claws” (They came with my silicone gloves as a combo package) and shredded the meat. The family watched intensely, with their plates ready for the pulled pork goodness that awaited. Not a single person was disappointed with the results. And, not a shred remained for left overs. Things that I wasn’t TOTALLY prepared for: I found myself replacing the wood chips every 2-3 hours. They seemed to burn rather quickly. I might try soaking the wood chips next time to see if they last longer and still provide a great smoky flavor. Of course, I’ll experiment with the vent on the back of the smoker to control air flow and see if that makes a difference. Final notes: You’ll need a few things to make your smoker experience a success. The first thing you’ll need is a cooking thermometer. I chose the ThermoPro TP09 model, which is about $20 right here on Amazon. This model is wireless and does exactly what I need. You’ll also need wood chips for a smoky flavor, silicone gloves, meat claws (for pulling the pork apart at the end) and rubs and BBQ sauce. But, the only things you “can’t live without” when using your smoker is the cooking thermometer and wood chips. What’s next? I want to try the Texas Crunch variation described in the eBook I purchased. I’ll also try some different rubs and additives (Mop sauces, etc.) during the smoking process. And, of course, I’ll try different meats like a pork loin and maybe even some chicken. If you’re considering this smoker, I can highly recommend it based on my experience.

5.0 out of 5 stars

By kdw77 - Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2017

Great smoker!

My husband had been talking about wanting a smoker for quite a while. I wanted to surprise him with one, but I didn't want to spend too much because I was worried that he might lose interest in it quickly (like SO many "toys" he just HAS to have. Lol). This has been a great smoker to start with. He's really gotten into it! He says it works perfectly. Everything so far has come out tasting fantastic and smoked perfectly. It's compact yet very functional. We've smoked pieces large enough to feed 6 people and have leftovers and that was using only one of the racks.

5.0 out of 5 stars

By JohhnyDamage - Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2018

I've used it every weekend for the last four months ...

I've used it every weekend for the last four months except when I got married. I've been able to fit things as large as a seven pound pork tenderloin with wings, to15 brats, all the way to a 15 pound beef brisket. I adore it. TWO BIG THINGS! 1. Make sure the wood chip pan is not all the way against the right side and heating element. I had grease build up there once and a small fire. Nothing major, just give any drippings room to fall. 2. Cure the cabinet before use. Spray it with a liberal amount of canola spray and then just smoke some wood on high heat for an hour and never clean the cabinet out.

5.0 out of 5 stars

By Healthnut - Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2017

Amazing Value!

I love this smoker and use it every weekend. Just started smoking some chicken breasts and will include a couple photos. I have made a few tweaks to mine. I have lined both pans with foil and then filled with sand, and then covered in foil. This provides thermal mass and gets the temperature right back up after opening/closing the door. I have not found the need for water, but some people like to use water...up to you. I have hung a wire grate from the second shelf and use it as a drip catcher with some foil under the meat. From the wire grate I have then hung wire loops to hold a square tube smoke generator. I can get ~5 hours of smoke with the tube filled to max capacity. However, I usually only fill it half-way and smoke for 2-3 hours, then eat or finish in the oven...depending on what I am smoking. **EDIT 20/Aug, 2017** Still rocking this smoker. I just smoked a 6lb pork shoulder and it came out perfect. I put it in the smoker around 11:00pm with the square smoke tube filled to the max. Set the temp on Low-ish setting (~225F) and went to sleep. Checked it around 7:00am and the meat temp was around 170. I cranked the heat up to medium (~280F) and the meat got up to 190F around 9:15am. Pulled it out and wrapped in foil and let it rest a few hours. Very delicious with the best bark I've had yet. No more wrapping in foil to beat the stall for me, I like a nice bark for burnt ends.

4.0 out of 5 stars

By chad wentzel - Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2017

Good starter unit, with considerations

Overall good construction and works as advertised. A few things that I encountered: 1) The legs - Q/C seems to have been lacking in this area as they weren't the same size. As such you have to bend/flex them to get the smoker to sit level/stable. 2) This unit (26") is a tad cramped, so if you can swing it, get the larger (30"/etc) size. 3)There is a lot of dripping that occurs and it's not where the drip pan is. The vast majority of drips came out the corners where the legs are. This is certainly from evap/steam condensing on the sides and dripping down but the bottom is not sealed properly I think, so the juice-stuff does not end up in the collection area. Definitely consider putting foil or a sheet pan under the smoker to protect whatever it is sitting on.

1.0 out of 5 stars

By Dudeman - Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2018

Bubbling paint on interior door caused by low heat

After using this product three times the paint on the inside of the door started bubbling. The temp was only 240°. Don't think I would recommend this product Update you’d think the seller or the manufacturer would of contacted me to discuss this product. Never heard a word from anyone!