LANDMANN IS OUT OF BUSINESS IN THE USA.
Landmann’s Smoky Mountain 26″ Electric Smoker is a bare bones, steel box with a heating element on the bottom. Some electrics in this general price range have digital thermostatic control. This can be a blessing or curse at these low price points. While we love digital control which allows you to set a specific temp and rely on the controller to maintain it, inexpensive components are often inaccurate or fail completely. Landmann’s cooker uses a primitive dial thermostat that lets you dial low to high with no specific temperature settings. Used in conjunction with a good digital thermometer, you can dial up your desired temp and the simple controller should be less likely to malfunction over time than many cheap digital controllers. As always, disregard the useless heat indicator in the door.
This value priced smoker will get the job done, but electrics are our least favorite smokers. Without combustion from a gas, charcoal or wood flame, you just don’t get as good smoke flavor. Since the electric element is usually weak, manufacturers use minimal ventilation to hold in heat: great for keeping foods moist, not so good for browning meat or crisping skin.
Instead of a locking mechanism, the door is held shut with magnets. Magnets work OK if lined up properly, but bent parts and poor assembly can lead to frustration. It has three chrome plated racks and double walled insulation. The porcelain coated 3-in1 water pan, wood chip tray and grease tray consists of a single plate with a water pan stamped in on the left and a wood tray with cover stamped in on the right. Although a triangular diverter plate above is meant to guide grease into the water pan, it’s a bit of a stretch to call this a grease management system.
Unless you live in an apartment or condo where open flame outdoor BBQ cooking is prohibited, we recommend you consider a vertical gas smoker in this price range.
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