Can You Use Pellets in An Electric Smoker?

Jessica Wiest
Last updated: March 31, 2024

Pellets are crucial for cooking in a pellet grill. They generate heat slowly and steadily for cooking food deliciously and evenly. But can you use pellets in an electric smoker?

An electric smoker is operated by electricity, but pellets or even wood chips are popular for making a smoky flavor when cooked in an electric smoker.

In this guide, we will discuss whether you can use pellets in an electric smoker. Also, you will know the advantages and disadvantages of using wood pellets in electric smoker. So, let’s start!

What You will Know show

What is the Core Difference Between Wood Pellets and Wood Chips?

Many grill users need clarification about pellets and chips. Wooden pellets are smaller cylindrical pieces. Pellets are mainly used in pellet g, but they are also smokers.

On the contrary, wooden chips are smaller pieces of They. These are mainly used in traditional charcoal or gas, but smokers can also use them.

The Advantages of Using pellets in an electric smoker?

Electricity is the main power source of an electric smoker. However, using wood pellets, in particular, can make cooking even tastier.
Placing some wooden pellets in the inner tray of the electric smoker will cook any food evenly from all sides.
Wooden pellets add a smoky flavor to food that is impossible with an electric smoker.
Ignition is far easier when using wooden pellets. Just fill the fire pot with a pellet and let the controller inspect the whole ignition process.
Your electric smoker cooks faster, thanks to the added heat of the wooden pellets.
Another excellent benefit of wood pellets is retaining the original flavor of any food.
Wood pellets are far more affordable and easily found than wood chips.

The Using Process of Pellets in Electric Smoker

An electric smoker isn’t designed for using pellets, so it is important to follow some rules when using pellets in an electric smoker.

Different types of pellets are available in the market, such as cooking, food-grade, and heating pellets. Smoke wood pellets that create smoke are recommended for electric smokers. It is important to keep in mind that electric smokers can’t produce a high temperature like wood pellets. Therefore, you need to cook for a longer time at a lower temperature when using pellets.
Electric smokers can’t be hot enough to make smoke from wood pellets. Here are the ways to solve these issues.
Use specific pellets that come with your electric smoker. The manufacturer made special pellets for smoking g flavor, and they are made to be hot enough for a smoky flavor.
Spread the pellets on the smoker evenly. Don’t place them in high density. Also, remember to spread pellets in small amounts so that they can get hot quickly.

How Does an Electric Smoker Work?

It is important to know the working process of an electric smoker. Generally, an electric smoker is designed with a cooking chamber, including a cooking rack. Both the cooking chamber and rack are placed vertically. Additionally, the electric smoker has an enclosed heating chamber and wood chip tray.

An electric smoker works based on the Joule heating procedure. When electricity passes through the electric smoker conductor and is connected, resistance generates thermal energy when the current is in contact with the conductor. As the wooden chip tray is placed on top of the heating element, it heats up slowly.

In Masterbuilt electric smoker pellets or chips, which is recommended?

Masterbuilt is one of the best electric wood pellet smokers. The manufacturer has not approved using wood pellets for electric smokers that use pellets because they can cause excessive dirt. They even mention in their manual guide not to use charcoal briquettes or heat pellets.

However, you can use wood pellets or chips for an electric smoker. But remember that it is not recommended by the manufacturer. When using wood pellets, one should always have a proper idea of their quantity.

Reference: masterbuilt.com

FAQ

1. What are the common materials for electric smokers?

Most electric smokers use wood chips with a heavy chip loader. We e a 22 lb. wood chips bag costs around $3.99, and a 20 lb. wood pellets bag costs round $10. So, wood pellets are cheaper than wood chips. smokers mainly use wood chips to get a smoky flavor, but they can also use pellets instead of chips.

2. How Many Pellets You Should Use?

It is prohibited to use more than one cup of chips at a time to make smoke in an electric smoker. However, the masterbuilt electric smoker wood pellets manufacturer thinks that not many chips are required for an electric smoker. So, it seems that we can use a very small amount of wood pellets inside the electric smoker.

Most electric smoker users recommend using 5-10 pellets at a time. However, this amount may fluctuate based on the pellet size and electric smoker brand.

3. Can you use pellets in an electric smoker, Reddit?

We have searched the opinions of several Reddit users who have used wood pellets in electric smokers. They think that using wood pellets in smoker can be used in electric smokers, but it is important to know the rules. They have been using pellets instead of chips due to cost-effectiveness. For example, they have used wood pellets at a lower temperature, limited pellets, and cleaned the electric smoker properly after using wood pellets.

Moreover, they recommend knowing about the electric smoker type and pellet types.

Reference: Reddit

Conclusion:

So, Can You Use Pellets in An Electric Smoker? We hope the answer is clear to you now. Yes, you can use wood pellets in an electric smoker. However, an electric smoker manufacturer does not recommend it.

No, any electric smoker brand recommends pellets. But they allow the use of wood chips within specific rules. Since pellets are far easier and cheaper to use, you can use them.

You must remember the rules that can protect an electric smoker and help you make delicious, evenly cooked, smoky-flavored food.