Cabinet-style electric smokers

Another style of electric smoker is the cabinet-style model. Two good examples are the Masterbuilt Electric Digital Smokehouse, commonly called the MES, and the Cajun Injector Smoker. Both look something like a small refrigerator. The top and sides are insulated, and they have a digital controller with which you can manually set the temperature. The heating element cycles on and off to maintain that temperature. Some models also have a timer with an automatic shutoff feature, and some have a very handy chute on the outside that allows you to add wood chips without opening the door. The trick to using this type of smoker is to replenish the chips every 30 minutes or so to keep the smoke flowing. This should be done for about half of the total cooking time depending on how much smoke flavor you want. For instance, if you are smoking a whole chicken, which takes about four hours at 240°F, you would add wood chips every 30 minutes for the first two hours. After that, the chicken will finish cooking with heat only.