Welcome to our guide on how to season an electric smoker. Before you start cooking your favorite BBQ recipes, one of the most important things you need to do is season your electric smoker. This process ensures that your smoker is ready to use by eliminating any manufacturing residue or chemicals and imparts a layer of protective coating to prevent rust.
In this guide, we will walk you through the process of seasoning your electric smoker, step by step. By following our instructions, you’ll be able to get your smoker ready to use properly in no time.
Step 1. Preparing Your Electric Smoker
Before you begin seasoning, you need to ensure that your electric smoker is clean and in perfect working condition. This process involves two important steps:
1. First, clean the interior and the racks of your electric smoker. Remove any residues or debris on the walls, floor, and racks.
2. Next, put a small quantity of vegetable oil or cooking spray onto a cloth and rub it all over the interior of the smoker’s walls, racks, and any other metal components. This process helps to eliminate any residual chemicals or manufacturing residues from the interior of the smoker and also helps to create a layer of protective coating on your smoker.
Step 2. Starting the Electric Smoker
After cleaning and lubricating your electric smoker, the next step is to set it up for seasoning. If you are unsure how to use or operate your electric smoker, refer to the manufacturer’s instructions for guidance.
1. Turn on your electric smoker and set the temperature to around 215 to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Keep your smoker running for around 2-3 hours to allow the oil to settle and completely vaporize.
Step 3. Adding Wood Chips
Now that your smoker has been running for a few hours and the oil has been vaporized completely, you can add wood chips to infuse your smoker with flavor.
1. Start by adding your preferred wood chips to the chip tray. The type of wood you use will affect the flavor of your food, so choose the flavor that you prefer. Some popular options include hickory, mesquite, and applewood.
2. It’s important to add enough wood chips to generate heavy smoke. Leave the wood chips in the smoker for around 2-3 hours, ensuring that the temperature remains consistent.
At this point, you may start to see a white smoke coming out of the smoker. This is normal and it’s due to the wood chips producing a lot of smoke.
Step 4. Completing the Seasoning Process
After around 2-3 hours of smoking, your electric smoker should be ready for use. At this point, you can turn off the smoker and let it cool down completely.
1. When the smoker has cooled down, take out the racks and thoroughly clean them using hot soapy water.
2. Dry the racks in a clean towel and place them back into the smoker.
3. Repeat this process every time you use your electric smoker to ensure proper sanitation and to avoid any contamination.
To summarize, seasoning your electric smoker is a crucial step in getting it ready for usage. Before you start cooking, make sure to clean and lubricate your smoker with vegetable oil. Then, run your smoker for at least 2-3 hours while adding wood chips to imbue the smoker with flavor. Finally, when the smoker has cooled down, clean the racks and dry them thoroughly before using them.
Its often a forgotten part of maintaining your electric smoker but we hope our guide has been helpful in teaching you how to season an electric smoker. By following these steps, you will be able to prepare your smoker and enjoy fragrant, delicious BBQ dishes every time you use it.
