Emson Electric 5Qt Indoor Smoker

The Emson Electric 5Qt Smoker is a unique and impressive concept. First impressions are that all of the materials used in construction are rather light duty. It does not look like a product that will last for years. The controls are a membrane panel with status lights for each function. he design leans toward the product being used primarily as a pressure cooker with or without smoke. Smoke comes from a few small wood chips of your choice inserted into a small cup which is mounted on the heating electrode which then burns the chips and fill the device with smoke which is pressure cooked into the food. We all know there are dangers concerning cooking with a pressure cooker.

With no real engineering, quality control or product support I have some fear each time I use it that something will go wrong. I would never leave the cooker unattended while in use; however, that isn’t a major concern because of the fact that it cooks so quickly that I am very likely to be in the kitchen anyway preparing the rest of the meal! The cooking racks are ridiculously thin and lightweight. If something like a chicken or turkey is placed on the bottom rack it comes in direct contact with the heating electrode/smoker cup which will singe the meat and probably give an unpleasant taste. Be prepared for an unpleasant clean up task. The metal racks are poorly soldered and difficult to clean the food residue off. After the first use the smoker cup will be crusted with impossible to remove smoke residue (the instruction manual points this out as normal).

The internal pot must be hand swabbed by a moist sponge because the electrode can't get wet. This is not an easy task. It may very well be a large nuisance and very nitpicky for the average consumer. Emson has completely changed their website, and now provides many more recipes and a full cookbook that you can purchase. If you are okay with the cost, like the idea of not spending hours cooking foods that only take minutes with this cooker, and are comfortable with the reality that the day will come that you will have to throw it away because there is no major manufacturer that stands behind it ... then I would say the Emson Electric 5Qt Smoker delivers everything it promises. My 3 star review takes into account some great positives as well as a few negatives.

Overall I have not been disappointed with this product. In fact, this product has provided me with some of my best tasting recipes and meals that I ever have made. It only takes 45 minutes to produce the best tasting turkey breast I have ever cooked and it has the best smoke flavor as well. It is tedious and it takes some time to know how many chips should be used for certain meats but it is worth it.