Hey Friends, I am here with some Essential Tools for the Electric Smoker Chef in your world. And this post is aptly timed because the first seven are perfect stocking stuffers just in time for Christmas. However, these tools are perfect gifts all year round. Or heck, buy them for yourself if you are the Electric Smoker Chef! If you’re looking for WHAT to smoke in your electric smoker, check out 10 Foods to Smoker in Your Electric Smoker and 10 MORE Foods to Smoke in Your Electric Smoker.
And, if you are looking for a smoker to give as a gift, let us recommend Masterbuilt. We love our Masterbuilt electric smoker so much that we have two!
Note: All links are Amazon Affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we, here at The Semiconservative Granola Girl, make a tiny little commission which does not affect your purchase price.
Essential Tools for the Electric Smoker Chef
ONE: Meat Thermometer
A good digital read meat thermometer is a must. We like this one from Taylor. It’s fairly in expensive and gives a quick and clear readout.
TWO: Tongs
Of course, anytime you are cooking with meat, whether in the kitchen, at the grill or in the electric smoker, you will need a good set of tongs. As loyal SCGG readers will know, I love all kitchen tools Oxo. They often cost a little more but as Sunshine pointed out after we purchased cheap “dress boots” which she wore once and the zipper split, “sometimes you get what you pay for.” The quality of Oxo products is excellent for the price point.
So, we like the Oxo 12-inch ones. They have locking mechanism for easy storage. We have the ones with the stainless steel ends, but I am sure the silicone heads would be a nice addition. They also come in a 16-inch length and a 9-inch length.
THREE: A Basting Brush
Many of our recipes start by slathering the meat with yellow mustard. And, if you are going to slather, you will need a good basting brush. Again, I recommend this Oxo silicone brush. It hold the slather well and it’s easy to clean. And dishwasher safe, which in my busy mom world is always key.
FOUR: Dry Rubs
I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to dry rubs. We have a few commercially produced rubs that we like, but for the most part, we make our own like Semiconservative Granola Girl Dry Rub and Everything Bagel Dry Rub.
Generally, we are looking for a dry rub that is less spicy (kid palates) with a few exceptions. Our Seasoned Smoked Almonds use Montreal Steak Seasoning which does have a bit of a peppery kick. We have found A1 Dry Rub (I think it must have been the Sweet Mesquite, but it might have been Bold Original) to be less spicy. Our Dill Pickle Brined Chicken Thighs use Weber Herb and Garlic which is an herb mixture, so it is not spicy at all. Really, dry rubs are all about your taste, so buy a few and experiment.
FIVE: Ingredients for Dry Rubs
Last year, I loaded my husband’s Christmas stocking with the ingredients to make dry rubs: minced garlic, minced onions, dried parsley, coarse black pepper, mustard seeds, dry mustard, paprika and chili powder. And don’t froget coarse Kosher Salt (although this box might not fit in the stocking!). Then we used all of those herbs and spices to play with new rubs that fit our tastes. And to make Everything Bagel Dry Rub, don’t forget the sesame seeds and poppy seeds!
SIX: Shaker Lids
When we make our own dry rubs, we love to store them in glass canning jars (usually pint jars, but sometimes we use a 12 oz jar) and use these Ball Shaker Lids. They have large holes which is perfect for shaking out a chunky dry rub. We use these all the time for our dry rubs and other mixtures. This is definitely one of our essential tools for the electric smoker chef!
Seven: Meat Injector
When we smoke a roast (pork or venison) we inject juice (usually apple juice) right into the meat to help keep it moist and delicious. To do this, we use a meat injector like this one from DIMESHY. It’s a useful tool and gets the juice right into the center of the meat. It’s easy to clean and we usually just take it apart and run it through the dishwasher.
Make a Gift Basket of Essential Tools for the Electric Smoker Chef
So let’s say your looking for gift ideas for the electric smoker chef in your world, but you are not looking to fill their Christmas stocking, a gift basket might be the way to go. In that case, I would add a couple of the following items:
Smoking Medium (ie. Wood Chips)
Of course, if you are using an electric smoker for an length of time, you will need to have a good supply of wood chips. We most often use hickory because it gives the strongest smoke flavor, but a nice variety pack is also a super idea: hickory, apple, cherry and mesquite. We use them all.
The Perfect Cookbook
Our favorite cookbook for the electric smoker is hands down, Smoke like a Pit Master with your Electric Smoker by Wendy O’Neal. Her cookbook is perfect for the beginner and the experienced electric smoker chef alike. She has recipes for appetizers, pork, chicken, beef, seafood and even desserts. We have tried multiple recipes and they are all super.
A Cover
If you live in a place where there is weather (like we do) a cover for your electric smoker is a must. We do keep our electric smoker in the garage during the winter months, but our cover has worked well so far.
Shopping for Essential Tools for the Electric Smoker Chef
We hope you find this tool guide useful. Let us know what tools you think are essential for the electric smoker. We would love to try them and update our list. Good luck in your gift giving.
And, don’t forget to check our our Electric Smoker Page. It has links to recipes and lots of ideas of foods to smoke in your electric smoker!
PS. This post may contain affiliate links. When you click the link and make a purchase through the link, we make a little money, this helps to keep The Semiconservative Granola Girl going. Thank you for your support.
