Remember those times when you were craving meat that’s cooked through smoking?
Yes, those were the tough times when you struggle so hard trying to maintain the heat from the charcoal or wood that you used to smoke your food. That’s how far we will go to eat much tastier meat than what we usually eat.
This is because smoking creates a food reaction called the Maillard that brings sweetness and bitterness to the cooked food. This happens when the heat on the dry surface has broken down the amino acids and sugars, producing the taste components mentioned beforehand.
Today, smoking has become hassle-free!
Technology has helped us develop and improve everything just to make our lives a little easier. Now you can taste that delicious smoked meat without preparing too hard for the charcoal or wood. You only have to use an electric smoker.
So, how can we season a new electric smoker? Keep on reading this article if you want to know how. Alternatively, you can also watch this video:
Seasoning your new smoker—a step by step guide
Preparing to season your smoker.
- Make sure your cooker is assembled correctly. Most of the smokers will come pre-assembled while some smokers will need a little assembly out of the box. Either of the two, make sure all the screws are tight and secure.
- Wipe down your smoker. Use a damp sponge and some mild detergent to wipe down the interior surfaces of your smoker, including all racks and trays. Be delicate, so you won’t scratch or put some dents on any surfaces. Then, using water, wash off the residue that still has soap. Finally, open the smoker and allow it to dry in the air.
- Glaze your smoker’s insides with cooking oil. Wipe down the inside of your smoker using either a cooking oil spray, or a small amount of oil on a cloth. Just a light coating is ideal for the surfaces, no need for it to be dripping with oil. Avoid coating the grease and chip tray with oil. Put the accessories and everything else back inside the smoker. If you’ll season a Masterbuilt electric smoker, do not fill the water bowl with too much water.
Starting up your new electric smoker
- Directly plug your electric smoker to an outlet. As recommended, don’t use an extension wire when powering up your electric smoker. If need be, make sure that the cord is heavy duty, and has an earth pin.
- Open the vent all the way. Make sure that the vent is open all the way throughout the duration of the seasoning process.
- Set the timer to three hours, and the smoker to 275°F. The maximum temperature setting for most Masterbuilt smokers is 275°F. Other brands of an electric smoker, like the Bradley, can be seasoned at 250°F.
Adding the wood
- Add 8-12 chips into the wood chip loader. Some people soak their chips, however doing this doesn’t provide any benefit. It’s more on a preference, rather than an advantage.
- Put in another 8-12 chips to the wood chip loader after 20 minutes. During this part, ashes will build up in the ashtray. As the ashes continue to produce the smoke, they also season the smoker.
- Add another load of wood chips into the loader after another 20 minutes. You can add a about 12 wood chips this time, but be careful not to overload the woodchip loader. You can let the ashes, which have built up in the ashtray to do their work in seasoning the smoker after the third load.
- Let the smoker “smoke” at 275°F until the three hours are up.
Why season your new smoker
Before we proceed to the instructions, let me tell you some reasons we have to season new smokers.
Seasoning new electric smokers will remove any residue, such as oil and dust, that may have been leftover from the manufacturing process.
These residual substances are most likely to be petroleum-based, or that they might contain solvents. They are potentially hazardous and they will also make your food smell bad.
To make sure there is no residue in the smoker, some people use a mild detergent and a sponge to wipe the cooker down.
However, you have to be careful and be sure not to scratch the surfaces if you’ll decide to wipe down the inside of the smoker.
Seasoning your smoker will also help prevent rust from developing and will also cure any coatings or paints on the inside of your smoker. Let’s now read the instructions below on how to season your new electric smoker.
You can see below a provided step-by-step guide that will focus mainly on how to season a new electric smoker.
New electric smokers will come with a manual where you can check and read the instructions on how to operate it. But be sure to refer to the specific manual that may apply to your particular type of smoker.
Conclusion
Seasoning your new electric smoker is indeed needed in order to ensure the smoker’s longevity and quality.
Leaving it unseasoned will surely cause long-term problems and will definitely affect the quality of the food cooked using it.
While there are several steps mentioned above, doing them proves to be pretty simple. Depending on the brand and design of your unit, the steps on how to season a new electric smoker may vary.
Hence, it is imperative to read the manual provided by the manufacturer of your smoker. Taking care of your belongings will surely save you a lot of money and hassle in the long run.
Ensuring that you’ve done the necessary precautions, like seasoning your smoker, is the first step of proper handling and caring of your belongings.
If you think of the long-term benefits, you wouldn’t mind getting your hands a little dirty.
We sure hope that this article and the instructions above have helped you realize how easy and important seasoning your smoker is.
