Category
5 min read

How Does an Electric Smoker Work and How to Match Heater Power to It?

Marcin Napierała
September 9, 2025
5 min czytania

The heater for the smokehouse is a basic element of the equipment of the smoking chamber. Without this key part, the temperature values inside the device will fluctuate depending on the ambient temperature. If you want to achieve excellent food preservation results, choose a heater that will be fully resistant to corrosion and external factors. However, before you decide on a particular model, check how the whole smoking process goes.

Electric smokehouse — how does it work?

An electric smokehouse usually consists of two modules — a smoke generator and a smoking cabinet. The generator, equipped with a low-power heater, works independently and is responsible for the combustion of smoked wood chips. The generator tray, on the other hand, is filled with smoke chips taken by the spiral. After moving to the heating element, their combustion occurs (but not with the help of a flame), and then smoke is also produced. At a further stage, the used wood products go to a bowl of water, and the next batch is shifted to the spiral. The process continues until the generator is turned off, that is, after about 6-8 hours.

Smoking without secrets — what do you need to know?

The effect of smoking is largely dependent on the smoke generator. It is thanks to its stable and uniform operation that it is possible to obtain smoked products with certain taste and aroma qualities. When the generator is turned on, the feeder systematically passes the chips to the heating element, the task of which is to bring them to light incandescence. Achieving the expected results therefore requires the use of a high-quality heater that will maintain the set parameters, ensuring optimal heating power.

Homemade electric smokehouse — versatility and ease of use

Automatic smokehouse (electric with thermostat), located on the electrical panel, allows you to maintain the desired temperature values for many hours of operation. The fireplace with a glass, located in the upper part of the smokehouse, regulates the density of the smoke, so that smoked products can be prepared according to a strictly defined recipe. Compact electric smokehouses are increasingly displacing traditional devices with a massive hearth and a tunnel in the smoking chamber, which are characterized by an extensive and more demanding design, and at the same time are more difficult to operate.

How to choose the power of the heater for an electric smokehouse?

The main parameter that you need to pay attention to when choosing a heater for an electric smokehouse is its power. It is she who has a direct impact on the ability to generate heat. Depending on the size of the device, the value of this parameter can vary between 2kW and 3kW. If you plan to use the smokehouse intensively, opt for a heating element with a higher power or get at least two heaters - this will allow you to reach the required temperature faster.

The most frequently selected heating elements have a power of 1000-2000 W - the better the insulation, the less the electric smokehouse has a lower demand for heating power. If the manufacturer has not specified specific parameters for the heater, use the help of experts from Sinkoplex.

What heater for an electric smokehouse to choose?

If you do not want to make a mistake when choosing a heating element, do not limit yourself only to verifying the rated power. Equally important issues are the size and arrangement of mounting holes. The heater for the electric smokehouse should be easy to install and disassemble, so the best option is to make an element on an individual order.

If you plan to place your smokehouse outdoors, in a place exposed to strong winds, where temperatures are low for most of the year, you may need a heater with a higher power. Moreover, some smoking processes may require precise temperature control or very uniform heat distribution, which may affect the choice of heater power and its installation in the smokehouse. To maintain an adequate level of heat in a small household smokehouse, an electric heater with a power of 1500 W is quite enough.

Do you need a heater for a smokehouse with a thermostat and are you looking for a model whose parameters correspond to the technical specification provided by the manufacturer? By using the Sinkoplex offer, you can be sure that the ordered cartridge heaters, coil heaters whether ring heaters, they will be matched to the device and guarantee optimal heating power.

Also read:

Selection of a heater for photovoltaic panels. What to look out for?

Selection and installation of the heater for the radiator step by step

How to install heaters for a CO furnace? Step-by-step instruction

Thermoforation - what is it and how is it carried out?

Heater - what is it and how does it work?

Self-regulating heating cable - principle of operation

Injection Molding

Galvanic bath. How to optimize the process?

Heaters in space - non-standard areas of application of heaters