Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker Review: Simple on Purpose
A dial, an element and an insulated box, with nothing digital to fail.
Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker, model 18202077
~$250
An insulated electric smoker with 544 square inches across three grates, a 1,200 watt element and analogue dial control.
Check price on AmazonSpecifications
| Cooking area | 544 sq in |
|---|---|
| Element | 1,200 watt, insulated cooking chamber |
| Control | Analogue dial with a door-mounted temperature gauge |
| Grates | 3 chrome-plated |
| Trays | Aluminised steel water pan, wood chip tray and grease tray |
| Sealing | Dual door latches |
| Warranty | 1 year on lid, grates and other parts |
Specifications above come from Char-Broil's published feature list. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.
What it does well
- There is no controller to fail, which is the most common way a digital electric smoker dies.
- The insulated chamber and dual latches hold heat well, which is what makes low temperature work possible at all.
- 544 square inches across three grates is real capacity for the money.
- It is simple enough that a first-time smoker cannot get it wrong.
- Low precise heat suits sausage, fish and jerky, which are the things electric smokers do genuinely better than charcoal.
Where it falls short
- A dial is not a thermostat setting. You set a position and learn what it does in your conditions, which takes a few cooks.
- The door-mounted gauge reads the door. Use a separate probe at grate level if the temperature matters, which for cured products it does.
- Adding wood chips means opening the door, which dumps heat. There is no side loader here.
- Bark and smoke ring are weak, as on every electric smoker, because there is no combustion producing them.
- One year of warranty is short, though there is less to go wrong than on a digital model.
What owners report
Owner reports on simple analogue smokers are quietly positive in a way digital ones often are not: fewer features means fewer failures. The recurring advice is to calibrate by experience, learning where the dial sits for the temperature you want in your weather, and to verify with a probe rather than the door gauge. That is the same argument as our dome versus probe thermometer comparison.
The second theme is what this cooker is actually good at. Reports are strong for sausage, fish, jerky and poultry, and mixed for brisket, exactly as our electric versus charcoal smoker comparison would predict. Buying it for the right food is most of the satisfaction.
On safety, low temperature smoking of fish and cured meats has real risk if done casually. Poultry is 165F throughout, with no exceptions. Follow published curing guidance rather than a forum, finish on a calibrated thermometer, and plan timing with the cook time calculator.
Who it suits
- People who want the simplest possible route into smoking.
- Anyone smoking sausage, fish, jerky or cheese.
- Buyers who prefer equipment with nothing digital to fail.
Who should skip it
- Cooks who want a set-and-hold digital temperature.
- Anyone whose priority is bark on a brisket.
- People who want to add wood without opening the door, which needs the Masterbuilt side loader.
Alternatives worth considering
Masterbuilt 40-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker with Leg Kit
~$350
970 square inches, digital temperature setting and a side chip loader so smoke is topped up without opening the door.
Check price on AmazonDyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker
~$220
Less convenient and much better bark, for less money, if flavour matters more than ease.
Check price on AmazonThermoWorks Thermapen ONE Instant-Read Thermometer
~$125
On a cooker with a dial and a door gauge, an accurate instant-read is what turns guesswork into cooking.
Check price on AmazonKeep reading
- Electric vs charcoal smoker compared
- Dome vs probe thermometer compared
- Cook time calculator
- Masterbuilt 40 inch electric smoker review
- Dyna-Glo vertical offset review
- ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE review
This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.