Cold smoking is one of the latest barbecuing methods among pitmasters and amateur cooks alike because it lends a natural smoke flavor to food without necessarily cooking it. But what exactly is cold smoking? For one, it’s very different from hot smoking. The following is our selection of the best cold smoke generator on the market
What is Cold Smoking?
Hot smoking requires you to place the food in the same place as the burning wood chips or heating element depending on how your smoker is built. This basically heats the food and as it absorbs the smoke it develops that unique flavor. So, hot smoking cooks and smokes the food at the same time.
On the other hand, a cold smoker separates the food from the firebox or heating element. So the part of the device that produces smoke is kept separate from the part of the unit where the food is stored. That’s why food in a cold smoker absorbs the smoke without heating up which means you can smoke food that’s already cooked or even raw without heating it up.
What is The Best Cold Smoke Generator for Cold Smoke on The Market in 2020 and Where to Buy Them?
1. Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna Cold Smoke Generator
The Smoke Daddy Big Kahuna comes with a well-balanced design that doesn’t require a lot of oversight during operation. It’s suitable for cold and hot smoking alike, and all you have to do is pour fuel into the hopper and attach it to your smoker.
Then, you’ll switch on the adjustable air pump as soon as the unit starts smoking so that the smoke comes out from the exit pipe and into the chamber with the food. From then on, this unit will produce plenty of smoke for you.
The most popular aspect of this cold smoke generator is the pump, which comes with adaptable airflow, and it comes highly recommended for anyone that has enough smoking space at home.
You’ll be glad to know that this Big kahuna is built to last and it’s practically leak-proof. Sure, you may need to drill a few holes to install this unit in your home but it’ll be well worth it when you start using it.
With this cold smoke generator, your barbecues will be a thing of legend this summer, and it’ll definitely help you perfect cold smoking faster than with anything else out there.
Pros
- Comes with flexible airflow
- Suitable for cold and hot smoking
- Produces an impressive amount of smoke
Cons
- It takes up quite a bit of space
- Requires that you ignite your own fuel
- It’s not portable
2. A-MAZE-N Cold Smoker – Best value for the buck
This passive cold smoke generator system from A-MAZE-N is versatile and easy to use. All you have to do is fill up the stainless steel “maze” and light it up. That’s all you need to get it going before you load it up with food and it makes a mean smoked salmon.
Since you’ll be using sawdust, the heat and smoke can last for several hours at a time. Thanks to the maze-like design, the sawdust burns slower and that’s what gives it that long-lasting smokiness.
We particularly like the simple and straightforward design of this pellet smoker because it’s incredibly efficient and well-made yet easy to use.
It’s able to produce a lot of smoke for long periods of time and keeping it in check is relatively simple as well.
Pros
- You can ignite it from both ends
- Smoke stays lit for up to 8 hours
- Compatible with any container that you have at home
- The maze-like design makes it easy to pack sawdust in
Cons
- It cannot blow smoke
- Good sawdust is sometimes hard to come by
- Keeping sawdust at the right temperature can be difficult
3. Smokemiester BBQ Smokers
The Smokemiester pellet smoke generator is designed to work on covered grills specifically, and it’s great for cold smoking because the heat leaks out while smoke is trapped in for maximum flavor. It’s ideal for smokehouses and covered grills because it doesn’t come with the risk of clogging the outlet tube and yet smoke circulates freely within the burned screen. Furthermore, it’s made from durable powder coated iron which can withstand the highest temperatures without burning out, and it looks easy on the eye too.
The lower lid is specifically designed to perfectly control the smoke coming out of the unit. Plus, you can use wood chips or pellets depending on your preferences, both of which are easy to source and even easier to use.
Since this cold smoker doesn’t run on a regular source of power, it’s safe to leave it working overnight to fully infuse meats, vegetables and other foods with smoke flavor.
Pros
- It’s super easy to fill with pellets or chips thanks to the large 4-inch diameter
- Compact
- You can easily attach this to a smokehouse, covered grill or wine barrel
- Produces smoke that can last for up to 8 hours
Cons
- Works well for beginners
4. Smokehouse Smoke Chief Cold Smoker
If you’re looking for new and innovative ways to smoke your food, the Smoke Generator from Smokehouse is the way to go. It’s easy to attach onto any outdoor cooking device of your choice including grills. It’s a great way to transform your favorite BBQ grill into a cold smoker in minutes. To get it working, all you have to do is fill it up with wood pellets of your choice and plug it in. It has a nice compact design that doesn’t take up a lot of space, and you can easily place it next to the grill so that the smoke can travel through the device’s rotisserie hole.
The smoke coming out of this cold smoke generator can last for up to 3 hours and that’s based on 1 cup of BBQ pellets. Plus, it runs on 110AC or 12DVC of power.The Smoke Chief is compatible with smokers, charcoal grills, pellet grills, gas grills, and most outdoor cooking devices. Smokehouse sells their own brand of wood pellets in five different flavors including mesquite, hickory, cherry, apple, and alder. As a cold smoke generator, this appliance can be used to smoke all types of different foods, from chicken to ham, beans, eggs, fish, pork, beef, ribs and more.
Pros
- Only needs 1 cup of pellets to generate smoke for 3 hours
- Can run on 110VAC or 12Vdc power
- Allows you to incorporate a smoky flavor to almost all types of food
- Easy to attach to a smoker or grill
Cons
- The design could use some improvement
5. Masterbuilt MB20100112 Slow Smoker Kit
6. Masterbuilt 20070112 Cold Smoking Kit – Easily Fits all Masterbuilt Digital
This Masterbuilt cold smoking kit is designed to convert almost any Masterbuilt hot smoker into a Masterbuilt cold smoker. It’s super easy to install and use but beware because it doesn’t necessarily work for all Masterbuilt devices. It’s particularly incompatible with the Masterbuilt smoker model without the wood chip loader. Otherwise, most Masterbuilt hot smokers come with a wood chip hole which you can just to attach the electronic cold smoker kit.
You’ll find that it’s super easy to add a Masterbuilt cold smoker attachment when using an automatic smoker which makes the 20070112 Cold Smoking Kit an ideal generator for beginners.Plus, if you’re attaching it to a Masterbuilt smoker then it’ll fit perfectly because they’re both made by the same brand.
The best part about this Masterbuilt electric cold smoker is that it comes with a wood chip chamber with a running capacity of up to 6 hours. It has a unique feeding system that tells you how many wood chips it can handle at a time and it can reach temperatures of up to 100°F-120°F. This is the ideal cold smoking temperature and promises to produce the same fantastic results every time.
This cold smoker generator kit is a good investment for anyone that wants to transform their current hot smoker into a cold smoker. The Masterbuilt 20070112 Cold Smoking Kit is quick and easy to use and offers consistent results.
Pros
- Made for smoking and curing
- Provides smoke flavor to food
- Works with normal wood chips
- Comes with a convenient wood chip feeding system
- It’s compatible with Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smokers
Cons
- This cold smoke generator can sometimes be an electrical hazard
Conclusion
Cold smoking is a great way to imbue your food with delicious smoky flavor without overcooking or heating it at all. To get this result, all you need is a good quality cold smoke generator and the right type of wood. After that, you simply install the cold smoke generator to your grill or smoker and you’re good to go!
But, we cannot stress enough the importance of using the right cold smoker in order to get the perfect flavor. We’ve made the selection process that much easier for you by reviewing the best products in this category, but as with anything, there can only be one winner.
In this case, the award for the best cold smoke generator on the market goes to the Masterbuilt 20070112 Cold Smoking Kit for Masterbuilt Digital Smokers. This model works with most Masterbuilt smokers and it comes with a 6-hour wood chip chamber, a temperature capacity of 100°F-120°F and it offers consistent performance throughout.cardboard box
FAQs
What is the Best Wood for Cold Smoking?
- Wood produces smoke no matter what type it is, but this doesn’t mean that you should use any and all types of wood for cold smoking. For instance, while evergreen wood catches smoke quickly it also expels certain resins in the process which might completely ruin the flavor of your food.
- That’s why pitmasters prefer “clean” burning wood such as mesquite, beech, cherry, apple, and oak. The type of wood you choose will depend on your flavor preferences and you can even combine different types of wood to get the perfect smoky flavor that you like.
- However, the key to successful cold smoking is to generate more smoke than you are generating heat. That means you need to slowly smolder the wood instead of lighting it up to burn fast. Wood pellets and wood dust work particularly well for this purpose but you should never use chips because that could spoil the whole thing. That’s because chips are really small and they’re designed for hot smoking instead of cold applications so they burn hot and long.
Is Cold Smoke Bad for You?
- Cold smokers are relatively safe and easy to use at home and they produce delicious results. With that said, it can be dangerous when done by someone who doesn’t have the skills and tools needed to safely operate a cold smoke generator.
Can You Cold Smoke in an Electric Smoker?
- Like we mentioned earlier in the article, cold smoking is unique because it only smokes the food without cooking it. This enables you to preserve the natural flavor and texture of the food while adding a nice smokiness to it. The good news is that it’s possible to cold smoke food using an electric smoker and it works just as well and fast as a homemade smoker.
What is a Cold Smoker Attachment?
- The cold smoker comes in the form of a peripheral wood chip smoking chamber that you can use to smoke food at low temperatures that range from 100° to 120° F. Most cold smoker attachments are compatible with all Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smokers and they come with a very efficient wood chip feeding system. All you need are some standard wood chipsand you can generate up to 6 hours of cold smoke.
Can You Cold Smoke in a Big Green Egg?
- Cold smoking is a special method of food seasoning that you can use to produce something different using The Big Green Egg. Most of the cold smoking recipes that come with this device are easy to prepare and work according to similar principles as the ones mentioned in this article.
Last Updated on August 6, 2020 by Judith Fertig
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