Specifications
- 1,300 square inches of cooking rack space
- Two 700-watt heating elements
- 80-pound maximum smoking capacity or 40 pounds of ribs
- Stainless steel dual layer construction with 850 degrees F. insulation in between
- Four racks fit into 8 positions with one rack being specifically designed for seafood
- Electronic temperature control
- Made in China by Smokin’ Tex
Full Review – Smokin Tex Pro 1500 Electric Smoker
PROS
- Large Capacity
- Simple Controls
- Well Insulated
CONS
- Comparatively Primitive
- Low Maximum Temperature
The advantage of an electric smoker is that it can be loaded up with food and wood, plugged in, turn on and you can head off to work. Thermostatic temperature control in a metal box and the user has little more to do than wait for the food. On the downside, electric smokers can be limited and inflexible. Like so many similar products, the Smokin’ Tex Pro 1500 has both of these. As a nice touch, the two 700-watt heating elements give you enough power to reach smoking temperatures while allowing you to cut back on the power usage. The “problem” is that the preset controls give this unit smoking temperatures between 100 and 250 degrees F. Sounds about right. This smoker will smolder along at temperatures low enough for making jerky (particularly if you buy the $100USD Jerky Dryer) while still hitting the traditional barbecue temperatures.
In fact, the Smokin’ Tex cookbook has no recipes that call for temperatures above 225 degrees F. What, however, do you do if you think that 275 degrees are better for your holiday turkey or even that big brisket? After all, the first rule of barbecue is that there are no rules and there should be no restrictions.
Putting aside this little problem, which may or may not be a real problem, this is a good, well-built electric smoker. To build an electric smoker, you need a heating element, a couple of racks to hold the food, and a way to generate smoke, all loaded up in a box to keep the heat and smoke where you want it. Sounds like a simple device, right? Unfortunately, there are those that think you can improve a product by making it more complex. Fortunately, Smokin’ Tex has largely avoided the temptation. The Pro 1500 is a large capacity, well insulated, metal box smoker that is easy to use. You can make good, honest barbecue and as much as 80 pounds of it with this smoker, without having to work for it.
