Can You Use An Electric Smoker Indoors [Explained]

Can you use an electric smoker indoors? This is a million-dollar question asked by outdoor smoking enthusiasts. They ask these for the following reasons: 

• Where they live there is no outdoor space for smoking or barbequing
• They fear wetting the smoker with rain
• They are interested to know whether the local codes allow smoking indoor

We bet you’re also troubling these issues and that’s why you are here. No matter what will be the scenario in your case, but it’s indispensable to know whether it is applicable to use an electric smoker indoors or not.

In today’s guide, we will give you a plain answer with indoor grilling. So, stick with us till the end!

5 Possible Threats of Using An Electric Smoker Indoors

Before giving the plain answer to your question, first, let’s learn about the downsides of using an electric smoker indoors. Then, we let you decide whether you should use a commercial indoor smoker inside your house or not.

1. Produce Poisonous Carbon Monoxide Gas

This is the real concern about using an indoor electric stovetop smoker!

Yeah, we agree with you that an electric smoker produces less amount of pollutants compared to a wood, gas, or charcoal smoker. But still, it uses wood chunks or wood chips to gain smoky flavor. 

And you know what gases it throws into the air when it burns wood. Yes, Carbon Monoxide!

And it’s shocking that many people are getting victim to this odorless and harmful gas & dying each year. You don’t want this gas to kill your family members gradually and invisibly by allowing them to inhale this poison. 

That’s why we recommend you cook with this smoker outside of the home where there are ample amounts of fresh air. Fresh air can neutralize the harmful gas effect.

2. Increase the Risk Of Cancer

Besides creating carbon monoxide, smoke also produces terrific carcinogenic components. This is dangerous for human health.

How?

Exposure to carcinogenic components for a long time enhances the possibility of cancer. That’s another simple reason you should not cook in a sealed area.

Rather, it’s wise to smoke your food in an open area thinking about your health as well as your family members.

3. Threats for Kids or Pats

While smoking foods, a smoker creates a huge amount of heat whether it’s an electric smoker or propane smoker. And at cooking time, you will discover your kids or pets are roaming all around you, so the smoker. 

Here is the concern. Out of your eyes, anyone can come to your smoker contact and bring an unwanted danger with severe injury. So, thinking about the issue, it would be better to always smoke your food outside.  

4. Risk of Catching Fire

You may know that every street has a local fire code and each of them bans every type of smoker and grill inside the home or on the balcony. Even the apartment you currently live in, they don’t allow you to use smokers. 

Why?

Because there is a risk of catching fire on the building if you use the electric smoker indoor. 

5. Makes the Indoor Environment Impossible to Live

Smokey fish or rib! What a tongue tantalizing or delicious aroma it spreads! The aroma of smoked meat always brings water into our mouths.

Though it is pleasant to smell the delicious smoke flavor, it will not be pleasing for your indoor environment. 

The smoke particles from the smoker can seep into your furniture, curtain, or carpet. As a result, the stink-cooked smoke will remain for a long time in your interior.

So, you can get overwhelmed easily by the aroma that makes it difficult for you to live and breathe. 

Read: Our ultimate solution guide on Masterbuilt Smoker Problems.

Can You Use an Electric Smoker Indoors?

We don’t recommend you to use an electric smoker indoor. It brings a lot of damage, even if it may kill you. 

Not only that, but it also makes the interior atmosphere unsuitable to live in. Therefore, your local fire codes don’t allow you to smoke or cook inside your room. 

Indeed, you should avoid using an electric grill indoors, by all means, to protect yourself from potential dangers like catching fire. Still, do you have the hope to smoke indoors, and looking for the best electric smokers?

Keep in mind; local fire codes and we both suggest you avoid using a smoker inside your home. But if you are a person who can’t live without eating smoked food, then you can take some precautions for indoor smoking.

Still, we can’t take the responsibilities if you encounter any problem. The precautions are:

• Keep the smoke area well-ventilated.
• Open the door, windows to allow air to move through the room.
• Never use your digital electric smoker in a tight space.
• Most importantly, you should use the appropriate indoor meat smoker for smoking inside.

Especially use slow cooker that is designed for inddor cookings. In this case, Presto indoor smoker, Arden indoor smoker, or Masterbuilt electric smoker, or Landmann electric smoker will be your best trait. 

Still, we warn you not to try to use an electric smoker indoors. 

2 More Safe Options For Indoor Smoking Foods

When you are still adamant to smoke your favorite foods indoors, then you have 2 hopes for yourself. The 2 hopes are the kettle smoker and stovetop smoker.

You will find a few types of stovetop and kettle smokers which are completely safe to use indoors. So, now, lets’ learn about them: 

01. Stovetop Smoker

The first safe option to use as an indoor smoker is the stovetop smoker. This type of smoker is designed with a small metal or aluminum box. You can easily cook food for 2-3 guys in the box. 

The smoker also owns a drip tray that collects the greases. You will also find a rack to place the foods to smoke. It doesn’t require any electricity.

Just you need to put the smoker over your burner or in your oven. So, you can easily use it in your kitchen. 

Plus, it’s easy to clean as it’s made of stainless steel. So, when you don’t like to compromise with smoking indoors, you can have a quality stovetop smoker for you. 

02. Kettle Smoker

The next safe option to smoke food indoors is the kettle smoker. It looks like a kettle grill. This versatile cooking tool is also easy to use. And you can cook ribs, pork, brisket whatever you like in this smoker. 

So, to enjoy delicious smoked foods cooking indoors, have one of the best quality kettle smokers. Then carefully read the smoker instructions and smoke your favorite foods to enjoy.

Here, you can watch the tutorial on how to use a kettle smoker.

How To Use an Indoor Smoker?

Here is the step by step process to use an indoor electric smoker for smoking meat or other foods:
1. First off, ensure the electric smoker or gas smoker is dry enough and clean.
2. Load the wood chip tray with a fair amount of wood chips
3. Keep the drip pan in place and spread aluminum foil for simple cleanup
4. Keep the cooking rack or grate into the drip pan
5. Place the meat or food on the smoking rack or grate and make sure there is enough space between meat and other parts of your smoker
6. Close the lid about two-third and set the heat level to medium
7. When you see the signs of rising smoking, turn the lid off completely
8. Finally, turn the smoker off when your cooking is complete. It takes time depending on what you are cooking. If you cook salmon, it takes only 25 minutes. For cooking ribs, you need to cook it for 2 to 3 hours.

FAQ:

Conclusion

So, the summary of this guide is- you can’t use an electric smoker indoors. Local fire codes and the apartment you are living in now also ban the use of electric smokers inside of your home. 

But if you wish to cook or smoke food inside, then make sure you keep the smoke area well-ventilated. However, the smartness is- avoid using an electric smoker indoors to keep yourself safe from potential damages.