Smokin Tex Pro Series Residential Electric Smoker Review

Most electric smokers on the market are flimsy, cheap units that are quickly discarded after you upgrade to a pellet or charcoal smoker.

The Smokin’ Tex Pro Series is built more like a commercial unit. It promises to deliver pitmaster-level flavor with the convenience of an electric smoker.

In this Smokin Tex Pro review, I’ll cover my experience cooking on the ‘Tex and help you decide if this is the smoker to bring your BBQ game to another level.

Smokin’ Tex Pro Series overview and first impressions

The Smokin’ Tex Pro Series is a high-end residential electric smoker that is built like a commercial-grade smoker. 

The temperature range is 100°F – 250°F, so there’s really only one way to cook on this unit: low and slow. 

The heavy-duty stainless steel exterior covers a well insulated, stainless steel interior. Seasoned well, it should be fairly easy to clean. 

With effective rubber door seals, double-walled insulation, and just a small hole on top for smoke and airflow, it has been designed to retain as much heat and smoke as possible.

My cooking tests proved this as the only smoke that left the smoker was through the top hole and internal temperatures varied by no more than +/- 5°F.

The stable temperature and ability to maintain super low temperatures (100°F-250°F) make this an excellent choice for cold smoking.

You can also decide if you want to cook with or without wood chips and wood chunks, so unlike a pellet smoker, you can easily dial back the smoke and use this as an outdoor oven.

When the Smokin’ Tex was delivered to my doorstep, I was shocked at its smaller size. To be honest, I felt a little deflated as I didn’t think there was any way I could cook some of the bigger cuts of meat like a full-size brisket or multiple racks of spare ribs.  

The Pro Series comes in three sizes (1100, 1400, and 1500). For this review, I went with the middle of the range 1400.

For an electric smoker that is on the upper end of the price range in this category, the small size just seemed like a miss for me. Well, that was before I cooked on it. But more on that in a second. 

Smokin’ Tex Pro Series full specs:

Item Dimensions	17.5 x 21 x 29 inches
Item Weight	70 lbs
Rack Dimensions	14.5 x 14.5 inches
Space Between Racks	3 inches
Temp Range	100°F – 250°F
Number of Racks	4 regular racks plus 1 grated rack for cold smoking
WiFi/Bluetooth	No
Exterior Material	Stainless steel
Price	Check Latest Price

What I like:

• Simple and easy to use – Analog Dial Temp Control that turns the unit on when the temperature is set.
• Multiple configuration options – Tool-less removable side brackets and cooking racks make it easy to change cooking layout and make for easy cleaning.
• Easy to clean – Grease and food debris comes off the materials with little effort. Easy access, large drip pan is also nice.
• Minimal temperature swings: Due to the double-walled insulation, this smoker holds temps nice and steady.

What I don’t like:

• Lack of wood chip feeder: You have to open the door to the smoker in order to add more wood chips. Due to its small size, it quickly loses temperature and smoke.

If you’re looking for the convenience and versatility of an electric smoker, but don’t want to deal with the “questionable” build quality of mass-market models, the Smokin Tex Pro Series is an excellent choice.

We named it our best high-end option in our guide to the best electric smokers.

Unboxing and setup

Out of the box, the smoker was protected well from the riggers of shipping. It was surrounded by styrofoam inside the box. There was also styrofoam protecting the items inside the smoker, preventing anything from moving around.

Setup was almost not necessary. Most everything came out of the box assembled. All I had to do was remove the wrapping from the cooking racks, the smoke box, and then install the wheels. That’s it.

There were no tools that were in the box, so make sure you have a phillips screwdriver on hand.

Cooking on the Smokin’ Tex Pro Series

A nice feature of most electric smokers is that you can cook without any wood if you want to (essentially making it an outdoor oven).

So I didn’t have to waste any wood chips during the burn-off and seasoning process. I just turned the dial to the max temperature of 250°F and within about 20 minutes, it had reached the set temperature.

A few hours after performing the burn-off and seasoning the inside with coconut oil spray, I cooked some chicken lollipops for the maiden smoke. It was a weeknight, so I wanted a cook that would take a short amount of time, but still absorb a decent amount of smoke flavor.

The cooking process was extremely simple. Since the smoker is on the smaller side, it comes to temperature very quickly, so no warm-up period is needed. Simply load up the removable wood chip pan, add your meat, and set the analog temperature dial.

If you’re cooking for a long period of time, you’ll want to add more chips about every 90 minutes or so. You can also use wood chunks if you like, but I was plenty pleased with the chips.

During the testing process, I also cooked thick pork loin chops, 2 racks of baby back ribs (which I had to cut in half to get them to fit), and a large, 12-pound pork shoulder.

For long cooks, it was nice not having to worry about running out of fuel like you might on a pellet grill or stick burner. While you might lose out on some smoke flavor if your wood chips turn to ash, the smoker just keeps on cooking. It’s a great option if you’re cooking overnight, or need to leave the house for a few hours.

Temperature variability and accuracy

During the burn-off process, I measured the internal temperatures inside the smoker with an Inkbird Bluetooth thermometer.

I had probes in the high, middle, and lower areas, with the higher section registering 10 degrees above the middle and lower sections. The middle and lower probes matched the Smokin’ Tex’s setting of 250°F.

Ease of operation

As previously stated, this machine gets high marks for ease of operation. It doesn’t get much easier than turning the dial after loading the pan with wood chips. You don’t need a water pan either.

Space and function

One downside I experienced cooking was having to maneuver around the shelves if I needed to sauce some ribs or add more seasoning. The small size and 3-inch gap between racks can be a disaster waiting to happen if you’re on the clumsier end of the spectrum.

Total cooking space is about 610 square inches, so I wouldn’t plan on using this if you’re throwing a large party. However, if you’re planning on cooking pulled pork or 3 racks of ribs for a small gathering, the Smokin’ Tex Pro will do the job, and then some.

Smoke flavor

I can’t talk up the flavor enough. This little smoker is designed to cook high-quality barbecue, plain and simple.

I’m convinced the small size was designed that way on purpose. It’s almost like a pressurized smoker. The only place that the smoke escapes is the small hole up top. Every other area is sealed perfectly, so the smoke just rests in the unit, bathing the food in flavor.

Clean up

The inner parts are easy to remove, and due to the stainless steel construction, it’s easy to clean off any build-up with a good scrub.

Plus, you can remove the side brackets that hold the cooking racks without having to unscrew anything. They hang from hooks, so removing them to clean the side walls is simply a matter of lifting them off.

Also, when it comes to cleaning, there is an advantage to having a smaller smoker like this as there’s not much area to clean.

The drip system works like a charm. Grease and other liquids flow seamlessly into the stainless steel drip pan which is placed below the smoker. Removing it to clean is extremely simple due to its easy access.

Alternatives to consider

If you want to stick with a purely electric smoker (no pellets) and want another good option you might want to consider the Smokin-It Model #2.

At a similar price point, you get a very similar designed smoker. It’s a little larger and heavier and does come with an additional cooking rack.

You could also consider stepping into pellet grill territory, although you’ll be going from a high-end electric to a low to mid-range pellet grill.

Something like the Pit Boss Sportsman or the Z Grills 700D4E would both be good options at a similar price point.

Final verdict

Small but mighty, The Smokin’ Tex Pro Series is a fantastic choice for any serious barbecue enthusiast. Just as a classic car guy still has their daily driver, I could easily see this smoker being someone’s regular go-to machine.

It delivers where it matters, and that’s the iconic flavor that American barbecue is known for. If you’re in the market for a vertical smoker, definitely give this one a look.