Stove-top Smokers

Anyone have one? I did not know it existed, then I saw one being used on TV yesterday. Can't imagine smoking indoors, and even though I have a powerful overhead fan, I am wondering about the smoke smell in the house. Smoke is so penetrating...I would not like to live with that odor for a week or so. I have been interested in an outdoor smoker, but with only the two of us, not sure I want to invest the money in one so large. Of course, I could use it on our outdoor grill, which has a side burner, and an even more powerful fan. Then... the grill has one of those little boxes you can put soaked wood chunks in, and we use that now and then....hummm

Karen, is yours like a rectangular steel box with a sliding lid? If so, I used to have one. But through various moves and who knows what, it's been lost for about 15 years now. I loved it, and it's on been my To Get list for a while.

Yeah, you're gonna get smoke. Just no getting around that. But, since it holds less (if you're using one like mine was), you'll also use less wood, and smoke things in less time. My normal range hood was usually enough to keep us from asphyxiating. However, during the summer what I usually did was put the stove-top smoker on the grate of my larger outdoor grill/smoker when I wanted to smoke smaller or more delicate things like fish, which didn't need the volume of smoke an outdoor unit generates.

I hope you get to use it. Smoked foods are great! Trout and cheese were two of my favorites.

Dammit. That's it. Off to Amazon again....

[Robin Garr]

Barb Freda gave us her seldom-used model when they moved, and I tried it a few times. It was interesting, and made some pretty good stuff, but yes, the smell does leak out enough to be a minor issue - I ended up using it outdoors, sitting on the rack on the Weber Kettle (not lighted, just a handy, heat-proof outdoor place). Also, after getting over the fun of "wow, home-smoked food!" I realized that it really made food a little TOO smoky. I think I ran out of the supply of sawdust that came with it and never got around to buying any more. I don't even know where it is now. Sorry, Barb, but if you ever want it back, I'm afraid you're out of luck.

Karen, is yours like a rectangular steel box with a sliding lid? If so, I used to have one. But through various moves and who knows what, it's been lost for about 15 years now. I loved it, and it's on been my To Get list for a while.

Yeah, you're gonna get smoke. Just no getting around that. But, since it holds less (if you're using one like mine was), you'll also use less wood, and smoke things in less time. My normal range hood was usually enough to keep us from asphyxiating. However, during the summer what I usually did was put the stove-top smoker on the grate of my larger outdoor grill/smoker when I wanted to smoke smaller or more delicate things like fish, which didn't need the volume of smoke an outdoor unit generates.

I hope you get to use it. Smoked foods are great! Trout and cheese were two of my favorites.

Dammit. That's it. Off to Amazon again....

I don't have one yet, but I am interested and why I posted the question. A friend of mine used to smoke trout for an appetizer she made, it was delicious. I love the idea of smoking cheese. What brand will you buy? Anything I should look for in a stove top smoker?

I don't have one yet, but I am interested and why I posted the question.

Whoops, sorry. I mis-read your initial post.

I'm not sure what brand I'll get yet, since you only re-sparked my interest this morning and haven't had time to do any research.

However, reading your response jogged my memory. I recalled reading a test Cooks Illustrated did a few years ago, and looked up the issue. Here's what they said when describing 3 featured smokers; the Camerons Stovetop (looks like the one I used to have), the Villaware (round, like a dutch oven, with domed top), and the SAVU Smoker Bags. (Priced respectively $37.95, $69.99, and $3.49-per-bag, in 2006.):

"Although we came up with an indoor method to produce great smoky ribs, we wondered whether the indoor smokers on the market were worth an extra trip to the store and a hole burned in our pockets. We tested 3 models - two for the stovetop, one for the oven. Conceptually, the stovetop model makes perfect sense: a closed chamber (similar to a large pot with a lid, fitted with an interior rack to hold the food) is placed over a burner; wood chips placed in the bottom of the chamber smokes the food. Despite turning out smoky, tender rib to rival outdoor versions, the stovetop cookers had major flaws. The Camerons leaked enough smoke to overwhelm the test kitchen's industrial-grad ventilation hoods, while the Villaware had a size and shape (small and round) that required us to cook the ribs in multiple batches.

The one option that wowed us was the SAVU Smoker Bag, which kept the smoke in the oven. This simple system - a mixture of ground wood chips, hardwood syrup, and natural sugars contained within the walls of a large foil bag - allowed the smoke to pass through small perforations in the foil to get to the food contained within. The ribs emerged juicy, tender, and - after a quick run under the broiler - nicely crusted."

I have to say, I'm sure they got exactly the results they describe. But they were smoking ribs, which as you know takes a lot of time. If I do an 8-hour rib or brisket smoke, you can bet it will be outside. I've never cooked anything that long in a hot smoker indoors. I'm intrigued by that SAVU oven-bag system, but based on previous experience I'm not going to shy away from getting another unit like the Camerons. I'll just open a window and point a fan out it, like I used to

I ordered the Cameron today, it had great reviews and sounded like what I would be comfortable with. For the price, if I hate it, I will still use it for awhile to get educated on the smoking, then if happy, will look for a different one, if I need to. However, I have a good feeling about this one.

I ordered the Cameron today, it had great reviews and sounded like what I would be comfortable with. For the price, if I hate it, I will still use it for awhile to get educated on the smoking, then if happy, will look for a different one, if I need to. However, I have a good feeling about this one.

Hey, that's great! Let me know what you think when you finally try it. If you DO end up hating it...I'll send you my address. But I do hope you like it

[Jenise]

Never used one but have tasted great results from people who have. I've not purchased one because of the smoke smell. I live in a big modern open box of a house--my kitchen has no doors, it's an area, not a room per se--so I'm mindful of kitchen odors. We've been living with the smell of a single run-away Brussels sprout that burned on the bottom of the oven yesterday morning when I heated it up to bake 16 slices of thick bacon--ten hours later when we returned from a two-hour errand, did I walk in and smell bacon? Nope, just that Brussels sprout!

My kitchen has no doors either, except the one for the laundry room. However, I do have a powerful fan. After reading all the info, I am sure I will be using it on the patio grill which has an even stronger fan with a side burner. We do a lot of smelly, messy things out there. Jenise, if you have one of those really great cake candles, they take the odor out PDQ. So does, white vinegar, if you happen to use that for cleaning your floors, and counters.

So far, easy to use and clean up. I did a pan-full of multi- colored bell peppers, and different onions to go with burgers Gene was grilling. Veggies came out a little crunchy, which we loved, and a nice smoke flavor from alder chips. I used the leftover veggies the next morning. Gave them a quick sauté, along with home made red sauce, which had red peppers in it, put in a couple of eggs to poach and we had a lovely breakfast. Next time, we are doing halibut... I did pick up wild, dry packed sea scallops today, those might just be great smoked. Gene found room for it in the cabinet under his big grill, so I was happy about that too.

Many years ago, when the coffee craze was just starting and coffee kiosks were popping up all over and I had no clue what it was all about....I was soon to learn and very quickly. We were traveling, and just prior to leaving a small town, I spotted a coffee sign that said coffee, lattes, and expresso. I looked up at the coffee selections, and was totally uneducated. I was not even a coffee drinker, but knew this was the "in" thing to do. I had heard the word, "expresso" so I bravely ordered a shot of expresso. I got a funny look, the young girl said, it that all? Yep, I said. That is what I got in my cup, one shot of expresso. I was confused, as we were drivng off, and told Gene, "well, I sure don't think much of this!" Oh, how times have changed!

So far, easy to use and clean up. I did a pan-full of multi- colored bell peppers, and different onions to go with burgers Gene was grilling. Veggies came out a little crunchy, which we loved, and a nice smoke flavor from alder chips. I used the leftover veggies the next morning. Gave them a quick sauté, along with home made red sauce, which had red peppers in it, put in a couple of eggs to poach and we had a lovely breakfast. Next time, we are doing halibut... I did pick up wild, dry packed sea scallops today, those might just be great smoked. Gene found room for it in the cabinet under his big grill, so I was happy about that too.

Fantastic! I'm so glad you're liking it. Hope it does just as well with the halibut!