This article will review two available types of Landmann Electric Smoker so you can compare them and see which meets your needs. Part of the company’s Smoky Mountain Electric Smoker product line, the Landmann Smoky Mountain 26 Electric Smoker has distinguished itself as one of the best small electric smokers in its price-range, sold in two models with and without a window in the door.
Boasting more interior space, the Landmann 32 Electric Smoker with Two Drawers is another good choice for home smokers who wants the extra features and the ability to smoke more meat and larger birds.
The Smoky Mountain Series electric smoker models reviewed here were developed by the Landmann USA company, a division of Gebrüder Thiele, a German company specializing in grills, fire pits and smokers since 1848.
First of all, I’ll start by discussing the top-selling Landmann 26 Electric Smoker because it is one of the best small electric smokers in its price range. If you are interested in the larger model Landmann 32 Electric Smoker with Two Drawers, click in the Table of Contents below to go to the specific information you want.
Or if you are in a hurry, click here to view the latest prices on Amazon for the Landmann 26 or Landmann 32 Electric Smoker.
Contents
Are you new to smoking food? Do you have limited space on your deck or patio? Or do you just want the advantage of a small unit that can do a lot? The Landmann 26 Electric Smoker might be just the right thing for you. Check out some of the features below:
The Landmann 26 Electric Smoker – Model 32948 & 32954
High quality and functionality
The first thing you notice when you look at the Landmann 26 Electric Smoker is the compact, tidy appearance of the black powder-coated exterior. The double-walled steel door has a large, chrome-plated handle with an inset analog temperature gauge near the top and a magnetic closure. The four feet are fully adjustable to allow you to level the unit on your solid surface. The construction is actually rather attractive allowing it to blend in nicely with your other patio furnishings. My daughter says it reminds her of a safe. It may not contain jewels, but it will certainly contain some scrumptious smoked meats in your future….
Can you get the Landmann 26 electric smoker with a window?
Why, yes you can. This would be the Landmann Smoky Mountain 26 Electric Smoker with Viewing Window – Model 32954. It’s pretty much the same thing as the non-window model, but it has a window and it costs a bit more, though not much. Worth it if you like a window. This can be useful if you are new to smoking and want to see what the process looks like. After a while, you won’t be able to see a whole lot because it’s…well…smoky in there. But it might give you some comfort and a little extra feedback, much like the window in your oven.
What are the controls like on this smoker?
On the side of the smoker is the plug-in style temperature controller with an analog dial. This allows you to adjust the temperature of the unit between 100°F and 260°F just by turning the dial. This is the range for most smoking projects you may have.
What’s inside the cabinet?
Inside the smoker, you will find 3 removable shelves and below these you will see a wood chip tray side-by-side with the combined water/grease drip tray. At the back of the unit, there is a grease run-off shield that directs the airborne grease back down into the drip tray for ease of cleanup. The tray unit sits atop a single 1500W heating element resting in the bottom of the smoker cabinet.
Your questions answered about the Landmann 26 Electric Smoker.
Can you fit a turkey into this smoker?
While this is technically a small electric smoker, it does boast some rather spacious interior dimensions for its compact size. When you open the door, you will see 3 chrome-plated steel shelves that are around 15″ wide and about 10″ deep. These shelves are removable, so you can use more of the interior vertical space for larger items. Looking at these dimensions, you probably aren’t going to get a 20 lb turkey into this little guy, but you should be able to do a smaller bird, say maybe 15 pounds and many users have indeed been able to smoke a turkey in it. It certainly can handle several roasting chickens and a substantial amount of boston butt. For reference, there is 443 square inches of rack space available when all the shelves are in place.
Does a Smoky Mountain Electric Smoker arrive fully assembled?
Almost. You won’t have to do any technical assembly, but the feet and handles will need to be attached. When it arrives, you will unpack it from its styrofoam packaging material. There will be a small package of bolts and washers and the feet will be included. The shelves, drip tray and wood chip tray and lid will be wrapped separately. Assembly is easy. The feet screw in directly with no tools required. The handles will require a medium-sized Phillips head screwdriver. That’s it! I think you can “handle” it!
Now, slide the shelves in and set in the drip tray and chip tray – hey, that rhymes! – voila! You’re done! Now you can season this baby and get started smoking!
Is it hard to move?
Not so much. It has the two substantial wrought iron side handles to pick it up. And it weighs about 30 lbs. About as much as a small child, except it doesn’t squirm. You can easily move it from your patio to your garage for storage. Or you can get a cover for it and leave it outside. The manufacturer doesn’t recommend leaving it outside so if you can take it into a garage or shed (after it cools of course!) that would be great. It will probably help it last longer and maybe a bird won’t build a nest in it. But for sure, remember to take in your controller. It has sensitive parts and doesn’t like excess moisture and you don’t want a squirrel to chew your cord. Oh, that never happens to you?….
Is this smoker hard to clean and maintain?
Maybe a little bit yukky, but not hard. You mess with raw meat, so you are up for this, I promise. Just use soap and water to clean the inside. Don’t hose it down or anything. You can pre-coat the shelves with cooking spray or cooking oil for a little extra ease of cleaning. Wait for the ashes to cool (like I need to tell you this, duh) and then dispose of them and wipe out the tray. Bonus idea: Save those ashes in a little can to use in your garden. The outside can be just rubbed down with a soft cloth. You think you can cope with this? Good, I knew you could.
Every now and then you should check to make sure critters haven’t crawled in and built a nest or chewed your cord. I already warned you about this, didn’t I. Yes, the controller has a plastic sleeve on it. Just take your cord inside, OK? If you don’t want to deal with a cord, get a gas, charcoal or wood smoker.
Is the Smoky Mountain electric smoker safe?
All of the Landmann Smoky Mountain Series Electric Smoker models are CSA certified, which means they’ve been tested and approved by the Canadian Standards Association for product safety. CSA is widely recognized in the US, Canada and throughout the world for product testing for electrical, mechanical and other safety features.
You will need to follow some common sense rules for outdoor electrical appliances, like using an approved ground-fault protected outlet and keeping the cord in good condition, free from nicks, cuts and animal gnawing. You must also remember that the smoker cabinet gets very hot during use and pets and children should be kept away for their own safety. I know you know this, because you probably grill too, but it needs to be said.
Does the Landmann 26 electric smoker come with a warranty?
It does. It’s kind of standard. It’s one year for the business parts. You only get 90 days for the painted surfaces. You can get spare parts for your electric smoker on the manufacturer’s website.
Is this really one of the best small electric smokers?
Most noteworthy, for the price, it really rates well and makes most of its users quite happy. It gets 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Lots of users have praised the unit as the best electric smoker for its size. It has many of the same great features of larger models, while maintaining a lower price point.
Are there any downsides to this small electric smoker, you ask? Like anything, there are some things that could be improved. The seal on the Landmann 26 isn’t that tight…it’s a heavy-duty magnetic closure. It’s been known to pop open on some people in high winds. It also does not have a gasket seal around the door, so you’ll see some smoke leaking out around the door. This bothers some people. There has to be some venting going on with a smoker anyway, but if this really bothers you, you can get a seal kit here.
Any tips I should know about it?
Like I said, you should take your controller inside at the very least. Better yet, put your whole unit away in the garage or the shed. You should also consider how much juice will drip out of your meat and keep that in mind when filling the water tray, since the grease and water go in the same tray. You don’t want overflow. Some people like to put something under the unit to catch drips, just in case. Don’t put your unit in the grass, because it will stress out your grass and leave an ugly spot.
Is the Landmann 26 Electric Smoker right for you?
If you are are new to smoking meats or you just want a small unit for your space, this small electric smoker will likely fit the bill for you. It has a lot of great features packed into one unit. It’s inexpensive and requires very little assembly. The Landmann Electric Smoker has good customer satisfaction and manufacturer support. However, if you are looking for something larger within the Smoky Mountain series electric smoker product line, you might want to take a look at the Landmann 32 Electric Smoker with two drawers. It has many of the same quality features of the Landman Electric Smoker line with extra smoking space and a some other exciting features.
The Landmann 26 Electric Smoker
The Landmann 26 Electric Smoker
The Landmann 32 Vertical Electric Smoker with Two Drawers
Need more? The Landmann 32 Vertical Electrical Smoker with Two Drawers
Do you need more smoking area, but still want the convenience of an electric smoker? Check out the features of the Landmann 32 Electric Smoker, also in the Landmann Smoky Mountain series.
What’s the same about the Landmann 32 and the Landmann 26 Electric Smoker?
I’ve already detailed a bunch of the features of the Landmann 26 Electric Smoker above and I’m sure you read all that…right? I don’t want to bore you. But if you didn’t read it, here it is in a nutshell:
- Construction is the same – powder-coated rolled steel cabinet
- Chrome-plate shelves – but there’s 4 of them
- Clean-up is the same – Pretty much.
- Warranty is the same – 1 year for functional parts, 90 days for paint
- Safety rating – CSA certified
What’s the difference between the Landmann 32 and Landmann 26 Electric Smoker?
Well, it’s bigger for one thing. But you knew that. That’s why you’re looking at it, isn’t it? You want more space. So what’s different? I’ll lay it out for you. Read on.
What’s the outside like on the Landmann 32 Vertical Electric Smoker?
The Landmann 32 has the same attractive, powder-coated steel construction of it’s smaller sibling. But it’s got some of its own special bells and whistles.
- The door closes with a magnetic closure, with the bonus of having a snap-closed catch to further secure it.
- The smoking chamber is fully insulated. This is why the heating element doesn’t have to be as hefty at the Landmann 26 element.
- The temperature controller is digital with a red LED display. It sits on the top edge of the unit and allows you just to click up or down to set your desired temperature, with a range of 100°F to 270°F. So cool and easy. No guesswork.
- There is a fully adjustable damper vent on the top, giving you control over the heat and smoke.
- The smoker cabinet has two adjustable feet on the front for accurate leveling. The back of the unit has 2 heavy-duty wheels and a handle for ease of transport when you put it away in the garage like you are supposed to. The Landmann 32 weighs about 75 lbs so you’ll be glad for the wheels. But hey, you wanted a bigger smoker, didn’t you? They make it convenient to indulge your desire. So go for it.
Are there any special features on the outside?
- Two Drawers: Oh now for the good part. This is why you want this thing. It’s got two separate drawers on the front. The bottom one is for the grease tray, with grease shields on the walls that funnel the grease here for easy clean-up. The tray is hung on rails on the sides of the drawer and is easy to remove for emptying.
- The top drawer is for the separate porcelain-coated water tray and covered wood chip tray. This means you don’t don’t have to open the whole unit to check on and replace the water or wood chips and you can avoid that drop in temperature that comes along with doing that. How cool is that?
- Oh, in case you need to know this, the outside dimensions are: 64.57″H x 47.64″W x 24.41D
That’s the outside. Let’s take a look inside.
What’s inside this smoker?
- The inside of this feature-heavy yet compact electric smoker is almost twice as big as the Landmann 26 Electric Smoker.
- There are 4 chrome-plated steel grates boasting 857 square inches of horizontal smoking space for your food.
- The 800W heating element sits at the bottom of the inside of the cabinet.
- Super Bonus: There’s a temperature probe included. You can read the meat temperature on the LED readout on the outside by pushing the MEAT button.
- A hanging meat rack is also available for this model. This is great for smoking jerky and sausages. It is sold separately as an accessory. You can purchase it here or see below for more details.
- The inside dimensions for this model are: 32.5″H x 21.69″W x 20.16″D
Is the Landmann 32 one of the top rated electric smokers in its class?
I wouldn’t say so. It isn’t overly expensive for the amount of special features it has, like the internal temperature probe and the external water and wood chip access. It is insulated and therefore doesn’t need as much power to operate as the smaller model.
On the down side, it doesn’t get the high ratings one would hope for in a Landmann electric smoker product. Due to the design of the wood chip pan being below the heating element, the wood chips don’t always get smoky very quickly. The cord is short. That’s for a good reason, but can be inconvenient. Some users have also complained of trouble with the digital controls.
The Landmann company has largely received accolades for great customer service and at least one user got a full replacement of the digital controls even though the unit was out of warranty. Being completely honest, this model has some design flaws. That’s why it only gets 3 out of 5 stars on Amazon. Some of these you might be able to work with given the price. Some of them you may not.
In spite of this, overall, it is reasonably priced for the horizontal smoking space and it has a lot of the convenience features of pricier smokers. It is easy to set up and get started smoking. There’s no charcoal or wood (as fuel) to mess with. It’s plug and chug.
So….
Is the Landmann 32 Electric Smoker the right one for you?
If you are a more experienced smoker or just wanting to be able to do the big birds, but you want to stick with electric power for your smoker, the Landmann 32 Vertical Electric Smoker could be the choice for you. It gives you a substantial amount of shelf space, a temperature probe and digital controls for ease of control and has external drawers for adding water and wood chips during the smoking process. Additionally, it has wheels for quick transport here and there and you can get an accessory meat hanging rack if you are big on smoking jerky or sausages. And for the amount of space it has a relatively low price in the intermediate-sized smoker market.
Check price for Landmann 32 on Amazon
So you think you want one of these smokers? Here’s a little extra information you might need.
Further information on Landmann Electric Smoker
What are the best wood chips for a Landmann Electric Smoker?
While the wood you choose is almost entirely a matter of preference, it is recommended to use hardwoods such as pecan, hickory, cherry, mesquite or apple. You should not use resinous woods like pine as they will impart a strange flavor to your meat. Ideally, you will want to experiment with the amount and type, but you should start with a small amount at first, to begin to understand how much you need. Check out this page for some of our favorite smoking chips.
Accessories for the Landmann Electric Smoker
The manufacturer recommends you store your electric smoker in a dry place out of the weather. Whether or not this is possible for you, a good cover can make all the difference in the longevity of your smoker. Here are details for the associated covers for the Smoky Mountain Series Electric Smokers.
If you have the Landmann 32 Vertical Electric Smoker, you can get a hanging rack accessory for smoking jerky and sausages. You can find that here: Landmann Electric Smoker Meat Hanger
Additional Resources
If you need to contact the manufacturer, their number is 1-800-321-3473. They can be reached at customerservice@landmannn-usa.com.
Links to Smoker Manuals:
Click here for the manual for Landmann Smoky Mountain 26-inch Vertical Smoker
Click here for the manual for Landmann Smoky Mountain 32-inch Vertical Smoker