Do you think smoking great food should be simple? Well, the creators of the Bradley family of smokers agree with you, and that is how they designed their smokers.
In today’s article, we will look at the Bradley 4 rack electric smoker in detail. We will cover the different features to help you decide if the Bradley Smoker is right for you.
Note: most links in this article are Amazon.com Affiliate links, see Affiliate Disclosure, thank you.
Pros:
- Easy to use for any level of cook
- Set it and forget it is my favorite feature of the Bradley smokers
- Budget-friendly, Bradley products are not the cheapest units but still very affordable
- The small size makes it portable plus easy to store when not in use
Cons:
- Wood bisquettes are expensive and can add up fast.
- 500-watt cooking element has a hard time heating the smoker and slow recovery time.
- Small size limits the amount of food you can cook.
Click here to check out the Bradley 4 Rack Electric Smoker on Amazon.com
What are the important aspects of the Bradley Digital 4 Rack Electric Smoker?
Type: The Bradley smoker is an electric vertical smoker that uses wood bisquettes for fuel. These Bisquettes come in many flavors, such as hickory, apple, and many more. While these bisquettes are convenient, they are not cheap.
Each wood bisquette will burn for about twenty minutes, a bulk box of 120 will get you twenty smokes of two hours. Click here to check the price on Amazon.com. The higher than average cost of the fuel can be justified with ease of use. You stack the bisquettes in the loading chimney, and fuel loading is done.
A great thing about the bisquettes is that you know when your smoke will stop. Finally, the best feature of the bisquettes is that when you are done, your fuel is empty, unlike pellets. Ashes collect in a water pan at the bottom of the smoker, which also helps keep your meats moist.
The Bradley smoke generator is attached to the side of the smoker cabinet, where you load the bisquettes and control the smoker. A control panel is located on the front of the smoke generator and is easy to use with temperature settings dial and a manual bisquette advance button. Digital control models are available at a higher cost, but we think the digital is not worth the extra spend.
Bradley Smart Smoker models are available that are Bluetooth enabled, allowing you to control your smoker from your phone. These smokers are larger and have many advanced setting options on the phone app.
Click here to check out the Bradley Smart Smoker BS916 on Amazon.com.
The size of the smoker cabinet is 17” wide by 14” deep and 31” high. An adjustable vent is located on top of the smoker cabinet. Inside the smoker cabinet, you will find four basket-style shelves with nice spacing between bars.
Below the shelves is a V-shaped drop tray that spreads the smoke evenly while it collects the dropping into the ash pan. On the floor of the smoker cabinet is a bottom tray that is easy to remove for cleaning.
Located on the back wall of the cabinet is a heating element to aid in the cooking process while it smokes. The cooking element is 500 watts, which is considered small by many experts.
Portability: The Bradley 4 rack smoker line is the smallest line they currently produce. Including the smoke generator, a Bradley 4 rack smoker weighs a total of 58 pounds. This unit should be an easy lift for most people after the smoke generator is removed.
The one downside with any electric smoker that limits the portability is a power supply. Finding a 120 plugin in a parking lot can be hard while tailgating or camping in the woods.
Capacity: This unit is one of the smaller units Bradley offers; the total cooking area is roughly 572 square inches. Also, you will need to remove a shelf if you are planning on cooking a roast or a brisket.
Bradley makes larger smokers with six or ten shelf options, adding more than double the cooking area. The four-shelf unit will be the perfect size for a large rib dinner or smoking a salmon for most home smokers.
Insulation: One of the best features of Bradley smokers is a thick layer of insulation throughout the cabinet walls. The door seals nicely and rarely leaks any smoke.
Accessories: Bradley offers a few great accessories, and there are many aftermarket items available. You must have puck spacers right off the bat to get the most out of your wood bisquettes.
After you load your bisquettes, place two of these puck spacers in your loading chimney. The spacers will help feed your bisquettes to the burner, so your unit will completely burn through the fuel you have loaded.
A Bradley cold smoker attachment is a great accessory if you are planning on smoking cheese. You can DIY this with a dryer hose, but the attachment they make is so easy to use that it is hard to pass up.
Jerky is another strong point for Bradley smokers, and they have a kit for that. The Bradley smoker master pack includes a non-stick jerky tray, meat hanging hooks, a digital thermometer, and a Bradley apron. Consider this a great item to add to any smoker; click here to see the price on Amazon.com.
What other things should you know about the Bradley 4 Rack Electric Smoker?
The Bradley 4 Rack Electric Smoker is easy to assemble with clear direction in the owner’s manual. Every item pops or locks into place with minimal effort.
In colder climates, many owners have complained that the cooking element is not high enough wattage. People have hacked the unit to add a higher wattage cooker. Cooking a pork roast or a large turkey should be finished in the oven Because of the temperature limitations.
When using the cold smoke attachment, get it as far away from the unit as possible to allow the smoke to cool before entering the unit. Some owners are placing small bags of ice on the hose for additional cooking.
Finally, the reviews on different websites are all over the place, and I was taken aback by this. Before reviewing it, I have personally used this unit, and I have multiple friends who own Bradley brand smokers. I found the construction to be good quality, and my friends told me they never have problems.
Click here to check out the Bradley 4 Rack Electric Smoker on Amazon.com
The Verdict
The Bradley 4 Rack Electric Smoker is a great choice for beginners and experts alike. You will be happy with how easy these units are to set up and operate.
Another bonus with this unit is that the price will not bankrupt your wallet. The price for quality is a great value for this unit.
If you want information on buying an electric smoker and a few top choices check out our article Buying a New Electric Smoker? Here are 3 Expert Reviews.
