Why You Can Trust CNET GE Unveiled an Indoor BBQ Smoker at CES and Now It's Summer All the Time
We chowed down on smoked brisket, salmon and even cocktail garnishes made in this first-of-its-kind indoor smart smoker. Here's what we thought.
GE Profile's new countertop cooker will have you smoking in the kitchen more than Betty Draper.
Smoking indoors is back in vogue with the launch of a first-of-its-kind small appliance for smokers. Wannabe pitmasters need no longer wait for warm weather to break out the hickory and maple. GE Profile took its new indoor smoker for a spin at CES in Las Vegas and we got to see the smart cooker in action.
CES 2024 is the official coming-out party for the indoor smoker that uses a catalytic converter to filter smoke, but we got to see the buzzy indoor smoker even earlier at an exclusive preview event in New York ahead of CES.
The indoor smoker is small enough to fit on your countertop, is safe to use inside and won't fill your home with billowing smoke fumes. It cooked various types of meats from smoke powered by wood pellets with just a few swirls of visible smoke inside and without releasing any plumes.
The brisket emerged from the chamber perfectly tender inside with a beautiful crust and hearty smoke flavor. A more delicate smoke setting was used on trout, which was served over cucumber slices and carried just the right amount of Kona wood flavor.
The indoor smoker allows for custom control of temperature and smoke intensity for precision cooking.
It's one of only a few indoor smokers and the first with true smart features and remote app control. You can precisely control and monitor smoking sessions from your device, and the smoker offers suggested cooking times and temps and learns your preferences to fine-tune the process over time. A built-in probe helps avoid overcooking or undercooking.
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Unlike traditional smokers and pellet grills, no significant amount of smoke escapes the chamber of GE Profile's new appliance, which is sized to live on your countertop. Instead, wood-pellet smoke is filtered through an advanced catalytic converter, allowing heat and smoke-flavored hot air to cook and add flavor to the food inside. There are no filters to clean or replace.
After a cooking cycle is finished, you can open the smoker's doors and only a faint smell of smoke, akin to a wood stove fire, is emitted.
Smoked BBQ is now on the menu any time of year.
The electric smoker is fueled by wood pellets and pumps filtered smoke into a tightly sealed chamber where it cooks food and imparts smokey flavor to meats, fish, vegetables and whatever else you can fit inside the modestly sized chamber. Five adjustable smoke levels allow would-be pitmasters to tinker with smoke intensity on various foods.
The Indoor Smoker isn't cheap, retailing for $1,000 at select national retailers, including Best Buy and Williams Sonoma.
Follow CNET for full coverage of CES 2024, which includes our favorite tech announced at CES so far. Also, check out ColdSnap, the Keurig of ice cream makers.