Pit Boss 42-Inch Digital Vertical Smoker with Wi-Fi vs Bradley Original 4 Rack Electric Smoker
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Quick take: The Pit Boss 42-Inch Digital Vertical Smoker with Wi-Fi costs $70 less; the Pit Boss 42-Inch Digital Vertical Smoker with Wi-Fi offers more cooking space (1,320 vs 572 sq in); the Pit Boss 42-Inch Digital Vertical Smoker with Wi-Fi reaches a higher max temp (300 vs 250°F).
| Spec | Pit Boss 42-Inch Digital Vertical Smoker with Wi-Fi | Bradley Original 4 Rack Electric Smoker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$400 | ~$470 |
| Rating | — | 4.7★ (132) |
| Type | Electric Smoker | Electric Smoker |
| Cooking Area | 1320 sq in | 572 sq in (4 racks, 11 x 13 in each) |
| Max Temp | 300°F | 250°F |
| Fuel Type | Electric | Electric |
| Build Material | Steel with Porcelain-Coated Racks | Stainless Steel Interior, Powder-Coated Steel Exterior |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | — |
| WiFi / App | Yes | No |
| App control | Yes | No |
| Meat probe | Yes | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | No | No |
| Dimensions | — | 15 x 11.5 x 25.5 in |
| Weight | — | 60 lbs |
| Warranty | 3 years | 1 year |
Pros & cons
Pit Boss 42-Inch Digital Vertical Smoker with Wi-Fi
- ✓1,320 sq in for $400 is the best capacity-per-dollar of any electric cabinet in this set
- ✓300°F ceiling is above Masterbuilt's 275°F, which makes poultry noticeably less rubbery
- ✓The 100°F floor covers cold-ish work — jerky, sausage, nuts, cheese in cool weather
- ✓WiFi plus Bluetooth with an included probe at a price where most competitors are still analog
- ✓3-year warranty is triple Masterbuilt's 1-year on comparable cabinets
- ✓1,650-watt element recovers cabinet temperature faster after a door opening than lower-wattage rivals
- ✗Pit Boss's own page is inconsistent about rack count — the spec block says four, the feature copy says six; confirm before buying for a specific load
- ✗Still an electric element, so the smoke ring and bark are lighter than charcoal or pellets produce
- ✗No searing and no high-heat finish at 300°F
- ✗Chip tray needs topping up through the smoke phase; there is no automated fuel feed
- ✗Dimensions and weight are unpublished and a 42-inch cabinet is tall — check clearance under a patio cover
Bradley Original 4 Rack Electric Smoker
- ✓The bisquette feeder is the cleanest smoke source of any home smoker: each puck smoulders for twenty minutes then is quenched, so it never burns down into bitter smoke
- ✓Separating the smoke burner from the oven element means you can smoke at almost any temperature, including cold smoking with the adapter
- ✓Nine hours of smoke with no intervention - not even a pellet smoker manages that without a hopper alarm
- ✓Polished stainless interior wipes clean, and the racks are small enough to fit a dishwasher
- ✓Insulated cabinet at 15 inches wide fits on a small balcony or in a garage doorway
- ✗250°F ceiling means it will never crisp chicken skin or render a pork butt bark - this is a smoker, not a cooker
- ✗Bisquettes are a proprietary consumable you must keep buying from Bradley; running out ends the cook
- ✗Nine hours of smoke costs roughly 27 bisquettes, which adds real per-cook expense a chip tray does not
- ✗The Original has no thermostat feedback worth the name - the dial is a power setting, so ambient temperature moves the cabinet temperature
- ✗Thin insulation for a cabinet smoker; below freezing it struggles to hold even 200°F