I'm not ashamed to admit my Super Bowl priorities revolve around the snacks. Sure, knowing how to watch the game is important and all, but it's also the best day of the year for small bites. As a home chef I always look to impress my guests, and the new GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker makes my mission easier than ever.
As much as I love the complex flavors of smoked meats, I've never wanted to get a traditional pellet smoker. It seemed like a hassle to manage, and where I live, there's only a few weeks of the year where it's even nice enough to spend hours cooking outdoors.
That's precisely why the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker came to be. Rather than cooking the food through smoke, it's somewhat like a slow cooking oven that circulates pellet smoke in the main chamber. It uses a catalytic converter to filter smoke from burning pellets in the auger, then extinguishes the pellets with a built-in water basin.
The GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker is on sale for $699 ahead of the Super Bowl, down from the normal $999 price. We don't often see a brand-new product launch at such a discounted rate, so there's no question I had to try it out myself. I had a menu to prepare for game day, after all.
According to the specs, the GE Smart Indoor Smoker can fit up to three racks of ribs, a whole brisket or up to 40 chicken wings. I've successfully cooked wings in all kinds of appliances, but none that could make a party-ready batch in one go. Sure enough, my pack of 38 wings (close enough, it's the biggest option the store had!) fit with ease on the three included wire racks.
The GE Smart Indoor Smoker feels beginner-friendly thanks to the collection of protein presets. After using the chicken wing preset to pre-heat the chamber to the max temperature of 300 degrees, I added in my dry-rubbed wings and poked one with the included temperature probe. I closed the door, and about two hours later of swirling in smoke, the probe indicated that the wings were done. The smoker automatically entered the Keep Warm mode, which can keep smoked meat at a safe temperature for up to 24 hours, and began clearing the smoke.
This smoke-clearing process takes about 10 minutes, and there's a icon on the LED display that will tell you when it's done. It's important to wait unless you want a puff of smoke escaping into your home. As long as you're a bit patient, no smoke should emit from the appliance. In terms of smell, it's definitely not "smoky," but it's also not odorless. It smells like food is cooking, which in my house, is a good thing.
I'm happy to report the wings tasted incredible, with a slight char on the skin and juicy interior. It didn't have an overwhelming smoke flavor; rather, it offered a subtle smoky aftertaste that I think would elevate even the most basic grocery-store wing sauces.
I went on to make a rack of ribs and a cream cheese dip in the smoker, too. The ribs fell off the bone after about three hours (if you do multiple racks, it would likely take longer) and I finally learned what the smoked cream cheese hype is all about. It's the perfect dip to have ready when guests arrive before the start of the game.
Don't get me wrong, the GE Smart Indoor Smoker is an investment and I'd even call it more of a "hobbyist" buy. But if the idea of deliciously smoked food made right in your kitchen appeals to you, and you have the counter space for it, the GE Smart Indoor Smoker is the ultimate cooking gadget.
