How or where do you store your smoker? Food smokers are long-term kitchen investments, and when purchasing one, we want to have it in use for years. However, durability is dependent on how well you take care of your smoker. This involves where you store it, how you clean it, and your food smoker’s overall quality.
Most food smokers don’t come with covers, but it’s extremely important to get one as it helps trap dust, among other elements that can affect the durability of your smoker. This article looks at why you need a smoker cover and what specifications to look for when buying one.
Why use a smoker cover
Whether you have an indoor or outdoor food smoker, they are all exposed to different elements, especially if you don’t use them often. Using a smoker cover protects your food smoker, keeping away dust or any other unwanted particles.
Here are some reasons you need a smoker cover:
- It protects against rust – Depending on your food smoker’s type and quality, some are more prone to rust than others. This means that if left uncovered during rainy seasons, your food smoker could easily rust.
- It covers the smoker from different elements – From bird poop to dust and sun, your smoker is exposed to so much that it can affect its performance over time. For instance, too much sun may heat the units, keeping them from smoking or getting your meat to temperature.
- Perfect for all seasons – This is especially helpful if you do not use your food smoker frequently.
By keeping your smoker either outdoors or indoors for an entire year, we can all agree that the climate will affect it. From snow to high winds, all these will impact your food smoker one way or another. With a food smoker cover, you do not have to worry about the snow clogging up certain parts, moisture creeping in, and corrosion.
What to look for when buying a food smoker cover
Like there are different types of food smokers, there are also numerous smoker covers. So how do you know that you’ve got the right fit?
Below are some features to look for:
- Type of food smoker – When picking a smoker cover, the type of smoker you have is essential as it guides you on what to get to best protect your smoker in all seasons.
- Venting – Does the cover have vents? These are really helpful as they help trapped moisture escape, which, if left for long, can cause rust.
- Easing of use – As we said earlier about food smoker covers, it’s never one-size-fits-all, so ensure that your cover fits perfectly and that you don’t have to constantly struggle with it when using the cover. We recommend measuring your smoker from top to bottom, width, and sides if you are unsure.
- Cost – While food smoker covers are generally not expensive, prices differ depending on the quality, size, and material.
- Maintenance of the cover – This includes how you clean your cover.
- The material used – Polyester, vinyl, and canvas are the three commonly used materials. When buying a food smoker cover, it’s essential that you understand the material used as they have different features.
How to use a smoker cover
Putting a smoker cover on your food smoker is easy. This is mainly because most have a zip, and all you have to do is unzip it.
To ensure each part is fully covered, put the smoker cover over your food smoker and zip it up to lock away unwanted elements.
Some Bradley tips and tricks to help you with your food smoker maintenance
Proper maintenance is the number one secret to extending the lifespan of any tool or piece of equipment. It can help prevent your food smoker from unplanned downtime, which can be costly and inconvenient, especially if you were just preparing to smoke some beef.
This means deep cleaning your food smoker after use to remove grease and any food residue build-up. It also includes how or where you store your smoker.
For instance, you can insulate your food smoker and use it throughout the winter. Protecting your smokers allows it to retain the heat that’s generated, ensuring that nothing will in any way affect the food smoking process. There are various ways you can go about this, including using insulation jackets, welding blankets, and insulation blankets.
It’s important to note that each of the insulators mentioned above varies from the other in one way or another, so proper research is needed before purchasing.
To Summarize
Food smoking continues to grow in popularity, with so many recipes popping up online. To increase the lifespan of your food smoker and create a much better cooking experience, it’s important that you maintain it properly.
Check out these other articles about food smoking accessories:
How To Use The Best Food Smoking Accessories
The 5 Best Tools You Need to Deliciously Smoke Food
The Top BBQ Gloves Ranked!
For more great ideas on how to get the most of your Bradley Smoker, check out the awesome articles on our Bradley Smoker Food Smoking Blog for more tips & tricks.
