stove-top smokers?

Urban living prevents me from using a grill. Does anyone have recommendations, experience or thoughts about using a stove top smoker to get a little smoky flavor in my food? If you've used a particular one you like, please be specific.

Christine
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8 Comments

jmburns
jmburns February 7, 2012
Cameron's products has smoking bags that are aluminum foil with wood chips inside. I have used them awhile ago and they worked well. I get a marketing email from "Friends of Anna" that has them. Sorry I do not have a link available to me right now.
 
Christine
Christine February 7, 2012
i wonder if it would work if I got the chips smoldering and then took it off the burner and stuck it on the fire escape for a couple of minutes. No risk of smoke alarms then, not that they don't go off regularly anyway.
 
Mr_Vittles
Mr_Vittles February 6, 2012
@SKK Do you own a smoking gun? I have used one in some catering I have done and it was not pretty, smoked leaked out everywhere and did in fact set the smoke alarm off in the kitchen. The main problem is the fact the sealings are not very tight so the smoke comes out not just of the "pipe", but also the sides of the "gun". With indoor smoking, there is an inherent risk of smoke leakage, but when done correct (i.e. expediency), the amount of smoke leakage can be very minimal. Here is a link to Kenji Lopez-Alt's method of tea smoking: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/07/wok-skills-101-indoor-smoking-how-to-smoke-in-a-wok.html
 
SKK
SKK February 7, 2012
@Mr_Vittles, yes I do, and I don't use it for catering, just at home which may explain why I don't have the issues you talked about. It really isn't built for larger projects.
Thanks for the link for smoke in a wok - will check it ou.
 
Mr_Vittles
Mr_Vittles February 6, 2012
I would suggest against the Smoking Gun. Its messy, and is prone to breaking. I would however, wholeheartedly recommend a wok smoker as performed by many to do tea-smoking. Basically, buy a cheap wok, throw soaked chips inside and place a small grate inside, on top of the grate you place the food you want to smoke. Tightly cover with aluminum foil. Done. Also, in some restaurants I have experienced, the hotel smoker. Basically a hotel pan, soaked wood chips on the bottom, heat on the stove until smoking, place a steaming rack, made to fit the hotel pan, on top, and tightly cover with aluminum foil.
 
SKK
SKK February 6, 2012
Mr_Vittles, very interesting! Why I like the Smoking Gun is I don't worry about it setting off the fire alarm in my flat. Do I have to worry about this with your solutions?

I am a total beginner in this.
 
Christine
Christine February 7, 2012
If I lined the bottom with foil, could I use my regular (not precious) wok? the concept of the hotel smoker is pretty much the only one I have experience with and it worked pretty well. I smoke salmon belly in it and it was very good. I'm all for simple!
 
SKK
SKK February 6, 2012
Sam1148 shared this link with us a while back and it is a great little smoker for kitchen use
http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/the-smoking-gun.php
 
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