Sounds interesting! (: Wouldn't it be great!

It would have to be setup outdoors due to the carbon dioxide. The thing to consider is the air flow needed to keep the wood smoking. BBQs have some type of air vents top and bottom. Also, getting the wood to start to smoke... will 225 be enough heat to ignite the wood and start the smoke?

If you try it be sure to let us know if it works!

Athome, I have a stove top smoker that I use in the kitchen. Perhaps the wood chips for that could be used in the Nesco; I'll have to think about that.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cameron's Stovetop Smoker

To smoke something you have to have something else burning to create that smoke....I wouldn't want to be burning wood in my roaster.
BUT....I'll bet you could burn some wood chips....then douse the fire and put those smoky and damp wood chips into your roaster with the meat.
Linda C

Alexa, I've thought the same thing. Elery has a stove stop smoker, it's basically just a heavy pot, I don't know if it's aluminum or cast iron. Chips go in the bottom, the food on a rack above it, and it goes on top of the stove.

I was thinking that a foil package of chips in the bottom of the roaster, with some holes so that smoke could get out, might work, but I haven't tried it.

Annie

When I read this my light bulb started to flicker and I thought, hey, I wonder... but... I see a problem or two.

The heat is applied more indirectly and from the sides. Using a Weber kettle or something for smoking and a stovetop smoker you apply the heat to the bottom to start and keep the wood smoking. I don't really see a simple way to keep the heat on the wood to keep it going short of adding another appliance to the mix or putting in some charcoal or something.

As lindac mentioned you could start the wood elsewhere and put it in there but how long would it last? I wouldn't think too long since there isn't really the airflow you would get in a smoker, kettle grill or the like.

I could be missing something but I think there's better options for smoking.

Although, I guess you could fasten the pouches to the side of the roaster so the heat is applied there. Even just hang the foil out of the top and let the lid hold it in. Wet the wood and it would be against the side where the heat comes in, although I think the heat would have to be set a bit higher to "cook the wood" enough to smoke, wouldn't it? Hmmm. Maybe.... just maybe.....

Okay - I feel better knowing that I'm not crazy and other people have considered this LOL! I was thinking about the foil packet of chips, not putting the chips directly on the bottom of the roaster.

From experience, the food doesn't need to have "smoke" for very long for the flavor to be present. I might be able to roast the __________ (fill in chicken, pork roast, salmon, etc) and then light the wood chips in a foil pack or other small metal container and put it in next to the food on the rack to prevent scratching. Tuna can maybe?

And yes, I would definitely be doing this outside, the whole reason I got the Nesco is to avoid heating the kitchen up.

Thanks for the advice and if you have any more thoughts on this I would lvoe to brainstorm some more

Alexa

I think this idea can work. Not a crazy idea at all.

You can use a few charcoal briquettes mixed with some wood chips in a small tray and put it inside the cookwell. Leave the cover a crack open for air to keep the fire going.

A few charcoal briquettes can smolder for a very long time without burning your food. The convection will keep the smoke evenly distributed inside the cookwell.

dcarch

As cynic pointed out, the heat from a Nesco isn't on the bottom, it's on the sides, hence the foil packet that could be placed against the sides of the roaster. I'm still thinking, though.....

Annie

Low and slow is definitely the way to go for great BBQ.

......wonder if purchased liquid smoke would emit some of its smoky essence when it evaporates from a foil lined cookwell??

Dan
Semper FI-cus

What if you were to get this box going elsewhere and then plop it into your roaster... Seems it might go a little longer than foil...

The problem with that box is applying enough heat to it to get it to work. You need a lot of heat to get wood to smoke. The big challenge of this whole idea is getting the dual areas of heat needed for smoking. You need a very high heat area to produce the smoke then have the food in a low heat area. Essentially you'll need at least a second heat source. I suppose you could try a hotplate in there but I question the safety of that. Some charcoal is a possibiity or having the wood against the wall.

But... this thought struck me. Setting the cookwell above the heatwell (so it's double high) - you'd need something simple like some rods to hold it up there, drill holes in the bottom of the cookwell, then crank up the heat with the wood against the sides, the smoke would go up through the cookwell and the heat would rise and have some control on temperature. Granted, this is redesigning the mousetrap, but since we're speculating anyway, it's probably a more realistic possibility than anything so far.

I'm becoming more convinced this is not a product for smoking.