Cameron Indoor/Stovetop Smoker

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BreezyCooking

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Okay - I did my duty & performed several searches here before posting this new thread with reference to the Cameron smoker meant to be used indoors on the range top. Came up with zero results.

Anyone here own one &/or used one?
 
I personally wouldn't recommend an indoor smoker. Even the best of them can get the scent of the wood imbedded into the paint in your walls and beyond that...the whole purpose of smoking is to cook something very slowly over indirect heat. It's hard to keep a range at about 200 degrees for one, and no matter how you do it you're going to have direct heat cooking the food.

Plus that...an indoor smoker can run you 50 or 60 bucks...for about 70 you can get a little electric one to put on the back of your patio/deck/whatever that will have much more space and thusly more options (briskets, Boston Butts, etc.) and cook the food the proper way. Plus it'd make you popular with the neighbors who come home to smell what you're making :P
 
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I've got the "other" brand and I love it. The amount of smoke this generates is very little to the outside and actually very little inside the unit. It's just enough to flavor the food.

It perks up tuna, chicken, fresh quartered fennel, salmon, whatever....tomatoes......

I think you will love it. Michael Chiarello (is that how you spell his name? He's on foodtv) has a recipe for this seasoning - it's awesome to smoke stuf with this seasoning. I have made the best wraps with smoked stuff - very tasty and very good for you.

I say go for it - PM me if you get one and I will post some recipes for you.

Edited to say - Yes, low and slow is the way to go Poppinfresh - however, this is just meant to smoke individual portions of things - not a pork butt or even a brisket. More or less you can get 4 servings of chicken/fish/veggies in the entire thing. There is a rack you place the food up off of the bottom so it really doesn't get "direct" heat. I fully understand where you are coming from though. If I didn't have one I would be very wary.
 
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I love my indoor smoker. My boyfriend thought it wouldn't work and it would smell the house up. Boy, he loves it now. It comes with 4 different wood chips. I used the cherry chips to smoke a pork tenderloin and then served it with a mint bearnaise sauce. It is also wonderful for vegetables that have been placed in an olive oil, red wine vinegar, and herbs.!!

The only problem that I haven't figured out yet is whether I can use it on my new glass ceramic tabletop. I talked to the owner of the company last year and he said they didn't have a list yet of the tops that have no problems. I just used it outside on the grill. I think I will get a tabletop electric plate from a restaurant supply and use it on that. Definitely go for it.
 
I have a Cameron indoor smoker but have not used it due to fear of having my home smell like smoke. I saw Emeril use one on his show and purchased one. But when I got it home, I had reservations. Thanks to your comments, I feel that I'm going to get it out of the box and use it.

Thanks.
 
Thumbs up for the Cameron smokers...

I have had a Cameron's Indoor smoker for the better part of six years now, and while it is filthy beyond recognition it is probably one of the best purchases short of $60 that I have ever made for my kitchen. I can pretty much guarantee that if you don't have a fan vented to the outside that it can get a little smoky in your kitchen, but the odor is pleasant and fades within a few hours. In exchange for putting up with that odor you will receive delectably tender, beautifully flavored meats- I have smoke tenderloins, chops, shrimp, scallops, and chicken at this point, although I have yet to figure out fish. At any rate, I highly recommend this product, although if you use it very frequently you'll find yourself buying lots of wood. Enjoy.
 
ryanln said:
Ialthough I have yet to figure out fish.

I've cooked tuna and salmon for 20 minutes per the usual method i.e., Place food in smoker, leave slightly open, once a wisp of smoke comes out close the lid and set your timer for 20 minutes.
 
indoor smoker

I have a indoor smoker still in the box-- never used ! Guess a little afraid to use it. Any suggestion for use - chicken,vetables etc. would be appreciated. :)
 
Barb - I gave a few suggestions in an earlier post in this thread. But to be more specific take a boneless/skinless chicken breast, following the directions above (about the wisp of smoke) and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. You can add a few veggies beside the chicken breast if you want to. Sometimes when everything is smoked there's not enough of a flavor change though. When I make my wraps I may used smoked veggies and a smoked protein though.

The same technique can be used for a piece of tuna or a piece of salmon - just change the smoking time to 15 minutes.

Does that help a little? You will love your smoker. You can smoke some scallops, make an alfredo with cheese tortellini, saute some Andouille sausage. When done mix the tortellini with the sausage and top with the smoked scallops - YUM is all I've got to say.

You can also smoke some tomatoes (just cut in half) and make smoked salsa with them or make a smoked tomato sauce as a condiment for crabcakes.
 
Recipes Please!!

Kitchenelf I would love to see some recipes for the "other brand" indoor smoker. I am assuming you are talking about the VillaClassic Indoor Smoker. Just picked it up today and am hoping it is not going to be an expensive doorstop. I also perused Michael Chiarello's recipes on foodtv.com, but couldn't find the seasoning you mentioned. Would love to start using it, but I want to be sure of cooking times, since you can't determine temperature on these cookers unlike using an outdoor smoker or grill.
 
We have two Cameron's smokers...the large one and the small one. We love them both and, as for smoking up the house, we've never had any problem. We've had our smokers for about 6 years and have smoked everything from meats, poultry, fish, vegetables, cheese, etc. in them.

They are incredibly easy to use and I have been able to nearly perfectly duplicate our western Kentucky barbecued pork in my own kitchen. Hooray! Smoked salmon is awesome. I made a smoked salmon Caesar salad during the summer that was second to none.

As for the smoke part, we live in a very old house that doesn't have any kind of kitchen vent/fan, so we'd definitely notice any problems. Never have. There is only a tiny "whiff" of smoke at the beginning of the smoking process that is the signal to completely close the lid on the pan. Other than that, we've never noticed any further smoke. What smoke aroma/smell that results is only a brief part of the cooking process and doesn't permeate the house.

I say to anyone who is considering purchasing one, do it. To those afraid to use one they already have, dig it out and enjoy a delicious meal.
 
I just tried an indoor smoker for the first time and it was a very cool experience. :chef: I smoked potatoes to go in my turkey and wild rice soup. Man it was easy and my place didn't stink up. I have the Cameron brand. I saw a stream of smoke coming from out of the smoker but it wasn't much. (Tho I did get paranoid so wrapped the edge with foil.) I smoked sliced potatoes as the directions stated (45 minutes) the only thing I would do differently next time is cut the smoke time. I think they got a bit over smoked. Ok for soup since it dilutes the smoke flavor but I wouldn't care to eat it as a side dish. If I do smoke potatoes for a side dish, about 15 minutes would probably do for me, then I'd take them out season and fry with olive oil. I'm excited to use this gadget again.

Now that I've used it and see how it works, I think you could probably make your own makeshift smoker at home.
 
I must agree with Kitchenelf and the rest who have tried it. It is great!

I left mine in the box for a few days. When I got up enough courage to use it I opened all of the windows, turned on the stove exhaust, readied my big oscillating fan, fire extenguisher, and phone for the fire dept. LOL

Of course, there was nothing but very little wisps of smoke every now and then.
 
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