Delve into the world of instant smoke infusion with our comprehensive review of the Breville Smoking Gun handheld smoker. Priced at approximately $99, this innovative kitchen gadget promises to revolutionize how you perceive and create smoky flavors. After thoroughly testing the Smoking Gun for the past two months, we’re ready to share our insights, exploring its capabilities, design enhancements, and overall value for home cooks and culinary enthusiasts alike. Join us as we uncover the pros, cons, and endless possibilities this device brings to your kitchen.

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Breville Smoking Gun: Elevating Culinary Flavors with Precision

Years ago, a fascinating device known as The Smoking Gun, then branded by PolyScience, captured my imagination. Its ability to instantly infuse food with captivating smoky aromas without heat was nothing short of revolutionary. I recall an evening hosting new friends, where we playfully experimented with smoking soft cheeses. The device itself became a lively centerpiece, sparking unique conversations and creating unforgettable memories. That initial experience was so delightful, I spontaneously gifted the unit to my friends, a testament to its charm and the joy it brought.

Fast forward several years, and my excitement was reignited upon discovering that Breville had partnered with PolyScience to re-introduce an updated version of The Smoking Gun. This collaboration brought forth a redesigned model, refined for the modern consumer, blending PolyScience’s innovative technology with Breville’s reputation for sleek design and user-friendly appliances. This new iteration promised all the magic of the original, with enhanced features and accessibility, making it a must-have for adventurous foodies.

Understanding the Breville Smoking Gun: Instant Smoke Infusion

At its core, the Breville Smoking Gun is a compact, hand-held culinary tool designed for cold smoke infusion. Unlike traditional smokers that use heat to cook and smoke food over extended periods, this gadget focuses solely on flavor. It works by burning a small amount of real wood chips in a confined chamber, producing a cool, gentle smoke stream that can be directed into various containers to infuse food or beverages within seconds. This process allows you to impart authentic smoky notes to delicate ingredients like cheeses, fresh herbs, fruits, and even cocktails, without altering their texture or temperature.

The beauty of cold smoking lies in its versatility. Imagine adding a hint of hickory to a delicate salmon fillet without cooking it, or imparting applewood essence to a glass of whiskey. The Breville Smoking Gun makes these gourmet experiences achievable in your home kitchen, opening up a world of creative flavor pairings that were once reserved for professional chefs. It’s a game-changer for anyone looking to add a sophisticated, smoky dimension to their dishes quickly and efficiently.

Why the Breville Smoking Gun Deserves a Spot in Your Kitchen

While one might argue that a smoking gun isn’t an absolute kitchen necessity, its appeal extends far beyond basic utility. It’s truly a luxurious culinary accessory, a fantastic “toy” for anyone passionate about food experimentation and gourmet presentations. Here’s why it’s more than just a novelty item:

Affordability and Value: At around $99, it’s a remarkably accessible entry point into the world of smoke infusion, especially when compared to the investment required for traditional smokers. This makes it an attractive option for home cooks eager to explore new flavor profiles without a significant financial commitment.
Unleash Your Inner Chef: Using the Smoking Gun is undeniably fun and empowers you to experiment with flavors like a seasoned culinary professional. It adds an element of theatricality to cooking, making meal preparation and serving an exciting experience for both the cook and the guests.
Beyond Food: Cocktail Alchemy: Imagine a SMOKED BLOODY MARY or an Old Fashioned with a whisper of charred oak. The Smoking Gun transforms ordinary drinks into extraordinary concoctions, making it a favorite tool for amateur mixologists and entertainers. It introduces a complex aromatic layer that elevates the entire drinking experience.
Instant Flavor Elevation: Achieve deep, authentic smoke flavors in minutes, not hours. This speed and convenience are unparalleled, allowing for spontaneous culinary creativity.
Impress Your Guests: The visual spectacle of infusing smoke at the table or presenting a smoke-filled cloche instantly elevates any dining experience, turning a simple meal into an event.

Getting Started: Using the Breville Smoking Gun

The Breville Smoking Gun arrives ready to use, complete with essential accessories to kickstart your smoke infusion journey. The standard package typically includes the smoking gun unit itself, a user manual with recipes for inspiration, two small sample jars of wood chips (often applewood and hickory to begin with), and the necessary batteries. This thoughtful inclusion ensures you can begin experimenting almost immediately after unboxing.

One of the most notable improvements in this updated design is its enhanced stability. The gun now features a cleverly weighted base, which allows it to stand securely upright on your counter or workspace without any risk of tipping over. This small but significant detail greatly improves convenience and safety during use, freeing your hands to manage food or beverages.

Assembly is straightforward. Simply connect the flexible rubber hose to the designated outlet on the device. This hose is crucial for directing the smoke precisely where you want it to go, whether into a sealed container, under a cloche, or directly into a cocktail shaker.

The magic begins with the wood chips. The Breville Smoking Gun utilizes fine wood shavings, specifically designed to ignite quickly and produce a steady stream of smoke. These aren’t the large chips you’d use in a traditional outdoor smoker; their finely ground texture is key to the device’s rapid operation.

To operate, add just a small pinch of these wood shavings into the burn chamber at the top of the gun. Overfilling is unnecessary; a little goes a long way in producing ample smoke for infusion.

The process for infusing food is straightforward: place your desired food item into a plastic bag or a sealable container. Insert the hose from the Smoking Gun into the bag/container, ensuring a tight seal around the hose if possible (e.g., pinching the bag around it). Turn on the Smoking Gun, and then use a lighter or match to ignite the wood chips in the burn chamber. As the chips smolder, the device’s fan will draw the smoke through the hose and into your container, infusing the food.

The results are almost instantaneous and truly remarkable. Take, for example, SMOKED OLIVES! Just a few seconds of exposure to applewood or hickory smoke transforms these simple appetizers into gourmet delights with a depth of flavor you wouldn’t expect.

And how about Smoked Maldon Sea Salt? Heck yeah! Infusing finishing salts with smoke adds an incredible layer of flavor to everything from grilled meats to baked potatoes.

To smoke salt, simply place it in a small cup, cover the top tightly with plastic wrap, and insert the hose underneath the wrap, ensuring the smoke is contained effectively.

What about smoked popcorn? Yes, you absolutely can smoke your popcorn! It transforms a classic snack into a sophisticated treat, perfect for movie nights or adventurous gatherings.

We found ourselves thoroughly enjoying the smoked popcorn – a resounding thumbs-up from Nathan and his friend, proving that this gadget can bring unexpected joy and flavor to everyday items.

The sheer excitement and endless possibilities of experimentation are truly invigorating! It genuinely makes cooking and entertaining an absolute blast.

Expanding Your Flavor Palette: Wood Chips for the Smoking Gun

To truly unlock the full potential of your Breville Smoking Gun, exploring different types of wood chips is essential. We found an excellent deal on Amazon, a package offering 8 distinct wood types for around $33: Oak, Hickory, Cherry, Maple, Mesquite, Pecan, Apple, and Bourbon Soaked Oak. This variety allows for incredible flavor experimentation, from mild and fruity to strong and bold, ensuring a perfect pairing for any food or drink.

When sourcing additional wood chips, it’s crucial to look for specific characteristics. You need finely ground wood shavings, similar in texture to coarse sawdust, not larger chips designed for traditional outdoor smokers. Larger chips, such as some found at Williams Sonoma, are generally too big and will not ignite or smolder effectively in the Smoking Gun’s small burn chamber.

Furthermore, always ensure that the wood you purchase is specifically intended for food smoking. Avoid wood chips from hardware stores, as these may contain chemicals, glues, or pesticides that are unsafe for consumption. Opt for food-grade wood from reputable culinary suppliers to ensure a pure and delicious smoke infusion every time. Experimenting with different wood types will help you discover your favorite pairings, from a delicate cherry smoke for desserts to a robust mesquite for a more intense flavor profile.

Pros and Cons of the Breville Smoking Gun

To give you a balanced perspective, here’s a detailed breakdown of the advantages and potential drawbacks of the Breville Smoking Gun:

Pros:

Instant Smoke Flavor: Delivers rich, aromatic smoke in seconds, transforming dishes and drinks quickly.
Cold Smoking Capability: Infuses smoke without applying heat, preserving the texture and temperature of delicate ingredients like cheese, fruit, and ice cream.
Versatile Applications: Excellent for meats, cheeses, vegetables, cocktails, sauces, salts, and even desserts. Its uses are limited only by your imagination.
Compact and Portable: Its hand-held design makes it easy to use anywhere in the kitchen, and it’s small enough for convenient storage.
User-Friendly Design: Simple assembly and operation with a one-button control, making it accessible even for beginners.
Enhanced Stability: The updated weighted base prevents tipping, improving safety and ease of use.
Creative Presentation: Adds a “wow” factor to dishes and cocktails, making them more appealing and theatrical, perfect for entertaining.
Cost-Effective: An affordable alternative to traditional smokers, allowing for gourmet smoking experiences without a large investment.

Cons:

Not a Necessity: While highly desirable for enthusiasts, it’s not a fundamental kitchen appliance for everyday cooking.
Requires Specific Wood Chips: Only works with fine wood shavings; larger chips are unsuitable and won’t ignite properly.
Battery Operated: Relies on batteries, which need to be replaced, unlike a corded device.
Requires Containment: To effectively infuse smoke, food or drinks must be placed in a sealed container, bag, or under a cloche.
Cleaning: The burn chamber and filter require occasional cleaning to maintain optimal performance and prevent residue buildup.
No Cooking Function: It only infuses smoke; it does not cook or heat food, so it’s not a substitute for a traditional smoker in that regard.

You Know You Want a Smoking Gun…

The Breville Smoking Gun is more than just a kitchen gadget; it’s an invitation to explore a world of flavors you never knew existed. It encourages creativity, adds a touch of gourmet sophistication to your home cooking, and provides endless opportunities for fun and experimentation. Whether you’re a seasoned chef, an aspiring mixologist, or simply someone who loves to entertain, this device will undoubtedly become a cherished addition to your culinary arsenal.

If you’re ready to elevate your dishes and cocktails with captivating smoky aromas, we highly recommend adding the Breville Smoking Gun to your collection. Even if you don’t purchase the specific product featured in this review, starting your Amazon shopping here helps support our small family business. We receive a small commission from Amazon, which plays a vital role in keeping this site running and providing free, valuable content to our readers. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Breville Smoking Gun Giveaway

Stay tuned for exciting opportunities to win your very own Breville Smoking Gun! We frequently host giveaways and promotions for our loyal readers, offering you a chance to experience this incredible culinary tool firsthand. Follow our updates and announcements for details on how to participate and bring the magic of smoke infusion into your kitchen.