For a small condo patio, our pick is the EAST OAK 30 inch electric smoker. It packs 725 square inches of rack space into a narrow vertical body, and the built in probe plus the viewing window mean you open the door far less, which keeps both heat and clutter under control in a tight spot. Choose it when you want mostly plug in and set the temperature smoking with the most batch capacity that still fits against a wall. If portability and real wood flavor matter more, the compact Pit Boss pellet unit is the one we would reach for, and if you simply want a trusted, no frills digital box, the Masterbuilt is a safe call.
The short answer
A small condo patio changes the question. You are not choosing the biggest or the most powerful smoker, you are choosing the one that earns its square footage and does not turn your only outdoor space into a smoke box. All three units here are genuinely compact smokers, but they solve the problem in two different ways. The EAST OAK and the Masterbuilt are electric vertical smokers, which means the cooking chamber stacks upward on a small floor footprint and the heat comes from an element you plug in. The Pit Boss 150 is a small wood pellet grill and smoker, so it burns actual pellets for flavor and can also sear, but it produces real smoke and runs a bit smaller inside.
If we had to hand one answer to a reader with a balcony sized patio and an outlet nearby, it would be the EAST OAK. It gives you the largest usable capacity of the three, and its design choices, the window and the side loader, are exactly the features that reduce how often you fuss with it in a cramped space. The Masterbuilt stands out when you want the simplest possible proven electric smoker and do not need the extra window or probe. The Pit Boss is the right answer for a narrower group of people, those who want wood fired taste, the ability to grill as well as smoke, and a unit light enough to carry off the patio and store indoors.
When each pick is better
Our pick for most small patios, because it turns a narrow footprint into real capacity and asks for the least hands on attention once it is running:
EAST OAK 30 inch Electric Smoker
A narrow vertical electric unit with 725 square inches of rack space, a built in meat probe, a viewing window, and a side chip loader so you can add wood without opening the main door.
Check price on AmazonThe EAST OAK is the one we would choose first for a condo patio. The viewing window lets you check progress without opening the door and dumping heat, which matters more in a small space where you feel every temperature swing, and the built in probe means you track the meat rather than guessing. The side chip loader is the quiet hero here, because adding wood without unlatching the main chamber keeps long cooks stable. At 725 square inches it holds the most food of the three, so a weekend batch of ribs or a couple of pork shoulders is realistic even though the machine itself stays slim.
Best when you want a trusted, straightforward digital electric smoker and do not need the extra window or probe:
Masterbuilt 30 inch Digital Electric Vertical Smoker (MB20071117)
A well known digital electric vertical smoker with 710 square inches on chrome racks and a side wood chip loader, built for plug in and set the temperature simplicity.
Check price on AmazonThe Masterbuilt MB20071117 is the familiar name a lot of first time smokers start with, and that reputation is worth something when you are buying blind. It is a digital electric vertical smoker with 710 square inches on chrome racks, nearly the same capacity as the EAST OAK, and it also has a side wood chip loader so you are not opening the door to feed it. You give up the viewing window and the built in probe, so you will lean on a separate thermometer and open the door a little more often, but in exchange you get a simple, widely supported box that is easy to live with on a small patio.
Best when you want portability, the option to grill, and real wood flavor, and you can manage visible smoke:
Pit Boss 150 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
The most portable option here, a 256 square inch wood pellet unit with a flame broiler and a 180 to 500 degree F range, marketed for tailgating, camping, and travel.
Check price on AmazonThe Pit Boss 150 is the outlier, and for the right person it is the most interesting unit here. It is a wood pellet grill and smoker, so it delivers the wood fired flavor the electric units cannot match, and its flame broiler and 180 to 500 degree F range mean it can sear a steak as well as run a low and slow brisket. At 256 square inches it is the smallest inside, but it is also by far the most portable, with a 7 pound pellet hopper and a design meant for tailgating, camping, and travel. The honest caveat for a condo patio is smoke. A pellet unit produces visible smoke by design, so check your building and HOA rules before you commit, and know that you will tend the pellets more actively than you would an electric element. If pellet smoking is really what you want, it is worth reading our wider look at compact pellet smokers as well.
What actually matters on a small patio
When space is the real constraint, a short list of factors decides the purchase, and most of the spec sheet is noise.
Footprint. This is the first filter. All three are compact, but they are compact in different ways. The two electric units are vertical, so they take up a small amount of floor and grow upward, which is ideal when you have a railing, a wall, or a corner to tuck into. The Pit Boss has the smallest overall body and the big advantage that you can lift it off the patio entirely and store it inside between cooks, which effectively gives you back your space on the days you are not smoking.
Cooking capacity. Measure this against how you actually cook, not against the number on the box. The EAST OAK leads at 725 square inches, the Masterbuilt is close behind at 710, and the Pit Boss sits well below at 256. If you usually smoke for two to four people, any of them is enough. If you host, or you like to smoke a large batch and freeze portions, the extra racks on the electric units pay off and the Pit Boss will feel tight.
Temperature control. This is where electric smokers quietly win for a small space. A digital electric unit holds a set temperature with very little input from you, which is what makes it realistic to smoke on a work evening or while you are indoors. The Pit Boss controls temperature by feeding pellets, which is stable enough but gives you more to watch, and more to clean. The upside of the pellet system is the flavor and the higher ceiling for searing.
Power. Do not overlook the outlet. The electric smokers obviously need a power source on or near the patio, and so does the Pit Boss, since pellet units use electricity to run the auger and igniter. Before you buy any of these, confirm you have a weather safe outdoor outlet within reach, because none of them run on gas or charcoal alone.
What to ignore. Do not overweight a high maximum temperature if you only plan to smoke, since a 500 degree F ceiling matters for searing, not for low and slow. Do not chase the largest square inch number if you cook small, because empty racks are just wasted space you have to clean and heat. And treat the set and forget promise as a convenience, not a license to walk away for hours, since any smoker benefits from the occasional check.
How the three compare
Lined up side by side, the trade off is clear. The EAST OAK and the Masterbuilt are close siblings, both digital electric vertical smokers in the low 700s for capacity, both with a side chip loader so you do not break the seal to add wood. The EAST OAK pulls ahead on convenience with its window and probe, while the Masterbuilt counters with a long track record and the simplicity of a known quantity. Between those two, the decision is mostly about whether the extra features are worth it to you, and for a small space where opening the door is costly, we think they are.
The Pit Boss is not really competing on the same axis. It trades capacity and plug in ease for flavor, grilling ability, and true portability. If your mental picture of patio smoking involves wood smell and the odd seared burger, and you can live with the smoke and the smaller chamber, it is a legitimate and fun choice. If your picture is more about reliably producing a lot of smoked food with minimal fuss on a tight schedule, the electric pair is the better fit. For a deeper view of that fuel decision, our pellet smoker guide covers it in more detail.
Our honest verdict
For the specific job in the title, a smoker that suits a small condo patio, our pick is the EAST OAK. It gives you the most capacity in a slim vertical body, and its window, probe, and side loader are the features that genuinely reduce hassle when every square foot counts. The Masterbuilt is the pick if you would rather buy the proven, simpler box and save the convenience features, and it stands out for people who just want a smoker that works without a learning curve. The Pit Boss is the pick for the wood flavor and portability crowd, with the honest asterisk that it makes real smoke and holds less food.
Whichever way you lean, match the smoker to how you actually cook and to the rules of your building, not to the biggest number on the box. You can see the full set of options in our electric smoker hub, and if the wood fired route is calling, compare it against our pellet smoker picks before you decide. We would start with the EAST OAK, confirm the outlet and the HOA rules, and go from there.