Masterbuilt 20070910 30-Inch Black Electric Digital Smoker, Top Controller review and price compare 2025
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Product overview
| Brand | Masterbuilt |
| Model Name | 20070910 |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Color | 30” Black (Old Version) |
| Item Weight | 45.86 Pounds |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 20 x 17 x 33.5 inches |
| Fuel Type | Electric |
product features
- by entering your model number.
- 730 sq. inches of cooking space with 4 chrome-coated racks and 800 watt heating element
- Digital temperature and timer controls
- Thermostat temperature control for even cooking from 100 to 275 degrees F
- Convenient side loading wood chips, removable drip pan and top air damper
- Ideal smoker for all experience levels
This fits your .
From the manufacturer
Choose the right tool.
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SmokeWhether you’re a beginner or a competition-ready pro, we have the right tools to easily craft your backyard masterpiece. Pick your preferred fuel source and start the journey. | AccessorizeCustomize your product with a variety of accessories designed to enhance your smoking and frying experience. | Fry, Boil, or SteamMasterbuilt, who invented the world’s first indoor 3-in-1 fryer, steamer, and boiler now provides consumers the ability to fry, steam, and boil their favorite foods in a single product. |
| Check out our other products! | Simply plug the smoker in and it does the work. | Smoke your favorite foods at the touch of a button. | Taste of charcoal with the ease of an electric smoker. | Free the oven with innovation and safety. | Take it to the next level with Gravity Fed Charcoal Grilling.. | Protect your investment and make it last. |
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product description
Color:30” Black (Old Version)
Known for quality and innovation, Masterbuilt's cooking products set the standard. With a powder-coated steel outer body, Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse comes with four smoking racks that allow ample room for turkey, sausage, chicken, ham, pork, fish, jerky, vegetables, and more. It is 100° to 275°F thermostatically controlled for a perfect temperature every time. It features a push-button precision digital control panel and an 0-24 hour digital timer with auto shut-off. It offers a safe and convenient side-loading wood tray. This Smoker has 100-percent insulation for energy-efficient cooking. For any further queries please contact Masterbuilt's Technical Support Number/ Customer Support Number @800-489-1581
product details
important information
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Questions about Masterbuilt 20070910 30-Inch Black Electric Digital Smoker, Top Controller
Q:
Can you change out the heating element on this unit? And do you know how much money it is to buy?
Answer: Just after one year the element will go out. Buy a spare.
Answer: My heating element went out just over a year. Masterbuilt sells a replacement directly. The part number is 9907090033, is $14.99 plus $8 shipping. 800-489-1581 is the number for Masterbuilt.
Answer: My heating element just went out after 3 years of occasional use. I called Masterbuilt and they sold it to me (WITH shipping) for about $22.
Answer: Yes, All these new units sold are model 20070910. Its fairly easy to replace. Masterbuilt will replace it for you if it goes out, but if you have warranty issues, they are 48 bucks through appliance parts websites.
Answer: Can this element be replaced
Answer: Yes....that was one of the main improvements in the updated model.
Q:
Window vs. no window. Is there an advantage of a window since we cook to internal temp of food?
Answer: Though temp is the primary tool in smoking/cooking food, I occasionally use a visual reference when cooking certain things, so I open the door on occasion to make a visual inspection, but this may take place only two or three times during a 8 hour cook. Secondly, my experience with windows in any cooking appliance seems a waste to me. After the appliance is used a few times, the window becomes stained enough that you really don't get a good visual and I'm sure a smoker window would become useless after one or two smokings. Bottom line, I don't think a window would be worth any increased price.
Answer: In my experience no. The window hazes over quickly anyway from the smoke. I cook with a remote probe thermometer so seeing the meat is really no benefit anyway.
Answer: I have the window and so does my buddy. We have no problem keeping temp where it needs to be. It's gets hard to see threw it tho. Some people keep it clean some don't. I keep the thing seasoned so I don't clean it.
Answer: Windows are great for about the first ten mins of smoking. After that smoke covers the glass and you cant see anything. If you love cleaning, i guess its an advantage to gain the task of getting to clean it all the time.
Answer: I do just fine with no window. The window probably gets moist or foggy with the smoke anyways. As long as the the temp is good.
Answer: Window on a smoker is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
Answer: You tend to lose heat with a windowed unit. It works harder to keep temp.
Answer: I have a smoker with the window. I don't really have a problem with it. Yes it will get dirty, but at the end of the smoke it is very easy to wipe clean with a paper towel due to the moisture in smoker. Is it a necessity no, but I still like it.
Answer: I use a separate smoke generator and appreciate having a window to confirm that it's still producing that thin blue smoke. I don't find that the window really hazes over too quickly, and I am able to look in on the food now and then. The window will eventually haze over and will need to be cleaned before the next cook. There are disadvantages mentioned such as heat loss, but for the most part my MES-30 maintains a set temperature really well. It'll be a personal preference and cost a bit more up front, but I see no big disadvantages to having a window.
Answer: Window is a waste. Smoke will coat the window ultimately making it useless. Trust your temperature probe and experience.
Q:
Is the smoker insulated? If so, how thick and what is the material?
Answer: I am very impressed with the heat holding ability of the smoker. I used it in temps of around 40 degrees and it came up to temp quickly and held temp nicely as well. The outside of the cabinet is not hot to the touch at all. The sides are about 3/4" thick, the top is about 1 1/2" thick, the door looks to be almost 2" thick. It is insulated with a white insulating foam - you can see it where the top controller mounts.
Answer: It's definitely well insulated. Appears to be some type of expanding foam, probably 3/4" or more thick judging from wall thickness. I can say that if you run it at 195F for 14 hours with outdoor temp in the 60-70 range, it's hard to detect any surface heat with your hand on the door or sides.
Answer: The walls are only about 1 inch thick, but my smoker holds temperature well. Not sure what material is used to insulate the unit. With the damper open to release smoke most smokers release a lot of heat anyway.
Answer: Yes, it is insulated and holds heat very well. I use it in Minnesota in the winter cold. I would guess the walls are 5/8 to 3/4 inch thick. I don't know what the insulated packing is but it looks like insulation you would put in your attic. It does not appear to be foam. This unit is far better at holding heat that plain metal walled units.
Answer: My experience is that it is very well insulated. My unit maintains a set temperature quite well.
Answer: Yes, its insulated enough that I've actually picked it up and moved it while it was on.
Answer: One of the best I've seen at hold temp. I smoked last winter when it was -5F and it held temp within 5 degrees the whole 4 hours
Answer: I think so. How much and what it is, I don't know. Good question for Masterbuilt.
Q:
How much smoke is emitted from the smoker and will it disturb my neighbors?
Answer: My husband uses this smoker in our backyard every weekend. Though it admits more smoke than a BBQ, I doubt it would be enough to bother your neighbors. Maybe if you're talking about using it on a patio in an apartment complex it would. But if you're going to be using it in your backyard I dont see how the amount of smoke it admits could bother anyone.
Answer: It depends on how much wood chips you apply..if anything, the smoke is an aroma, not an odor. It is delicious. No neighbor will complain
Answer: There's not enough smoke to bother your neighbors, but the smell of the meat cooking will drive them nuts to join you. Converting vegetarians is easy with this smoker.
Answer: Not too much smoke, it won't disturb your neighbors may just make them hungry.
Answer: Not too much smoke, depends on how close your neighbors are I guess.
Answer: Not to much.but you will be able to smell it like a bbq
Q:
how should one clean and maintain this unit
Answer: I clean racks with wire brush, and I placed a disposable foil pan on the bottom rack to catch any drippings. I wipe the door seal with a damp cloth after every three or four uses. Great unit, Enjoy!!
Answer: I wash my racks in the sink. I have never cleaned the inside of the unit. I lined the bottom and anywhere fat would drip with foil and I just replace the foil. for heaven's sake don't clean the walls or door. that's where all the flavor comes from!
Answer: The instructions state to never wash it with a detergent. I use 1 part white vinegar and two parts water if the inside needs clean. All the pretty shiny metal comes out for dishwasher cleaning. The seal around the door are cleaned with a wet (water) towel, go around the seal and let it dry, and the window, just use water or the 1/2 white vinegar solution.
Answer: what to use to clean the glass window on the door
Answer: for cooking racks, water bowl and drip tray use a mild dish detergent. Rinse and dry thoroughly. For wood chip holder and wood chip loader, clean frequently to remove ash build up, reside and dust. For the interior and exterior of smoker simply wipe down with damp cloth. Do not use a cleaning agent. Make sure to dry thoroughly. Door seal and inside seam that seal attaches to MUST be cleaned after each use to keep seal in proper working condition.
Answer: Honestly, my boyfriend uses Clorox wipes and then wipes it down afterward with soap and water... very easy but he has the windowed edition, you may not even need the Clorox wipes... for the inside: he just brings them in the house and has me scrub down the wire racks like you would a grill.... get a girlfriend/wife is my suggestion ;)
Q:
Does the 20070910 require a 110 or 220 outlet?
Answer: Just your standard 100 outlet.
Answer: 110
Answer: 110 ac
Answer: 110V
Q:
does it include a temp probe?
Answer: Best smoker I have ever owned--Mine is model 20070511 & looks same but has built in temp meat probe--Harry
Answer: It has an internal temperature thermostat that monitors the temperature of the unit and is adjustable with the read out in the digital display mounted on the top of the unit. It DOES NOT have an independent remote temperature probe used to monitor the internal temperature of the product being "smoked". The independent "temp probe" must be purchased separately.
Answer: Yes, the updated version does have a plug-in internal temperature probe. It will display the temperature of the inside of the unit and then shortly after display the internal temperature of the meat or item you have the prob in.
Answer: Model #20071914 is the same smoker WITH a built in meat probe. I got mine from Cabelas, as Amazon doesn't sell it.
Answer: It does not come with a temp probe.
Answer: Per details section and video for this model it does offer a built in meat probe thermometer.
Answer: No it does not, i use a digital meat themometer
Answer: Just in case you didn't see the other 4 responses, it does NOT
Answer: No it does not.
Q:
Should I use Wood Chips or Wood Chunks?
Answer: I used both. I put some apple wood chips in the bottom of the tray and then put some chunks on top. To smoke a brisket I changed the wood 3 times. Everyone at the party said it was great. One guy that had been smoking meat for some time said he had never had any as good. Just the right amount of smoke and very tender.
Answer: Chips--- chunks will be too big to fit in the holder and thru the hole. I have used different wood chips ,I have purchased my best wood chips from Amazon.
Answer: I use chips and some pellets, usually soaking chips for 30 minutes for a slower steady smoke while adding a few dry pellets to get the smoke rolling quickly. All dry chips make a lot of smoke but burn out quicker. Small chunks should work also but they need to be smallish say 1.5" cubes or smaller to fit in the tray
Answer: Assuming that the chunks are larger I would ask if they are possibly too large for the physical size of the unit.
Answer: Wood Chips work just fine..The chunks are to big to use..I half dry and half of the soaked in water..works well
Answer: I've only used chips. Chunks should work as long as they will fit. I believe chips would smoke at faster rate. I haven't had any problems with the chips.
Answer: I use about a cup of wood chips. It doesn't take much to give you the flavor.
Answer: Wood chips are much easier. But I do recommend soaking them in water first.
Answer: I use small pieces and chips 1/2 an inch is about the thickest i have used.
Q:
Would this be a good smoker for a beginner?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: I'm a beginner and am very happy with this smoker. Talked to another person two weeks ago, he also is a newbie and likes this smoker.
Answer: Yes, but you have to baby sit it. The wood chip tray takes about 30 minutes worth of chips. If you are smoking something for 12 hours, you would have to load the chip tray frequently. Also there are some quality issues with this smoker, you might find another website that reviews smokers and decide that this should not be your first smoker.
Answer: Yes it would. This unit is very easy to maintain and program. I am a beginner and have found it a great unit.
Answer: The Masterbuilt smoker is really easy to use. Just fill water tray for moisture, set temperature and time, put wood chips in several times during smoking. Unlike charcoal, where it's hard to regulate the temperature, the Masterbuilt smoker can keep a steady low temp. You won't have to worry about burning the meat. Do use a digital meat probe to cook to the recommended temperature, There are plenty of uTube videos on using the smoker with recipes. No doubt you will adjust and experiment to suit your personal tastes.
Answer: Yes! Yes! Yes! I had never had a smoker before I bought this one. It is really easy to use, and almost foolproof. The price is incredibly reasonable, and you will have a great time smoking chicken, steak, fish, and everything else.
Answer: Yes beginner or advanced easy to use no problem with temperature control. I always preheat to the max before use and then set to desired temp after food added. Like being able to control the amount of smoke myself.
Answer: Whats nice about this smoker is that its a set-and-leave-it-alone smoker. No need to constantly watch it or check up on it. Perfect for a beginner. I'm an expert and love it more than my offset smoker cause I can set it at midnight, and by 4pm the next day its done. Just add wood chips at my convenience and go to sleep. Great product.
Answer: I'm a beginner and it's the one I bought. Pretty simple, like anything, takes practice.
Answer: Yes. You can get free recipes on the internet for rubs and sauces/marinades. This works great and holds a good steady temperature since you don't have to open the door to add wood chips while smoking. If you buy this, do NOT skip the break-in step, it seasons the unit for use and you only need do it once. We love ours and use it every week. Also, use a 55 gal contractor size trash bag to cover the unit when not in use they are cheaper than the factory-sold cover and last longer.
Q:
is there a rib rack? and operating manual. Also the lenght of the elecrical cord. Thank you
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: no rib rack, yes operating manual, 6' length. Very nice product for smaller jobs. Also, temp control not very accurate. You should put you own thermometer into vent and set temperature to that instead of probe used.
Answer: Ribrack is optional. Instructions are included and the cord is 5-6 feet long.
Q:
How low does it go? Will it produce smoke at 140 degrees for smoking fish?
Answer: Not sure how low, but yes it will go to 140. I think maybe it goes as low as 100 but not 100% sure.
Answer: yes, temperature can pretty much be adjusted up to 200 degrees I believe, and anything below that in denominations of 5 or 10, down to outside temp.
Answer: I have smoked salmon and trout at 140. It's fantastic.
Q:
do you need to soak the wood chips
Answer: Jeffrey, you need to smoke the wood chips for at least 30 minutes... longer if you can... that helps them smolder and cause the smoke instead of catching fire in the box.
Answer: I have not soaked them and it seems to work just fine. I don't remember where I read it, but I read that unlike coal burning smokers, you don't need to soak the wood since it doesn't get as hot as with coals.
Answer: DO NOT, EVER, SOAK WOOD CHIPS. IT CAUSES THE SMOKE TO BE BITTER AND WILL EFFECT THE FLAVOR OF THE MEAT IN A BAD WAY
Answer: follow the directions on what type of wood you will be using. the ones we used ALL said to soak the chips and that is what we did
Answer: I soaked the chips I used, they will smoke a little longer if you do
Answer: Yes!
Q:
How often do you have to add chips?
Answer: That depends on a lot of different variables... how big are the chips? How far open is the vent? How smoky do you want it to taste? Do you wet the chips to start with? At what temperature are you smoking? I like my stuff smoky and for like a 5 to 7 hour smoke I'll usually add chips maybe around 4 times.
Answer: A normal load for me runs about 45 minutes on average.
Q:
can you cold smoke with this smoker?
Answer: You need the cold smoker attachment (sold separately for under $60 on amazon). I cold smoke, with the attachment, (salmon and various cheeses, so far) and it does a wonderful job of imparting the smoky flavor.
Answer: Yes, if you buy the cold smoke attachment. Amazon sells it and it attaches to the chip loading opening for true cold smoking. You can get a very low temp. smoke with the base unit but it is not a true "Cold smoke"
Answer: Not unless you buy the cold smoker attachment or the A-MAZE-N smoking unit.
Answer: You have to buy the cold smoker attachment in order to cold smoke.
Answer: There's a way to viols smoke without buying a cold smoker it's intense but works.
Answer: Yes you can. Set your thermo to about 150 or below it will do fine what are you smoking
Answer: Not easily. The heat element is in the unit where the food also is. If you are careful about the temp, smoke could be started then the heat element stopped, I guess.
Answer: No, it is cofigured with a heating element to activate wood smoke.
Q:
Will using pellets rather than wood chips work with this smoker, and if so will they burn longer/require less filling?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: Have used both. Wetting them helps to make them last longer. Pellets expand and dissolve to saw dust. As far as lasting longer I would say no. Does not take long to burn up chips u just need to keep filling the small chip box. You do not need to have smoke the whole time you are cooking. There is such a thing as to much smoke.
Answer: FROM THE MANUAL:
Answer: it may depends on how big the wood chips are the tray that holds them is small in size but a great smoker for sure
Q:
Can you cover your food and foil and put it back in? The manual says "do not cover racks with foil, this will result in trapped heat and damage?
Answer: After about six hours, the smoking is complete. I will then wrap the meat, a roast for example, in foil and continue cooking for another couple of hours to tenderize. The manual will tell you not to put foil on the racks because that will interfere with the flow of the heat and the smoking process.
Answer: You can wrap you food, they don't want you to cover the racks due to blocking the heat distribution. The wrapped food isn't any different than cooking unwrapped food.
Answer: you can foil the meat after it hits a cooked temp such as 160 for pork butt. Then you wrap in foil but do not block the racks. If you block the racks you will get a inaccurate temp reading. Make sure you get the meat smoked good first. after you foil it it will just continue to cook and get hotter but will not get any more smoke
Answer: Don't cover racks, smoke don't pass thur bottom of meat well nor does temp control work as well.
Answer: After smoking meat ie brisket, ribs u can wrap it in foil to finish cooking. If it is wrapped 1st then u don't get smoke
Answer: No u can not. Pam spray on the racks before u begin.
Q:
How high does the temperature go?
Answer: I have not cooked anything over 300 degrees but I think it will go up to 350 or 400. I try to keep the temperature at 250 most of the time.
Answer: According to Masterbuilt the max temperature is 275.
Answer: The Control Panel will only go to 275 F, the actual in the box temp will often be 10 to 20 degrees higher (common Masterbuilt "Temp Accuracy Problem") , but... on the Gen two models, the Thermal Protect Sensor (KSD301) will trip at about 302 F.
Q:
Can I use on wood deck?
Answer: Yes, you can use on a wooden deck with no problems. Only concern from the smoker would be condensation from the water. Very minimal.
Answer: Yes, however, it uses an electronic heating element and is left on for many hours and it should be monitored if it's on something flammable, but it is highly unlikely to start a fire on that deck. It's insulated pretty well and the element is not exposed at all to any areas of the outside of the box. It's not even close to the bottom either.
Answer: yes, but its much easier to use if you get 12 cinder blocks and set 8 upright and four laying down on top . This makes it so you don't have to bend down, as well as gets your wires and electrical connections off the ground so they won't sit in water.
Answer: I would find and use a very large pan under it. There is no heat issue to the best of my knowledge but I am sure the bottom gets warm. The issue is dripping and cleaning of the greasy mess that ensues from cooking any form of meat. I have mine on a stand made of cement blocks to make it higher than foot level. The stand for this is way overpriced for it's value. Bring the smoker someplace that you can make a dirty greasy mess, once it has cooled, to clean it.
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: Yes
Answer: Yes
Q:
does it leak around th doors
Answer: No, there is no leaking from the door at all. It has a very nice latch system. They recommend you put foil on the ground under and in front of the unit for when you take meats out of the smoker. You will probably have some drippings.
Answer: No leaks.... that's not a problem. However, the electronics failed after a year and they can't be replaced or repaired. Take a pass on this unit.
Answer: yes! I highly recommend you look elsewhere. Mine has been nothing but trouble. It sits disassembled in my garage after we tried to replace like 5 different failed parts in it, but then all of the screws are basically baked on so we've not been able to even replace things I paid money to get replacement parts on since the product has such a lousy warranty. It leaks in the doors and I even have the Masterbuilt cover on top of it. It's lousy.
Answer: No! Make sure you wipe down the seal, and you can tighten the side latch to make it a tight fit. This is an awesome smoker and we use it frequently!
Answer: Nope. The electronics are bogus.
Q:
Can you smoke deer jerky and sausage in this? Do I need to buy certain racks for this?
Answer: I make all kinds of jerky in it. I found some grates from another smoker that are smaller if I have pieces that are too small for the regular racks. Run at 200 for about and hour to cook then open the vent to start the drying process. Takes anywhere from 1-2 hours to get the color and glaze I want.
Answer: I smoke sausage almost every weekend. I haven't smoked jerky yet, but I know it will work out fine. The temperature levels are such that you can do jerky easily. Since I bought this smoker, my brother-in-law and father-in-law both are chomping at the bit to get one too! But it. You'll love it!
Answer: yes, you can either lay on racks or you can put a tooth pick through the meat and hang from the racks which will give you a lot more room for smoking the meat.
Answer: Maybe, but mine broke in less than a year and the manufacturer is not responding to my emails. Mine is just junk.
Answer: yes you can, because you can control the temp,
Q:
how large of a turkey can you smoke on the 30" model ?
Answer: I have not smoked a whole turkey yet but you certainly can smoke a whole turkey - you would just have to remove some racks & it would take several hours. i highly recommend the book by Jeff Phillips -Smoking Meat - available through Amazon - great recipes & tips - I have also subscribed to Smoking-Meat.com I have the 30" Masterbuilt & think its the perfect size - i just ordered the Masterbuilt mats from Amazon - I've made smoked salmon several times & its awesome -
Answer: I have smoked a 33lb turkey. It was tight but I got her in and she did very well.
Q:
Can I smoke fresh caught, frozen Salmon and halibut filets?
Answer: Once they are thawed out should be no problem You might consider doing them on cedar planks.
Answer: Yes, you can cook just about anything
Q:
can a full rack of ribs fit
Answer: Many conflicting answers here but let me make it less complicated for you. On any of the 30 inch smokers, a normal to larger rack of ribs will not fit. You will have to cut them in half. The poeple saying they bit must be using smaller racks that I have never seen before (lol) so the answer is no. Cutting them in have works just fine. I have done four racks of ribs in mine. If you buy one of the 40 inch smokers, a full rack of ribs will fit with no issue and without having to cut them in half.
Answer: It would fit a full rack cut in half per shelf, X 3 shelves. 3 racks. Maybe more if you cut the racks smaller and fit them on each shelf.
Answer: If you use a rack that supports them upright they just fit diagonally. If you lay them flat on a shelf you'll have to cut the rack in half, which is no big deal.
Answer: no- just cut in half.
Answer: Yes, if it's not too big.
Q:
What are the primary differences between this and the prior version (30 inch analog)? Is it primarily the temperature range and digital temp readout?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: That is about it but it also has a heating element that can be replaced. The previous version was not replaceable and for $40 or so you can replace the heating element in this one yourself. We been using ours for about 1 year now and it works like a charm. We smoked chicken, brisket, sausage, etc. So far everything turns out great.
Answer: I think only the digital one has the air damper to control the smoke level. I don't think the analog one has any damper.
Answer: Don't know. I only have the current version. All I can say is I like the one I have and think controlling the temperature and time electronically is great.
Q:
can I use it with wood chunks as well as the small chips?
Answer: no small chips
Answer: I believe they recommend using the chips. wood chunks wouldn't produce the smoke that chips do.
Answer: chips work fine, chunks would be large to load on the load tube.
Answer: Just the smaller chips are advisable, the chunks won't fit in the sliding chamber
Answer: No they dont fit in as well I bought the chunks and had to buy a hatchet to chop them down
Answer: Small chips, really all you need.
Answer: No very small box holds 1 cup. Directions said no.
Q:
Smoke cheese?
Answer: I used the cold smoker attachment, left the bos temp off and smoked a terrific 5 pound block of aged chedder...
Answer: You'd probably want to use the optional cold smoker attachment for this.
Answer: don't know will have to try like the idea
Answer: mentioned to hubby I will let you know when he figures it out :) he loves this thing
Q:
Is there a way to insert an external temp probe into the meat thru door or wall or will I need to open to check?
Answer: Yes, you can feed the temp probe thru the top, smoke escape hole. I use it and it still works great and also the vent will "almost" close to keep smoke inside ...
Answer: I insert Maverick ET732 probes through the vent opening on top. No need to open the door.
Answer: The easiest is to run a long thermocouple in through the top vent. Alternatively, you could drill in through the side and seal the hole.
Q:
Can you add additional racks (more than 4)?
Answer: The smoker is built with 4 tracks on each side to slide the racks into. I suppose you could make more tracks to go between the ones that the smoker comes with so you could add more racks. From the factory the racks are 4 inches apart.
Answer: No there is only the capability for placing 4 racks
Answer: No. The interior is like an oven with slots for each rack. Three is no east and no room to add additional racks.
Answer: There is hangers for 4 wire shelves. Unless you rebuilt the inside it wouldn't be possible. However, you could probably use the top shelf and hang sausages or similar products from the top shelf for smoking.
Answer: This is a great unit it has a lot of room compared to other smokers on the market you don't want to over load this unit it will increase cooking time I also would like to see a 6 rack unit on the market we have a big family this unit holds up and we smoke a lot of great meals enjoy your family's
Answer: There is only room for the 3 racks for cooking. The 4th(bottom) is for the chip box and water bowl. Hope that helps..
Answer: No
Q:
how many racks of ribs can I cook at one time?
Answer: If you lay them flat on the racks four. If you get 2 racks to stand them on edge you can get 6. Each rack holds 6 half rib racks.
Answer: It is going to depend on how many racks that ONE has.I have the 40" and I have 4 racks.
Q:
does this make much smoke at low temps? i'd love to do some lower temp things, like fish. 135F
Answer: I use mine at the edge, inside my garage and it doesn't fill the garage with smoke. Use the amount of chips the manual calls for and you should be ok. This doesn't make as much smoke as a big wood smoker. But if you set it that low, it will take a long time. You have to replenish the chips every half hour or so.
Answer: Yes, it can. Would be great to cook fish when at low temp. Hope this helps.
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: I have not done anything that low yet. I can tell you the unit is very nice and works great. As far as the smoke is concerned it would be easy to control.
Q:
Can this unit sit on an uncovered patio using a stand and cover without damaging the controls?
Answer: If it is going to be exposed to the weather, I would
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: If you keep it covered with a waterproof cover, there shouldn't be a problem. A relative of mine keeps his covered and it it on his deck in the weather. No problems.
Answer: Should not be a problem at all. Though i can't speak directly to the longevity of exposure and type of exposure for the cover.
Answer: Should not be a problem at all. Though i can't speak directly to the longevity of exposure and type of exposure for the cover
Answer: not supposed to get wet
Q:
how hard is it to clean
Answer: Not hard at all. Just empty wood chip ashes, throw out water in water dish and wipe down grates. I don't clean sides unless there are bad splashes. I think it seasons the smoker by not cleaning sides.
Answer: Very easy. I clean it after ever use
Answer: I line the grease pan with foil and toss it. I pull out all racks that I won't need to handle meat. Washing used racks involves dish water and about 5 minutes each, though you could put them in the dishwasher. Occasionally I set the smoker to a 2 hour burn off to start fresh.
Answer: Not at all. Dump the ashes, spray from the drip cover and water pan
Answer: I just wipe it down with water. The more build up of smoke and spices, the better the meat gets.
Q:
While seasoning the smoker, should the top vent be open?
Answer: When I was seasoning my smoker I had the top closed
Answer: no top vent should be closed just like when your smoking a piece of meat
Answer: I closed mine for seasoning.
Q:
Does this come with a sausage rack that allows you to hang sausage links?
Answer: No, it just comes with flat racks. If you want sausage racks, you have to buy them...
Answer: No, it only has 4 regular removable racks.
Answer: Sorry I don't have the aswer to that. I purchased a 20070312.
Answer: There wasn't one included. Check the accessories they might have one for sale to go with this
Answer: No
Answer: No it does not :(
Q:
Will this work as a food dehydrator? Temp range, 100- 2plus range suggests yes
Answer: Yes....100-275 range....keeps great temp consistency.
Answer: I use mine to make beef jerky @185 degrees. Key is emptying the drip pan about an hour into the smoke... and opening the vent all of the way. I also let door open until temp drops to 170 or so. That kickc the heat element in to help dry the box. So, I'd say I think you can use as dehydrator, but need to assist with moisture removal. Hope that helps.
Answer: Absolutely, use mine to dehydrate all the time!
Answer: There is no internal fan. Other than that it should work. Will be doing jerky in it soon.
Answer: Sorry don't know as we have only used it as a smoker. Good question we will try it. check back soon
Answer: Have no idea...but u can contact them and they would be able to answer that question for u.
Q:
does outside of unit get hot
Answer: I would say most of the unit gets warm. The exhaust vent gets hot. I set a remote thermometer on top that is plastic and it's fine.
Answer: no it doesn't...I use my smoker year round, my previous smoker would be hot on the outside, which is a loss of heat, during the winter it was very difficult maintain internal temps (maximum heat setting using more energy) but Masterbuilt's are insulated very well and keep the heat inside, I've found outside temps don't really affect the cook temp or times
Answer: No, it is only warm to the touch. The Masterbuilt is very well insulated to keep the heat in and maintain a constant temperature.
Answer: No. But careful when you open the door. That first blast of heat will knock you down
Answer: It does not. Just where the is put in.
Answer: Not enough to make any difference. I would say it gets warm.
Answer: not at all. it's very well insulated.
Q:
Chips or chunks? Which are best suited for this smoker? Recommendations?
Answer: Chips, chunks are too big
Answer: Chips, chunks will not fit or burn well.... Ask me how I know - Yeah I tried it. ;-( Stick to the chips.
Answer: Have only used chips. The smoker has worked very well!!
Answer: Chips
Q:
To get chicken legs crispy. how long and what is the temp you could this?
Answer: Well that would be a hard thing to do. You could try taking the water pan out and then setting it at 275. The secret though is to spray skin with Pam. Don't ask me why it works but it does.
Q:
My wood chips don't burn down to ashes. ie. incomplete burn. Any suggestions?
Answer: I soak mine and they still burn to ash. Maybe your heating element isn't hot enough. Is the temperature where it's supposed to be? Or do you have big chunks?
Answer: Don't wet the chips, use only good quality dry chips. It won't totally burn all to ash, electric causes the chips to smolder not burn like fire.
Answer: I had that problem at first and then realized I was filling the chip box too full. Now no problem.
Answer: how much chips are you using ??
Answer: Chips no more then 1 cup.
Answer: Usually that doesnt happen unless you soak em in water . Other than that you need to warranty that because somthing isnt right. I had issues with my timer shutting mine off. They replaced it and even upgraded me for free. This company stands behind their products. Talk to them. You will be happy you did.
Q:
digital control panel problems?
Answer: The new control panel is set into the front of cabinet. The temperature control for the heating element works fine. The meat probe on mine reads 30 degrees high at 150 deg. The probe is NOT replaceable. However, Masterbuilt was willing to send me out a complete new smoker as a replacement which is stupid. I use a Ivation wireless thermometer to measure the meat accurately.
Answer: Have had the Smoker about 3 months, and no problems with the digital controls. Smoker is kept under a cover and under a roof, except when using. I would think that rain and/or extreme dampness may be a problem. Everything about the Smoker has worked great so far.
Answer: No, not at all, the digital heat setting and interior thermometer work great and are extremely accurate. I use a a digital meat thermometer so I can monitor the interior temp of the meat incase I need to adjust time settings. I hope this answers your question.
Answer: None, the controls work great!
Answer: None so far, but we've only used it twice so far. Both times for 2 full racks of ribs and they came out perfect each time.
Answer: Nope
Q:
Does this smoker put off a lot of smoke/odor? I live in a small apartment complex and don't want to offend the neighbors. :)
Answer: it does put off quite a bit of smoke but also depends on how much wood chips you put in it.but the smoke smells so good i doubt you'll offend your neighbors i believe you will be beating your neighbors away from your door with a stick.if they made cologne that smelt like masterbuilt smoke id buy it.
Answer: if you offend neighbors with the smell of this smoker they are not good neighbors anyway. who doesnt love the smell of this type of smoke?
Answer: I haven't noticed a lot of smoke and I have used all kinds of wood in my smoker.
Answer: I lived 2nd floor apartment just above the complex pool. The gals would yell up asking what I was smoking.....and I'd tell 'em the truth.....BAIT !!! The smell is great....
Answer: if your neighbors are offended by the smell of smoking food you don't want to be their friends anyway.
Answer: It isn't bad at all. I smoke in my garage with the doors closed and it doesn't bother me. It just adds a good smell.
Answer: It will smoke them out ,but the smell will be delicious,they won't mind. Lol
Answer: Not at all. it should not bother anyone
Q:
Can this smoker be plugged into a generator if camping with no electricity?
Answer: As long as you dont exceed the capacity of your generator. A household 20 amp is more than enough to run the smoker which your genny should have. It should work fine as long as youre not overtaxing the rated wattage of the generator on powering a number of other things all at once.
Answer: Really depends on the generator's abilities and what else it's running. Keep in mind, depending on what you're smoking it could be running for 10-20 hours at at time though, I'd recommend staying with shorter cooks like chicken thighs, for example.
Q:
What would be the advantage of a 40" unit over this one, i.e. would you normally need more cooking space than this one will provide?
Answer: The one pictured with your question, has a digital temp gauge. It doesn't have the flexibility to get as hot as the 40". Size wise, the 40" has plenty of room and I could get by on less space. Also, the 40" non- digital was less expensive.
Answer: You can cook enough for a large family or even a party on this size. Unless you are going to cook huge amounts of food, this one should be fine. My old propane smoker was 40" and I have never regretted going with this smaller size.
Answer: unless you're a big time jerky or sausage maker, I really don't see the need for the 40 inch unit.when I decide to smoke food for a family meal,I often go through my freezer to find additional meet to smokein order to justify the wood and clean up.unless I'm smoking jerky or sausage, I rarely use all four racks.
Answer: We don't need more cooking space. We can smoke 4 racks of ribs and a good sized brisket at the same time.
Answer: unless you're a big time jerky or sausage maker, I really don't see the need for the 40 inch unit.when I decide to smoke food for a family meal,I often go through my freezer to find additional meet to smokein order to justify the wood and clean up.unless I'm smoking jerky or sausage, I rarely use all four racks.
Answer: In my opinion the size of this one is more than adequate. With a rib rack I can get 4 slabs of ribs, a pork loin and a chicken in it to cook all at once.
Q:
A number of reviewers indicated that this smoker comes with a replaceable element and the elements go making it a throw away unit....is this the one
Answer: We smoke briskets about twice a month for the past year. Plus jerky, a couple turkeys, some ribs here and there. I had more than 100 hours (probably close to 200+ hours) and mine just went out. Masterbuilt did send me a new element and they are replaceable with model 20070910 (bought here on amazon in 2012)
Answer: No. No replacement element. I have probably 100 hours on mine maybe more. No issues.
Answer: I've had mine for years 7 or 8 and probably have 1000+ hours on it. Never had an issue.
Q:
Is the smoker waterproof? What if it rains while using it?
Answer: It actually rained while we used it monday! Nothing happened. Just continued to smoke the meat like normal. Unless its a huge puddle that its sitting in, im pretty sure its not going to hurt it.
Answer: is not technically waterproof. the theremostat is electronic and would not let it get wet. A little drizzle prob wouldn't hurt it but you could cover it to protect it.
Answer: I kink so.
Q:
I intend to use this at camp where we only have 20amp electric service. Will this unit work with that?
Answer: Well since i am not an electrician i can only offer an unprofessional opinion. I have my unit plugged i to a regular household plug that is on a 20 amp breaker. I have had it up to 250 degrees for up to 7 hours. Great unit have had nany compliments on the meat i have smoked. Hope this helps
Answer: Yes it should work fine
Answer: Yes if you don't put allot more load on the circuit.
Q:
can this actually hold 275 degrees in cooler climates?
Answer: I have not used it at 275 degrees, but I have used it several times at 225-240 degrees, once during an ice storm a couple of weeks ago, and it held the temperature well, (within 5 degrees).
Answer: 275 is this smokers max setting and yes it can hold the temp in cold weather. I seasoned mine on a day that the high was 26 degrees and it had no problem holding 275 +/- 5 degrees empty. I did some bacon the next day and preheated it to 225 at 6:00 and 23 degrees out. It had no problem holding temp and it was a bit windy that day. I was really surprised as I have a propane smoker that would have had difficulty maintaining the temp. This unit is really well insulated.
Answer: Yes. Mine, the 40" model, has no problem holding its temp below freezing. Our temp has only gotten down to about 8 degree F. So I can't speak to lower temps than that.
Answer: Yes, i used my smoker in 30 degree weather and it maintained the correct temps.
Answer: yes it can. i used it in cold weather and it held up nicely.
Q:
Can you store outside?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer: We have ours outside, but it's under a shelter that has a cement floor. We actually have it sitting on a small table for easier access.
Answer: Personally, I do not. If you store anything that collects water, that would not be good for the heating element, i.e. wood. Hope this helps.
Answer: I suppose you can, but it will almost certainly take a toll eventually. I left mine out once and it was rained on pretty heavily, but to no ill effect. A cover - similar to a BBQ grill cover - would seem a good option.
Answer: I would get a cover for the elements and keep dry but ours is in the garage
Q:
Is there a port for an internal thermometer
Answer: No I use a thermometer that has the heat proof wire on it and just close the door on the wire.
Answer: The only hole in the smoker is the one on the top right. To control the temp/ smoke. I use my thermometer an I just run it between the door of the smoker. It has a rubber gasket on the door and so far my thermometer still works used it well over a dozen times already if this helps at all.
Answer: There is no port. You can drop your wire down through the top vent.
Answer: No there isn't
Q:
how long does it take to get to 275 before cooking
Answer: Never timed it. I've done all my cooking at 225 (slow Smoking). Doesn't take a great deal of time to reach 235 which is what I preheat to, then turn down.
Answer: It's taken me 15-20 min but it depends on the weather, I'm in TX so sooner than my family in CO which takes them 20-30 min.
Answer: Takes about 30 minutes, depending on how cold it is outside.
Product reviews of Masterbuilt 20070910 30-Inch Black Electric Digital Smoker, Top Controller
Michael S Brown : Very tight shelves - UPDATED SEP 2019 - DO NOT BUY!!
SEE BELOW: This smoker did an adequate job, however as noted in many reviews, it does not smoke at lower temperatures. I had to keep the temperature higher than stated to keep it smoking. Also, the shelves were VERY TIGHT and hard to slide in and out to baste the fish. End product was good, so giving 3 stars
Have dropped this to 1 star and have asked Masterbuilt for assistance. This product as mentioned, does not smoke at anything under 185 degrees which is too hot to start for fish. There is a "fix" online where you can modify a bracket that sits below the burner element and set it below to raise the burner (which I did) and the chip bin still does not sit low enough to make contact with the element without more bending and shaping. Even then, it simply does not smoke so to me, this was a huge waste of time and money. DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT!
Have dropped this to 1 star and have asked Masterbuilt for assistance. This product as mentioned, does not smoke at anything under 185 degrees which is too hot to start for fish. There is a "fix" online where you can modify a bracket that sits below the burner element and set it below to raise the burner (which I did) and the chip bin still does not sit low enough to make contact with the element without more bending and shaping. Even then, it simply does not smoke so to me, this was a huge waste of time and money. DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT!
FootHiller : Can't get wet? Really?
It's pretty crazy that a device that needs to be used outdoors tells you that it can't get wet! You can buy a custom cover for it, but after a local shower I found water on top of the smoker under the cover!
The nicest thing about the smoker is the insulation, so I can cook in chilly weather. The insulation has a downside though; once up to temperature the heating element doesn't run much. The element only generates smoke from wood chips when it's running for reasonable periods.
I also like the thermostatic control. On the other hand, it's real work to clean this thing. Overall, my old Brinkman cylinder smoker worked just as well.
The nicest thing about the smoker is the insulation, so I can cook in chilly weather. The insulation has a downside though; once up to temperature the heating element doesn't run much. The element only generates smoke from wood chips when it's running for reasonable periods.
I also like the thermostatic control. On the other hand, it's real work to clean this thing. Overall, my old Brinkman cylinder smoker worked just as well.
Diva Kreszl : Not working in 2 years and awful customer service
I purchased this smoker 2 years ago and it no longer works. Calls to Masterbuilt customer service were unsatisfactory. Told I needed to order a replacement part, I did and even with the new part it didn’t work. The company charged me for the new part and says I must pay for return shipping. Representative didn’t care that the product lasted only 2 years and said he had no comment when questioned about the longevity of the product. Disappointed in the product life and even more disappointed by their customer service department. DO NOT BUY from Masterbuilt!
Linda N : Water pan did not hold up
Enjoyed using my new smoker until today. Smoked a batch of jerky and saw a puddle of liquid under the right lower corner of the unit,discovered that the water pan had a tiny hole in it. It looked like someone had seen it before and tried to patch it. Being stainless steel it didn't hold. I bought the unit in July 2017 and there is no way this should have happened. I've only done about 6 or 7 batches of meat in it. I feel this should be replaced by the company!
Dee Loe : Very disappointed
Really enjoyed this unit when it worked. Problem is it didnt make it to 2 years in age. We didnt even use the smoker every week. The unit is stored indoors and kept in excellent condition. This doesnt seem to matter though. It is triggering the GFI outlet.
BOB : in great condition, no damage whatsoever
I just got the smoker, havent actually cooked any food in it yet, a batch of deer jerky is marinating and will go in soon. The smoker arrived lightening fast from amazon, in great condition , no damage whatsoever ...I ran it through its initial seasoning run with no problems..looks like a nice built unit, the door latch looks a little flimsy so ill see how long it lasts..reading through the reviews, you have to look at the model number of the smoker that you are getting, because all 1600 plus previews are for 4 or more different model smokers..this one got many good reviews, and one of the complaints was the control board goes bad, as the exhaust from the smoker is right next to it, so the heat may affect the control board, in a proactive move, I made a small heat shield out of sheet metal, about 3 x 6 inches..it took all of 5 minutes to make and install, I just slid it under the side of the control board against the top of the smoker, and it blocks almost all the heat from hitting the control board..so hopefully the board never goes bad..all in all I look forward to years of good smoking from this unit..as I use the unit I will update my review, but as now, Im impressed with this unit..
El Hefe : Automatic Awesomeness
Turn this thing on, plug in a wireless thermometer and get busy doing something else. You only have to add wood chips about once an hour. It's big enough for a standing rib roast or a couple butts. It's well insulated and cool to the touch on the outside. Cleanup is easy. Temperature drifts above and below the set point as much as 5 degrees F. Max Temperature of 275F is hot enough.
Thomas Fischel : Fast shipping (Prime)
Fast shipping ( Prime ). Well packaged. No dents or scratches.
"Seasoned" the smoker yesterday. All went well. Just before the three hours were up, put in dry apple chips
and it started smoking fairly quickly. Some folks have indicated their heating elements burned out too quickly.
Remains to be seen with mine, however.....I know for a an absolute fact that allowing Oven Cleaners of any kind, get on the
heating element....will cause them to burn out in short order. Same with oven & broiler elements.
I seasoned some Baby Back Ribs yesterday with a homemade dry Pork Rub. Looking forward to smoking them Today!
2-2-1 method. 2 hrs in smoker, 2 hrs in smoker wrapped in foil with some apple juice added & 1 hr in smoker with top part of foil peeled back. UpDate: Ribs turned out Grrrrreat!
Will check final stage Temp with external probe. My 1st smoker project, hope all goes well :))
"Seasoned" the smoker yesterday. All went well. Just before the three hours were up, put in dry apple chips
and it started smoking fairly quickly. Some folks have indicated their heating elements burned out too quickly.
Remains to be seen with mine, however.....I know for a an absolute fact that allowing Oven Cleaners of any kind, get on the
heating element....will cause them to burn out in short order. Same with oven & broiler elements.
I seasoned some Baby Back Ribs yesterday with a homemade dry Pork Rub. Looking forward to smoking them Today!
2-2-1 method. 2 hrs in smoker, 2 hrs in smoker wrapped in foil with some apple juice added & 1 hr in smoker with top part of foil peeled back. UpDate: Ribs turned out Grrrrreat!
Will check final stage Temp with external probe. My 1st smoker project, hope all goes well :))
Jon F : Only One Obvious Flaw
I've only used it once so far, but the results have been excellent. The cooking and flavor is up to you, so I'll just review the hardware.
It's lighter than I expected, but certainly durable. You can adjust to seal the door tighter if you like. It didn't get as hot to the touch on the outside as I thought it would. So, accidental burns shouldn't be a worry from the outside. Read the safety precautions and instructions. They are very clear on what you should and should not do. (Especially on how to set time and temp because you must do both at the same time.)
The racks and internal stuff are a bit thinner/more lightweight than I expected, but not flimsy. It's still durable, but light enough to help with the overall weight of the unit.
Cleaning is a bit dirty, but it is what it is. Don't hose the unit, but you can take the drip pans and stuff out and hose that off.
Honestly, the biggest negative is the digital display is super hard to read in daylight. You have to block the sun to read it. It's certainly not a deal breaker, but it is what makes this unit only 4 out of 5 stars.
I find it regulates temp well. It'll go high and low depending on opening and steaming, etc. But, it recovers just fine. It takes 20-30 mins to preheat.
I cooked 2 different meats on it on one day and I am very satisfied. I have only used it once, so take this review for what it's worth.
It's lighter than I expected, but certainly durable. You can adjust to seal the door tighter if you like. It didn't get as hot to the touch on the outside as I thought it would. So, accidental burns shouldn't be a worry from the outside. Read the safety precautions and instructions. They are very clear on what you should and should not do. (Especially on how to set time and temp because you must do both at the same time.)
The racks and internal stuff are a bit thinner/more lightweight than I expected, but not flimsy. It's still durable, but light enough to help with the overall weight of the unit.
Cleaning is a bit dirty, but it is what it is. Don't hose the unit, but you can take the drip pans and stuff out and hose that off.
Honestly, the biggest negative is the digital display is super hard to read in daylight. You have to block the sun to read it. It's certainly not a deal breaker, but it is what makes this unit only 4 out of 5 stars.
I find it regulates temp well. It'll go high and low depending on opening and steaming, etc. But, it recovers just fine. It takes 20-30 mins to preheat.
I cooked 2 different meats on it on one day and I am very satisfied. I have only used it once, so take this review for what it's worth.
Eric M. Schloegel Jr. : Don't waste your money it doesn't last long
It didn't even last 16 months, I had family over for some smoked chicken, I go to start the smoking and it trips the breaker. I kept resetting and the breaker keeps tripping. I moved to another section of my house and plug into a different side of the breaker panel and the same thing. I checked for loose connections and nothing. I cleaned everything top to bottom and nothing all you hear is a beep then the breaker trip. This POS is dead and I have only used it less than 10 times in the 16 months I had it. It was covered the entire time, and you can't find replacement parts, the only ones I can find cost more than replacing the entire smoker. The warranty is only 90 days
Anthony Y : Model 20070910 vs 20070106
I have a weber grill that I currently use as a smoker. I have firebricks to create a two zone smoker, and have had pretty good results. The down side is that you have to refill the charcoal every 4-5 hours and you have to monitor the grill pretty closely and adjust the vents as needed to maintain the right temperature. Also the ambient temperature affects how you reach and maintain your desired temperature. After doing one 17 hour smoke and how hands on it was I was looking for an alternative.
I debated for awhile between getting a more suited charcoal, gas, or electric smoker that was less hands on and can last for longer smoking sessions than my modified weber grill. I was fixed on getting a charcoal smoker because of all the stuff I've read online (mostly from all the purist blogs) on how you can only achieve the best taste with charcoal.
After going back and forth I decided to go with the 30' Masterbuilt Electric smoker for the following reasons.
-I'm not a pro. I'm not looking to enter in any bbq competitions. I'm looking for a smoker that I can use more frequently that is more hands off and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
-The reoccuring cost to operate an electric smoker is much cheaper than a charcoal smoker - Watt Rating for Unit = 800 watts, assuming 8 hour smoke session, approx electric rate = $.10 kilowat hour; 800 watts x 8 hours/1000 = 6.4 KWh, 6.4 KWh x $0.1 kilowat rate = $0.64 per smoke session. I don't think I can buy a bag a charcoal for that cheap.
-Going back to not being a pro. With a charcoal or gas smoker it's more high touch requiring more of your time to monitor the temp and adjust as needed. I figure I would be more inclined to overhook a piece of meat. It was more important for me to cook a piece of meat right and sacrifice some of the taste with electric(if noticeable), rather than have an overcooked piece of meat with the purist charcoal cook/smoke.
Shopping online and instores I noticed there were mainly two models of the 30" MES smokers. Model 20070910 and 20070106. Model 20070910 is sold on Amazon and has a 800 watt heating element that can be replaced. Where as Model 20070106 has a 600 watt heating element and cannot easily replace the heating element.
If you've already decided on getting a MES and the 30" size suits your needs, make sure you get the 20070910 model. I was close to buying the 30" MES at the local HD b/c I didn't want to wait, until I realized it was the 20070106 model. So I opted to buy it off on Amazon.
I debated for awhile between getting a more suited charcoal, gas, or electric smoker that was less hands on and can last for longer smoking sessions than my modified weber grill. I was fixed on getting a charcoal smoker because of all the stuff I've read online (mostly from all the purist blogs) on how you can only achieve the best taste with charcoal.
After going back and forth I decided to go with the 30' Masterbuilt Electric smoker for the following reasons.
-I'm not a pro. I'm not looking to enter in any bbq competitions. I'm looking for a smoker that I can use more frequently that is more hands off and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
-The reoccuring cost to operate an electric smoker is much cheaper than a charcoal smoker - Watt Rating for Unit = 800 watts, assuming 8 hour smoke session, approx electric rate = $.10 kilowat hour; 800 watts x 8 hours/1000 = 6.4 KWh, 6.4 KWh x $0.1 kilowat rate = $0.64 per smoke session. I don't think I can buy a bag a charcoal for that cheap.
-Going back to not being a pro. With a charcoal or gas smoker it's more high touch requiring more of your time to monitor the temp and adjust as needed. I figure I would be more inclined to overhook a piece of meat. It was more important for me to cook a piece of meat right and sacrifice some of the taste with electric(if noticeable), rather than have an overcooked piece of meat with the purist charcoal cook/smoke.
Shopping online and instores I noticed there were mainly two models of the 30" MES smokers. Model 20070910 and 20070106. Model 20070910 is sold on Amazon and has a 800 watt heating element that can be replaced. Where as Model 20070106 has a 600 watt heating element and cannot easily replace the heating element.
If you've already decided on getting a MES and the 30" size suits your needs, make sure you get the 20070910 model. I was close to buying the 30" MES at the local HD b/c I didn't want to wait, until I realized it was the 20070106 model. So I opted to buy it off on Amazon.
Paula B. : easy to use and to clean
I used this the first time. We smoked 2 beef roasts, 4 chicken quarters, and vegetables. This smoker is easy to add wood chips to while in the cooking process. It heated up to the 260 to 275 degrees on a cold, windy day. I smoked the meat on a guess of 5 hours not knowing how long. The meat and vegetables were very tasty. My whole family loved it. I have a Brinkmann smoker which is really hard to use and always tripped my breaker of the power outlet outside. The Masterbuilt did not trip the breaker at all and seems to cook the meat better and a lot faster time. And the meat takes longer in the Brinkmann to smoke and is not as tasty as the Masterbuilt. The Masterbuilt is easier to use then the Brinkmann. I am going to give the Brinkmann to charity and get rid of it.
The only complaint I have with this product is they could supply a lot more recipes on their owners manual then what they have. Not knowing how long to smoke chicken or beef at was a guess. This is why I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 stars. It also would be nice if they had wheels to this instead of the legs they have with it. With wheels it would be easier to move around.
The only complaint I have with this product is they could supply a lot more recipes on their owners manual then what they have. Not knowing how long to smoke chicken or beef at was a guess. This is why I gave them 4 stars instead of 5 stars. It also would be nice if they had wheels to this instead of the legs they have with it. With wheels it would be easier to move around.
BOB : in great condition, no damage whatsoever
I just got the smoker, havent actually cooked any food in it yet, a batch of deer jerky is marinating and will go in soon. The smoker arrived lightening fast from amazon, in great condition , no damage whatsoever ...I ran it through its initial seasoning run with no problems..looks like a nice built unit, the door latch looks a little flimsy so ill see how long it lasts..reading through the reviews, you have to look at the model number of the smoker that you are getting, because all 1600 plus previews are for 4 or more different model smokers..this one got many good reviews, and one of the complaints was the control board goes bad, as the exhaust from the smoker is right next to it, so the heat may affect the control board, in a proactive move, I made a small heat shield out of sheet metal, about 3 x 6 inches..it took all of 5 minutes to make and install, I just slid it under the side of the control board against the top of the smoker, and it blocks almost all the heat from hitting the control board..so hopefully the board never goes bad..all in all I look forward to years of good smoking from this unit..as I use the unit I will update my review, but as now, Im impressed with this unit..
bluefalcon : A Must Have for Anyone Who Enjoys Food
Let me preface this review by stating that I spent an inordinate amount of time researching smokers/grills. I've owned many Weber kettle charcoal grills and an assortment of gas high-btu grills. I nearly pulled the trigger on one of the "egg style" ceramic lump charcoal smokers at around a thousand dollars with all the gizmos before giving the Masterbuilt electric smoker a try. Am I glad I did!
First of all, we can all agree that this is not a traditional charcoal smoker. It will not give you any appreciable smoke ring and you will not look cool working your wet mop over your barrel-converted-into-a-smoker rig when using this electronic smoker. In fact, after you set up your bbq, aside from the occassional wood chip refill/meat temperature check, you will not need to do anything with this smoker to keep the meat cooking optimally. After receiving the machine and seasoning it (basically running it empty at high heat for a couple hours or so), you are ready to start turning out delectible bbq. The electronic temperature control is spot-on and very consistent, with the temperature only deviating when you open the door to adjust the meat or double check internal meat temperature. I have found the unit to produce ample smoke from the wood chips without the need to wet the chips prior to use.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when purchasing/using the unit:
-Get a remote meat thermometer. You can thread the line to the probe out of the door and still secure the door and the thermometer is the best way to monitor the status of the meat.
-Get an oven-compatible temperature gauge to confirm the internal temperature of the unit. I have found mine to be spot-on on the external temperature display, but a standalone thermometer is cheap and nice backup to the digital readout. Just place it on the rack and leave it there.
-Don't be afraid to experiment. BBQ is just as much art as science and the internet is full of recipes and techniques. Try them. Also, play with using the water reservoir in the unit regardless of what the recipe calls for. This is an electric smoker and you probably won't be wet mopping or spraying the meat as much as you would with a traditional charcoal smoker where you constantly are tending the meat. Thus, use of the water reservoir helps the meat retain moisture without needing to open the door to the unit and lose heat.
-I've read the complaints regarding burned out heating elements, but in pretty constant use for a couple months, I've noticed no reduction in heating ability. Also, we are talking about a relatively cheap unit - if the element burns out after two or three years, that is a pretty cheap per use price to pay. I have no reason to believe it will give out after such time, but keep the cost/benefit in perspective.
I am very pleased with my Masterbuilt electric smoker, and I'd gladly put the chicken, brisket or pork shoulder that comes out of this unit up against traditional charcoal smokers. True, you won't get a traditional smoke ring, but you will free up hours that would otherwise be spent tending your charcoal over the course of the ten hours it takes to bbq the meat.
First of all, we can all agree that this is not a traditional charcoal smoker. It will not give you any appreciable smoke ring and you will not look cool working your wet mop over your barrel-converted-into-a-smoker rig when using this electronic smoker. In fact, after you set up your bbq, aside from the occassional wood chip refill/meat temperature check, you will not need to do anything with this smoker to keep the meat cooking optimally. After receiving the machine and seasoning it (basically running it empty at high heat for a couple hours or so), you are ready to start turning out delectible bbq. The electronic temperature control is spot-on and very consistent, with the temperature only deviating when you open the door to adjust the meat or double check internal meat temperature. I have found the unit to produce ample smoke from the wood chips without the need to wet the chips prior to use.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when purchasing/using the unit:
-Get a remote meat thermometer. You can thread the line to the probe out of the door and still secure the door and the thermometer is the best way to monitor the status of the meat.
-Get an oven-compatible temperature gauge to confirm the internal temperature of the unit. I have found mine to be spot-on on the external temperature display, but a standalone thermometer is cheap and nice backup to the digital readout. Just place it on the rack and leave it there.
-Don't be afraid to experiment. BBQ is just as much art as science and the internet is full of recipes and techniques. Try them. Also, play with using the water reservoir in the unit regardless of what the recipe calls for. This is an electric smoker and you probably won't be wet mopping or spraying the meat as much as you would with a traditional charcoal smoker where you constantly are tending the meat. Thus, use of the water reservoir helps the meat retain moisture without needing to open the door to the unit and lose heat.
-I've read the complaints regarding burned out heating elements, but in pretty constant use for a couple months, I've noticed no reduction in heating ability. Also, we are talking about a relatively cheap unit - if the element burns out after two or three years, that is a pretty cheap per use price to pay. I have no reason to believe it will give out after such time, but keep the cost/benefit in perspective.
I am very pleased with my Masterbuilt electric smoker, and I'd gladly put the chicken, brisket or pork shoulder that comes out of this unit up against traditional charcoal smokers. True, you won't get a traditional smoke ring, but you will free up hours that would otherwise be spent tending your charcoal over the course of the ten hours it takes to bbq the meat.
C. O'Connor : Arrived broken, but customer service is great
When this arrived, it was very damaged, like so smashed up it was beyond useable. The door was broken off and creased and bent in the middle, the hinges were bent, the back of the body and corners were caved in, and the back feet were bent almost broken off. Strangely, the shipping box was in near perfect condition. Either this was dropped straight down from a height, or it was damaged at factory and was still packaged and sold.
I sent photos and an email to Masterbuilt and didn't hear anything back for 4 days. I called and they immediately shipped out a new body and door to my house which arrived 4 days later. I put the hinges and door on, and transferred the racks, water pan etc from the damaged smoker to the new one, easy enough, looks great now and is finally functional.
I haven't been able to cook anything in it yet. I did pre-season it. Basically soap and water to wipe everything down, which removed a lot of grime and metal residue. There were also some metal filings left inside the smoker, best to get them all out and not into your food. On the water pan, there was filing sticking out left over from the stamping process and it stuck in my finger and I bled pretty good, be aware. After cleaning I wiped the inside walls with cooking oil, and then turned the unit to 275 and timer for 3 hours and let it heat.
For the first hour, it belched out some nasty fumes and smoke, burning insulation, paint, VOC's, all kinds of nasty stuff. Do not cook food immediately in this, you must season the unit. After an hour I put my a-maze-n pellet smoker in with a row of pellets and let it smoke for the remainder of time. It was -2 C outside and windy, and the unit heated quickly and maintained temps well. I did shield it from direct wind with the packing box that I cut open and put around it. The digital temp readout was holding at 279 degrees, I had my thermometer probe inside near the onboard probe, and mine was holding at 324 degrees. (I have calibrated my therm in boiling water, bang on 212 degrees.) So, the unit runs 50F hotter than set temp, thats a good thing to figure out before you scorch something in this. I have read however there are other units that run 20-25F cooler, so make sure to check yours for accuracy.
I have yet to cook anything in this, the weekend will be the big test. A 5 star rating should go to their customer service which I felt was excellent, but arriving damaged to the point you can't even use it knocks off some rating.
I sent photos and an email to Masterbuilt and didn't hear anything back for 4 days. I called and they immediately shipped out a new body and door to my house which arrived 4 days later. I put the hinges and door on, and transferred the racks, water pan etc from the damaged smoker to the new one, easy enough, looks great now and is finally functional.
I haven't been able to cook anything in it yet. I did pre-season it. Basically soap and water to wipe everything down, which removed a lot of grime and metal residue. There were also some metal filings left inside the smoker, best to get them all out and not into your food. On the water pan, there was filing sticking out left over from the stamping process and it stuck in my finger and I bled pretty good, be aware. After cleaning I wiped the inside walls with cooking oil, and then turned the unit to 275 and timer for 3 hours and let it heat.
For the first hour, it belched out some nasty fumes and smoke, burning insulation, paint, VOC's, all kinds of nasty stuff. Do not cook food immediately in this, you must season the unit. After an hour I put my a-maze-n pellet smoker in with a row of pellets and let it smoke for the remainder of time. It was -2 C outside and windy, and the unit heated quickly and maintained temps well. I did shield it from direct wind with the packing box that I cut open and put around it. The digital temp readout was holding at 279 degrees, I had my thermometer probe inside near the onboard probe, and mine was holding at 324 degrees. (I have calibrated my therm in boiling water, bang on 212 degrees.) So, the unit runs 50F hotter than set temp, thats a good thing to figure out before you scorch something in this. I have read however there are other units that run 20-25F cooler, so make sure to check yours for accuracy.
I have yet to cook anything in this, the weekend will be the big test. A 5 star rating should go to their customer service which I felt was excellent, but arriving damaged to the point you can't even use it knocks off some rating.
Online connoisseur : Smaller but easy to use
Works pretty good. Will oftentimes leak juice out the corner of the front door but not big deal as I'm usually cooking on the driveway or garage floor. I bought an aftermarket cable thermometer for around $16 and use it whenever I'm smokin a brisket or something. You'll have to add more wood chips about every 30 minutes for the first hour then after after that there's no point in adding more smoke anyway. Really easy to use and I've cooked some awesome BBQ with it thus far. There's about 3 racks worth of usable cooking space. I can cook about 4 lbs of flat jerky strips at a time, 3 racks of ribs at a time, a pork butt plus other stuff, or a full brisket plus some other stuff.
J.W. George : Yowza
When a product has 1400+ 5 star reviews it probably doesn't need another one, but....yowza. These things are so cool I suspect within 3 years they will be as common in the American home as microwave ovens.
PACKAGING AND SETUP: It is so nice to get a grill/cooking device that doesn't require 2 hours of assembly. Unwrap all the packaging, screw on the control panel, and you are good. Remember you have to "pre-treat" this thing for 3 hours before you are supposed to cook with it.
RESULTS: I was so anxious to use it I just threw a bunch of seasoning on some bb ribs, kielbasa. and turkey breast and threw them all into the smoker for 4 hours. Wow I was the hero of the family.
COMPLAINTS/IMPROVEMENTS: It is absolutely baffling to me this thing doesn't come with wheels and a handle. The book tells you to store it in a dry place but you can't use it indoors. I've been picking it up and moving it from my sun room to the deck, but considering it weighs 50#s it is not the most convenient thing. LED readouts are difficult to read and take some getting used to. I was surprised the manual doesn't give any advice on what to do with the water dish; I just filled it halfway and hoped for the best and everything worked out
SYNOPSIS: Buy one right now!
PACKAGING AND SETUP: It is so nice to get a grill/cooking device that doesn't require 2 hours of assembly. Unwrap all the packaging, screw on the control panel, and you are good. Remember you have to "pre-treat" this thing for 3 hours before you are supposed to cook with it.
RESULTS: I was so anxious to use it I just threw a bunch of seasoning on some bb ribs, kielbasa. and turkey breast and threw them all into the smoker for 4 hours. Wow I was the hero of the family.
COMPLAINTS/IMPROVEMENTS: It is absolutely baffling to me this thing doesn't come with wheels and a handle. The book tells you to store it in a dry place but you can't use it indoors. I've been picking it up and moving it from my sun room to the deck, but considering it weighs 50#s it is not the most convenient thing. LED readouts are difficult to read and take some getting used to. I was surprised the manual doesn't give any advice on what to do with the water dish; I just filled it halfway and hoped for the best and everything worked out
SYNOPSIS: Buy one right now!
StuE : What I Expected and What I needed
I would consider myself a beginner to intermediate when it comes to smoking. I've owned Brinkmann water smokers in the past and they are OK for small loads of meat. I wanted an insulated electric smoker so that I could still smoke meats during an Iowa winter. This unit satisfies that need.
When it arrived very little assembly was required, I had it up and ready for seasoning in 15 minutes.
The first thing I smoked was a 12 pound pork butt. It was a snowy day, but the smoker got up to temp inside of 20 minutes. At 12 pounds this roast was huge as a first try on a new smoker, but it was what i had. It took over 14 hours for the roast to hit 200+ degrees. Given the humidity and the size of the roast I'm not surprised.
The first butt was a success as were both of the next roasts that I've smoked. While the smoker can handle almost any size, I prefer to keep the starting weight at around 7 to 9 pounds in order to keep the cooking time reasonable.
The smoker's digital thermostat isn't particularly accurate since it is located at the top of the box rather than beside the smoking rack. I found it to be reading about 12 to 15 degrees high compared to a digital thermometer probe right of the rack. I strongly recommend a remote digital like the Maverick ET-733 ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P2RDIFK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ).
I also purchased the smoker stand to get the unit up off the ground and at a more convenient height.
<January 2019 - two years later and still working well. Finding replacement racks has been a challenge. While pork butt is still the predominant meat smoked, I've also had great luck with chicken wings, salmon, and of course pork ribs. But what has become everyone's favorite is smoked potato salad!>
When it arrived very little assembly was required, I had it up and ready for seasoning in 15 minutes.
The first thing I smoked was a 12 pound pork butt. It was a snowy day, but the smoker got up to temp inside of 20 minutes. At 12 pounds this roast was huge as a first try on a new smoker, but it was what i had. It took over 14 hours for the roast to hit 200+ degrees. Given the humidity and the size of the roast I'm not surprised.
The first butt was a success as were both of the next roasts that I've smoked. While the smoker can handle almost any size, I prefer to keep the starting weight at around 7 to 9 pounds in order to keep the cooking time reasonable.
The smoker's digital thermostat isn't particularly accurate since it is located at the top of the box rather than beside the smoking rack. I found it to be reading about 12 to 15 degrees high compared to a digital thermometer probe right of the rack. I strongly recommend a remote digital like the Maverick ET-733 ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P2RDIFK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ).
I also purchased the smoker stand to get the unit up off the ground and at a more convenient height.
<January 2019 - two years later and still working well. Finding replacement racks has been a challenge. While pork butt is still the predominant meat smoked, I've also had great luck with chicken wings, salmon, and of course pork ribs. But what has become everyone's favorite is smoked potato salad!>
David E. Wilson : Perfect Review
I was mixed on the this purchase when I bought it only due to the dichotomy of reviews associated with this item but I absolutely love mine. I have cooked 10-15 times with it already. Took a little figuring out at first but it works like a champ.
Take quite a while 30-45 min to hit your mark on the temp you want but hold that temp perfect.
Love the features and sturdy construction. Would highly recommend to anyone. Made 8 racks of baby back in this puppy my first shot out. Had to cut them in 1/2 to make them all fit but worked like a champ.
I always baste meat about every 30 minutes the first time I followed the instructions with unit and my ribs were dryer than I wanted. I have always used a homemade smoker in the past, but after going back to my regular routine it works like a charm. I was skeptical anyways about just filling the evap pan and letting them roll.
Works with chips 1" and .25" perfect. That's what I typically use. Zero complaints works like a charm.
Take quite a while 30-45 min to hit your mark on the temp you want but hold that temp perfect.
Love the features and sturdy construction. Would highly recommend to anyone. Made 8 racks of baby back in this puppy my first shot out. Had to cut them in 1/2 to make them all fit but worked like a champ.
I always baste meat about every 30 minutes the first time I followed the instructions with unit and my ribs were dryer than I wanted. I have always used a homemade smoker in the past, but after going back to my regular routine it works like a charm. I was skeptical anyways about just filling the evap pan and letting them roll.
Works with chips 1" and .25" perfect. That's what I typically use. Zero complaints works like a charm.
Durweed : Enjoy it Quickly or Buy an Extended Warranty
My Masterbuilt smoker seemed great when I 1st bought it. During the warranty period, I used it 4 times - once for a brisket and three times for beef jerky. The fifth time I tried to use it, the control panel would not come on. Masterbuilt would only offer a small discount if I purchased a new one. The replacement panel was about the same price as a new smoker. Then I started reading internet forums and discovered that my case was not unusual. Person after person had the same issue. If you buy one, buy an extended warranty because many of them don't last very long. While it worked, I really like it!
Deaf Bear : Love this smoker... Just make sure to add a 1/2 hour to prep if it's colder than 40F out...
What I love:
Easy to clean
Easy to program
Wood chip feeder is awesome.
Holds a bunch of meat.
It's insulated, so smoking in cold temps is a breeze. (sorta... see knocks below.) It does heat up and hold temp well even in the cold.
When I bought this last summer I had never smoked anything before. My first rack of ribs was amazing, and after some research and trial and error I have gotten even better. This electric unit is seriously set it and forget it (minus putting in the wood chips every 45min or so.) Any beginner with a rub recipe can immediately start turning out great smoked meats the first day. (Just remember to season it first!)
What I'm not so fond of:
If it is too cold out the controller won't work till it's been warmed up. So you will have to disconnect it and bring it inside for a bit to warm it up. (Hence the extra 30min of prep) If you don't know this quirk, you could easily think that your unit is broke, which of course would suck.
The internal thermometer is flaky. It seems to only be accurate with a certain amount of meat in the cabinet. I highly recommend getting an external thermometer that does both meat and cabinet temperature. I went with the Maverick ET73 and I am very happy with it. This is the reason that I knocked off a star.
If you are a newbie to the smoking game, or an old hat that doesn't have the desire to babysit coals all day, this unit is a no-brainer. Two thumbs up.
Easy to clean
Easy to program
Wood chip feeder is awesome.
Holds a bunch of meat.
It's insulated, so smoking in cold temps is a breeze. (sorta... see knocks below.) It does heat up and hold temp well even in the cold.
When I bought this last summer I had never smoked anything before. My first rack of ribs was amazing, and after some research and trial and error I have gotten even better. This electric unit is seriously set it and forget it (minus putting in the wood chips every 45min or so.) Any beginner with a rub recipe can immediately start turning out great smoked meats the first day. (Just remember to season it first!)
What I'm not so fond of:
If it is too cold out the controller won't work till it's been warmed up. So you will have to disconnect it and bring it inside for a bit to warm it up. (Hence the extra 30min of prep) If you don't know this quirk, you could easily think that your unit is broke, which of course would suck.
The internal thermometer is flaky. It seems to only be accurate with a certain amount of meat in the cabinet. I highly recommend getting an external thermometer that does both meat and cabinet temperature. I went with the Maverick ET73 and I am very happy with it. This is the reason that I knocked off a star.
If you are a newbie to the smoking game, or an old hat that doesn't have the desire to babysit coals all day, this unit is a no-brainer. Two thumbs up.
Dana : Such a good investment!
We love our smoker. I ordered for my boyfriend as a gift and all we've done is experiment ever since! We've done chicken, turkey, shrimp, ribs, and sausage. We are able to set the smoker to go all day and have delicious dinner by night time! You'll need to order some wood chips as well. Our favorites are jack Daniels and cherry wood.
KD : Don’t waste your money
I bought this unit last June, and it worked okay. The temp control is hot or miss. When you first start it, the temp will continue to climb way past what you set it for. For example, I set it for 220 and it will continue to about 300. Once I open the door, it will generally calm down and settle in for the most part. The temp varies +-5 degrees. A 10 degree swing is a bit much for me, but I make due.
It has a hard time smoking at low temps, but I found a work around by getting the wood closer to the heating element.
One year later (and about 10 uses), it’s done. The digital readout says 300, but there’s no heat. Nothing I can do to make it work. It’s now just taking up room in my garage until I can junk it.
TLDR: unreliable but acceptable unit that doesn’t last long.
It has a hard time smoking at low temps, but I found a work around by getting the wood closer to the heating element.
One year later (and about 10 uses), it’s done. The digital readout says 300, but there’s no heat. Nothing I can do to make it work. It’s now just taking up room in my garage until I can junk it.
TLDR: unreliable but acceptable unit that doesn’t last long.
Dee Loe : Very disappointed
Really enjoyed this unit when it worked. Problem is it didnt make it to 2 years in age. We didnt even use the smoker every week. The unit is stored indoors and kept in excellent condition. This doesnt seem to matter though. It is triggering the GFI outlet.
Trees For Life : Nice Start For A Newbie
We were advised to purchase this as a "prerequisite" to moving back down south. It is pretty much plug and play. The packaging was nice and protective, only one minor scratch on the side. Remove all of the styrofoam, and once you think you've got it all, check again. We found a few pieces behind the burner toward the bottom that you wouldn't normally see. Had we turned it on, they would have melted and caused quite the mess. Our first meal was country style ribs, and you set the temp, add the chips, and wait. We soaked our chips in a gallon zip lock for about an hour before adding them. They smoke a little better and also last a little longer. Ribs turned out amazing after 6 hours of slow heat. Next were bone in chicken thighs. We soaked them for about two hours in a shallow pan with half water and a dry rub, tossed them in the smoker and about 4 hours later they turned into the best chicken we've ever tasted. Couldn't ask for a better all in one unit. No need for the window model, you honestly don't need it. Would suggest this to any smoker newbie in a heart beat.
Dee Loe : Very disappointed
Really enjoyed this unit when it worked. Problem is it didnt make it to 2 years in age. We didnt even use the smoker every week. The unit is stored indoors and kept in excellent condition. This doesnt seem to matter though. It is triggering the GFI outlet.
Dana : Such a good investment!
We love our smoker. I ordered for my boyfriend as a gift and all we've done is experiment ever since! We've done chicken, turkey, shrimp, ribs, and sausage. We are able to set the smoker to go all day and have delicious dinner by night time! You'll need to order some wood chips as well. Our favorites are jack Daniels and cherry wood.
George Gest : DON'T buy, WON'T last and CAN'T get PARTS
Update. Masterbuilt DEFEATED! I'm declaring victory in my encounter with Masterbuilt. I e-maild them to purchase a replacement heater element for this smoker using a part number from a current model. As noted, the element for my older model was discontinued and all MB could offer was for me to by a new smoker. I called to order the part and they would not sell it to me without my giving them a SN from a current model. We went to an appliance store and bought a standard 8" replacement electric stove burner. Running it on 110 volts it will produce about 1000 watts of heat. About three hours of fitting and modification and I now have a smoker that uses a standard stove heating element! Take that MB!
Update. DO NOT BUY ANY MASTER BUILT PRODUCT. They don't intend to support them and they won't last!
I can't possibly recommend buying any product built by Masterbuilt. Look for something built by someone else. If I could give it a lower rating than ONE star I would. You can't even get a part with a part number. They are running a scam to sell these things with planned obsolescence. Make it with parts that won't last then tell you the part for that SN series is not available. They are on to the idea of replacing their parts with parts from another series and have decided to block that action by the consumer.
Dadgum that's a piece of junk!
Update. Didn't last. The element burned out after about a dozen good uses. Masterbuilt no longer supports this model and you can't get a replacement heater element. Masterbuilt simply offers to sell you another one. Supposedly, if you know the part number you can retrofit with a higher power element from a later model but Masterbuilt won't sell it to you if they think that is what you are doing. Product registration is the means they use to find out what you are doing.
Update. DO NOT BUY ANY MASTER BUILT PRODUCT. They don't intend to support them and they won't last!
I can't possibly recommend buying any product built by Masterbuilt. Look for something built by someone else. If I could give it a lower rating than ONE star I would. You can't even get a part with a part number. They are running a scam to sell these things with planned obsolescence. Make it with parts that won't last then tell you the part for that SN series is not available. They are on to the idea of replacing their parts with parts from another series and have decided to block that action by the consumer.
Dadgum that's a piece of junk!
Update. Didn't last. The element burned out after about a dozen good uses. Masterbuilt no longer supports this model and you can't get a replacement heater element. Masterbuilt simply offers to sell you another one. Supposedly, if you know the part number you can retrofit with a higher power element from a later model but Masterbuilt won't sell it to you if they think that is what you are doing. Product registration is the means they use to find out what you are doing.
J.W. George : Yowza
When a product has 1400+ 5 star reviews it probably doesn't need another one, but....yowza. These things are so cool I suspect within 3 years they will be as common in the American home as microwave ovens.
PACKAGING AND SETUP: It is so nice to get a grill/cooking device that doesn't require 2 hours of assembly. Unwrap all the packaging, screw on the control panel, and you are good. Remember you have to "pre-treat" this thing for 3 hours before you are supposed to cook with it.
RESULTS: I was so anxious to use it I just threw a bunch of seasoning on some bb ribs, kielbasa. and turkey breast and threw them all into the smoker for 4 hours. Wow I was the hero of the family.
COMPLAINTS/IMPROVEMENTS: It is absolutely baffling to me this thing doesn't come with wheels and a handle. The book tells you to store it in a dry place but you can't use it indoors. I've been picking it up and moving it from my sun room to the deck, but considering it weighs 50#s it is not the most convenient thing. LED readouts are difficult to read and take some getting used to. I was surprised the manual doesn't give any advice on what to do with the water dish; I just filled it halfway and hoped for the best and everything worked out
SYNOPSIS: Buy one right now!
PACKAGING AND SETUP: It is so nice to get a grill/cooking device that doesn't require 2 hours of assembly. Unwrap all the packaging, screw on the control panel, and you are good. Remember you have to "pre-treat" this thing for 3 hours before you are supposed to cook with it.
RESULTS: I was so anxious to use it I just threw a bunch of seasoning on some bb ribs, kielbasa. and turkey breast and threw them all into the smoker for 4 hours. Wow I was the hero of the family.
COMPLAINTS/IMPROVEMENTS: It is absolutely baffling to me this thing doesn't come with wheels and a handle. The book tells you to store it in a dry place but you can't use it indoors. I've been picking it up and moving it from my sun room to the deck, but considering it weighs 50#s it is not the most convenient thing. LED readouts are difficult to read and take some getting used to. I was surprised the manual doesn't give any advice on what to do with the water dish; I just filled it halfway and hoped for the best and everything worked out
SYNOPSIS: Buy one right now!
Online connoisseur : Smaller but easy to use
Works pretty good. Will oftentimes leak juice out the corner of the front door but not big deal as I'm usually cooking on the driveway or garage floor. I bought an aftermarket cable thermometer for around $16 and use it whenever I'm smokin a brisket or something. You'll have to add more wood chips about every 30 minutes for the first hour then after after that there's no point in adding more smoke anyway. Really easy to use and I've cooked some awesome BBQ with it thus far. There's about 3 racks worth of usable cooking space. I can cook about 4 lbs of flat jerky strips at a time, 3 racks of ribs at a time, a pork butt plus other stuff, or a full brisket plus some other stuff.
Jim Luker : Lovin my butts!
I love this smoker! Have cooked more than a dozen pork butts, racks of ribs, several briskets and without issue. Temperature control is a snap and will automatically shut down at your designated time. I simply add a timer on my phone to remind me to add wood chips at proper intervals and it is fire & forget! No hovering over the smoker wondering about temperatures, ect. Adding chips is a breeze and done without opening the unit. Would definitely buy this again or for a family member searching for a great smoker.
dp : Great product, great customer service
I was able to hit the ground running as someone new to smokers and I haven't looked back. I got a popular pressure cooker at the same time and it is gathering dust. Nothing touches the convenience and flavor of smoking. I'm glad I went with this brand and model because there is a large community of users online. You will absolutely need to purchase a digital thermometer, and I highly suggest the cover and stand. I make brisket, chicken and Turkey all the time. I am in the middle of smoking and freezing three turkeys I got on clearance after Thanksgiving.
Now I did run into an issue where hitting the set temp button turned the unit off, and I did have to sit on hold for a half hour, but they sent out a new control panel for free, no questions asked. It was very impressive.
Now I did run into an issue where hitting the set temp button turned the unit off, and I did have to sit on hold for a half hour, but they sent out a new control panel for free, no questions asked. It was very impressive.
Digital Ancient : I cannot say enough good things about this unit
I cannot say enough good things about this unit. It is consistent, it is simple, it is easy to use, and practically worry free. This is not even mentioning the glorious smoked foods it can produce.
This in mind, there is a small learning curve involved. Electric Smokers are like Convective Crock Pots, so getting foods to 'bark' (That crust we all think about when doing barbecue) properly can be a little bit of a challenge. The key to it is the Vent and Water Pan. With the vent fully open, it allows full heat, airflow, and smoke to create the charring; it creates a delicate smoke flavor that is earmarked by that earmark red smoke ring about a 1/16th of an inch below the surface of the food. This also means the water evaporates a little more quickly. This also necessitates one to pre-soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry before using. Doing this extends the time it takes between loads to roughly one hopper-full (which equates to about a cup!) every 2 hours. Also, do not fill the water pan with too much water - about half full beneath particularly savory meats will do. Add more for meats that may dry out quickly. Less for extremely fatty meats.
It is efficient, consistent, and simple to upkeep - a good machine for the novice smoker to start with, or for old pros looking to not spend every hour or two peeking under the hood. :>
This in mind, there is a small learning curve involved. Electric Smokers are like Convective Crock Pots, so getting foods to 'bark' (That crust we all think about when doing barbecue) properly can be a little bit of a challenge. The key to it is the Vent and Water Pan. With the vent fully open, it allows full heat, airflow, and smoke to create the charring; it creates a delicate smoke flavor that is earmarked by that earmark red smoke ring about a 1/16th of an inch below the surface of the food. This also means the water evaporates a little more quickly. This also necessitates one to pre-soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry before using. Doing this extends the time it takes between loads to roughly one hopper-full (which equates to about a cup!) every 2 hours. Also, do not fill the water pan with too much water - about half full beneath particularly savory meats will do. Add more for meats that may dry out quickly. Less for extremely fatty meats.
It is efficient, consistent, and simple to upkeep - a good machine for the novice smoker to start with, or for old pros looking to not spend every hour or two peeking under the hood. :>
Eric M. Schloegel Jr. : Don't waste your money it doesn't last long
It didn't even last 16 months, I had family over for some smoked chicken, I go to start the smoking and it trips the breaker. I kept resetting and the breaker keeps tripping. I moved to another section of my house and plug into a different side of the breaker panel and the same thing. I checked for loose connections and nothing. I cleaned everything top to bottom and nothing all you hear is a beep then the breaker trip. This POS is dead and I have only used it less than 10 times in the 16 months I had it. It was covered the entire time, and you can't find replacement parts, the only ones I can find cost more than replacing the entire smoker. The warranty is only 90 days
JKN : I have an excellent experience with this smoker.
I have been using this smoker for 3 years 2x per month. Other users seem to have had quality problems with it, but I have not. In fact, I have had any problems with it. The door seals well and the thermostat works fine. Because its an electrical appliance I would recommend users store it in a covered dry area, and not exposed to the weather.
Trees For Life : Nice Start For A Newbie
We were advised to purchase this as a "prerequisite" to moving back down south. It is pretty much plug and play. The packaging was nice and protective, only one minor scratch on the side. Remove all of the styrofoam, and once you think you've got it all, check again. We found a few pieces behind the burner toward the bottom that you wouldn't normally see. Had we turned it on, they would have melted and caused quite the mess. Our first meal was country style ribs, and you set the temp, add the chips, and wait. We soaked our chips in a gallon zip lock for about an hour before adding them. They smoke a little better and also last a little longer. Ribs turned out amazing after 6 hours of slow heat. Next were bone in chicken thighs. We soaked them for about two hours in a shallow pan with half water and a dry rub, tossed them in the smoker and about 4 hours later they turned into the best chicken we've ever tasted. Couldn't ask for a better all in one unit. No need for the window model, you honestly don't need it. Would suggest this to any smoker newbie in a heart beat.
Durweed : Enjoy it Quickly or Buy an Extended Warranty
My Masterbuilt smoker seemed great when I 1st bought it. During the warranty period, I used it 4 times - once for a brisket and three times for beef jerky. The fifth time I tried to use it, the control panel would not come on. Masterbuilt would only offer a small discount if I purchased a new one. The replacement panel was about the same price as a new smoker. Then I started reading internet forums and discovered that my case was not unusual. Person after person had the same issue. If you buy one, buy an extended warranty because many of them don't last very long. While it worked, I really like it!
peter hill : Great smoker!
I have used numerous grills and charcoal smokers over the years, and I'm a pretty good BBQ'r. The Masterbuilt smoker allows me to smoke the meat the way it should be smoked. Slowly at a low temperature, so you keep the meat juicy and get the rick smoke flavor you want. Never could adequately regulate and maintain the temperature of my char-coal weber of barrel grill. The electric smoker allows me to set the temperature, the time, and has an automatic shut-off. You can side load the type of wood chips you want to smoke with. It's a set it and forget it smoker.
I tried pork butts for pulled pork, ribs, a ham, sausages, turkey, and a pork loin so far. I've used Apple, Hickory and Mesquite chips. Everything came out tender and good tasting. Everyone has different tastes, so experiment. The left over ham tastes great in the side recipes.
I would recommend using a digital thermometer to monitor the internal temperature, so you don't have to open the smoker to check. I sometimes wish I had bought the 40 inch with the window in it, but for the price, you can't beat the 30.
I tried pork butts for pulled pork, ribs, a ham, sausages, turkey, and a pork loin so far. I've used Apple, Hickory and Mesquite chips. Everything came out tender and good tasting. Everyone has different tastes, so experiment. The left over ham tastes great in the side recipes.
I would recommend using a digital thermometer to monitor the internal temperature, so you don't have to open the smoker to check. I sometimes wish I had bought the 40 inch with the window in it, but for the price, you can't beat the 30.
El Hefe : Automatic Awesomeness
Turn this thing on, plug in a wireless thermometer and get busy doing something else. You only have to add wood chips about once an hour. It's big enough for a standing rib roast or a couple butts. It's well insulated and cool to the touch on the outside. Cleanup is easy. Temperature drifts above and below the set point as much as 5 degrees F. Max Temperature of 275F is hot enough.
EJ Johnson : Taste just as good as charcoal without the hassle
I purchased this unit when it was on sale for just under $140 and man I can honestly say I would pay $250 or more for this unit. First of all I am not new to smoking, I actually have a horizontal charcoal smoker that I have been using for the past 3 or 4 years.
The charcoal smoker is great and I love it but I wanted something that I could cold smoke cheese and salmon in so when I saw this bad boy on sale for $139 I bit the bullet and bought it along with the cold smoke attachment. I figured I was just going to use this for cold smoking and the charcoal for hot smoking, but one day I found myself wanting to smoke some ribs and forgot to pick up some charcoal when I was at the store so I decided to use the masterbuilt instead. Turns out the electric smoker is SO MUCH easier to maintain a constant temperature, no more lighting more charcoal and dumping it into the smoke box every few hours. All I had to do is turn it on and set a temp and thats it. The only thing I have to do is feed wood chips into it when i start seeing the smoke die down and thats it!
I have not touched the charcoal smoker since because the electric masterbuilt is some much less of a hassle to work with and the outcome taste just as good as charcoal. The only downside to electric is when you cook chicken I cant seem to get it as crispy as I like it with just the smoker alone. Its not a big deal because what I end up doing is after I'm done cooking the chicken in the smoker I fire up my small propane grill and crisp up the chicken and its good as gold.
The build quality of this unit is great and if you are on the edge and thinking of pulling the trigger, I would urge you to bite the bullet and add this sucker to your cart and checkout. Nothing beats the taste of smoked ribs or chicken or brisket and this smoker will give you that satisfying taste you are craving with you meats (and cheese if you buy the cold smoke attachment).
The charcoal smoker is great and I love it but I wanted something that I could cold smoke cheese and salmon in so when I saw this bad boy on sale for $139 I bit the bullet and bought it along with the cold smoke attachment. I figured I was just going to use this for cold smoking and the charcoal for hot smoking, but one day I found myself wanting to smoke some ribs and forgot to pick up some charcoal when I was at the store so I decided to use the masterbuilt instead. Turns out the electric smoker is SO MUCH easier to maintain a constant temperature, no more lighting more charcoal and dumping it into the smoke box every few hours. All I had to do is turn it on and set a temp and thats it. The only thing I have to do is feed wood chips into it when i start seeing the smoke die down and thats it!
I have not touched the charcoal smoker since because the electric masterbuilt is some much less of a hassle to work with and the outcome taste just as good as charcoal. The only downside to electric is when you cook chicken I cant seem to get it as crispy as I like it with just the smoker alone. Its not a big deal because what I end up doing is after I'm done cooking the chicken in the smoker I fire up my small propane grill and crisp up the chicken and its good as gold.
The build quality of this unit is great and if you are on the edge and thinking of pulling the trigger, I would urge you to bite the bullet and add this sucker to your cart and checkout. Nothing beats the taste of smoked ribs or chicken or brisket and this smoker will give you that satisfying taste you are craving with you meats (and cheese if you buy the cold smoke attachment).
S. Jones : GREAT SMOKER...until it died
A forward: This is a super easy smoker to use. Set and forget. We did chickens, pork butts, wings, and much more in here and everything turned out beautifully. I feel foolish for buying and thinking I could avoid going through what others experienced in their reviews. I even bought the 2-year warranty offered to put my mind at ease. Lo and behold, this thing is dead after 2 years and 6 months. Heating element burned out. Its so hard-welded in there with rusted bolts, we can't get it out without damaging other parts. It's a super-small space to work on the repair and it was clearly not designed to be replaced. Plus Amazon doesn't sell the part. OK Masterbuilt, you got me. Fool me once...we'll be buying a U.S.A.-made Smokin'-It tomorrow.
David Imm : Heating Element broke after 6 uses, 90 day warranty. Bad quality. Rusted out in 5 months.
Horrible quality. I bought it in February, and the heating element broke. Used it about 6 times. Really bad. Thought for sure the smoker was still under warranty, but of course with poor product come a poor warranty. 30 days? A thirty day warranty is for a crappy toaster.
Correction then, 90 day warranty. Still not covered.
UPDATE:
I ordered a new burner, and I took the grill apart to put it in. BEWARE!!! All of the bolts/screws used on the inside are not stainless steel!!!
In the few short months I've owned it they've already rusted, and I keep a cover on my grill. I had to replace them all with stainless steel screws. Look on their website. Even the 90 day warrant excludes rust! Lol, no wonder.
Correction then, 90 day warranty. Still not covered.
UPDATE:
I ordered a new burner, and I took the grill apart to put it in. BEWARE!!! All of the bolts/screws used on the inside are not stainless steel!!!
In the few short months I've owned it they've already rusted, and I keep a cover on my grill. I had to replace them all with stainless steel screws. Look on their website. Even the 90 day warrant excludes rust! Lol, no wonder.
Bill : Controller went to high temperature
I have had this for four years and two months, worked very well. I found that the stainless steel drip pan was a poor quality stainless, it developed a rust hole in it within six months. To me that wasn't a big deal. It worked very well for another three and half years. On thanksgiving it was exactly four wears old I was smoking a turkey. I checked on it a few times and after about an hour into smoking I noticed the temperature went way over what I had set it. I also found that I could not turn it off or reset it, I opened the door and the turkey was burned up on the outer part.
I found out the part that went out is in the bottom on the smoker and is not replaceable. This is a shame, mechanically it's well built but I can't believe they put the hart of the thing in the bottom and filled it with glue so it can't be replaced.
I found out the part that went out is in the bottom on the smoker and is not replaceable. This is a shame, mechanically it's well built but I can't believe they put the hart of the thing in the bottom and filled it with glue so it can't be replaced.
mattyd : Good value, has a few problems though...
The 4-star rating should be understood as a VALUE rating. The product gets 3 stars as a smoker, then it gets an extra star for the price. I make my own sausage, and a unit with the same feature set costs around $700 at sausagemaker dot com. I bought it in Novemer for $149. At the time of this review, the price has gone up to $179, and I think that is still a great price.
The best news is: it works!!! Smokes my sausages right up.
The cons are several. Although I'm glad I have it and this is a 4-star review, most of the rest of this review will be focused on the problems...
TEMPERATURE CONTROL --
For one thing, some other reviews have complained about low cooking temperatures. I have the opposite problem. The manual says it may swing +/- 10 degrees during cooking, and I understand the need for this: it heats up, makes some smoke, then turns off, cools down to a point, then heats up again. Thing is, mine goes 15-20 degrees high before it stops, according to the built-in digital temp display. However, I have an oven thermometer that has been verified accurate against several other oven thermometers and more than one oven, and according to that thermometer, when the smoker's temp display says 285(a high swing on a 275 setting), the temperature in the oven was actually 309. I took that reading during the "burn-in" process, but the same phenomenon happens at lower temps with sausages smoking.
I have not had it extremely full of meat yet, and it that case I might expect the swings to be more moderate, as the meat will act as a heat sink.
Anyway, one problem is the inconsistent temperature.
Some folks have wished it would go to a higher temp so fat would render and chicken skin would crisp up. If you want that, you should not look at smoker ovens, you should look for a rotisserie that you can put on your grill with wood chips for smoke. Smoker ovens are generally NOT FOR cooking supper, they're for smoking meat, which you generally then store and cook later. The manufacturer gets no sympathy from me in this regard, as they seem to pander to this misconception among uninformed consumers.
I've seen reviews saying that the manufacturer told them the problem was the use of an extension cord. I'm an EE by degree, and let me say that this is absurd. This device uses nowhere near the power that would involve significant line loss over 20 feet of cord -- if it did, it would be constantly tripping breakers and causing electrical fires all. The problem is a slow-responding heating element and an inaccurate control system, probably involving the housing of the thermistor. The people who heard that the problem was the cord probably spoke to a customer relations rep who thought it was his job just to shift blame away from the oven and onto the consumer.
The easy solution is to get an oven thermometer, check the temp (at long intervals so that opening the door doesn't skew things too much), and compare it to the oven's reading, and adjust your temperature setting accordingly. For me, this means setting the oven about 10 degrees cooler that I actually want, and the temperature fluctuations will center around something close to the correct temperature.
NO WHEELS OR HANDLES --
This thing is not that heavy, but it is unwieldy, and since it is not safe to leave it in the rain, and you can't smoke indoors, that means you have to move it around before and after use. The bottom has only "feet" -- wide ones in front and smaller ones in back -- so, you have to carry it. But it does not have any handles anywhere. For myself, I'm 6'1" and fairly strong, so I can get a friction grip on the sides and take it where I need to go. Most folks will want to get a hand truck or something, or else work in pairs. Really just a handle on each side, or make the back feet rollers and put one handle on the back would make this much more convenient.
BURN IN PROCESS("SEASONING") --
Okay, they tell you four hours at 275. I gave it eight hours at 275. Twice. It makes a lot of foul, chemically smoke. You must do this, or you will be smoking your first batch of food with who-knows-what chemical byproducts and residues from the manufacture process.
SO, ANYWAY ---
I'm glad I have it. I will probably try to mod it at some point in the future to make it more accurate and responsive. The price is great for what it does. Be prepared to work around some issues.
The best news is: it works!!! Smokes my sausages right up.
The cons are several. Although I'm glad I have it and this is a 4-star review, most of the rest of this review will be focused on the problems...
TEMPERATURE CONTROL --
For one thing, some other reviews have complained about low cooking temperatures. I have the opposite problem. The manual says it may swing +/- 10 degrees during cooking, and I understand the need for this: it heats up, makes some smoke, then turns off, cools down to a point, then heats up again. Thing is, mine goes 15-20 degrees high before it stops, according to the built-in digital temp display. However, I have an oven thermometer that has been verified accurate against several other oven thermometers and more than one oven, and according to that thermometer, when the smoker's temp display says 285(a high swing on a 275 setting), the temperature in the oven was actually 309. I took that reading during the "burn-in" process, but the same phenomenon happens at lower temps with sausages smoking.
I have not had it extremely full of meat yet, and it that case I might expect the swings to be more moderate, as the meat will act as a heat sink.
Anyway, one problem is the inconsistent temperature.
Some folks have wished it would go to a higher temp so fat would render and chicken skin would crisp up. If you want that, you should not look at smoker ovens, you should look for a rotisserie that you can put on your grill with wood chips for smoke. Smoker ovens are generally NOT FOR cooking supper, they're for smoking meat, which you generally then store and cook later. The manufacturer gets no sympathy from me in this regard, as they seem to pander to this misconception among uninformed consumers.
I've seen reviews saying that the manufacturer told them the problem was the use of an extension cord. I'm an EE by degree, and let me say that this is absurd. This device uses nowhere near the power that would involve significant line loss over 20 feet of cord -- if it did, it would be constantly tripping breakers and causing electrical fires all. The problem is a slow-responding heating element and an inaccurate control system, probably involving the housing of the thermistor. The people who heard that the problem was the cord probably spoke to a customer relations rep who thought it was his job just to shift blame away from the oven and onto the consumer.
The easy solution is to get an oven thermometer, check the temp (at long intervals so that opening the door doesn't skew things too much), and compare it to the oven's reading, and adjust your temperature setting accordingly. For me, this means setting the oven about 10 degrees cooler that I actually want, and the temperature fluctuations will center around something close to the correct temperature.
NO WHEELS OR HANDLES --
This thing is not that heavy, but it is unwieldy, and since it is not safe to leave it in the rain, and you can't smoke indoors, that means you have to move it around before and after use. The bottom has only "feet" -- wide ones in front and smaller ones in back -- so, you have to carry it. But it does not have any handles anywhere. For myself, I'm 6'1" and fairly strong, so I can get a friction grip on the sides and take it where I need to go. Most folks will want to get a hand truck or something, or else work in pairs. Really just a handle on each side, or make the back feet rollers and put one handle on the back would make this much more convenient.
BURN IN PROCESS("SEASONING") --
Okay, they tell you four hours at 275. I gave it eight hours at 275. Twice. It makes a lot of foul, chemically smoke. You must do this, or you will be smoking your first batch of food with who-knows-what chemical byproducts and residues from the manufacture process.
SO, ANYWAY ---
I'm glad I have it. I will probably try to mod it at some point in the future to make it more accurate and responsive. The price is great for what it does. Be prepared to work around some issues.
Stuart Pieper : Terrible customer support, better off buying a nicer smoker
I love this smoker! Really simple and easy to use. Wish I would have sprung for the one with the window because I'm too tempted to open it all the time. ****Update***** Well, after 2 years of mild use, the heating element went out. After doing a lot of looking on forums and such, seems as though I am not the only person with this issue. Well, the only place that seems to have the parts is Masterbuilt themselves. So I called customer service, and was on hold waiting for an initial contact for 40 minutes, also seems to be a constant issue in all reviews that I have seen. I did really love this smoker, but their customer service is terrible, and for the price, 2 years is not a very long time. My smoker was stored in a dry shed when not in use, and covered from weather when in use.
El Hefe : Automatic Awesomeness
Turn this thing on, plug in a wireless thermometer and get busy doing something else. You only have to add wood chips about once an hour. It's big enough for a standing rib roast or a couple butts. It's well insulated and cool to the touch on the outside. Cleanup is easy. Temperature drifts above and below the set point as much as 5 degrees F. Max Temperature of 275F is hot enough.
Michael S Brown : Very tight shelves - UPDATED SEP 2019 - DO NOT BUY!!
SEE BELOW: This smoker did an adequate job, however as noted in many reviews, it does not smoke at lower temperatures. I had to keep the temperature higher than stated to keep it smoking. Also, the shelves were VERY TIGHT and hard to slide in and out to baste the fish. End product was good, so giving 3 stars
Have dropped this to 1 star and have asked Masterbuilt for assistance. This product as mentioned, does not smoke at anything under 185 degrees which is too hot to start for fish. There is a "fix" online where you can modify a bracket that sits below the burner element and set it below to raise the burner (which I did) and the chip bin still does not sit low enough to make contact with the element without more bending and shaping. Even then, it simply does not smoke so to me, this was a huge waste of time and money. DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT!
Have dropped this to 1 star and have asked Masterbuilt for assistance. This product as mentioned, does not smoke at anything under 185 degrees which is too hot to start for fish. There is a "fix" online where you can modify a bracket that sits below the burner element and set it below to raise the burner (which I did) and the chip bin still does not sit low enough to make contact with the element without more bending and shaping. Even then, it simply does not smoke so to me, this was a huge waste of time and money. DO NOT BUY THIS UNIT!
Martin Lebl : Great electric smoker
Given this as a gift, and it works very well. Produces great smoked meats, and it is easy to use.
PROS:
- Insulated construction allows touching outside when running without burning yourself
- Well sealing doors to keep the smoke in
- Multitude of shelves accommodates large number of meats, or they can be removed to fit larger piece
- Two drip trays and a drain
- Water tray to generate steam
- Outside loading port to reload wood chips without needing to let out heat and smoke
- Great electronics control
CONS:
- None really
Great smoker to feed a reasonable size party. Whether it is a small family dinner, or bigger party this accommodates variety of meats on the multiple shelves, which can be removed for larger pieces of meat.
PROS:
- Insulated construction allows touching outside when running without burning yourself
- Well sealing doors to keep the smoke in
- Multitude of shelves accommodates large number of meats, or they can be removed to fit larger piece
- Two drip trays and a drain
- Water tray to generate steam
- Outside loading port to reload wood chips without needing to let out heat and smoke
- Great electronics control
CONS:
- None really
Great smoker to feed a reasonable size party. Whether it is a small family dinner, or bigger party this accommodates variety of meats on the multiple shelves, which can be removed for larger pieces of meat.
Martin Lebl : Great electric smoker
Given this as a gift, and it works very well. Produces great smoked meats, and it is easy to use.
PROS:
- Insulated construction allows touching outside when running without burning yourself
- Well sealing doors to keep the smoke in
- Multitude of shelves accommodates large number of meats, or they can be removed to fit larger piece
- Two drip trays and a drain
- Water tray to generate steam
- Outside loading port to reload wood chips without needing to let out heat and smoke
- Great electronics control
CONS:
- None really
Great smoker to feed a reasonable size party. Whether it is a small family dinner, or bigger party this accommodates variety of meats on the multiple shelves, which can be removed for larger pieces of meat.
PROS:
- Insulated construction allows touching outside when running without burning yourself
- Well sealing doors to keep the smoke in
- Multitude of shelves accommodates large number of meats, or they can be removed to fit larger piece
- Two drip trays and a drain
- Water tray to generate steam
- Outside loading port to reload wood chips without needing to let out heat and smoke
- Great electronics control
CONS:
- None really
Great smoker to feed a reasonable size party. Whether it is a small family dinner, or bigger party this accommodates variety of meats on the multiple shelves, which can be removed for larger pieces of meat.
mattyd : Good value, has a few problems though...
The 4-star rating should be understood as a VALUE rating. The product gets 3 stars as a smoker, then it gets an extra star for the price. I make my own sausage, and a unit with the same feature set costs around $700 at sausagemaker dot com. I bought it in Novemer for $149. At the time of this review, the price has gone up to $179, and I think that is still a great price.
The best news is: it works!!! Smokes my sausages right up.
The cons are several. Although I'm glad I have it and this is a 4-star review, most of the rest of this review will be focused on the problems...
TEMPERATURE CONTROL --
For one thing, some other reviews have complained about low cooking temperatures. I have the opposite problem. The manual says it may swing +/- 10 degrees during cooking, and I understand the need for this: it heats up, makes some smoke, then turns off, cools down to a point, then heats up again. Thing is, mine goes 15-20 degrees high before it stops, according to the built-in digital temp display. However, I have an oven thermometer that has been verified accurate against several other oven thermometers and more than one oven, and according to that thermometer, when the smoker's temp display says 285(a high swing on a 275 setting), the temperature in the oven was actually 309. I took that reading during the "burn-in" process, but the same phenomenon happens at lower temps with sausages smoking.
I have not had it extremely full of meat yet, and it that case I might expect the swings to be more moderate, as the meat will act as a heat sink.
Anyway, one problem is the inconsistent temperature.
Some folks have wished it would go to a higher temp so fat would render and chicken skin would crisp up. If you want that, you should not look at smoker ovens, you should look for a rotisserie that you can put on your grill with wood chips for smoke. Smoker ovens are generally NOT FOR cooking supper, they're for smoking meat, which you generally then store and cook later. The manufacturer gets no sympathy from me in this regard, as they seem to pander to this misconception among uninformed consumers.
I've seen reviews saying that the manufacturer told them the problem was the use of an extension cord. I'm an EE by degree, and let me say that this is absurd. This device uses nowhere near the power that would involve significant line loss over 20 feet of cord -- if it did, it would be constantly tripping breakers and causing electrical fires all. The problem is a slow-responding heating element and an inaccurate control system, probably involving the housing of the thermistor. The people who heard that the problem was the cord probably spoke to a customer relations rep who thought it was his job just to shift blame away from the oven and onto the consumer.
The easy solution is to get an oven thermometer, check the temp (at long intervals so that opening the door doesn't skew things too much), and compare it to the oven's reading, and adjust your temperature setting accordingly. For me, this means setting the oven about 10 degrees cooler that I actually want, and the temperature fluctuations will center around something close to the correct temperature.
NO WHEELS OR HANDLES --
This thing is not that heavy, but it is unwieldy, and since it is not safe to leave it in the rain, and you can't smoke indoors, that means you have to move it around before and after use. The bottom has only "feet" -- wide ones in front and smaller ones in back -- so, you have to carry it. But it does not have any handles anywhere. For myself, I'm 6'1" and fairly strong, so I can get a friction grip on the sides and take it where I need to go. Most folks will want to get a hand truck or something, or else work in pairs. Really just a handle on each side, or make the back feet rollers and put one handle on the back would make this much more convenient.
BURN IN PROCESS("SEASONING") --
Okay, they tell you four hours at 275. I gave it eight hours at 275. Twice. It makes a lot of foul, chemically smoke. You must do this, or you will be smoking your first batch of food with who-knows-what chemical byproducts and residues from the manufacture process.
SO, ANYWAY ---
I'm glad I have it. I will probably try to mod it at some point in the future to make it more accurate and responsive. The price is great for what it does. Be prepared to work around some issues.
The best news is: it works!!! Smokes my sausages right up.
The cons are several. Although I'm glad I have it and this is a 4-star review, most of the rest of this review will be focused on the problems...
TEMPERATURE CONTROL --
For one thing, some other reviews have complained about low cooking temperatures. I have the opposite problem. The manual says it may swing +/- 10 degrees during cooking, and I understand the need for this: it heats up, makes some smoke, then turns off, cools down to a point, then heats up again. Thing is, mine goes 15-20 degrees high before it stops, according to the built-in digital temp display. However, I have an oven thermometer that has been verified accurate against several other oven thermometers and more than one oven, and according to that thermometer, when the smoker's temp display says 285(a high swing on a 275 setting), the temperature in the oven was actually 309. I took that reading during the "burn-in" process, but the same phenomenon happens at lower temps with sausages smoking.
I have not had it extremely full of meat yet, and it that case I might expect the swings to be more moderate, as the meat will act as a heat sink.
Anyway, one problem is the inconsistent temperature.
Some folks have wished it would go to a higher temp so fat would render and chicken skin would crisp up. If you want that, you should not look at smoker ovens, you should look for a rotisserie that you can put on your grill with wood chips for smoke. Smoker ovens are generally NOT FOR cooking supper, they're for smoking meat, which you generally then store and cook later. The manufacturer gets no sympathy from me in this regard, as they seem to pander to this misconception among uninformed consumers.
I've seen reviews saying that the manufacturer told them the problem was the use of an extension cord. I'm an EE by degree, and let me say that this is absurd. This device uses nowhere near the power that would involve significant line loss over 20 feet of cord -- if it did, it would be constantly tripping breakers and causing electrical fires all. The problem is a slow-responding heating element and an inaccurate control system, probably involving the housing of the thermistor. The people who heard that the problem was the cord probably spoke to a customer relations rep who thought it was his job just to shift blame away from the oven and onto the consumer.
The easy solution is to get an oven thermometer, check the temp (at long intervals so that opening the door doesn't skew things too much), and compare it to the oven's reading, and adjust your temperature setting accordingly. For me, this means setting the oven about 10 degrees cooler that I actually want, and the temperature fluctuations will center around something close to the correct temperature.
NO WHEELS OR HANDLES --
This thing is not that heavy, but it is unwieldy, and since it is not safe to leave it in the rain, and you can't smoke indoors, that means you have to move it around before and after use. The bottom has only "feet" -- wide ones in front and smaller ones in back -- so, you have to carry it. But it does not have any handles anywhere. For myself, I'm 6'1" and fairly strong, so I can get a friction grip on the sides and take it where I need to go. Most folks will want to get a hand truck or something, or else work in pairs. Really just a handle on each side, or make the back feet rollers and put one handle on the back would make this much more convenient.
BURN IN PROCESS("SEASONING") --
Okay, they tell you four hours at 275. I gave it eight hours at 275. Twice. It makes a lot of foul, chemically smoke. You must do this, or you will be smoking your first batch of food with who-knows-what chemical byproducts and residues from the manufacture process.
SO, ANYWAY ---
I'm glad I have it. I will probably try to mod it at some point in the future to make it more accurate and responsive. The price is great for what it does. Be prepared to work around some issues.
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
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