Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black review and price compare 2025
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Product overview
| Brand | Masterbuilt |
| Model Name | Digital Electric |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Color | Black |
| Item Weight | 45.9 Pounds |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 19.88 x 20.47 x 33.26 inches |
| Fuel Type | Electric |
product features
- by entering your model number.
- Digital panel controls on/off, cooking temperature and time
- Electric Smoker dimensions – 20.47" W x 19.88" L x 33.26" H | Max temperature setting – 275ᵒ F | Inside capacity – 2 Turkeys, 4 Pork Butts, 4 Racks of Ribs, 6 Chickens
- Patented side wood chip loading system allows you to add wood chips without opening door
- Thermostat-temperature control for even, consistent smoking
- Fully-insulated body retains heat
This fits your .
From the manufacturer
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DIGITAL CONTROLPower on / off and control cooking temperature and time. | TEMPERATURE CONTROLThermostat control for even and consistent smoking. | PATENTED WOOD CHIP LOADING SYSTEMAdd wood chips without opening the smoker door. |
| Product Accessories | The Masterbuilt Smoker Leg Kit with Wheels gives mobility and increases the height for Masterbuilt digital electric smokers. | The Slow Smoker is perfect for smoking cheese, fish, bacon, and jerky, when longer smoke times at lower temperatures are ideal | The durable, polyurethane-coated cover protects your smoker from the elements year-round. | Smoke fish, jerky, veggies, and more on the Masterbuilt Fish and Vegetable Mat. | These comfortable, heat-resistant gloves are the perfect accessory for grilling, smoking, frying, and carving foods. |
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product description
Style:30" Smoker
The Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Smoker is perfect for the beginner or the pro. You’ll achieve competition-ready results in your own backyard, without the hassle of charcoal or propane. Simply plug this smoker in, set the digital controls, and it does the work! The patented side wood chip loader lets you experiment with flavor without opening the smoker door. Four chrome-coated racks provide plenty of room to smoke up to 6 chickens, 2 turkeys, 4 racks of ribs, or 4 pork butts. Master the art of smoking with Masterbuilt. Power on/off, control cooking temperature and time.
product details
important information
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Questions about Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black
Q:
How often do you add wood chips? And do you soak them?
Answer: i have time to use the unit twice, once with chips, soaked about 30 minutes, and once without. When I used chips, I added new ones about every 30-40 minutes.
Answer: I add more chips when the smoking has almost stopped. When smoking pork butts, it's usually every 90 mins to 2 hours between adding more. For fish or chicken breast that cook quicker, you don't have to add more.
Answer: 1/2 cup recommended of dry chips will last about 30 minutes.
Answer: Do NOT soak your chips in this smoker. You get them wet, the element drys them out and THEN they start to burn. Soaking chips is for when you drop them straight onto red hot charcoal. Putting in dry chip, you'll see approximately every 30 minutes you can add more chip. If this is annoying, buy the Masterbuilt cold smoking kit and put pellets in it.
Answer: Don't soak your chips. They just steam. Try a lighter wood and get a thermometer so you don't have to open the door. It will take some dialing in but you will be happy once you find the sweet spot and smoke flavor you like. You can get superexcited and get too much smoke for some peoples' tastes.
Answer: Adding wood chips depends on your heating temperature. Soaking your chips depends on their size. Smaller chips we'll soak, larger ones not so much.
Answer: You don't have to soak the chips but they last longer if you do. Just add chips every hour. You can cook several hours on a couple handfuls of chips
Answer: As a professional Chefi can tell you 100% soak. I soak with either water, apple juice or rootbeer depending on the flavor I'm looking for. The amount and intensity of smoke and flavor are much more enhanced with soaked chips. Dry chips burn up way too fast and a lesser flavor. You need the steam from the chips to get the process started.
Answer: I add them at the beginning startup ( when I turn smoker on) and again when the smoker is no longer emitting smoke I add more unless I am on the last hour of smoking
Answer: When it quits smoking and yes I soak them. You don't have to though.
Q:
How many years of use is realistic to expect from this smoker before it breaks? 3, 5, 10?
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Answer: I had mine for 9 years and replaced the heating 3 times. But, that is not a bad thing: I PUT THIS THING TO USE! Briskets, ribs, chicken, steaks!! You name it! The only thing I found, all around the smoker is but if its very cold out, the temp is effected drastically...Similarly, hot out, the temp sours at times, especially in direct sun light. I still give it a 8-10 stars!!!
Answer: I've had mine 5 years and used it about 60 times (12 X a year). It is garage kept when not in use and I have never had an issue with it.
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Answer: Had mine about 2 years before the electrical control panel went out which you can replace for $50 on the Masterbuilt website. Used the smoker cover and under the roofline but sometimes it would get wet. Kept it out of the evening sun because here in Texas the summer sun would damage the cover and probably the smoker. Good news is I bought the extended warranty. Bad news is now extended warranty is only $12 versus the $23 I had to pay back then. I have a claim approved just pending what their offer is. You get what you pay for I guess. Loki g for the same smoker and will buy the extended warranty again.
Answer: I was given one of these a few years back. It maybe lasted 4 years with use 6 times a year and was stored on the covered back porch under the master built cover. The breaker (GFI) started tripping and I noticed the temperature was overrunning the set point. Set at 200 and it heated to 290. I expect the over temp had fried insulation causing the short. I considered replacing it, but went for a pellet smoker instead. See the customer comments about thermostat stopped working. Have not regretted that move.
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Answer: Less than 2 years. I used mine maybe 15 times in the 16 months that I had it and the controls stopped working. I contacted the company and the 1 year warranty has expired so if I am willing to spend more money, I can get a replacement control panel. I babied this thing. Took good care of it, cleaned it after using it, kept it out of the sun and covered. This is a cheap unit, I suggest you stay away from it.
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Q:
Does it have a pan to add water/juice etc. during cooking?
Answer: Yes. Water pan is large enough to smoke a long time.
Q:
What is the temperature range?
Answer: Max temp it can be set for is 275 degrees,will hold temp within a few degrees.
Answer: 100°F to 275°F
Q:
Can a 14” long brisket fit in there without touching sides?
Answer: Yes, it will fit in this smoker.
Answer: Yes I think it would. Trimming the ends would be a good idea. I love this smoker.
Answer: It will but you probably will not have much room on either side
Answer: Yes, no problem.
Answer: YES
Q:
Can the controller be removed easily?
Answer: Yes, the top controller is attached with two cables. In fact, it ships detached.
Q:
can i use it in the rain?
Answer: We would recommend using this digital electric smoker in the rain. Due to the electrical components of the smoker, you would risk permanent damage to the smoker. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to our Customer Service Department at 1.800.489.1581.
Answer: I would not use in a down pour due to being electric.
Answer: Should only if can keep control box and receptacle dry.
Answer: I use it in any weather condition under my porch
Answer: I did yesterday with no ill effect, but I made sure the plug stayed dry.
Q:
Is this the model with a replaceable heating element?
Answer: Yes
Q:
What is the return policy on this product?
Answer: Not sure. I should have checked that on my children but like the smoker, I failed to check. My smoker works just great and has been worth the cost (unlike the kids). Lol
Q:
Hi there, does this have a voltage range of 110-240 and frquency of 50/60HZ
Answer: 110 only rhat I know of
Q:
I need just the control panel
Answer: The control panel is faulty period. You will always need just the control panel. Considering there are YouTube videos on how to operate the smoker without the control panel, that shows the panel is trash
Answer: Mine came with a faulty control panel. I contacted Masterbuilt by email. They sent me a new one within 2 or 3 weeks.
Answer: I think if you go on there website. You can order parts you need.
Q:
does this have continuous feed for the wood chips? if not how long does it smoke for without adding more
Answer: It smokes for about 2 hours if you soak the wood chips in water. It is really easy to refill wood chip holder when it stops smoking. I usually put first wood chips in and drop it in tray, then I refill wood chip holder and when it stops smoking I just dump more chips in.
Answer: No, you will need to add wood chips approximately every 45 minutes.
Answer: No it does not have continuous feed .
Q:
How well will this smoker maintain temperature if it is cold outside? I live in Michigan and it is cold for a lot of the year.
Answer: I live in Wyoming and use this smoker to both slow cook or/and smoke year round, At -30F the steam-smoke rolls out the top vent and infuses the neighborhood with a delicious aroma, my go to fav is 11# pork picnic all rubbed up and overnighted at 225F for 11 hours with a full drip pan of water, 1cup apple and mesquite chip blend at beginning. Live life as large as it gets with this combo and U wont be disappointed. On today to get the cold smoker attachment to smoke cheese and bacon..YEEEEHAW!!!
Answer: I live in Wyoming and smoke or slow cook year round with this unit with thermometer and have NO ISSUES
Answer: My unit temperature gage said it struggled to keep up with cold outdoor temps. I did not confirm that with my secondary thermometer. I lengthened the time and 15lbs of chicken came out just fine.
Answer: We just used ours on a very cold night in Michigan and didn't have any problems. There was no snow, however.
Answer: Cook time
Q:
where is it made
Answer: Yes, our products are manufactured in China.
Answer: China- and not very well
Answer: Sad to say I believe made in China but headquarters in U.S.
Q:
Does this unit have the water pan and drip tray?
Answer: Yes. Water pan is separate and above drip pam. There is a collection tray on back of smoker that drip pan runs into
Answer: Yes, has both. Really like the smoker. Drip tray will even drain to an outside pan.
Answer: Yes. The unit is awesome.
Answer: yes
Q:
Can i use this inside the appartment or should I use the smoker only outside?
Answer: Outside ONLY please!
Answer: Outside only!!
Answer: Outside only
Answer: Wow.....
Answer: Lol
Answer: Really?
Q:
Can you use this indoors?
Answer: No not without proper ventilation but this is not recommended for indoor use!
Answer: With the smoke and the smell, I would not use indoors.
Answer: No If you are smoking and using chips, it will fill your house with smoke and potential other harmful gases.
Answer: No you cant, because of the smoke it puts out
Q:
Is the protection plan worth it?
Answer: I rarely buy these plans on such lower priced items. To each their own, I say.
Answer: Mine started to fall apart after 4 months so I’d recommend it.
Q:
does this unit have a temp probe for internal temp ?
Answer: Hi Brian, this unit does not have an internal meat probe. This unit is equipped with internal temperature probes to test the internal temp to ensure your smoker is at your set temperature.
Answer: No, temp is of interior/ambient. I use a 4 probe Ink Bird that I love, it has bluetooth connectivity.
Answer: It does not have a temperature probe for the meat.
Answer: I use a igrill 2 blue tooth connected thermometer can hook up 4 progs it's great. Made by iDevices.
Answer: No I just bought a cheap meat thermometer at the grocery store for 10 bucks
Answer: Yes and works beautifully!
Q:
Is the red light supposed to stay on during the entire cook time? It keeps turning off and I don’t know why .
Answer: The red light comes on if the current insidetemperature is below the set/programed. Once the inside temperature reaches the set temperature, the green light comes on. Only thing I can think of is that the outside temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or so. I first used it in about 46 degrees and windy and the red light was on for the three hours I programed it for. If this is not the case then it might be that you didn't hit the temperature button a second time to start the cooking cycle.
Answer: The red light indicates it is heating. When it reaches the set temperature, it will turn off and when it drops a few degrees it will come back on to maintain the set temperature.
Answer: The temp fluctuates and therefore causes the red light to turn on and off. The only reason I can think of it staying on is maybe you’re opening the door too often or your electric outlet isn’t supplying enough voltage to keep it at temp. Maybe move it to another outlet.
Answer: No just while heating
Answer: Get a hold of Masterbuilt with your problem
Q:
How do you know when its time to add more wood chips?
Answer: I monitor the volume of smoke escaping from the smoker. This model burns the wood chips slowly so a batch of wood chips provides good smoke for quit awhile. If you see the volume of escaping smoke start to taper off it is time to add more wood chips.
Answer: We recommend adding wood chips approximately every 30-45 minutes.
Answer: My rule of thumb has been to add the chips about every 4 hours of smoking. Works well for long smokes, and anything under that you don't want to use more than once. The smoke taste can overwhelm things if used too much.
Q:
What is the best cover to use to protect it from outdoor elements??
Answer: They sell a cover for around $45 usd Mine is not in those conditions
Answer: Sorry,I keep mine in the garage and didn't buy a cover
Q:
Can I return this?
Answer: How can I return this faulty, brand new product?
Answer: I haven’t needed to, mine works great. For the price I paid, when it does go, I will have gotten my money’s worth and wouldn’t consider returning it
Q:
Love the smoker - not liking the clean up! Is there an aluminum throw away pan available for purchase to catch the grease? If not, there should be!
Answer: Hi nattimom, we do not manufacture aluminum throw away pans to catch the grease drippings. You can always wrap components in aluminum foil for easy clean-up after a cook! I would not recommend wrapping the smoking racks though, to allow proper air flow throughout the unit.
Answer: My son did the research and bought this electric smoker for his small restaurant.
Answer: I use the disposable aluminum half steam table pans inside the smoker box. Usually just one but if meat spreads across whole rack, I use two turned short width on the rack. Sams Club has pans.
Answer: I use the disposable aluminum pans sold in the Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot grilling section.
Answer: You should be able to find a pack of cheap aluminum pans in any supermarket.
Q:
how are you suppose to move it without handles you can't tip it with food water or grease dipping in it or hot not a smart design without handles
Answer: The smoker does get hot and not cable of moving easily. I bought a moving cart from Amazon that has 3 shelves and mounted 2 shelves with the smoker on the second shelf and use the bottom shelf to store different flavored wood chips.
Answer: It's not made to be moved while cooking in it. If it has to be moved, remove anything which might spill, and slowly walk it where it needs to go or use a dolly. You should have known from the photos the smoker had no handles.
Answer: Not made for moving. Lightweight and situate where you’ll be using it before turning on. I’ve smoked nearly every kind of meat and veggies you normally smoke and never ever used any liquid, water, apple juice, etc. Why would you want to move it while it is on anyway?
Answer: I purchased a base unit that allows you to move the unit. However, you can not move the unit while you are cooking food. Be. sure to place your unit in the location you want it.
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Answer: I think you can get casters and just screw where the feet go. My son built me a cart and we bolted the smoker to it. I can move it anytime and don’t have to bend over to check the meat.
Q:
Can you fill the the box with the wood chips and it will automatically despence the wood it's self?
Answer: No.....requires addition of chips as it cooks.
Answer: No. As the wood is consumed you will continue to add wood till your finished smoking. The wood chamber is quite small. Probably sufficient for an hour or less of smoking. There are units with auto units and you may wish to consider such a unit. Also the electric unit is slow to heat. You may want to consider a propane unit. I used one with very good success. The Masterbuilt electric died after just one use. It now sits idle since warranty is expired.
Q:
Can you use pellets rather than wood chips?
Answer: even better than a tube smoker - get the masterbuilt cold smoker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KGP5BX/ . It allows you to burn chips and produces an amazing amount of smoke. I had relegated my masterbuilt to the shed because we have several pellet smokers, but the masterbuilt smoke attachment made the masterbuilt electric competitive with the pellet smokers for flavor.
Answer: I tried pellets and they caught fire in the smoker. No problems with wood chips.
Answer: Not recommended by manufacturer. Purchase separate metal tube pellet smoker - gives prolonged smoke even at low temp settings and eliminates frequent refilling of fuel tray.
Q:
What is the piece call that you load the wood chips into the smoker called
Answer: Wood chip loader
Answer: The manual calls it the "wood chip loader." Many users refer to it as the "chip tube."
Answer: "chip box" is what it is called, definitely called chip box on other brands. I got two of the, and both of them were defective, so they were returned to Amazon and I bought another brand from Amazon, even had a front window, and it worked really well, and even nicer looking. I don't know why the reviews for MB are so good, 2 out of 2 being bad is not good. Thankfully Amazon is really good with its customers.
Q:
can you do steaks and hamburgers in the smoker?
Answer: Not unless you like to cook the slow at max 275.
Answer: Yes. You can do anything you want. It’s the best appliance I’ve bought in years!
Answer: Yes and recipes can be found on our website.
Answer: i have not done this but i would think so. interesting. i would try burgers first.
Answer: Yes you can. That being said, I would strongly advise you to NOT buy it. Its not worth the money. Its junk.
Answer: Yes
Answer: Yep
Answer: Yes. It works really well
Q:
Can you substitute wood pellets for wood chips
Answer: The instructions for my 20071117 say not to use pellets, only chips.
Answer: It takes wood chips yes
Answer: The manual says not to use HEATING pellets. Heating pellets may be all softwood like pine and fir or may have a mix of soft and hardwood. Heating pellets are not food grade and may also contain binders that are toxic to ingest. Hardwood is probably fine. You just have to experiment how much to use.
Answer: I think so. the unit that you will fill with wood chips is about the size of a soda can so smaller pieces work best.
Answer: No
Q:
Can I connect "cold smoke attachment " ?
Answer: I have 2 of these units and one has the cold smoker unit on it. It is not too tall for this unit, and is the best thing that I have ever bought for BBQ. The smoked cheese, no matter what you desire, is awesome, and it is a must for smoking sausage.
Answer: No, the cold smoker is too tall for this model.
Answer: Yes. I have it and I recommend buying it.
Q:
We ordered the masterbuilt 2010113 digital electric smoker stand, 30 inch. not compatible the with this smoker. which stand is?
Answer: This one is sturdy and fits. Masterbuilt 20101113 Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30-Inch
Answer: This one is sturdy. Masterbuilt 20101113 Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30-Inch
Answer: This one is sturdy. Masterbuilt 20101113 Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30-Inch
Answer: The same stand also comes in a 40 inch too you might want to try that o e instead
Answer: Not using a stand. On the patio (brick). If I wanted it higher I would put it on cinder blocks or make a table.
Q:
Do we need to wet the wood chips or is the water tray enough?
Answer: The chips go in dry. It has a water tray. With that being said, try it with wet. Probably won't hurt anything. Watch the master built videos on utube
Answer: We recommend dry wood chips for more smoke flavor.
Answer: I always soak the chips for up to 1 hr. Sometimes only for a few minutes. Seems to work better that way.
Answer: I would wet them
Q:
Can u smoke a 18-20lb Turkey in this?
Answer: I bought this for my son in law and have forwarded the question to him????
Answer: Yes
Answer: Yes
Q:
Will not turn on
Answer: Check the connector under the control panel. Also check heating element connection.
Q:
How many briskets can you smoke at one time?
Answer: ?? Are you saying you can fit 4 - full, lip on briskets in this smoker?? That's impressive!
Answer: 10
Answer: four
Q:
How often do I have to add water and do I jave to open the front to add water?
Answer: Well first off , don’t use water. Water adds no flavor, always add flavor when you can be it fruit juice or apple cider vinegar. But to answer you question I cooked a 12lb turkey to 165 and never had to add any more liquid. BTW I used apple cider Vinegar. But if you did need to add some, perhaps with a low ans slow pork butt (apple juice) or brisket (grape or orange juice) then you would need to open the door.
Answer: Water isn’t always needed for smoking. I smoked ribs for 4 hours without water but when I smoked my thxgving turkey for 10 hours I used water. The water doesn’t evaporate much so there is no need to open the door to refill during a smoking. You only use water to prevent whatever you’re smoking from drying out.
Answer: Yes, you will need to open the door to add water. I would recommend only keeping 1 cup of liquid in the water bowl throughout the smoker so it does not overfill.
Answer: after3 hours we still had plenty of water. Filled to the line on the pan. You have to open the door to fill water pan.
Answer: Unless you are doing an extraordinarily long smoke (I'd guess 8 hours or more, based on my experience), you won't need to replenish the water. In fact, if you're smoking something that will release a lot of fat, you should only use a minimal amount of water because the fat will drain into the water pan, possibly resulting in an overflow. Yes, you have to open the door to add more water. Tip: Always foil the water pan -- it makes cleanup so much easier.
Answer: Usually ive just soaked the woodchips in water. Never added water. But this smoker rarely lasted long enough to use it much.
Answer: I have never used liquid on anything I have smoked, butts, briskets, chickens, turkeys, bellies, hams, or cold smoked cheese, but if you did you would have to opened the door.
Answer: I don’t use water but beer or apple juice. Once I fill the tray I’ve never had to refill.
Answer: Mix apple cider vinegar and water. Change it after your done cooking lol don't leave it there for next time
Answer: Pan on the inside of unit. Holds enough to last severa! Hours. Always empty pan after unit is cooled off from using
Q:
I went on your website to purchase replacement grill grates and they weren't listed there. They only had them for 40 inch smokers not the 30 inch?
Answer: I have not seen them offered either. I would like a back up set to keep one clean at all times.
Q:
What is the model for the replacement water pan/bowl? Mine has some leaks in it and I want to replace with a water pan that will bit this size smoker
Answer: Be careful when ordering parts,they changed the configuration and all parts do not fit.I ordered a new chip holder and it not even close.
Q:
Using my own meat thermometer, is it okay to loop the cords through the top vent?
Answer: It will decrease the temperature as the heat escapes. In the summer this will not be as important. Depending on how long you have had the smoker, it will die before winter anyway. The cheaply made smoker will die after you have had it for under 18 months, but over the 12 months so that the warranty runs out. Customer NO Service (through email only) will reply to you saying you can BUY a replacement control panel. Enjoy using your smoker for the 10 to 15 times most people use it in this short period of time.
Answer: You can pull a meat probe through the air vent if desired.
Q:
Where is my order? Ordered this smoker on July 15.
Answer: either your credit did not go thru or never ordered properly it is Nov why on earth would you wait this long?
Q:
What is the difference between this model and the older one 20070910: http://amzn.to/2n4tG07 ?
Q:
How reliable in general is Masterbuilt? I bought one , despite a bad reputation. Mine failed after 5 months, and the manufacturer refused to remedy.
Answer: I had an older generation one for about 10 years and used 1or 2 times a month. When it finally crapped out got another.
Answer: we have only used ours once and it worked great
Q:
I am making salami and need to hang tubes is there a way to do this
Answer: We would recommend a sausage hanger in our accessory kit, 20100914.
Answer: There is nothing in the smoker to attach to. Only to lay on the racks
Q:
at 225 it will not make smoke what can i do/
Answer: I've had the same problem. I turn it up to 275 for 5-15 minutes to get the smoke going again, then back down to 225. On a long smoke I might have to do this 6-10 times. It's frustrating but, it's all I've found to overcome the "no-smoke" situation.
Answer: I get smoke at 225 with no problem. Makes sure your vent is at least partially open. If no air is moving inside the smoker, there wood chips won't smolder. I also made a mistake one time by not making sure the wood chips had been "dumped" in the chip tray. I added chips to the loading tray, but I forgot to turn it to get the chips to drop into the chip tray inside the smoker.
Answer: I just got it recently and smoked one brisket. Not a lot of smoke at 225, but the brisket came out perfect and had a strong smoky flavor.
Answer: Open the vent at the top and make sure your wood is "chips" NOT "chunks".
Answer: Try dry wood chips in the beginning, while brining your smoker to temp.
Answer: Send it back like I did
Q:
Does the digital feature keep the temperature in the smoker constantly within the target range?
Answer: yes it does. I had never bothered with thermometer before but do now....very spot on with digital feature. we have used this smoker for just about anything we could think to try. have not used our gas grill but twice since purchasing the smoker. all our friends have been quite impressed with food we have served from it. mary w
Answer: For me, it keeps the temperature fairly constant but it gets "off" when I open the door and then it takes time to get the temperature back to the setting. When it's really a windy day, it tries its best to keep the temperature constant. I really do like the machine; it's convenient and does a good job for me.
Answer: Yes. It keeps the temp at a constant, within a few degrees.
Answer: It was a gift so I don't know the answer............
Answer: Yes.
Q:
I can’t get the chips to smoke. i set the temp to 225 degrees. i soaked them for a while. what am i doing wrong?
Answer: 1st don't soak the chips. I found that if you push the chip tray all of the way in to the stops it actually raises the tray about 1/8". Pull the chip tray back about 1/2" and it will sit closer to the burner. Also I like to add the chips right at the beginning to get some smoldering. The temperature setting shouldn't matter as the burner is either on or off. The burner will be the same temperature wether you set it at 250 or 200 degrees, only the duration it is on/off will change.
Answer: I have the same problem this smoker sucks they say it smokes better at 240 deg or higher which sucks I do not soak the chips them try apple chips they a bit softer. The smoke tray is to small and sits up above heating element. I will not buy this product again or recommend it
Answer: First off soaking chips doesn't help them smoke. Sometimes it may appear so as the water in them turns to steam. Unless you want to steam your food do not use water on your wood
Answer: Guy, I don't soak the chips. After reading many and several barbeque/smoker cookbooks and perusing several online website forums from members, most of them recommend not soaking the chips when using an electric smoker (or for that matter, when grilling on a gas grill). I just preheat the smoker to 225F and then add the chips. I wait until I can smell/see smoke, and then I start cooking. You'll need to replenish the smoker box a little more often, but that's a minor issue.
Answer: I let the chips soak in water the night before. I usually put the chips in a ziplock bag and cover with water. Just drain prior to using. This has always worked for me.
Answer: Guy- I removed the screw that holds the wire that supports the chip pan. I then found a small frying pan that fits in the opening and rests on the heating element. It works great! U get all the smoke u want. Jack Schneider. P S- I asked the Masterbuilt person if the pan resting on the burner would cause any problems. The answer was "no". Good luck
Answer: I have used an electric for a few years. I've never been happy with the smoke production. I use the electric to maintain heat and I use the pellet tube (Amazon Best seller, under $15) and pellets to produce smoke. It has been a great combo thus far.
Answer: Make sure chips are getting in smoke pan, damp chips might not dumpoperly
Answer: I don't soak the chips, they just get water logged and don't smoke for me either.
Answer: Your heating element may be bad.
Q:
is this a good smoker?
Answer: I love this smoker. Easy to put together. Easy to use and clean. I bought 2 more as gifts after my first purchase.
Answer: Yes I use mine all the time holds the heat well! I did get a cold smoker for the side so I don’t have to keep adding chips!
Answer: I'm happy with it. I've never used a smoker before, I picked this up because I started making sausage and wanted to be able to smoke them and it does a fine job. Don't overcrowd it and smoke things slow. It seemed to be the highest rated smoker in its class.
Answer: Yes
Q:
What size woods chips work best in this smoker?
Answer: You should use small chips. It is not designed for large wood chunks or wood pellets. You can buy the wood chips from Amazon.
Answer: Standard approximately 1" chips.
Answer: Never got to use it. Had two of them and neither one worked. Sent them both back.
Q:
Why does the picture show 4 shelves . It only comes with three?
Answer: The unit is offered at multiple retailers and has a as featured items that will include an extra rack.
Product reviews of Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black
Steve : A simple, solid smoker that does the job
I have purchased this smoker twice. The first one ran great for 3 years, but finally the heating element burned out. It's now in my garage awaiting warm weather so I can install the replacement element that I ordered online and will serve as a backup when the heating element burns out in my current smoker. The elements will burn out after a time, particularly when you use a smoker as often as I do (3 or 4 times a week year-round).
Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.
Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.
Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.
Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.
Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:
(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.
(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.
A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.
Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.
The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.
Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.
Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.
Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.
Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.
Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:
(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.
(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.
A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.
Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.
The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.
Jerry Pryor : Good but
This seems like a nice box, sufficiently insulated, nice water dish, exit damper, etc.
I have a perfectly good one just like it, almost, maybe the same maker, but I bought this one because of the digital heat control. Well that seems to work okay, but if you are outside; (where else would you smoke), it is nearly impossible to see the display. Perhaps if I were to smoke on some rainy cloudy day it would be visible, but I live in Florida. There's another annoying thing in that you must set a time limit before the thing will run; nothing about that in the buying info.
I think that when they designed the unit they had barbecuers in mind. I smoke sausages and Pastrami and that usually requires cold smoking often followed by regulated heat. So the chip tray and the clever chip loader were if no use to me. At low temps it won't make smoke. But it was a good location to adapt my cold smoke unit. By the way they do sell a cold smoke attachment however I was able to build my own for only two or three times what they wanted. Now if I weren't electronically disadvantaged I might fix the control and its display!
I have a perfectly good one just like it, almost, maybe the same maker, but I bought this one because of the digital heat control. Well that seems to work okay, but if you are outside; (where else would you smoke), it is nearly impossible to see the display. Perhaps if I were to smoke on some rainy cloudy day it would be visible, but I live in Florida. There's another annoying thing in that you must set a time limit before the thing will run; nothing about that in the buying info.
I think that when they designed the unit they had barbecuers in mind. I smoke sausages and Pastrami and that usually requires cold smoking often followed by regulated heat. So the chip tray and the clever chip loader were if no use to me. At low temps it won't make smoke. But it was a good location to adapt my cold smoke unit. By the way they do sell a cold smoke attachment however I was able to build my own for only two or three times what they wanted. Now if I weren't electronically disadvantaged I might fix the control and its display!
DTownsend : Belongs on the island of misfit smokers...
... it's the smoker that will not smoke!! Let me explain.
I purchased this same smoker more than five years ago and absolutely LOVED it. Great price, easy to use and nearly hands off. I was hooked and I smoked everything I could think of. As with most things purchased these days, eventually they wear out and need replaced.
Now, I could have gone with a more expensive make and model or from another manufacturer but I believe in customer loyalty and ordered the same smoker I purchased before. What a mistake that was!
In the past few year the company had re-engineered the heating element, wood tray, liquid tray and a few other things. The first thing I noticed was the cheap aluminum parts replacing the thicker, stronger metals found in my original unit. The second thing I noticed was the smaller wood bin where the chips are placed. DIsappointed but hopeful I ran a two-hour "seasoning" burn. No worries there. Now to put it to the test: a 7lb pork shoulder at 225 degs for 13 hours.
The smoker WILL NOT SMOKE! Sure, the initial burn takes place but reloading through the hopper scores zero additional smoke!! When I investigated the reason for this issue, I found about 50% of the original chips charred, the additional chips sitting on top of the originals and nothing smoking.
"Hey, man. You're doing it wrong". No I'm not. Remember, I had the same smoke for years without this issue!! So, what I'm left with is a $200 outdoor oven and nothing more.
The problem is the packaging has been thrown away and no way to return it for my money back!! This was another expensive lesson in corporate greed. "Let's cut corners, reduce the quality of the product and sell at a higher price for a larger profit margin!"
BUYER BEWARE!! DO NOT PURCHASE!!
I purchased this same smoker more than five years ago and absolutely LOVED it. Great price, easy to use and nearly hands off. I was hooked and I smoked everything I could think of. As with most things purchased these days, eventually they wear out and need replaced.
Now, I could have gone with a more expensive make and model or from another manufacturer but I believe in customer loyalty and ordered the same smoker I purchased before. What a mistake that was!
In the past few year the company had re-engineered the heating element, wood tray, liquid tray and a few other things. The first thing I noticed was the cheap aluminum parts replacing the thicker, stronger metals found in my original unit. The second thing I noticed was the smaller wood bin where the chips are placed. DIsappointed but hopeful I ran a two-hour "seasoning" burn. No worries there. Now to put it to the test: a 7lb pork shoulder at 225 degs for 13 hours.
The smoker WILL NOT SMOKE! Sure, the initial burn takes place but reloading through the hopper scores zero additional smoke!! When I investigated the reason for this issue, I found about 50% of the original chips charred, the additional chips sitting on top of the originals and nothing smoking.
"Hey, man. You're doing it wrong". No I'm not. Remember, I had the same smoke for years without this issue!! So, what I'm left with is a $200 outdoor oven and nothing more.
The problem is the packaging has been thrown away and no way to return it for my money back!! This was another expensive lesson in corporate greed. "Let's cut corners, reduce the quality of the product and sell at a higher price for a larger profit margin!"
BUYER BEWARE!! DO NOT PURCHASE!!
JJS : Can’t recommend this
I held off writing a review until after I had used it a few times. I am disappointed with this smoker and can not recommend. This is my 2nd Masterbuilt smoker. I loved my first one. I can never get this one to the correct temperature. If I want it at 225 I have to set it at least 10-15 degrees higher. I have to constantly babysit it so I can watch the temp. I also don’t feel it creates as much smoke as my older one. I’ve tried a couple different types of wood chips to see if that made a difference. Setting the time and temp is difficult because of placement. Can’t see it in the sunshine and have to cover it with something to see it. I suppose not a big deal but still a pain. So I am going to clean up my old one, order some new parts for it and go back to using it. Probably sell this one to recoup some of the money I spent on it.
Mike Retz : Temp control is off, no smoke!
This was my first electric smoker and it had been great. It is very easy to assemble (only a few screws that are included) and use. There are 2 minor issues. The first is the temperature control. The thermostat is cheap and will put you with in 10-15 degrees of your desired temp. You will have to keep an eye on the temp and move up or down based on the thermostat reading.
My second issue is that it produces very little smoke at temps below 200. This is due to a thick wood chip pan. The only fix for this is to cut the wood chips very small, or make a chip pan out of aluminum foil and place directly on the heater.
Over all the issues are minimal for this entry level smoker. I would upgrade In the future, but this was a perfect start to a long smoking career.
My second issue is that it produces very little smoke at temps below 200. This is due to a thick wood chip pan. The only fix for this is to cut the wood chips very small, or make a chip pan out of aluminum foil and place directly on the heater.
Over all the issues are minimal for this entry level smoker. I would upgrade In the future, but this was a perfect start to a long smoking career.
Amazon Customer : SUPER FRUSTRATED
I really am not trying to post a review and don't mind if it gets sent back to me as unaccepted as long as I can get communication to and from Masterbuilt. I've used my smoker 4 times now and have been pleased up until this point...It wouldn't heat up tonight. The display on top works and tells me that it's heating but the element is not heating AT ALL. I've got 40 pounds of brined tuna and 25 pounds of brined bluefish at cost of almost $400. THEY MUST BE SMOKED RIGHT NOW!!! ...but my smoker doesn't work. I'm having a party this weekend and the smoked fish and dips are supposed to be ready for it. I'm more than willing to pay a difference and upgrade my unit to something more durable if that's an option. I have no idea what I'm going to do with all of this fish. To make things worse, I stained my pants while trying to troubleshoot the unit. Please contact me ASAP. If this is accepted as a review I will gladly remove and rewrite it if we can get the issue resolved. Thanks, Rob B
"mrmiami312002" : Awesome Product.
Before this purchase we had never owned a smoker before, after reading the reviews we was a bit skeptical about buying it but after searching around found that this was the best unit in it's class - price & quality wise. We weren't disappointed, we've smoked everything from chicken to crab and had no issues with temperature - even when the door was opened it returned to the operating temperature very quickly. We clean this unit after every use and it's quick & easy. We did drill holes in the chip tray to get more at lower temperatures "picture added" and it works well. For the price this unit is top notch and im my opinion competes with higher prices smokers, I would definitely recommend purchasing this product.
Sam : Update: I "DO NOT" recommend
Previous review:
This is a great smoker. I saw many reviews referencing a lack of smoke. So I took out the woodchip tray bracket that comes pre-assembled and set the tray directly on the coils underneath the chip loader. Works like a charm. The only reason for 4-star was some of the craftsmanship. There were a couple loose screws on the inner metal liner. Nothing major, but I need to keep some sort of integrity to five-stars. I would absolutely recommend this product.
Peterr : Seems to be working great!
I bought this a few months ago and have been pleasantly surprised - especially since there were so many critical reviews. I got tired of over thinking it and took the plunge and ordered this - had been thinking about smoking for quite some time - so many options.... I chose this because of the digital temp control and price. It's my first smoker.
I like that it's not wood fueled - I can can leave it plugged in and not dork around with it hourly after the first few hours....
I got a remote digital thermometer to monitor the food and air temp - seems to be pretty spot on.
We're in Minnesota, so we'll so how it does during the colder months...
The front door latch seems a little mediocre on quality, but it works...
I like that it's not wood fueled - I can can leave it plugged in and not dork around with it hourly after the first few hours....
I got a remote digital thermometer to monitor the food and air temp - seems to be pretty spot on.
We're in Minnesota, so we'll so how it does during the colder months...
The front door latch seems a little mediocre on quality, but it works...
Roger A. Kuhl II : Rather ineffective by itself
The smoker holds temperature well and, if you get the temp up, it will smoke. BUT, it doesn't smoke well at all. The main problem really is two-fold. First, the unit seals so well that the heating element under the wood chips doesn't come on for very long. The second issue is that the wood chip tray is to far from the element so it takes longer to heat up the wood chips enough than the unit is actually on.
So, in order to keep smoke flowing, you constantly have to turn the temperature up to get the unit to stay on long enough to get your smoke. Then you're good for maybe 20 minutes before you have to do it again.
I've also researched a number of fixes, but this newer model won't work for them.
The one fix that does work, and works very well, is to buy the additional cold smoking kit. THAT works exactly the way it's supposed and is convenient for longer smokes. I'm very much a "set-it and forget-it" kind of guy and I don't want to be running out to add chips every half hour.
In my case, I got the unit pretty cheap because of cosmetic damage, but then had to buy the cold-smoking kit which put me back up to the regular price.
Bottom line, if you already have it the smoker or you can find a cheap used one and you just want it to work, then buy the cold smoking kit (you'll have the bonus of being able to do cheeses and such). If you're looking for a good electric smoker that will smoke consistently without fuss...this isn't it.
So, in order to keep smoke flowing, you constantly have to turn the temperature up to get the unit to stay on long enough to get your smoke. Then you're good for maybe 20 minutes before you have to do it again.
I've also researched a number of fixes, but this newer model won't work for them.
The one fix that does work, and works very well, is to buy the additional cold smoking kit. THAT works exactly the way it's supposed and is convenient for longer smokes. I'm very much a "set-it and forget-it" kind of guy and I don't want to be running out to add chips every half hour.
In my case, I got the unit pretty cheap because of cosmetic damage, but then had to buy the cold-smoking kit which put me back up to the regular price.
Bottom line, if you already have it the smoker or you can find a cheap used one and you just want it to work, then buy the cold smoking kit (you'll have the bonus of being able to do cheeses and such). If you're looking for a good electric smoker that will smoke consistently without fuss...this isn't it.
M. LeClair : My first smoker- not disappointed at ALL
I've wanted a smoker for a few years now and have never been able to get my wife on board. I bought this one night and just didn't tell her until it, my new grill, and all the other accessories arrived. It goes together very easily. Unlike some of the slightly cheaper models that use the plug similar to an electric skillet that is detachable, this one is permanently wired. It makes that connection a little more durable (my brother had a similar smoker with that style connection, and over time it got so hot during use that it damaged it beyond repair- I cannot see this one ever having that issue). The digital control is very handy. One thing to note with the controls is you MUST set a time for it to work. Even if you plan to just babysit it all day and do the timing yourself you still must set a time for it to function. I think that is probably a safety feature so you don't leave your smoker on for 3 weeks forgetting to turn it off when you're done cooking. I will strongly recommend getting the leg kit for it so you don't have to leave it sitting on the ground and bend over so far to use it. I've only used the built in chip loader a few times, as I bought one of the pellet mazes. So far I've made pork, ribs, chicken, and beef jerky. It all came out great and was super easy to make. This is a great (and small) investment if you like smoked food. I can't wait to try cold smoking in it.
Elizabeth Kayo : Never buy a masterbuilt smoker!!!
Purchased this smoker. It worked for 3 month then stopped working. It took multiple emails to get someone’s attention. I was sent a new circuit board, electric top mount. Both times replacing each and still the smoker will NOT work. Then they wanted me to send a photo of the serial number removed and cut electrical cord! The serial number is a huge sticker on the back of the unit that will not peel off! I have been emailing for over a week asking what to do since the large sticker does not peel off and I have gotten zero response. I have been without a smoker for months now. I have friends that after being at my house wanted a smoker. I told them to avoid any masterbuilt one! I do NOT recommend masterbuilt as their company does not stand behind their product!
1numsum : Nice Little Unit
It's so simple . I went out for lunch the other day and saw beef ribs on the menu and thought what the heck I'll give them a try . I know they were bbq'd ribs but they were awful and pricey to boot .After that I had to have me some good ribs . I researched and saw this little gem . It's a little pricey but what isn't nowadays . Amazon shipped it super fast .Got home from work that night , unboxed and assembled took about 15mins tops . Plugged it in and was ready to season . I ran it for 3 hours at 275 and man did it stink ! The last hour with the chips didn't really have consistent smoke , I was watching the whole time of coarse .I wanted a smoker not a warmer with a hint of smoke ,so I did a little search . I found out the burner is too far away from the chip try . There is a few mods out there but I found the easiest one is to remove chip tray rack and set tray directly on burner . You can position it so your chip tube will still work . After that I just played with the amount of chips I add and it works great . Temperature seems to be a couple degrees low but easy to adjust (it fluctuates like 10 degrees anyways). Display is tough to see in the day light but not that big of deal . Back to the ribs , I used my fav. dry rub and sauced it up the last hour and I'll tell you what they're some of the best ribs I've ever eaten . So simple .
Amazon Customer : SUPER FRUSTRATED
I really am not trying to post a review and don't mind if it gets sent back to me as unaccepted as long as I can get communication to and from Masterbuilt. I've used my smoker 4 times now and have been pleased up until this point...It wouldn't heat up tonight. The display on top works and tells me that it's heating but the element is not heating AT ALL. I've got 40 pounds of brined tuna and 25 pounds of brined bluefish at cost of almost $400. THEY MUST BE SMOKED RIGHT NOW!!! ...but my smoker doesn't work. I'm having a party this weekend and the smoked fish and dips are supposed to be ready for it. I'm more than willing to pay a difference and upgrade my unit to something more durable if that's an option. I have no idea what I'm going to do with all of this fish. To make things worse, I stained my pants while trying to troubleshoot the unit. Please contact me ASAP. If this is accepted as a review I will gladly remove and rewrite it if we can get the issue resolved. Thanks, Rob B
Julie H. : Unit does not come to temp--customer service is USELESS and will not help to resolve
This smoker has never come fully to temperature. AT the maximum temp setting of 275, the unit will only reach temps of 212 degrees. When I called customer service (three times) I get excuses that it is my fault (Not enough water in unit, meat not close enough to element, too many wood chips in the unit, unit too dirty, vent open too far, vent closed too much, cannot use extension cord.) When I explain that I have adjusted ALL these things at some point, they still tell me that it is probably user error that I have not yet identified. In my latest call to customer service, when I tried to explain that the unit is not working correctly, Jasmine merely talked louder and faster over me to read more of her list of 'user' errors. She was not even listening to me that I have already tried all these things. They are not even trying to resolve this issue. If you purchase this unit, you better make sure they send you a working one, because to try to trouble shoot any equipment problem is going to be impossible with Masterbuilt.
vance roodzant : DOES NOT SMOKE BELOW 200°
I purchased this smoker back in June and I live in Washington state where the temperatures have been between 60° - 80° lately. the problem I have been having is I cannot get the smoker to smoke at lower temperatures 125° - 175°. The problem is the minute the temperature gets low the heating element kicks on brings the temperature back up and shuts off but never stays on long enough to ignite the chips. This was an ongoing issue that I couldn't seem to fix so I ordered a cold smoke tube from Traeger along with a bag of their pellets. This fixed the problem but seems to defeat the purpose of having a nice smoker? I contacted customer service who told me what I pretty much had already figured out and that was that the smoker would not smoke below 200° - 225°. ???? Plenty of my friends and Families have other brands of smokers that don't seem to have this problem. Masterbuilt offered to sell me a cold smoke tube that they said would correct the problem but I had already purchased one. I personally am not too impressed being that most of the recipes I use call for smoking at low temperatures such as 125°. My advice would be if you plan on smoking at low temperatures to just buy the smoker tube and place it in your barbecue then finish it off with a little Heat.
B3rd : Arrived Damaged
I returned this item, as it was damaged when it arrived. Very disappointed in Masterbuilt as a company--this was the second Masterbuilt Smoker we've had in a little less than two (2) years. The heating element failed on the first one after less than 20 uses! And unfortunately, we could not get a replacement part, after trying many times unsuccessfully to reach someone/anyone in customer service. My husband was so disheartened, as we did not find out about the bad "element" until he was actually smoking poultry and beef--and discovered after a couple hours, nothing was happening. The most recent Smoker arrived with dents that would have caused "smoke" escape--I bought wood chips and a cover for the Smoker...those items we did not return. I have been researching another 30 in smoker for my husband, and will probably not go with Masterbuilt again.
William Kramer : Smoking on A Budget
We are doing serious bbq on our own now. If you can afford to spend $400 to $800 for a "better" smoker, do it. If the principle of spending far less and achieving the same results appeals, buy this. I don't miss the glass door. Cover the drip/water pan and the bottom tray with foil. Use a cola/vinegar combo in a spray bottle to clean inside the box (no chemicals). Whole turkey at 225 for 6 hours was incredible. Whole bologna at 225 for 4 hours was awesome. Ribs at 225 for 3/2/1 method or at 275 for 4 hours both turned out spectacular. Hot links/dogs are a snap in 2 hours at 225. Everything has been of restaurant quality! Watch bbq experts on YouTube like Aaron Franklin, Myron Mixon and Johnny Trigg. Then go duplicate their rubs and techniques, and smile all the way to the market! "Bone" Appétit
Mike : Chip tray is kind of small but that problem can be easily fixed with a pellet tube
Can complain for the price, it does the trick. Chip tray is kind of small but that problem can be easily fixed with a pellet tube, which is all of $12 on amazon and gives you great smoke.
trophygirl : How to get more consistent smoke.
So, I was having trouble getting a consistent amount of smoke, or even any smoke at temps below 250. I would have to replace my chips every 30 to 40 minutes. Oddly, the chips had stopped smoking, but were still intact and only slightly charred. I was pretty frustrated. So, I looked for ways to fix this. Fortunately, I came across this handy little add on item for under $5 (at the time).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001B50B2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I removed the chip tray and the wire bracket for the chip tray. The bracket is simple to remove requiring you to unscrew one screw at the front. I can now place the little cast iron smoker box directly onto the heating element. I fill up the smoker box with chips and the smoke is consistent and lasts for hours. I can get consistent smoke even at 200 degrees. It produces a nice clear smoke, too. The spent chips are nearly ash and have clearly been utilized to their full potential.
You do have to pull the smoker box out with heat resistant gloves if you want to add more chips. So, you do lose the convenience of the chip loader, but I'm fine with that since I'm adding chips much less frequently (every 3 to 4 hours instead of 30 to 40 minutes).
Disclaimer: This is simply my method of solving a problem. I don't know if the manufacturer recommends this or not, but it works much better than using the included chip tray.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001B50B2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I removed the chip tray and the wire bracket for the chip tray. The bracket is simple to remove requiring you to unscrew one screw at the front. I can now place the little cast iron smoker box directly onto the heating element. I fill up the smoker box with chips and the smoke is consistent and lasts for hours. I can get consistent smoke even at 200 degrees. It produces a nice clear smoke, too. The spent chips are nearly ash and have clearly been utilized to their full potential.
You do have to pull the smoker box out with heat resistant gloves if you want to add more chips. So, you do lose the convenience of the chip loader, but I'm fine with that since I'm adding chips much less frequently (every 3 to 4 hours instead of 30 to 40 minutes).
Disclaimer: This is simply my method of solving a problem. I don't know if the manufacturer recommends this or not, but it works much better than using the included chip tray.
Locutus65 : NOT sun resistent. Does make great smoke.
Set it up on our patio and started the seasoning process.
Our home gets a lot of sun, Houston sun. The patio gets full sun all morning.
After seasoning I see that the cover over the display and buttons is all curled up around the edges. Yes, the sun was hot but that should not have happened.
I was able to stick it back down but now the power button is 'iffy' to use.
Also, the control panel is actually coming apart. So far it still seems to be working but I'm contacting Masterbuilt hoping they will replace the control unit.
While seasoning it did make a good amount of smoke. Seems like it will work great just like the last one I had.
*Update 08/16. Last week I sent an email to Masterbuild support and today received a reply that they are replacing the control unit for me. Of course, they also recommended keeping the smoker in a covered area. I've already purchased a large beach umbrella to use while I'm using the smoker to keep direct sunlight off of it. I still think they should use a better cover and plastic for the control using that will hold up to sun.
Our home gets a lot of sun, Houston sun. The patio gets full sun all morning.
After seasoning I see that the cover over the display and buttons is all curled up around the edges. Yes, the sun was hot but that should not have happened.
I was able to stick it back down but now the power button is 'iffy' to use.
Also, the control panel is actually coming apart. So far it still seems to be working but I'm contacting Masterbuilt hoping they will replace the control unit.
While seasoning it did make a good amount of smoke. Seems like it will work great just like the last one I had.
*Update 08/16. Last week I sent an email to Masterbuild support and today received a reply that they are replacing the control unit for me. Of course, they also recommended keeping the smoker in a covered area. I've already purchased a large beach umbrella to use while I'm using the smoker to keep direct sunlight off of it. I still think they should use a better cover and plastic for the control using that will hold up to sun.
James W. Brown : It’s Great Until it Isn’t....Totally Unreliable
When it worked it was Great! I purchased this Smoker and the Water-Proof Cover on 6-27-17 and took delivery a few days later. I put the feet on, put it on my deck, plugged it in, read the manual (I really did), and started working out my future dinner plans. Smoked Ribs (yeah), Pork Butt (you betcha), Sausages, Corn, etc. etc. etc. I used the Smoker about 10 times over 16 months and Yum!! Is all I can say!! When it wasn’t in use it was sitting on my Deck, covered. In March 2019 we were having Friends over for dinner so Smoked ribs were on the menu!! I prepared the ribs, took the cover off the Smoker, put wood in the Smoke Tray, filled the Water Pan and turned the Smoker on. Well that last part was my intention anyway. The Smoker wouldn’t turn on and after checking cords, circuits, plugs, and the outward appearance of the Smoker, it still wouldn’t start. I didn’t have time to fool with it so I used my gas grill on indirect to cook the Ribs. They were not delicious!! Later that week I called Masterbuilt and here’s what I found out. 1. This is a VERY Common problem with their Smokers (they didn’t say that directly but you’ll understand how I know as you read on). 2. The Parts that go Bad are the Controller Board at the bottom of the Smoker where the cord goes in AND/OR the Digital Temperature and Timer Control on the top. Needless to say, these are what make this frickin’ thing desirable!! Anyway, 3. I asked, how can I tell which one is the problem? Simple, they said, buy one or the other, install it, and if your Smoker works; you’re good to go! Hilarious!!! OK!, 4. I’ll buy BOTH, How much are they? $125 BUT they didn’t have them “in stock”. WOW!! 5. When will they be available?? Are you ready for this.......? August 2019.....but wait; it gets better....the ones due in August are ALREADY PROMISED to other Customers so MY ORDER, likely, would not be filled untiL......wait for it....NOVEMBER 2019!! 6. I told them I would call them back. I paid, in round numbers, $200 for the unit and cover. I got 10 delicious meals out of it before the Board Rusted (yes I took it apart to see the problem) and the Control stopped working because the connectors were corroded. So, when I do the math, that’s $20/meal, which is slightly cheaper than eating out with my Wife but only if I stiff the waiter/waitress! These are the three (3) things you should takeaway from this assessment:
1. Don’t Buy this or any other Masterbuilt Electric Smoker!! They all use the same parts and their location on the Smoker and the poor quality gaskets sealing the parts from condensation will almost certainly guarantee your disappointment.
2. The replacement parts cost almost as much as the Smoker. And, you have to put them in!!
3. I would recommend getting the lowest tech electric Smoker made; one that will still hold the temperature but without the digital elements. I’ve seen a few of these that operate like an electric skillet. That’s what I will buy next.
Oh, before I let you go; you may be wondering why I gave it 1 Star!?! I did it because of the 10 Delicious Meals. Hope this helps. JB.
1. Don’t Buy this or any other Masterbuilt Electric Smoker!! They all use the same parts and their location on the Smoker and the poor quality gaskets sealing the parts from condensation will almost certainly guarantee your disappointment.
2. The replacement parts cost almost as much as the Smoker. And, you have to put them in!!
3. I would recommend getting the lowest tech electric Smoker made; one that will still hold the temperature but without the digital elements. I’ve seen a few of these that operate like an electric skillet. That’s what I will buy next.
Oh, before I let you go; you may be wondering why I gave it 1 Star!?! I did it because of the 10 Delicious Meals. Hope this helps. JB.
fppilot : I'm not "smoking something", but then I am!
Very happy with this Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker. Was totally easy to unpack and to complete the minimal assembly. Have cured it and used it four times already. It holds a true and rock steady temperature, verified by a high quality cabled thermometer. Also easier to clean than I expected. I do line the bottom drip tray with HD aluminum foil. The racks and water pan have so far cleaned up much much easier than expected, Great product! Only issue I have faced is twice failing to recall that I must set both a temperature AND the timer to get the heating to start.
This smoker is also lightweight enough to move around easily if needed. The only improvement I would wish for is a clip high on the pack of the smoker to clip the electric cord to before covering the smoker. And by-the-way U highly recommend the nicer and zippered Shinestar smoker cover over the Masterbuilt cover. More durable and more convenient to put on and off.
This smoker is also lightweight enough to move around easily if needed. The only improvement I would wish for is a clip high on the pack of the smoker to clip the electric cord to before covering the smoker. And by-the-way U highly recommend the nicer and zippered Shinestar smoker cover over the Masterbuilt cover. More durable and more convenient to put on and off.
Mike : Easy fix to no smoke due to wood chip pan design flaw
There is def a design flaw with the wood chip pan and heating element which doesn’t allow the smoker to produce and smoke on low temp cooks 225 degrees and lower. However, I took the wood chip pan and drilled small holes throughout the pan to allow the heat to heat up the wood chips, and by the time it hit 100 degrees it was pumping smoke out . I made sure to check it a few different times to see if the wood caught fire, which it did not . This easy fix worked for me so maybe it’ll work for you! Otherwise this is the second masterbuilt I’ve owned and love them
Amazon Customer : Timer/Temp control unit failed after 10 hours
I should have listened to the reviews that stated it had a bad temp control/timer unit. Mine failed on second use and right in the middle of a brisket cook. What a disappointment
Amazon Customer : Timer/Temp control unit failed after 10 hours
I should have listened to the reviews that stated it had a bad temp control/timer unit. Mine failed on second use and right in the middle of a brisket cook. What a disappointment
1numsum : Nice Little Unit
It's so simple . I went out for lunch the other day and saw beef ribs on the menu and thought what the heck I'll give them a try . I know they were bbq'd ribs but they were awful and pricey to boot .After that I had to have me some good ribs . I researched and saw this little gem . It's a little pricey but what isn't nowadays . Amazon shipped it super fast .Got home from work that night , unboxed and assembled took about 15mins tops . Plugged it in and was ready to season . I ran it for 3 hours at 275 and man did it stink ! The last hour with the chips didn't really have consistent smoke , I was watching the whole time of coarse .I wanted a smoker not a warmer with a hint of smoke ,so I did a little search . I found out the burner is too far away from the chip try . There is a few mods out there but I found the easiest one is to remove chip tray rack and set tray directly on burner . You can position it so your chip tube will still work . After that I just played with the amount of chips I add and it works great . Temperature seems to be a couple degrees low but easy to adjust (it fluctuates like 10 degrees anyways). Display is tough to see in the day light but not that big of deal . Back to the ribs , I used my fav. dry rub and sauced it up the last hour and I'll tell you what they're some of the best ribs I've ever eaten . So simple .
William Merritt : Excellent Smoker for a Beginner
Although I like smoked meat as much as the next guy, I could never quite justify spending the money on a smoker. My wife surprised me with this for Christmas and we absolutely love it! I suspect that because it's smaller and less expensive than some of the other "big-name" smokers out there, it takes a little longer for the meat to reach the proper temperature. But we just plan in advance to add an hour or two to what most of the recipes out there say.
I give it 4 instead of 5 stars because when I first bought it, I only had to add wood chips to the tray once and it would produce copious amounts of smoke for up to 6 hours. But after four months it stopped doing that and even if I emptied the old chips out of the tray and added fresh chips in the middle of the process, they wouldn't smoke. I contacted customer service and they were excellent to help me trouble-shoot the problem. In the end, they sent me a new heating element, free of charge. Unfortunately it didn't solve the problem, but I discovered if I raised the temperature to 250, it smoked just great. I guess 225 degrees is not quite hot enough to produce continuous smoke.
All in all, I'm very happy with the product AND their customer service. Now I lie awake at night, dreaming of upgrading to something larger and more powerful. But for those wanting to see if smoking meat is something they could get into, this little unit is a great way to start.
I give it 4 instead of 5 stars because when I first bought it, I only had to add wood chips to the tray once and it would produce copious amounts of smoke for up to 6 hours. But after four months it stopped doing that and even if I emptied the old chips out of the tray and added fresh chips in the middle of the process, they wouldn't smoke. I contacted customer service and they were excellent to help me trouble-shoot the problem. In the end, they sent me a new heating element, free of charge. Unfortunately it didn't solve the problem, but I discovered if I raised the temperature to 250, it smoked just great. I guess 225 degrees is not quite hot enough to produce continuous smoke.
All in all, I'm very happy with the product AND their customer service. Now I lie awake at night, dreaming of upgrading to something larger and more powerful. But for those wanting to see if smoking meat is something they could get into, this little unit is a great way to start.
Amazon Customer : Timer/Temp control unit failed after 10 hours
I should have listened to the reviews that stated it had a bad temp control/timer unit. Mine failed on second use and right in the middle of a brisket cook. What a disappointment
MJS : Checkes WAY more boxes than it needs to for the price
This is all you could want or expect from an electric smoker. I've been extremely pleased with the results. So far, I've done ribs, brisket, whole chickens, chicken legs, chicken wings, peppers and corn in this thing, all with great results.
The amount you can fit is pretty impressive, but beware that you usually have to cut larger racks of ribs in half to fit (so that's one full rack per tray, a total of four racks). You could easily fit 4 whole chickens or Boston butts though. For my purposes (family of four and occasional guests), the capacity is fine. If you aren't familiar with any of these food items, you can fit five or six teacup chihuahuas inside. Those were the dogs made popular as a mascot for Taco Bell in the early 90s.
The seal on the door is great, and the absence of a window actually helps the seal. Plus, why bother with a window that will smoke up in the first hour and be another thing to clean?
Operation is a breeze, although the electric readout is impossible to see in direct sunlight. If you're in a covered area or come equipped with a parasol then it's no problem.
The wood chip replacement slot is genius, although it can be hard to insert if over filled. The amount you can easily fit into this cylinder is surprisingly all you need to get some good smoke. The usual 225 degrees does take a while to get chips smoking, but I usually smoke at 240 anyway, and this seems to be the sweet spot for quickly blazing chips. Make sure there is no more smoke coming out of the unit before adding a second cylinder of chips. I can't say enough about how much I like the wood chip insert. I went from using a quart container full of soaked chips on my grill to a cup and a half of dry chips in this. A bag of chips now seems bottomless.
Tip: boil some water and pour into the water pan when starting a smoke. The chip tray is between the heating element and the water pan, so it takes hours to get cold water steaming. Steam helps smoke adhere to meat, so boiled, steaming water right out of the gate is your friend. It makes a huge difference in the final product.
I do wish it had wheels because I lug it in and out of a shed where it is stored, but this is a small complaint. When it's empty, the unit is very easy to lift and carry a short distance.
As for taste, I honestly can't tell much of a difference between this smoker and my friend's Weber bullet kettle unit that runs charcoal. He's even complimented my results and he's a slow cooking BBQ snob. As long as you're minding your temp, pulling at the appropriate time and using a quality rub, you're going to get good results. Three rounds of chips was more than enough for excellent flavor and penatration in a 12-hour, 6 pound brisket flat smoke. The unit's sealed environment really traps smoke like a champ, arguably better than traditional units.
I was honestly torn between this and a kettle unit, but I took the leap because I figured after 50 smokes or so, this unit pays for itself in the propane and charcoal you're NOT buying and the small dent in an electric bill (which is negligible).
Highly recommended. Even if the heating element burns out (it eventually will) I would spend the extra money to keep this thing going. It's incredibly convenient, a good size and produces near-pit quality results. For the money it can't be beat.
The amount you can fit is pretty impressive, but beware that you usually have to cut larger racks of ribs in half to fit (so that's one full rack per tray, a total of four racks). You could easily fit 4 whole chickens or Boston butts though. For my purposes (family of four and occasional guests), the capacity is fine. If you aren't familiar with any of these food items, you can fit five or six teacup chihuahuas inside. Those were the dogs made popular as a mascot for Taco Bell in the early 90s.
The seal on the door is great, and the absence of a window actually helps the seal. Plus, why bother with a window that will smoke up in the first hour and be another thing to clean?
Operation is a breeze, although the electric readout is impossible to see in direct sunlight. If you're in a covered area or come equipped with a parasol then it's no problem.
The wood chip replacement slot is genius, although it can be hard to insert if over filled. The amount you can easily fit into this cylinder is surprisingly all you need to get some good smoke. The usual 225 degrees does take a while to get chips smoking, but I usually smoke at 240 anyway, and this seems to be the sweet spot for quickly blazing chips. Make sure there is no more smoke coming out of the unit before adding a second cylinder of chips. I can't say enough about how much I like the wood chip insert. I went from using a quart container full of soaked chips on my grill to a cup and a half of dry chips in this. A bag of chips now seems bottomless.
Tip: boil some water and pour into the water pan when starting a smoke. The chip tray is between the heating element and the water pan, so it takes hours to get cold water steaming. Steam helps smoke adhere to meat, so boiled, steaming water right out of the gate is your friend. It makes a huge difference in the final product.
I do wish it had wheels because I lug it in and out of a shed where it is stored, but this is a small complaint. When it's empty, the unit is very easy to lift and carry a short distance.
As for taste, I honestly can't tell much of a difference between this smoker and my friend's Weber bullet kettle unit that runs charcoal. He's even complimented my results and he's a slow cooking BBQ snob. As long as you're minding your temp, pulling at the appropriate time and using a quality rub, you're going to get good results. Three rounds of chips was more than enough for excellent flavor and penatration in a 12-hour, 6 pound brisket flat smoke. The unit's sealed environment really traps smoke like a champ, arguably better than traditional units.
I was honestly torn between this and a kettle unit, but I took the leap because I figured after 50 smokes or so, this unit pays for itself in the propane and charcoal you're NOT buying and the small dent in an electric bill (which is negligible).
Highly recommended. Even if the heating element burns out (it eventually will) I would spend the extra money to keep this thing going. It's incredibly convenient, a good size and produces near-pit quality results. For the money it can't be beat.
KK321 : Digital controls quit working unless than 3 mo
Update: I have lowered my rating from 4 to 1 star because today the digital controls stopped working, less than 3 months since buying it. It has been kept on the deck, under a tarp, under a cover, under an umbrella. I feel that moving it indoors to protect it from the elements is unacceptable for an outdoor cooking device.
I bought this for my husband for Father’s Day 2020, so we have had it less than 2 months. I have been very happy with the smoker itself. It is our first electric smoker experience and I have found it to be much easier than anticipated.
The 4 star rating is because the LED display is already fading, which makes me wonder if the timer and temperature control will be soon to follow. We have used it weekly and have kept it on our deck with a cover and under an umbrella. I feel that moisture from rain and humidity is likely the problem, but I also feel that for an outdoor product that it’s a design flaw. I’m pretty annoyed. We’ll see if it’s something that impacts function, in which case my rating would be lower.
I bought this for my husband for Father’s Day 2020, so we have had it less than 2 months. I have been very happy with the smoker itself. It is our first electric smoker experience and I have found it to be much easier than anticipated.
The 4 star rating is because the LED display is already fading, which makes me wonder if the timer and temperature control will be soon to follow. We have used it weekly and have kept it on our deck with a cover and under an umbrella. I feel that moisture from rain and humidity is likely the problem, but I also feel that for an outdoor product that it’s a design flaw. I’m pretty annoyed. We’ll see if it’s something that impacts function, in which case my rating would be lower.
Greg F. : These smokers are great
I purchased this one for my 82 year old Dad but I’ve had the exact same model for about 4 years now. They are extremely easy to use and very accurate with temperature settings. They are so easy to use and the food comes out perfectly provided you do your part. I do pork shoulder often and it takes about 9 to 12 hours for a 3.5 to 5 pound shoulder at 220 degrees. I use fresh cherry wood and add it 3 times during the cook time. I use a dry rub which I put on just before putting the meat in the smoker and that’s it. The temperature probe tells you the internal temperature of the meat and when it gets to around 195 degrees you’re done. I’ve also done brisket, turkey, salmon and chicken and all of them are just as easy as the pulled pork. With the temperature control and the meat probe you just really can’t go wrong.
vance roodzant : DOES NOT SMOKE BELOW 200°
I purchased this smoker back in June and I live in Washington state where the temperatures have been between 60° - 80° lately. the problem I have been having is I cannot get the smoker to smoke at lower temperatures 125° - 175°. The problem is the minute the temperature gets low the heating element kicks on brings the temperature back up and shuts off but never stays on long enough to ignite the chips. This was an ongoing issue that I couldn't seem to fix so I ordered a cold smoke tube from Traeger along with a bag of their pellets. This fixed the problem but seems to defeat the purpose of having a nice smoker? I contacted customer service who told me what I pretty much had already figured out and that was that the smoker would not smoke below 200° - 225°. ???? Plenty of my friends and Families have other brands of smokers that don't seem to have this problem. Masterbuilt offered to sell me a cold smoke tube that they said would correct the problem but I had already purchased one. I personally am not too impressed being that most of the recipes I use call for smoking at low temperatures such as 125°. My advice would be if you plan on smoking at low temperatures to just buy the smoker tube and place it in your barbecue then finish it off with a little Heat.
Matt : Inconsistent temperature, poor at heating, ok at smoking.
I'm making poor man's burnt ends in the pic attached. I'm using the MEATER thermometer which is a well known and very accurate thermometer. I preheated the unit to 275 for an hour prior to putting the meat in. I'm waiting for the meat to get to 165, the smoker is set at 275 and has been since 11am this morning. As you can see, the ambient temp hasn't even reached 200. So it is almost 80 degrees less than what it is supposed to be.
You have to add chips hourly as the reservoir is small. I don't mind this as much but still can be annoying if you're try to take a sunday nap.
Overall for the price I suppose it makes sense. I've made beef and pork ribs which both came out alright. It comes in handy as a warmer for food when having a party. I think next year I'll spend some more money and buy a real smoker. This has been a decent first step and a relatively inexpensive one.
edit: turns out the MEATER sucks. I pulled the roast out of this smoker, used a normal probe thermo and it was at 212. My mistake. This smoker is great. Going to keep it for a while.
You have to add chips hourly as the reservoir is small. I don't mind this as much but still can be annoying if you're try to take a sunday nap.
Overall for the price I suppose it makes sense. I've made beef and pork ribs which both came out alright. It comes in handy as a warmer for food when having a party. I think next year I'll spend some more money and buy a real smoker. This has been a decent first step and a relatively inexpensive one.
edit: turns out the MEATER sucks. I pulled the roast out of this smoker, used a normal probe thermo and it was at 212. My mistake. This smoker is great. Going to keep it for a while.
AustinGSmith : Go get a better model than this one! NOT FOR OUTDOOR STORAGE
I am an avid smoker! I am in my 40's and smoked all of my adult life. It was time to replace my old masterbuilt that lasted me 6 years - so I decided to spend what I did before and grab the latest model. It appeared they made some slight changes that made the overall design more practical. Boy, did I make a mistake!
Bad:
First of all, the top-mount digital read out is near impossible to read in direct sunlight. It appears when the top digital read out gets warm/hot - the digits fade even more. Not sure if this is a bad unit or if it is just cheap parts.
Second, the vent is recessed into the top of the smoker. From my last model, the vent was located on the top right side. Due to the relocation to the top, it holds water if it rains. I even purchased the "weather proof cover" by masterbuilt. The cover is total trash and holds the water in more than it would ever repel it. Anyways, due to the cover being trash and water pooling on the vent - I am showing signs of rust after only 2 weeks!
Third, on this model, while I thought it would be an improvement - it is very hard to get the chip tray out (more-so when it is hot) to empty ashes, poke at an ember or otherwise get to load it without using the exterior chip drop. I find this annoying because if you smoke anything for a long period of time, it is good clear the ashes from burnt chips so you can keep more smoke going.
Fourth, the cabinet does not seem to want to seal. Every time I open it and close it back there it leaks the smoke somewhere random every time..
Good:
- This sucker holds the temp within 5 degrees of where you set it. It does not seem to cycle much, either - which surprises me since the vent is on the top.
- The grease catch was relocated to the back of the unit, opposed to underneath. I like the easy accessibility of that change - I made plenty of messes before when it was in the other location.
Log story short - Spend another 100 and go for the upgraded units. At least one with wheels and the bar on it - so you can take it in easier! :)
EDIT: UPDATE 9-30-2021
This unit ended up breaking upon my 3rd use. I even treated the cover with scotch guard. I had to open a ticket with MasterBuilt because the controller mounted on the top of the unit malfunctioned, causing the element not to heat up - I could not even get to the temperature setting by pressing the button. Masterbuilt replied within 1 day and sent me a replacement controller. The issue occurred on 9-16-2021. The replacement was not received until 9-30-2021. Some may consider this fast enough - but for me, it is not. I should not have had a unit malfunction so quickly~!
Bad:
First of all, the top-mount digital read out is near impossible to read in direct sunlight. It appears when the top digital read out gets warm/hot - the digits fade even more. Not sure if this is a bad unit or if it is just cheap parts.
Second, the vent is recessed into the top of the smoker. From my last model, the vent was located on the top right side. Due to the relocation to the top, it holds water if it rains. I even purchased the "weather proof cover" by masterbuilt. The cover is total trash and holds the water in more than it would ever repel it. Anyways, due to the cover being trash and water pooling on the vent - I am showing signs of rust after only 2 weeks!
Third, on this model, while I thought it would be an improvement - it is very hard to get the chip tray out (more-so when it is hot) to empty ashes, poke at an ember or otherwise get to load it without using the exterior chip drop. I find this annoying because if you smoke anything for a long period of time, it is good clear the ashes from burnt chips so you can keep more smoke going.
Fourth, the cabinet does not seem to want to seal. Every time I open it and close it back there it leaks the smoke somewhere random every time..
Good:
- This sucker holds the temp within 5 degrees of where you set it. It does not seem to cycle much, either - which surprises me since the vent is on the top.
- The grease catch was relocated to the back of the unit, opposed to underneath. I like the easy accessibility of that change - I made plenty of messes before when it was in the other location.
Log story short - Spend another 100 and go for the upgraded units. At least one with wheels and the bar on it - so you can take it in easier! :)
EDIT: UPDATE 9-30-2021
This unit ended up breaking upon my 3rd use. I even treated the cover with scotch guard. I had to open a ticket with MasterBuilt because the controller mounted on the top of the unit malfunctioned, causing the element not to heat up - I could not even get to the temperature setting by pressing the button. Masterbuilt replied within 1 day and sent me a replacement controller. The issue occurred on 9-16-2021. The replacement was not received until 9-30-2021. Some may consider this fast enough - but for me, it is not. I should not have had a unit malfunction so quickly~!
Dennis M : Mixed emotions on buying.
Purchased this product because I had one once before. Thought I would give pellet smoker a try and decided that I liked the Masterbuilt better. That being said, this model isn’t as good as my past model. Max temperature is supposed to be 275°F. My digital thermometer read the temperature at 245°F. Contacted Mastebuilt customer service and they said that they would send a new temperature control module and a new heating element. That was back on February 4 2021. Today is April 17 and they say that the parts are still on back order. If they don’t have the parts , does that mean that they can’t make any new smokers? If they have parts for new smokers, they need to redirect some of those parts to customers that have already bought and paid for a smoker, so they can start working properly.
Amy Starnes : Works great and easy to clean.
Works great. Temperature maintaines consistently and it produces a lot of smoke. I personally do not soak my wood chips and the smolder fine at the 225 degree mark. I add more chips every 2 hours during smoking. The door seals good and all you get is a steady stream of smoke out of the smoke vent. When I’m done I place all of my racks and drip pans in the dishwasher and wipe down the interior with a wet cloth.
Marty : Easy, simple, effective electric smoker that really delivers good smoked meats
After reading lots of reviews and sifting through the good, bad, etc, I decided to give the Masterbuilt series a shot. I opted for the smaller one without the window to have better temperature control and because I'm not going to stuff it and think it's going to handle it, as we are a family of 4, so one or two items in the smoker is plenty. The overall design is good. The element at the bottom with the wood chip loading tray assembly all together beneath the drip pan is really well thought out and effective (nothing drips onto your wood). There's a lot of space and lots of wracks that you can move around. Overall I've put 8 hours on the smoker and it had fairly decent temperature regulation, it would go up/down by 20 degrees but it would settle again in a few minutes (this is common when you add wood chips, the temp will spike temporarily, then the elements drop temp in response, then smoke settles and temp has to rise again; for this, I gave it 3 stars out of 5 for temperature control, while this is a known phenomena it could have been a little better with the temperature swing range it could handle before adjusting). Other than that, it holds temperature well and the wood chip system is good and it smokes well even at low temperatures. I put a 4 hour chicken to really test it out for our first smoke, a spatchcock style chicken at 225F for 4 hours. I used pecan & apple wood blended. I had to refill the wood chips 3 times through the smoking process. The results were great. The smoker itself operates on a timer and handled the temperature, I didn't have to adjust anything after the initial setup. I leave the vent open. I had some water in the drip pan to provide humidity through the process. The chicken was juicy, tender and packed with wonderful smoky flavor even after the skin was off, it had that kiss of smoke taste. Beautiful coloring. The smoker really works well and I couldn't distinguish it really from a non-electric in this sense. It cooled down rapidly for clean up and it was covered and put to bed for the next cook. So far, very pleased with the unit. I think I will buy the legs (costly for what they are).
Amazon Customer : Made a few mods as recommended by others
07/24/2021. Doing great. Drilling the 12 small holes in the wood chip tray and removing the chip tray bracket holder is definitely the thing to do. The tray sits directly on the heating element now. I have made brisket and pork butt. Just awesome. Make sure you have a temperature probe to measure internal ambient temperature as well as a probe for the food. The temperature fluctuates quite a bit. Use the average of the high and low as the element cycles on and off.
04/18/21. Still going great. Use a probe to measure not just meat temp, but ambient internal temp. Ambient temp might run a little cold depending on water pan and meat. If you want casters, these are perfect. I went through a couple trying to find the right ones. These are M10s and the right stem length.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GMM753C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_FGQH6YQRQ9YM748F42JJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
12/31/20-Easy to assemble and use. Just went through the seasoning process and did a second run at 225. I noticed the same issue of wood chips not smoking. I saw other reviews and drilled 12 small holes in the wood chip pan and I removed the one-screw wood chip tray bracket so that the wood chip pan sits directly on the heating element. It smoked fine at 225. Doing my fist pork butt tomorrow and will update this if I have problems.
01/01/21-Started a 6lb pork butt at 0600 am at 235 degrees. Getting good smoke with the above modifications.
04/18/21. Still going great. Use a probe to measure not just meat temp, but ambient internal temp. Ambient temp might run a little cold depending on water pan and meat. If you want casters, these are perfect. I went through a couple trying to find the right ones. These are M10s and the right stem length.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GMM753C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_FGQH6YQRQ9YM748F42JJ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
12/31/20-Easy to assemble and use. Just went through the seasoning process and did a second run at 225. I noticed the same issue of wood chips not smoking. I saw other reviews and drilled 12 small holes in the wood chip pan and I removed the one-screw wood chip tray bracket so that the wood chip pan sits directly on the heating element. It smoked fine at 225. Doing my fist pork butt tomorrow and will update this if I have problems.
01/01/21-Started a 6lb pork butt at 0600 am at 235 degrees. Getting good smoke with the above modifications.
David Clouse : Not happy at all with product or Mastercraft support
Not happy at all with product or Mastercraft support. I can't keep smoke going at temperatures below 260. Varied the amount of wood chips and airflow with no success. Contacted support through Masterbuilt website on June 22nd and didn't get a reply until July 12th only to have them regurgitate what was already in the manual. Applied what advice they gave me the following weekend with the same crummy results......now I'm past the return period.
AustinGSmith : Go get a better model than this one! NOT FOR OUTDOOR STORAGE
I am an avid smoker! I am in my 40's and smoked all of my adult life. It was time to replace my old masterbuilt that lasted me 6 years - so I decided to spend what I did before and grab the latest model. It appeared they made some slight changes that made the overall design more practical. Boy, did I make a mistake!
Bad:
First of all, the top-mount digital read out is near impossible to read in direct sunlight. It appears when the top digital read out gets warm/hot - the digits fade even more. Not sure if this is a bad unit or if it is just cheap parts.
Second, the vent is recessed into the top of the smoker. From my last model, the vent was located on the top right side. Due to the relocation to the top, it holds water if it rains. I even purchased the "weather proof cover" by masterbuilt. The cover is total trash and holds the water in more than it would ever repel it. Anyways, due to the cover being trash and water pooling on the vent - I am showing signs of rust after only 2 weeks!
Third, on this model, while I thought it would be an improvement - it is very hard to get the chip tray out (more-so when it is hot) to empty ashes, poke at an ember or otherwise get to load it without using the exterior chip drop. I find this annoying because if you smoke anything for a long period of time, it is good clear the ashes from burnt chips so you can keep more smoke going.
Fourth, the cabinet does not seem to want to seal. Every time I open it and close it back there it leaks the smoke somewhere random every time..
Good:
- This sucker holds the temp within 5 degrees of where you set it. It does not seem to cycle much, either - which surprises me since the vent is on the top.
- The grease catch was relocated to the back of the unit, opposed to underneath. I like the easy accessibility of that change - I made plenty of messes before when it was in the other location.
Log story short - Spend another 100 and go for the upgraded units. At least one with wheels and the bar on it - so you can take it in easier! :)
EDIT: UPDATE 9-30-2021
This unit ended up breaking upon my 3rd use. I even treated the cover with scotch guard. I had to open a ticket with MasterBuilt because the controller mounted on the top of the unit malfunctioned, causing the element not to heat up - I could not even get to the temperature setting by pressing the button. Masterbuilt replied within 1 day and sent me a replacement controller. The issue occurred on 9-16-2021. The replacement was not received until 9-30-2021. Some may consider this fast enough - but for me, it is not. I should not have had a unit malfunction so quickly~!
Bad:
First of all, the top-mount digital read out is near impossible to read in direct sunlight. It appears when the top digital read out gets warm/hot - the digits fade even more. Not sure if this is a bad unit or if it is just cheap parts.
Second, the vent is recessed into the top of the smoker. From my last model, the vent was located on the top right side. Due to the relocation to the top, it holds water if it rains. I even purchased the "weather proof cover" by masterbuilt. The cover is total trash and holds the water in more than it would ever repel it. Anyways, due to the cover being trash and water pooling on the vent - I am showing signs of rust after only 2 weeks!
Third, on this model, while I thought it would be an improvement - it is very hard to get the chip tray out (more-so when it is hot) to empty ashes, poke at an ember or otherwise get to load it without using the exterior chip drop. I find this annoying because if you smoke anything for a long period of time, it is good clear the ashes from burnt chips so you can keep more smoke going.
Fourth, the cabinet does not seem to want to seal. Every time I open it and close it back there it leaks the smoke somewhere random every time..
Good:
- This sucker holds the temp within 5 degrees of where you set it. It does not seem to cycle much, either - which surprises me since the vent is on the top.
- The grease catch was relocated to the back of the unit, opposed to underneath. I like the easy accessibility of that change - I made plenty of messes before when it was in the other location.
Log story short - Spend another 100 and go for the upgraded units. At least one with wheels and the bar on it - so you can take it in easier! :)
EDIT: UPDATE 9-30-2021
This unit ended up breaking upon my 3rd use. I even treated the cover with scotch guard. I had to open a ticket with MasterBuilt because the controller mounted on the top of the unit malfunctioned, causing the element not to heat up - I could not even get to the temperature setting by pressing the button. Masterbuilt replied within 1 day and sent me a replacement controller. The issue occurred on 9-16-2021. The replacement was not received until 9-30-2021. Some may consider this fast enough - but for me, it is not. I should not have had a unit malfunction so quickly~!
Mike : Chip tray is kind of small but that problem can be easily fixed with a pellet tube
Can complain for the price, it does the trick. Chip tray is kind of small but that problem can be easily fixed with a pellet tube, which is all of $12 on amazon and gives you great smoke.
Matt favreau : newer model is a waste of money!!
I own 3 of these first of all and when I say 3, I mean older model's and I love them which is what I thought I ordered this time. Lol. No I get a newer version of the 30" master built. I will never purchase one again, you might as well use your oven, won't even get the wood chips got enough to smoke in this model not to mention the wood chip holder is about half the size of my other 3.I would really like to hear from master built to see why they couldn't leave well enough alone just wasted my money on this smoker and no I would not recommend this model to my worst enemy.
Allen Burgenson : Low smoke output
This unit was supposed to be a direct replacement for my 30" Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite. Ummmm....no. If you like a nice bark with a nice deep smoke ring, look for another unit because this one is not up to the task. First, the wood chip holders are not nearly the same size. The Sportsman Elite holder was 5.5" x 7.5" x 1", while the new unit's chip holder was 3.75" x 4.5" x 1". the Elite's chip holder was nearly 2.5 times larger (see the first picture). Next, the temperature control was way off (see 2nd picture). It was set to 230F, but was at 241F, and controlled around +/- 10F, so that is a wide range and not very accurate. There is no way to calibrate it either, nor is there a meat temperature probe. Finally, the chip holder is placed too far above the heating unit to properly burn the chips. I usually have to add chips every hour in the old unit, but the new unit never burned the chips properly (see picture 3), so adding additional chips was not possible because the previous load didn't burn. After such a poor performance with smoking three racks of ribs (no bark, no ring) for a family gathering, I went online and bought replacement parts for my old unit, and it is as good as new. I guess we will save the new unit as a bun warmer.
Steve : A simple, solid smoker that does the job
I have purchased this smoker twice. The first one ran great for 3 years, but finally the heating element burned out. It's now in my garage awaiting warm weather so I can install the replacement element that I ordered online and will serve as a backup when the heating element burns out in my current smoker. The elements will burn out after a time, particularly when you use a smoker as often as I do (3 or 4 times a week year-round).
Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.
Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.
Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.
Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.
Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:
(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.
(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.
A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.
Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.
The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.
Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.
Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.
Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.
Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.
Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:
(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.
(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.
A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.
Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.
The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.
Charles N. : Works well
OK first this is an electric smoker so it will have some limitations with respect to the heat range. That said I find the smoker worked well.
I have owned charcoal, gas and now this electric smoker so I’ve been around the block a few times.
I have used it several times and I have smoked everything from fish to chicken to ribs they all came out well smoked and cooked through.
Because of the limited chip tray you will have to replenish the chips regularly likely every 30 minutes. Also because of it being an electric smoker it may take a little longer to smoke the items than you would expect with gas or propane.
Unlike others I found that this generated sufficient smoke without the need to modify the unit and move the the chip tray to sit on top of the heating element.
I did however find that when smoking a lot of meat for a long period of time the unit will leak from the door I had a significant leak from the corner of the door so if you are going to use the smoker on any surface you do not want to get stained, like a wood deck or concrete patio, it would be best to place a tray or other protective device under the unit to protect from spills. I use a tray from an automotive store designed to place under a car to protect the driveway from spills- I have used it with all the smokers I owned Such as Hopkins 11430 FloTool 25" x 36" Large Drip Tray(on Amazon)
One note of. Caution -when removing the water tray after smoking be very careful. It may be full and It has a tendency to tip over and spill its contents so be very careful-the design is poor and because of the long lip tends to be unstable when filled with water if you place it on a flat surface.
Other than that, for an electric smoker I think it does the job well.
I have owned charcoal, gas and now this electric smoker so I’ve been around the block a few times.
I have used it several times and I have smoked everything from fish to chicken to ribs they all came out well smoked and cooked through.
Because of the limited chip tray you will have to replenish the chips regularly likely every 30 minutes. Also because of it being an electric smoker it may take a little longer to smoke the items than you would expect with gas or propane.
Unlike others I found that this generated sufficient smoke without the need to modify the unit and move the the chip tray to sit on top of the heating element.
I did however find that when smoking a lot of meat for a long period of time the unit will leak from the door I had a significant leak from the corner of the door so if you are going to use the smoker on any surface you do not want to get stained, like a wood deck or concrete patio, it would be best to place a tray or other protective device under the unit to protect from spills. I use a tray from an automotive store designed to place under a car to protect the driveway from spills- I have used it with all the smokers I owned Such as Hopkins 11430 FloTool 25" x 36" Large Drip Tray(on Amazon)
One note of. Caution -when removing the water tray after smoking be very careful. It may be full and It has a tendency to tip over and spill its contents so be very careful-the design is poor and because of the long lip tends to be unstable when filled with water if you place it on a flat surface.
Other than that, for an electric smoker I think it does the job well.
John Wilson : Great results with little practice
Edit: Control unit died at 1 year and 2 weeks. I felt it was worth fixing, so a $75 replacement is on the way. I might have felt differently had I lost that cabinet full of food, but I caught it in time and finished everything well-enough on the grill. Appliances ought to be more dependable, so I've dropped my rating to three stars.
First off, the smoker works well. Assembly was easy. Fit and finish is good. Learning how to use it to smoke an impressive brisket only took a few tries. Other foods have come out great on the first try.
Temperature measurements from the middle of the cabinet were reasonably close to the temperatures reported on the control panel. Cook times have always been a little longer than suggested by the various recipes I've used so far. Little smoke was produced the first couple of times I used it, but then I learned to keep the vent open to lengthen the time the electric burner is on during each cycle, which then ensures that the wood chip gets hot enough to produce smoke. I plugged the smoker into an electricity usage meter to learn that an eight-hour run at 250˚F used less than a dollar of electricity. The control panel is very difficult to read on sunny days.
First off, the smoker works well. Assembly was easy. Fit and finish is good. Learning how to use it to smoke an impressive brisket only took a few tries. Other foods have come out great on the first try.
Temperature measurements from the middle of the cabinet were reasonably close to the temperatures reported on the control panel. Cook times have always been a little longer than suggested by the various recipes I've used so far. Little smoke was produced the first couple of times I used it, but then I learned to keep the vent open to lengthen the time the electric burner is on during each cycle, which then ensures that the wood chip gets hot enough to produce smoke. I plugged the smoker into an electricity usage meter to learn that an eight-hour run at 250˚F used less than a dollar of electricity. The control panel is very difficult to read on sunny days.
RTH : Excellent smoker and easy to use
This is my 3 smoker all same brand. 2nd this size. I've had the next size bigger too.
The digital read out is straight forward and easy to use set temp and time and it starts.
The last one the digital part has a few lines go out which made it hard to read but still worked. I tend to wear these smokers out.
Even this small one you can put a lot of meat in. Upwards to 20-30 lbs. I've smoked beef,fish,turkey,ham and mule deer.
Just FYI when outside temps is down below 30 degrees it will take slot longer. I just did a 11 lb ham and it took a good 8 hours at 235 degrees and outside temp was 20 degrees. Great ham tho.
The digital read out is straight forward and easy to use set temp and time and it starts.
The last one the digital part has a few lines go out which made it hard to read but still worked. I tend to wear these smokers out.
Even this small one you can put a lot of meat in. Upwards to 20-30 lbs. I've smoked beef,fish,turkey,ham and mule deer.
Just FYI when outside temps is down below 30 degrees it will take slot longer. I just did a 11 lb ham and it took a good 8 hours at 235 degrees and outside temp was 20 degrees. Great ham tho.
AustinGSmith : Go get a better model than this one! NOT FOR OUTDOOR STORAGE
I am an avid smoker! I am in my 40's and smoked all of my adult life. It was time to replace my old masterbuilt that lasted me 6 years - so I decided to spend what I did before and grab the latest model. It appeared they made some slight changes that made the overall design more practical. Boy, did I make a mistake!
Bad:
First of all, the top-mount digital read out is near impossible to read in direct sunlight. It appears when the top digital read out gets warm/hot - the digits fade even more. Not sure if this is a bad unit or if it is just cheap parts.
Second, the vent is recessed into the top of the smoker. From my last model, the vent was located on the top right side. Due to the relocation to the top, it holds water if it rains. I even purchased the "weather proof cover" by masterbuilt. The cover is total trash and holds the water in more than it would ever repel it. Anyways, due to the cover being trash and water pooling on the vent - I am showing signs of rust after only 2 weeks!
Third, on this model, while I thought it would be an improvement - it is very hard to get the chip tray out (more-so when it is hot) to empty ashes, poke at an ember or otherwise get to load it without using the exterior chip drop. I find this annoying because if you smoke anything for a long period of time, it is good clear the ashes from burnt chips so you can keep more smoke going.
Fourth, the cabinet does not seem to want to seal. Every time I open it and close it back there it leaks the smoke somewhere random every time..
Good:
- This sucker holds the temp within 5 degrees of where you set it. It does not seem to cycle much, either - which surprises me since the vent is on the top.
- The grease catch was relocated to the back of the unit, opposed to underneath. I like the easy accessibility of that change - I made plenty of messes before when it was in the other location.
Log story short - Spend another 100 and go for the upgraded units. At least one with wheels and the bar on it - so you can take it in easier! :)
EDIT: UPDATE 9-30-2021
This unit ended up breaking upon my 3rd use. I even treated the cover with scotch guard. I had to open a ticket with MasterBuilt because the controller mounted on the top of the unit malfunctioned, causing the element not to heat up - I could not even get to the temperature setting by pressing the button. Masterbuilt replied within 1 day and sent me a replacement controller. The issue occurred on 9-16-2021. The replacement was not received until 9-30-2021. Some may consider this fast enough - but for me, it is not. I should not have had a unit malfunction so quickly~!
Bad:
First of all, the top-mount digital read out is near impossible to read in direct sunlight. It appears when the top digital read out gets warm/hot - the digits fade even more. Not sure if this is a bad unit or if it is just cheap parts.
Second, the vent is recessed into the top of the smoker. From my last model, the vent was located on the top right side. Due to the relocation to the top, it holds water if it rains. I even purchased the "weather proof cover" by masterbuilt. The cover is total trash and holds the water in more than it would ever repel it. Anyways, due to the cover being trash and water pooling on the vent - I am showing signs of rust after only 2 weeks!
Third, on this model, while I thought it would be an improvement - it is very hard to get the chip tray out (more-so when it is hot) to empty ashes, poke at an ember or otherwise get to load it without using the exterior chip drop. I find this annoying because if you smoke anything for a long period of time, it is good clear the ashes from burnt chips so you can keep more smoke going.
Fourth, the cabinet does not seem to want to seal. Every time I open it and close it back there it leaks the smoke somewhere random every time..
Good:
- This sucker holds the temp within 5 degrees of where you set it. It does not seem to cycle much, either - which surprises me since the vent is on the top.
- The grease catch was relocated to the back of the unit, opposed to underneath. I like the easy accessibility of that change - I made plenty of messes before when it was in the other location.
Log story short - Spend another 100 and go for the upgraded units. At least one with wheels and the bar on it - so you can take it in easier! :)
EDIT: UPDATE 9-30-2021
This unit ended up breaking upon my 3rd use. I even treated the cover with scotch guard. I had to open a ticket with MasterBuilt because the controller mounted on the top of the unit malfunctioned, causing the element not to heat up - I could not even get to the temperature setting by pressing the button. Masterbuilt replied within 1 day and sent me a replacement controller. The issue occurred on 9-16-2021. The replacement was not received until 9-30-2021. Some may consider this fast enough - but for me, it is not. I should not have had a unit malfunction so quickly~!
Robert Kleinschmidt : Defective Electronic controller out of the box... Masterbuilt unresponsive
Don’t buy this electric smoker if you actually want to use the digital components (and without the digital components the smoker is unusable)! I never leave reviews but felt compelled to warn others. After years of wanting a smoker and lots of research, my wife bought me this unit for my birthday. Based on other reviews, I knew that the electronic controller could go bad but I thought I might be able to use it for a year or two before having to hack the electronics. Turns out the electronics were giving an error code on first use out of the box and I was never able to use it. I set the temperature to 250, it got to temperature and then would give an error code and shut down. The unit would stay on if I cranked the heat all the way up and it would eventually get to 450 but that’s not really why you buy a smoker (this worked fine for the pre-use seasoning procedure).
After multiple attempts to contact Masterbuilt, I’ve received no response (their call centers are closed due to COVID - so only email support right now. They said they would respond within 5 days, I’m still waiting after multiple emails)... it’s clear they don’t back up their products. Just know that if you buy any Masterbuilt product that they do not care about the quality of their products or their customers. I had also purchased the Masterbuilt stand (and added wheels like another Amazon reviewer suggested) and the separate Masterbuilt cold smoke box. Since I had purchase so many other accessories, I didn’t want to waste time and money on returning the unit to the seller so I had to figure out how to make the most of what I had on hand.
I hope to enjoy this set up for years, but I will never buy another Masterbuilt product. With all of the hacks and work arounds I would have been better off buying a used “non-digital” electric smoker box and using that unit with the PID controller.
I added a couple of photos of my set up before adding the plug in PID controller and running a 3” dryer vent hose from the Cold smoke box to the smoker unit. I wish I listened to others warning so buyer be warned!
After multiple attempts to contact Masterbuilt, I’ve received no response (their call centers are closed due to COVID - so only email support right now. They said they would respond within 5 days, I’m still waiting after multiple emails)... it’s clear they don’t back up their products. Just know that if you buy any Masterbuilt product that they do not care about the quality of their products or their customers. I had also purchased the Masterbuilt stand (and added wheels like another Amazon reviewer suggested) and the separate Masterbuilt cold smoke box. Since I had purchase so many other accessories, I didn’t want to waste time and money on returning the unit to the seller so I had to figure out how to make the most of what I had on hand.
I hope to enjoy this set up for years, but I will never buy another Masterbuilt product. With all of the hacks and work arounds I would have been better off buying a used “non-digital” electric smoker box and using that unit with the PID controller.
I added a couple of photos of my set up before adding the plug in PID controller and running a 3” dryer vent hose from the Cold smoke box to the smoker unit. I wish I listened to others warning so buyer be warned!
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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