Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black review and price compare 2024
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
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
From the manufacturer
| | |
DIGITAL CONTROL Power on / off and control cooking temperature and time. | TEMPERATURE CONTROL Thermostat control for even and consistent smoking. | PATENTED WOOD CHIP LOADING SYSTEM Add 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. |
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
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
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?
Answer:
Answer:
Answer:
Answer:
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.
Answer:
Answer:
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.
Answer:
Answer:
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.
Answer:
Answer:
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.
Answer:
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
Rob : Great smoker after fixing chip tray
Everything is great with the exception of the chip tray. It's too small and overfills with charred chips way too fast and it has a bracket that sits it too high from the heat coil making it take too long for the chips to ignite. Also, when the chip tray is full of charred chips and you use the port to load more, it sits on top of the dead coals and won't ignite again unless you jack up the temperature
Simple fix: go to appliancefactoryparts dot com and search for part number 9007100018. It took a few weeks to get the part, but once I did, you simply remove the 1 screw that holds the bracket that sits the old chip tray above the coil and the whole bracket will come out. Now just put the new tray in, it sits it perfectly onto the coil, surprisingly it even has a nice snug fit and now i'm getting perfect smoke, even at low temps and I can actually use the side loader without worries of it overflowing and stopping smoke.
I'd give it 5 stars if it just came with this tray to begin with, because now it's perfect.
Katie O. : Works great
My husband the BBQ chef says it works just fine. People that wrote bad reviews probably don't have much smoker experience. There are certain things involved. Don't open vent all the way. Clean after use and store covered in the garage. Do not leave outside in the open. Take care of it and it should last . My only complaint is it arrived with a small dent and a scratch but I am picky and my husband says he doesn't care about the look, just the taste, and the meat was delicious. He did ribs and two chickens. We also did pork butt. Not room for all that at once so the pork was in all night and then moved to our oven and then two racks of ribs and two chickens were able to go in next. He makes his own dry rub and the smell throughout the neighborhood I'm sure all the neighbors were jealous, lol.
Blue : Arrived broken. Buyer beware.
The thermometer gauge didn’t work. It read 66’ when in fact the inside was 330’. Ruined a batch of ribs. Manufacturer only offered to replace that part. The part was on backorder for months. They wouldn’t extend the warranty. After a dozen annoying emails and a 20 minute phone call to Amazon I got them to issue a refund. But first they *accidentally* sent a replacement that I had to also send back. Then they said they wouldn’t issue my refund til they got the return. I’m beyond frustrated. Oh, and you can only use wood chips that are about 1”. Most of the bagged chips have pieces that are too big for the little chip drawers, and you can’t use pellets with this model. I don’t have a tiny axe.
Harold J. Hanlin : New user
I got this smoker to replace the small electric one by Masterbuilt. Using it per instructions does not produce sufficient smoke. I found out by preloading the too small bin with plenty of chips, it give enough smoke to get started and you can keep using the slide loader after that. I plan to take out the chip holder inside the smoker and make a larger metal holder in contact with the heater coils to get a better start on smoking.
Everything else work fine.
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.
Christopher : Amazing Value!
I have been using this almost every other week-end since picking it up on a great deal on Black Friday (~50% off). So far I have made some of the best ribs, beer can chicken, buffalo wings, and even mac and cheese that we have ever had (humble brag). It has plenty of room to cook up a so much food. I purchased a digital duel probe wireless thermometer to track the temperature of the food, along with ambient temp inside - and I have to say the digital thermometer up top, is quite accurate - the unit holds heat and temps well It takes a little trial/error to start out as (amount of smoke, time, temps, etc.) but there is plenty of info online to get you going - or just experiment and see what works - it's half the fun. Overall, I love this unit for what it offers and the value of it - can't be beat!
Brad : Great Smoker For The Price!
I would put this smoker in competition with any $1500 smoker. If holds the temperature within a few degrees as long as you set the damper on top correctly. It has a nice feature where you can fill a pan with water, juice, etc. that will evaporate keeping the meat moist and adding flavor. This model does not have the capability of a controller unfortunately.
Lauberge49 : A smoker that doesn't smoke??
This smoker is poorly designed and I feel that Masterbuilt "cheaped out" regarding some of the design elements. The tray that holds the wood chips is now very small and will not hold many chips. I was having trouble getting them to burn and create smoke due to the tiny tray. Masterbuilt Customer Service blamed it on the warm temperatures here in Texas, claiming that the heating element would not stay on enough to "burn" the chips. By opening the door and letting the temp drop below your setting each time you add chips, you can get a bit of smoke. I decided to remove the wood chip tray and the bracket that holds it. I now use a 7x 7 foil tray that holds lots of chips and covers more of the heating element surface. Voila! With this set-up, the chips smoke like crazy!
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.
BAH : Cheap Control Panel
I wish they would invest a little more in the control panel. I'd happily pay another $20 for a good one. My first use: smoked pork butt for 4 hours before bed, and left it on throughout the night. I woke up to a cold smoker and an error message beeping on the smoker. I also had this error message occur several times when I did the pre-season but thought it had worked itself out when it stayed on for 4 hours while being monitored. Of course Amazon customer service is great and they are sending me a replacement. Hopefully it was just a faulty unit and the replacement doesn't have problems.
George : Buyer Beware
I had the same problem other have talked about, paint or plastic melts. We got this, seasoned it up just like the directions in the box.....used it once it worked without any problems. The second time when I was putting it away all around the inside lip it looked like plastic had melted. The smoker wasn't on hot I think 225 is what I ran it on. This can't be safe has to be putting fumes into the box as that stuff melts. I first went to Masterbuilt....they have no customer phone support (Covid) so you have to register the product first and then they don't stand behind anything. I ended up telling Amazon and they gave me a full refund. I am just going to pay more money for something that is better and actually works.......between the electrical problems, melting, and low smoke output reported by customers it's cheap but not worth it.
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.
Robert e Bailey : This Re-Design is a Failure.
I wrote a previous review of this smoker but have to add something. This model is a re-design of a previous version. Masterbuilt must have decided manufacturing the older model was too expensive so they re-designed the whole thing. The only resemblance to the older version is the exterior of the unit.
The inside is completely different. The walls have the rack holders stamped into them rather than the awesome metal racks of the old version. As you use the smoker it's a huge pain to get racks in and out of the smoker, they stick and I've had to pull on them so hard to get them out that the smoked food actually falls off !!!!!...even after extensive cleaning of the grooves.
But the WORST is the total redesign of the heating element and the joke of a wood chip tray. They incorporated a metal rack to hold this dinky wood chip tray and it sits over 1/2" away from the heating element !!!!....Try getting smoke at lower temps with that...good luck.
I tore out that rack, and bought the wood chip tray from the old version from a secondary parts store online. Masterbuilt said it wouldnt work....well it DOES work. I cut off the metal underneath the tray and I get plenty of smoke by doing this. Otherwise this thing is a steaming PILE, Masterbuilt doesn't even care either when you contact them.......Go elsewhere.
EDIT to say, Masterbuilt doesn't even directly address all these reviews, and have ZERO intentions of ever undoing what they had in their older smokers. They are only concerned with lowering their overhead. The result is you get a smoker that needs a LOT of tinkering with to make it even mildly functional.......Too bad, but they dropped the ball and when YOU pick it up they turn the other way.
Another edit. The racks included with this model are WAY substandard to their own earlier model. There is no double bracing on these racks. They are made of smaller diameter steel AND the welds that they use fail, as well as they didn't bother to deburr the ends so when you try to clean them it destroys your cleaning pad. Last night I tried to smoke 20 pounds of wild caught Alaskan Sockeye at 190 and the wood chip tray caught fire !!!!!!...
What an utter piece of crap this is.
Amazon Customer : My second Masterbuilt Smoker
I bought my first Masterbuilt smoker in November of 2015. It was model number 20070910. I used it a lot and was very pleased with this purchase. It was constructed very well and lasted for 5 years. I started having some rust problems with the old one and it was not holding the cooking temperature very well any more. It was time to move on to a newer model. I set up the new one tonight to do the break-in procedure. Here are my observations so far. The construction of this new model 20071117 is not as good as the older model. The drip pan, water pan, and ash pan are a much thinner metal and they look like they will be more difficult to clean after each use. The inner walls of this smoker are also made with a thinner metal. The original smoker had metal brackets screwed to both sides of the inner smoker walls. These brackets held the 4 racks that you placed the meat on for smoking. You could easily remove these brackets leaving you smooth walls making it easy to clean the interior. The new model does not have these brackets. The inner side walls have been molded on both sides to create slots to hold the racks. This will make the side walls more difficult to clean as you will no longer have a flat smooth surface to clean. You will have to clean around the molded shapes. Even the racks are a cheaper construction. Fortunately the old racks will fit this new smoker. I like the old drip tray better also but the new smoker was made slightly narrower so the the old drip tray does not fit. I do like the redesign of the ash tray. It is easer to insert and remove. The wood chip loader is considerably smaller so I will have to load wood chips more often. The new one did make good smoke so I was pleased with that. During the break-in procedure I set the temperature at 275 degrees as stated in the instructions. The actual temperature fluctuated between 260 and 290. I expected some fluctuation but I felt this range was a little extreme. All that being said, I loved my old Masterbuilt smoker and am willing to reevaluate the new smoker after I have used it a few times. I am hoping the temperature will not fluctuate as much when it is loaded with meat.
Robert e Bailey : This Re-Design is a Failure.
I wrote a previous review of this smoker but have to add something. This model is a re-design of a previous version. Masterbuilt must have decided manufacturing the older model was too expensive so they re-designed the whole thing. The only resemblance to the older version is the exterior of the unit.
The inside is completely different. The walls have the rack holders stamped into them rather than the awesome metal racks of the old version. As you use the smoker it's a huge pain to get racks in and out of the smoker, they stick and I've had to pull on them so hard to get them out that the smoked food actually falls off !!!!!...even after extensive cleaning of the grooves.
But the WORST is the total redesign of the heating element and the joke of a wood chip tray. They incorporated a metal rack to hold this dinky wood chip tray and it sits over 1/2" away from the heating element !!!!....Try getting smoke at lower temps with that...good luck.
I tore out that rack, and bought the wood chip tray from the old version from a secondary parts store online. Masterbuilt said it wouldnt work....well it DOES work. I cut off the metal underneath the tray and I get plenty of smoke by doing this. Otherwise this thing is a steaming PILE, Masterbuilt doesn't even care either when you contact them.......Go elsewhere.
EDIT to say, Masterbuilt doesn't even directly address all these reviews, and have ZERO intentions of ever undoing what they had in their older smokers. They are only concerned with lowering their overhead. The result is you get a smoker that needs a LOT of tinkering with to make it even mildly functional.......Too bad, but they dropped the ball and when YOU pick it up they turn the other way.
Another edit. The racks included with this model are WAY substandard to their own earlier model. There is no double bracing on these racks. They are made of smaller diameter steel AND the welds that they use fail, as well as they didn't bother to deburr the ends so when you try to clean them it destroys your cleaning pad. Last night I tried to smoke 20 pounds of wild caught Alaskan Sockeye at 190 and the wood chip tray caught fire !!!!!!...
What an utter piece of crap this is.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Keith Falter : Yes- I had the control board failure after just two uses
As the manufacture stated when I called into customer service with my problem, "the bad reviews you read are only from dissatisfied customers." Well, that's true, and I am very dissatisfied. The unit arrived promptly (along with the cold smoker attachment) and I put it into service immediately. Easy assembly and all worked well except the temperature on the control panel was 20+ degrees cooler than what was indicated on the control panel (as measured by a precision remote thermometer. In less than 2 months the unit began to read 300 degrees constant, regardless of actually temp, meaning the heating elements would not start. A call to customer service was efficiently answered and a replacement control unit was COMMITTED to arrive in 5-7 days. No email confirmation was received. 2 weeks later I call customer service only to find out that Masterbuilt won't receive new control units until 24 October. Terrible.
If you read online reviews you will find this is a huge problem with these units causing a lot of frustration. Theres a problem in the basic components and/or assembly if you have this high rate of failure- Masterbuilt should investigate and put a program in place to eliminate this problem. I work for a technology manufacture and can tell you if we had half this rate of failure in our components our customers would stop doing business with us. I would definitely consider buying a different manufactures smoker if I had it to do over again; very, very disappointed in the quality of the product and Masterbuilts efforts to correct this problem with the manufacture.
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.
ssparkd : More smoke please
I like the portability of it. For me, I can pick it up and move it (as it says don't let it get wet) (I got the accompanying durable cover and put a plastic bag underneath it).
I like the small size. I like the electric use as it is quick.
The digital indicator is near impossible to see in the sunlight. you need to shield it.
I put a remote temp probe down through the vent hole. It would be cool to come up with another method.
I am not pleased with the amount of chips you can add and the smoking of them. If you want to smoke at 225F, you need to turn the unit up to 275F to get the chips to burn and smoke, then turn it down, so you are smoking at higher than desired temps. I am getting used to it but I'd like more smoke please.
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
Katie O. : Works great
My husband the BBQ chef says it works just fine. People that wrote bad reviews probably don't have much smoker experience. There are certain things involved. Don't open vent all the way. Clean after use and store covered in the garage. Do not leave outside in the open. Take care of it and it should last . My only complaint is it arrived with a small dent and a scratch but I am picky and my husband says he doesn't care about the look, just the taste, and the meat was delicious. He did ribs and two chickens. We also did pork butt. Not room for all that at once so the pork was in all night and then moved to our oven and then two racks of ribs and two chickens were able to go in next. He makes his own dry rub and the smell throughout the neighborhood I'm sure all the neighbors were jealous, lol.
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.
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.
Eric D. Sheldon : Great smoker for the price! - Just be aware...
I bought this smoker after the recommendations from my father and two friends. They were right, for the price, you can't beat this smoker. Here are a couple tips I've learned or been told that are extremely helpful:
1. The chip adding tube is great. You need to add new chips once an hour. Buy the cold smoker attachment (if you can find it). You can add six hours of chips to it. I use the cold smoker as the smoke source and the main until just to regulate heat. So much easier for smoking something like a pork shoulder for 20 hours.
2. The thermostat isn't very reliable. It basically reads the temp at the top of the smoker. Through trial an error, with other probes and thermometers, I've learned that there is a 40-50 degree difference between the top (what the thermostat reads) and the bottom shelf. It's about 10 degrees lost per shelf. This realization has saved much frustration between expectation and reality. *This issue is odd, since the sensor is in the middle of the smoker box.
3. If you don't have a place to keep and use the smoker in the same spot all the time, buy an all wood furniture dolly to keep it on. It makes moving it around much easier.
4. The paint they use looks nice, but doesn't stand up to the heat. It will melt and bubble in the areas that are heated. Not a huge deal, just not quite what I expected.
If this had been more expensive I probably would've given it 3 stars because of the thermostat issue. But for the price and after some trial and error, it's a great deal!
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
Mark Moreimi : Not enough smoke @ 230 degrees
I'm not getting enough smoke at the ideal 225 - 240 temperature. I purchased this item because my Weber Kettle was smoking at higher and somewhat uncontrolled temps. I wanted a proper smoker that can cook/smoke at the classic 225 degrees. If I crank up my temp to 275, it smokes like a champ, but that's not typically the ideal temp for larger chunks of meat. I'm using Kingsford Hickory woodchips that aren't soaked. I've noticed that there is a significant gap between the heating element and the chip pan. At higher temps, this might not be a big deal, but at lower temps I think it makes a huge difference. I've also noticed that some of the chips burn, while others still retain their original wood color and remain unphased by the heat. Again...this is all at lower temps only. I've attached a photo of the gap between the heating element and the chip pan.
Robert e Bailey : This Re-Design is a Failure.
I wrote a previous review of this smoker but have to add something. This model is a re-design of a previous version. Masterbuilt must have decided manufacturing the older model was too expensive so they re-designed the whole thing. The only resemblance to the older version is the exterior of the unit.
The inside is completely different. The walls have the rack holders stamped into them rather than the awesome metal racks of the old version. As you use the smoker it's a huge pain to get racks in and out of the smoker, they stick and I've had to pull on them so hard to get them out that the smoked food actually falls off !!!!!...even after extensive cleaning of the grooves.
But the WORST is the total redesign of the heating element and the joke of a wood chip tray. They incorporated a metal rack to hold this dinky wood chip tray and it sits over 1/2" away from the heating element !!!!....Try getting smoke at lower temps with that...good luck.
I tore out that rack, and bought the wood chip tray from the old version from a secondary parts store online. Masterbuilt said it wouldnt work....well it DOES work. I cut off the metal underneath the tray and I get plenty of smoke by doing this. Otherwise this thing is a steaming PILE, Masterbuilt doesn't even care either when you contact them.......Go elsewhere.
EDIT to say, Masterbuilt doesn't even directly address all these reviews, and have ZERO intentions of ever undoing what they had in their older smokers. They are only concerned with lowering their overhead. The result is you get a smoker that needs a LOT of tinkering with to make it even mildly functional.......Too bad, but they dropped the ball and when YOU pick it up they turn the other way.
Another edit. The racks included with this model are WAY substandard to their own earlier model. There is no double bracing on these racks. They are made of smaller diameter steel AND the welds that they use fail, as well as they didn't bother to deburr the ends so when you try to clean them it destroys your cleaning pad. Last night I tried to smoke 20 pounds of wild caught Alaskan Sockeye at 190 and the wood chip tray caught fire !!!!!!...
What an utter piece of crap this is.
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.
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.
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.
Joe : Works well,good buy at 140
I have had and used many smokers over th decades and this little one works well.
I seasoned it outside on 55 degree day with 15 mph wind and it got to 275 in 20 mins and then it veried from 255 to 280 not bad for conditions.
Today 60 degree in garage no wind. Got to temp in 15 and maintained well. The first fill of chips smoked for hour and 1 refill lasted 35 mins......i double filled the next time.
Flavor was spot on an as good as a real wood smoker.
I do use remote temp probes and did move trays to get meats in right temp zones......lower racks were hotter then top rack even tho heat rises. For me this works since i was doing beef, pork, and yardbird.
I did need to adjust door alignment before using but its no big thing, and after seasoned I tightened up the latch just a little.
For $140 its a great buy, i paid 180 on sale
for my brother's smoke hollow and it didn't work as well ( have to use a smoke tube )
Chef Mike : this Masterbuilt is fantastic. It heats quickly enough and maintains consistent temperature
First things first, I'm a chef, not a pitmaster or hobbyist smoker. I have every bit of respect for the thousands that have mastered the art of smoke and temperature using the various types of wood and wood smokers- Weber, Traeger, Big Green Egg, custom, etc. At this time, I just don't possess the expertise of the experts.
That being said, as a tool similar to what I use daily in professional kitchens, this Masterbuilt is fantastic. It heats quickly enough and maintains consistent temperature. I've been able to make restaurant quality baby back ribs, chicken, beef short ribs.
My only issue is that a full rack of ribs won't fit on a rack; i have to cut them in half. In time I'll be upgrading to a 40" smoker, but for a first smoker, I'm happy with this purchase.
Andrew : So Disappointed
So far, extremely disappointed. They sent me 3 cross braces and 1 side brace, but I need 2 of each. On their web site, it says that they won't help me unless I register the product, but when I click the link to register the product, it doesn't let me proceed. (I tried Chrome and Edge.) Plus, the bottom arrived damaged (but that's the least of my worries).
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).
Benjamin C. : Best electric smoker at this price point
I have had other electric smokers around this price point and this by far the best one out there. While the others couldn't come close to a gas smoker, this one actually does.
What you'll like:
- Your food will be tasty with the right amount of smoke taste. It disperses smoke better than any other I have tried.
- It's easy to add wood chips. You won't need to open the door and let smoke escape that can mess up your smoking. It has a side loader that makes it easy.
- It's got pretty good capacity. I can put a tri tip, whole chicken, veggies, and still have a bit more room for other stuff. For a family, it will have all the room you need.
- It has big water reservoir that you place under the bottom rack and the bonus is it will catch most of the drippings. You won't need to clean the bottom of the smoker as much as you would others.
- The digital panel makes smoking easier. Set it and forget it. No more worrying about setting the dial to the right place.
Highly recommended.
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
hjb : Product as described. One glitch so far.
This unit works, so far, and maintains a temperature very near the setting. It produces smoke, etc. I need t sharpen my skills and learned that my thermometer was too close to the wall, producing a high reading and underdone brisket. I am learning.
The digital readout, however, is impossible to read in the sun. It says 8888 and does not appear to change. A quick trip to the garage proved that it did change and was working. But, it is impossible to see. In light of this, I would go for the analog unit or the unit with blue tooth so that a smartphone which can be moved to the shade can be used to control it. Suggestions on how to properly shade the panel would be appreciated. I have had limited success covering it with most of my hand and squinting into an opening between fingers.
Manuel Lizardo : Very bad product
I place an order on November/2017. After a couple misunderstanding with the delivery I received the smoker on January. I used twice and stopped working. The problem was bad insulation for the electrical components. It was overheated and mealt. How was in warranty, the company send me a new component telling me that was the only solution they have and I installed. Today, after all this months, I bring it out to used, started smoking and half hour Iater stop working again. I paid 100 something dollars for an smoker that smoked one brisket and one pork shoulder. Now is in the thash.
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.
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.
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.
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.
My Eyes Are Up Here! : Would be a 5-star product if you could see the LED display
This is our first smoker so don't have a lot to compare it to, but it's very easy to use and makes efficient use of the chips, and the meat turns out great!
Unfortunately, the LED display is so dim you can only see it at night. Maybe we're crazy for smoking meat during the day, but I can't see the readout even if cup my hands over the display to try and block out the sunlight and strain to see it. This makes the unit extremely difficult and frustrating to program and use. Therefore, it's an "okay" product that is only one fixed design flaw away from being awesome.
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).
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!
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
-
Stripee Fly Line Cleaner review and price compare
-
LJWXX Fishing net 1Pc 8m/20m Fishing Net Single Mesh Nylon Durable Float Trap Monofilament Gill Net Fishing Accessories for Hand Casting Durable and Anti-Corrosion (Color : 8m) review and price compare
-
Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black review and price compare
-
UFISH Trout Fishing Net for Freshwater and Saltwater Fishing, Fish Landing Net with Rubber Mesh for Fly Fishing, Kayak, Bass, Steelhead, Trout Fishing, Fish Net with Non-Slip Handle for Safe Fishing review and price compare
-
Chironal Portable Adjustable Handle Fishing Nets with Handle Aquarium Accessories Outdoor Accessories review and price compare
-
EVA Foam Fish Ruler with 3M Adhesive Backing, 40" Fish Measuring Tape for Boat, Cooler and Kayak (Dark Brown) review and price compare
-
5M PVA Mesh Bait Bags,Fishing Mesh Bait Bags PVA Quick Water Soluble Refill Carp for Solid Device Tackle Kit Stocking 25mmx5m Wide White Bait Storage Fishing Accessories review and price compare
-
UFISH Large Fishing Net for Freshwater and Saltwater Fishing, Fish Landing Net for Salmon, Catfish, Fly, Kayak, Bass, Steelhead, Trout Fishing, Fish Net with Non-Slip Handle for Safe Fishing review and price compare
-
danco Pro Series Roll Up Bag Kit | 5" & 7" Fillet Knives and 9" Stout Knife | Full Tang German G4116 Stainless-Steel Blades with Teflon Coating, Nylon Roll Up Sheath, Perfect for Saltwater Fishing & Hunting (Seafoam) review and price compare
-
BSJR Fishing Hook Quick Removal Device, Portable Fish Hook Remover Tool, Fishing Hook Disgorger, Fish Hook Remover Tool Extractor, Device for Fishing Accessory review and price compare
-
Adjustable Fishing Belly Harness Fishing Rod Pole Holder for Outdoor Portable Fishing Gear Accessories review and price compare
-
BASSDASH American Saltwater Fishing Cast Net 3/8 1/4-Inch Mesh 4ft 6ft 8ft Radius, 1-Pound Per Foot, for Bait Fish with Utility Bucket Casting review and price compare
-
SANLIKE Telescopic Fish Gaff with Stainless Sea Fishing Spear Hook Tackle, Soft EVA Handle Aluminium Alloy Pole for Saltwater Offshore Ice Tool review and price compare
-
Vacuum Sealer Machine by Entrige, Automatic Food Sealer for Food Savers w /Starter Kit, Dry Moist Food Modes, Easy to Clean, Led Indicator Lights, Compact Design, Silver(Stainless Steel) review and price compare
-
Rapala Fish 'N Fillet Knife with Sheath review and price compare
-
CUYT Fishing Accessories, Fishing Tool, Durable for Fisherman Easy to Use for Shoal Fishing with 2Pcs Luminous Beads review and price compare
-
Fishing Belt Rod Holder Fish Fighting Belt Waist Waders Fishing Tool Holder Fly Rod Holder Fishing Pole Straps Fishing Accessories For Men review and price compare
-
PKLMN Fishing Hook Quick Removal Device, Fish Hook Removers,Fast Decoupling Fishing Hook Quick Removal Device Security Extractor Fish Hook Disconnect Device Fishing Accessory review and price compare
-
Atlas 42 Inch Landing Net - Fishing Landing Net | 2-Part Carp Fishing Net | Carbon Handle Fishing Net | Long-Lasting Landing Net | Carp Fishing Accessories review and price compare
-
Fiblink Folding Aluminum Fishing Landing Net Fish Net with Extending Telescoping Pole Handle review and price compare