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
This fits your .
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
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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?
Answer:
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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.
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.
Robert Stallman : Do NOT BUY! Control Panel SUCKS!!!
The control panel died after 5 uses. You can’t imagine the frustration of prepping a brisket the night before and waiting in anticipation to start smoking it at 0600 the next morning for a dinner meal, only to go out to start the smoker and have it not work. Angry and disappointed are understatements! It has never been outside and kept in my garage. When I pulled off the control panel, there was moisture. It has never been in the elements! Must be from getting hot and then cooling down moisture builds up. Poor design and completely unreliable product. I will never buy again and will tell everyone I know what a piece of garbage this product is.
Judy2099 : DO NOT BUY
Waste of time and money. Ordered and even got the extended warranty through Amazon. It DID NOT work. It was getting power, as the digital controls were working, but absolutely NO HEAT. Amazon replaced it, but the second one -- same problem, controls lit, but no heat again. Amazon offered to replace the heating element, but I did not like the idea of buying a new product and having to repair it immediatly. Also, Masterbuilt has NO customer service, phone call says to contact their website and get an "repair Order Number" which does not work, must contact them on line, and they do not respond, waited a week for a response, none. Like, buy anew car and have to replace the engine before it will work??? No thanks. I got Masterbuilt because of the reviews, but they must be false news. Bought a different brand and it worked great. Would give them a NO STARS but there is not a place to do that.
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.
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.
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 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.
darrynpolwart : Works Great!
I bought the analog version a couple years ago and it worked pretty well. Eventually, the element in that smoker failed and I went ahead and bought the digital version. It was quite easy to assemble and a lot more accurate in terms of temperature control. The rack system inside the smoker is a lot more thought out as it includes a drip tray that spans across the entirety of the bottom, increasing the likelihood that grease will hit it and not the floor of the smoker. The wood chip feeding mechanism seems a little bit more restrictive to me, but overall you can continue to feed into it every 30 minutes or so to achieve the desired smokiness that you’re looking for. Overall, I really enjoy the smoker and I’ve already taken advantage of it several times since purchasing it. Very impressed!
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!
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.
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.
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.
John : Too much good to say
It would take entirely too long to list all the reasons why I love this smoker. Aside from what anyone else claims in their review here, the temp controller is on point. Make sure to place the meat in the center of each rack. A lot of heat rises in the back of the smoker and will burn anything near that area. Don't try to fill the entire cooking grate, instead spread the meats out between all the racks. Only 1 or 2 trays of chips is needed to get a good taste. Each chip session burns out completely within 45 mins to an hr. Easy to clean the grills too as long as you put them in warm soapy dish water immediately after pulling the meat out. Use a dish rag to clean them so you don't scratch the chrome. It is not necessary to clean the walls inside the smoker. Doing that will remove the seasoning. Get yourself a 2-probe digital meat thermometer and run the cables through the exhaust vent. Clip one probe to the top cooking grate in the center and put one in the meat. I love this thing. Set and forget.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
"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.
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!
David C. : Easy setup, easy to use. Needs a longer power cord.
Very preliminary review of setup and first burn(seasoning). Stupid easy to assemble...2 screws and 4 bolts. Clean the racks with soap and water, let dry and your ready for a first burn. Only issue is the recommendation to have 10 feet of space between the smoker and combustible material...with the 5 foot(approx) power cord? Sure, just get an extension cord but make sure it's a heavy duty one.
I've just been smoking meats for about 20 years, usually using propane, and all I have to say is WOW, is this easy to use. I'll be putting it thru more rigorous tests over the next month and will update this review.
Judy2099 : DO NOT BUY
Waste of time and money. Ordered and even got the extended warranty through Amazon. It DID NOT work. It was getting power, as the digital controls were working, but absolutely NO HEAT. Amazon replaced it, but the second one -- same problem, controls lit, but no heat again. Amazon offered to replace the heating element, but I did not like the idea of buying a new product and having to repair it immediatly. Also, Masterbuilt has NO customer service, phone call says to contact their website and get an "repair Order Number" which does not work, must contact them on line, and they do not respond, waited a week for a response, none. Like, buy anew car and have to replace the engine before it will work??? No thanks. I got Masterbuilt because of the reviews, but they must be false news. Bought a different brand and it worked great. Would give them a NO STARS but there is not a place to do that.
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.
Batman : Great smoker after a few fixes
With a few minor adjustments this smoker is perfect. First I took the chip tray rack out to let it sit directly on the coils. I flipped a bracket that is over top of the heating element and put it below. Lastly I drilled about 12 very small holes in the chip tray. After making these adjustments this thing started rolling out smoke. Did two whole chickens and they turned out fantastic. For the price point its worth making the few adjustments, highly recommend for any home smoker. Only complaint is that the digital controls are hard to read when in direct sunlight but this is a minor inconvenience.
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.
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
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.
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.
Joseph A. Kijewski : Easy to use, fantastic results
My family loves smoked foods. I have had a 22" Weber Smokey Mountain bullet charcoal smoker for years, and while we love the results I get from it, I found myself hardly ever using it because of the need to be constantly tending the fire. Flipping through the television channels in January, I came upon an infomercial for a small, portable Masterbuilt electric smoker and the food that they were pulling out of it looked so good that I decided to do a bit of research. I ended up treating my family (and myself) to a new electric smoker and chose the Masterbuilt 30" (rather than the little one on the TV). I cannot be more pleased.
Since getting it, I have smoked food for my family every other weekend. The smoker could not be easier to use. Plug it in, set the temperature that you want and the timer, put some water in the water pan, add your food, and off you go. Wood chips (about a handful every hour or so) are easily added through the side mechanism without ever having to open the smoker door. I use a remote digital thermometer to make sure that I pull the food at the right temperature and the results have been fantastic. So far, I've made pork shoulders (three times), beef ribs, salmon, baby back pork ribs, St. Louis spareribs, turkey and chicken wings, whole chickens, a turkey breast and an eye round roast of beef. Every single thing I've smoked in the Masterbuilt has been delicious and thoroughly enjoyed by my family. While I saw that some reviews for the smoker criticized the need to cut full racks of St. Louis ribs in half to get them to fit, while true, this is not something I see as complaint worthy. Were I to need to make food for more than 10 people, or make multiple turkeys at once, I probably would haul out the Weber bullet; however, for cooking less than that, I can't imagine ever using anything but my Masterbuilt ever again.
PROS: Well built, super simple operation, fantastic results, easy to clean. CONS: None that I have been able to see. ADDED BONUS: Got mine with a nice discount as an Amazon Warehouse Deal. The only thing I saw that kept it from being full price was a dent and rip on the box -- the smoker, however, was in pristine condition wrapped in plastic and padded with styrofoam packing. Not a dent or scratch on the unit itself.
Great job, Masterbuilt!!!
UPDATE: Used the Masterbuilt on Thanksgiving Day as a warming oven. Had it in my 35 degree garage with no use of wood for smoke. Instead, just put water in the pan, set the temperature for 180, and was able to keep casseroles warm and moist as the came out of the oven, freeing up the oven for cooking other things. Everything made it to the table in perfect shape and ready to eat without needing to reheat. I continue to be thrilled with this smoker.
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.
darrynpolwart : Works Great!
I bought the analog version a couple years ago and it worked pretty well. Eventually, the element in that smoker failed and I went ahead and bought the digital version. It was quite easy to assemble and a lot more accurate in terms of temperature control. The rack system inside the smoker is a lot more thought out as it includes a drip tray that spans across the entirety of the bottom, increasing the likelihood that grease will hit it and not the floor of the smoker. The wood chip feeding mechanism seems a little bit more restrictive to me, but overall you can continue to feed into it every 30 minutes or so to achieve the desired smokiness that you’re looking for. Overall, I really enjoy the smoker and I’ve already taken advantage of it several times since purchasing it. Very impressed!
D.B.H. : This is my second one.
I had good luck with my first smoker from Master built, but the weather elements eventually trashed the electronics. The first smoker also hand a glass window in the door which makes absolutely no sense at all since the window is easily covered with smoke after only a couple uses, and I'm sure as hell not going to use 15 bottles of Windex each time I want to peer into the smoker. So I replaced that old reliable unit with this one, having no window in the door. The only small thing I didn't like is that the input port for the smoke chips is lower on the side than first smoker. This is important because I have and use the "cold smoke" optional smoke pot (with a large capacity for chips) that goes into that port. This option eliminates the need to add chips every 45 - 60 minutes or so, as well as the smoke pot provides a means of cold smoking, fish, cheese, jerky, etc. To solve the problem I had to build a small platform to elevate the smoker 1.5" and life was again good. My next pork butts will be smoked in a couple days along with jalapenos, kosher salt and maybe even a large slab of bacon.
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.
David C. : Easy setup, easy to use. Needs a longer power cord.
Very preliminary review of setup and first burn(seasoning). Stupid easy to assemble...2 screws and 4 bolts. Clean the racks with soap and water, let dry and your ready for a first burn. Only issue is the recommendation to have 10 feet of space between the smoker and combustible material...with the 5 foot(approx) power cord? Sure, just get an extension cord but make sure it's a heavy duty one.
I've just been smoking meats for about 20 years, usually using propane, and all I have to say is WOW, is this easy to use. I'll be putting it thru more rigorous tests over the next month and will update this review.
Hunter_REE : Excellent oven. Terrible smoker
Unit is great at maintaining desired temperature, though its internal thermometer's accuracy leaves something to be desired. Use your own and adjust the unit's temp so your thermometer matches your desired level. This will also help you, as the digital display is very difficult to read during daylight hours. One might think that having great temperature control would be a benefit, but not in this case. This "smoker" is designed to function by heating wood chips placed over its heating element.
Due to its ability to retain heat so well, the heating element does not cycle often enough to create smoke. If you somehow manage to create embers (I have done so by putting my chips in as I start up the heating process), you will need to refill the chips as often as every 30 minutes to keep that alive (You could be babysitting this device all day depending on what you're smoking). If the embers go out, you will find it very difficult to restart them to create smoke once again. You will likely need to open the main door, empty the chip tray and hope you lowered the temp enough to give it enough heating time to start the smoke again before the element turns off. This, of course, extends your overall cooking time as well.
But wait, you may have seen the cold smoker attachment that promises 12 hours of uninterrupted smoke. I am sorry, but this unit, despite being digitial, will not fit as is with that attachment. I know. I tried and was very disappointed. You may have also heard about pellet smoking trays that you can place inside the unit. By this point, you may begin to wonder why you even bought this thing in the first place. Oh yeah, electric smokers were supposed to be more user-friendly. Unfortunately, again, for you, this device is sealed so well it does not get enough air flow to easily keep those pellet trays lit when placed inside. You could circumvent this by creating a separate box that you could place the tray inside then use duct to connect it to the smoker.
Is this starting to sound like more trouble than it is worth? If convenience and ease are what you were looking for in a smoker, save up and buy a pellet smoker. If you're handy and like tinkering, by all means, buy this. It is great at maintaining temperatures.
On a side-note, if you're thinking of making poultry in this and you like crispy skin, again give it a hard pass. It will not happen. The unit's highest temperature of 275 will not get you what you are looking for. You will end up with rubbery, tough and inedible skin.
It will also not produce smoke at temperatures under 200ish (the element will almost never turn on), so lox or smoked cheeses are also out.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Doufé : Dents, scratches but a little hope...
For the price this smoker is beautiful, but for a new smoker you deserve better quality. When I pulled my smoker out of the intact shipping box I was highly impressed, untill I started looking closer. The corner was dented in, dents all over the sides and scratches. For a new product this is unacceptable, and I doubt it is from the shipper as much as it is manufactor due to how well it was package. Leveling it is a pain as well, could've had a little simpler system than what is given. Over all I will be using this smoker weekly and I hope it holds up, my first impressions were amazment to disappointment for the lack of care given from the manufacturer before shipping it. If it wasn't for the price point and the little hope I have that this smoker will be reliable I'd send it back in a heartbeat.
Joseph A. Kijewski : Easy to use, fantastic results
My family loves smoked foods. I have had a 22" Weber Smokey Mountain bullet charcoal smoker for years, and while we love the results I get from it, I found myself hardly ever using it because of the need to be constantly tending the fire. Flipping through the television channels in January, I came upon an infomercial for a small, portable Masterbuilt electric smoker and the food that they were pulling out of it looked so good that I decided to do a bit of research. I ended up treating my family (and myself) to a new electric smoker and chose the Masterbuilt 30" (rather than the little one on the TV). I cannot be more pleased.
Since getting it, I have smoked food for my family every other weekend. The smoker could not be easier to use. Plug it in, set the temperature that you want and the timer, put some water in the water pan, add your food, and off you go. Wood chips (about a handful every hour or so) are easily added through the side mechanism without ever having to open the smoker door. I use a remote digital thermometer to make sure that I pull the food at the right temperature and the results have been fantastic. So far, I've made pork shoulders (three times), beef ribs, salmon, baby back pork ribs, St. Louis spareribs, turkey and chicken wings, whole chickens, a turkey breast and an eye round roast of beef. Every single thing I've smoked in the Masterbuilt has been delicious and thoroughly enjoyed by my family. While I saw that some reviews for the smoker criticized the need to cut full racks of St. Louis ribs in half to get them to fit, while true, this is not something I see as complaint worthy. Were I to need to make food for more than 10 people, or make multiple turkeys at once, I probably would haul out the Weber bullet; however, for cooking less than that, I can't imagine ever using anything but my Masterbuilt ever again.
PROS: Well built, super simple operation, fantastic results, easy to clean. CONS: None that I have been able to see. ADDED BONUS: Got mine with a nice discount as an Amazon Warehouse Deal. The only thing I saw that kept it from being full price was a dent and rip on the box -- the smoker, however, was in pristine condition wrapped in plastic and padded with styrofoam packing. Not a dent or scratch on the unit itself.
Great job, Masterbuilt!!!
UPDATE: Used the Masterbuilt on Thanksgiving Day as a warming oven. Had it in my 35 degree garage with no use of wood for smoke. Instead, just put water in the pan, set the temperature for 180, and was able to keep casseroles warm and moist as the came out of the oven, freeing up the oven for cooking other things. Everything made it to the table in perfect shape and ready to eat without needing to reheat. I continue to be thrilled with this smoker.
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.
darrynpolwart : Works Great!
I bought the analog version a couple years ago and it worked pretty well. Eventually, the element in that smoker failed and I went ahead and bought the digital version. It was quite easy to assemble and a lot more accurate in terms of temperature control. The rack system inside the smoker is a lot more thought out as it includes a drip tray that spans across the entirety of the bottom, increasing the likelihood that grease will hit it and not the floor of the smoker. The wood chip feeding mechanism seems a little bit more restrictive to me, but overall you can continue to feed into it every 30 minutes or so to achieve the desired smokiness that you’re looking for. Overall, I really enjoy the smoker and I’ve already taken advantage of it several times since purchasing it. Very impressed!
Judy2099 : DO NOT BUY
Waste of time and money. Ordered and even got the extended warranty through Amazon. It DID NOT work. It was getting power, as the digital controls were working, but absolutely NO HEAT. Amazon replaced it, but the second one -- same problem, controls lit, but no heat again. Amazon offered to replace the heating element, but I did not like the idea of buying a new product and having to repair it immediatly. Also, Masterbuilt has NO customer service, phone call says to contact their website and get an "repair Order Number" which does not work, must contact them on line, and they do not respond, waited a week for a response, none. Like, buy anew car and have to replace the engine before it will work??? No thanks. I got Masterbuilt because of the reviews, but they must be false news. Bought a different brand and it worked great. Would give them a NO STARS but there is not a place to do that.
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.
D.B.H. : This is my second one.
I had good luck with my first smoker from Master built, but the weather elements eventually trashed the electronics. The first smoker also hand a glass window in the door which makes absolutely no sense at all since the window is easily covered with smoke after only a couple uses, and I'm sure as hell not going to use 15 bottles of Windex each time I want to peer into the smoker. So I replaced that old reliable unit with this one, having no window in the door. The only small thing I didn't like is that the input port for the smoke chips is lower on the side than first smoker. This is important because I have and use the "cold smoke" optional smoke pot (with a large capacity for chips) that goes into that port. This option eliminates the need to add chips every 45 - 60 minutes or so, as well as the smoke pot provides a means of cold smoking, fish, cheese, jerky, etc. To solve the problem I had to build a small platform to elevate the smoker 1.5" and life was again good. My next pork butts will be smoked in a couple days along with jalapenos, kosher salt and maybe even a large slab of bacon.
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 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!
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