Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black review and price compare 2025
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Product overview
| Brand | Masterbuilt |
| Model Name | Digital Electric |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Color | Black |
| Item Weight | 45.9 Pounds |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 19.88 x 20.47 x 33.26 inches |
| Fuel Type | Electric |
product features
- by entering your model number.
- Digital panel controls on/off, cooking temperature and time
- Electric Smoker dimensions – 20.47" W x 19.88" L x 33.26" H | Max temperature setting – 275ᵒ F | Inside capacity – 2 Turkeys, 4 Pork Butts, 4 Racks of Ribs, 6 Chickens
- Patented side wood chip loading system allows you to add wood chips without opening door
- Thermostat-temperature control for even, consistent smoking
- Fully-insulated body retains heat
This fits your .
From the manufacturer
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DIGITAL CONTROLPower on / off and control cooking temperature and time. | TEMPERATURE CONTROLThermostat control for even and consistent smoking. | PATENTED WOOD CHIP LOADING SYSTEMAdd wood chips without opening the smoker door. |
| Product Accessories | The Masterbuilt Smoker Leg Kit with Wheels gives mobility and increases the height for Masterbuilt digital electric smokers. | The Slow Smoker is perfect for smoking cheese, fish, bacon, and jerky, when longer smoke times at lower temperatures are ideal | The durable, polyurethane-coated cover protects your smoker from the elements year-round. | Smoke fish, jerky, veggies, and more on the Masterbuilt Fish and Vegetable Mat. | These comfortable, heat-resistant gloves are the perfect accessory for grilling, smoking, frying, and carving foods. |
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product description
Style:30" Smoker
The Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Smoker is perfect for the beginner or the pro. You’ll achieve competition-ready results in your own backyard, without the hassle of charcoal or propane. Simply plug this smoker in, set the digital controls, and it does the work! The patented side wood chip loader lets you experiment with flavor without opening the smoker door. Four chrome-coated racks provide plenty of room to smoke up to 6 chickens, 2 turkeys, 4 racks of ribs, or 4 pork butts. Master the art of smoking with Masterbuilt. Power on/off, control cooking temperature and time.
product details
important information
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Questions about Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black
Q:
How often do you add wood chips? And do you soak them?
Answer: i have time to use the unit twice, once with chips, soaked about 30 minutes, and once without. When I used chips, I added new ones about every 30-40 minutes.
Answer: I add more chips when the smoking has almost stopped. When smoking pork butts, it's usually every 90 mins to 2 hours between adding more. For fish or chicken breast that cook quicker, you don't have to add more.
Answer: 1/2 cup recommended of dry chips will last about 30 minutes.
Answer: Do NOT soak your chips in this smoker. You get them wet, the element drys them out and THEN they start to burn. Soaking chips is for when you drop them straight onto red hot charcoal. Putting in dry chip, you'll see approximately every 30 minutes you can add more chip. If this is annoying, buy the Masterbuilt cold smoking kit and put pellets in it.
Answer: Don't soak your chips. They just steam. Try a lighter wood and get a thermometer so you don't have to open the door. It will take some dialing in but you will be happy once you find the sweet spot and smoke flavor you like. You can get superexcited and get too much smoke for some peoples' tastes.
Answer: Adding wood chips depends on your heating temperature. Soaking your chips depends on their size. Smaller chips we'll soak, larger ones not so much.
Answer: You don't have to soak the chips but they last longer if you do. Just add chips every hour. You can cook several hours on a couple handfuls of chips
Answer: As a professional Chefi can tell you 100% soak. I soak with either water, apple juice or rootbeer depending on the flavor I'm looking for. The amount and intensity of smoke and flavor are much more enhanced with soaked chips. Dry chips burn up way too fast and a lesser flavor. You need the steam from the chips to get the process started.
Answer: I add them at the beginning startup ( when I turn smoker on) and again when the smoker is no longer emitting smoke I add more unless I am on the last hour of smoking
Answer: When it quits smoking and yes I soak them. You don't have to though.
Q:
How many years of use is realistic to expect from this smoker before it breaks? 3, 5, 10?
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Answer: I had mine for 9 years and replaced the heating 3 times. But, that is not a bad thing: I PUT THIS THING TO USE! Briskets, ribs, chicken, steaks!! You name it! The only thing I found, all around the smoker is but if its very cold out, the temp is effected drastically...Similarly, hot out, the temp sours at times, especially in direct sun light. I still give it a 8-10 stars!!!
Answer: I've had mine 5 years and used it about 60 times (12 X a year). It is garage kept when not in use and I have never had an issue with it.
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Answer: Had mine about 2 years before the electrical control panel went out which you can replace for $50 on the Masterbuilt website. Used the smoker cover and under the roofline but sometimes it would get wet. Kept it out of the evening sun because here in Texas the summer sun would damage the cover and probably the smoker. Good news is I bought the extended warranty. Bad news is now extended warranty is only $12 versus the $23 I had to pay back then. I have a claim approved just pending what their offer is. You get what you pay for I guess. Loki g for the same smoker and will buy the extended warranty again.
Answer: I was given one of these a few years back. It maybe lasted 4 years with use 6 times a year and was stored on the covered back porch under the master built cover. The breaker (GFI) started tripping and I noticed the temperature was overrunning the set point. Set at 200 and it heated to 290. I expect the over temp had fried insulation causing the short. I considered replacing it, but went for a pellet smoker instead. See the customer comments about thermostat stopped working. Have not regretted that move.
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Answer: Less than 2 years. I used mine maybe 15 times in the 16 months that I had it and the controls stopped working. I contacted the company and the 1 year warranty has expired so if I am willing to spend more money, I can get a replacement control panel. I babied this thing. Took good care of it, cleaned it after using it, kept it out of the sun and covered. This is a cheap unit, I suggest you stay away from it.
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Q:
Does it have a pan to add water/juice etc. during cooking?
Answer: Yes. Water pan is large enough to smoke a long time.
Q:
What is the temperature range?
Answer: Max temp it can be set for is 275 degrees,will hold temp within a few degrees.
Answer: 100°F to 275°F
Q:
Can a 14” long brisket fit in there without touching sides?
Answer: Yes, it will fit in this smoker.
Answer: Yes I think it would. Trimming the ends would be a good idea. I love this smoker.
Answer: It will but you probably will not have much room on either side
Answer: Yes, no problem.
Answer: YES
Q:
Can the controller be removed easily?
Answer: Yes, the top controller is attached with two cables. In fact, it ships detached.
Q:
can i use it in the rain?
Answer: We would recommend using this digital electric smoker in the rain. Due to the electrical components of the smoker, you would risk permanent damage to the smoker. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to our Customer Service Department at 1.800.489.1581.
Answer: I would not use in a down pour due to being electric.
Answer: Should only if can keep control box and receptacle dry.
Answer: I use it in any weather condition under my porch
Answer: I did yesterday with no ill effect, but I made sure the plug stayed dry.
Q:
Is this the model with a replaceable heating element?
Answer: Yes
Q:
What is the return policy on this product?
Answer: Not sure. I should have checked that on my children but like the smoker, I failed to check. My smoker works just great and has been worth the cost (unlike the kids). Lol
Q:
Hi there, does this have a voltage range of 110-240 and frquency of 50/60HZ
Answer: 110 only rhat I know of
Q:
I need just the control panel
Answer: The control panel is faulty period. You will always need just the control panel. Considering there are YouTube videos on how to operate the smoker without the control panel, that shows the panel is trash
Answer: Mine came with a faulty control panel. I contacted Masterbuilt by email. They sent me a new one within 2 or 3 weeks.
Answer: I think if you go on there website. You can order parts you need.
Q:
does this have continuous feed for the wood chips? if not how long does it smoke for without adding more
Answer: It smokes for about 2 hours if you soak the wood chips in water. It is really easy to refill wood chip holder when it stops smoking. I usually put first wood chips in and drop it in tray, then I refill wood chip holder and when it stops smoking I just dump more chips in.
Answer: No, you will need to add wood chips approximately every 45 minutes.
Answer: No it does not have continuous feed .
Q:
How well will this smoker maintain temperature if it is cold outside? I live in Michigan and it is cold for a lot of the year.
Answer: I live in Wyoming and use this smoker to both slow cook or/and smoke year round, At -30F the steam-smoke rolls out the top vent and infuses the neighborhood with a delicious aroma, my go to fav is 11# pork picnic all rubbed up and overnighted at 225F for 11 hours with a full drip pan of water, 1cup apple and mesquite chip blend at beginning. Live life as large as it gets with this combo and U wont be disappointed. On today to get the cold smoker attachment to smoke cheese and bacon..YEEEEHAW!!!
Answer: I live in Wyoming and smoke or slow cook year round with this unit with thermometer and have NO ISSUES
Answer: My unit temperature gage said it struggled to keep up with cold outdoor temps. I did not confirm that with my secondary thermometer. I lengthened the time and 15lbs of chicken came out just fine.
Answer: We just used ours on a very cold night in Michigan and didn't have any problems. There was no snow, however.
Answer: Cook time
Q:
where is it made
Answer: Yes, our products are manufactured in China.
Answer: China- and not very well
Answer: Sad to say I believe made in China but headquarters in U.S.
Q:
Does this unit have the water pan and drip tray?
Answer: Yes. Water pan is separate and above drip pam. There is a collection tray on back of smoker that drip pan runs into
Answer: Yes, has both. Really like the smoker. Drip tray will even drain to an outside pan.
Answer: Yes. The unit is awesome.
Answer: yes
Q:
Can i use this inside the appartment or should I use the smoker only outside?
Answer: Outside ONLY please!
Answer: Outside only!!
Answer: Outside only
Answer: Wow.....
Answer: Lol
Answer: Really?
Q:
Can you use this indoors?
Answer: No not without proper ventilation but this is not recommended for indoor use!
Answer: With the smoke and the smell, I would not use indoors.
Answer: No If you are smoking and using chips, it will fill your house with smoke and potential other harmful gases.
Answer: No you cant, because of the smoke it puts out
Q:
Is the protection plan worth it?
Answer: I rarely buy these plans on such lower priced items. To each their own, I say.
Answer: Mine started to fall apart after 4 months so I’d recommend it.
Q:
does this unit have a temp probe for internal temp ?
Answer: Hi Brian, this unit does not have an internal meat probe. This unit is equipped with internal temperature probes to test the internal temp to ensure your smoker is at your set temperature.
Answer: No, temp is of interior/ambient. I use a 4 probe Ink Bird that I love, it has bluetooth connectivity.
Answer: It does not have a temperature probe for the meat.
Answer: I use a igrill 2 blue tooth connected thermometer can hook up 4 progs it's great. Made by iDevices.
Answer: No I just bought a cheap meat thermometer at the grocery store for 10 bucks
Answer: Yes and works beautifully!
Q:
Is the red light supposed to stay on during the entire cook time? It keeps turning off and I don’t know why .
Answer: The red light comes on if the current insidetemperature is below the set/programed. Once the inside temperature reaches the set temperature, the green light comes on. Only thing I can think of is that the outside temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit or so. I first used it in about 46 degrees and windy and the red light was on for the three hours I programed it for. If this is not the case then it might be that you didn't hit the temperature button a second time to start the cooking cycle.
Answer: The red light indicates it is heating. When it reaches the set temperature, it will turn off and when it drops a few degrees it will come back on to maintain the set temperature.
Answer: The temp fluctuates and therefore causes the red light to turn on and off. The only reason I can think of it staying on is maybe you’re opening the door too often or your electric outlet isn’t supplying enough voltage to keep it at temp. Maybe move it to another outlet.
Answer: No just while heating
Answer: Get a hold of Masterbuilt with your problem
Q:
How do you know when its time to add more wood chips?
Answer: I monitor the volume of smoke escaping from the smoker. This model burns the wood chips slowly so a batch of wood chips provides good smoke for quit awhile. If you see the volume of escaping smoke start to taper off it is time to add more wood chips.
Answer: We recommend adding wood chips approximately every 30-45 minutes.
Answer: My rule of thumb has been to add the chips about every 4 hours of smoking. Works well for long smokes, and anything under that you don't want to use more than once. The smoke taste can overwhelm things if used too much.
Q:
What is the best cover to use to protect it from outdoor elements??
Answer: They sell a cover for around $45 usd Mine is not in those conditions
Answer: Sorry,I keep mine in the garage and didn't buy a cover
Q:
Can I return this?
Answer: How can I return this faulty, brand new product?
Answer: I haven’t needed to, mine works great. For the price I paid, when it does go, I will have gotten my money’s worth and wouldn’t consider returning it
Q:
Love the smoker - not liking the clean up! Is there an aluminum throw away pan available for purchase to catch the grease? If not, there should be!
Answer: Hi nattimom, we do not manufacture aluminum throw away pans to catch the grease drippings. You can always wrap components in aluminum foil for easy clean-up after a cook! I would not recommend wrapping the smoking racks though, to allow proper air flow throughout the unit.
Answer: My son did the research and bought this electric smoker for his small restaurant.
Answer: I use the disposable aluminum half steam table pans inside the smoker box. Usually just one but if meat spreads across whole rack, I use two turned short width on the rack. Sams Club has pans.
Answer: I use the disposable aluminum pans sold in the Walmart, Lowes and Home Depot grilling section.
Answer: You should be able to find a pack of cheap aluminum pans in any supermarket.
Q:
how are you suppose to move it without handles you can't tip it with food water or grease dipping in it or hot not a smart design without handles
Answer: The smoker does get hot and not cable of moving easily. I bought a moving cart from Amazon that has 3 shelves and mounted 2 shelves with the smoker on the second shelf and use the bottom shelf to store different flavored wood chips.
Answer: It's not made to be moved while cooking in it. If it has to be moved, remove anything which might spill, and slowly walk it where it needs to go or use a dolly. You should have known from the photos the smoker had no handles.
Answer: Not made for moving. Lightweight and situate where you’ll be using it before turning on. I’ve smoked nearly every kind of meat and veggies you normally smoke and never ever used any liquid, water, apple juice, etc. Why would you want to move it while it is on anyway?
Answer: I purchased a base unit that allows you to move the unit. However, you can not move the unit while you are cooking food. Be. sure to place your unit in the location you want it.
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Answer: I think you can get casters and just screw where the feet go. My son built me a cart and we bolted the smoker to it. I can move it anytime and don’t have to bend over to check the meat.
Q:
Can you fill the the box with the wood chips and it will automatically despence the wood it's self?
Answer: No.....requires addition of chips as it cooks.
Answer: No. As the wood is consumed you will continue to add wood till your finished smoking. The wood chamber is quite small. Probably sufficient for an hour or less of smoking. There are units with auto units and you may wish to consider such a unit. Also the electric unit is slow to heat. You may want to consider a propane unit. I used one with very good success. The Masterbuilt electric died after just one use. It now sits idle since warranty is expired.
Q:
Can you use pellets rather than wood chips?
Answer: even better than a tube smoker - get the masterbuilt cold smoker https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079KGP5BX/ . It allows you to burn chips and produces an amazing amount of smoke. I had relegated my masterbuilt to the shed because we have several pellet smokers, but the masterbuilt smoke attachment made the masterbuilt electric competitive with the pellet smokers for flavor.
Answer: I tried pellets and they caught fire in the smoker. No problems with wood chips.
Answer: Not recommended by manufacturer. Purchase separate metal tube pellet smoker - gives prolonged smoke even at low temp settings and eliminates frequent refilling of fuel tray.
Q:
What is the piece call that you load the wood chips into the smoker called
Answer: Wood chip loader
Answer: The manual calls it the "wood chip loader." Many users refer to it as the "chip tube."
Answer: "chip box" is what it is called, definitely called chip box on other brands. I got two of the, and both of them were defective, so they were returned to Amazon and I bought another brand from Amazon, even had a front window, and it worked really well, and even nicer looking. I don't know why the reviews for MB are so good, 2 out of 2 being bad is not good. Thankfully Amazon is really good with its customers.
Q:
can you do steaks and hamburgers in the smoker?
Answer: Not unless you like to cook the slow at max 275.
Answer: Yes. You can do anything you want. It’s the best appliance I’ve bought in years!
Answer: Yes and recipes can be found on our website.
Answer: i have not done this but i would think so. interesting. i would try burgers first.
Answer: Yes you can. That being said, I would strongly advise you to NOT buy it. Its not worth the money. Its junk.
Answer: Yes
Answer: Yep
Answer: Yes. It works really well
Q:
Can you substitute wood pellets for wood chips
Answer: The instructions for my 20071117 say not to use pellets, only chips.
Answer: It takes wood chips yes
Answer: The manual says not to use HEATING pellets. Heating pellets may be all softwood like pine and fir or may have a mix of soft and hardwood. Heating pellets are not food grade and may also contain binders that are toxic to ingest. Hardwood is probably fine. You just have to experiment how much to use.
Answer: I think so. the unit that you will fill with wood chips is about the size of a soda can so smaller pieces work best.
Answer: No
Q:
Can I connect "cold smoke attachment " ?
Answer: I have 2 of these units and one has the cold smoker unit on it. It is not too tall for this unit, and is the best thing that I have ever bought for BBQ. The smoked cheese, no matter what you desire, is awesome, and it is a must for smoking sausage.
Answer: No, the cold smoker is too tall for this model.
Answer: Yes. I have it and I recommend buying it.
Q:
We ordered the masterbuilt 2010113 digital electric smoker stand, 30 inch. not compatible the with this smoker. which stand is?
Answer: This one is sturdy and fits. Masterbuilt 20101113 Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30-Inch
Answer: This one is sturdy. Masterbuilt 20101113 Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30-Inch
Answer: This one is sturdy. Masterbuilt 20101113 Digital Electric Smoker Stand, 30-Inch
Answer: The same stand also comes in a 40 inch too you might want to try that o e instead
Answer: Not using a stand. On the patio (brick). If I wanted it higher I would put it on cinder blocks or make a table.
Q:
Do we need to wet the wood chips or is the water tray enough?
Answer: The chips go in dry. It has a water tray. With that being said, try it with wet. Probably won't hurt anything. Watch the master built videos on utube
Answer: We recommend dry wood chips for more smoke flavor.
Answer: I always soak the chips for up to 1 hr. Sometimes only for a few minutes. Seems to work better that way.
Answer: I would wet them
Q:
Can u smoke a 18-20lb Turkey in this?
Answer: I bought this for my son in law and have forwarded the question to him????
Answer: Yes
Answer: Yes
Q:
Will not turn on
Answer: Check the connector under the control panel. Also check heating element connection.
Q:
How many briskets can you smoke at one time?
Answer: ?? Are you saying you can fit 4 - full, lip on briskets in this smoker?? That's impressive!
Answer: 10
Answer: four
Q:
How often do I have to add water and do I jave to open the front to add water?
Answer: Well first off , don’t use water. Water adds no flavor, always add flavor when you can be it fruit juice or apple cider vinegar. But to answer you question I cooked a 12lb turkey to 165 and never had to add any more liquid. BTW I used apple cider Vinegar. But if you did need to add some, perhaps with a low ans slow pork butt (apple juice) or brisket (grape or orange juice) then you would need to open the door.
Answer: Water isn’t always needed for smoking. I smoked ribs for 4 hours without water but when I smoked my thxgving turkey for 10 hours I used water. The water doesn’t evaporate much so there is no need to open the door to refill during a smoking. You only use water to prevent whatever you’re smoking from drying out.
Answer: Yes, you will need to open the door to add water. I would recommend only keeping 1 cup of liquid in the water bowl throughout the smoker so it does not overfill.
Answer: after3 hours we still had plenty of water. Filled to the line on the pan. You have to open the door to fill water pan.
Answer: Unless you are doing an extraordinarily long smoke (I'd guess 8 hours or more, based on my experience), you won't need to replenish the water. In fact, if you're smoking something that will release a lot of fat, you should only use a minimal amount of water because the fat will drain into the water pan, possibly resulting in an overflow. Yes, you have to open the door to add more water. Tip: Always foil the water pan -- it makes cleanup so much easier.
Answer: Usually ive just soaked the woodchips in water. Never added water. But this smoker rarely lasted long enough to use it much.
Answer: I have never used liquid on anything I have smoked, butts, briskets, chickens, turkeys, bellies, hams, or cold smoked cheese, but if you did you would have to opened the door.
Answer: I don’t use water but beer or apple juice. Once I fill the tray I’ve never had to refill.
Answer: Mix apple cider vinegar and water. Change it after your done cooking lol don't leave it there for next time
Answer: Pan on the inside of unit. Holds enough to last severa! Hours. Always empty pan after unit is cooled off from using
Q:
I went on your website to purchase replacement grill grates and they weren't listed there. They only had them for 40 inch smokers not the 30 inch?
Answer: I have not seen them offered either. I would like a back up set to keep one clean at all times.
Q:
What is the model for the replacement water pan/bowl? Mine has some leaks in it and I want to replace with a water pan that will bit this size smoker
Answer: Be careful when ordering parts,they changed the configuration and all parts do not fit.I ordered a new chip holder and it not even close.
Q:
Using my own meat thermometer, is it okay to loop the cords through the top vent?
Answer: It will decrease the temperature as the heat escapes. In the summer this will not be as important. Depending on how long you have had the smoker, it will die before winter anyway. The cheaply made smoker will die after you have had it for under 18 months, but over the 12 months so that the warranty runs out. Customer NO Service (through email only) will reply to you saying you can BUY a replacement control panel. Enjoy using your smoker for the 10 to 15 times most people use it in this short period of time.
Answer: You can pull a meat probe through the air vent if desired.
Q:
Where is my order? Ordered this smoker on July 15.
Answer: either your credit did not go thru or never ordered properly it is Nov why on earth would you wait this long?
Q:
What is the difference between this model and the older one 20070910: http://amzn.to/2n4tG07 ?
Q:
How reliable in general is Masterbuilt? I bought one , despite a bad reputation. Mine failed after 5 months, and the manufacturer refused to remedy.
Answer: I had an older generation one for about 10 years and used 1or 2 times a month. When it finally crapped out got another.
Answer: we have only used ours once and it worked great
Q:
I am making salami and need to hang tubes is there a way to do this
Answer: We would recommend a sausage hanger in our accessory kit, 20100914.
Answer: There is nothing in the smoker to attach to. Only to lay on the racks
Q:
at 225 it will not make smoke what can i do/
Answer: I've had the same problem. I turn it up to 275 for 5-15 minutes to get the smoke going again, then back down to 225. On a long smoke I might have to do this 6-10 times. It's frustrating but, it's all I've found to overcome the "no-smoke" situation.
Answer: I get smoke at 225 with no problem. Makes sure your vent is at least partially open. If no air is moving inside the smoker, there wood chips won't smolder. I also made a mistake one time by not making sure the wood chips had been "dumped" in the chip tray. I added chips to the loading tray, but I forgot to turn it to get the chips to drop into the chip tray inside the smoker.
Answer: I just got it recently and smoked one brisket. Not a lot of smoke at 225, but the brisket came out perfect and had a strong smoky flavor.
Answer: Open the vent at the top and make sure your wood is "chips" NOT "chunks".
Answer: Try dry wood chips in the beginning, while brining your smoker to temp.
Answer: Send it back like I did
Q:
Does the digital feature keep the temperature in the smoker constantly within the target range?
Answer: yes it does. I had never bothered with thermometer before but do now....very spot on with digital feature. we have used this smoker for just about anything we could think to try. have not used our gas grill but twice since purchasing the smoker. all our friends have been quite impressed with food we have served from it. mary w
Answer: For me, it keeps the temperature fairly constant but it gets "off" when I open the door and then it takes time to get the temperature back to the setting. When it's really a windy day, it tries its best to keep the temperature constant. I really do like the machine; it's convenient and does a good job for me.
Answer: Yes. It keeps the temp at a constant, within a few degrees.
Answer: It was a gift so I don't know the answer............
Answer: Yes.
Q:
I can’t get the chips to smoke. i set the temp to 225 degrees. i soaked them for a while. what am i doing wrong?
Answer: 1st don't soak the chips. I found that if you push the chip tray all of the way in to the stops it actually raises the tray about 1/8". Pull the chip tray back about 1/2" and it will sit closer to the burner. Also I like to add the chips right at the beginning to get some smoldering. The temperature setting shouldn't matter as the burner is either on or off. The burner will be the same temperature wether you set it at 250 or 200 degrees, only the duration it is on/off will change.
Answer: I have the same problem this smoker sucks they say it smokes better at 240 deg or higher which sucks I do not soak the chips them try apple chips they a bit softer. The smoke tray is to small and sits up above heating element. I will not buy this product again or recommend it
Answer: First off soaking chips doesn't help them smoke. Sometimes it may appear so as the water in them turns to steam. Unless you want to steam your food do not use water on your wood
Answer: Guy, I don't soak the chips. After reading many and several barbeque/smoker cookbooks and perusing several online website forums from members, most of them recommend not soaking the chips when using an electric smoker (or for that matter, when grilling on a gas grill). I just preheat the smoker to 225F and then add the chips. I wait until I can smell/see smoke, and then I start cooking. You'll need to replenish the smoker box a little more often, but that's a minor issue.
Answer: I let the chips soak in water the night before. I usually put the chips in a ziplock bag and cover with water. Just drain prior to using. This has always worked for me.
Answer: Guy- I removed the screw that holds the wire that supports the chip pan. I then found a small frying pan that fits in the opening and rests on the heating element. It works great! U get all the smoke u want. Jack Schneider. P S- I asked the Masterbuilt person if the pan resting on the burner would cause any problems. The answer was "no". Good luck
Answer: I have used an electric for a few years. I've never been happy with the smoke production. I use the electric to maintain heat and I use the pellet tube (Amazon Best seller, under $15) and pellets to produce smoke. It has been a great combo thus far.
Answer: Make sure chips are getting in smoke pan, damp chips might not dumpoperly
Answer: I don't soak the chips, they just get water logged and don't smoke for me either.
Answer: Your heating element may be bad.
Q:
is this a good smoker?
Answer: I love this smoker. Easy to put together. Easy to use and clean. I bought 2 more as gifts after my first purchase.
Answer: Yes I use mine all the time holds the heat well! I did get a cold smoker for the side so I don’t have to keep adding chips!
Answer: I'm happy with it. I've never used a smoker before, I picked this up because I started making sausage and wanted to be able to smoke them and it does a fine job. Don't overcrowd it and smoke things slow. It seemed to be the highest rated smoker in its class.
Answer: Yes
Q:
What size woods chips work best in this smoker?
Answer: You should use small chips. It is not designed for large wood chunks or wood pellets. You can buy the wood chips from Amazon.
Answer: Standard approximately 1" chips.
Answer: Never got to use it. Had two of them and neither one worked. Sent them both back.
Q:
Why does the picture show 4 shelves . It only comes with three?
Answer: The unit is offered at multiple retailers and has a as featured items that will include an extra rack.
Product reviews of Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black
"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.
Jean S. : Liked the first that I purchased. Not sure on the second one yet.
This is the second Masterbuilt smoker that we have purchased. We have only used it twice and it is stored under cover. The timer/thermostats control has quit working. I have until January 31 to return, unless you can send me a replacement for the thermostat.
Mike Retz : Temp control is off, no smoke!
This was my first electric smoker and it had been great. It is very easy to assemble (only a few screws that are included) and use. There are 2 minor issues. The first is the temperature control. The thermostat is cheap and will put you with in 10-15 degrees of your desired temp. You will have to keep an eye on the temp and move up or down based on the thermostat reading.
My second issue is that it produces very little smoke at temps below 200. This is due to a thick wood chip pan. The only fix for this is to cut the wood chips very small, or make a chip pan out of aluminum foil and place directly on the heater.
Over all the issues are minimal for this entry level smoker. I would upgrade In the future, but this was a perfect start to a long smoking career.
My second issue is that it produces very little smoke at temps below 200. This is due to a thick wood chip pan. The only fix for this is to cut the wood chips very small, or make a chip pan out of aluminum foil and place directly on the heater.
Over all the issues are minimal for this entry level smoker. I would upgrade In the future, but this was a perfect start to a long smoking career.
Amazon Customer : 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.
Rick : This is a great smoker for the money -- even a bit more ...
This is a great smoker for the money -- even a bit more money. The only reason I gave it 3 stars if because nowhere does it let the user know that it doesn't really generate smoke below 180-200 degrees. So if you're doing sticks, or salmon or a slow roast brisket, you need to always spike the temperature, generate smoke and then turn it back down. If you want a first rate smoke experience, get the cold smoke generator with it. It costs $60 more but you'll have a 5-star smoker for a great price price. If you plan on smoking above 200 degrees, this is a great unit all by itself.
Katie O. : Works great
My husband the BBQ chef says it works just fine. People that wrote bad reviews probably don't have much smoker experience. There are certain things involved. Don't open vent all the way. Clean after use and store covered in the garage. Do not leave outside in the open. Take care of it and it should last . My only complaint is it arrived with a small dent and a scratch but I am picky and my husband says he doesn't care about the look, just the taste, and the meat was delicious. He did ribs and two chickens. We also did pork butt. Not room for all that at once so the pork was in all night and then moved to our oven and then two racks of ribs and two chickens were able to go in next. He makes his own dry rub and the smell throughout the neighborhood I'm sure all the neighbors were jealous, lol.
WJ from Utah : Solving my temperature control issue is critical
I purchased this smoker on the advice of a friend and on Amazon Reviews. I have used it three times in 1.5 months (it is winter in Utah). I have a lot of positive things to say in terms of overall quality and will list them after I discuss the issue I find most critical.
If Masterbuilt resolves the temperature control issue, I will update this review and it will go to a Five Star rating. They do not offer phone support and their website definitely needs help. After you register your unit, you have to enter the same extensive and detailed information again when you want to get support for a problem.
The Masterbuilt Temperature Controler is a nice feature if it was reasonably accurate. It allows one to set the time of operation and the temperature that you want to smoke at. However, my unit indicates a temperature that is about 15F lower than the actual temperature using a digital thermometer that has been calibrated in ice water (32F) and boiling water temperature at my altitude (200.5F at 6320 ft elevation). Fortunately, I determined this temperature controller error before I ruined my first prime rib. This controller also has a very big temperature swing around the setpoint about 15 F above and below.
The mechanical design is very nice. Lots of racks (4) inside although I only use one so far. The door seals tight. The wood chip tray holds a lot of chips. The water tray is large and will hold more liquids than I will probably ever need. There are two design features that allow grease to be trapped. The wood chip loader works well and allows wood chip addition without opening the door. The "Fit and Finish" is excellent and I expect I will get many years of service once the temperature issue is resolved. I do keep it covered when not in use.
Updated Review after No Customer Support from Masterbuilt
A month ago, I wrote an email to Masterbuilt about a problem with my smoker. I have not heard anything back from Masterbuilt. My problem with your temperature controller has only gotten worse. In the beginning, the controller would show an error of about 15 F below the temperature shown on a calibrated digital thermometer. Furthermore, the temperature swing of about 10 to 12 F seems unreasonably large.
Now, yesterday while trying to smoke chicken, the Masterbuilt controller was shutting off the heating element about 60 F below the set temperature of 265F. It would only heat to about 205 F and then shut off. It turned on again at about 195. At this low temperature, my chicken breasts were only at 145 F after three hours. I had to remove it from the smoker and finish cooking in my oven.
This is unacceptable performance. If the temperature controller worked properly, I would consider the smoker a “5-star” unit. Given the above problems, it doesn’t deserve 1-star.
I hope someone in Masterbuilt who cares about such poor performance will contact me with a solution.
If Masterbuilt resolves the temperature control issue, I will update this review and it will go to a Five Star rating. They do not offer phone support and their website definitely needs help. After you register your unit, you have to enter the same extensive and detailed information again when you want to get support for a problem.
The Masterbuilt Temperature Controler is a nice feature if it was reasonably accurate. It allows one to set the time of operation and the temperature that you want to smoke at. However, my unit indicates a temperature that is about 15F lower than the actual temperature using a digital thermometer that has been calibrated in ice water (32F) and boiling water temperature at my altitude (200.5F at 6320 ft elevation). Fortunately, I determined this temperature controller error before I ruined my first prime rib. This controller also has a very big temperature swing around the setpoint about 15 F above and below.
The mechanical design is very nice. Lots of racks (4) inside although I only use one so far. The door seals tight. The wood chip tray holds a lot of chips. The water tray is large and will hold more liquids than I will probably ever need. There are two design features that allow grease to be trapped. The wood chip loader works well and allows wood chip addition without opening the door. The "Fit and Finish" is excellent and I expect I will get many years of service once the temperature issue is resolved. I do keep it covered when not in use.
Updated Review after No Customer Support from Masterbuilt
A month ago, I wrote an email to Masterbuilt about a problem with my smoker. I have not heard anything back from Masterbuilt. My problem with your temperature controller has only gotten worse. In the beginning, the controller would show an error of about 15 F below the temperature shown on a calibrated digital thermometer. Furthermore, the temperature swing of about 10 to 12 F seems unreasonably large.
Now, yesterday while trying to smoke chicken, the Masterbuilt controller was shutting off the heating element about 60 F below the set temperature of 265F. It would only heat to about 205 F and then shut off. It turned on again at about 195. At this low temperature, my chicken breasts were only at 145 F after three hours. I had to remove it from the smoker and finish cooking in my oven.
This is unacceptable performance. If the temperature controller worked properly, I would consider the smoker a “5-star” unit. Given the above problems, it doesn’t deserve 1-star.
I hope someone in Masterbuilt who cares about such poor performance will contact me with a solution.
KK321 : Digital controls quit working unless than 3 mo
Update: I have lowered my rating from 4 to 1 star because today the digital controls stopped working, less than 3 months since buying it. It has been kept on the deck, under a tarp, under a cover, under an umbrella. I feel that moving it indoors to protect it from the elements is unacceptable for an outdoor cooking device.
I bought this for my husband for Father’s Day 2020, so we have had it less than 2 months. I have been very happy with the smoker itself. It is our first electric smoker experience and I have found it to be much easier than anticipated.
The 4 star rating is because the LED display is already fading, which makes me wonder if the timer and temperature control will be soon to follow. We have used it weekly and have kept it on our deck with a cover and under an umbrella. I feel that moisture from rain and humidity is likely the problem, but I also feel that for an outdoor product that it’s a design flaw. I’m pretty annoyed. We’ll see if it’s something that impacts function, in which case my rating would be lower.
I bought this for my husband for Father’s Day 2020, so we have had it less than 2 months. I have been very happy with the smoker itself. It is our first electric smoker experience and I have found it to be much easier than anticipated.
The 4 star rating is because the LED display is already fading, which makes me wonder if the timer and temperature control will be soon to follow. We have used it weekly and have kept it on our deck with a cover and under an umbrella. I feel that moisture from rain and humidity is likely the problem, but I also feel that for an outdoor product that it’s a design flaw. I’m pretty annoyed. We’ll see if it’s something that impacts function, in which case my rating would be lower.
DTownsend : Belongs on the island of misfit smokers...
... it's the smoker that will not smoke!! Let me explain.
I purchased this same smoker more than five years ago and absolutely LOVED it. Great price, easy to use and nearly hands off. I was hooked and I smoked everything I could think of. As with most things purchased these days, eventually they wear out and need replaced.
Now, I could have gone with a more expensive make and model or from another manufacturer but I believe in customer loyalty and ordered the same smoker I purchased before. What a mistake that was!
In the past few year the company had re-engineered the heating element, wood tray, liquid tray and a few other things. The first thing I noticed was the cheap aluminum parts replacing the thicker, stronger metals found in my original unit. The second thing I noticed was the smaller wood bin where the chips are placed. DIsappointed but hopeful I ran a two-hour "seasoning" burn. No worries there. Now to put it to the test: a 7lb pork shoulder at 225 degs for 13 hours.
The smoker WILL NOT SMOKE! Sure, the initial burn takes place but reloading through the hopper scores zero additional smoke!! When I investigated the reason for this issue, I found about 50% of the original chips charred, the additional chips sitting on top of the originals and nothing smoking.
"Hey, man. You're doing it wrong". No I'm not. Remember, I had the same smoke for years without this issue!! So, what I'm left with is a $200 outdoor oven and nothing more.
The problem is the packaging has been thrown away and no way to return it for my money back!! This was another expensive lesson in corporate greed. "Let's cut corners, reduce the quality of the product and sell at a higher price for a larger profit margin!"
BUYER BEWARE!! DO NOT PURCHASE!!
I purchased this same smoker more than five years ago and absolutely LOVED it. Great price, easy to use and nearly hands off. I was hooked and I smoked everything I could think of. As with most things purchased these days, eventually they wear out and need replaced.
Now, I could have gone with a more expensive make and model or from another manufacturer but I believe in customer loyalty and ordered the same smoker I purchased before. What a mistake that was!
In the past few year the company had re-engineered the heating element, wood tray, liquid tray and a few other things. The first thing I noticed was the cheap aluminum parts replacing the thicker, stronger metals found in my original unit. The second thing I noticed was the smaller wood bin where the chips are placed. DIsappointed but hopeful I ran a two-hour "seasoning" burn. No worries there. Now to put it to the test: a 7lb pork shoulder at 225 degs for 13 hours.
The smoker WILL NOT SMOKE! Sure, the initial burn takes place but reloading through the hopper scores zero additional smoke!! When I investigated the reason for this issue, I found about 50% of the original chips charred, the additional chips sitting on top of the originals and nothing smoking.
"Hey, man. You're doing it wrong". No I'm not. Remember, I had the same smoke for years without this issue!! So, what I'm left with is a $200 outdoor oven and nothing more.
The problem is the packaging has been thrown away and no way to return it for my money back!! This was another expensive lesson in corporate greed. "Let's cut corners, reduce the quality of the product and sell at a higher price for a larger profit margin!"
BUYER BEWARE!! DO NOT PURCHASE!!
DJRF16 : Great smoker, but had a manufacturing defect
I am a novice when it comes to using a smoker and this is my first purchase of a smoker. The smoker arrived on time, undamaged, and was easy to setup for use. I seasoned it as directed in their manual. I have since used it twice, running a total of about 8 hours at 225 deg (food was spectacular!). After the first use I noticed some bubbling of the black paint on the inside door rim of the smoker. After the second use the paint bubbling was about 100% around the rim and it had started to peel. So with a scrub brush I scraped all the paint away and cleaned the flakes from the inside of the smoker. I contacted Masterbuilt customer support about this issue and received a quick response. They said I probably didn't clean it good enough and the accumulated grease allowed the internal temperature to bubble the paint. That answer makes no sense because it bubbled on the first use when the smoker was "factory" clean. They also told me to finish ensuring all the paint was removed and to buy a heat resistant paint at a local supplier and re-paint the now bare metal of my door rim. So they didn't seem to feel it was a manufacturing defect nor did they have any obligation to ensure I was a satisfied customer. I will keep the smoker and repaint as suggested. I will also keep my fingers crossed that I have no further issues because I have no confidence Masterbuilt will support this product.
Steve : A simple, solid smoker that does the job
I have purchased this smoker twice. The first one ran great for 3 years, but finally the heating element burned out. It's now in my garage awaiting warm weather so I can install the replacement element that I ordered online and will serve as a backup when the heating element burns out in my current smoker. The elements will burn out after a time, particularly when you use a smoker as often as I do (3 or 4 times a week year-round).
Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.
Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.
Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.
Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.
Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:
(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.
(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.
A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.
Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.
The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.
Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.
Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.
Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.
Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.
Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:
(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.
(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.
A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.
Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.
The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.
WyomingTeacher : Happy
I dont give many 5 star reviews- this one made me think for a bit. You see I always see room for improvement and dont give 5 stars because there is always something.
However- I knew what I was getting when I bought this. I know it was an electric smoker and it is really a “manual” smoker. Lets face it, its an outdoor oven with smoker tray and vent.
Pros: It is lightweight, assembles easily, plugs in and works first time, produces smoke (with right chips), heats well, display easy to read, controls are self explanatory, lots of room with 4 racks, adjustable feet, latching door, water bowl, grease trap and - well it works with minimal effort
Cons: it is lightweight, you are suppose to use wood chips not pellets or chunks, digital display moves one degree at a time when setting, temperature fluctuates at about 15-20 degree difference as it heats and cools, lots of pieces to clean between uses, the wood chip tray is small, and for smoking you have to add more wood chips as you go a manually.
The results: if you know you arent getting wifi or blue tooth enabled temp, or auger/power pellet feeder, then you wont be dissapointed. You open the box, remove the packing and wraps. You skide in 4 racks, a water tray, a grease tray, a chip pan, a chip feeder, and exterior grease pan, hind legs, front legs and then screw in (2 phillips head screws) the display (plug and play) and it is ready.
I bought a blanket for smoking in the winter and $15 dollar cover that wont make the first wind storm. They fit great. You need to plug it in first and season it by letting it run at 225 for a few hours and then ending with smoke chips. I did that day one.
Day two I covered a rack in foil. I places two wild trout filets on that rack. On the other two racks I placed one home made venison brat (jal/ched for you enthusiasts) on each rack. I set it at 225 and added mesquite chips soaked in water. I set the timer for 4 hours, knowing I didnt need that long.
I pulled the fish out after about an hour and 45 minutes. Its ok. While I did add water, the mesquite doesnt pair well and the fish is a little dry.
The Brats took a bit longer to get to 160, about 3 hours. I flipped them when I took the fish out. They absorbed the awesome smoke flavor- and created such a savory flavor I will never cook my home made brats differently.
The racks need pulled out and washed. The interior had some grease splashes that once is cooled will be wiped down. The door as well. All removable trays and pans have to be pulled and washed between, as they will catch grease and drips.
I am glad i purchased this- lots of tasty treats coming soon.
However- I knew what I was getting when I bought this. I know it was an electric smoker and it is really a “manual” smoker. Lets face it, its an outdoor oven with smoker tray and vent.
Pros: It is lightweight, assembles easily, plugs in and works first time, produces smoke (with right chips), heats well, display easy to read, controls are self explanatory, lots of room with 4 racks, adjustable feet, latching door, water bowl, grease trap and - well it works with minimal effort
Cons: it is lightweight, you are suppose to use wood chips not pellets or chunks, digital display moves one degree at a time when setting, temperature fluctuates at about 15-20 degree difference as it heats and cools, lots of pieces to clean between uses, the wood chip tray is small, and for smoking you have to add more wood chips as you go a manually.
The results: if you know you arent getting wifi or blue tooth enabled temp, or auger/power pellet feeder, then you wont be dissapointed. You open the box, remove the packing and wraps. You skide in 4 racks, a water tray, a grease tray, a chip pan, a chip feeder, and exterior grease pan, hind legs, front legs and then screw in (2 phillips head screws) the display (plug and play) and it is ready.
I bought a blanket for smoking in the winter and $15 dollar cover that wont make the first wind storm. They fit great. You need to plug it in first and season it by letting it run at 225 for a few hours and then ending with smoke chips. I did that day one.
Day two I covered a rack in foil. I places two wild trout filets on that rack. On the other two racks I placed one home made venison brat (jal/ched for you enthusiasts) on each rack. I set it at 225 and added mesquite chips soaked in water. I set the timer for 4 hours, knowing I didnt need that long.
I pulled the fish out after about an hour and 45 minutes. Its ok. While I did add water, the mesquite doesnt pair well and the fish is a little dry.
The Brats took a bit longer to get to 160, about 3 hours. I flipped them when I took the fish out. They absorbed the awesome smoke flavor- and created such a savory flavor I will never cook my home made brats differently.
The racks need pulled out and washed. The interior had some grease splashes that once is cooled will be wiped down. The door as well. All removable trays and pans have to be pulled and washed between, as they will catch grease and drips.
I am glad i purchased this- lots of tasty treats coming soon.
Blue : Arrived broken. Buyer beware.
The thermometer gauge didn’t work. It read 66’ when in fact the inside was 330’. Ruined a batch of ribs. Manufacturer only offered to replace that part. The part was on backorder for months. They wouldn’t extend the warranty. After a dozen annoying emails and a 20 minute phone call to Amazon I got them to issue a refund. But first they *accidentally* sent a replacement that I had to also send back. Then they said they wouldn’t issue my refund til they got the return. I’m beyond frustrated. Oh, and you can only use wood chips that are about 1”. Most of the bagged chips have pieces that are too big for the little chip drawers, and you can’t use pellets with this model. I don’t have a tiny axe.
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.
trophygirl : How to get more consistent smoke.
So, I was having trouble getting a consistent amount of smoke, or even any smoke at temps below 250. I would have to replace my chips every 30 to 40 minutes. Oddly, the chips had stopped smoking, but were still intact and only slightly charred. I was pretty frustrated. So, I looked for ways to fix this. Fortunately, I came across this handy little add on item for under $5 (at the time).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001B50B2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I removed the chip tray and the wire bracket for the chip tray. The bracket is simple to remove requiring you to unscrew one screw at the front. I can now place the little cast iron smoker box directly onto the heating element. I fill up the smoker box with chips and the smoke is consistent and lasts for hours. I can get consistent smoke even at 200 degrees. It produces a nice clear smoke, too. The spent chips are nearly ash and have clearly been utilized to their full potential.
You do have to pull the smoker box out with heat resistant gloves if you want to add more chips. So, you do lose the convenience of the chip loader, but I'm fine with that since I'm adding chips much less frequently (every 3 to 4 hours instead of 30 to 40 minutes).
Disclaimer: This is simply my method of solving a problem. I don't know if the manufacturer recommends this or not, but it works much better than using the included chip tray.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001B50B2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I removed the chip tray and the wire bracket for the chip tray. The bracket is simple to remove requiring you to unscrew one screw at the front. I can now place the little cast iron smoker box directly onto the heating element. I fill up the smoker box with chips and the smoke is consistent and lasts for hours. I can get consistent smoke even at 200 degrees. It produces a nice clear smoke, too. The spent chips are nearly ash and have clearly been utilized to their full potential.
You do have to pull the smoker box out with heat resistant gloves if you want to add more chips. So, you do lose the convenience of the chip loader, but I'm fine with that since I'm adding chips much less frequently (every 3 to 4 hours instead of 30 to 40 minutes).
Disclaimer: This is simply my method of solving a problem. I don't know if the manufacturer recommends this or not, but it works much better than using the included chip tray.
Jerry Pryor : Good but
This seems like a nice box, sufficiently insulated, nice water dish, exit damper, etc.
I have a perfectly good one just like it, almost, maybe the same maker, but I bought this one because of the digital heat control. Well that seems to work okay, but if you are outside; (where else would you smoke), it is nearly impossible to see the display. Perhaps if I were to smoke on some rainy cloudy day it would be visible, but I live in Florida. There's another annoying thing in that you must set a time limit before the thing will run; nothing about that in the buying info.
I think that when they designed the unit they had barbecuers in mind. I smoke sausages and Pastrami and that usually requires cold smoking often followed by regulated heat. So the chip tray and the clever chip loader were if no use to me. At low temps it won't make smoke. But it was a good location to adapt my cold smoke unit. By the way they do sell a cold smoke attachment however I was able to build my own for only two or three times what they wanted. Now if I weren't electronically disadvantaged I might fix the control and its display!
I have a perfectly good one just like it, almost, maybe the same maker, but I bought this one because of the digital heat control. Well that seems to work okay, but if you are outside; (where else would you smoke), it is nearly impossible to see the display. Perhaps if I were to smoke on some rainy cloudy day it would be visible, but I live in Florida. There's another annoying thing in that you must set a time limit before the thing will run; nothing about that in the buying info.
I think that when they designed the unit they had barbecuers in mind. I smoke sausages and Pastrami and that usually requires cold smoking often followed by regulated heat. So the chip tray and the clever chip loader were if no use to me. At low temps it won't make smoke. But it was a good location to adapt my cold smoke unit. By the way they do sell a cold smoke attachment however I was able to build my own for only two or three times what they wanted. Now if I weren't electronically disadvantaged I might fix the control and its display!
Robert P Carmean : Broken Latch, Timer/Temp & Low Smoke
I used it once and the latch fell apart. I went to Lowes and bought a toolbox latch and installed it. The surface area for the wood chip tray is very small. I needed to get the temperature to 250 to get any smoke. I have used Apple, Mesquite and Hickory. We all need a lower temp to get a good smoke. A larger smoke tray would do the trick. The temperature control and timer is almost impossible to read outside in the sunlight and it stopped working after 5 uses. With the money I spent on the smoker and the Masterbuilt stand that didn't fit until I modified it, I feel ripped off. I would look elsewhere for a better smoker.
WJ from Utah : Solving my temperature control issue is critical
I purchased this smoker on the advice of a friend and on Amazon Reviews. I have used it three times in 1.5 months (it is winter in Utah). I have a lot of positive things to say in terms of overall quality and will list them after I discuss the issue I find most critical.
If Masterbuilt resolves the temperature control issue, I will update this review and it will go to a Five Star rating. They do not offer phone support and their website definitely needs help. After you register your unit, you have to enter the same extensive and detailed information again when you want to get support for a problem.
The Masterbuilt Temperature Controler is a nice feature if it was reasonably accurate. It allows one to set the time of operation and the temperature that you want to smoke at. However, my unit indicates a temperature that is about 15F lower than the actual temperature using a digital thermometer that has been calibrated in ice water (32F) and boiling water temperature at my altitude (200.5F at 6320 ft elevation). Fortunately, I determined this temperature controller error before I ruined my first prime rib. This controller also has a very big temperature swing around the setpoint about 15 F above and below.
The mechanical design is very nice. Lots of racks (4) inside although I only use one so far. The door seals tight. The wood chip tray holds a lot of chips. The water tray is large and will hold more liquids than I will probably ever need. There are two design features that allow grease to be trapped. The wood chip loader works well and allows wood chip addition without opening the door. The "Fit and Finish" is excellent and I expect I will get many years of service once the temperature issue is resolved. I do keep it covered when not in use.
Updated Review after No Customer Support from Masterbuilt
A month ago, I wrote an email to Masterbuilt about a problem with my smoker. I have not heard anything back from Masterbuilt. My problem with your temperature controller has only gotten worse. In the beginning, the controller would show an error of about 15 F below the temperature shown on a calibrated digital thermometer. Furthermore, the temperature swing of about 10 to 12 F seems unreasonably large.
Now, yesterday while trying to smoke chicken, the Masterbuilt controller was shutting off the heating element about 60 F below the set temperature of 265F. It would only heat to about 205 F and then shut off. It turned on again at about 195. At this low temperature, my chicken breasts were only at 145 F after three hours. I had to remove it from the smoker and finish cooking in my oven.
This is unacceptable performance. If the temperature controller worked properly, I would consider the smoker a “5-star” unit. Given the above problems, it doesn’t deserve 1-star.
I hope someone in Masterbuilt who cares about such poor performance will contact me with a solution.
If Masterbuilt resolves the temperature control issue, I will update this review and it will go to a Five Star rating. They do not offer phone support and their website definitely needs help. After you register your unit, you have to enter the same extensive and detailed information again when you want to get support for a problem.
The Masterbuilt Temperature Controler is a nice feature if it was reasonably accurate. It allows one to set the time of operation and the temperature that you want to smoke at. However, my unit indicates a temperature that is about 15F lower than the actual temperature using a digital thermometer that has been calibrated in ice water (32F) and boiling water temperature at my altitude (200.5F at 6320 ft elevation). Fortunately, I determined this temperature controller error before I ruined my first prime rib. This controller also has a very big temperature swing around the setpoint about 15 F above and below.
The mechanical design is very nice. Lots of racks (4) inside although I only use one so far. The door seals tight. The wood chip tray holds a lot of chips. The water tray is large and will hold more liquids than I will probably ever need. There are two design features that allow grease to be trapped. The wood chip loader works well and allows wood chip addition without opening the door. The "Fit and Finish" is excellent and I expect I will get many years of service once the temperature issue is resolved. I do keep it covered when not in use.
Updated Review after No Customer Support from Masterbuilt
A month ago, I wrote an email to Masterbuilt about a problem with my smoker. I have not heard anything back from Masterbuilt. My problem with your temperature controller has only gotten worse. In the beginning, the controller would show an error of about 15 F below the temperature shown on a calibrated digital thermometer. Furthermore, the temperature swing of about 10 to 12 F seems unreasonably large.
Now, yesterday while trying to smoke chicken, the Masterbuilt controller was shutting off the heating element about 60 F below the set temperature of 265F. It would only heat to about 205 F and then shut off. It turned on again at about 195. At this low temperature, my chicken breasts were only at 145 F after three hours. I had to remove it from the smoker and finish cooking in my oven.
This is unacceptable performance. If the temperature controller worked properly, I would consider the smoker a “5-star” unit. Given the above problems, it doesn’t deserve 1-star.
I hope someone in Masterbuilt who cares about such poor performance will contact me with a solution.
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.
If you read online reviews you will find this is a huge problem with these units causing a lot of frustration. Theres a problem in the basic components and/or assembly if you have this high rate of failure- Masterbuilt should investigate and put a program in place to eliminate this problem. I work for a technology manufacture and can tell you if we had half this rate of failure in our components our customers would stop doing business with us. I would definitely consider buying a different manufactures smoker if I had it to do over again; very, very disappointed in the quality of the product and Masterbuilts efforts to correct this problem with the manufacture.
Amy Starnes : Works great and easy to clean.
Works great. Temperature maintaines consistently and it produces a lot of smoke. I personally do not soak my wood chips and the smolder fine at the 225 degree mark. I add more chips every 2 hours during smoking. The door seals good and all you get is a steady stream of smoke out of the smoke vent. When I’m done I place all of my racks and drip pans in the dishwasher and wipe down the interior with a wet cloth.
fppilot : I'm not "smoking something", but then I am!
Very happy with this Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker. Was totally easy to unpack and to complete the minimal assembly. Have cured it and used it four times already. It holds a true and rock steady temperature, verified by a high quality cabled thermometer. Also easier to clean than I expected. I do line the bottom drip tray with HD aluminum foil. The racks and water pan have so far cleaned up much much easier than expected, Great product! Only issue I have faced is twice failing to recall that I must set both a temperature AND the timer to get the heating to start.
This smoker is also lightweight enough to move around easily if needed. The only improvement I would wish for is a clip high on the pack of the smoker to clip the electric cord to before covering the smoker. And by-the-way U highly recommend the nicer and zippered Shinestar smoker cover over the Masterbuilt cover. More durable and more convenient to put on and off.
This smoker is also lightweight enough to move around easily if needed. The only improvement I would wish for is a clip high on the pack of the smoker to clip the electric cord to before covering the smoker. And by-the-way U highly recommend the nicer and zippered Shinestar smoker cover over the Masterbuilt cover. More durable and more convenient to put on and off.
James W. Brown : It’s Great Until it Isn’t....Totally Unreliable
When it worked it was Great! I purchased this Smoker and the Water-Proof Cover on 6-27-17 and took delivery a few days later. I put the feet on, put it on my deck, plugged it in, read the manual (I really did), and started working out my future dinner plans. Smoked Ribs (yeah), Pork Butt (you betcha), Sausages, Corn, etc. etc. etc. I used the Smoker about 10 times over 16 months and Yum!! Is all I can say!! When it wasn’t in use it was sitting on my Deck, covered. In March 2019 we were having Friends over for dinner so Smoked ribs were on the menu!! I prepared the ribs, took the cover off the Smoker, put wood in the Smoke Tray, filled the Water Pan and turned the Smoker on. Well that last part was my intention anyway. The Smoker wouldn’t turn on and after checking cords, circuits, plugs, and the outward appearance of the Smoker, it still wouldn’t start. I didn’t have time to fool with it so I used my gas grill on indirect to cook the Ribs. They were not delicious!! Later that week I called Masterbuilt and here’s what I found out. 1. This is a VERY Common problem with their Smokers (they didn’t say that directly but you’ll understand how I know as you read on). 2. The Parts that go Bad are the Controller Board at the bottom of the Smoker where the cord goes in AND/OR the Digital Temperature and Timer Control on the top. Needless to say, these are what make this frickin’ thing desirable!! Anyway, 3. I asked, how can I tell which one is the problem? Simple, they said, buy one or the other, install it, and if your Smoker works; you’re good to go! Hilarious!!! OK!, 4. I’ll buy BOTH, How much are they? $125 BUT they didn’t have them “in stock”. WOW!! 5. When will they be available?? Are you ready for this.......? August 2019.....but wait; it gets better....the ones due in August are ALREADY PROMISED to other Customers so MY ORDER, likely, would not be filled untiL......wait for it....NOVEMBER 2019!! 6. I told them I would call them back. I paid, in round numbers, $200 for the unit and cover. I got 10 delicious meals out of it before the Board Rusted (yes I took it apart to see the problem) and the Control stopped working because the connectors were corroded. So, when I do the math, that’s $20/meal, which is slightly cheaper than eating out with my Wife but only if I stiff the waiter/waitress! These are the three (3) things you should takeaway from this assessment:
1. Don’t Buy this or any other Masterbuilt Electric Smoker!! They all use the same parts and their location on the Smoker and the poor quality gaskets sealing the parts from condensation will almost certainly guarantee your disappointment.
2. The replacement parts cost almost as much as the Smoker. And, you have to put them in!!
3. I would recommend getting the lowest tech electric Smoker made; one that will still hold the temperature but without the digital elements. I’ve seen a few of these that operate like an electric skillet. That’s what I will buy next.
Oh, before I let you go; you may be wondering why I gave it 1 Star!?! I did it because of the 10 Delicious Meals. Hope this helps. JB.
1. Don’t Buy this or any other Masterbuilt Electric Smoker!! They all use the same parts and their location on the Smoker and the poor quality gaskets sealing the parts from condensation will almost certainly guarantee your disappointment.
2. The replacement parts cost almost as much as the Smoker. And, you have to put them in!!
3. I would recommend getting the lowest tech electric Smoker made; one that will still hold the temperature but without the digital elements. I’ve seen a few of these that operate like an electric skillet. That’s what I will buy next.
Oh, before I let you go; you may be wondering why I gave it 1 Star!?! I did it because of the 10 Delicious Meals. Hope this helps. JB.
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.
WyomingTeacher : Happy
I dont give many 5 star reviews- this one made me think for a bit. You see I always see room for improvement and dont give 5 stars because there is always something.
However- I knew what I was getting when I bought this. I know it was an electric smoker and it is really a “manual” smoker. Lets face it, its an outdoor oven with smoker tray and vent.
Pros: It is lightweight, assembles easily, plugs in and works first time, produces smoke (with right chips), heats well, display easy to read, controls are self explanatory, lots of room with 4 racks, adjustable feet, latching door, water bowl, grease trap and - well it works with minimal effort
Cons: it is lightweight, you are suppose to use wood chips not pellets or chunks, digital display moves one degree at a time when setting, temperature fluctuates at about 15-20 degree difference as it heats and cools, lots of pieces to clean between uses, the wood chip tray is small, and for smoking you have to add more wood chips as you go a manually.
The results: if you know you arent getting wifi or blue tooth enabled temp, or auger/power pellet feeder, then you wont be dissapointed. You open the box, remove the packing and wraps. You skide in 4 racks, a water tray, a grease tray, a chip pan, a chip feeder, and exterior grease pan, hind legs, front legs and then screw in (2 phillips head screws) the display (plug and play) and it is ready.
I bought a blanket for smoking in the winter and $15 dollar cover that wont make the first wind storm. They fit great. You need to plug it in first and season it by letting it run at 225 for a few hours and then ending with smoke chips. I did that day one.
Day two I covered a rack in foil. I places two wild trout filets on that rack. On the other two racks I placed one home made venison brat (jal/ched for you enthusiasts) on each rack. I set it at 225 and added mesquite chips soaked in water. I set the timer for 4 hours, knowing I didnt need that long.
I pulled the fish out after about an hour and 45 minutes. Its ok. While I did add water, the mesquite doesnt pair well and the fish is a little dry.
The Brats took a bit longer to get to 160, about 3 hours. I flipped them when I took the fish out. They absorbed the awesome smoke flavor- and created such a savory flavor I will never cook my home made brats differently.
The racks need pulled out and washed. The interior had some grease splashes that once is cooled will be wiped down. The door as well. All removable trays and pans have to be pulled and washed between, as they will catch grease and drips.
I am glad i purchased this- lots of tasty treats coming soon.
However- I knew what I was getting when I bought this. I know it was an electric smoker and it is really a “manual” smoker. Lets face it, its an outdoor oven with smoker tray and vent.
Pros: It is lightweight, assembles easily, plugs in and works first time, produces smoke (with right chips), heats well, display easy to read, controls are self explanatory, lots of room with 4 racks, adjustable feet, latching door, water bowl, grease trap and - well it works with minimal effort
Cons: it is lightweight, you are suppose to use wood chips not pellets or chunks, digital display moves one degree at a time when setting, temperature fluctuates at about 15-20 degree difference as it heats and cools, lots of pieces to clean between uses, the wood chip tray is small, and for smoking you have to add more wood chips as you go a manually.
The results: if you know you arent getting wifi or blue tooth enabled temp, or auger/power pellet feeder, then you wont be dissapointed. You open the box, remove the packing and wraps. You skide in 4 racks, a water tray, a grease tray, a chip pan, a chip feeder, and exterior grease pan, hind legs, front legs and then screw in (2 phillips head screws) the display (plug and play) and it is ready.
I bought a blanket for smoking in the winter and $15 dollar cover that wont make the first wind storm. They fit great. You need to plug it in first and season it by letting it run at 225 for a few hours and then ending with smoke chips. I did that day one.
Day two I covered a rack in foil. I places two wild trout filets on that rack. On the other two racks I placed one home made venison brat (jal/ched for you enthusiasts) on each rack. I set it at 225 and added mesquite chips soaked in water. I set the timer for 4 hours, knowing I didnt need that long.
I pulled the fish out after about an hour and 45 minutes. Its ok. While I did add water, the mesquite doesnt pair well and the fish is a little dry.
The Brats took a bit longer to get to 160, about 3 hours. I flipped them when I took the fish out. They absorbed the awesome smoke flavor- and created such a savory flavor I will never cook my home made brats differently.
The racks need pulled out and washed. The interior had some grease splashes that once is cooled will be wiped down. The door as well. All removable trays and pans have to be pulled and washed between, as they will catch grease and drips.
I am glad i purchased this- lots of tasty treats coming soon.
Peterr : Seems to be working great!
I bought this a few months ago and have been pleasantly surprised - especially since there were so many critical reviews. I got tired of over thinking it and took the plunge and ordered this - had been thinking about smoking for quite some time - so many options.... I chose this because of the digital temp control and price. It's my first smoker.
I like that it's not wood fueled - I can can leave it plugged in and not dork around with it hourly after the first few hours....
I got a remote digital thermometer to monitor the food and air temp - seems to be pretty spot on.
We're in Minnesota, so we'll so how it does during the colder months...
The front door latch seems a little mediocre on quality, but it works...
I like that it's not wood fueled - I can can leave it plugged in and not dork around with it hourly after the first few hours....
I got a remote digital thermometer to monitor the food and air temp - seems to be pretty spot on.
We're in Minnesota, so we'll so how it does during the colder months...
The front door latch seems a little mediocre on quality, but it works...
RTH : Excellent smoker and easy to use
This is my 3 smoker all same brand. 2nd this size. I've had the next size bigger too.
The digital read out is straight forward and easy to use set temp and time and it starts.
The last one the digital part has a few lines go out which made it hard to read but still worked. I tend to wear these smokers out.
Even this small one you can put a lot of meat in. Upwards to 20-30 lbs. I've smoked beef,fish,turkey,ham and mule deer.
Just FYI when outside temps is down below 30 degrees it will take slot longer. I just did a 11 lb ham and it took a good 8 hours at 235 degrees and outside temp was 20 degrees. Great ham tho.
The digital read out is straight forward and easy to use set temp and time and it starts.
The last one the digital part has a few lines go out which made it hard to read but still worked. I tend to wear these smokers out.
Even this small one you can put a lot of meat in. Upwards to 20-30 lbs. I've smoked beef,fish,turkey,ham and mule deer.
Just FYI when outside temps is down below 30 degrees it will take slot longer. I just did a 11 lb ham and it took a good 8 hours at 235 degrees and outside temp was 20 degrees. Great ham tho.
Paul K : Fantastic results for a 1st time smoked foods cook!!!
I have had this now for 2 weeks. Impressed right away with build quality, locking door seal, good heat insulation, and side port for adding chips without opening the door (and losing heat).
We have so far smoked a whole chicken (split in half no brine), pork spareribs (not baby back, but full ribs), and a Pork Butt (shoulder). Also some vegetables like Eggplant.
It is fantastic and the chicken and ribs came out perfectly and looked like from a competition with the perfect color and juiciness. We used hand made rubs from recipes and it was amazing.
The pork shoulder pulled-pork came out great (excellent bark, perfect flavor and texture) but took too long, but that appears to be from my getting a thick cut butt vs. the normal separated top from plate and also not letting it warm up after the fridge with brine - so the center took much longer to reach 195F.
Also, I smoked the pork at 210F as the recipe state, but that meant the chips would not always smoke since the day was warm and the heating element almost never came on (these are well insulated). Masterbuilt responded to my inquiry with some good suggestions/options. So, that is something people should be aware of when using the lower temps - you can turn up the heat for 5 minutes when you add more chips so they start smoking, but it is more work. Their suggestion is to open it and empty the tray every so often so it (a) ensures the chips are touching the metal, and (b) cools a bit so that the element has to turn on to get them smoking.
I am getting their $50 side port cold smoker unit since I like that I do not have to add chips for 6 hours vs. every 45 minutes or so.
We have so far smoked a whole chicken (split in half no brine), pork spareribs (not baby back, but full ribs), and a Pork Butt (shoulder). Also some vegetables like Eggplant.
It is fantastic and the chicken and ribs came out perfectly and looked like from a competition with the perfect color and juiciness. We used hand made rubs from recipes and it was amazing.
The pork shoulder pulled-pork came out great (excellent bark, perfect flavor and texture) but took too long, but that appears to be from my getting a thick cut butt vs. the normal separated top from plate and also not letting it warm up after the fridge with brine - so the center took much longer to reach 195F.
Also, I smoked the pork at 210F as the recipe state, but that meant the chips would not always smoke since the day was warm and the heating element almost never came on (these are well insulated). Masterbuilt responded to my inquiry with some good suggestions/options. So, that is something people should be aware of when using the lower temps - you can turn up the heat for 5 minutes when you add more chips so they start smoking, but it is more work. Their suggestion is to open it and empty the tray every so often so it (a) ensures the chips are touching the metal, and (b) cools a bit so that the element has to turn on to get them smoking.
I am getting their $50 side port cold smoker unit since I like that I do not have to add chips for 6 hours vs. every 45 minutes or so.
Benjamin C. : Best electric smoker at this price point
I have had other electric smokers around this price point and this by far the best one out there. While the others couldn't come close to a gas smoker, this one actually does.
What you'll like:
- Your food will be tasty with the right amount of smoke taste. It disperses smoke better than any other I have tried.
- It's easy to add wood chips. You won't need to open the door and let smoke escape that can mess up your smoking. It has a side loader that makes it easy.
- It's got pretty good capacity. I can put a tri tip, whole chicken, veggies, and still have a bit more room for other stuff. For a family, it will have all the room you need.
- It has big water reservoir that you place under the bottom rack and the bonus is it will catch most of the drippings. You won't need to clean the bottom of the smoker as much as you would others.
- The digital panel makes smoking easier. Set it and forget it. No more worrying about setting the dial to the right place.
Highly recommended.
What you'll like:
- Your food will be tasty with the right amount of smoke taste. It disperses smoke better than any other I have tried.
- It's easy to add wood chips. You won't need to open the door and let smoke escape that can mess up your smoking. It has a side loader that makes it easy.
- It's got pretty good capacity. I can put a tri tip, whole chicken, veggies, and still have a bit more room for other stuff. For a family, it will have all the room you need.
- It has big water reservoir that you place under the bottom rack and the bonus is it will catch most of the drippings. You won't need to clean the bottom of the smoker as much as you would others.
- The digital panel makes smoking easier. Set it and forget it. No more worrying about setting the dial to the right place.
Highly recommended.
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.
Sam : Update: I "DO NOT" recommend
Previous review:
This is a great smoker. I saw many reviews referencing a lack of smoke. So I took out the woodchip tray bracket that comes pre-assembled and set the tray directly on the coils underneath the chip loader. Works like a charm. The only reason for 4-star was some of the craftsmanship. There were a couple loose screws on the inner metal liner. Nothing major, but I need to keep some sort of integrity to five-stars. I would absolutely recommend this product.
Robert Kleinschmidt : Defective Electronic controller out of the box... Masterbuilt unresponsive
Don’t buy this electric smoker if you actually want to use the digital components (and without the digital components the smoker is unusable)! I never leave reviews but felt compelled to warn others. After years of wanting a smoker and lots of research, my wife bought me this unit for my birthday. Based on other reviews, I knew that the electronic controller could go bad but I thought I might be able to use it for a year or two before having to hack the electronics. Turns out the electronics were giving an error code on first use out of the box and I was never able to use it. I set the temperature to 250, it got to temperature and then would give an error code and shut down. The unit would stay on if I cranked the heat all the way up and it would eventually get to 450 but that’s not really why you buy a smoker (this worked fine for the pre-use seasoning procedure).
After multiple attempts to contact Masterbuilt, I’ve received no response (their call centers are closed due to COVID - so only email support right now. They said they would respond within 5 days, I’m still waiting after multiple emails)... it’s clear they don’t back up their products. Just know that if you buy any Masterbuilt product that they do not care about the quality of their products or their customers. I had also purchased the Masterbuilt stand (and added wheels like another Amazon reviewer suggested) and the separate Masterbuilt cold smoke box. Since I had purchase so many other accessories, I didn’t want to waste time and money on returning the unit to the seller so I had to figure out how to make the most of what I had on hand.
I hope to enjoy this set up for years, but I will never buy another Masterbuilt product. With all of the hacks and work arounds I would have been better off buying a used “non-digital” electric smoker box and using that unit with the PID controller.
I added a couple of photos of my set up before adding the plug in PID controller and running a 3” dryer vent hose from the Cold smoke box to the smoker unit. I wish I listened to others warning so buyer be warned!
After multiple attempts to contact Masterbuilt, I’ve received no response (their call centers are closed due to COVID - so only email support right now. They said they would respond within 5 days, I’m still waiting after multiple emails)... it’s clear they don’t back up their products. Just know that if you buy any Masterbuilt product that they do not care about the quality of their products or their customers. I had also purchased the Masterbuilt stand (and added wheels like another Amazon reviewer suggested) and the separate Masterbuilt cold smoke box. Since I had purchase so many other accessories, I didn’t want to waste time and money on returning the unit to the seller so I had to figure out how to make the most of what I had on hand.
I hope to enjoy this set up for years, but I will never buy another Masterbuilt product. With all of the hacks and work arounds I would have been better off buying a used “non-digital” electric smoker box and using that unit with the PID controller.
I added a couple of photos of my set up before adding the plug in PID controller and running a 3” dryer vent hose from the Cold smoke box to the smoker unit. I wish I listened to others warning so buyer be warned!
Locutus65 : NOT sun resistent. Does make great smoke.
Set it up on our patio and started the seasoning process.
Our home gets a lot of sun, Houston sun. The patio gets full sun all morning.
After seasoning I see that the cover over the display and buttons is all curled up around the edges. Yes, the sun was hot but that should not have happened.
I was able to stick it back down but now the power button is 'iffy' to use.
Also, the control panel is actually coming apart. So far it still seems to be working but I'm contacting Masterbuilt hoping they will replace the control unit.
While seasoning it did make a good amount of smoke. Seems like it will work great just like the last one I had.
*Update 08/16. Last week I sent an email to Masterbuild support and today received a reply that they are replacing the control unit for me. Of course, they also recommended keeping the smoker in a covered area. I've already purchased a large beach umbrella to use while I'm using the smoker to keep direct sunlight off of it. I still think they should use a better cover and plastic for the control using that will hold up to sun.
Our home gets a lot of sun, Houston sun. The patio gets full sun all morning.
After seasoning I see that the cover over the display and buttons is all curled up around the edges. Yes, the sun was hot but that should not have happened.
I was able to stick it back down but now the power button is 'iffy' to use.
Also, the control panel is actually coming apart. So far it still seems to be working but I'm contacting Masterbuilt hoping they will replace the control unit.
While seasoning it did make a good amount of smoke. Seems like it will work great just like the last one I had.
*Update 08/16. Last week I sent an email to Masterbuild support and today received a reply that they are replacing the control unit for me. Of course, they also recommended keeping the smoker in a covered area. I've already purchased a large beach umbrella to use while I'm using the smoker to keep direct sunlight off of it. I still think they should use a better cover and plastic for the control using that will hold up to sun.
Robert Stallman : Do NOT BUY! Control Panel SUCKS!!!
Anon : Gets hot. How hot? Who knows? ...Updated
So got this on a Wednesday, set it up and pre-seasoned it, per instructions on Friday. Seemed to work properly.
Preheated it and threw in a couple racks of ribs, following all instructions and everything looked okay for an hour, set to 225. Then the displayed current temp dropped to 70 degrees. Pulled out the external thermometer I used on my gas grill and temp showed 207, verified with a thermopen.
Bumped up the set temp from 225 to 250, looking for an internal temp of 225. Got up into the 215 range. Increased set temp to 275, and internal temp reads 250 on Masterbuilt but 221 on Termopro external.
Reached out to Masterbuilt and got errors trying to submit a ticket, and their website says this is expected and not to submit more than one.
Seriously?
I'd prefer to get it fixed (control panel / thermostat shipped to replace) than return it. But if it can't even reach 225 degrees there are some serious issues.
I reached out to amazon first, they were helpful but encouraged getting a hold of Masterbuilt as I wanted it fixed and not deal with shipping it back. I will if Masterbuilt doesn't respond in the next 24 hours....
Update. Masterbuilt shipped new control unit and heating element. As it was heating bit displaying errant temps I only installed new control unit. New unit displays temp but consistently runs 20 degrees cooler than set temp. (Set to 240 will heat to ~220). I can work with that but I would encourage anyone purchasing this to invest in a dual probe external thermometer, one for the smoker, one for the food.
Update #2: The issue with displayed temp versus actual temp is because the smoker is poorly insulated. There is a solid 20-30 degree temperature difference across the volume of the smoker, left to right and top to bottom.
Ribs one rack per level for 4 levels will cook at wildly different rates, necessitating opening of the door and repositioning of the racks. I have smoked ribs 5 times on the smoker so it's not an isolated issue.
All 4 racks are not usable for cooking ribs because of the temperature variance across zones.
It has worked well on pork shoulder, pork belly, and chicken as long as you are using only 1 or 2 racks.
I'd discourage purchase of this unit if you're planning on smoking larger quantities of food.
Preheated it and threw in a couple racks of ribs, following all instructions and everything looked okay for an hour, set to 225. Then the displayed current temp dropped to 70 degrees. Pulled out the external thermometer I used on my gas grill and temp showed 207, verified with a thermopen.
Bumped up the set temp from 225 to 250, looking for an internal temp of 225. Got up into the 215 range. Increased set temp to 275, and internal temp reads 250 on Masterbuilt but 221 on Termopro external.
Reached out to Masterbuilt and got errors trying to submit a ticket, and their website says this is expected and not to submit more than one.
Seriously?
I'd prefer to get it fixed (control panel / thermostat shipped to replace) than return it. But if it can't even reach 225 degrees there are some serious issues.
I reached out to amazon first, they were helpful but encouraged getting a hold of Masterbuilt as I wanted it fixed and not deal with shipping it back. I will if Masterbuilt doesn't respond in the next 24 hours....
Update. Masterbuilt shipped new control unit and heating element. As it was heating bit displaying errant temps I only installed new control unit. New unit displays temp but consistently runs 20 degrees cooler than set temp. (Set to 240 will heat to ~220). I can work with that but I would encourage anyone purchasing this to invest in a dual probe external thermometer, one for the smoker, one for the food.
Update #2: The issue with displayed temp versus actual temp is because the smoker is poorly insulated. There is a solid 20-30 degree temperature difference across the volume of the smoker, left to right and top to bottom.
Ribs one rack per level for 4 levels will cook at wildly different rates, necessitating opening of the door and repositioning of the racks. I have smoked ribs 5 times on the smoker so it's not an isolated issue.
All 4 racks are not usable for cooking ribs because of the temperature variance across zones.
It has worked well on pork shoulder, pork belly, and chicken as long as you are using only 1 or 2 racks.
I'd discourage purchase of this unit if you're planning on smoking larger quantities of food.
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.
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.
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.
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).
DJRF16 : Great smoker, but had a manufacturing defect
I am a novice when it comes to using a smoker and this is my first purchase of a smoker. The smoker arrived on time, undamaged, and was easy to setup for use. I seasoned it as directed in their manual. I have since used it twice, running a total of about 8 hours at 225 deg (food was spectacular!). After the first use I noticed some bubbling of the black paint on the inside door rim of the smoker. After the second use the paint bubbling was about 100% around the rim and it had started to peel. So with a scrub brush I scraped all the paint away and cleaned the flakes from the inside of the smoker. I contacted Masterbuilt customer support about this issue and received a quick response. They said I probably didn't clean it good enough and the accumulated grease allowed the internal temperature to bubble the paint. That answer makes no sense because it bubbled on the first use when the smoker was "factory" clean. They also told me to finish ensuring all the paint was removed and to buy a heat resistant paint at a local supplier and re-paint the now bare metal of my door rim. So they didn't seem to feel it was a manufacturing defect nor did they have any obligation to ensure I was a satisfied customer. I will keep the smoker and repaint as suggested. I will also keep my fingers crossed that I have no further issues because I have no confidence Masterbuilt will support this product.
Steve : A simple, solid smoker that does the job
I have purchased this smoker twice. The first one ran great for 3 years, but finally the heating element burned out. It's now in my garage awaiting warm weather so I can install the replacement element that I ordered online and will serve as a backup when the heating element burns out in my current smoker. The elements will burn out after a time, particularly when you use a smoker as often as I do (3 or 4 times a week year-round).
Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.
Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.
Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.
Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.
Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:
(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.
(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.
A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.
Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.
The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.
Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.
Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.
Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.
Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.
Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:
(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.
(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.
A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.
Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.
The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.
trophygirl : How to get more consistent smoke.
So, I was having trouble getting a consistent amount of smoke, or even any smoke at temps below 250. I would have to replace my chips every 30 to 40 minutes. Oddly, the chips had stopped smoking, but were still intact and only slightly charred. I was pretty frustrated. So, I looked for ways to fix this. Fortunately, I came across this handy little add on item for under $5 (at the time).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001B50B2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I removed the chip tray and the wire bracket for the chip tray. The bracket is simple to remove requiring you to unscrew one screw at the front. I can now place the little cast iron smoker box directly onto the heating element. I fill up the smoker box with chips and the smoke is consistent and lasts for hours. I can get consistent smoke even at 200 degrees. It produces a nice clear smoke, too. The spent chips are nearly ash and have clearly been utilized to their full potential.
You do have to pull the smoker box out with heat resistant gloves if you want to add more chips. So, you do lose the convenience of the chip loader, but I'm fine with that since I'm adding chips much less frequently (every 3 to 4 hours instead of 30 to 40 minutes).
Disclaimer: This is simply my method of solving a problem. I don't know if the manufacturer recommends this or not, but it works much better than using the included chip tray.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001B50B2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I removed the chip tray and the wire bracket for the chip tray. The bracket is simple to remove requiring you to unscrew one screw at the front. I can now place the little cast iron smoker box directly onto the heating element. I fill up the smoker box with chips and the smoke is consistent and lasts for hours. I can get consistent smoke even at 200 degrees. It produces a nice clear smoke, too. The spent chips are nearly ash and have clearly been utilized to their full potential.
You do have to pull the smoker box out with heat resistant gloves if you want to add more chips. So, you do lose the convenience of the chip loader, but I'm fine with that since I'm adding chips much less frequently (every 3 to 4 hours instead of 30 to 40 minutes).
Disclaimer: This is simply my method of solving a problem. I don't know if the manufacturer recommends this or not, but it works much better than using the included chip tray.
Lauberge49 : A smoker that doesn't smoke??
This smoker is poorly designed and I feel that Masterbuilt "cheaped out" regarding some of the design elements. The tray that holds the wood chips is now very small and will not hold many chips. I was having trouble getting them to burn and create smoke due to the tiny tray. Masterbuilt Customer Service blamed it on the warm temperatures here in Texas, claiming that the heating element would not stay on enough to "burn" the chips. By opening the door and letting the temp drop below your setting each time you add chips, you can get a bit of smoke. I decided to remove the wood chip tray and the bracket that holds it. I now use a 7x 7 foil tray that holds lots of chips and covers more of the heating element surface. Voila! With this set-up, the chips smoke like crazy!
Mike Retz : Temp control is off, no smoke!
This was my first electric smoker and it had been great. It is very easy to assemble (only a few screws that are included) and use. There are 2 minor issues. The first is the temperature control. The thermostat is cheap and will put you with in 10-15 degrees of your desired temp. You will have to keep an eye on the temp and move up or down based on the thermostat reading.
My second issue is that it produces very little smoke at temps below 200. This is due to a thick wood chip pan. The only fix for this is to cut the wood chips very small, or make a chip pan out of aluminum foil and place directly on the heater.
Over all the issues are minimal for this entry level smoker. I would upgrade In the future, but this was a perfect start to a long smoking career.
My second issue is that it produces very little smoke at temps below 200. This is due to a thick wood chip pan. The only fix for this is to cut the wood chips very small, or make a chip pan out of aluminum foil and place directly on the heater.
Over all the issues are minimal for this entry level smoker. I would upgrade In the future, but this was a perfect start to a long smoking career.
1numsum : Nice Little Unit
It's so simple . I went out for lunch the other day and saw beef ribs on the menu and thought what the heck I'll give them a try . I know they were bbq'd ribs but they were awful and pricey to boot .After that I had to have me some good ribs . I researched and saw this little gem . It's a little pricey but what isn't nowadays . Amazon shipped it super fast .Got home from work that night , unboxed and assembled took about 15mins tops . Plugged it in and was ready to season . I ran it for 3 hours at 275 and man did it stink ! The last hour with the chips didn't really have consistent smoke , I was watching the whole time of coarse .I wanted a smoker not a warmer with a hint of smoke ,so I did a little search . I found out the burner is too far away from the chip try . There is a few mods out there but I found the easiest one is to remove chip tray rack and set tray directly on burner . You can position it so your chip tube will still work . After that I just played with the amount of chips I add and it works great . Temperature seems to be a couple degrees low but easy to adjust (it fluctuates like 10 degrees anyways). Display is tough to see in the day light but not that big of deal . Back to the ribs , I used my fav. dry rub and sauced it up the last hour and I'll tell you what they're some of the best ribs I've ever eaten . So simple .
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.
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.
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.
Joe G : Set it and forget it... After making one mod.
I have had my smoker for about a year now. I like the quality of this smoker. I store my smoker outside with a high quality canvas cover on it. One problem I ran into was the seal on the back side of the smoker where the power comes into it let moisture into the unit and would trip my GCFI outlet. I had to remove that cover and seal it with red RTV silicone.
After i made those mods, the unit has worked very well. I have made everything from Summer Sausage to bacon on it. The results have been satisfactory. I wouldn't put it up there with my large traditional smoke house, but it's very easy to use. You can set it and forget it.
I also do use an external thermometer/ monitor. The thermometer in the unit reads a little low.
After i made those mods, the unit has worked very well. I have made everything from Summer Sausage to bacon on it. The results have been satisfactory. I wouldn't put it up there with my large traditional smoke house, but it's very easy to use. You can set it and forget it.
I also do use an external thermometer/ monitor. The thermometer in the unit reads a little low.
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!
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!
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!
Joe : Works well,good buy at 140
I have had and used many smokers over th decades and this little one works well.
I seasoned it outside on 55 degree day with 15 mph wind and it got to 275 in 20 mins and then it veried from 255 to 280 not bad for conditions.
Today 60 degree in garage no wind. Got to temp in 15 and maintained well. The first fill of chips smoked for hour and 1 refill lasted 35 mins......i double filled the next time.
Flavor was spot on an as good as a real wood smoker.
I do use remote temp probes and did move trays to get meats in right temp zones......lower racks were hotter then top rack even tho heat rises. For me this works since i was doing beef, pork, and yardbird.
I did need to adjust door alignment before using but its no big thing, and after seasoned I tightened up the latch just a little.
For $140 its a great buy, i paid 180 on sale
for my brother's smoke hollow and it didn't work as well ( have to use a smoke tube )
I seasoned it outside on 55 degree day with 15 mph wind and it got to 275 in 20 mins and then it veried from 255 to 280 not bad for conditions.
Today 60 degree in garage no wind. Got to temp in 15 and maintained well. The first fill of chips smoked for hour and 1 refill lasted 35 mins......i double filled the next time.
Flavor was spot on an as good as a real wood smoker.
I do use remote temp probes and did move trays to get meats in right temp zones......lower racks were hotter then top rack even tho heat rises. For me this works since i was doing beef, pork, and yardbird.
I did need to adjust door alignment before using but its no big thing, and after seasoned I tightened up the latch just a little.
For $140 its a great buy, i paid 180 on sale
for my brother's smoke hollow and it didn't work as well ( have to use a smoke tube )
Roger A. Kuhl II : Rather ineffective by itself
The smoker holds temperature well and, if you get the temp up, it will smoke. BUT, it doesn't smoke well at all. The main problem really is two-fold. First, the unit seals so well that the heating element under the wood chips doesn't come on for very long. The second issue is that the wood chip tray is to far from the element so it takes longer to heat up the wood chips enough than the unit is actually on.
So, in order to keep smoke flowing, you constantly have to turn the temperature up to get the unit to stay on long enough to get your smoke. Then you're good for maybe 20 minutes before you have to do it again.
I've also researched a number of fixes, but this newer model won't work for them.
The one fix that does work, and works very well, is to buy the additional cold smoking kit. THAT works exactly the way it's supposed and is convenient for longer smokes. I'm very much a "set-it and forget-it" kind of guy and I don't want to be running out to add chips every half hour.
In my case, I got the unit pretty cheap because of cosmetic damage, but then had to buy the cold-smoking kit which put me back up to the regular price.
Bottom line, if you already have it the smoker or you can find a cheap used one and you just want it to work, then buy the cold smoking kit (you'll have the bonus of being able to do cheeses and such). If you're looking for a good electric smoker that will smoke consistently without fuss...this isn't it.
So, in order to keep smoke flowing, you constantly have to turn the temperature up to get the unit to stay on long enough to get your smoke. Then you're good for maybe 20 minutes before you have to do it again.
I've also researched a number of fixes, but this newer model won't work for them.
The one fix that does work, and works very well, is to buy the additional cold smoking kit. THAT works exactly the way it's supposed and is convenient for longer smokes. I'm very much a "set-it and forget-it" kind of guy and I don't want to be running out to add chips every half hour.
In my case, I got the unit pretty cheap because of cosmetic damage, but then had to buy the cold-smoking kit which put me back up to the regular price.
Bottom line, if you already have it the smoker or you can find a cheap used one and you just want it to work, then buy the cold smoking kit (you'll have the bonus of being able to do cheeses and such). If you're looking for a good electric smoker that will smoke consistently without fuss...this isn't it.
you can compare the product price from Costco, wayfair, bestbuy, lowes, target, homedepot, Walmart, ebay, amazon to find the best price for you
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