masterbuilt electric smoker

uhmgood · Posted: Mar 31 2011 Post subject: masterbuilt electric smoker

just got tired of babysitting my charcoal smoker so i bought a masterbuilt 30" electric , gave it a test run on some chicken thighs , set temp. at 230 used the meat probe that came with the unit , really to big to stick in thighs ( probably perfect for brisket or a butt ) i figured i'd get a false reading and i was right , it showed a lot higher temp then it really was probably because there was so much probe exposed it was picking up the temp in the unit . i was too lazy to put my remote probe in so i just pulled one off and checked with an instant read. anyhow , pulled them off at 170 they came out great , moist and juicy . any masterbuilt guys out there with any comments , pro or con , any hints on time and temp on a butt

Jarhead · Posted: Mar 31 2011 Post subject:

uhmgood, welcome aboard.
You will get a bunch more answers and help over on General BBQ.
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uhmgood · Posted: Apr 01 2011 Post subject:

thanks jarhead , after i posted i saw i was in the wrong spot but it was too late by then . i'll repost where you said

fnbish · Joined: 17 Mar 2011 Posts: 8

This was my first smoker and I loved it and love talkig about it. I'm actually having a WSM delivered to my house today and will be my 5th smoker total. It became an addiction like it does to many Smile

. The Masterbuilt was a great place to start and is just about as easy as it get in terms of temperature control. It also produces good food. I sold it a few months ago to help fund another smoker.

The only bad con I found is that you don't get as much smoke into the meat as other smokers. But that really isn't the worst thing in the world if you are just a casual barbecuer. The chips don't smoke as much as chunks do, but I have a few tips that helped me out here.

I would add chips about every hour, which is how long each batch seemed to last for me. I noticed that the first load of chips would smoke well then adding the second batch of chips in the "chip inserter" smoked decently too. Then after that I would fully empty the chip tray because the 3rd, 4th, etc load would putt so much in that small space that it wouldn't smoke anymore.

Also after adding chips sometimes it seemed like it would take 15-30mins to start smoking again. There are 2 things I did to help expedite smoker. First is to always keep the top vent fully open. This keep the air flow going which keeps the heat element hot and heating the chips. 2nd, and you don't have to do this, but I would prestart the chips burning right before I put them in. I have a mini torch and I would put the chips into the "chip inserter" and then flame those suckers for just 5-10 seconds to get the char/burning started. I wouldn't blacken them all, but it really seemed to help it smoke faster.

Pro's
-Very easy to use, almost no learning curve, great for people starting out
-No fire tending, temp control as easy as it gets
-Small footprint so nice if it is just you or even a family of 4
-Produces good food
-Sealed like a refrigerator so the outside doesn't get hot. Great if you have kids running around. 1 less thing to worry about.

Con's
-Not as much smoke as other units
-Size (granted this can be a pro or con depending on your needs), but i found myself quickly wanting something larger. I didn't like having to cut my ribs in half to get them in there, though that isn't the worst thing in the world.

Some people really rip on electric smokers and some even call them glorified ovens, but if you are just wanting to bbq and not have to put a lot of effort into it this is perfect. It is where I started and now 4 smokers later still think it is great.

uhmgood · Posted: Apr 01 2011 Post subject:

thanks for the reply , i'd say you are a fan . i'm doing a small 5# pork butt this weekend , what temp do you set the unit at , are you a 200 or closer to 250 guy? i'm probably going to set the temp at 230 and think i can get the meat up to 195 in about 7 hrs , sound about right ?

fnbish · Joined: 17 Mar 2011 Posts: 8

Harry Nutczak · Posted: Apr 01 2011 Post subject:

I was given a masterbuilt, and it is great for sausage making. If anyone wants to get into sausage making or other cured/smoked meats I highly recommend the masterbuilt unit.
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tac71 · Newbie Joined: 16 Dec 2009 Posts: 45

I have the 40" stainless Masterbuilt and its a good unit. I like the set it and forget it options. I use mine primarily in the winter. No worries about wind or fuel. basically an oven with smoke and a water pan. it can't replace my brinkman or bubba keg. but it does have its place in my tool option.
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