Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, 30", Black

Product Information

Traditional smokers require a lot of investment, from firing up the flame to regulating the airflow accurately and maintaining the temperature. These steps can be pretty challenging for both experienced and novice users. Generous amount of cooking space –The 30 inch digital model comes with a generous 730 sq inches of cooking space, almost the same as the largest 22″ Smokey Mountain for a fraction of the price. For its user-friendliness, heat retention, construction, and cooked results, we’re fans of the Masterbuilt 40-Inch Digital Electric Smoker. The Char-Broil Analog Electric Smoker is also a great choice for the more value-conscious.

Grease drain hard to clean – The flrame deflector plate is bolted in, which makes the grease drain difficult to clean. Range on the Bluetooth app– The range is quite limited, and there are some annoying issues with needing to reconnect. Excellent smoker body insulation– The Masterbuilt is better insulated than a lot of other cheap smokers, which helps maintain a consistent internal temperature and keeps operating costs down, especially in cold or windy conditions. Flimsy door– The door that ships with the Smokey Mountain can leak smoke especially in the beginning. We’ve personally never found this to be a problem, but some people like to seal their door with high temp gasket or upgrade to an aftermarket stainless steel door.The heat in gas, pellet, and charcoal cookers comes from combustion which, when mixed with wood, produces gases that impart a distinct flavor. Everything about this grill is solid. It ships in two boxes (total weight 132 pounds). Assembly is straightforward and the fit and finish are top-notch. Typically, an electric smoker is going to burn wood chips. Sometimes pellets and even rarer, wood chunks. Selecting your chips for flavor is one thing, but examining their size is helpful, too. A larger chip will burn longer but will take longer to ignite, which may be halfway into your cooking time. In most electric smokers, the electric heater usually is surrounded by a wood chipping tray. This is where chunks of wood are placed and burnt to produce smoke while smoking meat. No probe isn’t a deal-breaker, you can invest in a much better quality third party thermometer that can measure your food and your smoker temp at the same time.

In 2017 Masterbuilt acquired the Smoke Hollow brand from Outdoor Leisure Products, and seems to have phased out those models.

Come back when you're older

The rest of the smoker is divided between the upper cooking level and grill, and the lower cooking level that has a drip pan to catch meat juices. There’s also no water pan. Large digital temperature readout – We like that all of the digital controls are easily accessible and that you can view the temperature at a glance. There are three different models to choose from including the 560 pictured above, the 800 and the 1050 XL. We go through all the differences in our guide to the best gravity smokers. What we like:

Its adjustable temperature control allows one to set a temperature that sits well with their desired cooking style. Bear in mind that this analogue smoker comes with a minimum temperature of 240 degrees Fahrenheit and a maximum of 300 degrees Fahrenheit. No chip reloading feature – You have to open the door and let your smoke out every time you reload wood chips Most pellet smokers have an average temperature range of 180-600 degrees Fahrenheit in the cooking chamber. Now that you know what an electric smoker is, let’s look at some of the essential factors you should consider when shopping for one. Size and Capacity Convenient wood chip tray system– The chip tube system is a convenient way to add more chips without opening the door if you want to get more smoke.Step 3: Can you commit to a dedicated smoker or do you need the versatility of a grill and smoker combo When compared to the past, smoking food is no longer a laborious process thanks to electric smokers.

Smokehouse Big Chief Front Load Smoker: The instruction manual was woefully unhelpful with this bare-bones smoker, and it never reached a food-safe temperature to cook poultry or meat in our tests. This smoker also has the addition of bluetooh technology so you can monitor your cooks on a compatible smart phone. It’s still a super simple machine to operate though, it just fixes all of our main frustrations with electric smokers (cheap flimsy construction and leaky doors). The Kettlehas a huge online community of enthusiasts, and you’ll find lots of great advice and recipes around. The Char-Broil Deluxe is very sturdy and well-constructed. The exterior walls are made of stainless steel and provide decent heat retention. The glass door is durable but you should note that some heat does radiate out so be careful if you have kids around. What we like:The Smokey Mountain makes learning easy (and fun if you’re like me and enjoy playing with fire outdoors).