The grill is an iconic American fixture, spotted in backyards across the good old USA. But its not the only game in town. Standalone smokers make for a great sidekick to the classic flame grill. Today I’m sharing my Masterbuilt electric smoker review.
My introduction to smoked food came in an odd way. I was working in a restaurant that utilized a pressure smoker. I had never heard of such a fancy contraption before. It offered the benefit of smoking meats fast, but it sure was a pain to clean!
I wasn’t a big fan of the pressure smoker, but I fell in love with smoked meats. We crossed paths again a few years later when I worked at a restaurant that had an electric smoker. This was more my speed! The smoked brisket was exquisite.
After seeing the simplicity of the electric smoker, I knew I had to have one. My first model was a simple Masterbuilt electric unit. I upgraded to the 30″ model with a viewing window and legs to stand on. Today I’m reviewing that model, the MB20070421.
Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Review
Both of the Masterbuilt electric smokers I’ve owned were well built. My first unit is actually still working. I let my dad borrow it a while back, and he enjoyed it so much I just let him keep it. Full disclosure, he lives next door and almost always shares his meals, so it was an easy decision to make!
Since the first unit performed so well over the years, I knew I was sticking with the Masterbuilt brand. The model I’m reviewing today has virtually the same digital interface, so there was no learning curve for me.
The Masterbuilt plugs in to a regular 110 outlet. It has a digital screen that let’s you know what the temperature is inside the smoker, and how much time is left on your smoke. There are a handful of buttons for turning the smoker on and controlling the time and temp.
This Masterbuilt model has a temperature range of 100 to 275 degrees. This covers the broad range of popular smoking temps. Most of the major smoked meats will smoke between 225 and 250.
The electric smoker has 711 square inches of cooking space spread across four racks. This thing will make a ton of food, easily enough to feed a family. Depending on the product, it can easily produce enough food for a good sized gathering.
Working The Smoker
Before you smoke, you need to fill the the drip pan with water. You also need to load the wood chips. The loader is located on the right side. Simply pull out the loader by the handle, fill with chips, and then reinsert. Rotate the loader according to the arrow located on the side of the smoker above the loader slot.
You always start by hitting the power button which is located on the left side of the control panel. This should activate the digital screen. Next, you set the temperature you want to cook at, and for how long. Once those parameters are set, you are good to go!
I recently used the Masterbuilt for my Mouthwatering BBQ chicken recipe. Check it out!
The Verdict
This Masterbuilt electric smoker has been a decent product so far. It worked virtually identical to my previous model. The ease of use, the plethora of cooking space, these were all great features.
There has been one flaw with the model so far, and it involves the cooking temperature. The digital interface will say the unit is reaching the temperature it claims, but the results don’t match expectations.
After investigating the issue further, I found other people having similar problems. I checked the inside of the unit using a laser thermometer, and found temps in the bottom reaching the appropriate level, but the heat was not circulating to the top well.
The issue was not critical, but it did require me to adjust my cooking times. It should be noted that I was cooking in aluminum pans in these early cooks, which could have affected the results. I plan on cooking directly on the rack in the future to see if that alleviates the problem. I’ll report back those results when they come in.
Short of the temperature issue, the smoker works as advertised. Its simple to use, simple to clean, and produces a delectable smoky flavor in everything I’ve cooked in it. Its a good deal at just over $220.
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