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Good smoker or no?

LHorn

LHorn

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
Are Masterbuilt smokers any good?

I'm keeping an eye out for a smoker on FB Marketplace and CL that I can buy without making payments. It's just me so I dont need a huge smoker but I will be smoking a lot of chile peppers later this year. I like the idea of dual fuel like the one pictured. Gas and wood..no electric...no pellets. I also like the multiple rack system as well. Any recommendations on what to keep an eye out for would be appreciated.

Currently looking at one like this one for a buck eighty...and very clean.

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troika said:
I don't know that one, but I like the looks of it. Please update this thread when you decide what to do.
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Will do.

I'm kinda wondering about this smoker now....I'm seeing a LOT of these up for sale. Most of them are barely used or unused in an opened box. I wonder what they are finding out when they open the box or try them out? I can imagine for $250 new they cant be the best of quality but still...they had to know that before they bought them. :dunno:
 
I can't see from the photo where the smoke comes out. You need air flow through the meat and that door would need to seal tight.

Now I wanna go smoke some meat.
 
I think they have adjustable slotted vents in the rear. Yeah I'm wondering if the door seal IS the issue. I guess I'll have to head to a place that sells them new to have a look see.
You and me both! :beerchug: I can get some smoked meats on my grill but not smoker quality meat. Good for ribs, fish or chicken..but its near impossible for larger chunks like Boston Butts and brisket.

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Home Depot sells Masterbuilt smokers. You could go look at it for yourself. Also lots of reviews online at HD.
They have a pretty easy return policy if you don't like it.
 
I got a smoker once for a present and never used it and sold it, so there's that. lots of people have good intentions when buying something but never use it ultimately so it could be that simple. Man has been smoking things forever it need not be technical.
 
I only do meats and fish but I've had a Weber Smokey Mountain for about 15 years. Yes, its charcoal but once you know how to use it, it's easy to regulate the heat for minimal checking even with 12+ hour cooks. They still use them in competitions. You can find them used too.
 
jimbofish said:
Home Depot sells Masterbuilt smokers. You could go look at it for yourself. Also lots of reviews online at HD.
They have a pretty easy return policy if you don't like it.
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Yeah Lowes has them too..been looking at their website. Home Depot is 40 miles from me vs 1/2 mile to Lowes. Reviews are as suspected...bad door sealing..can fix that easy...and burnt paint on inside...and so on. I was really hoping for a solid smoker that I could get used figuring a good used smoker the same cost as a cheap new smoker would be better.

@NH-MAN ...good point but I think in this case its the eye opening cheap construction...they try it and verify...then cant return it. :dunno:

@Bill S ...Weber is good..thats what my grill is... but I will need something with lots of rack space for my peppers. I would be fine with just charcoal too.

Thanks guys..keep the suggestions coming.
 
LHorn said:
Yeah Lowes has them too..been looking at their website. Home Depot is 40 miles from me vs 1/2 mile to Lowes. Reviews are as suspected...bad door sealing..can fix that easy...and burnt paint on inside...and so on. I was really hoping for a solid smoker that I could get used figuring a good used smoker the same cost as a cheap new smoker would be better.

@NH-MAN ...good point but I think in this case its the eye opening cheap construction...they try it and verify...then cant return it. :dunno:

@Bill S ...Weber is good..thats what my grill is... but I will need something with lots of rack space for my peppers. I would be fine with just charcoal too.

Thanks guys..keep the suggestions coming.
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I understand, If the price reflects construction but its functionality and outcome is good. I am usually fine with that as realistically people only use something like this once in a while so it need not be expensive it just needs to smoke some meat when I feel like it. If I need to impress my other smoker buddies and do it every week I would be thinking in a different mindset of perceived quality.
 
troika said:
@LHorn what woods are native to where you live? This was a consideration for me.
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Here oak, hickory, chestnut and some others along with most fruit trees are abundant. I currently have a lot of cherry and apple wood seasoning from what I cut from my moms property last year. Pecan and mesquite I have to buy.

@NH-MAN ...thats about what it would be with me too...meats once in awhile...but I'll have probably 60-70lbs of peppers to do later this year. Last time I did a Boston butt I was eating pulled pork for a month with just me here...not complaining tho.

I usually shoot for middle of the line with everything I buy...seems to work out that way. I have no buddies to critique and wouldnt give a **** anyway...I like what I like.
 
That's a pretty good choice of woods.

Hickory is the standard Carolinas wood for pork, but I think it works well for anything. Fruit woods are my preference for pork.

For brisket or beef ribs (my strikezone) my roots call for pecan, but oak can be the jam and I think hickory works as well. Very similar to pecan. I've never used Chestnut.

I like mesquite for short, hot cooks, but not for anything long, unless it's just a piece mixed in.

The reason I ask is that I love wood cooks and would go with a decent (doesn't have to be great) off-set stick burner with the chimney coming out of the opposite side (not the top) if a) I had more space in my yard for it and b) I could get my preferred woods. But, here in Seattle it's all fruit wood and alder, so I use a Primo kamado grill and lump charcoal with some occasional wood when I have something that I like. A good ceremic egg-like grill is a glorious thing, but a bit more expensive. I cook/smoke a lot, though. They don't rust, they manage heat very well and with a little practice, I can stabilize it and leave it overnight with an occasional check in for that long brisket.

Just say no to pellets! They actually do a really good job, but it feels like cheating to me. They are the iPod of the meat smoking world. :)
 
Sounds like good combos. I havent tried chestnut either. I want to try to make some true Hungarian smoked paprika. I've got two types growing so next I think the wood they use is Beech...so I'll have to find some of that.

Yeah I've heard nothing but good comments for the Kamodo...maybe when I hit the lottery.

I bought this smoker tube for my grill and some pellets. While it works great I didnt care for the flavor. Now I use real wood chips in it with a few pellets to fill the gaps and keep it burning good...little better. I also have a stainless steel box but with a gas grill its a fine line to keep it going without flaming up.

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I have a Masterbuilt electric smoker. My wife bought it for me. I too smoke peppers and thought the electric would be easier to deal with. I had been perusing Craigslist for a used one and mentioned it to her. The one I have has a glass door and 4 racks. It has a digital timer and temperature setting. It only goes to 275F.

I have been pleased with the results from peppers to chicken, pork roast, and a brisket a few weeks ago. The brisket was too large to fit on a shelf so I cut it in half. The flat part went on the top shelf and the thicker part went on the bottom.

I was going for convenience and it certainly is convenient. On my charcoal grill with smoker box, a brisket would often be put on around 10pm and taken off the next morning. This required a trip or two from me during the night to feed the fire. The recent brisket was a little over done in 9 hrs. No burned parts but mostly falling apart. I was able to smoke 10lbs of peppers at one time.
It seems well made and heavy. The base is heavy gauge steel, but the rest is thinner. The door seal is airtight and the whole thing is insulated. Much easier to deal with than charcoal/wood.
 
El Rubio said:
I have a Masterbuilt electric smoker. My wife bought it for me. I too smoke peppers and thought the electric would be easier to deal with. I had been perusing Craigslist for a used one and mentioned it to her. The one I have has a glass door and 4 racks. It has a digital timer and temperature setting. It only goes to 275F.

I have been pleased with the results from peppers to chicken, pork roast, and a brisket a few weeks ago. The brisket was too large to fit on a shelf so I cut it in half. The flat part went on the top shelf and the thicker part went on the bottom.

I was going for convenience and it certainly is convenient. On my charcoal grill with smoker box, a brisket would often be put on around 10pm and taken off the next morning. This required a trip or two from me during the night to feed the fire. The recent brisket was a little over done in 9 hrs. No burned parts but mostly falling apart. I was able to smoke 10lbs of peppers at one time.
It seems well made and heavy. The base is heavy gauge steel, but the rest is thinner. The door seal is airtight and the whole thing is insulated. Much easier to deal with than charcoal/wood.
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Good to know..thanks. I still have to get out to look at them. Sounds like about all I need to do peppers and small amounts of meat occasionally. I'd like to find something with porcelain coated racks too...but that probably wont happen with that type.
 
LHorn said:
Good to know..thanks. I still have to get out to look at them. Sounds like about all I need to do peppers and small amounts of meat occasionally. I'd like to find something with porcelain coated racks too...but that probably wont happen with that type.
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Jut curious, what do you smoke peppers for? I make hot sauce.
 
@LHorn If your Weber is a kettle you can get the Weber rotisserie accessory, a rotisserie basket and use the Weber fuse method unless you really want a smoker. 8-10 hours of 200-250 smoke without touching it.
 
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