Masterbuilt 20070210, 30 inch, MB20070210 Analog Electric Smoker with 3 Smoking Racks, 30" Black (Old Version)

I decided I wanted to try my hand at smoking food since I like to try new culinary approaches to cooking. I checked out the various smokers available on Amazon, and this one looked like a good one to start with...no bells and whistles, but it was electric, which I was looking for. I decided to go with electric for the sheer convenience of it. The smoker arrived and was very easy to put together...basically all I had to do was attach the legs. I fired it up the next weekend and smoked chicken wings and thighs. Let me tell you, they were the best chicken wings I have ever had in my life! Nice smokey flavor that was not overwhelming. I also smoked corn in the husks, and it was beyond belief! I may never eat corn on the cob any other way now!! Since then I have smoked a variety of vegetables and even tofu, and have been pleased with the results every time. Smoked tofu is the ONLY way to eat that stuff, LOL! The only complaint I have with this smoker is the drip pan. It is located at the very bottom of the smoker, underneath the electrical element. I did not think it was a good idea to have meat juices dripping onto the electrical element, so I sacrificed one entire rack to put an aluminum drip pan in. I line the aluminum drip pan (it is a lasagna pan) with foil so I can re-use it, and the smoker stays cleaner that way and I don't have to worry about the juices messing up the electrical element. I wish Masterbuilt had designed this smoker with a better drip pan. Other than that, I absolutely LOVE this smoker and would recommend it to anyone who wants to start out smoking food or who just wants a basic smoker!!

This smoker replaced an identical smoker that I had for years. I love the ease of use and the smoked meats that I cook. I wouldn’t want any other smoker!!!

I purchased the smoker recently and have used it a couple times. The first attempt was a 5 pound chicken to which I applied a nice poultry rub and smoked it for 3 hours. The second time I smoked 2 racks of back ribs which turned out very tasty with a nice smokey flavor.A few suggestions on using the smoker. First, I am a very fussy person about cleanliness about my cooking implements so I wanted to be sure the smoker is clean after each use and before it is stored. Before cooking I sprayed the interior walls and racks with PAM to reduce the sticking of grease and oil of cooking. This makes cleaning with a damp rag a snap. Since the cooking is done at a relatively low temperature of 225 degrees the splashes do not get baked on badly. Second, I lined the floor of the smoker with a 13 x15 inch piece of aluminum foil with a hole poked in the center for grease drainage. Believe me the floor will get very messy if one is smoking something like a chicken or any food with a sugary rub. Third, until you are thoroughly familiar with the bottom rack's placement which holds the water and wood chip pan, refresh your memory by cutting out the photo of the smoker's insides from the shipping box. It is easy to be confused with the proper placing of the pans and if you make an error the wood chip pan is set too high (low smoke) or the water pan is sitting on the element which means the water boils off. I bought this item on Amazon for $149 with free shipping. Other places like Home Depot listed it for $179 and up.

Honestly spend the 3xtra 70 bucks and get the upgrade.

I bought this smoker in May 2016 through Amazon, and was initially very happy with my purchase and would probably have initially given it 5 stars. When I started using this smoker earlier this year it just didn't seem to heat up as quickly, or to a very high temperature. Two days ago I got ready to smoke a brisket and the smoker barely got up to 100 degrees. I started making sure everything was plugged in correctly, and then I heard the unmistakable sound of electrical arcing as I moved the analog controller. Knowing that I had to use the smoker to get ready for a family get together, I removed the heating element and controller to my workbench to see if I could repair it. As a retired Electronics Technician, I knew that most electrical problems were usually easy fixes. I immediately discovered that the heating element connector tip fell off as I was examining it. It is supposed to be securely crimped on, and this one was not. I used a hammer and punch to crimp the connector back on and cleaned the terminals thinking I was just about done. The real horror was to come when I opened up the controller, and found that half of the terminal connector for the neutral (white wire) had melted off due to the high heat generated by a poor electrical connection, or the arcing that had occurred. While I was able to jury rig a fix to allow a better electrical connection to be made and the smoker to function, I know that this was a temporary fix and should replace both the heating element and the analog controller. Thinking that this might still be under warranty I checked, nope... only a 90 day warranty, I guess Masterbuilt knows this thing won't last. A quick check online shows that the element is around $20 - $25 and the controller is $45, OUCH! I initially really liked this smoker, and had recommended it to others, now I would tell them not to buy it due to it's poor quality and expensive repairs. While this smoker has a lot going for it, I would recommend someone shopping look for a more reliable brand.UPDATE: 9/14/19This piece of junk is going to the curb on trash day! Bought it in 2016, worked good for awhile, then the electric thermostat control burned up. Masterbuilt covered it under warranty and sent me a new control. Went out this morning and started smoking, but after an hour or so the smoker was cooling down. Did some troubleshooting, and again, the thermostat controller was bad. Was able to scavenge parts from my original one (that I had saved), and got the smoker going again. I don't need this kind of aggravation when preparing food for my family! So far, it looks like I might order a Pit Boss vertical propane smoker to replace this unreliable piece of junk. It has a 5 year warranty and good reviews.