I've been following MES threads for a little bit and doing some reading of past threads. My 'ol lady has expressed interest in getting one as she is too intimidated to use my OK Joes offset wood smoker. Mind you I'm just getting better at using it myself. I know I know. The whole wood vs. electric debate. Yada yada yada. I realize the virtues of a MES. I see virtue in having
both. Maybe once we would get a MES I'd have no interest in the offset. I could see that if we are doing just a few things I'd (or we'd) use the MES. If we are doing half a freezer of things we'd use the offset. I like trying different things and to an extent smoking is smoking so the cooking principles apply to both. I'm not trying to hijack here. I'm just long winded like that. I guess I could have just said I use a wood smoker and have interest in trying a MES. What fun is that? But I have been off work from back surgery and I have been on different forums I follow a bit more. This also means I won't be buying one until I know when I can get back to work. (the whole paying bills first thing) Which I think will be after my doc appt this week. I stay pretty busy in the summer with work and mowing the Mon in laws place, another property, and my place. I don't have a lot of Saturdays I can be free to smoke like I'd like. I prefer not to do it on Sunday in case the smoke takes long. Hence the overnight ability to use a MES at a constant temp
unattended (for the most part) is what really intrigues me.
Now where I was really going......I have read the gen vs. gen 2 threads enough to know the gen 1 SS 40" would be my choice. Looking at Bears comments about the changes he sees incorporated into the 2.5 has me at least considering the 2.5. Bluetooth is not a biggie for me. Good performance and minimal problems are. I'd wait until a little bit more cook time has been reported back from the early purchasers before I pull that trigger. Yet I don't see the 2.5 listed on Sams, or Cabellas like some have said. I see it on Bass Pro ($429 says in stock) and
Amazon ($392 {normally $499} says ships June 30th). By June 30th the price might change. Hell it's not even showing up on
Masterbuilt. I have seen the
Masterbuilt video they put out I just don't see it on their products page. No big issue. Just weird. I have been leaning towards getting the gen 1 I mentioned at Academy sports locally for $299. (no 2.5 shown) They are opening up a store on my side of town at the end of the month and I might be able to catch some "store opening" sales or coupons to lower it a bit. That's why my interest in the 2.5 grown a little bit more urgent. A lot if "if's".
If I can get back to work this week.
If they sweeten the deals in store. I just might have to skip the extra $130-$?? I'd spend on the "new and improved" version and pull the trigger. No Bass Pro here. Cabellas though.
Amazon ships free. Come on tax money!!
Any 2.5 owners think the performance of the unit is worth $130 & up over the gen1? Thanks for reading a long winded question!!
