best electric smoker?
- Thread starter aerostern
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scubadoo97
Smoking Fanatic
There are a few things you need to provide before you can get a answer that fits you.
• How much are you willing to spend?
• How many people on average do you intent to smoke for, are large BBQ feeds in your future?
• Do you want a beginner unit or something that will last and can keep up with your evolving smoking skills and needs?
Have you bothered to browse the Electric Smoker section and read what SMF members are using and writing about?
On SMF there is a big following for the MES smoker, including myself. Are there better electric smokers? Yes.
Is there a better electric smoker that delivers more bang for your buck than the MES? NO, at least that is my opinion.
The MES a proven performer, based on the many SMF owners. However there are some problems that several owners have complained about, but thanks to Masterbuild's past excellent customer support those owners received whatever was necessary to satisfactorily get them up and running again.
• How much are you willing to spend?
• How many people on average do you intent to smoke for, are large BBQ feeds in your future?
• Do you want a beginner unit or something that will last and can keep up with your evolving smoking skills and needs?
Have you bothered to browse the Electric Smoker section and read what SMF members are using and writing about?
On SMF there is a big following for the MES smoker, including myself. Are there better electric smokers? Yes.
Is there a better electric smoker that delivers more bang for your buck than the MES? NO, at least that is my opinion.
The MES a proven performer, based on the many SMF owners. However there are some problems that several owners have complained about, but thanks to Masterbuild's past excellent customer support those owners received whatever was necessary to satisfactorily get them up and running again.
I love my Cookshack. It's an expensive product, but worth the price IMO. The temp control is DEAD-ON, it's very easy to clean and it turns out some good Q.
sooner fan
Smoke Blower
I have a cookshack and BIL has a Masterbuilt so I have had experience with both and we have talked extensively about the differences. You have to way the options and decide what works best for you. I will outline a few of the differences that I have noted.
Keep in mind that this is my opinion based on my experience with both and that opinions will vary greatly.
The pros of the Masterbuilt are the size (lots of room) and price.
The cons are build quality, customer service, hot spot (easily fixed with a minor mod) and the necessity to contiually add wood chips every couple of hours
The pros of the Cookshack are build quality, customer service and the ability to load 3-4 oz's of wood chunks and cook and entire brisket or pork butt without adding wood or tending to it.
The cons are the size and the cost is subtantially higher. I have never not had enough room to cook what I want but it does take some planning, timing, and sometimes using every square inch of the inside.
Both have provided some excellent Q so really it just matters what is important to you and what you are willing to deal with.
I also looked at (have no experience with) the Bradley and the Traeger but the use of proprietary wood pucks and/or chips turned me against these units. I like being able to go to the local store to get the wood I need.
Keep in mind that this is my opinion based on my experience with both and that opinions will vary greatly.
The pros of the Masterbuilt are the size (lots of room) and price.
The cons are build quality, customer service, hot spot (easily fixed with a minor mod) and the necessity to contiually add wood chips every couple of hours
The pros of the Cookshack are build quality, customer service and the ability to load 3-4 oz's of wood chunks and cook and entire brisket or pork butt without adding wood or tending to it.
The cons are the size and the cost is subtantially higher. I have never not had enough room to cook what I want but it does take some planning, timing, and sometimes using every square inch of the inside.
Both have provided some excellent Q so really it just matters what is important to you and what you are willing to deal with.
I also looked at (have no experience with) the Bradley and the Traeger but the use of proprietary wood pucks and/or chips turned me against these units. I like being able to go to the local store to get the wood I need.
To me there is no comparison to a "Traeger".
Not to blow my own horn but you can do everything from smoking to grilling steaks and even baking cookies or bisquits. I have had mine for over 3 years and not "1 problem". It smokes using 100 percent wood pellets with a very wide variety of wood flavors, hickory, maple, apple, cherry, etc. The pellets are not expensive, about $19.00 for a 20 pound bag. These smokers are pretty much set it and forget it, very little to do except fill the pellet hopper and set the temp you want it at. Depending on the temp you set it at a full hopper will go for many hours without you having to add more. I suggest if you get one to get the digital control with it and you can set it for precise temps from 180 degrees all the way to 450 degrees. I don't even use my propane grill anymore, I do my steaks and burgers on my Traeger and the taste is fantastic. I have done smokes with outside temps at -16 below 0 and still no problems. No, I don't work for Traeger (lol) and I'm pretty hard on giving a thumbs up on products but I can't say enough good things about a Traeger.
Check out there website (especially the video with Terry Bradshaw and Jay Leno..."funny" on the right side where it says consumer) and all the things they offer. They are worth every penny!!!!!
Here's the link: http://www.traegergrills.com/?gclid=...FRcXIwodykaQ-A
Good luck.....
Not to blow my own horn but you can do everything from smoking to grilling steaks and even baking cookies or bisquits. I have had mine for over 3 years and not "1 problem". It smokes using 100 percent wood pellets with a very wide variety of wood flavors, hickory, maple, apple, cherry, etc. The pellets are not expensive, about $19.00 for a 20 pound bag. These smokers are pretty much set it and forget it, very little to do except fill the pellet hopper and set the temp you want it at. Depending on the temp you set it at a full hopper will go for many hours without you having to add more. I suggest if you get one to get the digital control with it and you can set it for precise temps from 180 degrees all the way to 450 degrees. I don't even use my propane grill anymore, I do my steaks and burgers on my Traeger and the taste is fantastic. I have done smokes with outside temps at -16 below 0 and still no problems. No, I don't work for Traeger (lol) and I'm pretty hard on giving a thumbs up on products but I can't say enough good things about a Traeger.
Check out there website (especially the video with Terry Bradshaw and Jay Leno..."funny" on the right side where it says consumer) and all the things they offer. They are worth every penny!!!!!
Here's the link: http://www.traegergrills.com/?gclid=...FRcXIwodykaQ-A
Good luck.....
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