New to smokers...need a little help picking out the right one

[h22lude]

So I'm in the market to buy my first smoker.  I know picking out the right smoker for someone else is hard to do but I would like your help.

Some quick info to help...I live in RI so during the summer it can get over 100* and in the winter it can get into the single digits.  The good thing about my back patio is two sides are covered from the wind by my house and the other two sides are covered by a rock wall so wind is very minimal if any.  I don't want to limit what I can smoke but if I had to pick I would go with some of the smaller meats like ribs and chicken halves.  Though I would like to be able to do some bigger meats like a brisket and turkey and then something on the cold side like cheese and bacon (I know...there isn't a perfect all in one unit).  I have enough outlets around the outside of my house and I have 3 propane tanks (with a refill station right across the street) so fuel is not a problem for me.

With that said, I still can't decide on if I want propane or electric...though I think I'm leaning towards electric.

I'm looking at this MES from HomeDepot (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-25e...=-1&keyword=smoker&storeId=10051#.UFjiI41mSSo) or the newer model from Walmart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Masterbuilt-30-Electric-Smokehouse/7811422)

From what I have read, the older one produces better smoke but the newer model has a removable heating unit which also has more watts.

The two propane units I am looking at are Master Forge from Lowes (http://www.lowes.com/pd_190449-95393-DGY784CP_4294703217__?productId=3087719&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=) and GOSM from Walmart (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Outdoors-Smoky-Mountain-20-x-34-Gas-Smoker/12429510).

I like how you can get a nice high temp when needed on propane.  And who doesn't love the smoke ring!!!

I've read reviews and watched videos on all of them.  Is it such a tough decision lol What are some of your opinions.  I know I'll have to make this decision on my own but it is nice to hear others opinions.

 

[capntrip]

Check out the smokin-it at www.smokin-it.com I have the model 1 and love it plus rave reviews on the smoker!!

 

[chef jimmyj]

I have the MES 40 0311 model and Love it. It is cheaper to run than a propane unit and requires less monitoring, Safer too. The MES is insulated so it holds heat in the winter very well. The Gosm is nice and was in the running when I was looking to buy new as well. Smoke Ring may be pretty but since it has Zero affect on Flavor does not matter to me. Combined with the AMNPS Smoke generator http://www.amazenproducts.com/  I can smoke up to ten hours and never leave the house. Came in handy here in PA back in January! Only down side to Electric is it don't get hot enough to crisp Chicken skin but 10-15 minutes on a Grill or in a 425*F Oven and that is no issue either. I have had made no modification and have been really satisfied. Like any thing made in China, there are good units and Lemons but Masterbuilt Customer service is pretty good about replacing anything that goes wrong. If you can afford the difference I highly recommend getting a MES 40 over a 30. The 30 is great lots of happy folks around here have them, but as I was told when I was looking," see what size you think you need and go one bigger! " Yes most of the time I only load 1 shelf but I can't remmember how many times I have loaded the unit full with requests from friends and family to do multiple items and large quantities. Good luck with either one...JJ

 

[chiefwej]

If you have a Sam's Club nearby, you can buy the Masterbuilt Electric 40 for $299. Great unit,well insulated with digital remote control. Can you tell that I love mine?

Add an AMNPS and it's damn near perfect.

 

[smokinhusker]

I have the MES 40 0311 model (mine (0211) recently died and Masterbuilt sent me a replacement element, then a new stainless steel body unit, which remedied the problem). I absolutely love it and have made no mods to it other than adding a chimney, since it is in a cabinet. There are only 2 of us but I am so glad I got the larger unit. I did a 16 lb packer brisket and need the extra size for it. 

I'm in the market to add a propane and have been holding out for the newly designed Masterbuilt 40" propane but they won't be out for a bit yet. I just saw a Smoke Hollow 44" available at Sam's, which I intend to check out.

 

[h22lude]

Thanks for all the input. I think I'm going to look into the MES30. I don't have the money to spend on the MES40 right now. It seems everyone loves their 30 so I think I'll be happy with it.

 

[h22lude]

Ok just doing last minute research...is the MES30 worth $90 more than the Masterbuilt Cookmaster? From what I can tell the 30 has a digital control and seems to have better air flow.

 

[pgsmoker64]

It's a shame you are only considering electric or propane.  I am a proud WSM (Weber Smokey Mountain cooker) owner and highly recommend this to anyone.

I also own a Char Griller Pro and an MES30.

Good luck and good smoking!

 

[frosty]

I have the MES 40 0311 model and Love it. It is cheaper to run than a propane unit and requires less monitoring, Safer too. The MES is insulated so it holds heat in the winter very well. The Gosm is nice and was in the running when I was looking to buy new as well. Smoke Ring may be pretty but since it has Zero affect on Flavor does not matter to me. Combined with the AMNPS Smoke generator http://www.amazenproducts.com/  I can smoke up to ten hours and never leave the house. Came in handy here in PA back in January! Only down side to Electric is it don't get hot enough to crisp Chicken skin but 10-15 minutes on a Grill or in a 425*F Oven and that is no issue either. I have had made no modification and have been really satisfied. Like any thing made in China, there are good units and Lemons but Masterbuilt Customer service is pretty good about replacing anything that goes wrong. If you can afford the difference I highly recommend getting a MES 40 over a 30. The 30 is great lots of happy folks around here have them, but as I was told when I was looking," see what size you think you need and go one bigger! " Yes most of the time I only load 1 shelf but I can't remmember how many times I have loaded the unit full with requests from friends and family to do multiple items and large quantities. Good luck with either one...JJ

Have had good luck with MES 40.  No complaints.

 

[smokinhusker]

The biggest differences I can see are 1) MES30 is digital temp control, while the Cookmaster is a dial Low-Med-High with temperature increments; 2) MES30 has 730 sq in of cooking space, Cookmaster is 357 sq in and I believe as you said the MES has better air flow and is insulated.

Here's the only review from Sears about the Cookmaster:

I new that niether the door or walls were not insulated but i figured the mfg. would compensate with a well sealed smoke box. On the high setting the toy like temperature gauge only reaches 200 F.Maybe it is a defective heating element. Also i suspect that this was a returned item that was hastily inspected and repackaged for sale. I do not recommend this product. H[color= rgb(102, 102, 102)]ope everyone has a great Independence Day! M.C. [/color]http://www.sears.com/masterbuilt-co...12631000P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2#desc

Good luck with your decision!

 

[deltadude]

Only two smokers worth considering.

The MES (Masterbuilt Electric Smokehouse) this the digital smoker.

or

WSM (Weber Smoky Mountain)  Charcoal smoker.

90% of the SMF members posting in the electric forum (this forum) own and use the MES..  Enough said!

Read back 20 pages of posts you will see both the pros and cons and the fixes.

The WSM is best backyard smoker for the money that uses briquettes for fuel.  In fact if you walk around BBQ competitions many teams are using the WSM or have a WSM as a backup, thats all you need to know.

 

[atio]

I'm in CT so we get about the same weather. I ended up getting a MES 30 because it was insulated and would make smoking in the winter easier. I've read reviews of non-insulated smokers where temperature control becomes a problem in the cold, so that was a must for me.

 

[h22lude]

So I bit the bullet and bought the MES30 (the newer model) from Amazon.  I have free Prime for a month so I got free 2 day shipping.  It will be here tomorrow.  I can't wait!!!

What do you guys recommend I do when I get this out of the box?  Spray the inside with vegetable oil and let the heat cure it for a few hours?  Should I use wood chips when doing this?  What else should I be doing?

 

[deltadude]

CONGRATS on your NEW MES, Making it Easy to Smoke Q!

I post the tips below for newbies, it attempts to answer some of the common questions that are asked, hopefully it helps.

MES New Owner Tips:

Collected from input of many MES owners, some may seem a bit dated due to new MES with higher watt elements but work as a general rule.

• Season it. (Many spray the inside with PAM)
• No extension cords, unless it is 12 ga or heavier.
• Spray your racks with PAM prior to smoke (makes cleanup easier).
• For easier cleanup, use alum foil on the water pan and drain pan.
• Manual says preheating isn't necessary,  preheat, it will make getting up to initial set temp faster, and temp recovery when opening hatch faster.  (These instructions were for older MES units with lower wattage elements,  however the value of preheating applies to all units.) Preheat to 270º.  Cold ambient 45º and colder as long as 2 hours, 1 hour for warmer temps and as little as 30 min. in summer.   Preheating help establish a stable cooking platform without the dramatic temp swings in first hour of smoking. (Experiment with preheating and see if it helps.)
• Add boiling hot water to pan, this will allow you to get up to set temp faster.
• Start the smoke with a few wood chips. The manual says 1 cup max, you will find a hand full is almost too much. 1st chip dump just a few chips 8-10, 15 minutes  later a little more chips 10-12, another 15 minutes 12-15 chips.  This should produce a nice bed of hot ash with good chip combustion.  12-20 chips every 30 minutes should work from this point on. Your goal is TBS (thin blue smoke). When its right you can smell the sweet smoke, it won't smell bitter or be cloudy white. Dark smoke is nothing but awful.
• Do not adjust vent leave it wide open.  Unless using the AMNS, (follow AMNS instructions). 

• Strongly suggest you purchase a AMNPS for consistent smoke lasting 4-9 hours.
• Use external probe for sensing meat internal temp, you can run the probe cord through the exhaust vent. *You may want to run 2nd probe inserted into a wood block or potato with 2” to 3" tip exposed to verify the internal MES cooking temp.  (Newer MES models have the built in probes. verify they are +/- 5º accurate).
• Once your meat is loaded, avoid opening the hatch. New models can recover to set temp faster, but every time you open the door you extend the cooking time. Thus spritzing isn't really necessary in a MES due to the water pan keeping the smoking environment moist enough to not dry out the meat.
• If you do have to open your MES plan your moves so you can keep door open time to a minimum.  (I’ve decided to not stress and plan for open door times by adding 20 minutes per door opening, although best is to keep to absolute minimum).
• When your done cooking, the proper way to shut the MES down is to turn off the controller then unplug.  (Sounds simple but the controller has been known to get stuck if not shut down properly.)
• If your MES seems to struggle getting to either the preheat temp of 270º or is taking extraordinary long times to raise to cooking temps after meat is loaded try doing a RESET..
Proper RESET = cycle the MES off with the controller, unplug electrical cord, count to 10, re-plug electric cord, turn on MES with on/off, reset temps.
If you tried a reset, and 20-30 minutes later there is little change do the reset again.
• Cleanup is easy with a Brillo (or similar) pad to scrub the tough stuff, and throw grates, water & drain pan into dishwasher. Some have complained about the spot welds on the drain pan rusting, I hit those spots with a touch of PAM then store the cleaned stuff back in the MES.
You do not need to clean the inside cabinet, most experienced smokers consider that just seasoning. With a hot wet rag, wipe out the inside bottom and any excessive gunk on the walls. Again with hot damp cloth, wipe the door gasket, and the door frames (for better seal).

Congrats on you new MES purchase, and welcome to the MES owners club.

SMOKE - ON  DUDE

 

[h22lude]

This may sound like a dumb question but do you use smoke the entire cooking process?  So add the chips as you described above and then every 30 minutes until what ever you are smoking is done or do you stop at a certain point based on the meat?

Just trying to get a feel for this before it arrives tomorrow.  I'll probably season it and warm it up tomorrow to get everything working.  Then Friday I'll probably smoke either 1/2 chicken or some legs to get some practice for football sunday where I want to smoke some ribs.

I have looked into the AMNPS which is next on my list but for now I will use the stock wood chip pan and wood chips.

 

[beeboq]

Congrats and welcome.  RI here as well.    Good luck with the smoking.  Hopefully the ribs will go great with a Patriots win.

 

[h22lude]

Congrats and welcome.  RI here as well.    Good luck with the smoking.  Hopefully the ribs will go great with a Patriots win.

The refs are back! I can't wait for Sunday to watch the Pats.

I received my MES yesterday. I didn't realize the cord was so short?!?! So I had to buy a 12 gauge 25 foot cord. I would love to season it today but there is on and off rain. Right now it isn't raining but I don't want to start and have it rain again. It looks like it is on and off all weekend which would screw up my plans. Is it bad to be smoking when it starts to rain a little...or should I not chance it?

 

[smokingcanuck]

I have a Bradley digital 4 rack and it is absolutely awesome, is so simple its like cheating, I am not sure I can call myself a smoker enthusiast as it does all the work all I do is place the meet in the smoker set the time, temp and smoke and drink beer.

I have had no issues at all with mine, now it fluctuates about 10 degrees through the cooking process but from what I can see that has no affect on the quality of product it produces.

That's my vote, hope it helps

 

[h22lude]

I have a Bradley digital 4 rack and it is absolutely awesome, is so simple its like cheating, I am not sure I can call myself a smoker enthusiast as it does all the work all I do is place the meet in the smoker set the time, temp and smoke and drink beer.

I have had no issues at all with mine, now it fluctuates about 10 degrees through the cooking process but from what I can see that has no affect on the quality of product it produces.

That's my vote, hope it helps

Thanks for your input. I actually ordered my MES30 on Amazon and it arrived yesterday.

Decided to season it. It stopped raining but I put a glass bowl over the controller. Sprayed inside with Pam and lightly wiped it. Turned to 275 for 3 hours. I'll put in a few chips after 2 hours

 

[roller]

You made the right choice and looks like deltadude has you covered...Congrats !!! We like plenty of Q-view around here !!!