# MES 30" vs 40" - cast your vote!



## mummel (Apr 10, 2015)

What size smoker do you prefer and why?


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## beartoo (Apr 10, 2015)

40", Bigger Better?, Found a great price on it ($319.99).


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## Bearcarver (Apr 10, 2015)

Started with an MES 30, because it's usually only Me & Mrs Bear.

Found out quickly it doesn't matter how few people.

Had to cut Rib Racks in Half, cut Briskets in half, and could only get 7 pounds of Beef Stick in at one time.

Bought the MES 40 the following year, and sold my MES 30 for $50.

Love my MES 40 for 5 years now!!

I would have saved some money if I'd have never bought that MES 30.

Bear


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## bmaddox (Apr 10, 2015)

@Bearcarver  is spot on. I love my 30" but I would replace it with a 40" if I had the money.


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## sota d (Apr 10, 2015)

I agree with Bear, I love my 30 and have had some great smokes on it, but more and more now I'm finding that I wish it were a little bigger. Can't really justify replacing a year old smoker, but when it's time for a new one, it'll be a little bigger.


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## goensouth (Apr 10, 2015)

Never had a 30 but love my 40 with a household of 4 plenty of room to feed all.


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## craigdchang (Apr 10, 2015)

I just bought a 30" electric with the window. I wish I bought the 40" electric with the window. Now I want to smoke everything and there is only so much room in the 30"


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## hillbillyrkstr (Apr 10, 2015)

No matter who says different, size matters! It's just the way it is.


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## tropics (Apr 10, 2015)

40 the only way to go, you can put less in it. But the 30 you can't put more then it can take.JMHO


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## mummel (Apr 10, 2015)

hillbillyrkstr said:


> No matter who says different, size matters! It's just the way it is.


That's what she said.


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## bigd3077 (Apr 10, 2015)

Now that I have some smokes under my belt,  I wish I got the 40


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## hillbillyrkstr (Apr 10, 2015)

All these years later it's still ok to say "that's what she said!".....  Thank you Michael Scott!


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## gary s (Apr 10, 2015)

On stick burners bigger is not always better, but for Electric I would go bigger

Gary


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## daricksta (Apr 10, 2015)

I own a MES 30 Gen 1. Like others here, I'm now cooking for only my wife and I (new empty nesters--sob!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





) so 30" is plenty big and it was also cheap which fit my requirements for an entry level smoker. If I could afford it I'd buy a 40" or larger smoker, though, and if I _really_ could afford it I'd be looking at a Cookshack since they're American-made and all stainless steel.

And as John Wayne supposedly said "That's about the size of it."


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## Bearcarver (Apr 10, 2015)

Bump for the other Thousands of MES owners on this forum.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## hamrhead1971 (Apr 10, 2015)

I liked my 30 except that you couldn't cook a whole rack of ribs without either cutting or rolling them.  Now my brother likes my old 30 and I love my 40.  Also a big fan of the window.


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## mummel (Apr 11, 2015)

Isnt the window a pain to clean?  How much can you see inside if it's smoked up?


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## goensouth (Apr 11, 2015)

Very easy to clean hot water and a Mr clean Magic eraser less than a minute it is crystal clear.


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## b-one (Apr 11, 2015)

I don't have an electric. That said I kick my self for not buying the 22.5 WSM all the time!


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## reasoning (Apr 12, 2015)

Eh I have a 22.5 wsm and find myself hating it because it's to large for a lot of the smoking I do. Doesn't make much sense to fire it up for 2 chickens, or a single fatty. Normally just use my 22.5 grill and split it with a thick shield of tin foil. But it's nice to have the size at times like cooking a butt and 4-6 racks of ribs for a party


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## ajbert (Apr 12, 2015)

I've got a 30" and I really got it for a steal.  There have been a few times I wish I had the 40", particularly when smoking cheese but for the most part the 30" works for me and the wife.

That being said, I wish I could find a 40" for the same price I paid for my 30".  Heck, I'd even spend twice as much!


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Apr 12, 2015)

I have a 30 (picked up new for $149) but only use it for low temp stuff like sausage & cold smoking...  Works great for me for the way I use it !  If I were only smoking with the MES like Bear & the others, then I'd for sure want the 40.... Just my 2 pennies !


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## Bearcarver (Apr 13, 2015)

C'mon guys!!

Only 12 Votes so far.

We know there are Thousands of MES owners on this Forum.

Bear


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## pc farmer (Apr 13, 2015)

I voted 40", but I love my 30".

I use mine for cured meat and sausages and I find myself having to smoke all weekend sometimes to get all the bacon or cb smoked.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 14, 2015)

Bump for more Votes!!

Bear


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## beartoo (Apr 15, 2015)

Got my 40" yesterday, seasoned it then today smoked a rack of ribs. Can't wait to get the butt out of the refrigerator and into the smoker.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 16, 2015)

beartoo said:


> Got my 40" yesterday, seasoned it then today smoked a rack of ribs. Can't wait to get the butt out of the refrigerator and into the smoker.


That's Great !!

Congrats!

Bear


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## sota d (Apr 16, 2015)

Love my 30, but am finding that as I get into smoking more and more, I wish I had gotten the 40. I don't like having to cut a slab of ribs in half to fit it in. But I don't know if they would fit whole into a 40 either.


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## mummel (Apr 16, 2015)

The 40 is only 5 inches longer.  That enough?


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## Bearcarver (Apr 16, 2015)

Sota D said:


> Love my 30, but am finding that as I get into smoking more and more, I wish I had gotten the 40. I don't like having to cut a slab of ribs in half to fit it in. But I don't know if they would fit whole into a 40 either.





mummel said:


> The 40 is only 5 inches longer.  That enough?


So far I haven't had one that didn't fit in my MES 40.

I imagine if you grab the biggest one there, you might have to trim a bit off, or cut it, so don't grab the monsters.

Bear


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## sota d (Apr 16, 2015)

Thanks Bear, David.


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## docktoo (Apr 17, 2015)

Got a 30 to get into smoking for cheap.  Just me and the wife, does fine.

I suppose that if you have a 40, you'll find a way to fill it and use it to it's capacity.  Maybe if my 30 dies, I'll pop for a bigger MES.


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## gary s (Apr 17, 2015)

Just go ahead and get a 40, then you will have a 70         I know to early for jokes

Gary


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## nchapelheel (Apr 17, 2015)

I have 2 of the 40" smokers. One is used only for hanging smoked country hams. The newer one is used

about every other weekend. I will buy another one in a year or two. Can't seem to live without them.

The 30" would be too small for the ribs, loins and 10lbs of cheese (cold smoking)

Get the AMNPS too.

Good luck


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## foamheart (Apr 17, 2015)

I have a 30 and a 40. 30 was the first purchase and as said above I hated cutting up meats to use it. It is perfect for fowl though which is my favorite smoke. It uses less electricity and less smoke required to make an impact upon the meat.

After starting to play with bacon and sausage and learning the best place to buy a MES40 (oddly enough it was from Masterbuilt direct). I bought one as well as a Masterbuilt Electric Cold Smoke attachment. At a HUGE discount over anyother offered price pplus I could get exactly the model and generation build I wanted shipped directly to my door. I also learned how much easier any warranty work would be when you bought directly from them also.

I love my MES30, matter a fact I have a butt smoking in it right now. For everyday smokes its hard to beat. BUT when you get to learning bacons and hams and sausages, etc that MES40 is sweet too.

I have a AMPs and a MECS (Cold Smoker), both have there purposes, both work as specified, both can be finicky and both cost about the same.

I have been smoking awhile and for the life of me I don't understand a window, its like a screen door on a submarine. But it is fun to clean it, I would guess it losses heat since I can't lay my hand on it, but some folks do like looking in.  

If only one, I would go with the 40 and I would spring for the cold smoker attachment for it strickly for the quantity of smoke delivered. Besides the free frt when purchaced with the MES40. Then soon afterwards a AMPs would be at the top of my list, (its cheaper than a tank of gas).  I still sometimes have AMPs problems, it normally works, but when it starts out hard to light, its a pain and doesn't get better. Course the MECS the chips can and do stick up in the chimmeny.

Its all about understanding and some day hoping to master your equipment before you get mad enough to throw it out! LOL

OH I highly recommend you call the MES 800 number and check price and availability before you purchase. I got my MES40 w/ MECS sizably cheaper than I paid for my MES30.


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## mummel (Apr 19, 2015)

I went to Home Depot today to thoroughly inspect their MESs.  The 30 looks just too small, especially if you are thinking about putting an AMPS inside.  I am definitely going with the 40.


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## daricksta (Apr 19, 2015)

mummel said:


> I went to Home Depot today to thoroughly inspect their MESs.  The 30 looks just too small, especially if you are thinking about putting an AMPS inside.  I am definitely going with the 40.


Todd Johnson designed the AMNPS for the MES 30. He developed and perfected it inside one to the best of my knowledge. Bearcarver was one of the guys providing feedback and QC.

Still, if you're only buying one smoker, you're right in going for the 40" since it's more flexible in terms of larger interior cooking space and a more powerful heating element.


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## padronman (Apr 19, 2015)

You didn't have a spot for NEITHER


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## mummel (Apr 20, 2015)

What about the AMPS fit in the 40?


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## loweyj (Apr 20, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Started with an MES 30, because it's usually only Me & Mrs Bear.
> 
> Found out quickly it doesn't matter how few people.
> 
> ...


Bear... how much better is the yield of beef sticks and other items in the 40?


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## Bearcarver (Apr 20, 2015)

mummel said:


> What about the AMPS fit in the 40?


As for where---They're all different:

Gen #1 MES 30 & MES 40 goes on the bars to left of chip burner assembly.

Ge #2 gets the water pan removed & it goes over the hole left by the water pan.

Ge #2.5-----Not sure where yet. Maybe on top of the water pan (No water of course!!), or if need be, on the bottom grill rack. 

Bear


loweyj said:


> Bear... how much better is the yield of beef sticks and other items in the 40?


I can't really say on the Beef Sticks----All I really cared about was getting 10 pounds in (my normal batch), and I can get that in, without using the bottom rack, with room to spare.

I don't have to cut rib racks in half, or a normal Brisket, and a whole lot of times I can get everything I want to smoke on one rack instead of two, or on two racks instead of three. This makes my Dishwasher very happy!!

Bear


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## loweyj (Apr 20, 2015)

Thanks for the reply Bear,

Another question would be how many 8# butts could a person do in the SS 1200w MES40? I could do 6 in my old Broil Master Vertical propane unit with out any issues. Could the 40mes handle 6 or 8, or would the unit not be able to get up to temp properly?

I now see HomeDepot.ca  have the Gen1 SS MES 40 in stock, so that may be the way to go.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 20, 2015)

loweyj said:


> Thanks for the reply Bear,
> 
> Another question would be how many 8# butts could a person do in the SS 1200w MES40? I could do 6 in my old Broil Master Vertical propane unit with out any issues. Could the 40mes handle 6 or 8, or would the unit not be able to get up to temp properly?
> 
> I now see HomeDepot.ca  have the Gen1 SS MES 40 in stock, so that may be the way to go.


I never do a lot of meat at once, however I wouldn't be afraid to do 6 Butts @ 8 LBS each in an MES 40.

I wouldn't want to put 3 on one rack, because of blocking heat & air flow throughout the smoker, and I never use the bottom rack, because it's too close to the heating element. IMHO

I would also run it at least at 260°, because that's a lot of cold meat mass to fight back against, especially in the first few hours.

Bear


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## daricksta (Apr 20, 2015)

mummel said:


> What about the AMPS fit in the 40?


Bearcarver or Todd Johnson can answer the question of AMNPS placement in whatever generation MES 40 you have. If you don't get an answer here I suggest you PM either or both. You will get a response from both. The AMNPS has to be placed in a different spot in the newer gens.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 20, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> Bearcarver or Todd Johnson can answer the question of AMNPS placement in whatever generation MES 40 you have. If you don't get an answer here I suggest you PM either or both. You will get a response from both. The AMNPS has to be placed in a different spot in the newer gens.


Answered above in Post #41.

However since that we found out there's plenty of room on the bottom left in the Gen #2.5. I'd try that first.

Bear


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## daricksta (Apr 20, 2015)

Bearcarver said:


> Answered above in Post #41.
> 
> However since that we found out there's plenty of room on the bottom left in the Gen #2.5. I'd try that first.
> 
> Bear


I once had an aunt with the following life philosophy I still subscribe to: "I never look back!"


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## Bearcarver (Apr 24, 2015)

Bump for more MES owners.

Which one do you prefer?

Bear


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## garyweingarten (Apr 24, 2015)

The MES 30 is the one I received as a gift.  It does a great job for me.  So, that's the one I voted for.  If it dies, I will study the market at that time and get the smoker that best suits my needs.  I am retired and normally only smoke for my wife and me, so capacity doesn't matter.


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## daricksta (Apr 24, 2015)

Can I vote twice? The first time I voted my druthers and a MES 40. But I own the MES 30 Gen 1 and even though I'd love a wider, deeper, taller smoker I prefer it for the price because it's a great value for an entry level smoker.


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## Bearcarver (Apr 25, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> Can I vote twice? The first time I voted my druthers and a MES 40. But I own the MES 30 Gen 1 and even though I'd love a wider, deeper, taller smoker I prefer it for the price because it's a great value for an entry level smoker.


LOL----Prefer = Druthers. You voted right.

This is payback from the other Poll where we all voted MES 30, and couldn't vote again when we got the MES 40s.

Bear


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## esteff001 (Apr 25, 2015)

Heating elemental not
Heating, please any ideas? I have power at the input to the element. I get voltage from the ground screw to each side... am I missing something or do I just have a bad element? Sucks because I've only used it 5 times


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## Bearcarver (Apr 25, 2015)

esteff001 said:


> Heating elemental not
> Heating, please any ideas? I have power at the input to the element. I get voltage from the ground screw to each side... am I missing something or do I just have a bad element? Sucks because I've only used it 5 times


This may sound like a strange question, but did you set your time?

It won't start until you set your time for whatever.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (Apr 26, 2015)

esteff001 said:


> Heating elemental not
> Heating, please any ideas? I have power at the input to the element. I get voltage from the ground screw to each side... am I missing something or do I just have a bad element? Sucks because I've only used it 5 times


Did you find out what the problem was???

Bear


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## daricksta (May 23, 2015)

bmaddox said:


> @Bearcarver  is spot on. I love my 30" but I would replace it with a 40" if I had the money.


I know this comment is over a month old but I feel the same exact way. But Bmaddox, for the price, what other electric smoker could produce the outstanding Q the MES 30 Gen 1 (which I own) does?


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## bdskelly (May 23, 2015)

Foatty with the 1200 watt element.  Because when the kids come over on Sunday and bring their kids... I need the extra cooking space. b


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## rob sicc (Aug 7, 2015)

Where do the results of the voting get displayed?


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## mummel (Aug 7, 2015)

Page 1 at the top!


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## rob sicc (Aug 7, 2015)

mummel said:


> Page 1 at the top!


Thanks.  i finally found it


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 25, 2015)

I have 2 Gen 1 MES40's...Of course I met Bearcarver before the purchase and was warned to go bigger and All Stainless Steel...JJ


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## bdskelly (Aug 30, 2015)

Chef JimmyJ said:


> I have 2 Gen 1 MES40's...Of course I met Bearcarver before the purchase and was warned to go bigger and All Stainless Steel...JJ


I think Bear has forgotten more about MES and AMPS units than most of us know. He is a trusted source on both. b


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## mummel (Apr 10, 2015)

What size smoker do you prefer and why?


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## beartoo (Apr 10, 2015)

40", Bigger Better?, Found a great price on it ($319.99).


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## Bearcarver (Apr 10, 2015)

Started with an MES 30, because it's usually only Me & Mrs Bear.

Found out quickly it doesn't matter how few people.

Had to cut Rib Racks in Half, cut Briskets in half, and could only get 7 pounds of Beef Stick in at one time.

Bought the MES 40 the following year, and sold my MES 30 for $50.

Love my MES 40 for 5 years now!!

I would have saved some money if I'd have never bought that MES 30.

Bear


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## bmaddox (Apr 10, 2015)

@Bearcarver  is spot on. I love my 30" but I would replace it with a 40" if I had the money.


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## sota d (Apr 10, 2015)

I agree with Bear, I love my 30 and have had some great smokes on it, but more and more now I'm finding that I wish it were a little bigger. Can't really justify replacing a year old smoker, but when it's time for a new one, it'll be a little bigger.


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## goensouth (Apr 10, 2015)

Never had a 30 but love my 40 with a household of 4 plenty of room to feed all.


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## craigdchang (Apr 10, 2015)

I just bought a 30" electric with the window. I wish I bought the 40" electric with the window. Now I want to smoke everything and there is only so much room in the 30"


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## hillbillyrkstr (Apr 10, 2015)

No matter who says different, size matters! It's just the way it is.


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## tropics (Apr 10, 2015)

40 the only way to go, you can put less in it. But the 30 you can't put more then it can take.JMHO


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## mummel (Apr 10, 2015)

hillbillyrkstr said:


> No matter who says different, size matters! It's just the way it is.


That's what she said.


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## bigd3077 (Apr 10, 2015)

Now that I have some smokes under my belt,  I wish I got the 40


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## hillbillyrkstr (Apr 10, 2015)

All these years later it's still ok to say "that's what she said!".....  Thank you Michael Scott!


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## gary s (Apr 10, 2015)

On stick burners bigger is not always better, but for Electric I would go bigger

Gary


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## daricksta (Apr 10, 2015)

I own a MES 30 Gen 1. Like others here, I'm now cooking for only my wife and I (new empty nesters--sob!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





) so 30" is plenty big and it was also cheap which fit my requirements for an entry level smoker. If I could afford it I'd buy a 40" or larger smoker, though, and if I _really_ could afford it I'd be looking at a Cookshack since they're American-made and all stainless steel.

And as John Wayne supposedly said "That's about the size of it."


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## Bearcarver (Apr 10, 2015)

Bump for the other Thousands of MES owners on this forum.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Bear


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## hamrhead1971 (Apr 10, 2015)

I liked my 30 except that you couldn't cook a whole rack of ribs without either cutting or rolling them.  Now my brother likes my old 30 and I love my 40.  Also a big fan of the window.


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## mummel (Apr 11, 2015)

Isnt the window a pain to clean?  How much can you see inside if it's smoked up?


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## goensouth (Apr 11, 2015)

Very easy to clean hot water and a Mr clean Magic eraser less than a minute it is crystal clear.


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## b-one (Apr 11, 2015)

I don't have an electric. That said I kick my self for not buying the 22.5 WSM all the time!


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## reasoning (Apr 12, 2015)

Eh I have a 22.5 wsm and find myself hating it because it's to large for a lot of the smoking I do. Doesn't make much sense to fire it up for 2 chickens, or a single fatty. Normally just use my 22.5 grill and split it with a thick shield of tin foil. But it's nice to have the size at times like cooking a butt and 4-6 racks of ribs for a party


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