# Electric Under Counter Recommendations for Outdoor Kitchen



## dudadudaduda (Jun 11, 2020)

Ive gone through 2 electric smokers in the past 7 years. I live in NJ, and the winters can cause damage to smokers if they are not protected. To that end, I am building an outdoor kitchen and I would like to put an electric smoker UNDER the countertop, with the smoke vented out the back, not the top. Access would be availenle from the front of the smoker or back.  Can anyone recommend some smokers that may be appropriate for something like this. There would obviously need to be an area to feed wood chips either in the front or back, as the top would have countertop.


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## fivetricks (Jun 11, 2020)

Depends on how high you're planning on running your counters. A top exhausting unit could still exhaust from the back of your counter with a 45 degree elbow if your counter heights are high enough.

That's how I vent my MES's not under a counter, but with 45 degree elbows.


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## normanaj (Jun 11, 2020)

One of the houses I was working at last Summer had a Smokin-It under their counter top.I know I have a pic of this somewhere on my computer,when I find it I'll post it up.These folks had the most insane outdoor kitchen I've ever seen but when you're worth several hundred million dollars you can do what you want!


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## GaryHibbert (Jun 11, 2020)

I'm thinking you must be a whole lot younger than me, if you plan to put a smoker under the counter.  You'll have to squat down every time you want to add or remove something from the smoker.  When I first got my MES, I had nothing built to set it on so it say on the cement patio.   All that squatting down got real old real fast.
Gary


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## normanaj (Jun 11, 2020)

GaryHibbert said:


> When I first got my MES, I had nothing built to set it on so it say on the cement patio. All that squatting down got real old real fast.


Mine's on a waist high stand too.


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## normanaj (Jun 11, 2020)

Still searching for that outdoor kitchen pic,


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## Winterrider (Jun 11, 2020)

I agree, get it up as high as you can justifiably.


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## tallbm (Jun 11, 2020)

dudadudaduda said:


> Ive gone through 2 electric smokers in the past 7 years. I live in NJ, and the winters can cause damage to smokers if they are not protected. To that end, I am building an outdoor kitchen and I would like to put an electric smoker UNDER the countertop, with the smoke vented out the back, not the top. Access would be availenle from the front of the smoker or back.  Can anyone recommend some smokers that may be appropriate for something like this. There would obviously need to be an area to feed wood chips either in the front or back, as the top would have countertop.



Hi there and welcome!

I think with ducting u can vent out back in creative ways so I'm more concerned with keeping an electric smoker going while it being out doors.

With that said a very good electrical smoker is a *simply* rewired MES (Masterbuilt Electric Smoker) that uses something like the Auber PID controller.  
With the rewire you can take the controller inside when u are not using it (my recommendation).  The only thing left outside is the MES body, wiring, and heating element... no electronics to fail. 
During rewire I would replace the crappy stock wire connectors with high temp stainless steel ones that can handle the outdoors.  This drastically reduces any weather related failure points.

A rewired MES with an Auber PID works 100X better than a brand new MES period.  Also with the rewire job u can keep it running very easily if anything goes wrong.

To vent out the back i would just make/use some ducting that gets the job done.

I hope this gives u some food for thought on a more robust and longer lasting outdoor option.  I have gotten used MES40 units for $40-50 on craigslist so no need to break the bank on the unit since it would get rewired anyhow :)


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## GaryHibbert (Jun 12, 2020)

Message deleted.  I'll try this again\
Gary


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## GaryHibbert (Jun 12, 2020)

tallbm said:


> With that said a very good electrical smoker is a *simply* rewired MES (Masterbuilt Electric Smoker) that uses something like the Auber PID controller.
> With the rewire you can take the controller inside when u are not using it (my recommendation). The only thing left outside is the MES body, wiring, and heating element... no electronics to fail.
> During rewire I would replace the crappy stock wire connectors with high temp stainless steel ones that can handle the outdoors. This drastically reduces any weather related failure points.
> 
> A rewired MES with an Auber PID works 100X better than a brand new MES period. Also with the rewire job u can keep it running very easily if anything goes wrong.




My MES 30 Gen 1 has sat outside on my covered deck, in the rain, snow, and cold of the Alberta Foothills since the day I bought it new.  Now this is probably what caused the factory controller to eventually fail.
I took tallbm's advice and rewired it to his specs and added a PID to the system.  Now to someone like me, with absolutely no skills or knowledge when it comes to anything electrical, this was a daunting process to even consider.  But, with tallbm's help (a *LOT* of help  ) it actually turned out to be quite a simple procedure. 
My old MES has never run better.  After every smoke, I spend the 30 secs it takes to unhook the PID and bring it inside, out of the weather.  Problem solved.
Gary


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## bill1 (Jun 13, 2020)

Maybe consider building a weatherized housing around the smoker?  It could be "substantial" with  hinged doors or just be a 4-walled &  roofed structure you lift on and off.  

Or just buy a new cover for it every Winter?  The Amazon covers are pretty amazing values.


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