# Masterbuilt portable electric smoker - avoiding a mess?



## 12amNSX (Jul 8, 2019)

I just purchased the Masterbuild portable electric smoker.  It appears that with anything you smoke on the racks, the drippings will just drop onto the wood tray, water tray and heating element.  My first smoke was a whole chicken and I put it on a small tray with a wire rack inside.  Did a great job of keeping the drippings under control.

However, I found that it took quite some time to smoke it and am wondering if the tray blocks a lot of the heat rising from the bottom.  Have you had this experience and know of a better solution?


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## sm0kin (Jul 8, 2019)

12amNSX said:


> I just purchased the Masterbuild portable electric smoker.  It appears that with anything you smoke on the racks, the drippings will just drop onto the wood tray, water tray and heating element.  My first smoke was a whole chicken and I put it on a small tray with a wire rack inside.  Did a great job of keeping the drippings under control.
> 
> However, I found that it took quite some time to smoke it and am wondering if the tray blocks a lot of the heat rising from the bottom.  Have you had this experience and know of a better solution?


I use a pan on top of the element heat shield that is the full width of the smoker, or on the bottom rack if I’m not using all racks. I bend in the sides to allow up flow of air in front and back.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Jul 8, 2019)

Place the catch pan on a rack below the chicken. 
What was the temperature in the smoker?


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## tallbm (Jul 8, 2019)

12amNSX said:


> I just purchased the Masterbuild portable electric smoker.  It appears that with anything you smoke on the racks, the drippings will just drop onto the wood tray, water tray and heating element.  My first smoke was a whole chicken and I put it on a small tray with a wire rack inside.  Did a great job of keeping the drippings under control.
> 
> However, I found that it took quite some time to smoke it and am wondering if the tray blocks a lot of the heat rising from the bottom.  Have you had this experience and know of a better solution?



Hi there and welcome!

I believe a lot of us MES smokers would foil over the water pan and insert the water pan.  That helped in that area.  Also we foil over the drip pan at the bottom of the smoker so cleaning is just a matter of removing foil.  Unless you attempt to smoke like 6-8 pork butts I don't think you will build up enough drippings to overflow a foiled drip pan at the bottom of the smoker.

For me these days I have all of that stuff removed.  My heating element is 100% exposed (and flipped) and there is nothing in the way between the heating element an my bottom rack.  I then just put a foil pan on the bottom rack and then a rack on the foil pan and smoke that way.  Really not much mess and with a foiled drip tray at the bottom cleanup is a breeze :)

I hope this info helps and best of luck on the smokes! :)


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## 12amNSX (Jul 10, 2019)

SecondHandSmoker said:


> Place the catch pan on a rack below the chicken.
> What was the temperature in the smoker?



For the most part it was at 225 to 230.  But near the end I cranked it up to around 300 to get it to hit around 165 internally.


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## TomKnollRFV (Jul 10, 2019)

I don't own the portable but if it's any thing like the normal one I'd say skip putting water in the water pan. I put that under the bottom rack with nothing in it to catch drippings and shield the AMNPS.

But you'll need to see if it stays moist enough in there, but if any thing else like the above posters said; just put it under the chicken to shield the heating element etc.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Jul 10, 2019)

12amNSX said:


> For the most part it was at 225 to 230.  But near the end I cranked it up to around 300 to get it to hit around 165 internally.



Yeah,  225 to 230 will take anywhere from 3 to 5 hours.  
Good call on cranking up the heat to 300, chicken will handle that temp just fine.
Do you use a separate thermometer/probe set up to verify the smoker's chamber temp?


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## engr1111 (Jul 22, 2019)

Why don't you try Masterbuilt 20071117 30 Digital Electric Smoker. The same has been the most popular now a lot. Many other in fact 10 smokers are being compared with pros and cons *here* and I seriously loved the way they have explained. Any issues please feel free to ask

Some of the pros cons are as under:

Pros


Comes with smoking chips which give users a terrific begin-up.
The patented wood-chip loading device will increase the rate and functionality.
Whole insulation of the body gives it an ornamental attraction and increases person-comfort.
Extremely good for beginners and specialists alike.
Usable through specific forms of customers.
The food ability is handy for massive-sized families.
Cons


Pretty expensive consequently might not be low-priced via all.
Might not be convenient for cellular cooks.
May leave you with issues sometimes if not used properly. Do not forget to read the guidebook given along.


Thanks


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## Pilot Bird (Jul 27, 2019)

Everything in the drip tray. Perfect smoke on the meat.








Nothing in the drip tray. Perfect smoke for the meat.


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## normanaj (Jul 28, 2019)

Troll places like Walmart for when they do their seasonal changeovers and you might get lucky.In Apr 2018 I picked up the 30" bluetooth model with stainless window door (not that these features really matter to me) and Wallyworld through in 2yr replacement warranty all for a whopping $69 plus tax.


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