Masterbuilt30-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker with Leg Kit, Side Wood Chip Loader and 710 Cooking Square Inches in Black, Model MB20070421

I had the original version of this smoker and the bottom finally rotted out 8 years later, I bought this one again. The screen display went out a month after we got it. I contacted Customer Care and they sent another one and reminded me to register the warranty in case I had any other issues.

Great deal my first one lasted 15 years so I have high hopes for this one

It was easy to put together and went together quickly. You will need a 10mm wrenches or socket to put together the legs as well as a screw driver. I'm not sure of the size of the larger bolts on the very bottom but it is metric. I haven't used it yet but the weekend is here so something is going to be smoked.

I previously bought a bbq grill with an offset smoker. Very basic, very cheap and loved the taste of smoked ribs and salmon, but hated how I had to constantly go outside to regulate the smoke. I had to keep adding wood, opening the vents, closing the vents and making sure the temperature of the meat was OK. You didn’t want to overcook it and didn’t want to undercook it. I was constantly running inside and outside my patio door.With this electric smoker, it is so easy. I bought the add on smoker attachment so I don’t have to continue adding wood chips every 30 minutes, downloaded the app on my phone so I can set the temperature and timer…and it has been smooth sailing every since. I can set the smoker temperature, the timer, add my wood chips and meat, go in the house and relax. My ribs and salmon came out perfect.

I have purchased this smoker twice. The first one ran great for 3 years, but finally the heating element burned out. It's now in my garage awaiting warm weather so I can install the replacement element that I ordered online and will serve as a backup when the heating element burns out in my current smoker. The elements will burn out after a time, particularly when you use a smoker as often as I do (3 or 4 times a week year-round).Unboxing and doing the minor assembly required for this smoker is quick and easy. It took me less than 30 minutes.Spending more on an electric smoker with a window is a waste, in my view, because the glass quickly gets fogged with steam and smoke residue. Besides, you should be cooking to internal temperature with a good remote temperature probe instead of opening the door periodically (letting heat and smoke escape) to check on progress.Speaking of not opening the door while cooking, I'm a huge fan of this smoker's external smokewood loading feature that allows you to add wood without opening the door.Pre-heating the smoker is important in cold weather. Up to a 30 minutes may be necessary. Pre-heating is not so necessary during the warm/hot spring/summer/fall months if the outside temperature is above 60̊ F. In fact, there is a good reason to skip pre-heating entirely on really warm days (over 80̊ F.), as explained in the next paragraph.Of course, the Masterbuilt electric smokers rely on a electric heating element for heat. The element automatically turns off when the smoker reaches the target temperature you set. It then turns back on when the temperature in the cabinet drops several degrees below the target temperature. While the Masterbuilt smokers are pretty well insulated, they are affected by the outdoor temperature. You will find that the element stays on much longer during colder weather, so there is hardly ever a problem getting enough smoke in such weather. However, particularly when the outdoor temperature is over 80̊ F. or so, the element will not stay on as much, which can decrease the smoke production. I have two approaches to this problem:(1) In hot weather, I never pre-heat the smoker. I just put the meat in the smoker and start it "cold." This maximizes the initial smoke until the smoker gets to the target temperature, which can takes as little as 10 minutes in really hot weather if you're cooking at, say, 225̊.(2) Every once in a while if not enough smoke is being produced, I open the door for 30 to 60 seconds and let the temperature in the cabinet come down, forcing the heating element to come back on. This hardly ever results in extended cooking time because the temperature recovers pretty quickly, and if not enough smoke is being produced anyway, you're not letting out a lot of smoke.A lot of my meat smoking projects are under 3-4 hours, and I always use the Masterbuilt for those. I'm only tempted to fire up my Weber bullet charcoal smoker for longer smokes such as ribs and brisket.Tips for easier cleanup: Line the bottom tray of the smoker with foil and be sure to poke a hole in the foil to match the hole in the tray. Also, foil the water pan before every use of the smoker, which makes it super easy to clean. Try it just once without foil, and you'll be a dedicated water-pan-foiler thereafter! Also, get a protective heat-resistant mat to go under the smoker and protect your patio or deck because there will be occasional spills of grease no matter how careful you are.The photo shows my smoker in operation on Christmas Day 2020 -- doing a twice-smoked ham. If you look closely, you can see the clean smoke coming out the vent on the top right of the smoker.

In November I purchased a Masterbuilt 30" smoker on a black Friday sale. I was replacing my original Masterbuilt 30" smoker that I bought back in 2011. That thing was great and I only replaced then original unit as the molding was starting to fail (it still smoked and held temp like day 1).I used my new Masterbuilt four times between January and mid March (mostly doing chicken breasts and a pork tenderloin @ 225). I was suspicious there was a problem because the smoke flavor wasn't as prominent but I chalked it up to a newly seasoned box. On my second cook, I studied the chips and realized they werent burning like the previous box. The Masterbuilt 30" has a much smaller chip tray then the previous model. In early April I read through reddit forums and scoured blogs trying to find assistance on what I was doing wrong.On April 8th, I reached to customer service for advice on troubleshooting why the new smoker wasnt generating smoke. At this point, the smoker wasnt producing smoke at 225 and wasnt always producing smoke at 250. The automated response was "Thank you for contacting Masterbuilt Customer Support. We strive to provide you best in class customer service. We are here to help you with all your customer support needs. We aim to respond to your request within 48 business hours. However, during periods of high demand, it may take up to 5 business days to receive a response. We appreciate your patience during these times."It took 9 business for a response. I finally heard back on April 18th. The Company responded by saying "it is recommended to increase the temperature to 275. Once they being to smolder, after about 8-10 minutes, reduce the temperature to the desired low setting." The representative went on to say "In warmer weather, the chips may need a higher setting to begin to smoke because the element will work in shorter cycles. The smoker temperature will drop less frequently in warmer weather."Its insulting their rhetoric states that smoking in April is the cause of not being able to use the smoker at 225. I asked the company to clarify why the unit wasnt working. "Due to the unit being insulated like an oven, if the outside temperature is warm the unit will not cut the element on as often."I exchanged over 10 emails during April and May with the company and even had a call with one of their team members who acknowledged that this unit has problems generating smoke.I asked for final clarification this week and they responded with:For your model number 20071117 smoker, it should be on page 24 of the instruction manual. It should state in the Operating directions for smoking wood chips "• If wood chips do not smoke on low setting, increase temperature to 275°. After 8 to 10 minutes, or when wood chips begin to smolder, reduce temperature to desired low setting."I went from being a loyal supporter to now opposed to Masterbuilt. This unit does not produce smoke at 225 and inconsistently does at 250. Buyer beware.

Works great

Sweet