Masterbuilt® 30-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker with Leg Kit, Side Wood Chip Loader and 710 Cooking Square Inches in Black, Model MB20070421

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.

I was a little skeptical at first, but this item turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. It arrived on time and in good condition. The quality is solid, and it works just as described. Setup was straightforward, and I’ve had no issues so far. Definitely worth the price. I would recommend this to anyone considering it!

My first smoker, but thanks to it being electric it's so easy to use. Program the temperature & time right on it & forget it except for adding wood every 30 minutes (I only add wood once for light flavoring). For someone brand new at smoking, this was the best one I could have bought. I love it & the food that comes out of it is amazing! Oh, and it makes the porch & immediate area around our house smell great. I love sing people walking past the house start sniffing the air! Cleanup is super easy, too. I use an aluminum pan on the bottom rack to put a little water in & also catch the drippings, so the only thing I have to clean when I'm done is the rack the meat was on. Throw out the aluminum pan & dump the ashes from the wood chips & you're ready to go again.

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.

Perfect smoker. First use was for several chickens. Results amazing , well done and taste was outstanding.Baby back ribs are next, gonna be good.The digital readout is difficult to see in bright weather, used a hand held shade then no problem.