MES 30" vs 40"

davidmc4 · Jun 12, 2011

Hi All,

I am getting ready to purchase my first electric smoker and right now I'm leaning toward the MES..... Any comments on whether or not I should go with the 30" verses the 40" would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

tromaron · Jun 12, 2011

The 40 can hold a whole rack of ribs. In the 30 you need to cut them. Plus more space is always better.

biaviian · Jun 12, 2011

I wondered the same thing and went with the 40. You too will want to go with the 40 if you can. I am wishing I had gone with the larger WSM. I have since learned that you always go with the larger version if you can. This was my first and last time making that mistake.

venture · Jun 12, 2011

Most of the MES users here recommend you go with the 40 for a variety of reasons. They will be along soon.

Good luck and good smoking.

tjohnson · Jun 12, 2011

Bigger racks and 1200 watt element on the MES 40"

SAMS Club = $299

But if your budget does not allow for the extra bucks, get the MES 30 and Get Smoking!

Todd

davidmc4 · Jun 12, 2011

Biaviian said:
I wondered the same thing and went with the 40. You too will want to go with the 40 if you can. I am wishing I had gone with the larger WSM. I have since learned that you always go with the larger version if you can. This was my first and last time making that mistake.

I will check out the WSM. Any particular model?

meateater · Jun 13, 2011

I don't have one myself I'm a barrel smoker, but you will find that you will run out of room quick around the holidays. I suggest the 40.

Bearcarver · Jun 13, 2011

TJohnson said:
Bigger racks and 1200 watt element on the MES 40"

SAMS Club = $299

But if your budget does not allow for the extra bucks, get the MES 30 and Get Smoking!

Todd

What Todd said----Except-----

What happens to most of us, including me, is you get the MES 30, and save maybe $100.

Then you end up getting the MES 40 anyway, so you end up spending $200 more, instead of saving that $100.

Approx:

MES 30-----------$200

MES 40-----------$300

___________________

Total--------------$500

Bear

jjwdiver · Jun 13, 2011

The WSM is a charcoal smoker made in 2 sizes: 18 1/2" and 22 1/2" - just like the Weber Kettle grills are in the same 2 sizes.

Wife wants me to get an electric, in which case I'd go with the MES 40, but I am leaning towards the WSM...although it's another $100 +.

Good luck on your decision!

John

fpnmf · Jun 13, 2011

I have a 30 MES and an18.5 WSM. (and a medium BGE)

I love them and can smoke enough food to feed a bunch of folks with them.

I don't subscribe to the bigger is better opinion. That's just me.

Ribs end up cut anyway..I have yet to understand the "You have to cut ribs" reason to spend the extra money.

The 18.5 WSM uses a lot less charcoal than the larger unit.

I have yet to fill it with food and have fed a bunch of folks with it and save enough to eat for a week.

Of course mine is the dissenting opinion..your mileage may vary!!!Have a great day!!

Craig

Bearcarver · Jun 13, 2011

I should have added some problems I had with my MES 30.

It wasn't just cutting the ribs, although I can now get a whole rack of Pork Spares on each rack, laying flat, without cutting them.

They both have 4 grill racks, and I didn't like the fact that there was so little head space between each rack in the MES 30.

I found it a pain to foil things like Chuckies, and then probe it from the top, due to that head space between each shelf.

I made 10 pounds of my Unstuffed Beef Sticks one time, before I found out only 7 1/2 pounds of it would fit on the two shelves I wanted to use. I don't use the bottom shelf for anything---Too close to the heat for me.

I made 4 loaves of Venison Bacon, before I realized I couldn't do 4 in the MES 30, but I can do 4 in my MES 40 (3 works out better).

So like I said, some like the MES 30. Craig is certainly not alone, and he puts out some great Smoked Q, but most move up to the MES 40. My first reply was just a warning that you might save a little by getting the 30, and then end up getting the 40 anyway. Maybe not, but I know I wish I would have gone right to the MES 40, and saved my time, money, & frustration.

I also had a hard time with heat recovery up here in PA in the Winter with the little heating element in my MES 30.

This 1200 W comes back in no time.

Bear

noel · Jun 13, 2011

I'm pretty new here and started with the 40. Everything works as planned so I rate it pretty high. One downside is getting used to the small amount of chips the tray will handle...too many and you risk sticking the inserting tray and are forced to wait until the chips burn down to remove it. Just bought a Maverich themometer and the smoker was only off a degree or two and the internal about 5.

Other than that the only objection I have is cleanup ... trying to enlist my wife but thus far I'm having no luck.

davidmc4 · Jun 13, 2011

I want to thank you all for your advice and input. On a sad note, it looks like Sam's Club is out of the MES 40. The best deal I can find now is $399.

Amazon carries the 30 for less than half that. Can anyone pontificate on the differences between the MES 40 and the Smokin' Tex 1100?

Bearcarver · Jun 13, 2011

Noel said:
I'm pretty new here and started with the 40. Everything works as planned so I rate it pretty high. One downside is getting used to the small amount of chips the tray will handle...too many and you risk sticking the inserting tray and are forced to wait until the chips burn down to remove it. Just bought a Maverich themometer and the smoker was only off a degree or two and the internal about 5.

Other than that the only objection I have is cleanup ... trying to enlist my wife but thus far I'm having no luck.

We can help on those items---Maybe. LOL---cleaning

The real big crud, I have to do myself (window & any accumulation on the inside).

I got the Mrs cleaning the grill racks & the pan (after I remove the foil).

As for the chips getting stuck in the dumper. Every new MES owner uses too many chips. Too many chips will not only get stuck, but they will also put out too thick a smoke.

Try using just a few at a time.

Bear

davidmc4 · Jun 13, 2011

Bearcarver said:
Too many chips will not only get stuck, but they will also put out too thick a smoke.

Bear

I didn't know there was such a thing as "too thick a smoke"...

Bearcarver · Jun 13, 2011

davidmc4 said:
I didn't know there was such a thing as "too thick a smoke"...

Type TBS in the search box above----I gotta go mow my yards.

Later,

Bear

davidmc4 · Jun 13, 2011

Bearcarver said:
Type TBS in the search box above----I gotta go mow my yards.

Later,

Bear

Ah, ya see? This proves what I've been telling my kids for years... If you're not careful, you can learn something new every day! The quest for TBS moves forward..... Thanks Bear. (Hope you got your yards mowed!)

wildflower · Jun 13, 2011

Go the SAM'S online!!

eman · Jun 13, 2011

Sams can do store to store transfers at no cost. They may not want to but they will.

When sams picked up the MES a few years back none of the stores in my area had gotten any yet.

I went on line and found the closest 3 stores that had them in stock and went to the store mgr at sams.

Told her i wanted the MES and since the sams here didn't stock it would she please make sure and get me one shipped in from another store.

At first she tried to tell me that if they didn't have it no store did.

Showed her the print out and told her these stores have it and i want it. When will you have it here?

3 days later i had my MES.

Bearcarver · Jun 13, 2011

eman said:
Sams can do store to store transfers at no cost. They may not want to but they will.

When sams picked up the MES a few years back none of the stores in my area had gotten any yet.

I went on line and found the closest 3 stores that had them in stock and went to the store mgr at sams.

Told her i wanted the MES and since the sams here didn't stock it would she please make sure and get me one shipped in from another store.

At first she tried to tell me that if they didn't have it no store did.

Showed her the print out and told her these stores have it and i want it. When will you have it here?

3 days later i had my MES.

That's cool Bob !!!

None of the Sams around here even wanted to talk about anything they didn't have in their own store.

That's one of the reasons I went to Cabelas.

Maybe that lady liked you??? LOL

Bear

MES 30" vs 40"

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