Hey I have a question I am in the market for an electric smoker, I have been smoking meats for the last 5 years with a offset smoker. Now I am looking into getting an electric smoker. Just wondering what brand most of you like. I know it's between a Bradley or
Masterbuilt and even considering a traeger. Just was wanting some opinions. Thanks
Moving from charcoal/wood smoker to electric for some is a big deal. For ease of smoking and operation the better electrics are hard to beat. If you read this SMF electric forum going back at least 10 pages, you will see the MES is the smoker used by more members than any other. The main reason is serious bang for buck product and performance. Since I am a MES 40 owner, and have not owned or operated any other electric smoker, I am biased, so the following comments are one man's opinion.
The MES 40 is a serious smoking meat tool. What separates the MES 40 is that even though it is not a large smoker, the size and capacity allow you to smoke a rack of ribs or chicken for 2 people, or enough ribs for 50 people, and pulled pork for 100. Thats right unlike many small compact smokers that require you to either roll or cut a rack of ribs to fit on the shelf, the MES 40 is big enough that you can lay a rack of ribs uncut on a shelf. In addition if you use vertical rib racks with 4 shelves in the MES 40 you can easily smoke 16 racks of ribs.
Another feature that separates the MES product is innovation,
Masterbuilt has upgraded the MES product line with several improvements over the years, glass door, meat temp probe, improved wiring, higher wattage heating elements, to name a few improvements. Since I don't own another electric smoker it is difficult to speculate if other brands make such an effort to improve their smoker?
MES or "M aking it E asy to S moke meat", I have owned mine for 5 years and it still is going strong after some serious use. Does that mean the MES is the end all of electric smokers? Not really, some MES owners received "dogs" , some really defective equipment. In general though
Masterbuilt support has done an excellent job of making sure it's customers are happy with their MES smokers, including taking care of owners if their MES is defective.
