MES Help

I have the 40". I use to try to keep the window clean for the first year or so, but now I dont even bother with it.It just gets gunked up again.Can you even get a 40" with no window? Size wise, I would recomend the 40"  because of ribs.If you get the 30" you wont be able to put in a rack of ribs without cutting a few off or getting a contraption that bends them to fit.With a 40, they fit with no problem. Also, with the 40, you have the option to add more food.Dont't worry, you'll wish later you bought the bigger version.I never heard anyone on this forum saying.. "Damn, I wish I got the smaller one".I saw Amazon had a lghtning deal last week for the 40" for $319 but that deal is gone now, but it might show back up again.

Ditto what BobbyGee said, the MES40 is best bang for buck Electric Digital Smoker made.  If there is any around with a solid door (no glass), then get it, lower maintenance, less chance of a failure later in life. 

Like you I wanted more than anything to cook ribs without folding or cutting.  There just is something about laying full racks of ribs on the table and then cutting, sort of a wow moment if you have a lot of people.  Though they quickly get cut up into two bone servings and placed into serving pans, so the smaller MES30 can easily work just skip the wow moment.  However you may have such good results that family and friends start asking you to do graduation parties, weddings, big birthday parties.  That has happened to me and I have provided Q from my MES 40 for over 50+ people at a time.  I truly believe the extra capacity gives you more options in what and how you cook things.  I also use it for a HOT holding cabinet for stuff I'm grilling, my grill is next to my MES.

I wouldn't worry too much about getting a defective unit, it is annoying but so far in 6 years that I have owned the MES, Masterbuilt has provided excellent customer service and stands behind the product.  There are some minor issues with the older style smaller wood chip assembly but Masterbuilt has released a retrofit kit that is free to solve that issue.

You will luv your new MES no matter which model you get.

QVC periodically offers the 40 inch in all stainless: no window. It seems to sell out very quick but you might get lucky.

Yeah, sounds like she is trying to suprise you.It's your job to steer her in the right direction or you'll get an el cheapo brinkman.Sams club has this year and last year 40" model for 299.If you are or know a member of Samsclub,that will be the cheapest around.Amazon has got last year 40" model for 331,if your a prime member there,shipping would be free.Masterbuilts are made in China so I think the cajon injector is the same ,just rebranded.

No, the one at Sams is the 2012 year model,the one at Academy(website anyway) is the 2011 year model.If it was me,I would get the latest version.It might be worth becoming a Sams member.Mine is 2 versions old,still works great though,and Amazon has the 2012 version for 353 but was out of stock.

BobbyGee said:

No, the one at Sams is the 2012 year model,the one at Academy(website anyway) is the 2011 year model.If it was me,I would get the latest version.It might be worth becoming a Sams member.Mine is 2 versions old,still works great though,and Amazon has the 2012 version for 353 but was out of stock.

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I am not sure I agree with this recommendation base on one of SMF most competent & knowledgeable members Todd Johnson, owner of A-Maze-N products and creator of the AMNPS.  Read his issues with the latest 2012 Generation of MES 40 here.

Those of us who have been around for the past 3-6 years have seen the MES change several times, honestly except the increase in heating element size has any other change has actually been an improvement?  Why?  Because all those so called improvements and new features comes at a cost, so the product gets another feature but overall the unit is cheapened somewhere else.  Even the increase in heat element came at a cost, because they reduced the size of the wood chip tray and added an extra piece of metal that has cause a lot of problems thus the retro fit kit.  All that being said, I would rather get something with it's known defects instead of the latest and greatest with unknown issues to be discovered.  For me choosing the latest & greatest would require some compelling new feature that you can't live without, or it is the only model you can get.

I think that Todd's expose on the weak/poorly designed door hinges on the 2012 MES40 is something to really consider before deciding between the old and new model.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/131879/2012-mes-40-dissappointing-right-out-of-the-box

True, newer isn't always better.I was thinking the new controls that are incorporated in the front would be easier to read in the daylight and the vent on the opposite would be a plus as well.