Looking for comments and reviews on a n electric smoker.

[hoity toit]

 
The double door seems unnecessary since it is smaller than a MES 40". For that much money I would get the new Gen2.5 MES 40" that seems to have good reviews. 

the old MES 30 is also tried and proven. Smaller chamber cooks very evenly. I have both a 30 and a 40 so I know this to be true.

 

[daricksta]

 
Hey Ricksta,  Your comment about the loss of heat from opening the double doors hit a nerve.  That might have been the final pucj I needed to go with the MES 40"

Is there much differences between the different GEN's?

Rob--oh yes! If you can find a MES 40 Gen 1 (which now seem to be rare online) go for it. I have the MES 30 and it's still working well after over 3 years. There's been a lot of positive buzz over the MES 40 2.5 and BTmodels although they are pricey. If you can find this one in a 40" model then buy it. It's essentially a Gen 1 with an exterior design makeover:


Avoid the Gen 2 models. They're the ones with the controller in front which look like this:
Funny how you just about can't find a MES 40 Gen 1 but Masterbuilt keeps churning out my model which is the MES 30 Gen 1:
The makeover version of this smoker is this. You can see a design change to the controller but the rest of the smoker is all the same as in the original: http://www.masterbuilt.com/30-inch-electric-digital-smokehouse-black-top-control.html

And I agree that double doors--especially on a small electric smoker--are a waste for the reasons given in this thread. And that you still don't know what the wattage rating is for the heating element.

 

[old sarge]

I see the concern regarding opening the doors (to add more wood?) and agree that you would lose smoke and heat.  Not mentioned is that with the AMNPS you load once for the entire smoke.  That eliminates the need to repeatedly open the doors. Owners of the MES Gen 1 have implied this in other posts.  Also not mentioned, if you have the funds, are smokers from Smokin-it and SmokinTex that require just a chunk or two of wood for an entire smoke with no need to open the door until the food is done.

I would guess the AMNPS would work in the Cajun smoker, but to be truthful, I just do not know.

 

[rob sicc]

 
I see the concern regarding opening the doors (to add more wood?) and agree that you would lose smoke and heat.  Not mentioned is that with the AMNPS you load once for the entire smoke.  That eliminates the need to repeatedly open the doors. Owners of the MES Gen 1 have implied this in other posts.  Also not mentioned, if you have the funds, are smokers from Smokin-it and SmokinTex that require just a chunk or two of wood for an entire smoke with no need to open the door until the food is done.

I would guess the AMNPS would work in the Cajun smoker, but to be truthful, I just do not know.

Old Sarge,  I defintily see your point but the reason I was thinking to open the doors was to test if meat is done.  On electric smokers, doesn't the wood get added from the outside somewhere or do I need to open to add wood?

 

[cmayna]

I would agree that adding wood, pellets whatever is normally done without opening the main doors. 

 

[rob sicc]

 
I would agree that adding wood, pellets whatever is normally done without opening the main doors. 

thanks for confirming.  I haven't seen a MES 30 or MES 40 in person

 

[old sarge]

Rob Sicc - Yes, wood is added from the outside on some smokers.  On others like Cookshack, Smokin-it, and SmokinTex, the wood chunks are placed in the wood box which sits/slides over the heating element.  You load it at the beginning of a smoke with 2 to 6 ounces of wood, load the meat, lock down the door and that is it. No need to open to add more.  After a while you get used to cook times so opening the doors to check the food becomes infrequent. For ribs, I don't generally check till they've been in the smoker for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.  For a large cut, like a butt, a temp probe inserted into the meat and running out the smoke vent to the remote lets me keep an eye on internal temperature.  If I am cooking to an IT of 195 I will not open the door till it reaches 195.  Sort of set it and forget it.

On the MES, chips are loaded periodically via the chip loader.  Load it, push it into the smoker and rotate.  It drops the chips onto a tray where the heating element burns them.

Some folks use the AMNPS and burn sawdust or pellets.  They fill a specially designed tray or tube, light it with a torch, and once it is going good, slide it into the smoker, load the meat and lock it down.  You can read about that on the numerous MES postings.