Masterbuilt, Smoke Hallow, or? Newbie here!

[TSR6]

I've dabbled in smoking meat on my gas grill, and think its time for a smoker.

I'm considering the Masterbuilt 40-Inch Electric Smoker w/ Bluetooth

or

Smoke Hollow Smoke-Tronix 40-Inch Digital Electric Bluetooth Smoker

Any comments on one over the other? I'd sure like to save the $180 difference in price if there's not a large difference between the two. Any other units I should consider?

 

[dr k]

Mes 40 BT. There's no problem that can't be solved with the wealth of knowledge here on SMF.

 

[browneyesvictim]

The MB is likely the most popular. The electronics are the weak link. Regardless of your choice budget in an AMNPS and a good separate digital remote therm.

 

[TSR6]

The MB is likely the most popular. The electronics are the weak link. Regardless of your choice budget in an AMNPS and a good separate digital remote therm.

I knew on the thermometer - but whats the deal with the "amnps" thing?

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I suggest a Masterbuilt as well..I got a 40 inch masterbuilt adventurer series and I love it over my old Brinkmann fallapart water smoker. Though an AMNPS and good digital remote thermal probe as Browneyesvictim said are very much so worth an investment. You can't do shorter cooks with out the AMNPS, but having done pork butts with out one now, I can say be prepared for it to go alot longer then planned and you not to sleep properly.

I also suggest considering your own cover; the one I got with masterbuilt on the brand on it isn't really that good. Sure isn't water proof despite costing me 30 bucks.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I knew on the thermometer - but whats the deal with the "amnps" thing?

http://www.amazenproducts.com/product_p/amnps5x8.htm

It's a pellet burner tray for smokers, it lets you get 8-12 hours of smoke on one load. So you don't need to keep refilling every half hour. I use it for overnight smoking. You can also cold smoke with it.

I pretty much start every smoke I do that'll take over 6 hours at around Midnight now. Light the AMNPS, check once more before bed to ensure she's going still, and then I don't need to worry for about 10 hours. Also use it when drying sausage etc, you can't get an electric smoker to generate smoke reliably under 200 or so degrees. The heating element doesn't kick off enough to do so.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Lots of good advice here and lots of things to consider.
First up, do not expect to get a whole lot of range with the BT on either smoker. That is just the nature of BT and not the smoker. Secondly, if you are planning on doing a lot of smoking and if modding is something you want to get into, then the MES is definitely the smoker to get. However, if you only do occasional smokes and cannot justify the price of the MES 40, then the SmokeTronix 40 is the less expensive alternative and might be a better fit. Thirdly, the SmokeTronix might have a slight advantage over the MES, in that the SmokeTronix has a seperate 300 watt element that is dedicated to the chip tray. The element cycles on and off during the smoke. Plus, you have the option to turn on the element when you change out chips etc.
Like you, I had been trying to smoke on gas grills for years and got pretty good at it. But that robust smoked flavor wasn't quite there which led me on the search for a smoker. After much research, I was able to narrow it down to an electric smoker and decided on the SmokeTronix 40. It has met my expectations so far.

Let us know which one you decide on. Either way, there is a bunch of good guys and gals here with excellent knowledge willing to help guide us newbies to the world of smoking.

 

[TSR6]

Lots of good advice here and lots of things to consider.
First up, do not expect to get a whole lot of range with the BT on either smoker. That is just the nature of BT and not the smoker. Secondly, if you are planning on doing a lot of smoking and if modding is something you want to get into, then the MES is definitely the smoker to get. However, if you only do occasional smokes and cannot justify the price of the MES 40, then the SmokeTronix 40 is the less expensive alternative and might be a better fit. Thirdly, the SmokeTronix might have a slight advantage over the MES, in that the SmokeTronix has a seperate 300 watt element that is dedicated to the chip tray. The element cycles on and off during the smoke. Plus, you have the option to turn on the element when you change out chips etc.
Like you, I had been trying to smoke on gas grills for years and got pretty good at it. But that robust smoked flavor wasn't quite there which led me on the search for a smoker. After much research, I was able to narrow it down to an electric smoker and decided on the SmokeTronix 40. It has met my expectations so far.

Let us know which one you decide on. Either way, there is a bunch of good guys and gals here with excellent knowledge willing to help guide us newbies to the world of smoking.

I doubt I will really modify anything really - I mean, I could see getting that Amazin tray deal posted above if it helps smoke overnight, and I really don't know how often to expect to trade out the tray anyways. On my gas grill, it was WAY TOO OFTEN. I mean, I went through a bag and a half of chips just to do a set of ribs recently (video: )

The reason this has me kick-started towards a smoker - those ribs were pretty damn good. They weren't quite fall off the bone (needed to cook longer - but they had made it too safe temps to eat - but I didnt want to wait till 8pm to eat that night) - but the flavor was awesome. Best I had ever done up to this point. In the past I had only really grilled with a smoker box off to the side for added flavor, where as this time I really set it up to just smoke low and slow.

Bluetooth range isn't a big deal. My house is a ranch home that is longer side to side than it is wider front to rear - and 90% of the time my phone will be close - i mean my dining table is 10' from the door, and my grill is about 10-15' from the house for example. I have a bluetooth speaker I use for tunes on the back porch, and the only time that disconnects is if I go to our lower level, or into the garage. I should be fine there as long as it stays at the last setting if/when it disconnects.

I'm actually honestly leaning towards the smoketronix right now - I have read a lot of comments about the MES40 having different control board problems, burning insulation, and a cost that is substantially more than the smoketronix. I was given a Big Chief smoker to try out too - and my debate also is - do i give that thing a shot too, or do i just dive right in this weekend?

I can also get the Smoketronix locally - in stock. The MES40 is on Amazon, but I have not found it locally quite yet.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

You and I have the same exact Weber, even the color! I love that grill but found it is not the best grill for smoking. It has too much air flow in my opinion. But that is how Weber redesigned the grill for safety reasons. My old Genesis Silver B did a better job at low and slow for smoking. I think it had a lot to do with the burners running horizontal front to back instead of parallel like the new grills. Plus, the back vent was more narrow than what is on the Genesis. You are right, the Genesis does burn through chips. I use two 6" V shaped stainless smoker boxes that fit between the flavorizer bars. Once the chips start smoking. Then I turn that burner all the way down and use the middle burner for heat regulation during indirect grilling. From your video, it looks like you are doing the same thing. Regardless, the Genesis is an excellent grill for grilling.

I mentioned bluetooth range because several reviewers of BT enabled smokers complain that they cannot get the 150 feet range as claimed by the manufacturer. Good to hear that you have real world expectations with bluetooth. My connection has dropped a couple of times when I've brought my tablet inside to the kitchen about 75 feet away from where I have the smoker set up. No biggie. I just let the app find the smoker again.

Give the Big Chief smoker a shot. Try a couple of smokes with it and see how you like it. If it ends up you don't like the Big Chief then you can pull the trigger on the Smoketronix. Just my 2 cents worth...

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I forgot to mention that with the Smoketronix, I am getting about four hours of smoke from one tray of chips.

 

[normanaj]

I also suggest considering your own cover; the one I got with masterbuilt on the brand on it isn't really that good. Sure isn't water proof despite costing me 30 bucks.

The iCOVER smoker cover.$14.99 thru Amazon.

 

[TSR6]

To end the chain, I had gotten a message on here asking which unit I went with. I was holding off...but because of that message I clicked the bookmark i saved for the local store that carried Smoke Hollow's Smoketronix - and surprise. End of season clearance. Marked down from $399 to $219

So it's in my garage right now.... I will hopefully assemble it tomorrow.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

Congratulations. That was some very good luck to get the smoker at the price. Assembly is pretty straight forwad.

 

[old sarge]

Congratulations on the smoker.

 

[TSR6]

I bought two chickens today to smoke tomorrow. I built the smoker today! Holy cow there was a lot of packaging.

 

[Braz]

Without pictures it didn't happen. Not certain but I think that is a rule.

 

[SecondHandSmoker]

I bought two chickens today to smoke tomorrow. I built the smoker today! Holy cow there was a lot of packaging.

Yeah. It seems like it takes more time to unpack eveything than putting it together. Mine had so much packaging dust and debris that I vacuumed out the interior before seasoning.

Looking forward to reading about your first time out the SmokeTronix.

 

[old sarge]

The clock is ticking................

 

[TSR6]

The clock is ticking................

Sorry, I started a new thread! You can find that here: https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...y-smoke-hollow-smoke-tronix-40-smoker.279133/