Hey, Tony-
Just got a chance to catch up a bit...
"I will say that so far Ilike the smoker and food has come out great but when I am ready to buy a new one, I dont think I will be considering Masterbuilt again. It just seems like a really crappy beginner company who is not listening to the consumer and is not testing them, they just can't be putting forth the effort."
You're definitely not alone with MES issues. I've read of all sorts of problems with these here on SMF, and a high number of them. I can't speak from personal experience as I have never used one myself, but they seem to have inherent problems with a very high frequency. On the flip side, there are tons of MES owners who are members here on SMF, so the percentage of problems being reported, or those asking for tips on what to do to correct a specific problem, may be far less than the amount of satisfied customers. Every type and model/manufacturer of smoker has it's own set of problems to challenge the user with, and while some types seem to be more prone to issues than others, none of them are perfect...at least none of them that I own. So, we do what we must to get the most from it, as we feel is necessary.
Some like the set it and forget it which a thermostat controlled electric smoker offers, if it works accurately, which many do not. Electric smokers in general seem to be a more risky proposition in regards to failure rates...too complicated to not have problems at a more frequent rate than propane. With charcoal, well, there's just not much to go wrong with those at all, other than possibly a higher chance for corrosion depending on how it's cared for. Among these three types, electric being the easiest to use once you get the smoke generation and temperature settings figured out, propane being the next step up in challenge to use, but offering wide temperature range capability and poor weather operation for higher chamber temps, and it's portable; then charcoal being the most basic and most challenging to use and is also portable. For typical Bbq/hot smoking, charcoal fired seems to give the best flavor and smoke ring, propane coming in second with a decent smoke ring as well, with electric bringing up the rear by only imparting smoke flavor with no smoke ring in the meats (without pulling a trick or two). Smoke ring doesn't mean anything in regard to flavor, but does indicate to Bbq enthusiasts to a certain degree that optimum conditions were present for smoke reaction as well as a strong indicator that the meat was cooked low & slow (a must for tender ribs, brisket and shoulder cuts).
I also did not mention that electric smokers (those which are affordable to the majority of backyard cooks) have a smaller grate size than what is available for propane and charcoal smokers, so larger cuts of meat like whole beef brisket or full slabs of pork spare ribs (as examples) are not an option...just something to consider before you buy one.
OK, so, you probably know by now that I'm not pro-electric. I've just read of too many problems with them (not just MES) and have resigned myself to the idea that they're not for me, and I seriously doubt that my position will ever change. I have many more reasons than I have not mentioned to support my decision to not own electric outdoor cookers, like water (in the form of rain) and electricity don't mix, but, for those who do own them, I can only say that you should be prepared for eventual failure after correcting the initial issues found upon assembly for seasoning and first smoke runs. It seems inevitable, so I steer clear of that which I don't want to deal with.
Hope you can keep things rolling with minimal problems in the future.
Eric
