Thoughts on MES 30

[eatatmidnight]

We are traveling from MO (home state) to CT (son and dil) for Christmas. Son wants to smoke some meats. I've used charcoal, gas and pellet (current smoker). I'm looking to buy something to use up there as I can't take my smoking equipment on the plane lol. It would need to be fairly small, easy to use & affordable. He'd like to smoke ribs, pork butt & possibly brisket. Bass Pro has this one. Any opinions on the model or links to using electric smokers? https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/masterbuilt-30-digital-electric-smoker

 

[tallbm]

We are traveling from MO (home state) to CT (son and dil) for Christmas. Son wants to smoke some meats. I've used charcoal, gas and pellet (current smoker). I'm looking to buy something to use up there as I can't take my smoking equipment on the plane lol. It would need to be fairly small, easy to use & affordable. He'd like to smoke ribs, pork butt & possibly brisket. Bass Pro has this one. Any opinions on the model or links to using electric smokers? https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/masterbuilt-30-digital-electric-smoker

Hi there and welcome!

Lots of us use MES smokers, so you should get some good feedback.

If you want small it's about as small of a smoker as you are going to get unless you use a Weber but that is a lot more work in smoking something than an electric smoker.

I personally think the 30 is too small and many will agree with me. Also being that small it basically needs legs to lift it and raise it's overall size just so you don't have to squat to use it. Adding legs of some kind of defeats the purpose of having a small footprint. The MES 40 is big enough to not need legs and no need for squatting or staying bent way over to use it. I have helped people with their MES30 so speaking from personal experiences about the size differences and need for legs.

For many who don't eat much or make much the MES30 is ok but know that it wont fit a whole rack of ribs, a whole packer brisket unless it's tiny, or a whole turkey unless it's tiny. This fact immediately disqualifies the MES30 for me no matter the type. The MES40 can fit all of that stuff no issue other than maybe a 16lb+ brisket. I only buy 14lb+ briskets and I trim off that thin tapering flat meat anyhow so it always fits. I reuse that meat for all kinds of stuff so no waste at all.

Ok tips on buying an MES!
Definitely go in somewhere and look at floor model of an MES30 vs MES40 to determine if the size difference is is an issue or not. If no floor models simply look at the difference in the size of the boxes they are in, it will be noticeable in any case.
Know that Academy seems to run the best MES deals this time of year for the holiday sales.

The window and bluetooth features sound like they are important but they are actually the least important, especially the never working bluetooth feature.
Instead I would prioritize Stainless Steel over all other features offered.

Finally, the best MES is one you get for free or for like $40 used off Facebook or Craigslist and then you rewire it to use what is known as a PID Controller.
You get that 2nd hand MES and take to a car wash and spray wash it out.
You do a simple rewire (cut 4 wire ends and splice to make 2 whole wires) and then you use a PID controller to run the smoker.
This will be a better MES by 50x over versus anything Masterbuilt makes period.
This PID stuff will sound very foreign for now and a PID controller will run you $150 but WOW, does it turn the MES into a beast! It's like upgrading a golf cart into a Ferrari lol.

I hope all this info helps and ask any questions you have :)

 

[eatatmidnight]

Thanks for the tips. I found a used one on Facebook marketplace. He and his wife are headed to pick it up. They've been given instructions to get the inside cleaned out before we get there. It's a 30 inch but for their first smoker, it's a good beginning. If they like smoking as much as I do, (and he wants to stick with electric), we will look into the PID. This community is such a great wealth of knowledge.

 

[JLeonard]

Bear's "Step by Step" Index

Bear's "Step by Step" Index I made this index, because a lot of guys use my "Step by Steps", and I couldn't get them all in my Signature. Then I'd have to find the one I had that best suited what they were wanting to do. At times it has taken me forever to find one of my Step by Steps that...

www.smokingmeatforums.com

Looks at Bears link. He did a lot on the MES.
Jim

 

[Brokenhandle]

I use an analog mes 30, yes it does now have the auber pid to control it but it works fine for smaller cooks. The auber took care if the 25 degree temp swings. Be a good start for them!

Ryan

 

[GaryHibbert]

I've been using a MES 30 for about 7 years now. It's plenty big enough for the 2 of us (plus, occasionally, my step daughter and her 4 year old).
Height is no problem--just set it up on a stand, table, etc.
I've cooked briskets (separate the point from the flat, and cook one above the other), ribs (cut the rack in half) and just about everything else in my MES. With a mailbox mod, they make a great cold smoker.
I've changed the heat element to an element from a MES 40, so it heats up faster and holds temp better, and added a PID.
Your son and dil are gonna love it. And if they don't, and want something different, there's always a market for a used MES 30.
Gary

 

[tallbm]

Thanks for the tips. I found a used one on Facebook marketplace. He and his wife are headed to pick it up. They've been given instructions to get the inside cleaned out before we get there. It's a 30 inch but for their first smoker, it's a good beginning. If they like smoking as much as I do, (and he wants to stick with electric), we will look into the PID. This community is such a great wealth of knowledge.

Nice find!

I'd highly recommend you get a pellet smoke tube to produce smoke, something like this (it's a pair):

Fill it up half way laying horizontal and it should burn and produce great smoke for about 5 hours without having to do anything. So a pair would mean you load 2 up and use them back to back for 10 total hours of smoke. No babysitting the smoker and adding wood chips, plus a bag of pellets lasts FOREVER.

All of us electric smoker guys use pellets and some sort of contraption that burns the pellets to produce smoke. The tubes should work within the MES30 which is a lower oxygen environment and if he really likes what he is getting he can always tinker and make a mailbox mod and use the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray for 12 hours of smoke over a pair of tubes.
Again all of us electric smoker guys do this and I smoke briskets and pork butts overnight and only get up when my remote thermometers tell me the meat is ready or the smoker some how got too hot or the power cut out and temp dropped to the low alarm setting.

This stuff is so fun and man it's awesome to not be tied at the hip to the smoker but still get world class BBQ!!! :D