Your advise on purchase, please

[fire in the hole]

I have been reading reviews and reports on the mes-40 and I'm about to make the leap. Also looking at the a-maz-n smoker.

Questions:

#1) Can I set a pan of water, for humidity, on, or a little above the element in the mes???? Are you able to keep that glass door clean and interior visable from smoke to smoke????

#2) Can I use saw dust from a table saw or a little courser chips from a thickness planner with the a-maz-n??? Or does a person have to purchase a special grind of wood chips/dust???

 

[biaviian]

#1 yes you can use a water pan (it comes with one) a little above the element. My glass door is almost as clean as the day I got it along with the rest of the smoker. Magic Erasers work wonders on smokers!

 

[SmokinAl]

I have been reading reviews and reports on the mes-40 and I'm about to make the leap. Also looking at the a-maz-n smoker.

Questions:

#1) Can I set a pan of water, for humidity, on, or a little above the element in the mes???? A water pan comes with the MES right where you want it. Are you able to keep that glass door clean and interior visable from smoke to smoke???? Yes it's very easy to clean, I use rubbing alcohol with a paper towel & it comes clean quickly.

#2) Can I use saw dust from a table saw or a little courser chips from a thickness planner with the a-maz-n??? Or does a person have to purchase a special grind of wood chips/dust??? If you are sure of the source of the wood dust you want to use and are sure that there are no chemical additives in it then give it a try & see how it works. Wood chips from a planner will not work. If it were me I would go ahead & purchase the dust from Todd, that way you know your getting dust with no additional chemicals & the right consistency for the AMNS.

 

[lexoutlaw]

Al is right on the AMNS.....the dust for it is too cheap not to choose it. plus all the varieties.

 

[gotarace]

Pull the trigger..you won't be disappointed. The MES is a great electric smoker for the money. I own one and it is a great cold weather smoker with it's insulated body. With a Amazen and a maverick dual probe thermometer it is a great no worry smoking combination. There are many MES owners on this site and great advice can be found through the handy search bar on the top of any page. 

 

[fire in the hole]

Ok..........I already have the maverick twin probe..........I think model 73.

I purchase my wood directly from a supplier that cuts, dries and ships, so I know it is safe. Plus, I am the guy that makes the saw dust.

I am/was skeptical of an electric because I had purchased another brand a few yrs ago.............and no way could I adjust the temp. And to add insult to injury..........I bought a second smoker of the same brand hoping for better results.

And these were insulated smokers.

 

[Fife]

I have had my MES40 for about a month now and love it. I think most have covered your direct questions but here is some things I have done or do to make mine even better.  1- I put a dubbled over foil just over the cook element this evens out the temp inside the box. 2- I use chunk wood and it works very well DRY not soaked. 3- Call masterbuilt and tell them you want the retro kit they will need the model number and will send one out to you free of charge.4- To clean my window I just use a razor blade scrapper and it works very well for me. Keep the vent open to full when you smoke. Good luck with the MES40.

 

[fire in the hole]

Fife.........you must not use the amazn smoker when you suggest chunk wood. Is that right????

And ........what does the retro consist of????

 

[pantherfan83]

The retro kit had to do with a larger chip tray.  If you are only going to use the AMNS and not use the chip feeder, you don't need it. 

 

[hkeiner]

An good alternative to the retro-kit is to modify the existing small tray setup by cutting out the extra piece of metal between the heating element and the wood tray. I did that and it worked great. The following link explains the mod in greater detail. I use the AMNS mostly, but it is good to have the small chip tray working well for the occasional times it is just easier to use for short smokes and such.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/newestpost/98890