Electric smokers
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Hello. I have been smoking a couple years using the Big Green Egg. Although it does well it is cumbersome to keep temperatures below 180 so I have been researching electric smokers. Although I would love a pk 100 it is not in the budget. I have been looking at the char broil and master built digital electric smokers but see a lot of people say the temperature is off and other issues. Just looking for some thoughts from the community about a good electric smoker under $500.00 and what they like and don’t like. Thank you
@astatler for what its worth im not sure i should be commenting as i have not owned the mb30, pit boss, or bradley. However i have read alot of posts that pit boss evently start on fire. With that people usually put them by the outside walls of their house starting the house on fire as well. And with Joe Hell having isses with masterbuilt i would shy away. If i can suggest anything with worth i highly recommend saving up for the ProSmoker pk100. I know its a chunk of change off the top but i think you would buy one of those compared to 3 other brands if people are replacing every two years. Now this may be easier for me to say since my ProSmoker 100SS was $9200, the PK100 is just a drop in the bucket but i dont know what your finances are. Good luck on what ever you decide.
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Joe Hell man no good. Thank you. I’ve heard a lot of people having issues with newer models. Every time I think I found a good candidate I here of problems. Maybe I go the pellet direction or stay with the BGE. I use an Auber controller on it but still hard to keep at Low temps. Might just save for the PK 100 . Thank you for info
@astatler I would definitely look into a pellet cooker, there are a ton of brands at all price points, I’m big believer in you get what you pay for though. On you BGE, you said you have a controller, I assume that means to control a fan to maintain temps? I’m in the market for a fan, but the controller I will be using is a Fireboard.
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I normally use my RecTec 700 pellet smoker for anything above 180 I can control the temps within 1 or 2 degree’s but anything below that doesn’t lend itself to sausage making… I used a recently acquired MB30 and it worked but I wasn’t to familiar with time and temps…I did notice the sensors are on the back wall and the units ambient temp was a horse of a different color in comparison to what it said it was running at…I’d have been up the proverbial creek had I not had an external two probe sensor…so I just worked with what I knew and came out great…necessity is truly the mother of invention…? I think if I were to make a fair amount of sausage, I’d pick up a good surplus commercial all stainless refer and build my own pid controller for it and control it to the gnat…you can build one for $60… tough call but doin right is important all the way around…
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I normally use my RecTec 700 pellet smoker for anything above 180 I can control the temps within 1 or 2 degree’s but anything below that doesn’t lend itself to sausage making… I used a recently acquired MB30 and it worked but I wasn’t to familiar with time and temps…I did notice the sensors are on the back wall and the units ambient temp was a horse of a different color in comparison to what it said it was running at…I’d have been up the proverbial creek had I not had an external two probe sensor…so I just worked with what I knew and came out great…necessity is truly the mother of invention…? I think if I were to make a fair amount of sausage, I’d pick up a good surplus commercial all stainless refer and build my own pid controller for it and control it to the gnat…you can build one for $60… tough call but doin right is important all the way around…
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I just picked up a Camp Chef XXL vertical pellet smoker for $500. I have been using a Bradley electric for years with no issues, but decided to make the switch to the XXL because of the bigger smoking chamber for sausage making. I think the pellet smoker will do a better job of getting up to temp when it’s Minnesota cold out. I plan on making some snack sticks in the next week or two. I will do a follow up review if anyone is interested?
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@astatler I would definitely look into a pellet cooker, there are a ton of brands at all price points, I’m big believer in you get what you pay for though. On you BGE, you said you have a controller, I assume that means to control a fan to maintain temps? I’m in the market for a fan, but the controller I will be using is a Fireboard.
Tex_77 yes. Its. Controller with a fan operates off of your WiFi if you desire .you control it from your phone .It’s a company called Auber instruments . Has a lot of good features. Ones you get it down it really is set it and forget it . I highly recommend this controller. It’s great for long cooks. Still difficult to get anything lower then 170 on it. Looks like I may go with a pellet or save for the pk100.
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I thought my Fireboard was pricey, but doesn’t seem to bad compared to the price of those. Looks like that company makes a lot of cool stuff.
Isaiah 5:22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks
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I thought my Fireboard was pricey, but doesn’t seem to bad compared to the price of those. Looks like that company makes a lot of cool stuff.
Tex_77 yes. The price was good and did everything I needed it to do. Definitely tell from the company they know what they are doing wot PID controllers . I’ll have to check out the fireboard. I like the fact I can actually not be at home to monitor or change temp. Nice in case I have to run to the store or something.
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Tex_77 yes. The price was good and did everything I needed it to do. Definitely tell from the company they know what they are doing wot PID controllers . I’ll have to check out the fireboard. I like the fact I can actually not be at home to monitor or change temp. Nice in case I have to run to the store or something.
@astatler Yup, Fireboard is wifi as well, makes its really nice to be able to be anywhere and know what is going on with your cook.
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Larry Eck I’ve only uses my Rec Tec 680 to make sausage with fantastic results. I’ve been working on improving lingusia for 2 years now & I’ve scored with my 4.3 version. My summer sausage with high temp cheddar was killer too.
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Larry Eck 180 is the lowest setting & I take them to 160 I.T. or if they’ve got enough color & not to 160 they go into a 160 degree water bath 'till they’re done.
macsinsac interesting you don’t fat out starting at such a high temp and finishing with a sous vida process? I would almost think a person would start out with a water bath or sous vida process and finish w/smoke and drying out period…but that’s what seems logical? What ever you’re doing, they look pretty darn good…I’ll be smoking up some summer sausage I made yesterday…using a jalapeno snack mix as a base and threw in a little mustard seed and coarse blk pepper for good measure…we will see?
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I have an older Masterbuilt that I had to replace the element in last year. It still works pretty good. I just bought a new 40" Masterbuilt as a back-up and additional capacity. It is terrible. Temperature is 15 degrees off at 175, it is at least consistent in that. With a full load of snack sticks, it seems to do fine up to about 150 degree meat temp. After that, it seems to severely lag compared to the older unit. Very disappointing, especially reading here how terrible their customer service is. I have been gathering data using it the last couple days and planned to call them Monday. Guess I’ll save my breath and start saving for the TK…
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I have an older Masterbuilt that I had to replace the element in last year. It still works pretty good. I just bought a new 40" Masterbuilt as a back-up and additional capacity. It is terrible. Temperature is 15 degrees off at 175, it is at least consistent in that. With a full load of snack sticks, it seems to do fine up to about 150 degree meat temp. After that, it seems to severely lag compared to the older unit. Very disappointing, especially reading here how terrible their customer service is. I have been gathering data using it the last couple days and planned to call them Monday. Guess I’ll save my breath and start saving for the TK…
Brianh Let me revise my post from yesterday. I just went out to fire up the new smoker for my last batch of summer sausage and the control is clearly shot. It is flashing random temperatures of over 200 degrees while sitting in a 60 degree garage and having not run. It will not take any adjustments. Save your money, don’t waste it on a Masterbuilt.
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Brianh Let me revise my post from yesterday. I just went out to fire up the new smoker for my last batch of summer sausage and the control is clearly shot. It is flashing random temperatures of over 200 degrees while sitting in a 60 degree garage and having not run. It will not take any adjustments. Save your money, don’t waste it on a Masterbuilt.
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Brianh Let me revise my post from yesterday. I just went out to fire up the new smoker for my last batch of summer sausage and the control is clearly shot. It is flashing random temperatures of over 200 degrees while sitting in a 60 degree garage and having not run. It will not take any adjustments. Save your money, don’t waste it on a Masterbuilt.
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My mater-built get went to the graveyard yesterday. After 12-15 years a couple of rewires it finally quit. In market for a new one I can hang some sausage in. It’s hard to get a low temp in my big smoker. The last couple years my old one wouldn’t hold temp’s very well at low settings so you had to stay and watch it. My wife gave me a copper Weber for Xmas to help get me by’( but I think she just wants that charcoal favor on grilled meets more that the gas grill. PKs are a little to pricey on my retirement budget but I guess I may need to bring more roses home to the wifey ,LOL
Happy New Year and don’t forget to eat your black eye pea’s so you’ll make more money in 2020 -
I just picked up a Camp Chef XXL vertical pellet smoker for $500. I have been using a Bradley electric for years with no issues, but decided to make the switch to the XXL because of the bigger smoking chamber for sausage making. I think the pellet smoker will do a better job of getting up to temp when it’s Minnesota cold out. I plan on making some snack sticks in the next week or two. I will do a follow up review if anyone is interested?
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My mater-built get went to the graveyard yesterday. After 12-15 years a couple of rewires it finally quit. In market for a new one I can hang some sausage in. It’s hard to get a low temp in my big smoker. The last couple years my old one wouldn’t hold temp’s very well at low settings so you had to stay and watch it. My wife gave me a copper Weber for Xmas to help get me by’( but I think she just wants that charcoal favor on grilled meets more that the gas grill. PKs are a little to pricey on my retirement budget but I guess I may need to bring more roses home to the wifey ,LOL
Happy New Year and don’t forget to eat your black eye pea’s so you’ll make more money in 2020tarp The other day I bought some black eyed peas at the store after seeing a curry recipe that sounded good. I’ve actually never had them before but figured, why not? I’ve never heard of them as a New Years Day good luck charm so with a quick recipe search I decided instead on a Black Eye Pea salad with citrus and garlic dressing, tomato, green pepper, cucumber, red onion and avocado. It was delicious! Thanks for the inspiration and Happy New Year!
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