If you’re looking at the Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker, you’re probably after something simple, affordable, and easy to run.
I’ve cooked on both the 30″ and 40″ versions of this smoker, and it’s one of those products where the strengths and weaknesses become obvious pretty quickly once you start using it.
It does some jobs really well. It also has some limitations that are hard to ignore if you’re hoping for proper, bark-heavy barbecue.
In this review, I’ll walk you through how it actually cooks, where it struggles, and whether it’s worth buying for the way you want to smoke.
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Table of Contents
Quick Verdict
The Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker is a cheap, easy smoker that works well for fish, jerky, and simple backyard cooks. But if your main goal is proper brisket, barky ribs, and stronger barbecue flavour, you’ll likely outgrow it.
Choose this if:
- You mainly want to smoke fish or lighter foods
- You need an electric smoker because of apartment or fire restrictions
- You want something cheap with a decent amount of cooking space
- You care more about simplicity than authentic barbecue results
Skip This if:
- You want proper bark on brisket or ribs
- You cook regularly in cold, wet, or windy weather
- You want faster, more efficient cooks
- You want true set-and-forget smoking without topping up wood chips
Also available at: 30″ at Walmart | 40″ at Walmart
At a Glance
Strengths
- Side wood chip loader is genuinely useful
- Very easy to use
- Holds moisture well, so food stays tender
- Excellent for fish
- Available in both 30″ and 40″ sizes
Weaknesses
- Slow cooking times, especially on larger cuts
- Big temperature differences between racks
- Struggles in cold weather
- Lightweight build that dents easily
- Still needs regular wood chip refills
Best use case:
Smoking fish, jerky, sausages, and simple backyard meals without dealing with fire management.
Real Cooking Experience
Cooking on the Masterbuilt Digital Electric is simple, but not effortless in the way people sometimes expect.
You plug it in, set your temperature, and it does hold reasonably close to target most of the time. In my experience, it usually stays within about 15°F of where you set it, which is perfectly workable for an electric smoker. The bigger issue is how the heat sits inside the cabinet.
The heat rises hard and stays higher up in the smoker. So even if the controller says 225°F, the top rack can be noticeably hotter while the bottom rack is cooler. You can’t just throw food in wherever it fits and expect everything to cook evenly.
That does mean you need to think about placement. If you use that properly, it can actually help. Faster-cooking foods like fish or ribs can go lower down, while heavier cuts like brisket can go higher where there’s more heat.
The bigger issue is speed.
This smoker takes a while to preheat, and once you open the door mid-cook, it loses a huge amount of heat. If you’re wrapping a brisket or checking larger cuts, that temperature recovery can be painfully slow. I’ve seen it take close to an hour to climb back properly after opening the door, which can push dinner back in a hurry.
Then there’s the smoke.
You’ll need to add wood chips regularly if you want decent smoke flavour. The side wood chip loader helps a lot because you’re not opening the main door every time, and honestly, that feature is one of the main reasons this smoker is as popular as it is. But it still isn’t fully hands-off. If you want smoke through the first part of a long cook, expect to refill every 30 to 45 minutes.
In terms of actual results, this smoker does some foods much better than others.
Fish is where it shines. It’s one of my favourite uses for this smoker because the lighter smoke and gentler style of cooking suit fish really well. Hot smoked salmon comes out especially well in here.
Pulled pork turns out tender and moist. Ribs can taste good, but the outside stays softer than what you’d get from charcoal or pellet. Brisket can absolutely become tender, but you’re not getting proper bark. That’s just one of the trade-offs with electric smoking.
30" vs 40": Which One Should You Buy?
If you’re choosing between the 30″ and 40″ Masterbuilt, I don’t think the 30″ is too small for most people.
The 30″ is still a practical size and gives you enough room for normal backyard cooks. You can fit a brisket, a rack of ribs, or a salmon fillet on a rack without it feeling unusable. So if the 30″ is the better price, or you simply don’t need the extra height, it’s still a good buy.
The 40″ just gives you a bit more flexibility.
If you want more room to spread food out, cook larger loads, or make things a little easier when smoking multiple items at once, the 40″ is the better option. But I wouldn’t say the 30″ is too cramped for most people the way some smaller smokers are.
For most buyers, I’d choose based on price first, then on whether you think you’ll actually use the extra space.
Also available at: 30″ at Walmart | 40″ at Walmart
Performance Breakdown
Temperature Control
The Masterbuilt generally holds close enough to target to be usable, but it’s not especially refined.
- Usually sits within about 15°F of set temp
- Top racks run hotter than lower racks
- Recovery after opening the door is slow
- Cold or windy weather makes it noticeably worse
- Longer cooks usually take more time than you expect
Using a Meat Thermometer With the Masterbuilt
One thing I do recommend with this smoker is using a good meat thermometer.
Because the Masterbuilt loses so much heat when you open the door, being able to monitor your cook without constantly checking on it makes a real difference. It helps with timing, helps avoid unnecessary heat loss, and makes this smoker a lot easier to use on longer cooks.
I used the MEATER Block when testing this smoker, mainly because it lets me keep track of what’s going on without needing to keep opening the smoker. If you want to see how that works in real use, read my MEATER Block review. I also rate the ThermoPro Twin TempSpike as a cheaper alternative.
Smoke Production
This smoker can produce good smoke flavour for an electric, but it takes a bit of babysitting.
- Wood chips usually need topping up every 30–45 minutes
- The side loader is a big help because you don’t have to open the door
- Dry chips give a stronger smoke
- Soaked chips give a milder smoke
- If you stop feeding chips too early, the smoke flavour drops off quickly
Optional Slow Smoker Attachment
If you want less hands-on smoke management, Masterbuilt also makes a slow smoker attachment for this style of electric smoker.
I haven’t personally used it, so I can’t speak to how well it works in practice. But on paper, it’s the main add-on that could make this smoker feel more hands-off by reducing how often you need to refill wood chips.
Capacity
This is one of those cases where usable space matters more than listed cooking area.
- The 30″ works, but feels narrow in real use
- Full racks of ribs and larger briskets are awkward in the smaller model
- The 40″ is much easier to live with
- The larger model gives you far more flexibility, even if you’re not cooking huge volumes every time
Build Quality
This is not a heavy-duty smoker.
The body is lightweight, the trays can bend if you’re rough with them, and the whole thing feels like what it is: a budget electric smoker.
That said, not everything about the build is poor.
The door seal is good. I’ve had no real issues with smoke leaking around the door, and the latch does a solid job of pulling it closed properly. So while it feels lightweight overall, it still works better than some cheap smokers in the areas that matter most.
Ease of Use
This is one of the main reasons people buy it.
- Very simple controls
- No fire management
- Easy to learn
- Good for beginners
- Still requires chip refilling and some planning around rack temperatures
Electricity Usage
It’s also worth remembering that this smoker uses a fair bit of electricity over a long cook. You’re not buying charcoal or pellets, but you are running an electric element for hours, so it’s not free cooking just because it’s electric.
Cleaning
Cleaning this smoker is pretty straightforward, but like most cabinet smokers, it gets greasy fast.
The drip tray and racks are easy enough to remove and wash, and the grease tray helps keep some of the mess under control. The inside walls will still need wiping down regularly though, especially if you’re using it often.
What to Expect
If you buy this smoker, here’s the realistic version:
- Cooks will usually take longer than they would on pellet or charcoal
- You’ll need to pay attention to where food sits on different racks
- Bigger cuts are doable, but this isn’t the ideal smoker for them
- Cold weather makes performance noticeably worse
- You’ll need to refill wood chips regularly unless you add a slow smoker attachment
- You can get tender food and decent smoke flavour
- You will not get proper bark like you would from charcoal, wood, or pellet
- It needs to stay dry because the control panel does not handle rain well
Important: Keep It Out of the Rain
One real issue I’ve had with this smoker is the control panel not coping well with water.
If rain gets into it, the buttons can stop working properly. So I would not leave this smoker exposed to the weather or use it where there’s any real chance of it getting wet. This is definitely one of the weak points of the Masterbuilt.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Great for fish and lighter smoking
- Side wood chip loader saves a lot of hassle
- Easy for beginners to use
- Holds moisture well
- Affordable
- 40″ model is genuinely useful if you want more flexibility
Cons
- Slow on larger cuts
- Big temperature differences between racks
- Poor performance in bad weather
- Build quality feels light and cheap
- Not true set-and-forget smoking
- No real bark on meat
- Needs to be protected from rain
Who This Is For (And Not For)
Who it's best for
- Beginners who want something simple
- People restricted to electric smokers
- Smoking fish, jerky, sausages, and lighter foods
- Budget buyers who want a reasonably large capacity
Who should skip it
- People chasing traditional brisket and rib results
- Anyone who cooks regularly in cold, wet, or windy weather
- Anyone wanting strong bark and deeper smoke flavour
- Anyone expecting a truly hands-off smoker
Also available at: 30″ at Walmart | 40″ at Walmart
Alternatives
If you’re not fully sold on this smoker, these are the alternatives on my site I’d look at next.
You can also check out our best electric smokers under $200 round up, best electric smokers under $500 round up, and, best electric smokers overall reviews.
Z Grills Cruiser 200A
If your goal is easier smoking with better barbecue flavour, I’d look at the Z Grills Cruiser instead. Pellet smokers are still simple to run, but they give you more authentic barbecue results than an electric like this.
See my full picks in Best Pellet Smokers Under $500.
Smokin-It Model #1
If you want to stay electric but want better build quality, this is a step up from the Masterbuilt style of smoker. It’s not as cheap, and it’s less convenient in some ways, but it feels more solid and more serious.
You can compare more electric options in Best Electric Smokers.
Smokehouse Big Chief
If fish is your main focus and you’re not trying to cook serious barbecue, the Big Chief is worth a look. It’s even more limited than the Masterbuilt, but for fish and jerky it makes sense.
And if you’re still trying to work out whether electric is the right direction at all, it’s worth reading pellet smoker vs electric smoker as well.
FAQs
Is the Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker worth it?
Yes, if you understand what it is. It’s a cheap, simple electric smoker that works well for fish, jerky, and basic backyard smoking. It’s not the best choice if you want strong bark or more traditional barbecue results.
How often do you need to add wood chips?
Usually every 30 to 45 minutes if you want to keep decent smoke going. The side loader helps a lot because you can refill without opening the main door.
Can it cook brisket properly?
It can cook brisket until tender, but the result is not the same as brisket from a charcoal, offset, or pellet smoker. Expect a softer outside and much less bark
Is the Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker worth it?
Yes, if you understand what it is. It’s a cheap, simple electric smoker that works well for fish, jerky, and basic backyard smoking. It’s not the best choice if you want strong bark or more traditional barbecue results.
How often do you need to add wood chips?
Usually every 30 to 45 minutes if you want to keep decent smoke going. The side loader helps a lot because you can refill without opening the main door.
Can it cook brisket properly?
It can cook brisket until tender, but the result is not the same as brisket from a charcoal, offset, or pellet smoker. Expect a softer outside and much less bark.
Should I buy the 30″ or 40″ Masterbuilt?
For most people, the 40″ is the better buy. The 30″ works, but it feels cramped faster than you’d expect once you start cooking ribs, brisket, or larger fish.
Final Thoughts
The Masterbuilt Digital Electric Smoker does exactly what its price suggests.
It’s simple, affordable, and useful within a pretty clear set of limits.
If you mainly want to smoke fish, need an electric-only option, or just want something easy to get started with, it’s a solid buy.
But if you’re chasing proper barbecue flavour, bark, and less babysitting over the long term, you’ll probably outgrow it.
Also available at: 30″ at Walmart | 40″ at Walmart
Kate Brown is the founder of Burning Brisket, where she shares hands-on smoker reviews, barbecue gear guides, and practical tips for backyard BBQ. She has cooked extensively on charcoal, pellet, electric, and kamado smokers, using real-world experience to help beginners choose the right equipment and make better barbecue at home. Her focus is honest, straightforward advice that makes smoking and grilling easier without unnecessary complexity.
