Most of us don't think about electrically powered appliances when we consider BBQ. BBQ is old school. It's wood, fire and smoke, encapsulated in thick plate steel or bricks. The idea of an extension cord being a part of our weekend cookout ritual seems foreign. Masterbuilt smokers are trying to change that standard perception. Masterbuilt creates a number of electric smokers and they're slowly but surely increasing in popularity.
Masterbuilt smokers utilize and electric heating element to reach and maintain the desired cooking temperature. Most of their units are adjustable for temperatures varying from a mellow one hundred degrees all the way to two hundred and seventy five degrees, providing an adequate range for almost any BBQ. In essence, AC electrical power replaces the role of fire from the traditional BBQ equation. That's right, there's no fire when you use one of these. Keep your matches in your pocket!
What about the smoke? You can't have good BBQ without the aroma and flavor that comes from smoke! Masterbuilt smokers provide the necessary smoke with an insulated wood chute that the electric element heats. The wood smolders in the chute, providing the smoke flavor that defines BBQ. According to Masterbuilt, you can use any kind of wood in the cooking process.
This approach to BBQ has strengths and weaknesses. The strengths include convenience and the fact that it's much easier to maintain the appropriate cooking temperature. Masterbuilt smokers feature a digital thermostat, which guarantees that you'll stay in the "sweet spot" throughout the entire cooking process. You don't need to worry about constantly checking the temperature and making adjustments to slow cook your meat in one of these electric units. Anyone who's watched a day's effort go wasted due to a strong temperature spike or who has accidentally undercooked a big brisket will appreciate the consistent temperatures produced by Masterbuilt smokers.
The weakness is the amount of smoke generated by the electrically heated wood chute. While many users report great results, others openly question the quantity of smoke the chute produces. Some electrical smoker units concede that the only way to produce the amount of smoke necessary to replicate traditional BBQ is by using special compressed wood pellets and even those may fall short of the mark.
If you're looking for a convenient and virtually foolproof way to slow-cook meat, Masterbuilt smokers can be a great choice. However, if you're committed to creating masterpieces with the strong smokiness of traditional BBQ, you may not be pleased with your purchase. Masterbuilt smokers are a credible option for some BBQ fans, but purists who believe that real fire is an essential part of the process should probably look at other smoker options.
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