Did you know that it is believed that the early cavemen discovered that smoke gave their meat a different flavor? The Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is a popular choice among barbecue enthusiasts for its convenience and ease of use.
Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience with smoking, mastering the art of smoking delicious meats and savory treats requires some knowledge and practice.
Below, we will share valuable smoker tips and techniques to help beginner and intermediate users make the most out of their Masterbuilt Electric Smoker and create mouthwatering smoked dishes.
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Getting Started With Your Masterbuilt Electric Smoker
If you are a beginner, you might need some time to set up your Masterbuilt Electric Smoker correctly. Reading the machine’s instructions manual can ensure you set it up the right way and do a seasoning before the first cook.
Once the smoker is up and ready, stock up on smoking essentials such as tongs, grill mats, hot gloves, and different types of smoke wood chips to enjoy a perfect smoking experience.
One benefit of having a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is that it does not require you to learn any significant smoking techniques, unlike other manual smokers like offset wood smokers. When getting started, Plug it in, turn it on, set the time, set the temperature, and ensure you have the correct amount of smoking wood chips loaded in the smoker.
Additionally, acquire an accurate meat thermometer to ensure that the meats are cooked at the desired internal temperature. Once you have reached a safe temperature, different temperatures will give you different results.
Tips for Beginner Smokers
When you acquire a new smoker such as the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker, it can be overwhelming. As a beginner, there are several tips to bear in mind to ensure successful meat smoking.
One of the crucial steps is making sure to use the right kind of wood chips for your meat. This is because different smoking wood types help to infuse specific flavors into the meat. Hickory is known to be great for smoking beef and pork, while applewood is preferable for chicken and fish.
Another essential tip for beginner Masterbuilt Electric Smoker users is to follow the instructions to the bone when setting up your smoker. You don’t want to overlook any steps.
To avoid dry meat, get a digital meat thermometer to keep an eye on the progress of the cook. Different cuts of meat will need to be cooked to different temperatures. Brisket should be 195 degrees when removed from the smoker, then rest for one hour before slicing.
Lastly, like grilling, time is important to smoking. Therefore, keep an eye on the meat to time it and try not to open the door too often as it can cause smoke and moisture to escape.
Tips for Intermediate Smokers
Intermediate Masterbuilt Electric Smoker users can take their smoking to the next level by focusing on enhancing the flavor of their smoked food. Smoking different items, such as salt, spices, vegetables, cheese, or sauce, can open up new experiences and tastes.
Another essential tip for intermediate smokers is to pre-smoking meat before cooking it fully in the smoker. Pre-smoke (low-temperature smoking) your meat between 180°F – 200°F for a while before cranking up the heating to cook the meat fully.
This technique allows thorough penetration of the smoke into the cut of meat after which it can be cooked at high temperature for the desired time resulting in a tasty and juicy low and slow-smoked ribeye, brisket, and roast.
Keep in mind that pork and, even more so, poultry needs to get through the temperature danger zone faster than beef for food safety. For some items like 3-2-1 ribs, change the cooking temperature at each step as follows 225, 250, 270.
Ensure consistent monitoring of the internal temperature of the meat to avoid undercooking or overcooking. We recommend a probe thermometer so you can monitor the temperature without opening the door.
Maintaining Your Masterbuilt Electric Smoker
The lifespan of your Masterbuilt Electric Smoker indirectly relies on the maintenance efforts you put in. Smoker maintenance should be performed regularly on a Masterbuilt electric smoker to improve its performance and ensure a longer life.
A critical need is regularly emptying the grease-drip pan and removing marinades or rub left in the smoker after each use. Cleaning the smoker makes sure you don’t get ‘smoker flairs,’ which increase harsh creosote buildup substances.
One tip to keep in mind is to scrape off excess grease and food debris from the grates and walls of the smoker after every use for better heat flow and less nasty buildup. However, try to avoid cleaning your smoker with soap or it will require a reseasoning to get that great smoke taste.
Neglecting to inspect the wiring could lead to shorts increasing the risk of fires. The best bet is to start by never pulling, kinking, pinching, or rolling over the wire, and it should last a long time.
Damages to gaskets or insulation of the door can also hinder the smoker’s performance, causing poor air circulation or difficulty in maintaining temperature.
The most important issue is rain. Always keep electric smokers out of the rain. A small lean-to, carport, or pop-up structure can be all you need to run your smoker. However, when not in use, store your smoker someplace dry, like a garage or storage shed.
Budget-Friendly Accessories
Quality tools make cooking in a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker more comfortable and enjoyable by providing greater control over the smoking process.
Digital meat thermometers can be packed with features such as temperature presets for various meats and smoking varieties. Select one that suits your needs, as different models have different features and price points.
We recommend a budget-friendly two-probe wired model by ThermoPro (TP-17). You do not need to splurge on overly priced devices if an entry-level model fits your requirements.
The Slow Smoker for Masterbuilt electric smoker is an investment that will make your smoking process much simpler. The slow smoker attaches to the side of your smoker and generates all the smoke you need for the entire cook without reloading.
By far, the best bang for the buck is a pellet maze smoker tray or tube. A smoker tray can be loaded full of your favorite wood pellets, lit, and placed on the bottom rack. These trays can burn for up to 12 hours.
When you use pellet trays or tubes, you need more oxygen to keep it burning, so leave the woodchip load tube out. Also, a foil tent over your chosen device will help spread the heat and smoke evenly.
Check out our full article on accessories for your new smoker!
Ready to Try This Smoker?
Electric smokers make the cooking process easier and more enjoyable. Although it might be intimidating for beginners, with some tips, both beginners and intermediate users can get the most out of their electric smokers.
Give Masterbuilt Electric Smoker a go, and get cooking something delicious! Ready to start your smoker journey? For more smart-home advice, check out the rest of our informative blog.
Check out our detailed Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Beginners Guide!
