Tip of the Day: Masterbuilt® 30-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker

‘John says he’s cooked over many different types of flames but this gourmand is now recommending the Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker. It burns a pellet but is more affordable than the fancy Tragers out there. It’s currently only $250 on Amazon. What a deal! Here’s a link to the pellet holder JCD also recommended for cold smoking.

John C. Dvorak: Okay, so I’ve been cooking over a fire for the last 40-50 years.

Adam Curry: What kind of fire?

John C. Dvorak: All kinds—open fire, every cooking method. One of the best things out there is a vertical smoker, like the Cajun Cooker. It used charcoal, and Brinkman bought it and ruined the brand. But now, people are getting into these Traeger smokers—Horowitz has one.

Adam Curry: I have a Pit Boss.

John C. Dvorak: They can get expensive, especially Traegers.

Adam Curry: Mine was a gift for my 60th birthday, so it was free!

John C. Dvorak: Well, that’s a good deal. I’ve been experimenting, and I think it’s time to try these devices. They’re for people who don’t want to deal with learning how to cook with fire. I’ve been using the Masterbuilt, a 30-inch digital electric smoker that uses wood chunks. You can probably put pellets in it too. You plug it in, set it for 12, 15, or 16 hours, and let it go.

Adam Curry: You use it outside, right?

John C. Dvorak: Yeah, obviously. It looks like a small refrigerator and can hold a lot—four pork butts or two 12-pound turkeys. It’s a vertical smoker with four racks. The model I’ve been using is the MB20071117.

Adam Curry: How much does that cost?

John C. Dvorak: The MSRP is $250, but I got it for $188 during Amazon Prime Day. For people who like the idea of slow cooking, this smoker is great. It doesn’t go above 270 degrees, designed to cook between 220 and 270.

Adam Curry: That sounds perfect.

John C. Dvorak: The thing with using fire is you’ve got to be careful. A Texas-style side burner can suddenly spike to 350 or 375 degrees. With this electric smoker, there’s no risk of that. It’s kind of a cheat, but a lot of people could benefit from it. Not everyone wants to cook with burning wood all the time, and it’s way cheaper than spending $500 on a Traeger or a propane device.

[No Agenda #1704]