The Masterbuilt 20077615 is a digital electric smoker. It measures 19.7 x 20.3 x 32.1 inches with 721 square inches of cooking space inside. We’re interested in this product type; we love smoked foods, particularly salmon. A smoker is near the top of our “to buy” list.
Before researching this smoker, I wasn’t very familiar with how electric smokers work. My number one concern was the taste. Does the Masterbuilt 20077615 produce food with flavor reminiscent of a traditional smoker, or rather a flavor similar to food cooked on an electric grill? Bland. Check out the review below to determine if this is the right smoker for you.
Table of Contents
FEATURE RICH EASY-TO-USE ELECTRIC SMOKER?
Electric grills are easier to operate than charcoal grills and even gas grills. Electric grills offer the convenience of indoor operation, so initially, I pondered, can electric smokers be used inside too? No, they cannot. Electric smokers must be used outside. Like, you could die if you operate it indoors.
Electric smokers work differently from charcoal and gas smokers. They are almost too easy to operate. You simply plug it in, add your wood (or pellets), and the machine does the rest of the work for you. With a charcoal smoker, you have to do more monitoring to make sure that the temperature stays consistent.
With the added ease of use, there might be a sacrifice; flavor. Several customers complained about the flavor of the food made using this smoker compared to foods produced by charcoal smokers. And that certainly doesn’t surprise me. Charcoal and wood typically create the best-tasting barbecue. I figured there would be some shortcomings in the taste department. Although this sentiment isn’t shared by all customers of the Masterbuilt 20077615, many customers say that it creates great tasting barbecue.
Most built-in grill thermometers are junk. They simply don’t accurately read the temperature. I was pleasantly surprised when I read that the Masterbuilt 20077615 has a reliable built-in meat probe (according to customers). This will actually save you some money. You won’t have to worry about buying a separate meat probe.
There are a lot of features that make this smoker easy to use. The heating element has 800 watts of power. It is capable of smoking foods at temperatures up to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. This, combined with the smoker’s insulated body, means that you end up with an even distribution of heat throughout. The digital LED display is blue, making it easy to read when the sun is out. The remote control helps you to easily monitor the temperature, time, internal light, and meat temperature. The viewing window lets you monitor the progress of your food.
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Features/Specs.
- 4 chrome-coated cooking racks
- 721 square inches of cooking space
- 800-watt heating element
- Includes smoker cover and recipe CD
- Built-in meat probe
- Measures 19.7 x 20.3 x 32.1 inches
vs. Other Smokers
The Masterbuilt 20077615 has a variety of reviews and a lot of them are from happy customers. Still, there are some complaints. Most of the complaints seem to be from people having issues with the remote. Cleaning this smoker seems to be a bit of a pain in the neck, but grills/smokers aren’t typically easy to clean. Based on what I’ve researched, I actually think that despite some concerns, this is a good electric smoker and worth taking a chance on. But, perhaps you want to consider the competition. Maybe, after reading this review, you’d rather buy a charcoal smoker.
vs Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-Inch Charcoal Smoker
The Weber 721001 is a popular charcoal smoker with a nice amount of feedback available. It is unlike the Masterbuilt 20077615 electric smoker, the Weber is a charcoal smoker. The dimensions for the Weber are 21 x 19 x 41, and the cooking space capacity is 481 square inches vs 721 for the Masterbuilt.
This is a proven winner, like many Weber products it seems to be a quality machine. A strong indication of a good product is the warranty. This Weber smoker even comes with a 10-year warranty compared to the 90-day warranty for the Masterbuilt 20077615.
Sarah and I own an electric, a gas, and a charcoal grill. By far, the most difficult to use is the charcoal grill. Charcoal cooking is very nuanced and takes some practice to get consistent results. Keeping the temperature steady is a challenge because it is affected by wind, outside temp, etc.
But this is a big one, you can’t deny the superior taste you get from charcoal. So, I have the utmost confidence that this Weber charcoal smoker will make the tastier food. This is certainly something to consider. Of course, the taste is about as subjective as you can get, it’s a matter of opinion.
The Weber 721001 charcoal smoker has a built-in thermometer, and if it’s anything like the thermometer on our Weber grill then it is not very accurate. You’d probably have to get a separate probe thermometer to accurately and consistently get the right temp reading.
It boils down to a proven charcoal smoker versus the ultra-convenient electric smoker. Another way to look at it would be flavor versus convenience.
Click here to see the Weber 721001
Summary
The Masterbuilt 20077615 is a digital electric smoker. This electric smoker offers convenience and ease, if a sacrifice in taste, that charcoal smokers simply cannot provide you. Although there are some points that make me a bit hesitant, overall I think this is a good buy, with some inherent risk, i.e. the paltry 90-day warranty. If you want to consider a charcoal alternative, the Weber 721001 is a good option.
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