thinking about this smoker

[BigWill]

as many (most) of you know, yes, I'm a ******* yankee, so keep that in mind when you are commenting.

Here's the scoop: I have a fairly large deck, but can't have a wood-burning anything. Saw this electric model at Lowes. Good size, solid construction, digital temp control, etc.

Looks like a good value to me at 200 bucks.

Any thoughts? I'd really like to do the brisket/ribs/chicken thing on a fairly regular basis. Can I turn out a decent product on this?
The Link

 

[celis]

Don't call this abomination a smoker. It's an outside oven.

I believe you have to put wood shavings in these things anyway to produce smoke. Not sure if that is a concern on your wood deck.

 

[BigWill]

yeah, it takes wood chips, of which they sell a wide selection. It has a little slide dealie so you can add chips without opening the smoker door...err outside oven door.

And it's kosher for my deck.

 

[Uninformed]

I would stay away from Masterbuilt. I had one in stainless and it lasted one season. I did a google search and it seems like a common problem for Masterbuilt. They don't sell replacement elements and ask you to replace the case when the element goes out. They obsolete the cases just about every year and require you to buy a new smoker. I did buy a new one, from a better company, though.

 

[AustinTejasFan]

How about one of these? My step dad turned out some pretty good smoked meats on one for years. The Link

 

[UTEng]

"...1500-watt electric heating element ..."

Better have a stand-by generator for this beast!

 

[uisge beatha]

I'd go for a gas unit over an electric if I couldn't have something that burned wood and/or charcoal. But that's probably just a personal preference.

 

[MaduroUTMB]

Where does the fire go? If you can't answer that question, then you aren't dealing with a smoker.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Will- Consider a Brinkmann Electric if you're needing a model for apt use.

I had 1 for 6-7 years, and although it's not ideal, it does a good job for a minimal cost.

Biggest drawbacks are;
It burns through the wood chunks quickly, and it's thin, thin, thin metal so ambient temp is an issue.

Pluses are;
It's simple to master the temp despite the thinness, and it's easy to clean. Plus, it serves as a decent grill in a pinch.

 

[envgeo]

I've got the model you are speaking of (or perhaps the size larger). ok, no smoke ring, but it is a set and forget type of deal. I wasn't sure how much work I wanted to put into smoking meats overnight, and it works well. plenty of smoke flavor, although I can't comment on durability since mine is only 4 months old.

 

[msdw24]

I'm sure there is a good reason, but if it's your deck and the fire will be in the fire box, why can't you have a wood burning smoker?