Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Smoker
Electric
An electric smoker with digital temperature control. Set it and there is no fire to manage at all.
10 products · 22 articles
Pellet grills and smokers
Pellet, electric and propane. What the controller holds at a set point in cold weather matters more than the temperature range printed on the box.
Pellet grills and smokers and buying options
Start with the fit, then use Amazon for the current price and availability.
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Masterbuilt 40-inch ThermoTemp Propane Smoker
Propane
A propane smoker in Masterbuilt’s ThermoTemp line. Gas heat for low and slow where an outlet is not handy.
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Electric
Ninja’s electric outdoor grill and smoker. For balconies and rentals where gas and charcoal are banned, one of the few options that is not a griddle.
Pit Boss 3-Series Electric Vertical Smoker
Electric
A vertical electric smoker cabinet. Racks in a tall box over a heating element, which is the simplest way to smoke there is.
Pit Boss 440 Mahogany Series
Pellet
A compact Pit Boss pellet grill in the Mahogany trim, for smaller decks and shorter cooks.
Pit Boss 500 FB2 Series
Pellet
The smaller FB2, with the same controller and the same Flame Broiler searing lever as the 700. The 5 pound hopper suits grilling far better than overnight smoking.
Pit Boss 700 FB2 Series
Pellet
The bigger of Pit Boss’s FB2 pair. The 21 pound hopper is the number that matters: it is what makes an overnight cook realistic without refills.
Traeger Tailgater 20
Pellet
Traeger’s portable pellet grill. Pellet convenience at tailgate size, for cooks that happen away from the patio.
Traeger Westwood
Pellet
Traeger's mid-price route into WiFIRE app control. Smaller racks, a smaller hopper and a shorter warranty than the Woodridge Pro, for less money.
Traeger Woodridge Pro
Pellet
A full size Traeger pellet grill. Set the controller and the auger feeds the fire, which is the whole pellet proposition in one sentence.
Comparisons, reviews and guides
Review
Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Smoker review: easy low-and-slow, nothing more
The controller and electric element remove the fire tending from a long smoke. The tradeoff is a 275°F ceiling that rules out searing and crisp skin.
Review
Masterbuilt 40-inch ThermoTemp propane smoker review: for the spot no cord reaches
A four-rack cabinet with a regulator fuel gauge and no need for an outlet. It makes the most sense at a cabin or the far end of a yard, not beside an easy source of power.
Review
Pit Boss 500FB2 review: the same controls with a much smaller hopper
The 500FB2 shares the larger grill's controller, temperature range and direct-flame lever. Its 5 pound hopper needs more checking during long cooks.
Review
Pit Boss 700FB2 review: the larger hopper is the reason to step up
The 700FB2 pairs a 21 pound hopper with the same controller and direct-flame lever as the smaller 500FB2. Pay for the extra fuel margin only if your cooks run long enough to use it.
Review
Traeger Westwood review: the app arrives, the sear does not
The Westwood is the smaller route into Traeger's WiFIRE app and a 7-year warranty. Its 450°F ceiling makes it a smoker and roaster first, not the grill to buy for a hard sear.
Review
Traeger Woodridge Pro review: long-cook convenience at a premium
The large hopper, pellet-level sensor and WiFIRE app reduce the checking around a long cook. The tradeoff is a premium price and no direct-flame path for searing.
Comparison
Masterbuilt Electric vs Propane Smoker
Electric if an outlet reaches the spot. Propane if it does not. The catch is that these are not the same box: 710 square inches against 960, so the fuel choice drags a size choice behind it.
Comparison
Pit Boss 700FB2 vs 500FB2: 21 pounds of pellets against 5
The 700FB2 holds 21 pounds of pellets. The 500FB2 holds 5. That gap is the entire comparison, and it only starts to matter once a cook runs past bedtime.
Comparison
Traeger Westwood vs Pit Boss 700FB2: the app or the flame
Choose the Traeger for remote controls and an included wired probe. Choose the Pit Boss for more published rack area, a higher stated ceiling and direct-flame access.
Comparison
Traeger Westwood vs Woodridge Pro: same app, more grate
Both use WiFIRE and include a wired probe. The Woodridge Pro adds lower-rack room, hopper reserve, a pellet sensor and a longer headline warranty.
Comparison
Traeger Woodridge Pro vs Pit Boss 700FB2: a sensor or a sear
The Woodridge Pro adds connected controls, a pellet sensor and more published rack area. The Pit Boss adds direct-flame access. Choose the difference you will use.
Guide
How long to smoke a turkey: plan the Thanksgiving cook backwards from dinner
Traeger estimates 30 to 40 minutes a pound at 225 to 250°F, Masterbuilt 30 minutes at 220°F, USDA 20 to 30 in a smoker. All three are planning numbers. The bird is done at 165°F in the breast, thigh and wing.
Guide
Meat doneness temperatures: the chart, and the probe
Whole cuts are safe at 145°F with a 3 minute rest, ground meat at 160, poultry at 165, per USDA. Steak doneness is convention. A probe settles both.
Guide
Pellet grill in winter: yes, it works, and here is what changes
A pellet grill runs below freezing. Expect a slower start, more pellets per hour and a fire that hates wind. Keep the pellets dry, the grill outdoors and the lid shut.
Guide
Pellet grill temperature swings: what is normal, what is not
Some movement around the set point is normal. Sustained misses call for a check of pellets, ash, airflow, weather, lid habits and sensor placement.
Guide
Pellet vs electric vs propane smoker: pick the fuel, then the machine
Pellet if the smoker also has to be your grill. Electric if low and slow is the whole job. Propane where no cord reaches. All three exist to take the fire away from you, which is either the appeal or the dealbreaker.
Guide
Pit Boss error codes: what ErH, ErP, ErL, NoP and Err mean
Pit Boss manuals define ErH as overheating, ErP as a grill probe wire fault, ErL as a start-up that did not complete, NoP as a meat probe connection fault and Err as a flagged component. Here is what Pit Boss says to do first for each.
Guide
Smoking times and temperatures chart for planning the cook
Smoker temperature, time per pound and pull temperature for the common cuts, from USDA FSIS, Traeger, Pit Boss and Masterbuilt. Every time is an estimate. Thickness, wind and the lid stretch it.
Guide
Smoking wood flavors by strength, and what to pair them with
Sort smoking woods by strength, not species. Hickory and mesquite hit hard, apple and cherry stay subtle, and oak and pecan are the middle most cooks land on.
Guide
Traeger error codes: what each one means and what to do first
Nearly every Traeger code points at fuel, fire or a loose connector. Let the shutdown finish, power cycle once, then check the pellets, the firepot and the three parts that make the fire.
Guide
Traeger WiFIRE not connecting: the checklist, quickest fix first
Most pairing failures are the network, not the grill. Put the phone on a 2.4 GHz network within 30 feet of the grill, clear the old network from the controller, then pair again.
Guide
What size pellet grill do you need?
Start with the lower grate you will actually load, then check the upper rack, hopper, patio footprint and cleanup. The largest advertised total is rarely the whole answer.
How to choose a pellet grill or smoker
Hopper capacity against your longest cook
The reason to buy a pellet grill is that it holds a temperature for hours without you. A hopper too small to last the cook takes that away and replaces it with an alarm at two in the morning. Hopper size varies enormously between models that look otherwise identical.
What the controller holds, not the range it advertises
Every controller advertises a wide range. What matters is how tightly it holds a set point, and how much it sags when the outside temperature drops. Manufacturers publish the range and almost never publish the swing, which is the figure that would tell you something.
Whether it can sear at all
Most pellet grills top out well below searing temperature unless they have a mechanism to open the grate to direct flame. If you expect one appliance to smoke a brisket and sear a steak, check specifically how the searing happens, because on many models it does not.
Pellet and electric smokers need power where they stand. Work out where the outlet is and whether an extension cord is going to be running across a walkway for eight hours.
Common questions
- Pellet, electric or propane for a first smoker?
- Pellet if you want to set a temperature and leave it, and you accept buying pellets. Electric is the cheapest way into low and slow and the easiest to hold steady, and it gives the least smoke flavor of the three. Propane sits in between, holds temperature well and needs a tank. All three are far less work than charcoal, which is either the appeal or the disappointment depending on why you are buying.
- How much smoke flavor do pellet grills actually give?
- Less than charcoal or a stick burner, and more than electric. Pellet grills produce the most smoke at low set temperatures, so a long cook at 225°F picks up much more than a fast one at 400°F. If smoke flavor is the whole point for you, that is worth knowing before you spend, because it is the most common complaint from people moving over from charcoal.
- Does cold weather matter?
- Yes, and more than most listings suggest. An uninsulated barrel loses heat to the air, so the auger feeds more pellets to hold the same set point, and consumption goes up sharply in winter. Some models sag below their set point in the cold rather than keeping up. Insulation is almost never a published specification, which is why it is hard to compare on paper.
If you want more smoke and do not mind managing a fire, charcoal grills are the other answer.