Masterbuilt 40-inch Electric Smoker Review: Worth It?

Updated 2026-08-21 Researched, not tested in person

Quick answer

Buy this smoker if you want to smoke large quantities with almost no skill required, especially sausage, fish, jerky and poultry. Skip it if bark and a strong smoke ring matter to you, because an electric element at 275F cannot produce what charcoal at the same temperature does.

970 square inches, a plug and a wood chip tray, which is the easiest way into smoking and the hardest way to a good bark.

Best capacity per dollar

Masterbuilt 40-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker with Leg Kit

~$350

An insulated vertical electric smoker with 970 square inches across four racks, digital control and a side wood chip loader.

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Specifications

Cooking area	970 sq in across four chrome-coated racks
Temperature ceiling	Up to 275F, digitally set
Wood	Patented side chip loader, so chips are added without opening the door
Quoted capacity	16 chickens, 4 turkeys, 8 pork butts or 8 racks of ribs
Body	Fully insulated with a lockable door latch and viewing window
Extras	Removable water bowl, removable rear grease tray, adjustable air damper

Specifications above come from Masterbuilt's published feature list. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

970 square inches for around $350 is the best capacity per dollar on this list by a wide margin.
The side chip loader means smoke can be topped up without opening the door and dumping the heat, which is the single best feature on this cooker.
It is insulated and thermostatically controlled, so it holds a temperature in cold weather better than most charcoal cookers.
Low, precise temperatures make it genuinely excellent for sausage, fish, cheese and jerky, which charcoal cookers do badly.
There is no fire to manage at all. Set the temperature, add chips, close the door.

Where it falls short

The 275F ceiling means you cannot render fat or set a bark the way a hotter cooker can. Bark from an electric smoker is softer and that is a physical limitation, not a technique problem.
Smoke output from smouldering chips is thinner than from a real fire, and the smoke ring is usually weaker.
Masterbuilt's own guidance is to plug it directly into a wall outlet rather than an extension cord. That is worth planning for, because a long thin cord causes exactly the slow heat-up people report as a fault.
Electronic controllers on this line are the most reported failure point, and they are the part that ends the cooker's life.
Chips need topping up regularly through a long cook, so it is not entirely unattended.

What owners report

Owner reports divide cleanly by what people cook. For sausage, fish, jerky, cheese and poultry, reports are strongly positive and the precision at low temperatures is the reason. For brisket and pork shoulder, reports are mixed in a consistent way: the food is good and the bark is soft. That is the honest split, and it is what our electric versus charcoal smoker comparison is about.

The most common reported fault is slow heating, and Masterbuilt's own troubleshooting points at extension cords and at the door latch rather than at the element. Plugging directly into a wall outlet and checking the door seal resolves a large share of it. Controller failures are the genuine long term risk.

On food safety, low temperature smoking of fish, sausage and cured products carries real risk if it is done casually. Poultry is 165F with no exceptions, and cold smoking is a different discipline with different rules. Finish everything on a calibrated thermometer and follow published curing guidance rather than a forum post. Plan the timings with the cook time calculator.

Who it suits

Anyone smoking sausage, fish, jerky, cheese or poultry, where precise low temperatures matter.
People who want large capacity for a low price.
Cooks who want zero fire management and are honest with themselves about bark.

Who should skip it

Brisket-first cooks who want hard bark and a strong smoke ring.
Anyone who wants equipment with no electronics to fail.
People without a suitable outdoor outlet, because extension cords cause the most reported problem with this cooker.

Alternatives worth considering

Simpler Electric

Charbroil Analog Electric Smoker

~$250

544 square inches with a dial and a gauge rather than a digital controller, so there is much less to go wrong. Less precise, more durable.

Check price on Amazon

Charcoal Alternative

Dyna-Glo DGO1176BDC-D Vertical Offset Charcoal Smoker

~$220

1,176 square inches of charcoal-fired vertical space for less money, if bark and smoke flavour matter more than convenience.

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Best of Both

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600 Digital Charcoal Smoker Grill

~$750

Digital control and app monitoring with a real charcoal fire, which is the upgrade path if the convenience is what you liked and the bark is what you missed.

Check price on Amazon

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Frequently asked questions

Is an electric smoker worth buying?

For sausage, fish, jerky and poultry, absolutely, because precise low temperature control is exactly what those need. For brisket, it will make good food with soft bark, and if bark is the point you will be happier with charcoal.

Masterbuilt electric vs charcoal smoker: what is the real difference?

An electric element produces heat without combustion, so the smoke comes only from smouldering chips. Charcoal produces both. That changes bark, smoke ring and flavour depth. Convenience runs the other way, decisively.

Why is my Masterbuilt slow to heat up?

Masterbuilt's own guidance is to plug it directly into a wall outlet rather than an extension cord, and to check that the door is closed and the latch fastened. Those two account for most reports of slow heating.

Can you get a smoke ring in an electric smoker?

Usually a weak one. The smoke ring comes from nitric oxide produced by combustion, and a smouldering chip tray produces far less of it than a charcoal fire. Some owners add a small amount of charcoal to the chip tray for this reason.

What is the maximum temperature?

275F. That is enough for low and slow but not enough to render fat quickly or to crisp poultry skin, which is why many owners finish chicken in an oven or on a grill.

How we choose gear: we compare published manufacturer specifications, capacity and temperature ranges, materials, warranty terms and verified owner reviews. We do not test gear in person and we do not publish hands-on claims we cannot support.

Cook times and temperatures are researched guidance, not a food-safety authority. Every figure on this page is an estimate: smokers, ambient weather, humidity and the individual cut all move it. Food is safe when a calibrated instant-read thermometer says so, never when a clock or a chart does. Keep food out of the 40°F to 140°F danger zone, observe the 4 hour rule, and follow current USDA safe minimum internal temperatures. If you are cooking for anyone pregnant, very young, elderly or immunocompromised, cook to the USDA minimums rather than to a preference-based doneness temperature.

Keeping your own cook times, rubs and pit temperatures? The Smoking & Cook Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.