Smoking your meat before cooking is a great way to imbue it with unparalleled flavor and aroma. The Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is a prominent and popular product in the world of grilling and barbecue.
It is one of the best and most advanced appliances when it comes to smoking meat in a tantalizing and scrumptious manner. This is one appliance that you need on your side if you are a fan of outdoor cooking and barbecuing. Suffice to say, it is fantastic and amazing in performance.
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But, what if your Masterbuilt Electric smoker was to malfunction or get stuck on some bug that prevented it from working the way you wanted to? That would certainly throw a wrench in your fine barbecuing and cooking festival for sure. You would feel as if you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
The odds of such a malfunction occurring are slim, to say the least since this is a trusty appliance. Still, the wrong usage might cause problems. This raises the question that if a problem were to arise, what will you do? How will you fix it? With proper knowledge about maintaining and solving problems, you will be able to extend the life of your appliance and also save money on costly repairs.
So, don’t worry if you don’t know the proper troubleshooting protocols for the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. We have you covered on this front and have elaborated all major troubleshooting points as follows for your convenience. Read on and better inform yourself about your pretty appliance:
Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Major Problems:
As we said before, the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker is a reliable piece of hardware but is prone to its fair share of problems as well.
These problems include getting jammed, damaged, not burning properly, etc. Also, it doesn’t smoke your food properly at times when it gets overburdened. This usually occurs because of improper smoking and an inability to keeping on par with proper temperature.
Following are the main problems that you might face with this appliance and its respective solutions:
1. Problem with Startup:
This is perhaps the most frequent of problems to ever occur within this appliance. What happens is that the smoker gets stuck at the startup or kickstart phase. Now, this frustrates some owners and we know that you feel like kicking something, most of the time the smoker itself.
But there isn’t any need to worry or vent your anger as this is one of the easiest problems to troubleshoot.
The first thing that you need to do is check the power plug of the smoker. If you haven’t plugged in tightly then this might be the culprit. Usually, the machine requires tight connections all across the pertinent points to function.
That is why you should also check the power breaker of the electric connection box, the fuse, and if you suspect any damage swap it out. Once you are done with these checks then the smoker should start without any further issues.
2. Not Burning Properly, Jamming, Rusting Issues:
There are many problems and issues that you can circumvent if you properly maintain your smoker. The first and foremost of these maintenance steps is proper cleaning and hygiene. You need to keep your smoker neat and clean always.
This protects your appliance from damage by rust and excess grease. Rust is perhaps one of the severest types of issues that can damage your smoker. When rust starts to accumulate, it builds up to a point that irrevocably damages your appliance.
If by some chance a bit of rust has appeared then you should use a wire brush and sandpaper to remove it. Proper cleaning also prevents problems like jamming from appearing.
Now, the issue of the smoker not smoking properly is up next. Most of the time, it is your choice of wood chips that is to blame. It is also true that you don’t usually care about the wood chips that go into your smoker. These wood chips are used to ensure that a sufficient amount of smoke is generated.
These chips also absorb liquid completely and properly. Colloquially, dry chips just don’t burn as well as you might expect. Because of this, you fail to smoke and cook your food properly.
That is why you must use the best wood chips for your smoker. The first thing that you need to do is keep clear of softwood. The latter is known for being very hard to burn properly and fir and pine etc. are counted amongst this category.
You should instead opt for cedar, plum, maple, hickory, plum, etc. for use in your smoker. These are the best at burning and can be found easily in any hardware or wood store with ease.
Another factor that you should keep in mind in regards to this problem is time. Time is important for ensuring that you get the best results in smoking from your appliance. That is why you should keep the normal temperature to 200 to 250 degrees and practice some patience. Give the smoker ample time to do its job and don’t needlessly hasten the process.
3. Uneven Cooking:
This is another issue that many users face from time to time and it is much easier to solve than you might think. See, it is basically about how you place the food inside your smoker. 
Uneven smoking and cooking occur when you don’t place the food in the smoker properly.
You should therefore place the food in a way that heat and smoke are dissipated uniformly and equally all across it. This will allow the heat and smoke to permeate deeply into the food and the results will be simply phenomenal.
You should always track the machine and note whether if heat is escaping from any nook or cranny. Don’t keep your smoker in a damp or windy area either as it messes with the functions and temperature considerably.
4. Weather Problems:
One thing that doesn’t remain constant and frequently interferes with your cooking schedule is the weather. We get all types of weather in the year. Sometimes it is windy, and then sometimes it is cloudy, sunny, and so on. That is why you should read on and learn to protect and maintain your smoker in such changing weathers as well.
By far the worst weather for your smoker is snow or foggy weather. The temperature declines sharply and unexpectedly at times. This poses a huge challenge for proper smoking and temperature maintenance. As a result, your food often ends up being ruined and tasteless.
Now, there are some things that you can do to get the best results from your smoker in snowy weather. The first is strict adherence to patience and by that we mean just stay calm. Don’t keep opening the smoker frequently as this causes the temperature to fall swiftly. This plays havoc with your food preparation and it is better if you stick to a proper time before checking in on the food. This can range from anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes.
In rainy weather, you can easily cover up the machine with a tarp or plastic sheet. This protects the smoker against water damage. You can also pitch up a tent and cook inside it if rain is pouring down. While this might seem like a hassle, it is the best defense that you can have on your side for cooking in the rain.
Well, if you ask us, maybe it is better to refrain from using your smoker in either of these climates as it is more trouble than it is worth. But that is just our opinion and you are free to do whatever you want.
Other Considerations:
You should also be aware of the following tips and tricks for properly maintaining your smoker and keeping it intact for many years to come:
The first thing that you should do is use a brush, a good one mind you.
Use this brush to clean out your smoker thoroughly once you are done using it. Remember to do this every single time after each use and your appliance will be well protected against damaging or jamming.
Unplug Cords.
Another thing that you should remember is to unplug the power cord and switch off the smoker completely after use. This will allow your smoker to cool down and be up and ready for the next round completely.
Smoke Indoors
Another way to extend the lifetime of your smoker is to place a cover on its top to keep the smoke from escaping when you have to run an errand. You can also try placing it indoors for better results as well.
Water is a huge no, no for your smoker.
Remember: it is electric and uses electricity to function. So, keep it from contacting any water or submerging in the stuff if you want to keep it safe.
Avoid Cooking Oil
Ok, so oil might be a great catalyst and tenderizer for your meat but don’t use it often with your smoker. Cooking oil greases up the smoker and in doing so shortens its lifespan. You should, however, oil your smoker once every six months with the prescribed lubricant and per the manual’s directions. This protects the appliance against rust significantly.
You should not scrape on charges for rags either.
It has been proven by trial and error that dirty rags can do more harm than good for your appliance. So, if you are thinking about using clothing for cleaning your smoker then go for clean and newer ones.
You should never cover your smoker’s trays and racks with aluminum foil.
Take Extreme Precautions While Cooking
Now, this is a sensitive piece of cooking equipment. That is why it requires special supervision and precaution while operating. This goes without saying but you might want to keep the kids away from the smoker while it is running. This is necessary if you want to avoid any misfortune or horrible accidents from occurring.
Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Troubleshooting Conclusion
Now, we have tried to bring you up to speed on some of the most prominent issues faced by the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. These troubleshooting guidelines are here to assist new and older users alike to better acquaint themselves with this device and learn to maintain it more effectively.
If your smoker is exhibiting any of the aforementioned problems then we are pretty sure that you will be able to handle them soundly now.
Also, remember to follow the tips for maintaining your machine as it will prevent any problems from manifesting as well. So, there you have it, the complete scoop on the Masterbuilt Electric Smoker and its problem-solving steps. We hope for the best and wish you fortune and luck for all your smoking and cooking endeavors.
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