If you’re looking for a large capacity smoker that’s easy to use, then the Masterbuilt Extra Wide propane smoker is just what you need! It’s simple enough for the most amateur backyard chef to produce competition quality food. This is the closest you’ll get without spending thousands of dollars to having a commercial grade smoker at your home. What sets this smoker apart is its ability to produce large quantities of delicious smoked fare with ease.
Pros:
The Masterbuilt Extra Wide propane smoker bullies most other smokers of its kind with dimensions of 29.3″Length x 22.4″Width x 43.4″Heighth. It boasts just over 5 cubic feet of cooking space. Four wide racks hold plenty of food from small backyard barbeques to large gatherings. The length of the racks in the Masterbuilt Extra Wide propane smoker make it unique compared to other Masterbuilt smokers and other smokers within its class. The racks are wide enough to place full racks of ribs, whole beef briskets, turkeys, hams and pork loins across them.
The Masterbuilt propane burner makes using this smoker a breeze. The best part of having a propane burner is its ability to produce a constant heat output with very little temperature changes. There’s no repeated adjustment of vents or adding wood to the fire to maintain your temperature. No more waiting for your charcoal to ash over. Just push the igniter button, and adjust the dial to the desired temperature setting. A built in thermometer allows for easy monitoring of the smoker’s temperature.
Cons:
There are always two sides to every coin. The same is true of the Masterbuilt Extra Wide propane smoker. The wood chip pan in this smoker was poorly designed. There are three slits in the bottom of the pan that allow flames from the burner to directly contact the wood chips. The wood burns instead of smolders and is used up too quickly. Also, ash is able to fall directly onto the burner. The slits in the pan defeat the purpose of the wood chip pan which is to heat the wood and let it smolder. Just like the name implies, you want to produce smoke not flames.
Suggested Modifications:
With a few modifications to the Masterbuilt Extra Wide propane smoker it will become an excellent tool in your barbequing repertoire. First, modifying the wood chip pan is a must. The wood chip pan comes from Masterbuilt with three pieces of metal that sit about 1″ above the slits in the bottom of the pan. Remove these three pieces of metal. You can cover the holes with aluminum foil or a flat piece of metal cut to the diameter of the pan. A simpler solution I used was placing a cast iron skillet over the slits in the pan. This allows for an even distribution of heat without letting the flames directly burn up your wood. Two pictures are provided of the wood chip pan.
Second, the Masterbuilt smoker sits on four sturdy legs. They provide good support, but the legs and the smoker’s size don’t make it an easy task to be moved. I took measurements of the smoker and its support legs and built a rectangular frame out of angle iron. I added several extra inches to one side of the frame to provide a place for the propane tank to sit. Then, I bolted four caster wheels to the frame underneath each support leg. This simple addition makes this smoker much easier to maneuver wherever you want.
Overall, the Masterbuilt Extra Wide propane smoker is an excellent buy. I would recommend it for anyone. You don’t have to be an expert griller to use this smoker. Get this smoker and you can feed your neighborhood with full racks of ribs on the fourth of July, whole turkeys at Thanksgiving, and giant hams for Christmas!
