
Masterbuilt Smokehouses Reviews
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
About Masterbuilt Smokehouses
- User-friendly setup and operation
- Versatile for various meats
- Good for small living spaces
- Frequent electrical malfunctions
- Poor customer service experience
- Limited warranty coverage
Masterbuilt Smokehouses Reviews
Filter by Rating
- (23)
- (17)
- (29)
- (85)
- (352)
Popular Mentions
- 4,888,580 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
Recent
- Recent
- Oldest
- Most helpful
A link has directed you to this review. Its location on this page may change next time you visit.
- 4,888,580 reviews on ConsumerAffairs are verified.
- We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
- We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
- Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.
Reviewed Sept. 22, 2022
Temp probe never worked, but I went old school and never tried to reach support. Then control panel cover came off, no evidence of cause. I have and use a cover for the smoker. I just found the control panel cover on deck by the smoker one day. About a month later the smoker stopped working entirely in the middle of a 16lb brisket. Impossible to find replacement parts for this unit on the website. Without an image of your original receipt you cannot open a ticket online. I was able to open one in the mobile app (for the non working temp probe). Am told to expect response within 5 business days. Currently am midway through day 4. Purchased in April 2021. Steer clear of this vendor.

Dan,
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are sending you a private message so we are able to assist.
Reviewed Sept. 8, 2022
I purchased a Masterbuilt electric smoker through Walmart.com not quite 2 years ago. We had been happy with its performance until recently. The control panel is on and the temperature shows 93. Unfortunately, I can't adjust it. I looked at the manual and it said to call customer service at 800-489-1581, but all you get there is a message telling you that all issues are handled online and would be responded to in 24 hours. So I went to the Masterbuilt website. They have a "chat" option but it's all automated, pre-ordained questions. My issue was a bit different than the options given. So I submitted a claim through their website following their instructions. I received an email back with a claim number telling me they would respond within 5 days, (different than what the phone message says). It's now been 7 days, and despite 2 followups, I've still heard NOTHING! I'd like to know if it's fixable (within reason) or if I need to move on, but all I get is CRICKETS.

Doug,
Thank you for sharing your experience. We are very sorry to hear you have not been provided with an update. We are sending over a private message so we are able to assist!
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2022
I purchased a brand new smoker on August 8th and have used it twice. The first run-in and use went well. The temperature was controlled well to a degree or two for 10 to 12 hours. Adjusting the time and temperature through the stall worked well and was uneventful. On the second use, the smoker came up to temperature quickly, but after half an hour, the temperature button would only turn the power off instead of allowing us to adjust the temperature and the unit wouldn't run. We would turn on power, press the temperature button and the unit would go dark. Turning on the power and setting the time worked fine but then pressing the temperature button would turn the unit off. We tried unplugging the power and reconnecting to perhaps "reset" but it still didn't allow us to set the temperature.
I’ve gone back to take pictures that are required for the Masterbuilt “Contact Us” page for In-Warranty issues and the unit will not turn on at all. I checked the circuit breaker and tried a different indoor outlet that I had just used and both are fine, but the smoker will not start.

Robert,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are sending over a private message to gather a bit more information so we are able to assist.
Reviewed Sept. 2, 2022
I purchased a Masterbuilt Gravity 560 smoker & grill around 7-8 months ago max.. I will be %100 honest, I've had many many issues with this product but even then I was still in love with it up until when I realized how bad of a customer service these guys have. My orders have been delayed and some have never arrived even which I did not care but they did the same thing with my warranty parts and waited until the LAST 14th day to ship the parts.
Oh I said warranty parts even though my grill is a bit older than half a year:) Do you know why? Because these grills start falling apart on the 1st or 2nd time you use.. Believe it or not, I started seeing issues on my 2nd time grilling and those issues never ended!!!! I am still struggling with a leaking oil from the bottom issue, almost all door/lid sensors already failed, the rotisserie motor I purchased also stopped working on the 3rd time I use. I am filing a small claims case today in CA to get my money back and get rid of this BBQ. I loved this BBQ and would face all the issues if there was a just a bit support from the customer service BUT customer service is falling apart as well, worse than their product. So, long story short, stay away from this brand!!!

Thank you for sharing your experience. We are very sorry to hear you are not satisfied. You will receive a private message requesting further information so we are able to assist.
Reviewed July 31, 2022
Purchased this smoker as a Christmas present for my father and I am very regretful I didn’t spend the extra money and buy something from a reputable company. First time using it was in the spring, temperature was about 15c here in Canada so I had low expectations of it reaching the desired temp. It did ok for a couple hours until the evening when it started to get cool out, so I unplugged it and put it away until summertime.
I just broke it out today to smoke some beef cheeks, beautiful sunny afternoon 28c weather, smoker did ok for about an hour and then I noticed it drop down to 170f (temp was set to the max, 275f). I played around with the thing for a half hour, unplugging it and plugging it back in, took the digital control off to see if anything was shorted, I did notice moisture in the control box but everything else looked ok.
I was at a standstill, I figured I’d plug it back in and if it maintained 170f I would just have to work with what I’ve got….but then again 20 minutes later the temp was reading 300f but nothing was working, opened the door and it’s the same as the ambient temperature outside. So here I am with a $300 boat anchor that I didn’t even get to use for one full smoke. After reading deeper into this company it’s nothing but problems as a result of cheaply sourced parts. Stay away from this company and buy a good quality charcoal smoker, it’ll save you the headache from this cheap junk.

Hello Cody,
Thank you for sharing your experience. We do apologize for the inconveniences this has caused. We would like to gather a bit more information to begin your claim. We will be sending over a private message for further assistance.
Reviewed July 11, 2022
Received an electric Masterbuilt smoker as a gift from my kids on Father's Day 2021. Tried to use it for the first time about a month ago and it kept tripping the circuit breaker. Also the control panel plastic had fallen off the front of the smoker. Tried different extension cords and different outlets but the same thing kept happening.
Contacted customer service through digital chat, since they do not have a live person and was told that it needed a new element. I had previously registered this unit online when I received it, but they said they couldn't find an email associated with the registration. After 20 minutes of chats they said I could reorder the element but that they had discontinued making the control panel part. My question to them was if I get the element fixed how will I be able to program the unit if the control panel is inoperative. I have requested a new smoker, but I know how this will end. Please, please, if you listen to anything I've just said, do not buy from this Company. If you read the other reviews associated with this Company you should be able to tell that you're wasting your money.

Donald,
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are very sorry to hear you have experienced this issue. We are sending over a private message so we are able to further assist.
Reviewed July 4, 2022
About a month ago, we drove for an hour to Bass Pro Shop to purchase a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. The salesperson bragged about how it would get up to 400 degrees and we could bake a pie in there. It never exceeded 200 degrees so we had to drive all the way back to return it. We tried purchasing another Electric Masterbuilt Smoker near our home for a little more money to give it another try, but once again it never heated above 200 degrees so we returned it. We are having company today for the 4th of July and really wanted a smoker, so we purchased a charcoal Masterbuilt smoker for over $500 from Home Depot yesterday, it worked thru the 1st cure process, but now during the 2nd cure process, the fan turns off at 250 degrees and stops smoking! Now we have to return this smoker and will not be able to entertain our guests today the way we had planned. This company is a complete scam.

Hello Tina,
We are very sorry to hear you have experienced this issue. We are sending you a private message to assist.
Reviewed June 26, 2022
I actually think this company is a scam. I don't know what their problem is but in 2022 in America it shouldn't take up to 14... more like 30 days to pull a part off a shelf, Box it, label it and ship it! That should be done within the 1st 48 hours of an order. I have been waiting over 3 weeks for a part to ship!! I don't know if I will get the regulator to work my broken barbecue before the summer's over. Customer service is non existent, there is no phone number that will let you speak to any human. I have emailed them for help 4 times with ZERO RESPONSE. I feel the only choice is to call my bank and report fraud. Report them to BBB and write more bad reviews, so hopefully people don't buy anything from MASTERBUILT! Their name should be MASTER**!

Dear Kc,
We are very sorry to hear you have experienced this issue. We are sending over a private message to gather more information so we are able to assist.
Reviewed June 16, 2022
I have a 36" electric smoker made by masterbuilt. The heating element has gone out and rather than tossing it out and spending the $2-300 on a new one I elected to order a part that the Masterbuilt website says it is in stock. What you don't find out until after you have placed your order is that you're going to have to be in communication with someone at their website every week until they ship your product. I am past the 3 week mark and my heating element still has not even been pulled off of the shelf. The only thing that customer service will tell me is that it can take up to 14 business days to ship, well today is day 13 and it hasn't moved. I will never buy another product from Masterbuilt, my experience with their support staff has been terrible, they repeat themselves as it if were completely scripted.

Dear Davis,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are sending over a private message to gather more information so we are able to assist.
Reviewed June 2, 2022
Bought a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker from Lowe's in April of 2023, in the box I was shipped the wrong brackets, and the body was dented. I emailed Masterbuilt support and never got a response. After following up 3 times in that month of May, I finally got a rude response, to which they asked for me to review the manual and select the part from a "attached" manual, which they didn't attach... then told me to open another case, after asking for that again, and following up a day later that said open a new case. I've spent over a month trying to get resolution of my issue. Also worth mentioning, online support is only how Masterbuilt communicates, despite having a customer service number, which just directs you to the website. The bottom line is, if you want a mediocre smoker and poor support, I can fully vouch Masterbuilt delivers on that.

Dear Luis,
We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We are sending over a private message to gather further information so we are able to assist.
Reviewed Dec. 17, 2021
Recently received as a gift and the control panel does not work properly and never did. They no longer have this product and say no replacement parts. Less than one year old. Buy any other brand except from this company.

Hello Ray,
We are very sorry to hear you have experienced this issue. We will be sending you a private message so we are able to assist.
Reviewed Nov. 9, 2021
I put an incredible amount of research prior to purchasing an entry level electric smoker. Masterbuilt 30" seemed to be mentioned often in many articles and reviews. Alas, the perfect Father's Day present in June 2021. Initially, the product performed wonderfully, however after 6 batches of jerky, and a couple of briskets the seals round the door began to deteriorate. Hard to believe 185-190 degrees could do so much damage to a product built to withstand much more than that. I had high hopes for this smoker, even bought my father in law the same one.
I haven't been able to use this product in a month because the control panel suddenly stopped working and the unit would not heat. Tried several outlets, cleaning connections, even ordered a replacement control module (which took 3 weeks to arrive). Nothing. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere if you're considering an electric smoker. You will save the anger and disgust of prepping a gorgeous brisket only to that a product you cared for and maintained for under 4 months (just outside the 90 day warranty) let you down. Give your business to a company that takes pride in their products. I should have listened to the one star reviews...

Dear Tyler,
We are very sorry to hear you have experienced this issue. Masterbuilt products have a 1 year warranty. We will be sending you a private message to help begin your warranty claim.
Reviewed Nov. 7, 2021
I bought my Masterbuilt 40" smoker about 2 years ago. It is my 5th and last one. I will never buy from this company again. I usually get about 3-5 years use before either the control panel or the heating element goes bad. Their customer service was very good when I bought my first one over 10 years ago. Now, to call what they have "customer service" is a misnomer. My unit will not heat and the water pan was leaking. I went online to their website to get their number and could not find it. It said the best (and only way) to contact them is filling out their online form. I then went web hunting and found their number. I called it and got an automated message that told me the only way to contact them is to go online and fill out their form.
What kind of company thinks they are going to stay in business with this kind of business model? So, I filled out their very comprehensive online form. After I submitted it, they told me to wait 5 business days (it was 7) before I could expect them to contact me. I guess they are busy losing customers like me. Their reply was generic and not very helpful. BTW - the reply was from Kamado Joe. I thought it was spam. They own them too. Same ** "customer service". My next smoker will be a Traeger or Camp Chef. Yes, they are more expensive but my research shows they are more reliable. Have have real customer service that is good and helpful. Save yourself the trouble and do the same. Do not buy a Masterbuilt smoker.

Dear Kevin,
Thank you for providing your feedback and bringing this to our attention. We are very sorry to hear you have had a negative experience. We will be sending you a private message, as we would love to make this right.
Reviewed Oct. 26, 2021
I purchased the propane/wood chip smoker online via Home Depot. Upon receipt of the product the packaging was badly damaged. Once opened it appear that the product itself was not damaged. During assembly it was discovered that the temperature gauge (stem) was cracked. Contacted the customer service by phone and was advised that I must contact them via their online site.
I did so on October 15, 2021 providing details of the issue and photos and received a confirmation that the issue was received and was provided with a reference number, Case #: **. It is now October 26, 2021 and still after 2 follow up emails I have not received a response. I have attempted twice to register the product online and both times I have received error messages stating that there is a system error and to try again. This is not what I expected from this company.

Good Morning,
Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delay with your claim and would be happy to assist you. We will be sending a private message so we can proceed.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Oct. 16, 2021
Updated on 10/27/2021: I have a problem with a relatively new electric MasterBuilt Smoker. I searched for a telephone number to contact customer support. I found one but when I called, the recording said that all customer support issues are now handled via their website. I got on their website, and filled out the requested information regarding my particular product and my specific issue. The response I got back is that they would get back to me within 5 business days. Really? That's not all. I got a canned response that said "we think it could be this part". So I should just order the repair part and hope that it fixes the problem. No technical support, no technical diagnosis, no circuit specifics, no nothing, NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT!
I have been fooling with this issue since October 16, 2021. What in the world would ever give a company like MasterBuilt the idea that ZERO customer support is the way to go? I would make a suggestion to anyone considering buying anything from Masterbuilt, to not only do your due diligence research on the product, but certainly research their customer support for issues that most certainly will come after the sale. MasterBuilt has NO CUSTOMER SUPPORT. ZERO, NADA ZILCH.
Original Review: I did my due diligence & researched electric smokers before I bought a MasterBuilt. I saw the negative reviews but rationalized then by thinking that mine would be the exception. I purchased it on sale on a Black Friday deal. Used it once in December, used it 3 times the next & once this year. This time I plugged the unit in, set the timer, set the temp, hit enter, popped the breaker. Tried a couple more times, same. Moved the smoker to the garage to try another set of electrical plugs, same. So a 2 year old smoker that I used max 5 times won’t perform? That’s a very poor quality product? I’ve read all the troubleshooting guides, how to replace this part & that, but that just sucks. I enjoyed it the few times I used it, but for the price I paid, the quality sucks.

Thank you for taking the time to review our smoker. We are sorry to hear the unit is not functioning as expected. We will be sending you a private message so we are able to further assist.
Reviewed Sept. 14, 2021
The worst possible customer service I have encountered. Sent an email, (because you can't call them), explain that the digital #'s on my controller on the smoker was starting to become unreadable. I got an email back about the temperature. Sent another email, got the same mumbo jumbo! Will never buy another Masterbuilt product!

Good Morning Paul,
Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear of your recent experience with Customer Service. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2021
Updated on 09/01/2021: Masterbuilt now tells me they do not keep much parts for my electric smoker 20079015. The control panel protective cover is not available nor is the control panel assembly. So now the smoker is useless.
Original Review: Since Masterbuilt does not entertain phone calls anymore and require customers to email them for parts and questions, I have sent 2 emails already asking if a particular part is available. I have a digital electrical smoker Model 20079015. The control panel face is torn and wanted to know if it can be replaced or do I have to purchase the entire control panel assembly. Their website says they will respond in 5 business days. But its been 3 weeks. What is going on? And please do not use Covid as the excuse.

Good Morning,
Thank you for contacting Customer Support. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delay. We do recommend not submitting multiple claims or responses as this can delay our response time. We will send you a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Aug. 25, 2021
Bought a smoker last month, finally got it on August the 9th. Got it all assembled and the internal temp probe was not working. Let them know via chat (the only way to talk to them) it was not working. I have contacted them three more times to try to get the part. Today the 25th they gave me a tracking number for the part. The catch is the label was made today. It has not left their warehouse yet. Don't buy directly from them.

Good Morning Ian,
Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We will send a private message to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Aug. 20, 2021
I purchased Model 20050813, which is a vertical propane smoker, and I only got three full uses out of the unit before it caught fire below the burner. It's been cleaned properly, but each time thereafter I go to start it, fire erupts below it, and because of their short connection to the propane tank, I fear the fire will catch the propane tank one of these times and cause it to explode. There appears to be a defect in the burner itself, which I reported to customer service. I sent in pics and described the problem, and they basically said I don't clean it frequently enough and I would have to buy a new burner. What the heck kind of service and product guarantee is that?!?! I plan to just toss the unit and buy an electric smoker from a different Manufacturer who stands by their product. Extremely disappointed!!!

Good Afternoon Jason,
Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you experienced this issue and we will be sending a private message so we can further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed July 24, 2021
My sister owns a Masterbuilt smoker. She's had it for a number of years and it stopped working. She thought the Analog control failed. Well her smoker model (20070712) no longer exist so we can't find the part on the Masterbuilt site or a knockoff brand on another site. The issue is you can only communicate with Masterbuilt via their online support. In addition you must have registered your product which includes uploading a image of your receipt, model and serial number. Only after all of this can you then submit a "Contact Us" email. She still has the book and the smoker is at least 10 years old and there's no proof of registration. So, no registration means no email, which means no parts, which means, Lose Lose. How is it that there is no alternative for contacting a manufacturer? It appears she will have to replace the entire smoker for essentially the cord. The replacement won't be a Masterbuilt or their other product the Kamado Joe.

Good Morning Hillary,
Thank you for reviewing our product. We will send a private message to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed July 23, 2021
I ordered the electric smoker. It came damaged. There is a gash/dent on the side..Very unsightly. I contacted Masterbuilt and was emailed that the damage would not affect the performance. They will not replace it. I did not get an owner's manual..They refuse to send one. I emailed them I am very unhappy with the quality of service. I have a damaged smoker and no owner's manual. I regret this purchase and will tell friends and family not to use or buy Masterbuilt.

Dear Judith,
Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you have experienced this issue. We will be sending a private message to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed June 17, 2021
I received the 230s for my birthday on 5/9/21. I unboxed it all and all the parts were there except for the temp gauge. I contacted support and was given a 1 month wait on the gauge. Case **. Still no gauge smoker. Unusable.

Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear this unit was missing the temperature gauge. We will be private messaging you for more information to further investigate.
Reviewed June 14, 2021
I bought a Cabellas Masterbuilt electric smoker model 20071115 in September of 2019, to replace my last Masterbuilt Smoker I had for over 15 years. I have not used it much because I was at my lake house most of 2020 and winters in Chicago prevent usage during several of those months. I liked this smoker, so I bought the same one around June of 2020 for the lake house. On June 10, 2021, the one I bought in 2019 quit working - it needs a new controller. Masterbuilt discontinued this model and does not make parts for it - on a model I bought last year at Cabellas.
Customer service told me to look for the part online and it's not available. When I responded to their email with that information, they quit communicating with me. Based on them not supporting their products and other reviews about customer service stopping the communication, my next smoker will not be a Masterbuilt. I will make sure my friends and family get my reviews as well. I will also be contacting Cabellas to let them know they are buying from a vendor that does not support their products with their name on it. It reflects on if I will buy other products from Cabellas.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sending a private message for more information to further investigate this case.
Reviewed May 3, 2021
This item worked ok at first then failed to generate sufficient heat to cook things in the expected time. Won't hold or recover heat, won't generate much smoke unless the temp setting is maxed out. I probably used it less than a dozen times before I noticed that it was failing. Performance just decreased until it's now nearly useless. It was a gift so I have no registration data and feel like I am just being ignored. I have made two requests for assistance and hear nothing.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delay in your support ticket. We will be sending you a private message so we can further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed May 3, 2021
I bought my MB Electric Smokehouse about 7 yrs. ago. The wood chip tray finally failed. I ordered a new one and it didn’t fit. Sent it back and it took weeks to get a refund. Paid shipping twice! Customer service never even offered to send the correct part. Shouldn’t have had to pay for shipping the wrong part. Can no longer recommend Masterbuilt.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear of your recent experience and we will be happy to take a look into this. We will send a private response so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
CS
Reviewed April 15, 2021
Bought the MWG600B in May of 2019, and it has worked well for about a year. I started it up the other day and was not getting pellets in the fire box. After investigating I found that the plate that prevents the auger motor from spinning had a weld on the side that had failed and had bent down over time I am assuming. This caused the wire to wrap around the motor, and was severed. I truly don’t understand why the motor would not be anchored more securely to prevent this. I have a cover for the grill and it is stored in my garage, so weather was not the cause of the failed weld.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue and we would be happy to assist in troubleshooting this further. We will send a private message so we are able to proceed on your claim.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed April 6, 2021
I have used the smoker for less than ten times since I 2014. was trying to use it this Easter preheating the smoker. The temp would not stay at 225. The temp got up to 249. I went online and Masterbuilt had good report and on Monday I tried to get parts and you can not call on the parts. Online sucks. I have been unable to get parts for this smoker and I will buy any other Masterbuilt products.
Reviewed March 26, 2021
I placed an order for a Gravity Series 560 Digital Charcoal Grill on March 23rd. After placing the order, I received a message to track the shipping on the shop app. I have been checking this for 3 days and I have no updates. I sent an email that I got from the site. That produced a auto reply that the address is no longer monitored. It recommended another email address. So far, no reply. A number is listed on the website. I called it and the recorded message just says to go to the website and then disconnects.
I have an event coming up that I need a grill for. I am in a situation that I do not know if I will have the grill and I cannot talk to someone to cancel the order. After I found this site and found the reviews being less than great, I am worried that I have been taken for my money. I can see that based on the other reviews that they will state they are sorry and private message me. I know in the review process, I do not have the ability to give updates on the status of my situation. We will see if this pans out.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delay in your order. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed March 16, 2021
The smoker just started tripping circuits, only support is online. Reach online support and they say to buy a new heating element. Did so, installed it and problem persists, re-engage support (via email only) and let them know it didn't work. Their response was, "Ok you need another part which we don't make anymore." When I responded with questions on why I was told to buy a part (+ shipping costs) they stop responding. There are other products which probably have a better lasting product with much better support out there, stay away from Masterbuilt unless you want to have the largest useless deck ornament in your neighborhood.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that the unit is not functioning as expected. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed March 2, 2021
I submitted a question online about whether an available part would fit my smoker. Included all information requested and included 2 pictures of old part. Got an automatic generated email with a case # that said they would respond in 5 business days. After 10 days NOTHING, NO RESPONSE. I called their customer service number and got a recording that all support is done online. Worst service ever. It was a simple fitment question, how can they take 2 weeks to answer a simple question. Very Bad.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product and customer service. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delay in your current claim. We will be sending a private message so we are able to provide you with a resolution.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Feb. 23, 2021
Wow, Martin and William, I am going through the exact same thing. I purchased my Gravity Feed 560 in 12/2020 and got a cover to with it. After the first night I used it, I waited until the grill was cold to the touch and slipped the cover on. I knew there were likely embers left in the hopper, but that is the way this grill works so I didn't think much about it.. When I woke up the next morning the cover was burned/melted into the heat shields of the hopper. After looking at my brand new $500 grill I discovered the cause. Apparently, I was a little rough when adjusting the cover, and I had popped both the latches on the clean-out and the hopper lid letting oxygen back into the hopper and burning the remainder of the hopper (about three-quarters) of high-grade lump coal to burn in a very efficient and very hot way, leaving my grill unusable.
I thought to myself, well lesson learned, and moved on. I got a new cover and ordered the heat shield kit from the website kind of sight-unseen. They had a mediocre description, and no photo (at the time), but I thought the price was about right so I took a chance and ordered it. The kit came quickly and I was pleased... Until I got all of the parts out of the box and found that there were no heat-shields for either door included. I went back to the website and did another search and found that they had added a photo now, but nowhere on the site was the ability to purchase the doors so I decided to call customer service.
And there, is where my story converged with the last 2 reviews. With the exception that I have not been able to register my grill despite trying 3 different browsers, cutting the file sizes down as much as possible, it just keeps sending me error messages, which the website clearly says to ignore, so I went to the website and tried to open a ticket, but after a week without a response, I tried again, and again, and, well you get it. I would like to really love this grill, and I do, except for a few things. There are a couple of minor things that could easily over-come with a few dollars and a little effort, but then there is the connectivity issue (hint: if you have a modern WiFi router the grill won't connect to it without considerable effort, bummer) but hell, I was willing to even overlook that since the grill was such a revolutionary design and it worked really, really good the first, and only, time I used it.
After giving up on contacting, I have been able to use my grill going again by using fireplace seals and a little creativity, but I would really rather get the help I need to get it right because the high heat compromised the integrity of the lid. In my book, and maybe I am old school, there is no excuse for a company to not answer their phones, even if it means a long wait. And there is absolutely no excuse for the website to not work correctly, and on top of that, they were aware that the website was throwing errors on the registration page and is telling everyone to ignore it instead of spending the money to fix the site. I was truly willing to chalk this whole thing up to a learning experience until encountering the total lack of Customer Service. Had the hopper lid door been on the website for purchase this review would be reading a whole lot different.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We will be sending a private message so we are able to provide a resolution.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Feb. 19, 2021
My smoker has an issue with tripping my ground fault when turned on. Used the smoker for almost 2 years and this started happening. Went to call support, could only do it online. I then had to register the smoker which I did but they required a picture of the receipt. All I want is a response from support and find out what needs to be replaced. The worst support experience ever.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that the smoker is not functioning as expected. We offer a 1 year warranty from the date of purchase. We are sending a private message so we can further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Feb. 18, 2021
This is my 2nd Masterbuilt smoker, the first lasting about 7 years. I got this as a bday present and I didn’t open it right away. Fast forward 6 months later I figured I better try it. The first smoke with some salmon was fine. The next smoke was with a bigger batch of meat and we never even finished it. My smoker shut down with an error message after 22 hours of smoking and ruining my beef. I googled the error message and it came up that it was too cold outside. It wasn’t. All the meat had to dumped since it never got a good internal temp.
I shut everything off and thought I would try a pork loin a week later. Yah that didn’t happen because the error code never went away even though it was almost 60 degrees outside. It wouldn’t even start. I went to the masterbuilt website and saw that you can’t call anyone. Everything had to be done via email. What a joke! Someone emailed me the next day with some questions about the temp outside and what I used to clean the temp control button thing. I asked for someone to call me. They didn’t. They kept emailing.
Long story short. Never talked to anyone. They wanted me to take apart the power cord from the bottom of the unit. Sorry not in my job description and I don’t want to mess with wires. They told me I would have to take to back to the retailer I got it from or they could send me parts. I opted for parts but now they are backed up for over a month and considering I never talked to anyone how do they even know what parts I need. The whole company is a joke and I would never ever recommend this brand to anyone anymore! I am going to spend more and buy one made in the USA and hopefully get better quality and service.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We are sending a private message so we are able to provide you with a resolution.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Feb. 2, 2021
My new grill was missing hardware, I have reached out to them and it took two weeks to get back to me, they needed more info which I sent back to the email that they sent me, and now I just received an email saying they don’t check that email and they want me to fill out another claim. 4 emails and still nothing. I just want the hardware that should have been with the grill. Terrible service.

Thank you for taking the time to review our grill and we are sorry to hear that it was missing hardware. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Reviewed Jan. 26, 2021
Purchased Gravity Feed 560 last December. Upon assembly a couple weeks ago I discovered my wiring assembly on the BBQ does not match what is in the assembly guide indicated. Guide is very unclear to begin with. Tried calling customer service weeks ago just to discover that they can not and/or will not accept calls for assistance but in fact direct you to their website. There, they force you to upload everything from receipts to photos of the serial number and anything to make it difficult to get them to even email you. Received 2 verifications that work tickets have been started but after 2 weeks...not a word. Without proper wiring my BBQ is useless. Can't even fire it up to season. It's totally non-operation and worse yet I gave my old BBQ to my neighbor so no BBQ or smoking meats for me. What a waste of $500. My advice...stay clear of Masterbuilt products.
Reviewed Jan. 23, 2021
Updated on 01/27/2021: Still haven’t received any contact from customer service. My ticket number is **. I thought I should have received at least an email from someone acknowledging that there was a problem. Did Masterbuilt even respond to my original post on here?
Original review: Purchased 140 smoker in Nov 2020 used 3 times Controller will not turn main burner on. Contacted by website product is registered. Service ticket created with response for 5 bus days now been 3 weeks.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you claim is experiencing a delay. We are privately messaging you so we can further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Original Review: Jan. 18, 2021
Masterbuilt 40” electric smoker worked great for 6 months. Now it won’t heat up. I ordered the Masterbuilt replacement element but still doesn’t work. Problem must be inside the sealed cabinet. We opened a case on the Masterbuilt website but have heard nothing. Really disappointed in the workmanship.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delay in response. We are sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support.
Reviewed Jan. 15, 2021
Digital controller just clicked after about 2 years. Wrote customer service to ideas- no response. Ended up ordering replacement based on Masterbuilt parts website and choosing compatible controller based on model. Plugs did not match despite part listed as proper. Wrote customer service- received acknowledgement and promise to get back to me- no response. Sent follow up email to customer service- no response.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delay in response. We are sending you a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2021
I received my Masterbuilt smoker as a Christmas present from my daughter and son in law. The smoker arrived damaged. The door has a large dent in it. The box had a small hole in it that was completely unnoticeable until I saw that the stainless was damaged on the door of the smoker. I attempted to contact masterbuilt via the support number on the box. Boy was that a joke. Live support no longer exist at masterbuilt. And that is not an exaggeration. ONLINE SUPPORT ONLY!!!! And that "only" works if you have fully, completely, and correctly registered your product online at the website. To include uploaded photos of the purchase receipt, model number, and serial number of the product. How in the Hell do you get the receipt for a Christmas gift in almost any situation let alone my situation.
The kids are both in the Air Force. They just moved before Christmas. Now one of them is on deployment (9 to 12 months) and the other is TDY in Hawaii. (6 months). The Masterbuilt reputation online has descended into the pits of Hell in the past year. (Just do a Google search) WTF??? I don't know who is running things there, but if they don't wake up soon and start steering the ship away from the rocks this company is finished. Companies like this are going to have to start taking some responsibility and step up and stop blaming everything on COVID.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We are sending a private response so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Jan. 11, 2021
Masterbuilt has simply stopped providing any warranty or customer assistance. I purchased a smoker in October 2020 and after just one use the finish started melting. After 8 uses it's now a gooey black mess. Months ago I submitted an online request for support and have received no reply. Both listed phone numbers for the company provide no assistance. I've called multiple times. One says the mailbox is full and the second provides an announcement that warranty/customer service is exclusively available only online. It's simply not possible to contact the company to get any resolution. Avoid purchases from Masterbuilt.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We will be sending a private reply so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support.
Reviewed Jan. 8, 2021
The first problem is the digital display (in blue) is so dim it can only be read in total darkness. I did like this WHEN IT WORKED. Now after one year the bluetooth will not connect (it did before) and the controller will not allow me to set the cook time. To top it all off their website and customer service are totally worthless when you have a problem. To reach customer service you have to submit an online form that requires you to enter the model number and serial number. Their site will not recognize my model number and the serial number is NOT readable as stamped. They also require a purchase date and photo of the purchase receipt. Since I received this as a gift I do not have either one. No phone number is provided to make contact.

Thank you for contacting Customer Support. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Dec. 29, 2020
I received a pellet grill at the beginning of December from manufacturer's website. It arrived with multiple spots of damage. Dents all over, broken screw holding door on, bent panel covering electronics on pellet box. Submitted claim online same day I received the grill, and here we are almost a month later and still have heard nothing. If I knew this is how the customer service was, I would have never purchased this grill and I definitely will not be purchasing anything from this company ever again.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you received the grill damaged. We will be sending you a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Updated review: Dec. 23, 2020
Masterbuilt contacted me and sent the replacement chip tray at no charge. They answered my questions about the availability of replacement parts and were helpful. Based on this, I would revise my statement about avoiding their products and now again consider myself a satisfied customer. Thank you.
Original Review: Dec. 16, 2020
I bought a Masterbuilt 40-Inch Front Controller Electric Smoker with Window (20070512) from Amazon several years ago. I actually used the smoker with no issue and was a satisfied customer up until several weeks ago, when I tried to contact the company regarding replacement parts (heating element stopped working). While I was ordering the replacement heating element (from another appliance parts company), I noticed a few other parts I would like to replace - my controller pad's plastic covering had cracked and the meat temp probe wire sheathing had worn away - so I figured I'd replace those too while I had the unit apart, unfortunately, those parts were out of stock. In my research to find these parts, I learned there was a product recall on my model. So, I went to Masterbuilt's website to see if they had more info on the recall and possibly a few more parts and this is where my satisfied customer experience turned negative.
I registered my product using their customer-adverse process. My original receipt and model and serial #'s weren't good enough for them; I had to actually provide a photo of the same #s from my unit - which I did, with growing frustration. I then sent them an email regarding my questions and never received a response; I then tried calling them and was shut down by a voicemail that basically admonished me (a paying customer) for trying to call them saying everything must be done through their website - to which they do not respond.
I did replace the heating element and the unit still works with the cracked manual controls. However, I'll likely be in the market for a new smoker soon and can bet it won't be anything made by Masterbuilt. If anyone at Masterbuilt actually reads this (I see their 'bot' responses on Consumer Affairs) they should think about the damage they are doing to their brand and future business by treating their customers as poorly as they do. I've read through the long list of complaints they've received by first-time users and cannot understand how they can remain in business with such poor customer service. Good luck to anyone that purchases their products.

Thank you for your feedback on your recent experience with Customer Service. While we are sorry to hear that you did not receive a response to your case, we would be more than happy to proceed with providing you with a resolution. We will be sending you a a private response so we can further assist you.
Reviewed Dec. 15, 2020
I have placed an order December 7 for an analog electric smoker. I message the company and no response. This was supposed to be a Christmas gift! Most companies you get a tracking shipment method and estimated arrival dates.

Thank you for your feedback on shipping. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delay. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Dec. 10, 2020
On 11/20/20 I purchased a Smoker/MES 440 from the Masterbuilt website, it arrived extremely damaged. I have attempted to contact Masterbuilt by filing a case through the website, sent multiple emails and have yet to hear a response from Masterbuilt. I am just looking for a resolution, either refund or replace the smoker. I have sent supporting documentation (photos) of the damage smoker. I am frustrated that Masterbuilt/Customer Service has failed to connect with me on a resolution.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that the smoker arrived damaged. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Dec. 10, 2020
I purchased 2 different Masterbuilt vertical smokes. The 3rd time I used one unit, it stopped working completely. Replacement parts must be purchased but are backordered until January. No one answers phones and the website does not offer much assistance or parts prices. The body of these units are well constructed and functions well but the electric control panel is absolute trash. This product should not be purchased!

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We will be sending you a private message so we may offer a resolution.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Dec. 3, 2020
Updated on 12/16/2020: Masterbuilt says they considered the matter closed but didn’t address the problem I had. I explained I ordered a part and it’s the incorrect part and their resolution is that I go onto their website and order the parts. I need someone to get in actual contact with me so that I can return the incorrect part that I paid for and ordered with the correct part. How is this company still in business????
Original: I have a model 20071317 smoker serial number bz111725. I ordered a replacement power circuit card board kit on 11/25/20. Part was delivered 12/3/20. Circuit board is the wrong replacement part. Connectors do are not compatible. I tried calling the company and it’s strictly online support! Tried to go through website to upload pictures of the parts and reason for part return and their site will not let me submit. When I ordered the part that I paid for ($25 plus shipping and tax over $35) I had no issue getting through. Now I can’t contact anyone.
This company should be ashamed of itself making it so difficult to get true customer service. I purchased another vertical smoker from Home Depot that cost $300 that same day due to thanksgiving the next day. I’m sure I’ll have issues and I regret buying another. I wanted the circuit card to repair this smoker and to give to my daughter and husband. I’ve read other reviews from consumers like me. What a sad company that treats consumers like this.

Thank you for your feedback regarding customer service. We will be happy to offer a resolution and will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Nov. 30, 2020
I received the electric smoker in August 2020 as a gift. The first time we tried to use the smoker it kept tripping the GFI outlets. After jumping through numerous hoops just trying to reach customer service someone finally reached out to open a claim. Masterbuilt Support Case # **. I was told on multiple occasions that a replacement part would be shipped. I tried confirming this and I was told once again it would ship at the end of October. I never received the part or confirmation it shipped as I was promised and when I inquired I was told by the customer service rep that the part would arrive in late October and I would receive a notification when it shipped to me and then the Representative told me to NOT TO REPLY TO HER EMAIL ANY LONGER and that if I needed anything else I would have to open another claim. WHAT!? You never rectified the first claim. You have not even done what you said you would by shipping a new part for the defective part.
It has been months and I have no new part and the best response from this company is that if I have anything else to say that I need to open another claim. I have never experienced such lack of customer service and it appears from other reviews I am not alone. It is sad to think my daughter used her own hard earned money to get me a present and the company who sold it refuses to stand behind their product even though they say they will. I would have returned the entire unit had I known this company had such lack of care for its customers. This is my final attempt to reach someone at the Masterbuilt company who actually cares about their customers and whether or not they have any integrity at all to live up to their own promises.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear of your recent experience with customer service. We would be happy to provide you with a resolution. We will be sending a private message so we are able to better assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Nov. 28, 2020
I would NOT recommend Masterbuilt smokers to anyone. I have had 3 of them and WHEN they work they are good. 2 of mine the Electric Controls went out in a VERY short time leaving them useless, When the main control unit you can NOT USE IT. DISAPPOINTED. I know 3 other people that have had the SAME problem... When I contacted Masterbuilt company they told me I would just have to replace the main control unit at my expense... The Worst Customer Service...

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing power issues with your unit. We do offer a 1 year warranty from the date of purchase. If the unit qualifies under this warranty coverage, please complete the registration and contact us form so we are able to further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Nov. 28, 2020
On 9/19/2020 I purchased the MES130. On the same day I ordered two Items Broiler Pan 30" #310239244, Cost $24.00 and S&H $24.99 Plus Disposable Pans 30" $14.99 Plus S&H $24.99. As of today 11/28/2020 Nothing! I have called and Emailed this company for over 2 months at least 3 times a month with never a response. The worst customer service. This was purchased from my local Home Depot which they tried to help but they never received a return call or email from Masterbuild. My best advice I can give don't waste your time or money on this fly by night company.

Thank you for taking the time to inform us of your recent purchase with The Home Depot. Unfortunately, we were not able to locate your order based on the information provided. For best assistance, we would recommend contacting HomeDepot.com for orders that are placed online. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Nov. 24, 2020
I ordered a vertical smoker. Opened it to assemble and the Interior cabinet was damaged with broken bolts. The exterior was fine so this was obviously a quality control issue and not a shipping issue. Even worse, I can’t call to speak to anyone. I need the entire cabinet replaced and concerned because they state on the website customers are responsible for return shipping! Not fair practice when you ship defective products. On the support portal I have to wait up to 5 days to hear anything back. Why so long? I purchased a gravity series smoker and when I needed support on an error code for that it took every bit of 5 days to respond. Not helpful considering you’re cooking and using the grill! I am angry at myself for giving them a second chance.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that the smoker was delivered damage and will gladly assist in providing you with a resolution. We will be sending a private message so we can further assist you.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Nov. 23, 2020
I'm in my fourth week of trying to get my brand new Masterbuilt smoker to work out of the box. You might ask, "Since Masterbuilt sold you trash, why don't you return it?" Good question. I bought this smoker on sale on Fathers Day at Lowe's. I thought I could pick up a good deal on a new hobby, but I was too busy to open the box until after the retailer's return period. I wasn't worried, because it's a brand new, made in the USA product, right? Wrong. It has never turned on. I've been all over every DIY chat board I can find and tried everything they recommended. Masterbuilt won't answer the phone at all. The website said I had to register the product to get customer support, which I did. But then, there is no obvious way to email support or support a ticket. When I finally figured it out, they asked me what type of cleaning products I'd been using, what temperatures I'd operated it in, and to try unplugging the power supply.
I reminded them that I'd spend weeks trying to get it on - so most of the normal temperatures in the US. I didn't receive any diagrams for disconnecting the power supply, just instructions to unscrew a panel and do it. I did unscrew the panel and have no idea what I'm looking at. And I've never cleaned it, it's new out of the box. It's a product that won't turn on. I've tried for a month. Searched every chat board I can find and emailed customer service. There's no help available. If you buy one, return it before you get out of the parking lot. Save yourself the hassle.

Thank you for reviewing our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue and would appreciate the opportunity to provide you with a resolution. We will be sending you a private message so we are able to provide you with a resolution.
Thank you,
Customer Support
Reviewed Nov. 1, 2020
On September 4th, 2020 I'm reading the manual and I could not find a troubleshooting procedure to get the smoker running again at the time we needed it at this moment. The unit was used twice, always garaged, kept out of the elements until used outside on two nice days. During a cook not even half way to completion the unit stopped working, no heat from the element no display on the digital control panel and no help from customer service. We were having a family party serving ribs, chicken, sausages and roasts in which all this meat had to be evacuated from the unit and finished inside in our home oven which created a big inconvenience in preparing the food in time for the gathering minus the smoky flavor.
I needed the procedure on finding which part stopped the unit from working. Customer service was no help, said the unit out of warranty, try replacing these parts and see if that works. Well thanks for the advice when you don’t have the parts in stock and why should I be guessing which one of these parts that are non refundable I should purchase, and why does or did this unit stopped working after the second use. So today we are sitting on a dead unit taking up garage space and still no answer for the manufacture.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear of your recent experience with the smoker. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Reviewed Oct. 3, 2020
We bought a smoker at the store, noticed 1 of the handles was broken. Ordered 1 online-they sent an Allen wrench. Didn't have a valid phone number and when we emailed, an auto generated response said email address for customer support wasn't monitored.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear of your recent experience with making a claim through our website. We will be sending a private message so we are able to further assist you.
Reviewed Oct. 3, 2020
I got my smoker about a year ago. Used it about 4 times. Now it shows an error code and will not work at all. I have been trying to contact customer service due to the virus. Can't get any help. I didn't know you can get the virus on the phone. I guess I will have to junk this one! I will not buy anything with Masterbuilt on it again. And my smoker has never been outside. I have it in my shop with fans to vent the smoke.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that the smoker is not functioning as expected. Our call center has been closed and our staff is currently working remotely so we can remain safe during COVID-19. We appreciate your patience during this time. A private message will be sent so we can further assist you.
Reviewed Oct. 2, 2020
Last weekend my smoker just stopped working. When I turn it on I get an a code and then it shuts off. I had 8lbs of chicken wings I was to cook for a party that I was unable to cook, which inevitably had to be thrown away. I email Masterbuilt, because well that's the only option given to me. I received a automated response saying that I would hear back within 5 business days. I am now on business day 10, and still no response and still no use of my Masterbuilt. I have only had this product for 3 months. I am so upset and disappointed that I cannot get anyone to help me whatsoever. No one can tell me why these codes are popping up, even their app was rated poorly!

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear of your recent experience with the smoker. We will be happy to assist you with further troubleshooting so we can get your unit smoking again. A private message will be sent so we can provide better support.
Reviewed Sept. 24, 2020
I used the smoker one time and on the second use the control panel no longer worked. I figured out the power cord transformer was bad and it needed to be replaced. Their website does not list a phone number. You only can contact by Masterbuilt email. They promise to contact you in 3-5 business day. I sent in a warranty request on 9/6, it is now 9/24 and now response past the auto response on 9/6. I can't use my brand new $900 grill and no response from the company. I would not buy from them again. I hope I get my grill to work.

Good morning Jeff,
Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sorry to hear it has not been a positive one. All phone service has been suspended as our team works remotely to ensure their safety and are still available through the web form. Please note, cases are handled in the order received and additional messages will mark a case new, moving it to the end of the queue. We want to make sure you are taken care of as quickly as possible. A private message will be sent to gain more information.
Reviewed Sept. 19, 2020
I bought the Smoker (Serial FY111952) on May 24, 2020. Within 2 months:
- Door Open Sensor on front of the grill has burned out and the control panel only reads "Door Open" and the thermostat doesn't work.
- Cover for the smoker has totally faded from black to light grey and the eyelets have rusted.
- Rotisserie will only rotate 5-10 degrees in one direction and then return 5-10 degrees.
The concept of the smoker is fantastic, but there has been no response to my on-line "Contact Us" posting. The excuse of not answering phones due to COVID is old, there is no reason not to have Customer Service working phones and/or responding to service submissions. All I want is the replace the "door switch", replace the "control panel", replace the rotisserie motor and replace the cover. All of these are only a few months old. Masterbuilt, please do the right thing. **

Thank you for taking the time to review our products. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. Multiple case submissions or responses can delay our response time. Please be sure to include pictures of the components and the proof or purchase for warranty claims. Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this process.
Reviewed Aug. 29, 2020
2. Fill out the online form as requested and get an automated response that they will respond in 5 business days. Two weeks later nothing.
3. Go to their Facebook page and start complaining. Response is to give them my ticket number and they will have someone respond. Get an email response asking me to explain the problem - which is what I entered on the original complaint.
4. And now absolutely nothing from them.
Buy another product that lasts and actually provides customer service if you do have a problem.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing issues with the unit. Response time can be delayed if multiple case are submitted or multiple responses. Also, please make sure that all contact information is correct so we can respond accordingly. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Reviewed Aug. 18, 2020
In June of 2020 I ordered 2-replacement burner tubes for my Smokehouse smoker. When I received them they were wrong and would not work on my smoker. I contacted customer service the next day. Never heard back until late July a month later. The rep. Stated he placed an order for the correct parts. When I received it, I opened it just to find a door handle when I had ordered 2- burner tubes. I reboxed the two wrong burner tubes and the door handle and sent them back. It has now been around 2 weeks and have not heard back from them. They got my money this time. But I will never buy anything from them again.

Thank you for reviewing our product and for your feedback on your recent experience with customer service. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing a delayed response. Please make sure when you create a case that you are not responding multiple times or creating duplicate cases as this will cause a delayed response. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Reviewed Aug. 17, 2020
We used the smoker one time and it never got over 200 degrees and since then it does not heat up over 150 degrees. At this time MasterBuilt call center closed and when you send an email it states they will answer within 5 business day. It has been over two weeks and there has not been any correspondence. I would be okay even if it was an email stating that they are behind and will get back to me in 4-6 weeks. We were so excited to use it and now it is just a decoration until we can get the parts to fix it.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue with the smoker. When using the smoker, please only using an extension cord of 10 feet maximum. For faster response, please create one case and response as we answer in the order in which they are received. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance.
Reviewed Aug. 14, 2020
I purchased the Masterbuilt Electric smoker in 2019, the day before Thanksgiving, to smoke a small turkey. It worked out OK but I noticed that the temperature kept going way up. NOTHING that I have cooked since then has been as it should be, the gauge is electric digital, and you cannot tell what number it’s showing! Please spare me about cleaning the gauge. That’s is not the problem. Masterbuilt is not paying attention to their consumers, selling us trash. So anyone reading this, if you are thinking about buying a smoker from this Masterbuilt? I am going to honestly say don’t do it, they do not respect or honor our money, because if they did they would not have so many people on here saying the same thing about their smokers not working. I see through your “I’m sorry and” just lies.

Thank you for reviewing our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue and would appreciate the opportunity to provide you with a resolution. We would recommend disconnecting the digital control panel to allow the component to reset. If this does not resolve the issue, please create a warranty claim so we are able to further assist you.
Reviewed Aug. 14, 2020
My wife purchased the John McLemore Signature Series Electric Smoker, model # MB25075517 for me on 11/28/2019. On July 30, 2020 (product is less than 1 year old and under warranty), the top hinge of the smoker door broke, looks like a weak weld. Masterbuilt's customer service phone number instructs you to use their website, so I attempt to register my smoker online but my smoker does not have a serial number plate (should be on the inside of the door). Afterwards I open a support care, receive the automated reply and wait 5 business days.
5 business days pass and I have not received anything from Masterbuilt, so I follow up with an email and photos. 5 more business days pass and still nothing, so I send another follow up email. Their website indicates someone will be in touch with me within 5 business days but now it has been 10 business days and I have not heard anything at all from Masterbuilt. Extremely poor customer service, Masterbuilt needs to stand behind their products.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We have recently transitioned our customer service to digital support due to COVID-19 restrictions and we are working diligently to provide a timely response. For faster response time, please create one case and reply so our customer care team can assist you. The serial number is located on the back of the smoker under the Caution and Warning label.
Updated review: Sept. 3, 2020
While I was unhappy with the initial lack of response, Masterbuilt made things right in the end. I was sent replacement parts but they came damaged in shipping and missing a couple components. When I informed Masterbuilt, they had me dispose of the unit and just up and sent me an entirely new unit that is working beautifully. In addition, they also sent me a care package for my troubles during this whole process. I know that they lost money trying to honor the warranty at this point, and they still persisted in working with me until I was satisfied with the outcome. Thank you Masterbuilt.
Original Review: Aug. 11, 2020
The Masterbuilt electric smokers have a community built around fixing problems the smokers have. Issues like ingress of water affecting circuit boards that really ought to have good protective conformal coatings and temperature sensors that read higher or lower than temperatures present, and woodchip pans that are improperly assembled and wont thoroughly burn. Unfortunately you only learn about this when you start to google search things like "Smoker temperature wrong."
My trouble is that my smoker is reading 25 degrees hotter than the smoker actually is, hence, it shuts off early and the smoke chips never burn up to ash like they're supposed to. It only ever blackens the wood. I've been trying to get a response from customer service for over 30 days. I reached out to them over Facebook messenger, and I was told I would be receiving an email promptly about my neglected support case. I have yet to receive that email.
Initially, I was pleased with the smoker and left a very positive review with great engagement over on Ace Hardware. Even without the chips burning completely and the temperatures being too low, I like the build design and the features. I think I'll be reluctantly going back to that review and dropping it to 1 star because the product warranty is part of the product and it should be reflected in the review how poor the support is. We are all affected by covid, my place of business isn't using that as an excuse to lean on for failing to return emails so why is Masterbuilt? Email responses is the one work from home style job that shouldn't be suffering out of any other task.

Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns with our product and team. I am very sorry for the delay. We are experiencing very high contact volume and delays in service, due to COVID-19. Please note, each additional message will mark a case new, moving it to the end of the queue. That said, we will be private messaging you to gain more information about your specific case.
Original Review: Aug. 7, 2020
I purchased an electric Masterbuilt smoker in June. Model #MB25071217. I used it twice and it worked great. The 3rd time I started to use it I got alarms/errors. Have submitted two claims to warranty and received no response. After reading several forums on the internet I believe the issue is the control module. They are available to buy online but Masterbuilt should replace under warranty.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am very sorry to hear it was not a positive one. I will be sending a private message to get more information so we may ensure we take care of you to the best of our ability. If it has not yet been completed, please ensure your product is fully registered.
Reviewed Aug. 1, 2020
I used the smoker once and the second time tried to use for a party and it wouldn't fire up. After months of back and forth I was sent the new part and it was installed. The unit seemed to be working. Another party and fired up the smoker, but this time the unit would not set to a temp. I had the unit set to 230 and the temp just kept rising. After some time a new temp gauge for inside the unit was sent. Installed that and it still just keeps heating up and just keeps getting hotter. Waiting to see what happens with this time with customer support. I will update.

I am sorry to hear that the replacement part has not resolved the issue. I would recommend cleaning the temperature sensor on the inside of the cabinet with mild soap and water to reduce temperature variance. If using an extension cord, please be sure to use the maximum length of 25 feet, 12-16 gauge. If continuing to have higher temperature, please contact our customer support team through our website so they are able to further assist you.
Reviewed July 30, 2020
My 3 yr old electric smoker experienced a failure with the digital control panel. Upon research, I found this to be a common issue but easy replacement. However, in going to several parts supply sites, I learned this part is discontinued. I then went to the parts section of Masterbuilt's website and the part is not available there either. There is also no explanation or suggestion of a retro-fit panel, nor was I able to find a hack in searching the internet. This makes my unit unusable, and essentially, very expensive garbage.
When I submitted the form regarding a substitute part or retrofit to Masterbuilt on their website as to how I should proceed regarding parts replacement, they replied with an auto-generated response that they will only reply to questions for products under warranty. I did not submit a warranty claim (which is a stingy 90 days) nor make mention of warranty. In calling them directly, the message states they are not taking phone calls. So, there is literally no way to contact this company.

I do apologize that we no longer manufacture this part and are unable to provide you with a substitute part for purchase. I can understand how frustrating this can be. We haven't manufactured this unit in several years so many of the replacement parts we did have sold out and our factories can no longer supply us with these parts. I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Updated review: Aug. 2, 2020
I received the part on Friday. Thank you for resolving this. However, a customer never should have to go through the obstacle course you have created to get satisfied. The CSI manager of your company still needs to be replaced, he is crushing your reputation. Due to your "finding the part" and sending it, I will upgrade your score, but only as much as I can. This experience as well as other people has certainly not been good.
Original Review: July 21, 2020
They only stock very limited parts for their smokers. They make zero effort to assist. It is impossible to speak to anyone at the company about anything, all automated. If you complain you will get repeated automated replies. This company cares nothing about customer service only about making another sale instead of selling replacement parts. The almighty buck rules here and customers are treated like crap. Smokers break easily, are hard to control temp. and generally are junk. I will do anything I can to suggest that people purchase a different brand, I am sorry I purchased mine and am now looking to purchase a real quality smoker, not the garbage Masterbuilt sells.

We are sorry to hear you are having difficulty locating replacement parts. At this time, we are offering digital support only due to COVID-19 restrictions. We will send a private response that way we can assist on the case that you most recently submitted to our customer service team.
Reviewed July 21, 2020
I purchased the MES 440S Digital Electric Smoker directly from Masterbuilt in October 2019. The product arrived with a couple of small dents, but the damage was only cosmetic. I've used the smoker 6 times to smoke pork and brisket. The first 5 smokes were great and I loved the product. However, on the 6th smoke, the smoker kept kicking off the electric breaker.
Upon inspection, I discovered that the heating element in the smoke box was causing the short. There was a hole in the heating element. The unit is still under warranty. I've tried multiple times to contact Masterbuilt to process the warranty claim on the heating element, but have received no response. Their call center is closed and no one has responded to my emails or website inquiry. I also noticed that this product is no longer featured on their website. I did find the unit on their website via the search and noticed that while the product is no longer available, it was listed at a significant discount from what I paid 10 months ago.

We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue with the smoker. We appreciate you bringing to our attention of the delayed response and will look into your opened claim.
Reviewed July 8, 2020
I received a Masterbuilt smoker as a gift, it worked for a while then died. Not serviceable so had to purchase a new box, used it maybe 10 times and same thing happened, went to plug it in and it blows the GFI. It’s a piece of junk and customer service doesn’t exist. Do not buy one unless you plan on using it a few times and then putting it in the trash.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. we would love the opportunity to assist you with providing a resolution. Please visit our website to contact our customer service team.
Reviewed July 8, 2020
I purchased the under $300 pellet smoker as my husband's father's day/birthday gift. We used it once and right away we had no control over the heat or smoke output; error code 3. We referred to the manual, with no luck. I registered my unit, submitted a support request and now it is 8 business days later and still no response. I understand we are in the middle of a pandemic but plenty of other companies are still able to provide customer service remotely. After hearing that so many others have had issues with the same part, I really wished I found this site before purchasing. Will never buy one of these again.

We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue with the smoker. We appreciate you bringing to our attention of the delayed response and will look into your opened claim.
Reviewed July 3, 2020
I purchased a vertical propane smoker June 15, 2019, registered it the same day with a confirmation email. It worked great. One month later, it caught on fire. I had been smoking all day long and checking my liquid. Upon my last 20 minutes, it most likely ran dry. This damaged the dial and ignition assembly. I submitted a ticket through the online system and received a reply email. After eventually speaking to them on the phone, I needed to be in front of the unit, but my work hours and theirs conflicted and it took some time to be able to work out the timing. When I did eventually get in front, a few times, it would just ring after being put through support. I've sent multiple reply emails only to have them all returned.
I then contacted them through Facebook on October 1 and they responded. They could not find any information in the system for me, no case number whatsoever. The email response I originally had from submitting it did not have a case number but I do have the original emails. This conversation lasted about a week and ended with essentially me needing be in front of the unit. Finally in December of 2019, I spoke to someone on the phone. I walked them through all the steps of what I've tried and they agreed the parts needing replaced were what I stated. She put the order in for me, but unfortunately they were backordered and she didn't have a time frame of when they were to be received. She was going to send a confirmation email, it never came.
Enter COVID-19... Now there's a big delay. I don't hear anything from anyone, so finally in May of 2020 I tried calling. No phone support... So I went back to Facebook and reached out again. They responded. Through the conversation, they can't find any of my information, nor the order itself. So they requested I go back and register all over again. I just went out now and submitted another ticket, this time there is a case number.
So I purchased in June of 2019 and used it for one month and a year later, still can't use it. Now the excuse is COVID-19. I have never written a review about any company, no matter what my experience was. This literally is the worst possible customer support I've ever received. I know things happen and why I typically refrain from doing such things as this, but a company is only as good as the support they are willing to offer. At this stage, I would simply like to get my smoker working again, but that seems almost impossible with the lack of care for their customers.

Good morning Jerid,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I am very sorry to hear it has not been a positive one. I will be sending a private message to get more information so I may be of further assistance.
Reviewed June 26, 2020
If you purchased a Masterbuilt electric smoker you will eventually be dissatisfied. The control panel has created issues for many people and there is no replacement part. How is this possible? My thought is the control panel was not engineered correctly and Masterbuilt wants no part of continuing to produce it. By the way, good luck talking to a person in customer service.

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. I am sorry to hear it has not been a positive one. Our product line is constantly evolving and some units have been retired. Parts are sold until liquidated. Our Customer Service team is presently working remotely, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no phone service and exclusively servicing warranty claims. All parts, available for purchase, can be found on Masterbuilt.com. I will send a private message to better understand your case.
Reviewed June 25, 2020
Thought I was purchasing a fair quality smoker. Granted it is in the $300.00 range, so I was expecting a fair unit. Used the unit 3 maybe 4 times, unit quit operating, controls worked but not the element. After removing the back panel for access, I found the upper limit control had failed. No insulation, no heat resistant wiring to protect switch from heat. Found replacement switch, repaired!! Unit work 3 more times and failed again, this time, the controls would not work. Pulled all the controls out except limit switch, now the unit works. For 10 cents worth of insulation and properly protected wires these issues would have been avoided. Customer service at Masterbuilt might as well be non-existent. Would never buy again, would never recommend anyone to buy Masterbuilt products.

Thank you for sharing your experience. This critical feedback is vital to success. I am sorry to hear you have had to replace several parts on your smoker. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all customer support representatives are working remotely, therefore, all phone service has been suspended. I am sending a private message to better understand your case.
Reviewed June 23, 2020
My unit (20075315) has stopped working. I purchased it in January 2019 and it's already failed. I have tried reaching out to the company and they have not responded. The temperature probe keeps saying 310. The unit itself if giving me temps all over the place. There is NO TECH SUPPORT to help get me through this problem. I have used this unit only 12 times!! For the money I spent it is a totally BUST. They should be accommodating to their customers and help them through technical issues.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sorry to hear it has not been a positive one. A temperature probe registering 310 at start up, may be damaged. In most cases, cleaning the interior of the smoker with grease cutting soap can clear this. I will be sending a private message to better understand your personal smoker and situation.
Reviewed June 22, 2020
My wife bought me a Masterbuilt pellet grill as surprise for me. Well let me tell you the only surprise I got is how this company remains in business. I cooked on this grill three times and it quit working. The igniter would not glow anymore. I tried contacting customer service which was about impossible. I finally found the online customer service page. It immediately gave me a claim number and said a customer service representative would contact me. That never happened. After many attempts at calling the customer service department I finally got a hold of someone. They sent me out a new igniter but it still didn't work. I went through the whole process again and got in touch with them again.
We had come to the conclusion that the controller panel was bad. He told me they were on backorder but would send me one out as soon as they came off backorder. Fast forward a few months and still nothing. You can't get in touch with anyone because of this Covid stuff which I believe is just an excuse to handle up on their business. Come on you can't get someone to answer phones. I have put in several request online and of course it gives me a case number but no one has ever contacted me. So now I pretty much have an expensive patio ornament. The grill was bought at the end of January and I have not able to use it since mid February. To add insult to this whole ordeal they have the nerve to put a commercial on Facebook which downplays pellet grills, I guess because they can't make one that works.

Thank you for sharing your experience. We will reach you, by private message, to better understand your case.
Reviewed June 19, 2020
I’ve had this unit for over one year but I’ve only used it three or four times. The smoked food that I created on the unit was very good except on the last brisket. When the brisket was at 200° the smoker decided to become a jet airplane and take the temperature up to 450. Luckily at that temperature I was able to save the brisket and it turned out very nice. Every time I start the smoker now it goes up to 450 with no way to keep the temp down. I would not purchase from this company again.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sorry to hear your unit is running so hot. Depending on the unit, it may need to be cleaned. If it is gas, the burners should be cleared and any grease cleared. If it is electric, clear the entire interior, as it may be flaring up from grease build up. Many troubleshooting and best practices can be found in your manual and under our FAQ's.
Reviewed June 19, 2020
My fan quit working in my grill. Tried to contact Masterbuilt but you can only do it via the email. It says I will be contacted within 5 days. It has now been 7. I am sad because I love my grill....when it works. The customer service side is absolutely disappointing. Do not buy their products if you are expecting to get help when things go wrong! I am now very sad I purchased this product because the company behind it doesn't care or they'd answer the phone! Using the pandemic as an excuse is just that an excuse, hundreds of companies are still able to answer their phone when you call and need customer service. Maybe they're ashamed of their products!

Thank you for sharing your experience, Matt. I am sorry to hear it has been less than world class. For safety and abundance of caution, our Customer Service team is working remotely, therefore all service is now digital. Please note, due to unusually high contact volume our response times are up to 5 business days. Additional follow up messages mark a case new, restarting this queue time. I will privately message you to better understand your individual experience.
Reviewed June 19, 2020
The food was great the whole 3 times we cooked with it. The bottom heating element doesn't turn on. I phoned customer support to file a claim for a replacement part that should have been. Covered under the 1 year manufacturer's warranty. The response was that we would get a callback within 48 hours. We received no callback. I emailed and no response. This is my final avenue.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sorry to hear of the negative experience you have had, calling our support line. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all support staff is working remotely, therefore, all service has gone digital. Our Customer Support team will be happy to assist you, through our website, Masterbuilt.com. To expedite service, please ensure your product is fully registered.
Reviewed June 12, 2020
Don't even try to get any help from Master Built. They totally don't care!! I will never purchase another master built grill or smoker! They only accept e mail no phone contact and answer emails when and i.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I am sorry to hear it has not been a positive one. Our Customer Service team is working remotely, therefore, all phone support has been suspended. Warranty service is available and non-warranty parts are available for purchase through Masterbuilt.com. I will send a private message to better understand your, individual, circumstance.
Reviewed June 6, 2020
Purchased new in May 23, 2019. Used half dozen times. Stopped heating up on May 11, 2020. Contacted customer service through their form and since May 12, have only heard from them once via email thanking me for my patience (form letter). It is June 6, 2020 and I finally gave up and spent $100 more on parts which they WILL happily provide you a link to. Be wary, buy from a company that will support you which Masterbuilt is not.

All Masterbuilt products are warranted for one year from the date of purchase, with completed registration on file. Unfortunately, due to restrictions surrounding COVID-19 all operation is delayed. I am very sorry your unit was not serviced, under warranty. Please note, cases are handled in the order received, furthermore, additional messages, requesting update, will cause your request to be moved to the end of the queue. We are extending service if you contacted prior to warranty lapse.
Reviewed May 14, 2020
Used smoker a few times and then the digital lights slowly stopped working. It has now gotten to the point that I can’t see the temperature or timer. Sent customer service a message on 1 May and then again a week later. Haven’t heard anything back. Terrible experience.
Reviewed May 13, 2020
I bought my smoker on 9/14/19. The bluetooth is terrible. That is the reason why I bought the smoker. I am always resetting the bluetooth anytime I want to change the time or temperature. The temperature is not stable and nor is the temperature meat probe. I don’t even use it anymore. I submitted a case over 8 business days ago with no response. My case is **. I understand the delay due to COVID-19, but 8 business days and counting??? I am well within warranty and do not want this smoker anymore. I want to take it back to Lowe's. Lowes told me to contact Masterbuilt because I was still within warranty. I am waiting for a response on my case.
Reviewed May 7, 2020
I purchased a Masterbuilt 40 Sportsman Elite at Farm and Fleet about two years ago. Used it about seven times and lost power to the controller. Email Masterbuilt the next day and they did get back to me the next day with some questions about did it get wet or are you using a extension cord and I replied no to all that. And they said it's not a warranty issue and that was it. Email them again and no response. I just need to get it fixed. Not happy with Masterbuilt and I will not recommend this smoker to anyone.

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Michael. I am sorry for the lack of communication. Our Customer Service representatives are only able to send warranted parts. All paid parts must be purchased on our website, at Masterbuilt.com. If you are unable to locate the necessary part, many popular parts sites, such as appliancefactoryparts.com may be able to help.
Reviewed May 6, 2020
I purchased a 20072612 Electric smoker that worked fantastic when the control unit wasn’t worn out. I tried to call and can get a damn live person to save my life. Emailed several times and never have received a response. WTF I need a replacement control unit for my smoker and cant find one because they say they are no longer available! WTF what is the part number for the one that will work for my smoker dang it. It should not be this freezing hard to get a simple replacement part!!!!

Good morning Chrisatopher,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. All call center operation has been suspended, due to COVID-19. At the moment, our Customer Service team is only able to handle warranty claims, I am sorry for the inconvenience and delay. All purchasable parts are available at Masterbuilt.com. Please note, the control panel, part number 9007120067 has been discontinued and all stock liquidated. Third party parts dealers may still have availability.
Reviewed May 4, 2020
Used Grill 3 times. Fan or electronic thermostat quit working. Tried to contact customer service 3 times. Still no answer! I guess I should have bought a pellet grill. I spent over $500 for this grill and now it is a piece of junk.

Thank you for taking the time to review our product. I am sorry to hear it is not functioning as designed. Our Customer Service team is working diligently to handle every case, in the order received however, is delayed due to restrictions surrounding COVID-19. Please note, each additional message marks your case new, restarting its queue time. Our team is here Monday-Friday, from 8am-5pm Eastern.
Reviewed April 24, 2020
We paid a good amount for this one time only use smoker! Model 20075615 electric smoker. Customer service was nice enough but, basically said you're SOL! Why didn't they fix the problem they knew about? FYI- it's the control panel!???

Good afternoon Debra,
Thank you for taking time to review our smoker. I am sorry to hear it has died. Your unit has a one-year warranty, with completed registration filed. We would be happy to work with you to get the smoker functioning again. I will private message you, for more details.
Updated review: April 17, 2020
They sent me a leg right away. Case closed.
Original Review: April 15, 2020
Bought at Home Depot and assembled same day. Got about 7 steps in and realized I don't have the rear left leg. In fact I have two front left legs. I can't assemble it. Customer Service won't answer the phone because of coronavirus and the automated email immediately tells me to reply to the email with photos, but their email server is down. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna return it to home depot. Based on the reviews here and elsewhere I highly doubt I'll ever get the leg I need.
Reviewed April 8, 2020
I purchased a Masterbuilt smoker approx. 2 years ago from Sams Club and everything was going fine until I took the cover off to bbq during New Years and found that the plastic keys on the control board came off I guess due to weather conditions. These keys control the temperature and cook time, anyway the sites that I have went on to find a replacement claim that the part is no longer offered by Masterbuilt. I've attempted to contact the company by phone but they have temporarily closed down due to the coronavirus and referred to the website but no reference to the part I need only different grates and heater coils, no control board which is main operation component to the smoker. Now I'm left with a $400.00 piece of art. Don't get me wrong. When it's working it can't be beat but for that type of money you better get an extended warranty or you won't have anything but a piece of junk.
Reviewed April 6, 2020
Reviewed March 17, 2020
I purchased this product a few years ago. I tried it twice and both times it cut out before finishing. I thought I must be doing something wrong. Since I was very busy with my business, I figured it was just me not having patience enough. So, I stored it for awhile and decided now that I am retired I would try it out again. So, with all the patience in the world, and a hunger for some smoked bovine flesh, I tried again. Bummer, the problem is clearly the smoker. Master-built it is not. Model#20072514 electric smoker; epic fail. Tom **.
Reviewed March 16, 2020
Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Model - MB20073519. Their App doesn't work. Does not connect most of the time and when it does it disconnects. Same issue using Android or Apple type devices. The LED display is too dim to read even indoors low light conditions. Customer service said they know of this and there is no fix on hand and nonbeing worked on or planned. Week engineering all the way around on this product causing a bad end user experience. I do not recommend this product.
Reviewed Feb. 15, 2020
We bought this smoker in 2017 because we were tired of having to deal with the hard work involved with the traditional smoker. Last year we had to replace the heating element ($50). About the same time, the control panel went out, and since it's another $100 part and we were still able to use the remote, we did not order another one. Now the probe reads 310 degrees all the time. On Feb 6 I sent a note to Masterbuilt and received an automated response saying they would contact me within 24-48 hours (Case #: **). But I did not hear back. I sent another note today (Feb 15) and received another case number (**). I'm really disappointed, not only because of the issues, but because of no response.

Hello Beth,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are sorry to hear that your message has not been responded to yet. Customer Service is working diligently to reach all submissions. Please send us a private message with your name, case numbers, model number and serial number, we can research this information for you and have a member of Customer Service reach out to you.
Best Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Jan. 27, 2020
If you are thinking about buying anything from Masterbuilt, check out their FB page under community and look at all the complaints about customer service. If something goes wrong with your unit nobody will respond to you either by email or phone. I have waited on hold for an hour and a half now, listening to recordings on how the customer satisfaction is number one, sent emails, and have heard NOTHING. So basically if your smoker/bbq or whatever has issues you are on your own. I really regret buying anything from Masterbuilt.

Joseph, we are sorry to hear this. If we can assist you with your smoker, please send us a private message with your smokers model number, serial number and description of the issue. We are always willing to assist our customers.
Best Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Original Review: Jan. 20, 2020
Got a smoker on 12/23/19. One of the plastic feet was cracked. I contacted them as requested in the manual. Took a week for a response requesting the same information I already sent. Then 2 weeks later after sending requests to find out where the case was at. They asked for a copy of the receipt. It has been a month. I would recommend returning to the store. Their customer service is rude, slow and terrible!!!

Hello Robert,
We are sorry to hear this. If you still have the product in your possession and you still need assistance, please let us know. We do require proof of purchase for warranty claims as most companies do. We understand your frustration and hope that we can be of assistance. If you would, please contact us at www.masterbuilt.com.
Best Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Jan. 15, 2020
I purchased a smoker stand to go with the electric smoker I received for Christmas. I open the package to assemble and notice that all of the assembly is present except for the 16 flange nuts I need to assemble the stand. I contacted Masterbuilt to inform them that the nuts were never included in the assembly packing...possible manufacturing and packaging problem. Went online and opened a case with them and have not heard anything back. This was on 1/3/2020. I have replied to the automated case response they send you twice and still have not heard back. Their automated response says, "Someone will contact you within two business days". We are well beyond this time frame. My family will never purchase a Masterbuilt product ever again. If they cannot handle a simple issue then it would be a nightmare to think of having an issue with the smoker. Stay away from this company!!

Hello Kwante,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are sorry that this has been you experience. If you still need assistance with your hardware, please let us know by sending a private message or calling us at 1.800.489.1581. We are always willing to help however we can.
Best Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Jan. 14, 2020
Updated on 02/14/2020: I bought the Masterbuilt elite 44” pellet smoker 12/22/19 and had nothing but issues and spent hours on the phone trying to get help. Masterbuilt finally responded to my first bad review here and agreed to ship me a new one. Well it was delivered and left curbside by FedEx. I documented its location and box. Upon assembly all the parts boxes inside the smoker were broke open. Appears like some were torn open when it was packed. Once unpacked I noticed the doors don’t shut and sag. I had to lift both doors to properly align them to shut. I left masterbuilt message on Facebook and told them it was the hinges welded on cabinet that were off.
They sent new doors and these fit even worse than the original ones. Now I have two smokers here that complete pieces of trash. Calling them is a joke and I wait hours on hold. They expect you to email and as in the case of the first smoker nobody replies. The only way Masterbuilt seems to care is by bad review and then they care. When I contacted them that fedex missed two delivery dates they never replied to me. I haven’t smoked anything since Christmas because these smokers are defective and use cheap parts. Never buy anything from Masterbuilt spend your money on a better product that don’t jerk you around on hold for hours or hide behind a private message. I have two smokers here to prove their products are junk.
Original Review: Bought this Masterbuilt pellet smoker before Xmas and on its first smoke the temp probe is 20 degrees off from controller. The smoker couldn’t maintain 225 degrees. After a long smoke 12hrs it suddenly went nuts and temps were all over. Ended up in a fire inside and burnt my meat probe up. Called the number and put on hold 45 mins. Tech started talking then hung up. Called back, waited over an hour and promised I wouldn’t get disconnected and they had my phone number. It happened again and no call back. I called a third time and this time waited 1 1/2 hrs on hold to get someone who told me to reset controller and sent me a probe. On Christmas eve I reset it and then fought it to get to temp. Once it was working it was fine until after the 12hrs and it did the same thing with temps and was on fire. Pellets were burning up into the hopper.
Tried several times to call and wait on hold. Once was about an hour then got a message they closed for the day. I finally sat on hold on day at work for an hour and finally got someone who sent a controller and I had to convince her there was a temp probe for the smoker and looked up the item for her. I did complain over the long wait times and was told it's normal. All I heard being on hold for hours was how important the customers are to them. Yeah that is bs. They hope you give up and don’t wait. I even emailed and never got a reply for service that way. I could spent a few extra and bought a Traeger. Now I have a smoker that's got two smokes on it and the igniter and auger has been burned. The fire bubbled paint on my smoker box. It was so hot. Buyer beware.

It's shipped and will be delivered tomorrow. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Thank you.
Reviewed Jan. 13, 2020
I purchased a smoker from the Masterbuilt website, upon delivery I opened the top of the box to see a dent in the corner. I contacted their customer service through email and after a short exchange they would not respond back to me. At that point I started calling the customer service line and was told that they had no record of my purchase so they could not do anything for me. I called again with the order number and was told that the dent wasn't bad so they wouldn't do anything. At this point I had to tell them that I did not purchase a dented smoker and did not want a dented smoker. Now they are telling me that if I want to ship the smoker back at my cost they can exchange it. After weeks of dealing with poor customer service I think I'll just ship it back and go with a different brand.

Thank you for bringing this experience to our attention. We are sorry to hear that it has not been positive. If there is anything else we can do to assist you, please contact our Customer Support Team at www.masterbuilt.com.
Reviewed Jan. 6, 2020
My family purchased a 2nd propane smoker for my brother-in-law for Christmas. We have had our 1st one for more than a year and have actually really enjoyed it. We ordered the 2nd one directly from the manufacturer instead on Amazon. It arrive with a huge dent that looked like it had been hit with a forklift. It was actually so bad that we could not assemble it if we wanted to.
I have now spent 2 weeks and many phone calls to customer service, all of which took at least an hour and a half on the phone. At first I was told that they would replace it but that I was responsible for the cost of shipping it back to them. Given the weight and size, this would have been very expensive! Then after a few more calls I was told to send in some pictures of the damage and from my description they would just send me a replacement part. That seemed very reasonable!
So I sent them the pictures and we all agreed (during my next 1.5 hour phone call to cust. service) that it was in fact damaged as I had described. I thought this would be the end of it and they would send me the replacement part as promised. I WAS WRONG! They then told me that customer "service" could not authorise this and that customer "support" would call me back within 48 hours to confirm this. That did not happen and I am still waiting to hear from them a full 2 weeks later.
In this time I have been given the runaround, had it implied that I was scamming them, and pretty much ignored. This was not a cheap product! However, in the future I will spend a little more and buy Weber products. Weber grills have, in my experience, the best customer service in the world. Do yourself a favor and stay away Masterbuilt! I would rather deal with Comcast!

Hello Brian,
thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are sorry to hear that it has not positive. We would like to work with you to complete you case. If you would, please send us a private message with your case information so that we can research your information. Thank you for your time, we hope to hear from you.
Best Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Dec. 12, 2019
Customer service unknowledgeable. They have charged me for an item I never received and are telling me that it got shipped to me. Seven different tracking numbers on three boxes. Won’t return phone calls. Won’t return emails. The one phone call I did get a hold of them they said it might possibly be on back order that item I am telling them I never received and then the supervisor gets on the phone and tells me I received it. PayPal and my credit card are already in dispute with this company. I will never buy from them again.
Reviewed Dec. 5, 2019
We purchased a Masterbuilt smoker this month for Thanksgiving. Smoker arrived damaged, which was obviously packed and sent that way. Did the online form to open a case and they refuse to respond. Try to call, wait on hold forever. Try a different option, recording tells you to go online and fill out your form. I reply to the initial email they sent asking for our receipt (which I provided immediately) every day asking for a response. Nothing. I see that most all online reviews of their customer service is on par with my experience. We have never even used this smoker to review the product, which is a shame. But the customer service at Masterbuilt is terrible, as it is entirely nonexistent.

Hi Beth,
Thank you for letting us know of your experience thus far with our customer service department. Cases are responded to in the order they are received and if you are continuing to reply to your case, it does push your case further down in the list with each response. We always respond to cases within 24-48 business hours to assist our customers. If you could send us a private response with your case number. I will make sure that your case is expedited.
Reviewed Nov. 30, 2019
Purchased item on Oct 30 and received it on Nov 10. One latch was broken right out of the box. Emailed and called several times without a response. After informing them I was contacting the BBB and disputing the charge with my credit card company did they finally offer to replace the lid. At this point I didn’t want to deal with the company and asked for a refund that they are now willing to give me but won’t pay for the shipping. I don’t feel as though we should have to pay for shipping on sending this huge item back. Still waiting to see if the company will do the right thing. They lost this consumer for life.

Hello Rebecca,
We are sorry to hear this. If we can be of any further assistance to you, please send us a private message with your case information.
Thank you,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Nov. 30, 2019
Purchased a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. Hasn’t worked from the beginning, They won’t Honor their warranty. Terrible customer service. No quality control system in place. Nothing good to say about this company.
Reviewed Nov. 27, 2019
I purchased a smoker 10/22/19, followed their directions very carefully when I went to season. It the unit shutdown on ERR4 and had some good flames coming from the crucible. MULTIPLE calls unanswered to their customer support that went nowhere, being put on hold to never get picked up. I finally got someone that answers calls, was provided a control panel that made things worst. Right now I have a $330 worthless piece of metal taking up space in my garage. I have been waiting for a call from one the managers for 2 weeks. This company is only interested in taking your money and not standing by their product. They honestly do not care. Stay away people.
Reviewed Nov. 25, 2019
The control unit on my 30 inch Electronic Smoker started to fail just over a year. After turning of the smoker, it fails within 15-30 minutes and shuts off completely. I can get the smoker heated up, but it requires me to restart the smoker every 30 minutes since it keeps shutting off. I tried to call Masterbuilt and I have had lots of trouble getting the part. I talked to 2 representatives, one was helpful but was unable to do much since I didn't have proper information at the ready. The other rep was awful. She would not give me her name. She was very uninterested in helping me, and straight up hung up on me after I asked to speak with a supervisor. I am very unhappy with the customer support I have been given.
At this point, since I've wasted half my day on the phone with unhelpful reps. The only option is to file a warranty report online for which I am over a year so no value there. This is a really lousy product. The electronics are cheap and support from this company is useless. The physical construction is flimsy at best. I do NOT recommend this product at all. The company does not back up or support the product well. Clearly they know the products have issues.
Reviewed Nov. 14, 2019
Received a Masterbuilt Smoker 3 months ago as a gift. Went to assemble and it had two right legs in the box. Needed a left left. Call customer service. They required a receipt of purchase in order to send me the correct leg. Don't have a receipt as this was a gift. Policy is policy so I decide to purchase the correct leg. Took 2 weeks to get it ordered as they had to find the part number. Took 9 days to get it delivered. Open the package and it is the completely wrong part. Got a handle for a grill lid instead. Packing list has the right part number on it. Part they sent a totally different part number.
QC an issue at Masterbuilt also. Just waited on hold for 37 minutes to get the issue resolved and was told they will place another order for the part but cant ship it expedited. "We do do that". So another 9 days to wait. Keep in mind in 3 months I have not used this smoker once. Told the agent to forget it since i can't get it shipped for delivery tomorrow. Throwing all the pieces back in the box and bringing it back to home deport to exchange for a different brand. Worst customer service experience ever.

Hello Shawn,
Thank you for bringing your experience to our attention. We are sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience with our Customer Service Department and would like to assist you. If you would, please send us a private message with your order information and contact information. We look forward to hearing from you.
Thank you,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Updated review: July 30, 2020
It took a while but Masterbuilt came through and fixed my issue. I think they are starting to get ahead of these complaints and since the fix my smoker has worked well for about 5 months with lots of use. Thanks Masterbuilt.
Original Review: Nov. 11, 2019
Updated on 01/07/2020: I wrote a 1 star review on November 11th 2019 stating that my smoker was barely over a year old and the electronic controller malfunctioned and the unit would not work and that I was very disappointed in the poor quality of the product. On November 12 I was surprised to receive a response asking me to share more info.. Wow! They requested the exact model number and some details on my electronic controller if it had a 4 pin or 5 pin controller for which I promptly answered 5 Pin. Then they disappeared. That was November 18th and it is now January 7th and I have not heard back from them. I am reiterating my very poor rating this time not just for a poor quality product but now for extremely poor customer service.
Original review: The control unit on my Sportsmans Elite Electronic Smoker started to fail just over a year. Lights start to flash and if it does work it fails within 10-15 minutes and shuts off completely. I tried to call Masterbuilt and there is literally no way to talk with anyone. The only option is to file a warranty report online for which I am over a year so no value there. This is a really lousy product. The electronics are cheap and support from this company is useless. I do NOT recommend this product at all. The company does not back up or support the product well. Clearly they know the products have issues.

If you would, please provide us with your smoker's model number serial number and your shipping address. If the control panel is in stock, I can process an order for a replacement to ship to you.
Thank you,
JasmineMasterbuilt Customer Support
Updated review: Nov. 9, 2019
Masterbuilt has stood up to the reputation that I read of, prior to purchasing my smoker. My unit had cracks in the door. They have taken care of this issue and I would not only recommend others to do business with them, but I would buy a Masterbuilt again.
Original Review: Nov. 6, 2019
I have a 40” digital electric smoker. Purchased 12/31/17 I’ve used it seven times. Recently I was washing unit after using it. I noticed cracks in the door trim. There are three cracks coming from three screws holding a trim piece to the door that connects to the door hinge. After contacting customer support I was told to buy a new $100.00 door.
They stated since it’s out of warranty there’s nothing they will do. After searching the internet, I found this problem has happened to others as well. The cracks appear to be from over torque when assembled, or bad structural plastic. The unit has been well maintained. I feel the reason these cracks didn’t show the first year of use was because they were small. Now they are growing. I was informed to just use the product even if it has cracks. Customer support is lacking.
Reviewed Nov. 5, 2019
I have a Masterbuilt 40" Electric Smoker that I love when it works! I hate when it doesn't. The control panel has now gone out 3 times in 3 1/2 years. I use it about 15 times a year and I believe this rate of failure is a design defect. Masterbuilt will do nothing for me at this point. I purchased it at Lowe's with a 4 year extended warranty and they have screwed me by saying the extended warranty starts at the time of purchase, not at the end of the manufacturer's warranty like Home Depot does. So Lowe's is cheating me out of 1 year of warranty. Based on the $100 part cost, I'm considering starting over with a new different brand. Buyer Beware!!!

Hello Marv,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with your smoker. We are sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience and would like for you send us a private message with your smoker's information and any case information you can provide. We are more then willing to troubleshoot with you and see how we can resolve this for you. We hope to hear from you.
Best Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Oct. 29, 2019
Bought the smoker in November of 2018 I was able to use it three times then I got a code eee1. Tried contacting company. They never returned my emails I sent on their web site. Took me weeks before I could get someone on the phone. Sent me parts that took 3 to 4 weeks to get. Had to pay someone to install them still smoker is not working. Told them I want a new smoker or my money back. Now they want me to send a video. It’s been 9 months and still I don’t have a working smoker. I will never recommend or buy another one of their products. Run away. Don’t buy their products

Good Afternoon,
We are sorry to hear this. If we can assist you, please send us a private message with your smoker information and case number. We hope to hear from you.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Oct. 22, 2019
This product absolutely will not hold heat. We cooked it for morning until night and ended up having to put our food on the grill to finish it up. We took the smoker to Bass Pro. We purchased it and they said you have to contact Masterbuilt. Masterbuilt will not stand behind the product because we did not contact them fast enough. It’s been over 12 months. We purchased this only 15 months ago and absolutely got no use out of it, so counting shipping there goes nearly $200 in the trash.

Hello Janis,
thank you for taking the time to share your experience with your smoker. We are sorry to hear that you are not pleased with the smoker and would like to assist you if you still have the smoker in your possession. Please send us a private message with you contact information, shipping address, smoker model number and serial number. Thank you for your time, we hope to be able to assist you.
Best Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Updated review: Nov. 15, 2019
I contacted Masterbuilt Smokehouses about a problem I had and questions that I needed answered. I must say that the company went way beyond to make things right! I would recommend them to anyone that has a problem or questions, they are a outstanding company, they will work with you to make you happy!!!
Original Review: Oct. 21, 2019
MY Smoker is bubbling inside, I contacted Masterbuilt and they confirmed that it definitely is PAINT PEELING!!!! And they don't want to stand behind their product, and could care less. NEVER AGAIN. GOODBYE TO MASTER RIP OFF. I wonder how many people will be getting poisoned!!!!

Hello Sharon,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We are sorry to hear that your previous contact with us did not resolve your issue. If you would, please send us a private message with your case number, smoker information and any correspondence you've had with us. We would like to take a look at your smoker and case to see if there is a way that we can assist you.
Thank you,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Oct. 14, 2019
Beware of Masterbuilt special offers when buying their products. They will advertise providing free cover for the smoker, but what they will ship is a small cheap cover that is too small to fit on the smoker. Contacting customer service this is the response; "It is just a free gift offer, unfortunately there is not an option to choose a different cover." For the same investment I could have gone to another brand and bought the smoker and cover for the same price or less. To say the least this is misleading advertisement to get you to buy their products.

Hello Jaime, thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are sorry to hear that it has not been a positive one. We would like to try an change that for you. If you would please send us a private message with your information including your order number and shipping address so that we can assist you. Thank you, we hope to hear from you soon.
Best Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Sept. 21, 2019
We bought a Masterbuilt propane smoker. It worked for less than a year and then stopped working. The regulator went bad and it would no longer stay lit. I contacted their customer service and I was told I would have to pay $40 for a replacement part. I think they warranty the product for 90 days - not very reassuring. Anyway, I ordered the part and paid for it more than a month ago and have still not received my part, even though they told me 5-7 business days. I contacted them by email a couple weeks ago it’s a system migration issue. I still don’t have my part. I contacted them again a week ago and have yet to receive a response. If you can’t provide the parts then you shouldn’t charge people! I've read many reviews that said they had similar issues and the smoker caught fire or blew up. I’m thinking I should just buy another product.

Hello J, we are sorry to hear of your experience. If we can assist you in any way, please send us a private message with your order information.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2019
I have a warranty issue with my unit and started the process with Masterbuilt on 7/12. It's now 9/5 and I have yet to receive a replacement. Every time I call, I'm on a 45-60-minute hold. I try to email but get no response. I was told almost 4 weeks ago that a replacement was being shipped and still nothing. When I finally got someone on the line, they said that due to a system migration orders weren't shipped for two weeks and they have no idea when my replacement will ship. This is an expensive product that I have now been without for close to 2 months!

Melissa,
We apologize for your experience and wish there was more we could do during our system migration. Our shipping department is working diligently to get all orders shipped as quickly as possible. If you would, please send us a private message with your order so that we can look into the status for you. Again, we apologize for this inconvenience. We hope to hear from you.
Best Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Sept. 2, 2019
My smoker worked great for first few uses. Now it turns off every few minutes or sometimes lasts an hour before turning off. Have already had a few meals ruined due to smoker just stopping. Very disappointed. Would love a refund or a smoker that actually works. Can’t get anyone to help with this though. Only a few months old.

Shane,
We apologize for your experience. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. Or you can contact our technical team directly at 1.800.489.1581 or utilize our online Support Form on our website at www.masterbuilt.com to submit a request to the Customer Support Department.
Best Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Updated review: Sept. 9, 2019
Company responded by stating units not designed to produce smoke under 200 degrees. A separate attachment is available to purchase if one wants to smoke under that temperature. Think I'll just research much more carefully if I ever purchase another smoker. An new element was offered by the company if I still had the first unit, which I don't.
Original Review: Sept. 1, 2019
I have owned 2 of Masterbuilt electric smokers, the latest the Sportsman Elite from Cabelas. My smoking is limited to 3/4 times per year, usually fish with the occasional smoked chicken. The first smoker's element just quit. Now, the second one is acting up & wouldn't heat enough to create smoke unless the temp is set at 225F or higher which is fine for chicken but way too hot for fish. Don't waste your money, like I have done.

Gordon,
Thank you for choosing Masterbuilt! We are sorry to hear of you experience. If we can assist you, please send us a private message with your smoker's information.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Sept. 1, 2019
I set the smoker temp to 175, to keep meat warm and the temperature just climbs on its own. A degree or so every few seconds until it hits over 300F somehow, which is not even a valid a setting. It caught smoke once cause the fat dropped and thay heat.

Luke,
thank you for sharing your experience, and we apologize about the inconvenience. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. Or you can contact our technical team directly at 1.800.489.1581 utilize our online Support Form on our website at www.masterbuilt.com to submit a request. Hold times may be longer than usual during or immediately following holidays and on Mondays.
Best Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2019
Within the first year of owning this smoker customer service was good but I had to replace every part of my smoker except the frame. Now, it won't even heat up at 18 months. Hate to throw away money but there is nothing more to do with this piece of crap. I will never buy another smoker from Masterbuilt.

Hello Jeff,
We are sorry to hear this. If we can assist you, please send us a private message with your smoker information and case number. We hope to hear from you.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Aug. 28, 2019
I used my Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite Model 20250918 3 times. The third time while smoking jerky the auger kicked in and started feeding pellets during the cook cycle. The smoker went up to 450 degrees and errored out. Now when I turn the unit on, set the time and temp with no smoke cycle, the auger feeds pellets. I have emailed the "form" they ask for, called and left the call back number, and right now I've been on "hold" for 30 minutes with no customer service. I now have a unit that is absolutely useless with no help to fix it. If I could have chose 0 stars, I would have.

Hello Elizabeth,
We are sorry to hear this. If we can assist you, please send us a private message with your smoker information and case number. We hope to hear from you.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Aug. 20, 2019
I ordered a replacement part for my smoker on August 1. My credit card was charged ($40) for this purchase the same day. 18 days later I am still awaiting any type of confirmation that this part has or will ship despite numerous (4) emails and (5) calls (which are certainly a challenge in terms of wait time). All I am told, when I did get lucky to connect, is that there was a system conversion on the date of my order. All I am told is that the part will ship "next week" which never happens. Can't recall such an incredible disrespect for customer service in my experience despite the fact that they claim they value such very seriously.

William,
We apologize for any inconvenience we have caused you. If you still have not received your order, please send us a private message with your information so that we can look into it for you.
Best Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Aug. 16, 2019
I called customer service and ordered a new heating element and was told I would get it in about a week. After two weeks I called back to check on it and no one could tell me if it has been processed, shipped, or anything else about it. The only thing CS could tell me was they had received payment. Then CS said to give them a few days so they could find out the status for me. I have already waited a week longer than expected and missed my cooking engagement. The smoker worked very well for me when it does work but when you get in a pinch do not go through the company to get a part to get it going again. I told CS to refund me and I would order it elsewhere. I should have ordered it from Appliance Factory Parts in the first place, wish I had. Customer service can make or break a company, in this case I think it is broke. When my smoker breaks down again I will chunk it and give another company my business.

Good Morning Dennis,
We apologize for your experience and are sorry to hear that we weren't able to get your part to you on time for your cooking engagement. Currently, we have been undergoing a system migration and apologize if this caused a delay in your shipment. This experience is never what we want or strive for with our customer service. Please let know if we can assist you in anyway.
Best Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed July 31, 2019
I have a Masterbuilt Sportsman Elite smoker model number 20078015 that I've had for roughly 2 years. I have used it a handful of times but I went to use it again earlier this spring (after keeping it covered with their cover and under an overhang). I found the plastic on the control panel rotted away (fell off) and allowed moisture into the control panel and thus no longer works. I've submitted the forms on their website and called numerous times only to get no response. Replacement parts on various other websites are at least $100. I feel that a smoker should be designed to be kept outdoors especially considering who would want the smoke indoors?

Hello Nick,
We apologize for the delay and the trouble you are having with your smoker. If you still need assistance with it, please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. In our instruction manuals we do recommend storing our electric products indoors when not in use to keep the unit in working order. We are happy to assist you with your unit.
Best Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed July 31, 2019
I think you need to make the wood burner larger on your newer units. I have a hard time getting a good smoke in my meat. I have your 20071814 model and it has worked good for me. I used it about 40 times and now I am having problems with it shutting off.

Hi Willis, thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately we are not able to make the wood chip trays larger as we had a recall in 2012 and due to the recall, we had to redesign the wood chip trays and make them smaller so fewer chips could be added. This is to help prevent large fires within the units. If your current unit is having problems, we will send you a private message and help assist you.
Reviewed July 25, 2019
I own a Masterbuilt smoker model number 20070411. It worked fine for about a year until we relocated. After the move I plugged it in to smoke wings for a get together. It powered up and heated the unit fine until it stopped heating once it reached the set temp. After that, every time it powered the heating element it would blow the GFI breaker on the outlet. I managed to get it to work by resetting the temp, time and the GFI breaker more times than I can count for the party. After the party I read several blogs since I had no luck getting any sort of response from the Masterbuilt product support line. I replaced the control box, the heating element, cleaned the temp sensor and the meat probe and cleaned and secured all of the accessible wire connection points. I managed to get it to not blow the GFI breaker, but it would consistently go well past the set temp and not shut off. It would also read obvious temperature inaccuracies.
I tried the Masterbuilt Product Support line three more times and even submitted an email in which I got no response. On my last attempt I was able to get ahold of them and I explained all of the above. The person I spoke to told me to double check everything I did and try the unit again. I of course did so even though I had done far more than double check things. As I expected the unit failed to work properly. I tried once again to contact them and of course no success. When it worked it was great. However, I will not consider buying a Masterbuilt product of any kind in the future. Product support is everything and in my experience Masterbuilt’s is for all intents and purposes nonexistent. I will be giving it away with full disclosure on the issues. Maybe someone else will have the time to make it work.

Hi James, we apologize that you had such difficulties in reaching customer service. We do strive for a 24-48 business hr turnaround time on emails and are sincerely sorry if that was not met. If your unit is tripping the breaker, that is an indication that the element would need to be replaced as you had done. However, it is possible that there is an issue with the controller that you purchased if it is going past your set temperature and not turning off.
Reviewed July 24, 2019
I got a Masterbuilt electric smoker, model # MB20070210 last Aug’18 as a gift - not even a year old. I’ve used it approx 4 times (over a 4-5 month span) before the heating element gave out and short circuited 3 surrounding electrical outlets. I have attempted to call customer service many times, waiting anywhere from 20 min to 1 hour before giving up, left a call back number and info, and have emailed. I have not heard back from anybody from Customer Service. Very frustrating. Reading through other Consumer Affair comments relating to the same problem, the entire heating element and plug is defective and needs to be replaced. Masterbuilt says they put their customer first and values any feedback (Per the recording while waiting for Customer Support to answer), therefore, I would suggest answering the phone, calling back or answering emails to fix your product issues. I would hope that you stand by your products.

Hi Nicole, we apologize that you have had difficulties in reaching customer service. We do strive to return all calls and have a 24-48 business hour turn-around time on answering emails. We hate to hear that you are not happy with our customer service. We will send a private message to you so that we can gather your information and make sure you are taken care of.
Reviewed July 22, 2019
Bought Masterbuilt fryer, no power cord in package. Called customer service several times on May 22, 2019 and was put on hold for up to an hour or longer and did the call back option. FINALLY got a call back later that afternoon and thought it was going to be taken care of. The customer service rep offered to send a cord to me and said that they were on back order and it would be sent as soon as they were back in.
I have called several times since then each time being on hold for up to an hour before giving up and have even used the call back option and not a call back yet. Was finally able to get the receptionist to check on this for me 2 weeks ago and she advised that the cord was going to be in that week and would ship out. Two weeks have passed and the cord still has not been received. Called back today and finally got receptionist on phone but they transferred me to customer service and after being on hold for nearly an hour I opted for the call back option. No call back as of yet.
Reviewed July 17, 2019
I purchased a Masterbuilt digital electric smoker in May and, after first usage, noticed temperatures inside were 50 degrees higher than set point as measured by two different thermometers (both of these agreed with 5 degrees). Talked to customer support and received another controller after waiting 6 weeks. Installed it and now temperatures are way lower than set point. At this point, I would just take a simple manual control and thermostat that worked. This thing should be taken off the market.

Hello Barry,
We are sorry to hear of your dissatisfaction with your smoker. We would like to help, would you please send us a private message with your model number, serial number, case number and contact information.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed July 9, 2019
I have called the customer service number and no answers. I have called over 5 times and have waited 15 minutes to an hour with no one answering. I have put in my info for a callback and just get crickets. I have emailed and filled out an online form with no response. My smoker doesn’t heat up after using only 6 times. I store it inside and I’m very disappointed that it already stopped working.

Hello Neil,
Thank you reaching out with your experience. We are sorry to hear that your smoker is not functioning properly. If you would, please send us a private message with your model number, serial number, address and full name we would be happy to assist you. Again, we apologize for your experience and hope to have your smoker working again soon.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed July 3, 2019
My husband and I purchased this smoker last spring. We are new to smoking and only used it twice. Both times last season, it seemed to take forever to come up to temperature. I took it out for the first time the other day and could not get the temp to increase more than 3 degrees. It is long past the warranty dates, but we need to know what we can do to fix the smoker. I called Masterbuilt and waited on hold forever (twice). I left a message and got no call back and even emailed. This company does not respond. I don't want to have to buy a new smoker, but if I do, it will not be MASTERBUILT!!!

Hello Carla,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are sorry to hear that you smoker is not functioning properly and you were unable to get assistance. If you still need help, please send us a private message with your smokers model number, serial number and your address. We are more than happy to assist you however we can. We hope to hear from you.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support

Reviewed June 27, 2019
I PURCHASED the Masterbuilt MB20072218 from eBay. First one worked fine one time. Second time would not heat just beeped. Return for exchange. Received another new one several days later. Remote control will not work in fact can hold batteries. Have tried calling numerous times, left call back number and have sent two email forms to them with no response. Am amazed that they are still in business. Will continue to get replacement for the remote control. Wish me luck as so far have not had any results.

Hello Jerry,
We hope by this time you have been able to get assistance with your smoker. If not, please send us a private message with your smoker's serial number andyour address. We are able to help with any replacement parts that you need. We hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed June 25, 2019
I am never one to write bad reviews, but this time I must. This Father's Day my wife purchased me a brand new Masterbuilt MES340G electric smoker with the cold smoke attachment and a Masterbuilt cover (made by them for their machine). We put it together, covered it and put it on the deck. Today, 10 days later, we uncovered it to pre-season it and when we opened the smoker it was full of rain water and beginning to rust. We contacted customer service hoping to get a new cover but the representative started out the conversation by telling me it was my own fault and we should have stored it in a dry place, that their covers are not meant to be waterproof.
Taken back by her lack of concern, I said I would make sure I leave a review reflecting their lack of customer service and her response was simply, "That's fine, it's your prerogative". After a little back and forth her best solution was to sell me a better cover at a slight discount. So, we spent hundreds of dollars on a brand new smoker, used their cover to protect it, it fails, and I can basically GFM. SHAME!!!!

Hello MaryEllen,
Please keep in mind that the Masterbuilt covers are weather resistant but not water proof, so you would have wanted to cover the smoker with a waterproof cover if storing the smoker in direct weather conditions. Storing the smoker under an overhang or in a garage would've also helped with ensuring the smoker stayed in working condition since it has electric components. If you have additional concerns, please send us a private message we are happy to discuss further.
Reviewed June 19, 2019
I had a MB 30” smoker that I liked okay. It was easy to regulate the temp on. After it quit on me (I thought a little too soon), I decided to get another one at Sam’s. I was getting into smoking a little more. I was frustrated from the beginning because one of the legs wouldn’t attach. My husband was going to have to borrow his brother’s tool and die to make a hole so the leg could be attached. I ended up propping it up on bricks. Had it a little while and the LED panel went out. Checked around and I would have to replace the entire control panel. In the meantime, I figured I could just count the beeps to set the temp and set a timer. Then the thing just wouldn’t heat. Not even warm. Do you think I’ll ever buy another one? Especially after reading about the poor customer support....

Hello Sandy,
We are sorry to hear of your experience. If you are still in need of assistance with the unit, please send us a private message with your smoker's model number, serial number and your contact information. We hope to help you with your smoker.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed June 19, 2019
I use electric because I was in a condo and that is what they allowed but now I love it because it is easy to heat up. I just wish it had an attached shelf to sit thing on. Cooks great. I am in a house now and I still prefer it over gas or charcoal because I don't have to buy anything. Just plug it in. It can cook fast or slow if I am doing something in the kitchen.

Hello Rosalie,
Thank you for taking the time to provide a review for your Masterbuilt Smoker. We are happy to hear that you are enjoying it and find it easy to use. Again, thank you for choosing Masterbuilt!
Reviewed June 18, 2019
I purchased an electric smoker for my birthday, assembled it and turned on low temp to cure. After about 15 mins it clicked off and will not come back on. I’ve called customer service for the past 3 days, left multiple call back messages and sent emails as well. Each time I’ll hold for up to 1 hour before I hang up. Not sure what to do other than return to place of purchase for an exchange....

Thank you for considering us.
Reviewed June 9, 2019
I purchased this smoker in 2015 and use it throughout the year. I had to replace the digital control panel about 2 years ago because it became delaminated and then quit working. Tech support told me that it failed because I kept it outside. I told them that I bought the Masterbuilt cover with it and then I was told that their cover is just a dust cover to use inside only. I purchased the new control panel and a new heavier duty cover on their recommendation. This winter I pulled the cover off and the new control panel had delaminated. It still worked with the remote, so I have been using it since.
Tonight, I am supposed to smoke two shoulders for a work function tomorrow and they are now in my oven all night because the smoker quit working altogether. I found a replacement control panel on appliance parts, but just saw another reviewer that did the same and tech support won’t help connect the 2 wire panel to a 3 wire smoker. I’ll be purchasing another electric smoker soon, but not a Masterbuilt.

Hello Chip,
Thank you for sharing your experience. If you would, please send us a private message with your smoker's model number, serial number and your contact information. We hope to hear from you.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed June 7, 2019
Purchased electric grill in 2016 to replace my traditional Weber. Good choice. Get timely and equal cooking. It does not smoke up the patio or the inside of the house. Easy to keep clean. Clothing that I wear during grilling is 80% less saturated with odor from the conventional charcoal grill.

Good Morning Frank,
We appreciate the amazing feedback and are happy to hear your grill is fulfilling all your grilling needs!
Reviewed June 3, 2019
I have a module 2002215 Masterbuilt electric smoker that has a meat probe stuck at 310 Fahrenheit. I have called the company 2 times and the automated service said it would call me back with the next available service member and I haven’t been called back. I also emailed twice with no response. If we can’t get help with the products from this company just don’t buy them period.
Reviewed June 1, 2019
I've called the customer service line 5 times in the last 3 weeks. All 5 times after waiting at least 15 mins I opted to use the call back service. Not a single callback. That's the reason we are up to 5 calls. Drop good money on a smoker that hasn't worked since I did the initial cure on it. Had my first Masterbuilt for 12 years and bragged to all my buddies how good these things are. Now I'll be eating crow instead of ribs. Completely disappointed.

Hi Michael,
We apologize that you have had difficulties in reaching our customer service department. We have been experiencing an unusually high call volume and are working quickly to take care of each and every customer. We would be happy to assist you with your unit and make sure you are back up and running!
Reviewed May 28, 2019
Second use and 5 hours into cooking flames shot out the front of the smoker - burned the front control panel and burned through the propane hose... very scary. We did check the smoker for temperature. All seemed well up until the 5th hour. Also the thermometer did not keep accurate temperature. It registered 'bout 15 degrees below what the temperature actually is. I had to use a hand held heat senor that I put through the back air regulator... I wish I could upload the pictures I took.

When experiencing flames from underneath the unit it is possible that there is a misalignment of the venturi and valve orifice. The burner box needs to be positioned as close to the front as possible and it should also be more parallel to the ground then “V” shaped. It is also important that the regulator hose and burner are cleaned, and a soapy water test is done before each use to eliminate any leaks or obstructions. The soapy water test instructions can be found in your manual.
Reviewed May 27, 2019
Bought this Masterbuilt Smokehouse (GS30D) from Amazon on 4/3/2017. Used the unit almost every weekend with average results (couldn't regulate heat very well) but learned to adapt to fluctuating cooking temps. Noticed this spring the bottom as well as the wood pan are totally burned out and not safe to use. Not what I would expect for an otherwise well made smoker.

Hello John,
If you could, please send us a private message with your smoker's model and serial number from the data plate on the unit and your contact information. We would like to discuss this with your further.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed May 20, 2019
On two different occasions there was a flare up where the hose from the propane tank enters the smoker. The first time I was able to turn it off and restart the unit without any further problem. The second time, I wasn't so lucky and the flames melted the hose that connects to the propane tank and the dial that controls the flame temperature. Both cases occurred at a lower flame setting.

When experiencing flames from underneath the unit it is possible that there is a misalignment of the venturi and valve orifice. It is critical that the burner box is positioned as close to the front as possible and it should also be more parallel to the ground than "V" shaped. It is also important that the regulator and hose and burner are cleaned, and a soapy water test is done before each use to eliminate any leaks or obstructions. The soapy water test instructions can be found in your manual.
Reviewed May 18, 2019
Never buy another one. Clicking noise when plugged in. Found a fix on YouTube with WD40 and compressed air. But why should I have to do this every time I want to use it. Poorly built, poorly engineered. You would have thought that since it's a smoker and meant to be used outdoors, a little waterproofing of the electronic components would have been done, but obviously Masterbuilt didn't want to spend the extra 25 cents to seal the units from moisture.

Hello Glenn,
We are sorry hear about your experience with your smoker. We can assist you with warranty items, replacement parts or troubleshooting assistance. Please send us a private message with your smoker's model number, serial number and your contact information. If there is an issue with your smoker, we are here to assist. We hope to hear from you.
Best regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed May 13, 2019
I bought this smoker and used it 3 times and like it, it is a slow smoker so it takes time to smoke your food. On the 4th try the unit would not heat up, as it turned out the controller unit was bad. I tried for 7 months to get a replacement for the factory but was never able to get one ordered. It is almost impossible to get someone on the phone, I left my number for a return call but did not get one. I sent a email to customer service detailing the part number model number the serial number and all credit card info need to the purchase the part, after over one month with no response from their customer service I was able to find another supplier. Don't buy any more of their products.

Thank you for taking time to share this, we are very sorry this was your experience. For your security, we do not process orders through email. The telephone Customer Service Department is working hard to reduce their hold
times. Due to the technical support they provide as well as orders, they do have longer calls at this time. We apologize for your experience. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance to you with your unit!
Reviewed May 12, 2019
I bought this smoker at Academy sports in November of 2018. I’ve used it 5-6 times with no problems. After preparing my meat I turn the smoker on and it started heating up. I notice the temperature is reading randomly showing random temperatures. After it started heating up it then shuts off and shows error code EAA1. After reading reviews and tips on how to correct it I then unplug it and unplug the controller from the wires and thermostat and wait about an hour. Plug it back up and turn it on. Same thing immediately the error code EAA1 shows up and it won’t turn on. I would expect this smoker to last longer than 6-7 months. I would not recommend this smoker to anyone.

Hello Marvin,
We are sorry to hear that this has been your experience with your smoker. Please contact our Technical Support Team directly between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday for assistance with your smoker.
Reviewed May 10, 2019
I purchased this Smoker in December and followed the directions for usage, and when I tried to smoke, it wouldn’t smoke!! I tried it once again with the same results, no smoke. I called customer service and they told me to use a hair dryer to get the smoker warmed up, then turn the thermostat on high and that would get the chips going. The higher temp Indeed started the chips, but because the pan isn’t even close to the element, they soon went out. I contacted the customer service once again and was basically told the same thing. Higher heat, then turn it back to the smoking temperature and it would work. It doesn’t! If I could return it for my money back, I wouldn’t hesitate. I cannot recommend this Smoker to anyone.
Reviewed May 9, 2019
Bought new in box, built it, plugged it in, had a beep and absolutely nothing else. Contacted Masterbuilt who determined it was the digital control unit, but amazingly they don't have a replacement in stock and can't tell me when they will. I feel certain they continue to manufacture these everyday, with a controller that they don't have in stock. My brand new smoker is gathering dust, never been used. Choose another brand.

Hello Randall,
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. If you could, please send us a private message with you information and your smoker's model # and serial #. We can work with Customer Service to see if we can get additional part information for you.
Best regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed May 4, 2019
Called Masterbuilt, put on hold too long, hung up. Emailed support, received reply, looked like a form letter. Replied asking questions pertaining to the letter they emailed me. After a few days without a reply, I emailed them again asking them to answer my questions, nothing received from Masterbuilt. I waited about 4 more days, emailed Masterbuilt again asking them to answer the questions, again no reply from Masterbuilt.
I had no choice but to call and wait on hold. I asked for a supervisor. They were going to look into it and call back. The lady that called back was extremely authoritative, meaning she talked at you, not to you. Zero respect gets zero respect. She said they don't answer emails, I was supposed to call and order the part in the form letter. I told her they should tell folks to not reply to the emails since they don't answer them, they only answer original email.
They want me to order a part that only worked 7 times. No offer of free shipping or discount since it wasn't used much. I stored it for years and only use it for occasions like Easter. I wouldn't purchase this smoker if I knew it would only smoke 7 times then start clicking and no longer heat up. Being a disabled veteran I don't have the funds to waste on equipment with cheap electronics. I don't know which was more disappointing, the rude lady or the smoker breaking after 7 uses? Either way, Masterbuilt has lost my respect.

We are sorry to hear of your disappointment and would like to discuss your experience further. If you still have the smoker and would like to resolve your issue, please send us a private message with your information, your smoker's model # and serial #.
Thank you,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed April 30, 2019
My 30" Masterbuilt Electric Smoker apparently shorted out! It got so hot it warped the door, cracked the plastic, and burned the insulation in the door. I had not used the smoker in a week and was preparing to move it into my garage for storage. As I grabbed the smoker I burned my hand on the outside casing! The controller was not on. I've attached some photos, but keep in mind I had already taken the smoker out by my dumpster and it rained when the photos were taken. I wouldn't be leaving this review if it were not for the total lack of concern Masterbuilt provided when I contacted them. Yes, they will leave their typical reply as an attempted C.Y.A, but the fact is I contacted them and their response was basically "What do you want us to do about it?" Instead of "Here is what we are going to do."
I told them I did not want another smoker and wasn't looking for anything other than to let them know of this issue that could have been much worse and could be for someone else! I suggested they take my smoker and perform a root cause and corrective action. They were confused as to why I would suggest this. It is clear by the other reviews on this website that Masterbuilt is only concerned about one thing and that's selling their faulty and hazardous product. Their owner is obviously a greedy coward as well to completely avoid the obvious here, just look at their score on this website! There are a lot of great smokers out there folks! Don't go by the "best electric smoker" reviews on a web search either. It's been proven Masterbuilt pays these people off! Masterbuilt is #1 at one thing and that's being the worst smoker and most complained about on this website!

Thank you for sharing your experience, we've located your case information and are more than willing to discuss your experience with you. If the smoker is still in your possession and you would like to discuss it, please send us a private. The remarks you made to our Customer Service Team over the phone and through email reflected that you did not want assistance with the unit so your information was notated accordingly. If your position has changed, we hope to hear from you.
Reviewed April 27, 2019
I bought this unit at Sam's 3 weeks ago. It is advertised as having bluetooth to phone with a distance of 100 feet. I can literally stand inside my garage 3 feet away and it drops out. I called the number for customer service and waited on hold for over an hour. When someone answered finally, I was told they have no Bluetooth issues and it was WiFi interference. I tried explaining I lived miles from anyone and don't use WiFi for anything. The woman just talked over me and insisted there were no Bluetooth issues. When she finally stopped talking, I asked her if she had internet and she said yes, of course. I asked her to type in Masterbuilt smoker Bluetooth issues in Google and see if that might change her position. Crickets. I don't like being lied to.
I submitted a warranty claim as requested and as of this writing, have heard the same crickets. When I took the pictures of the model and serial number as requested I also noticed the top plastic cover on the door melted. I included this with my email but again I've heard nothing. Honestly, I don't need the Bluetooth and that's not why I bought it but if you are going to upscale a product due to some fancy gizmo, then cannot should work as advertised. I've used this a grand total of twice. I'll be sure to update this in the event someone from the company steps up and does the right thing but based on what I'm reading, I'm not all that hopeful.

We apologize for the delay in reaching out to you. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model and serial #. We are happy to work with you. Masterbuilt has been updating the Bluetooth feature in our smokers. When wireless connection is blocked, your Bluetooth strength will weaken or drop out altogether. Common reasons for poor Bluetooth strength include wireless devices and Wi-Fi routers often use the same bandwidth as Bluetooth, causing signal issues.
Original Review: April 26, 2019
Purchased a Masterbuilt MES 145S Smoker and every time I try to start it, I get an EA11 error. After calling Masterbuilt, they returned my call. I gave them my serial number and model number but they could not find it in their system. Even sent a picture of the serial number and model number. I called them back after a few days and was told that they reported it to their supervisor but have not got an answer. Said they would get back to me as soon as they find out. What kind of company does not know what parts go to their equipment. Googles AE11 error and it said to hold a hair dryer to the sensing bulb. That did not work. Said it only happened when it was cold outside. It was 65 degrees. It has been 9 days since I purchased this smoker and I am still waiting for an answer.

Hello Robert,
Thank you for sharing your experience, we are sorry to hear this. If you could, please send us an email with your information so that we can discuss this with you.
Thank you.Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed April 21, 2019
Purchased this smoker a few years ago, only used it a few times a year, Wanted to smoke a chicken for Easter and the smoker began smoking, and the whole electric cord melted. Luckily, this was on a concrete patio and away from the house. Very disappointed.

Thank you for sharing your experience. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. Or you can contact our technical team directly between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday. You can also utilize our online Support Form on our website at www.masterbuilt.com to submit a request to the Customer Support Department.
Reviewed April 9, 2019
I only used this smoker 3 times and the digital thermometer quit working. I phoned the company and they said they would ship me a new thermometer. That was almost 5 months ago. I do not recommend this junk to anyone.

We apologize for your experience. Could you please send us a private message with your information? We would like to look into your order details. We hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed April 6, 2019
Have the Masterbuilt propane for two years. I do enjoy it. Bottom is made with very thin metal. It is welding in and it stink, that it cannot be replace. The round piece that was also welded on, rusted away. I highly doubt Masterbuilt has a fix. I do treated it as per manual to take care of this. Should have spend more for something that will last or a better warranty.

Best Regards,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed April 3, 2019
Updated on 04/17/2019: I recently reviewed this company and was forced to buy a replacement door and pay for shipping. The replacement door has the same upper hinge broke and the broken weld is painted over. I contacted the customer service rep who was insulting and did not offer to replace the new replacement door nor has he offered to just refund me the money and shipping as I asked for him to do. I now have two broken doors and still no customer support. Needless to say I am not remotely impressed. Based on the reviews of others this is not an uncommon scenario with this company. The appropriate response would have been how can we help you and thanks for choosing our product.
Original Review: I received this smoker for a gift in Christmas of 2018, I used it to smoke maybe a total of 10 days and this spring, just a few months after the one year warranty the top door hinge fell off while smoking several briskets. I contact Masterbuilt's customer service department, provided them several photos where the hinge just broke off and they reminded me that it was out of warranty and they would sell me a new door. I reminded them I would not buy another "Masterbuilt" product as I find their name to be an oxymoron.
I keep this smoker stored in a barn when not in use and roll it all of 20 feet on a cement floor to smoke. They do not stand behind their product and have no qualms stating this as a result of my encounter. The rep also did not get back to me after I sent him the information until I had to contact him a second time asking why I had received any input. Their temperature probe also failed on this machine but as I explained to the rep I was not too worried about that as I use my own manual temp probes anyway, just need the door to open and close and not fall off as it is hard to smoke otherwise.

Thank you for taking the time to provide a review with you experience. If you would, please provide us with your case information. We would like to look into this for you. We hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed April 2, 2019
I have owned this smoker for 2 yrs, used it 4 times. The element went out while smoking meat for a Birthday party. Called Masterbuilt and they want to charge me 14.95 for a new element plus shipping. How does a unit that cost me 250.00 dollars last only 4 times. It cost me 62.50 dollars per use, WOW what a bargain!!!! I will never buy a Masterbuilt product again. You would think they would stand behind their product that only has been used 4 times. Look at all the bad reviews for products that have been hardly used. Totally unacceptable.

Thank you for taking time to share this, we are very sorry this was your experience. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance to you with your unit by sending us a message with your information!
Regards,Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed March 28, 2019
Loved my smoker and the ease of use that I purchased in July 2014 from Sam's Club, until the digital control went out on it this winter. When I order a replacement from Appliance Factory Parts they sent a control panel with a 2 wire connection and my smoker has a 3 wire connection and there is a note on the part that says if your model is a 3 wire call Masterbuilt technical support and provided the phone number. Imagine my disappointment when technical support basically said I had a new boat anchor, since the control panel for my model is not available. Have ordered a new smoker and it wasn't a Masterbuilt. Tech support was also extremely rude!!

Thank you for sharing this with us. We are sorry to hear that this has been your experience. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance to you with your unit.
Reviewed March 27, 2019
I wish I would have read the reviews before I purchased. Used it two times last year. It never would come up past 200 degrees or make the wood smoke. Thought I try it one more time this year. Plugged it in today it's still sitting at a hundred and seventy-five degrees and it's been plugged in 3 hours. Horrible. Put a call in the Masterbuilt still haven't heard back from them. I won't purchase another Masterbuilt product

Thank you for taking the time to provide your review, and we apologize about the inconvenience. We would like to talk to you regarding the situation you are experiencing with your smoker. Please contact our technical team directly between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday. You can also utilize our online Support Form on our website to submit a request to the Customer Support Department.
Reviewed March 27, 2019
I purchased the Model # 20050814 in Oct/Nov 2018. I used it several times with excellent results. 1 month ago the temp dropped to 180 while I was smoking 2 pork shoulders. I could not get it above 200 after that day. I have cleaned it, new tank, etc., now I almost get to 225, even with nothing in it. I called customer service, because I am past my 1 year warranty, no help. I have other issues as well. Hard to believe it is failing after 18 months.

Thank you for sharing this experience. Please contact our technical team directly between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday, we are always happy to assist you with your smoker. We offer a one year manufacture warranty for parts, but can always trouble shoot any issues you may have. You can also utilize our online Support Form on our website to submit a request to the Customer Support Department. We hope to hear from you.
Reviewed March 23, 2019
Preheated smoker to 225. Sportsman Elite, put my wings in, checked it an hour later and I’m at 112 degrees. Figures I have company coming over for a snack and watch some games... Very disappointed. Never purchase a Masterbuilt again! Just under a year old. Warranty might still be valid but, that does not help me today.

We would like to talk to you regarding the situation you are experiencing with your smoker. Please contact our technical team directly between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday.
Reviewed March 22, 2019
I use my smoker. I loved it very much. Now after the temperature reaches up to temp it automatically blows the breaker. I am very disappointed. I think it's the limit thermostat. But I'm not sure I'm ready to use my smoker and I can't use it.

Thank you for providing your review, and I apologize about the inconvenience. We would like to talk to you regarding the situation you are experiencing with your smoker. Please provide your contact phone number and we will contact you at our earliest convenience, or you can contact our technical team directly between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday.
Reviewed March 14, 2019
My husband and I purchased a Masterbuilt electric smoker. We used it about a year and the heating element went out and we had to purchase a new one. (Not cheap). After purchasing the heating element we were in the middle of smoking ribs for a party and the smoker quit working again. We were so desperate at the time we went and bought another smoker to finish all of the ribs. We were in a small town so the only selection was to buy another Masterbuilt. We used the second one twice and now that smoker is not heating correctly. Do not ever purchase Masterbuilt products. They are junk! I would never recommend this brand to anyone. We have had the second smoker less than a year and it should be under manufacturer's warranty - what happens when it stops working again. Very dissatisfied.

Thank you for taking the time to share your experiences. We are sorry to her that you are not satisfied with the products. If we can assist you with the smokers, please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. Or you can contact our technical team directly between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday. We hope to hear from you.
Reviewed Feb. 21, 2019
I have had 2 of the 40” electric smokers. Both failed after 3-4 uses. The first one I bought I thought maybe I messed it up by the way I cleaned it so I dumped it and bought another one. This one I’ve had for a year. Cooked on it twice. This time when I tried to use it I could set the time and temperature and it would trip the gfi circuit. After a little troubleshooting I determined the heating element had failed again. I think that is what happened to the first one. The smoker was always covered and garaged kept. After contacting customer service I was told to purchase a heating element. Shouldn’t have to replace elements every 3-4 uses. When the smoker worked you can’t beat it. I cooked some of the best ribs ever with lots of compliments. I even bragged on the smoker. I left 2 stars because of the way it cooks when it did work.

Hi Robert, we hate to hear that you have had trouble now with 2 of your smokers. There are many circumstances that could cause the element to trip your GFCI outlet. We do offer a 1-year manufacturers warranty, which is why the representative you spoke with informed you the element would need to be purchased.
Reviewed Feb. 17, 2019
I received this smoker about 18 months ago and have only used it a handful of times. When not in use I keep it covered, clean and dry. Now some of the lights in the digital number display are out and we can no longer tell what time and temperature we are trying to program. I am wondering if Masterbuilt will stand by their product or if I have to trash this one and find another, more reliable smoker?

If you would, please call us or utilize our online Support Form on our website to submit a request to the Customer Support Department. We are available Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm EST. If there is an issue with your unit, we are happy to assist you. We look forward to helping you.
Reviewed Feb. 16, 2019
My girlfriend gave me this electric smoker for a present approx 20 months ago, and after functioning fine for about 16 months, the heating element simply stopped working. Since it was six months out of warranty, I was given no help whatsoever. I would totally avoid this product and, given their lack of customer support, would suggest avoiding the company altogether. Totally a failure.

Thank you for sharing your experience. If we can assist you in any way, please feel free to contact us for warranty items, replacement parts, troubleshooting assistance, and helpful tips. Our hours of operations are Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm EST
Reviewed Feb. 12, 2019
I purchased the smoker in 2013. The last time I used the smoker it shut down and stopped working. I started to remove the heating element and the wiring fell apart in my hand. I called the support line and was told that it was out of warranty. The unit was sealed and no rust was present. Hard to believe the wiring and connections would fall apart in my hand. Would not recommend this smoker to anyone, very poor experience with product quality.

Hi Chris, there could be numerous reasons as to why the connections degraded over time. Unfortunately, I do not know of your specific circumstances to better determine the cause. However, we do offer replacement element kits that come with a new heating element and wire pigtails that is easy to replace and will have your unit back up and running. I looked in our system and the replacement element for your unit is $9.99 + S&H.
Reviewed Feb. 2, 2019
We have had our smoker for about 2 years. From the beginning, the time button on the controller was very difficult to make contact. We used it once that year and when we tried to use it again, the time button would not work at all. A call to the company for support got us another controller, but not under warranty. We used it one more time and now it will not work again. The controller is unresponsive once again. This is very aggravating, to say the least.

We apologize for the experience you've had. We hope you will give us a chance to make your Masterbuilt experience a positive one. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. Or you can contact our technical team directly between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday. You can also utilize our online Support Form on our website to submit a request to the Customer Support Department.
Reviewed Feb. 1, 2019
I purchased my smoker. Less than 1 1/2 years it failed, I was truly disappointed they would not stand behind their product. They told me the heating element need to be replaced. $14.99 plus shipping, of course they weren't going to send me one as a courtesy to stand behind their product. But more so the hassle of having to fix a fairly new unit that had only been used about a half a dozen times. I would strongly recommend to purchase another brand.

Thank you for sharing your experience. We stand behind our products with a 1-year warranty from the date of purchase. We are sorry for the inconvenience this has caused you. If you still need assistance or would like to purchase the part your need, please contact us.
Reviewed Jan. 30, 2019
Updated on 03/03/2019: This is my second review of Masterbuilt because my other “appears” to be working toward a resolution. I sent them the information they requested and they told me they were reviewing the information and that was the beginning of February. I have not heard from them since. I sent emails to Alma (my latest customer service rep), Kelly ** (representative I spoke with and emailed in December) and Summer ** (the first representative I contacted in the fall of 2018) and have not gotten a single reply. At this point I wish they would send me a box to return the smoker and refund our $600. We will not ever buy another smoker or grilling Masterbuilt product.
Original Review: Masterbuilt appears to have helpful customer service when you call and speak to someone, but after that you might as well have not wasted your time calling or emailing them. We bought a smoker spring of 2018 and have used it three or four times because the pellet box caught on fire the night before our son's birthday party when my husband was smoking three racks of ribs and a Boston butt. I called in the fall of 2018 (I tried calling a few times, but they were always closed when I remembered to call) about the faulty parts. I spoke with someone and she seemed very knowledgeable and helpful and then nothing. She was supposed to ship our replacement parts and about six weeks later I had to call and asked about the parts and then a week later I got a shipment confirmation.
Needless to say the replacement parts they shipped did not fix the problem and once my husband changed out the parts the smoker still throws a breaker and the feeder mechanism doesn’t work properly. I sent Ms. ** information about this on December 20, 2018 and we still have not received any replacement parts and it’s January 30, 2019. We basically made roughly a $400 donation to Masterbuilt and Academy Sports. My recommendation is to buy any other brand of smoker or don’t waste your money because if you buy a Masterbuilt you won’t be able to use it and it will take up space while you wait on customer service to follow through with what they said they would do. I’m sure they are dragging their feet so our unit’s warranty expires.

thank you for providing your review, and we apologize about the inconvenience. We are happy to look into your case and we what can be done to help you. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # , serial # and case or order information. We hope to hear from you.
Reviewed Jan. 28, 2019
This is my second Masterbuilt product as the first one worked for about a year and then started tripping the breaker. Called the company and they couldn't tell me what the problem was and wanted to sell me both the controller unit and the heating element, which by the way is the only two things that could go wrong. We had out of town guest coming so I bought another unit (didn't have much choice and no time to shop) and it has worked about a year and today it keeps shutting off. I'm done with Masterbuilt. As someone else noted, I would give them zero stars if it would let me.

Thank you for providing your review, and we apologize about the inconvenience. We hope you will give us a chance to make your Masterbuilt experience a positive one. Please send us a private message with your contact information, both of your smoker’s model # and serial #. We hope to hear from you.
Reviewed Jan. 23, 2019
13 months after the purchase of my electric smoker, it blows the fuse every time that I plug it in. I reached out to Customer Service and they told me that they were aware of the issue but that since it was after 12 months they were no longer responsible for fixing it. The 'recommended part' for the fix - which is an entire new Body Kit - was more than I paid for the whole unit! Masterbuilt Customer Service Response: "Generally, if the smoker is tripping the breaker after the temperature and time are set and the heating light comes on, the element needs to be replaced. If it is doing it as soon as plugged in, it may be an internal wiring issue which means the body of the smoker would need to be replaced." A replacement Element Kit, P/N 9907090033, is $14.99 or if needed a Body Kit, P/N 9907100012, is $179.99 before shipping.

Thank you for taking time to share this, we are very sorry this was your experience. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance to you with your unit by sending us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #.
Reviewed Jan. 13, 2019
I bought my Masterbuilt Model #20071814 in December 2016. It has been used approximately 12-15 times, has been kept in a garage, covered and has never gotten wet. In short, it has been well taken care of. Just before Christmas, I planned to smoke a bunch of chicken thighs for a family get together. Unfortunately, my smoker would not even turn on the day we were supposed to get together. It would beep when I plugged it in but no lights would come on on the control panel. I pulled the panel off to see if it was getting power and it is. So obviously, the panel has gone bad. How does something used so few times and taken care of go bad?
Apparently this is a widespread problem with MB and all they do is send out canned responses. I sent 2 emails and FINALLY got some crappy response about calling customer service. Great, way to help. I finally spoke to someone who said I PROBABLY need to order a replacement control panel for $30. I'll do so BUT, I can guarantee you that I have bought my LAST Masterbuilt ANYTHING. The next time this one dies it will be ANYTHING BUT a Masterbuilt.

We are sorry to hear that you have not had a positive experience with us. If you are willing to, please send us a private message with your information and smoker's model # and serial #. We would like to speak with regarding your experience. Masterbuilt prides itself deeply on our customer service and doing what is right by our customers. We hope to hear from you.
Original Review: Dec. 29, 2018
Brand new out of the box the smoker would not work. The display would just show an error code EAA1 fault code, I had it in my garage where you would normally smoke and it was roughly 33 degrees here in Idaho Falls Idaho, I read online that it was a temperature sensor issue so I brought the smoker inside. I opened the door of the smoker inside my house so the temperature sensor could warm up as soon as it warmed up to 34 degrees that error code cleared and the smoker control panel started responding the fault code went away.
This product seems to have an engineering design flaw that does not allow the smoker to operate if the temperature sensor is less than 33 degrees inside. Some Forum said to use a blow dryer on the temperature sensor to warm it up and then immediately start your smoker. Should not have to do any of this on a brand new product. We have many days that are less than 33 degrees in Idaho. The Smokers basically no good in my state, luckily the smokers never been used, Sportsman's Warehouse said they will take it back and get my money back. It's brand new with this flaw. I suspect I'm not the only one that thought the control panel is bad when really is the temperature sensor in the engineering in the electronics of the control panel.

We apologize for the delay and the trouble you are having with your smoker. If the smoker is still in your possession and you still need assistance with it, please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. We would be happy to work with you and make this situation right. Masterbuilt prides itself deeply on our customer service and doing what is right by our customers. We hope to hear from you.

Reviewed Dec. 26, 2018
This is an electric grill. I like it because it's easy to get going, easy to clean, and saves time in setup and cleanup. It has a grease catcher which is easily accessible. Cleanup involves removing the grill, and optionally the metal reflector panel if it has gotten especially dirty. Great for a small home and just two users.

We apologize for the delay in responding to your review. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience about your Masterbuilt electric grill. We are glad that you found out the grill is easy to get going, easy to clean and it saved you time. We appreciate having you as our customer and invite you to take a look at the recipes on our website at www.masterbuilt.com.
Original Review: Dec. 18, 2018
Do not buy this product!!! We received it for a Christmas present in 2016. We've used it maybe 10-15 times max AND we keep it covered when not in use under a covered patio!!! The heating element has gone out twice, my husband was able to clean the connections the first time and it worked. This time around didn't help. Called them and explained our problem, they will not send me a free element. It is 14.99$ plus shipping. Seems to me, being that it's barely used, it should last more than 1 1/2 yrs... I will be buying a Traeger!!! Very disappointed in Masterbuilt... My ribs are now in the oven as I write this!!!

We apologize for the delay in addressing your review and your experience. If you still have your smoker, we hope you will give us a chance to make your Masterbuilt experience a positive one. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. We can review your situation and provide any parts, troubleshooting assistance and helpful tips necessary. We hope to hear from you.
Reviewed Dec. 18, 2018
I would give them zero stars if I could. Worst customer service ever. They shipped my order to the wrong address and then tried to tell me it was my fault because I didn't tell customer service my order was an online order and online order are handled separately. She acted like I was suppose to know that they have 2 separate departments that don't interact. AVOID THIS COMPANY LIKE THE PLAGUE.

We apologize for the delay in responding to your review. We are also very sorry to hear about for your experience. If you still need assistance with your order, please let us know. Masterbuilt prides itself deeply on our customer service and doing what is right by our customers.
Reviewed Dec. 17, 2018
I am very disappointed in this product. We just bought this smoker and put it up. My husband did just as the instructions said. Did the first cooking session. That part went fine. He got his meat all ready to smoke and went to start it up and it tripped the circuit. Of course he tried it several times. He also tried plugging in different outlets with same results. Very unhappy, this was not a cheap purchase at all!!! I don’t feel you should have to work on a product that is brand new. I feel it should be replaced!!!

We apologize for the delay in responding to your review. We are that the smoker has disappointed you and would like to assist you its operation. If you have not exchanged or returned the smoker to the retailer, please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. We hope to hear from you.
Reviewed Dec. 17, 2018
We bought this 6 weeks ago. Have used it once a week with success. Yesterday we noticed a horrible smell of burnt plastic about an hour after putting in a small turkey. Within an hour, it lost power and would not turn back on. Door seal is melted and burnt. I am going back to a charcoal smoker after this $200 mistake. We loved it in the beginning, but I would expect problems in the years ahead, not within weeks of purchase.

We apologize for the delay and the trouble you are having with your smoker. If the smoker is still in your possession and you still need assistance with it, please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. We are happy to work with you and your smoker. We hope to hear from you.
Reviewed Dec. 8, 2018
I received this smoker as a Christmas present 8 years ago. We live in Northern Wisconsin so in winter I didn’t want to have to deal with proper temp control with a coal or wood fueled smoker. I have used mine about 8 times a year doing brisket, ribs or fish. I use it summer and winter and have never had an issue with it. Maybe the newer ones are not built like the older ones but I love mine.
Reviewed Dec. 1, 2018
I got this smoker as a gift since I was hoping to get into smoking meats. Unpacked it, set it up and began seasoning it. And then I noticed a broken thermometer straight out of the box. Very disappointing! I sent a message to MB and I guess I'll wait to hear back on a new one. Had to cancel my first Ever attempt. After reading reviews you may be better off with a different brand.

Thank you for taking the time to share this with us. We apologize for the delay in responding to your review. If your warranty replacement part has not been replaced yet, please send us a private message with your contact information, shipping address, model # and serial #. We hope we have not missed the opportunity to make your Masterbuilt experience a positive one.
Original Review: Nov. 25, 2018
Bought this smoker. I'm having same problem as a whole bunch of people with the Control Panel. It beeps, it shuts itself off, have to unplug it. You set the temp then go to set time and it just quits, then plug it in and it won't stop beeping. I have used it about 7 times in the last 20 months and have ruined more than one batch of fish. But for some stupid reason I keep on trying only to get more frustrated. Masterbuilt obviously has a problem with their controllers. I don't want to buy a new controller only to have it fail. I'm done throwing my money away. I cannot recommend Masterbuilt to my friends.

We are very sorry to hear this has occurred and apologize for your experience and the delay in responding to you review. We would be happy to work with you and make this situation right. If we can still assist you in any way with your smoker, please feel free to send us a private message with your smoker's information.
Reviewed Nov. 22, 2018
My husband and kids bought me the smoker 20071117 for my Mother’s Day gift. I love to cook and grill, so I was thrilled to get the smoker. We’ve used it five to six times, worked great. I’m having family and friends over for Thanksgiving and planned on smoking my turkey, so I Went to plug in my smoker and it doesn’t turned on. It’s not an outlet issue, it’s the crappy smoker. I’m devastated and will tell everyone I know to not buy Masterbuilt products. Extremely disappointed.

We are very sorry to hear this occurred and apologize for your experience. We would be happy to work with you and make this situation right. We hope you'll give us the opportunity to make your Masterbuilt experience positive. We apologize for the delay in responding to your review, but that you still have your smoker.
Reviewed Nov. 13, 2018
I've had my smoker for 4 years now. Every year for the past 3 years my element will burn out for now reason. I don't use drop chords either. I ordered the part, and received someone else's part. My info on the box was correct but someone else's info inside and the part they ordered. I'm on a deadline for Thanksgiving and they refused to pay to have it overnighted since it was their fault. Now I have to wait and have my function postponed. I called the customer on the packaging slip and they had my part. This is sad and makes no sense. They say they put the customers first, but I sure can't tell.

We apologize for the time it has taken to respond to your review. Thank you for taking time to share this, we are very sorry this was your experience. Please let us know if there is any way we can be of assistance to you with your unit!
Reviewed Nov. 12, 2018
I bought an electric smoker last year to smoke a turkey with. Used it twice since then and both times the control panel went on the fritz causing me to lose a brisket and a pork shoulder due to temperature and timer not acting correctly. Now this year I supposed to smoke a turkey to take to my dad's which could be his last due to a recent cancer diagnosis. I call your customer service line to explain the issue and I get told I have to shell out more money on a product that only worked once. I purchased this product from Lowe's which is where I work. What's real funny is while on hold the recording says how important my satisfaction is to them... Well I'm so unsatisfied and disgusted with this product, company and customer service that I will most definitely tell every customer looking at your product to walk away because Masterbuilt is junk. Absolute junk and customer care very useless.

We apologize for the time it has taken to respond to your review. Thank you for taking time to share this with us, we are very sorry this was your experience. If you still need assistance with your smoker, please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. We hope to hear from you.
Reviewed Nov. 12, 2018
I have had a Masterbuilt Smoker for about a year and a half, and truly enjoyed smoking with it until last weekend when I was heating it up to smoke a pork butt and the control panel went all crazy and the smoker heated up to 300 degrees (checked it with infrared thermometer). In fear of it catching fire I unplugged it and ended up cooking the pork butt in the oven. I contacted Masterbuilt today and was on hold for a good 20 minutes before speaking with customer service only to find out there is nothing they will do and that I need to buy a new control panel. I really thought the smoker would last longer than a year and a half. I have electric table saws, grinders, drills welders that are over 20 years old that get used a hell of a lot more than this smoker ever has and they're still working. I guess I will do what everyone in the forums say and save up my money for a real smoker.
Reviewed Nov. 11, 2018
I decided to smoke up a Texas style bbq meal in celebration of Election Day. The digital control panel kept flickering on & off between temp settings which made it extremely difficult to read any of temperature & timer settings with any degree of accuracy. I removed the panel & all of the connections were snug and tight and the electricity was functioning perfectly. Needless to say the next six hours were a total guessing game. I had promised a house full of people a meal & all I did was worry! Masterbuilt has never let me down before but after this experience I certainly have my doubts.

We apologize for the delay in responding to your review and are sorry to hear that your smoker let you down. Masterbuilt prides itself deeply on our customer service and doing what is right by our customers.If you still have the smoker and are still in need of assistance with the unit, please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. We hope we are able to help you still.
Reviewed Nov. 10, 2018
I received this as a present for Christmas last year. I work all the time and very rarely get to use it. I have used it 3 times prior to today. This morning when I went to put my brisket in the smoker was on fire from the inside. I was going to put my meat in then leave my wife to watch it while I went to get tires rotated and balanced. I’m thankful it was already on fire before I left. I’m not sure what happened. I unplugged it immediately. I tried water hose but it’s 20 degrees and it was frozen. Grabbed a pitcher of water and put it out that way. This is the first time I’ve used the water pan, not sure what went wrong.
Reviewed Nov. 7, 2018
I love this smoker so much I bought a second one when the first one stopped working. BUT now the second one stopped working (has electrical issues). I ordered a new digital panel for now. I’m looking for a new smoker. I’m skeptical about buying this brand again but it is so well recommended and honestly does a great job when it works. I’m still researching options.

Connie, thank you for being a Masterbuilt Customer and considering our products. If we can be of any assistance, please contact our Customer Support Department at 1.800.489.1581. We are happy to assist you.
Reviewed Nov. 1, 2018
Smoker worked for a few times, then caught fire underneath the unit. It could have easily started the deck on fire. This device is dangerous! Taking the unit apart did not reveal the source of the problem. Attempted to contact Masterbuilt, but you can't unless you send photos of the device and your receipt.

Hello Chris, please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. Or you can contact our Customer Support Department directly at 1.800.489.1581 between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday. You can also utilize our online Support Form on our website at www.masterbuilt.com to submit a request to the Customer Support Department.
Reviewed Oct. 27, 2018
I got this smoker in Dec 2017 as a gift. Finally set it up last weekend. Woodchips do not burn. No smoke. Went onto the web and found it appears to be a design defect. Apparently there is a piece a metal between the heating element and the metal chip tray that prevents the chip tray from getting hot enough. People are removing the metal plate to get it to smoke. Unacceptable.

Hello Scot, we hope you will give us a chance to make your Masterbuilt experience a positive one. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. Or you can contact our technical team directly at 1.800.489.1581 between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday. You can also utilize our online Support Form on our website at www.masterbuilt.com to submit a request to the Customer Support Department.
Reviewed Oct. 27, 2018
I purchased the smoker for my wife for Mother's Day. It took a few hours to put together. It worked beautifully for about a month. Then it would not stay lit. I emailed the address in the paperwork Manual. I never got a response. That was about 2 years ago, Talk about bad customer service. If you're from Masterbuilt and want to contact me **.

Hello Patrick, thank you for providing your review. We hope you will give us a chance to make your Masterbuilt experience a positive one. Please send us a private message with your contact information, smoker’s model # and serial #. Or you can contact our technical team directly at 1.800.489.1581 between the hours of 8-5 EST, Monday – Friday. You can also utilize our online Support Form on our website at www.masterbuilt.com to submit a request to the Customer Support Department.
Reviewed Oct. 19, 2018
Trouble this morning with digital control would not start. After unplugging and plugging back in finally started to work. Called customer service was told over a year old I would have to buy a new control. This unit has been used 12 times and kept in a garage. I was told they have no issues with their controls. I said try looking at all the complaints on a Google search. I will not spend any money on this unit. I will try another company.

Dale, thank you sharing your experience. We would like to talk to you regarding this situation and see if we can reach a better resolution for you. If you would, please send us a message with your smoker's model number, serial number and your contact information. We hope to hear from you.
-Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Oct. 19, 2018
Thank you for taking the time to read my review. I purchased this electric smoker on 8/24/18. I chose it over a less expensive model because of the Bluetooth feature. I checked requirements and I needed USB 4.0. Great! I have 4.2. So, I find out Bluetooth will not connect so I call tech support and am told, "Yes we know, there is a new app coming out in a few days."
After numerous calls, web inquiries and emails - through the non-functioning app, I get a call telling me that I might need to get a phone with at least Android version 8. The smoker part works okay. I would like it to have the capability of going up to 300, but it works. So here is the deal. Masterbuilt prides themselves as a faith-based company. After reading the app reviews, over 1,200, nearly 1,000 mentioned the Bluetooth not working... going back to 2014. This company is selling a product which they know does not function as advertised! And they are charging an additional $100 or so for it! What does that say about Masterbuilt's faith? I believe this to be fraudulent business practices and I'm thinking of contacting the A.G. office in GA and NM. Want a smoker with Bluetooth? Buy another product!

Thank you,
Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Oct. 15, 2018
I purchased my smoker November of 2017 from Sam's, I loved it until in Sept in went dead. It does absolutely nothing. The company send out a replacement digital control panel and power circuit board and still nothing. Now I email the person whom I had been communicating with and now they said I need to call. The first 2 times I called I got hung up on and will now have to wait until I get off work to try again. This experience has been horrible! $329 + tax smoker and I can't get the company to get it fixed correctly!

Thank you Jennifer for taking time to share this with us. We hope you will give us a chance to make your Masterbuilt experience a positive one. Please send us a message with your full name, case # , smoker information, address and email. We will gladly look into your case and take the appropriate actions for you. This experience is never what we want or strive for with our customer service. We hope to hear from you soon.
Original Review: Oct. 13, 2018
I purchased the Masterbuilt dual fuel smoker from Home Depot. When brought it home, I realized a part was missing and another was broken. I thought not a big deal, I will call them and have the parts shipped to my address and decided not to return the whole unit. That was a terrible mistake. Three weeks passed, and I didn't receive the package. Reached out to customer service again and they deferred my question to FedEx. When I reached out to FedEx they were unable to locate the package. I reached out to customer service and asked what would be my options. They never responded and ignored my message. I am very disappointed and if they don't resolve this in the next few days, will return the smoker and will buy another brand. Bottom line: I did not feel respected as a customer. For reference, in case anyone from Masterbuilt cares enough to look into this my order number was **.

-Masterbuilt Customer Support
Reviewed Sept. 30, 2018
I was hoping that my experience with this smoker would be a pleasant one. I see now, that I am in the same position as MANY other people, who purchased one of these. Defective smokers and lack of satisfaction among consumers. I would not recommend this product.

Thank you for your feedback. We apologize that your unit did not meet your standards. Masterbuilt would like the opportunity to assist you with your smoker. If we can assist you in any way, please feel free to contact us for warranty items, replacement parts, troubleshooting assistance, and helpful tips. You can reach us at 1-800-489-1581 or www.masterbuilt.com/support. Our hours of operations are Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm EST.
Reviewed Sept. 23, 2018
I have a new smoker that is exceeding the set temperature (currently set at 200) and the smoker is 305 degrees and rising, based on two independent temperature probes. I’m so disappointed. There’s no fix for this and I’m 7 hours into a 15 hour smoke...
Reviewed Sept. 5, 2018
Wrote a review on here a few months back about 2 gas smokers that I purchased at Bass Pro shop and both smokers catching on fire. Masterbuilt contacted me after reading my review and ask for documentation as well as pictures and receipts and serial and model numbers in which I sent the information to the Masterbuilt representatives that I guess was assigned to my complaints. The representative was very helpful and would wrote me back promptly to answer my questions or concerns. Several weeks passed and the representative was in touch wanting to know if anyone else had contacted me from parts/returns department, when I said no she replied she was glad she followed up.
Well now it has been several more weeks that have passed and I have contacted same representative as well as parts/returns department and 2 other representatives who say someone would follow up within 24 hours. Well it has been weeks and still no, phone calls, text or emails. Not feeling all warm and fuzzy about Masterbuilt right now. I was a true diehard Masterbuilt customer at one time.
Reviewed Sept. 4, 2018
Used my new Masterbuilt 30 for the first time yesterday. Now I don't claim to be an expert pit boss, but, or perhaps "BUTT", I have cooked tons of meat both professionally and privately. I am 65 years old. Got into smoking meats about ten years ago and have always done the offset thing in my propane grill and developed what I thought was a nice product. However, something was missing. The product this little smokehouse delivered on the first try was an entirely new experience. It produced a rich smoke flavor that stays with Ya for a while. The meat was tender and juicy.
Added a meat probe to the process for the first time, it's the only way to go so you don't have to stick the meat every 10 minutes as it finishes cooking. The machine worked perfectly and only used about a cup of chips total and produced plenty of smoke. If you open the door for a couple seconds each time you load chips, the temp will come down a few degrees causing the heat element to come on and make the chips smoke. Surely this is not a commercial grade machine, Masterbuilt openly tells you that. "Butt" for a couple bucks this is gonna give very acceptable results.
Be sure and PRE-SEASON as directed. Note: THIS IS YOUR OVEN. CLEAN the removable parts after EVERY USE. If you slop sauce all over the inside you're gonna have to clean it up. Burned sugar doesn't make for good flavor. Old grease and fats don't make good flavor, they go rancid and taste awful. Not to mention health risks. Keep the unit covered and out of the weather. The only criticism I would have at this point is that my exhaust is on top located fairly close to the control panel so at some point expect the moist smoke to affect it somehow. I monitor this and turn the machine to the breeze to minimize this and make the smoke go the other way. In conclusion - It was LOVE at first sight BITE! I recommend this product.
Reviewed Sept. 3, 2018
We just bought the Masterbuilt 135S. Smoked some peanuts just to try it out. Worked ok I guess. The next day got a big rack of ribs. Couldn't keep temperature steady at all. Very little smoke sometimes other times it looked to be on fire couldn't get the temperature below 275 degrees. 3rd time using the smoker. A day later figured I would try a brisket. Got the smoker warmed up put the meat in let it go 30 minutes or so went out to check on it no smoke at all. Temperature over 30 pop degrees and control panel beeping. Unplugged the unit plugged it back in got it cooled down to 140 degrees set temp back to 155 watched smoker for 15 minutes heating element never shut off got over 309 degrees again. Pulled out the trusty Treager to finish the brisket. Masterbuilt is a POS. I'll contact Masterbuilt tomorrow. I don't want replacement parts. I want my money back.
Masterbuilt Smokehouses Company Information
- Company Name:
- Masterbuilt
- City:
- Columbus
- State/Province:
- GA
- Postal Code:
- 31907
- Website:
- www.masterbuilt.com