The Masterbuilt Portable Electric Smoker (Model 20073716) is a compact and convenient option for anyone who wants to enjoy smoked foods without hauling around a full-size smoker. Weighing only about 21.6 pounds, this unit is truly portable and features foldable legs, making it easy to transport and store almost anywhere.
Because of its lightweight design, this smoker has become especially popular with RV owners, campers, and travelers who want to bring a smoker along on road trips or outdoor adventures. Despite its small footprint, the smoker is surprisingly capable and can handle a variety of foods.
The cooking chamber is large enough to smoke five or six salmon fillets, a rack of ribs, or a small Boston butt, which makes it ideal for preparing meals for two to four people. If you remove one of the racks, you can even fit larger items such as a 15-pound roast, ham shoulder, or small turkey.
The smoker also includes a convenient built-in temperature gauge on the door, allowing you to easily monitor the internal cooking temperature without opening the smoker and losing heat. This helps maintain consistent cooking conditions for better smoking results.
While this portable model is great for smaller meals and travel, those who want a larger cooking capacity may also want to consider the Masterbuilt 30-inch Digital Electric Smoker, which offers about 730 square inches of cooking space. It costs a bit more but provides significantly more room for smoking larger quantities of food.
For portability, ease of use, and compact storage, the Masterbuilt 20073716 Portable Electric Smoker remains an excellent option for beginners and outdoor cooking enthusiasts alike.
Fully Portable Design
The Masterbuilt 20073716 Portable Electric Smoker truly lives up to its name with a compact, lightweight design that makes it easy to take just about anywhere. With foldable legs, a removable water pan, and a detachable chip tray, this smoker is simple to pack up, transport, and store when not in use.
Its portability makes it an excellent option for tailgate parties, camping trips, picnics, and RV adventures. Once you arrive at your destination—whether it’s a campground, lake, or stadium parking lot—setup takes only a few minutes. You can quickly load the racks with food, such as brats on the bottom rack and ribs on the top, and begin smoking right away.
For even easier transport, Masterbuilt also offers an optional carrying bag, which helps protect the smoker while traveling. Even with the added accessory, this smoker remains a very affordable option for anyone looking for a convenient, travel-friendly smoking solution.
1400-Watt Heating Element
The Masterbuilt portable smoker is powered by a 1400-watt electric heating element, which generates the heat needed to produce flavorful smoke. This heating element provides consistent heat while keeping the unit simple to operate—just plug it in, add your wood chips, and start smoking.
Because this is a smaller portable smoker, you may need to add wood chips periodically during longer smoking sessions. For example, when cooking a large roast, rack of ribs, or turkey over several hours, you may need to refill the chip tray multiple times depending on the temperature setting (low, medium, or high).
For longer cooks—such as a 12-hour smoking session—it’s a good idea to have plenty of wood chips on hand to maintain steady smoke and flavor throughout the cooking process.
Features and Specifications
- 1,400-Watt Heating Element
- Two 12” X 12” Chrome Coated Smoking Racks
- Easy-to-Read Temperature Gauge
- Easy Analog Settings, low, medium, and high
- Fold-Up Legs for Transport & Storage
- 23.42 x 23.62 x 15.94 Inches
- Light-Weight and fully-portable, only 22 pounds
- Door seals tight to hold in the smoke
- Removable chip tray and water pan
- Easy to Transport and Store
- Comes fully assembled
- Grease catcher can get clogged
- Short warranty period (90 days) but it’s less than $100
Customer Reviews and Ratings
The Masterbuilt 20073716 Portable Electric Smoker is a great option for small patios, balconies, or porches thanks to its compact footprint and convenient electric operation. Because it runs on electricity instead of charcoal or propane, many apartment and condo residents find it a practical solution for enjoying smoked foods without dealing with the mess or restrictions that sometimes come with traditional grills.
This portable smoker is also appreciated for its quick setup and easy cleanup, allowing you to spend more time enjoying your BBQ and less time preparing or cleaning afterward. Simply plug it in, add your favorite wood chips, and start smoking foods like ribs, chicken, brisket, fish, or even cheese. Different wood chips such as mesquite, hickory, apple, or cherry can be used to create a variety of smoke flavors depending on the food you’re preparing.
At the time of this review, we found 186 verified Amazon purchasers who rated the smoker with an average score of 4.2 out of 5 stars. Approximately 75% of buyers gave the smoker either 4 or 5 stars, indicating strong overall satisfaction.
Some comments from verified Amazon customers included:
- “The product is really good and working well as described.”
- “Both beautiful and simple—exactly what I wanted.”
- “Smaller than I expected, but it works perfectly. Hubby loves it!”
- “I have three smokers now and wanted a small portable one.”
Overall, most reviewers appreciate the portability, simplicity, and reliable smoking performance of this compact Masterbuilt smoker.
Final Thoughts
In summary, the Masterbuilt 20073716 Portable Electric Smoker is a compact and highly portable smoker that is perfect for family road trips, tailgate parties, picnics, and small backyard gatherings. Its lightweight design and foldable legs make it easy to transport and store, making it a convenient option for anyone who enjoys smoked foods on the go.
As long as you understand that this unit is designed to be a small, portable smoker, it performs very well for its intended purpose. It offers solid construction, simple operation, and dependable smoking performance in a compact package.
Affordable, easy to maintain, and convenient to use, this Masterbuilt smoker is a great choice for beginners or anyone looking for a portable electric smoker that delivers flavorful results without the complexity of larger models.