Masterbuilt 40-inch Digital Electric Vertical BBQ Smoker, MB20070122 Review (2026)

Who this larger smoker suits

The MB20070122 is built for anyone who regularly cooks for a big group, whether that means holiday gatherings, large family dinners, or hosting a backyard party. With 970 square inches of cooking space across four chrome coated racks, it is rated to fit up to 16 chickens, 4 turkeys, 8 pork butts or 8 racks of ribs at once, which is a meaningful step up from Masterbuilt's own 30 inch model. Digital temperature and time controls make it approachable for people newer to smoking, since the unit holds steady heat on its own rather than requiring constant fire management. Someone cooking mainly for a small household on a normal weeknight will find this smoker larger than necessary and better served by the compact 30 inch version, which takes up noticeably less patio or storage space.

Cabinet size and key features

At around 50 inches tall, 28 inches wide and 23 inches deep, this is a substantially taller cabinet than the smaller 30 inch model, reflecting its larger rack capacity, so it needs a taller storage spot or covered area between uses. The digital control board lets you set temperature between roughly 100 and 275 degrees Fahrenheit along with a cook timer, and a patented side wood chip loader lets you add chips for continued smoke flavor without opening the main door and losing built up heat. A viewing window lets you check on food without opening the door at all, which is a genuine convenience over the windowless 30 inch version. A removable water bowl, a rear grease tray, an adjustable air damper, and a lockable door latch round out the feature set, all aimed at making a long cook easier to manage.

Running a large cook

Because the cabinet is electric and digitally controlled, a big cook like eight racks of ribs or several pork butts at once is largely a matter of loading the racks, setting temperature and time, and periodically topping up wood chips through the side loader. The viewing window means you can check color and progress on food without opening the door and releasing heat, which matters more on a large cook where consistent temperature across four racks is important. Like other electric smokers, this unit can take longer to recover heat in cold or windy weather since the heating element has more interior volume to warm than the smaller model, so cold weather smoking may run slower than the set temperature would suggest. The removable water bowl and rear grease tray simplify cleanup after a large, greasy cook like ribs or pork butt.

How it compares with smaller and rival smokers

Against Masterbuilt's own 30 inch model, the extra rack space here is the whole point, roughly 970 square inches versus 710, which matters directly if you regularly cook for more than a handful of people. Compared with the Bradley Smoker 6-Rack, which automatically feeds proprietary wood bisquettes, this Masterbuilt requires manual wood chip refills through its side loader but gives more flexibility over chip type and amount per load. Against a similarly sized Pit Boss digital vertical smoker, the core feature set, digital control, side loading, and a viewing window, is broadly comparable, so brand preference and included accessories often decide between them more than any clear performance gap.

Verdict and who should size down

For anyone who regularly hosts large groups or wants to smoke multiple big cuts at once without babysitting a fire, the MB20070122 delivers genuine capacity along with the same easy digital operation that makes Masterbuilt's electric smokers approachable for beginners. The viewing window and larger rack count are real upgrades over the smaller model for anyone who needs them. Buyers cooking mainly for a small household, or who lack the taller storage space this cabinet needs, should choose the 30 inch version instead, and anyone chasing a stronger wood fired smoke ring than electric heat delivers should look at a charcoal or wood fired smoker regardless of size.

Frequently asked questions