Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Keeps Shutting Off? (Fix It Now!)

There’s nothing quite like the experience of feasting on properly smoked brisket or ribs. The complex, savory flavor the smoke adds to the meat is something you’ll crave constantly after tasting it once. Going through the long smoking process is worth it just for that flavor.

Purchasing an electric smoker if you want to enjoy those delicious smoked meats on demand is a good idea. Masterbuilt offers some of the top electric smokers available today, although even they are susceptible to having issues. To be more specific, some Masterbuilt electric smokers may run into problems that cause them to shut down continuously.

If your Masterbuilt electric smoker keeps shutting off, the issue could be related to an improperly connected probe. Moisture and outlet issues can also cause the electric smoker to malfunction. Note that you can remedy those issues and still return your Masterbuilt electric smoker to working order.

Seeing your electric smoker experience suffer from power issues can be frustrating. Find out how to handle those issues properly by continuing with the rest of this article.

For many home cooks, the main advantage of using an electric smoker is convenience. They are supposed to make maintaining temperature significantly easier. Once the electric smoker gets going, you can leave it alone and tend to other matters.

In addition to the convenience they grant, electric smokers are also considered safer than the alternatives. Depending on where you live, they may also be the only smokers you can use. Electric smokers make specific preparations more accessible to home cooks. They are great pick-ups if you want to entertain at home or just expand your cooking repertoire.

All that said, you should know that electric smokers are not immune from running into issues. Your recently bought Masterbuilt electric smoker may have trouble staying on.

Detailed below are the possible explanations for why your Masterbuilt electric smoker keeps turning off. We’ve also highlighted some of the things you can do to resolve those issues.

Disassembling your electric smoker will be necessary if you believe the issue is related to the probe. Grab the user manual and refer to that while trying to disassemble the smoker. Make sure the smoker is unplugged before you start disassembling it.

Look for the electric control unit and then take it off after finding it. You should now be able to check the probe. Unplug the probe and examine it carefully. You should check if the pins on the probe are damaged in some capacity.

Damaged pins will explain why your electric smoker is having problems. You may have to replace the probe if the pins are damaged. If the pins look good, then go ahead and set everything back in position. Remember to secure everything properly.

Turn on the electric smoker again. The smoker should now stay on if the problem was indeed related to the probe.

Rust can stop your electric smoker from functioning properly. Those rust spots can affect electrical connections. Over time, they can also compromise the durability of your electric smoker.

Obviously, rust doesn’t appear out of nowhere. An abundance of moisture is typically what causes the emergence of those rust spots.

Ignoring the appearance of rust is not going to turn out well. You need to do something about the rust as soon as possible in order to salvage your Masterbuilt electric smoker.

There are many ways to keep your electric smoker protected from rust. First off, there are preventative measures you can take that will stop the appearance of those rust spots.

If you know that you won’t be using the smoker for a while, keep it stored somewhere dry. Place it in your garage, a shed, or even your kitchen. Leaving it exposed to the elements is just going to speed up the accumulation of rust.

During the summer, you will probably want to keep the smoker out in the yard. That’s fine for the most part, but summer showers can be problematic. Protect your Masterbuilt electric smoker by investing in a cover. The cover should provide complete coverage for your electric smoker. Don’t leave any part of the smoker exposed.

The way you clean the electric smoker can also affect rust development. The cooking grates need deep cleaning after use. Remove the grates from the smoker and let them soak in some warm, soapy water. Use a sponge to clean the grates thoroughly.

You can clean the rest of the smoker using a combination of warm water and apple cider vinegar. Combine those two liquids in a spray bottle and spritz the smoker. Once again, use the sponge to clean up. Don’t panic if there are rust spots already on your Masterbuilt electric smoker. You can still do something about them.

Get some sandpaper and use that to remove the rust. It will take a lot of work, but you can still stop the rust from taking over your electric smoker. Moving forward, use the preventative tips we outlined here to keep the electric smoker protected.

The first thing you must do if you suspect that the GFCI outlet is malfunctioning is to confirm your suspicions. Unplug the smoker from the outlet and try plugging a different appliance in. See what happens after that.

If the other appliance also malfunctions, then the problem is likely with the outlet. Just to make things even clearer, plug the electric smoker into a new outlet. It should work fine in that other outlet.

A malfunctioning GFCI outlet needs to be replaced as soon as possible. Don’t risk using it any further. Call an electrician to work on the outlet and just store your electric smoker for now.

Let’s say that the problem you’re experiencing is actually due to a faulty outlet. It turns out that the smoker itself is in fine working condition. Can you then use an extension cord to continue cooking or is that out of the question? Well, that would depend on what kind of extension cord you have.

You must use a specific kind of extension cord for outdoor appliances. The right extension cord will be labeled “W-A”. Masterbuilt notes that the extension cord will also be specifically labeled as “suitable for use with outdoor appliances”.

There are also measurements you must keep in mind if you intend to use an extension cord. Masterbuilt says that the cord must exceed 16AWG in terms of diameter. When it comes to length, the extension cord should go no further than 25 feet.

Don’t worry too much about finding an extension cord that meets the specific requirements we’ve listed here. Extension cords that meet them are still fairly common. If you need a suitable extension cord, the place where you purchased the electric smoker probably has them. They can also be found online easily enough.

Related Questions

Should I Use Dry or Wet Wood Chips in My Masterbuilt Electric Smoker?

When using a smoker, you will inevitably have to decide between using either dry or wet wood chips. A lot of cooks prefer using the wet wood chips because they are easier to manage. They don’t burn as quickly so you have some margin for error.Using wet wood chips for that reason is not necessary for electric smokers though. Electric smokers have built-in temperature control so they can regulate both dry and wet wood chips.Instead, you should use your flavor preferences to distinguish between your options. Dry wood chips will impart a stronger smoke flavor. Wet wood chips are better if you prefer a subtle taste of smoke.

How Do You Pre-Season a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker before Using It for the First Time?

To pre-season your Masterbuilt electric smoker, start by putting the water pan in there but don’t put any liquid in it. Next, turn the smoker up to 275 degrees and let it run for three hours.45 minutes before you hit the three-hour mark, add a half cup of wood chips to the appropriate container. Go ahead and let the last 45 minutes elapse now. Once the three hours are done, you can turn off the smoker and let it cool down before using it.