The published figures, side by side
| Spec | Masterbuilt 30" | Masterbuilt 710 WiFi | Masterbuilt 40" | Pit Boss 4-Series |
|---|
| Cooking area | 710 sq in, 4 racks | 711 sq in, 4 racks | 970 sq in, 4 racks | 1,320 sq in |
| Temperature range | 100–275°F | 100–275°F | 100–275°F | 100–300°F product page / 100–320°F spec sheet |
| Element | Not published | Not published | Not published | 1,650 W, 110–120 V |
| App control | No | WiFi — temperature, time, alerts, probes | No | WiFi + Bluetooth |
| Meat probes | None | Up to 4, one included | None | Two ports, one included |
| Wood loading | Patented side chip loader | Patented side chip loader | Patented side chip loader | Exterior chip tray |
| Window | No | No | Yes | No |
| Size | 20.5 x 19.9 x 33.3 in | 40.6 x 22.3 x 22.9 in | 25.6 x 19.9 x 41.3 in, plus leg kit | 47 in tall, about 75 lb, rear wheels |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 3 years |
Two notes on honesty in that table. Masterbuilt’s own listing says 711 square inches where its spec table says 710 — a rounding difference we quote rather than resolve. And Pit Boss’s two documents genuinely disagree: the 11085 spec sheet gives 100–320°F and six racks, while the product page gives 100–300°F and the retail title says four. We cannot tell you which is right, so both are here.
What Masterbuilt does better
The side chip loader. This is the real difference and the reason Masterbuilt owns the category. Smoke is a consumable: you reload it every hour or two on a long cook. Masterbuilt’s patented loader takes chips from the side with the door shut; Pit Boss uses an exterior chip tray, which is less tidy and more disruptive. Every door-opening dumps the heat you have been building.
Size and weight. The 30-inch cabinet is 33 inches tall and under 50 pounds. That fits a balcony or a small patio, and one person can move it. The Pit Boss is 47 inches tall and around 75 pounds — a fixture.
Parts and familiarity. Masterbuilt’s electric cabinets are the most widely sold in the category, which means racks, trays, covers and water bowls are easy to find years later.
What Pit Boss does better
Space. 1,320 square inches against 710 is nearly double, for money that usually overlaps. If you smoke eight racks of ribs at a time, this is the cabinet.
Warranty. Three years against one. On an appliance whose element and controller are the parts that fail, that is the most valuable line on this page.
Electronics as standard. WiFi, Bluetooth and a probe come in the box. On the Masterbuilt side you pay up to the 710 WiFi to get any of that, and the standard 30-inch takes no probe at all.
Which one, in one line each
- Masterbuilt 30-inch digital — the default. A first smoker, a small space, the tidiest smoke top-up, the lowest price.
- Pit Boss 4-Series — buy on capacity and the three-year warranty. Accept the chip tray and the footprint.
- Masterbuilt 710 WiFi — the Masterbuilt for someone who wants to watch an overnight pork butt from their phone. Four probe ports, one probe, lockable latch; roughly half again the price of the plain 30-inch for the same space.
- Masterbuilt 40-inch — 970 square inches and a viewing window for the household that cooks two turkeys. Over 50 inches tall with the legs, so measure first.
What neither brand gives you
Crisp skin. A 275°F ceiling will not render poultry skin. Finish the bird hot on a grill or in the oven — our turkey guide covers the timing.
A meat reading you can trust, on two of the four. The plain 30-inch and 40-inch Masterbuilts take no probe, so a separate thermometer is not optional. See thermometers for smoking.
Wood. Chips and pellets are sold separately and are consumables — a bag belongs in the same order, and our pellet page covers which.
For the whole category rather than these two brands, read best electric smokers, and for the cross-fuel decision, electric smoker vs pellet grill.
