Thinking about getting a pellet grill

[Nick87]

No need for a separate smoke tube.

I own a Traeger and Pit boss vertical smoker.

Traeger is ok and works well for ribs and brisket. Can’t sear with it and I dearly missed that. Also can’t do smoked meat sticks well. You will burn the ends because the way the heat escapes. Brisket ends will be burnt ends.

Pit Boss vertical can do everything but sear. It does everything better but it is huge. Lots of problems online with board failures. Mine is delaminating but still functional. Problem is where it’s located, heat and liquid both end up on it.

It comes down to what you primarily want to make. Snack sticks, Ribs, Brisket, Turkeys? Vertical all the way.

Ribs, brisket, chicken? Traeger would win because of longevity and ease of use.

Seared anything, a charcoal grill.

My mom and dad have the trager grill and I also have the vertical pit boss. I agree with everything in this post. Traeger for your situation for sure Dave. Or like @huntin24/7 said if you got the dough the rec-tec. BIL has one it's very nice and definitely smokes a better product imo. Ace hardware runs a lot of sales on them believe it or not. I think the one in Princeton has a lot to choose from if I remember right.

 

[NoWiser]

I've looked at the Recteq and it looks like they start at $750. Not looking to spend that much. I'm a cheap bastard, and just cooking for myself it's hard to justify the cost

I went down the pellet grill rabbit hole last year and almost ended up with one. In the end, I got two of those stainless tubes for $11.00 each that you put pellets in and light. I toss them in the Weber gas grill I already had. No complaints and it’s one less piece of equipment I have to maintain and store.

 

[mtmuley]

I went down the pellet grill rabbit hole last year and almost ended up with one. In the end, I got two of those stainless tubes for $11.00 each that you put pellets in and light. I toss them in the Weber gas grill I already had. No complaints and it’s one less piece of equipment I have to maintain and store.

I have one that I use to smoke cheese in the pellet. mtmuley

 

[Nick87]

. I also think that a pellet is not the place for steaks or burgers.

Sure ain't.

 

[Gulf of America]

I have a Grilla vertical smoker and absolutely love it, but I think our use cases are pretty different - if you aren’t making lots of sausage the pellet grill is probably more convenient to use than the vertical. All that being said, my .02 is that the more long cooks with specific temp targets you do, the more wi-fi makes a difference. As much as I want to stick to the program and let the meat tell me when it’s done, I’m usually trying to have a meal ready at a certain time so I’m always fiddling with the temperature and monitoring the probe and being able to do all that from my phone while I’m on the couch, or chatting, or in the case of brisket in bed, is huge for me.

 

[CowboyLeroy]

I have a smallish traeger, I absolutely love it. I love burning wood in a "real" smoker, but the convenience of the little pellet grill has nearly converted me. Plus the pizzas are delicious

 

[shannerdrake]

I got Louisiana 1100 during the offseason from Costco for $400. Louisiana is Pit Boss’s luxury line. It hits an honest 600 degrees and has a sear station that breaks 1000. It fills all my needs to the point I got rid of everything else.

From smoking briskets to seating tomahawk steaks, I do everything on it now.

A reverse seared (and smoked) streak is a thing worth doing.

The Z Grill will be a glorified smoker/smoky oven. It won’t sear. But with your Weber you’d have a nice combo. Ive seen Z Grills in Menards in the late fall/winter for under $200.

Regardless, a pellet grill of any kind is worth getting.

 

[OpenCountry]

I went from a Green Mountain Grill Daniel Boone to a Traeger and I won’t get another Traeger when this one dies. GMG has a superior build and holds a consistent heat a lot better than my Traeger. I like the option to cook at a higher temp and also having the option to have direct flame for higher temp cooking (steaks, burgers, etc) on the GMG. If you could look at both you should be able to see the difference in build quality.

 

[Sask hunter]

Get like a pitboss or traeger 440 should be enough space for you. The parts are very easy to change on them

 

[Gellar]

No clue what model of traeger I have. It’s 7 or 8 years old. If something goes wrong with it they are easy to work on. Off brand parts are 1/3 the cost and exactly the same. Around Father’s Day there seems to be good sales.

 

[MNElkNut]

My dad got that Traeger Pro 22 for $389 at Ace and loves it. Hard to beat that deal. Simple, small grill that will last a long time. I love my Traeger.

I have been really curious about their Ranger line. I would love to be able to use that out hunting or whatever. Plug into your truck and enjoy.

I am confused on the statements that a steak or burger on a pellet grill doesnt turn out good. I have always thought they were way better than a gas grill.

 

[Gellar]

I am confused on the statements that a steak or burger on a pellet grill doesnt turn out good. I have always thought they were way better than a gas grill.

I agree. If I want a sear I slap it in a cast iron skillet to finish it. I very rarely use mine above 350. Cooking burgers or steak at a lower temp for a little longer, imo, keeps the middle nice and juicy but gives that smoke crust to the outside.

 

[TOGIE]

I agree. If I want a sear I slap it in a cast iron skillet to finish it. I very rarely use mine above 350. Cooking burgers or steak at a lower temp for a little longer, imo, keeps the middle nice and juicy but gives that smoke crust to the outside.

nobody should be using a pellet grill to "cook" a steak or a burger. IMO at least, you can if you want but i don't find it ideal at all.

really, they're best for giving them a 20-30 minute smoke bath before doing the butter sear on a cast iron or flattop.

reverse sear has been around for a few decades, longer if you really get technical with how long sous vide methods have been around. pellet grills just became an easy way to add some genuine smoke to the same process that achieves larger internal volumes of your steak at the desired doneness while still getting a great crust.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

Yoder
Not in the same price point as Traeger but there's a reason.
Built like a tank to actually hold in the heat and you can sear or smoke on it. Customer service is top notch too.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Yoder
Not in the same price point as Traeger but there's a reason.
Built like a tank to actually hold in the heat and you can sear or smoke on it. Customer service is top notch too.

The OP set a $500 limit for himself so Yoder is not what he's looking for.

 

[Dave N]

I have one that I use to smoke cheese in the pellet. mtmuley

That was my thoughts. I smoked some cheese in the winter trying to keep things cool and it was still iffy. This would let me do it just by closing the lid.

I have a Grilla vertical smoker and absolutely love it, but I think our use cases are pretty different - if you aren’t making lots of sausage the pellet grill is probably more convenient to use than the vertical. All that being said, my .02 is that the more long cooks with specific temp targets you do, the more wi-fi makes a difference. As much as I want to stick to the program and let the meat tell me when it’s done, I’m usually trying to have a meal ready at a certain time so I’m always fiddling with the temperature and monitoring the probe and being able to do all that from my phone while I’m on the couch, or chatting, or in the case of brisket in bed, is huge for me.

Good point on the wi-fi. Might be nice to have it handy when doing other things or if running it overnight.

I looked on Marketplace and Craigslist and the only ones within 50 miles were either disgustingly cruddy or priced almost as new. Trying to narrow them down and got into the weeds with features. Some had small hoppers and would need refilled on long cooks. Didn't like that. Discarded models with no pellet drain ability. Not going to buy a shop-vac to clean out the hopper. Porcelain coated cast iron grates would be the best choice over steel. Some came with a temp probe and some didn't. All that digging and having choices led me to 3 choices so far. The Traeger 22 for $390 is sized right for me. The Pit Boss 820 Sportsman is bigger than I need but has the good grates, big hopper, meat probe and wi-fi at $450 marked down from $550. Then the Louisiana Grills 800 Black Label is again bigger than I need but has cast grates, 2 probes, plus wi-fi on sale for $330 from $500. It's at Menards and they also are having their 11% in-store rebate going on so I would get another $36 in store credit for later. All of these I can go and pick up today. Decisions, decisions.

 

[WildWill]

I've owned/own 3 pit bosses, 2 yoders, and a traeger. My traeger is around 10 years old and I've only had to replace the ignition rod. I've worn out two pit bosses in that time. For what you are looking for Dave I'd grab a 34 traeger or if looking smaller the 22.

 

[Gr8bawana]

You could also get a basic smoker with no wi-fi and buy a separate temp monitor that has wi-fi.
This one will also alert you if the temp goes below you desired temp.

 

[noharleyyet]

I had a Pit Boss before biting the RecTeq bullet. Used the PB a lot...enough to have to replace the burn pit...parts are easy to Amazon score. Gave it to my daughter's family & it's still goin' strong for em. Smaller one's work but bigger ones don't shrink. (The PB 820 is what I'd do)

 

[WildWill]

You could also get a basic smoker with no wi-fi and buy a separate temp monitor that has wi-fi.
This one will also alert you if the temp goes below you desired temp.

View attachment 410110

I have that exact one and think this is solid advice. The wifi built in is just one more thing that can fail on your grill and from my experience usually one of the first to go.