Pellet smokers

[redrocker652002]

I am kicking my Webber gas grill hoping I can get it to finally stop working so I can buy a pellet grill. My wife is not a huge smoke meat fan, but light smoke taste is ok with her. I have been looking at Traeger and Pit Boss mainly. What are your experiences with them? She wants to make sure they can "BBQ" like the Webber, meaning grill marks and burnt hamburgers. LOL. Any pro's and con's for each? Any other entry level pellet grills I should be looking into to? Any and all info is appreciated.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Honestly one of the biggest limitations of pellet grills (particularly the entry level ones) is that it is hard to really get a good sear. They're designed with a heat spreader plate so you don't get direct flame--the heat is basically all indirect. You can get grill marks, but not as easily as you'll get from gas or charcoal. They are really designed more to be a woodfired oven.

I was handed down an older Traeger and there are some tricks you can do to work around this. The heat spreader plate has about a 1 inch gap at the front and back of the grill, so if you put something right at the VERY front or back of the grate while the heat is at its max (450 degrees), you can get a sear there. I find that works well for things like a pork tenderloin, particularly due to the long thin shape.

Some pellet grills have designs to work around that, essentially a "sear zone", but I don't think that's a common thing that I've seen on the entry level models.

Brand-wise, you may also want to look at Green Mountain Grills. It's been a decade since I was looking, but at the time I almost pulled the trigger on one of those instead of my kamado grill. It looked equivalent to Traeger and possibly a little less expensive. My brother-in-law has one and he likes it.

BTW I'm going the opposite way from you. Told my wife (who never knows what to buy me for gifts) that perhaps a combined birthday / father's day gift would be a gasser to replace the Traeger, and I'm pretty sure that's going to happen. If you're still on the fence come ~July and you have any reason to drive south to Orange County with a vehicle capable of carrying the Traeger around that time, it's yours. It's old enough to not be worth selling IMHO, but it still works just fine. If nothing else it'd allow you to dip your toes in the pellet pond and see if it works for you before spending the money on one yourself. Hit me up around that time if that's something you're interested in.

 

[whoaru99]

My cousin got a reqtec pellet rig not long ago. Has churned out some pretty good Q on that. He opines it's a step up from his former Traeger.

He has a Weber charcoal grill for grilling.

 

[DonT]

I bought a Yoder 480 back in 2015 and it's a beast. You have the option of getting a heat diffuser plate with an access door you can remove and have flames from the burn box for searing. If I'm doing some steaks, I'll set them off to the side to take on some smoke, then crank up the temp to get the flames roaring and move the steaks on top of that for a good sear.
Yeah it's expensive, but it's a tank and will last forever.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I have a special place of hate in my heart for pellet grills. At my BBQ ownership apex, I had a Kamado Joe classic, Weber King Ranch, a UDS, and an offset smoker. As I downsized, I kept the Kamado Joe as it was the most versatile. I couldn't sear on the UDS, couldn't smoke that well on the King Ranch, but the Kamado gave me the best of all worlds. I can also make my own lump out of whatever species of wood I wanted/had available. Not knowing for sure what is in those pellets is a big deal breaker (among others) for me.

Like beer-making, the start to finish process of barbecuing is part of the enjoyment. I find no joy in filling a pellet box and turning a dial.

 

[GBailey]

And a different opinion. the reason I like my pellet grill is because it has the same personality as my old Ronco rotisserie...set it and forget it. For folks who like to multi-task or drink too many Old Fashioneds and snooze with the meat on the barbie, a meal saver.

 

[JohnDBrewer]

I've had a Traeger for over 10 years. I also have a Weber gas grill. For me, the Traeger is primarily a smoker and I use it for few other random items to cook, but it doesn't take the place of my gas grill. I know the pellet grill folks try to sell you on it taking the place of your other grills, but for me it doesn't. Traeger was the only thing out there we I bought mine, now there are a ton of brands and you can even buy pellets at the grocery store. Used to have buy them at specialty stores, and are the are significantly cheaper.

 

[passedpawn]

I've got a Weber kettle and a Traeger pellet pooper. I find this is a great combo.

No way I would try to sear anything on that Traeger. It's a field horse for tilling soil, not a race horse on the quarter mile track. It's not a great smoker... not enough smoke to really do BBQ justice... need to add a smoke tube for that; for the OP, this might be perfect!. I still like using it, because of the set-and-forget control.

 

[kheart]

I bought a Pit Boss 1150 Pro over a year ago and absolutely love it. I'm very glad to be done with propane on the big grill. Most Pit Boss smokers have the heat plates that you can move and end up with more of a direct flame. Very similar results to cooking over a fire, but much more controlled. I am about 50-50 cooking with the plate open or closed. When I smoke, I keep it closed. My son has the 850 Pro, and he keeps his plate open even when smoking.

I did a ton of research before buying, and am very happy with my Pit Boss. I just couldn't justify the additional cost of a Traeger or some of the other rigs out there. Provided I take care of it, I'm figuring to get as many years out of it as any of the other brands. My last propane grill was 12 years and going strong when we sold the house, which unfortunately included the outdoor bar and kitchen.

 

[IDMaynard]

I am kicking my Webber gas grill hoping I can get it to finally stop working so I can buy a pellet grill. My wife is not a huge smoke meat fan, but light smoke taste is ok with her. I have been looking at Traeger and Pit Boss mainly. What are your experiences with them? She wants to make sure they can "BBQ" like the Webber, meaning grill marks and burnt hamburgers. LOL. Any pro's and con's for each? Any other entry level pellet grills I should be looking into to? Any and all info is appreciated.

I used a gas grill and just put a small pan in for pellet/woodchips, especially if the wife is not a big smoke fan, it will give you some smoke right off the bat but will typically run out before the meat is fully cooked, and you'll be able to sear it as betarhoalphadeta mentioned.

 

[redrocker652002]

Thanks guys, you have give me lots to think about. I have a smoke tube that I have not used in years. Might dust it off and give it a go and see what happens. The list time I tried to use it I think the pellets caught fire. LOL. I am looking for a one unit type deal and maybe the gas grill with the smoke tube is a good deal. Gonna give it a go next time I cook hamburgers or something simple and see where I go with it. The Pit Boss was the one I was looking at originally as they are a bit cheaper and might be a better all in one deal, but we will see. Thanks to all who replied and keep it coming.

 

[passedpawn]

Thanks guys, you have give me lots to think about. I have a smoke tube that I have not used in years. Might dust it off and give it a go and see what happens. The list time I tried to use it I think the pellets caught fire. LOL. I am looking for a one unit type deal and maybe the gas grill with the smoke tube is a good deal. Gonna give it a go next time I cook hamburgers or something simple and see where I go with it. The Pit Boss was the one I was looking at originally as they are a bit cheaper and might be a better all in one deal, but we will see. Thanks to all who replied and keep it coming.

Yea, that is the problem with gas, it relies on flame. Stick burners are just the opposite, we avoid the flame at all cost.

Turns out, for most cooking, flame getting near the food is bad. For this reason I abandoned the gas a long time ago. It is convenient though. If you want the best of all worlds, consider a Weber Performer Deluxe. It's a charcoal grill, can both smoke and get crazy hot, and has a small gas tank underneath for VERY easily getting the coals going. Coal bin underneath, convenient worktable, etc. I have a griddle for it for making great burgers, I've had it close to 1000F for making pizza, I smoke a turkey on it each Thanksgiving, etc.

 

[redrocker652002]

Yea, that is the problem with gas, it relies on flame. Stick burners are just the opposite, we avoid the flame at all cost.

Turns out, for most cooking, flame getting near the food is bad. For this reason I abandoned the gas a long time ago. It is convenient though. If you want the best of all worlds, consider a Weber Performer Deluxe. It's a charcoal grill, can both smoke and get crazy hot, and has a small gas tank underneath for VERY easily getting the coals going. Coal bin underneath, convenient worktable, etc. I have a griddle for it for making great burgers, I've had it close to 1000F for making pizza, I smoke a turkey on it each Thanksgiving, etc.

View attachment 846985

Funny thing. I was looking at those too. Seems it might be the best of all worlds. Gonna keep looking.

 

[SFC Rudy]

Pellet grills are trash, the easy bake ovens for bbq. I have a traeger and all it’s good for is cooking hotdogs. I have a couple Kamado joes, pricey, but they are nice to cook on.

 

[whoaru99]

the easy bake ovens for bbq.

Yup. For some things I like it that way. I've proven to myself on any number of things I can do them the old way and or the hard way, but choose not to anymore.

 

[DonT]

the easy bake ovens for bbq..

Kinda why I bought one. I didn't want to fuss with trying to keep the flame going...

 

[drjayray]

I have many grills and smokers-

Little chief electric smoker makes the best smoked salmon hands down

Big ass smoker made with 275gal oil tank cut in half with woodstove for smoke on side both welded to an old motorcycle trailer. Usually get charcoal going in bottom of tank and feed smoke by woodstove with various hardwoods. Brisket, ribs, brined chickens, whole lamb, whole hog, etc. it’s for feeding lots of people on occasion.

4 burner summit Weber gas grill for lots of dinners throughout the year. Have a stainless smoker box to add various wood chips for smoke as needed and a large cast iron flattop insert made for for grill that gets you “the blackstone” for smash burgers, steak/sausage/peppers and onions or some “outside breakfast” with hash browns, bacon, crispy hash, and big ass omelettes with two spatulas! Really the best of all grills put together.

So my advice is keep the Weber, hit Amazon for cast iron flattop insert for part of your grill (matches up with grate) and get a smoke box and some different hardwoods to use with it. Gas is fast and convenient, add smoke when needed, try the flattop without investing in a whole other grill. No pellet augers to jam or break in time. And you can get Weber parts forever to keep it going strong.

Good luck and grill/smoke on!

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Pellet grills are trash, the easy bake ovens for bbq. I have a traeger and all it’s good for is cooking hotdogs. I have a couple Kamado joes, pricey, but they are nice to cook on.

Lol... They are most assuredly not "trash". You can make a lot of good food on them. I've liked having mine for the last ~5-6 years [especially getting it free] to use along side my Big Joe and Joe Jr when I'm cooking something that's appropriate. IMHO no matter what equipment you use, it comes down to the chef. You can make great Q on a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker, and that's even more easy bake than a pellet pooper.

To me the biggest indictment of a pellet grill is that they're a jack of all trades, master of none. IMHO a kamado does everything a pellet grill can do better than a pellet grill, and does somethings phenomenally better. But if you want ONE grill at your house, and you don't want to mess with charcoal every time you want to cook, they do the job. Especially if you get one of the ones mentioned above that actually has some sort of sear capability (the biggest detriment IMHO to pellet grills). And especially on top of that if you want to actually frequently use it as a smoker--a gasser is tougher to set up and get consistent smoke out of than a pellet grill. The "easy bake" aspect of a pellet grill is its best selling point IMHO.

As mentioned upthread, I think it's time to put my Traeger out to pasture in favor of a gasser. But I only say that because I have the Big Joe and Joe Jr kamado grills, so the thing that a Traeger is best at, smoking or being an outdoor oven, is something my kamado grill excels at. So I'll always use the kamado for smoking. Whereas the thing that I miss, the ability to sear or grill hot direct on weekdays when I don't want to mess with charcoal, is the one area that the Traeger is most lacking. That's where the gasser will come in--the quick and easy weeknight cook.

My view is this:

• If you want a "grill", the best options are a gasser, a kettle grill, or a kamado.
• If you want a "smoker", the truly best option is an offset stickburner. But a kamado, a pellet grill, a WSM/UDS, a Masterbuilt Electric (or propane) Smoker, a cabinet smoker, etc are ALL excellent. Some are better than others for certain things, i.e. the MES won't produce a smoke ring, and a pellet grill will be a milder smoke flavor. But they can all produce excellent Q.
• If you have the budget and the space for multiple grills, your options are as limitless as your budget and space. Depending on both, you can choose to optimize based on your own needs.
• If you only have the budget and space for one grill, and you need the ability to smoke, I think you're not going to do better than a kamado, a pellet grill, or possibly the Masterbuilt vertical charcoal grill/smoker (I have no personal experience but I've heard good things). You need to figure out your personal goals (i.e. how easy/clean you need it to be, with pellet being the cleanest and kamado probably the opposite) and pick the right thing.
• If you have the space but NOT the budget, a Weber charcoal kettle grill paired with a pellet grill is an EXCELLENT in-between. The kettle is cheap and gives you a great direct heat source for grilling/searing and the pellet grill is good for everything else.

To me you simply have to ask yourself what capabilities you need, and then what options meet your budget, space constraints, and cooking "style" (i.e. how involved you want to be). There are many answers and they're all deeply individual.

 

[passedpawn]

Pellet grills are trash, the easy bake ovens for bbq. I have a traeger and all it’s good for is cooking hotdogs. I have a couple Kamado joes, pricey, but they are nice to cook on.

IMO they are not good for cooking hot dogs. If you smoking them after you've stuffed homemade hot dogs, well yes, it's perfect for that.

 

[yamhill]

I have a simple gas grill that I use for sear and basic grilling, and a green mountain grill pellet that I use for smoking. Perhaps pellet grill doesn't satisfy some -- but I like the pellet grill specifically because its controls make it capable of maintaining consistent temperature for hours without a lot of intervention.

 

[Oldskewl]

I have a RecTec RT-590 and I have no complaints and it can get up to 500+F. I held off buying it for a year and bought a new Weber gas grill during Covid though. Because I read that pellet smokers took longer to get up to high temps(500F+) and used a lot of pellets at those high temps. I use my gas grill a couple times a week after work and I want it to heat up quick. I don't have a lot of extra time in the evenings. If you add grill grates to a pellet smoker it helps with the searing also. I do love my rectec for smoking though and the control you have through the app with WiFi. Nice to be able to adjust the temp on the fly is needed. Sure beats my old Bradley smoker.

 

[paul.wied]

I am kicking my Webber gas grill hoping I can get it to finally stop working so I can buy a pellet grill. My wife is not a huge smoke meat fan, but light smoke taste is ok with her. I have been looking at Traeger and Pit Boss mainly. What are your experiences with them? She wants to make sure they can "BBQ" like the Webber, meaning grill marks and burnt hamburgers. LOL. Any pro's and con's for each? Any other entry level pellet grills I should be looking into to? Any and all info is appreciated.

My temp. gauage stopped working on my current standing cabinet style gas smoker, so now I 'NEED' to buy a new smoker , so I am in the same position as you Oldskewl...I'm looking into a pellet and am also looking for pros and cons...I want a good pellet smoker, but not spend a months salary on it. So I will follow this thread as well .

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

My temp. gauage stopped working on my current standing cabinet style gas smoker, so now I 'NEED' to buy a new smoker , so I am in the same position as you Oldskewl...I'm looking into a pellet and am also looking for pros and cons...I want a good pellet smoker, but not spend a months salary on it. So I will follow this thread as well .

Ha!

If I replaced a grill/smoker/etc every time the temp gauge started going wonky, I would have owned a LOT of grills/smokers/etc

But as they say, never let a "crisis" go to waste lol.