I Tried To Replace My Gas Grill With A Pellet Grill - This Is What Happened
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- čas přidán 18. 05. 2024
- I've wanted a smoker for years but I had a few questions that I couldn't find answers to. Now that I've had my @TraegerGrills for 2 years, I wanted to make a video answering all these questions.
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TIMELINE:
0:00 Intro
0:52 What Is a Traeger Smoker?
3:03 Maintenance
3:40 Smoker or Grill?
5:37 Let’s Talk Pellets
7:32 WiFire & Traeger App
8:47 What About Smoke Flavor
10:17 Essential Accessories
12:10 I've Cooked...
13:35 Dry Rubs
14:17 Is It Worth The Price
16:02 Final Thoughts
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#Traeger #PelletGrill #BBQ - Věda a technologie
If you are using Traeger pellets that is why you don't get much smoke flavor. They use mostly alder in their pellets and then flavor them with oils from the trees listed on the bag. Pellets made from the actual hardwoods like hickory, cherry, oak, maple, etc. produce a lot more smoke flavor. Also 250 is a bit high for good smoke 225 is around the top of the "smoke zone".
prac/hcf player?
Thx never new that. Whats your fav pellet brand and flavor? I was told that other brad pellets wont work properly probably bs. Thx for the tip :)
@@bearbait2221 I haven’t tried any brand other than CookinPellets yet because I bought into the Traeger only thing for a while too. Bet as long as they are similar in size and aren’t wet or break apart easily I don’t see any reason why other pellets won’t work. These at least seem just fine so far as long as you are following all of the other instructions for your grill.
@@stimpy5067 Thanks 4 the tip:)I might try too find new brand alder pellets and other flavors.
@@bearbait2221 I would stay away from alder since it doesn’t have much flavor. Sorry if my comment earlier was unclear but the problem with Traeger pellets is that they aren’t actually made from the wood listed on the packaging as the flavor. They are alder that has been flavored which results in pretty weak flavors in your food. I didn’t recommend a flavor because I have only tried one bag other than the Traeger pellets. The CookinPellets hickory is good though. When I used to smoke in my vertical smoker I also loved to use mesquite but it does have a strong flavor so use it for something that can really handle it or don’t leave your food in the mesquite smoke for longer than 10-60mins before smoking/cooking with something else.
1) The lack of smoke flavor is due to too high of an initial temp. For instance, when I do wings, I run my pellet smoker at 185 degreees for 45 minute of more then switch to 350 degrees to actually cook the wings and tighten the skin. Great smoke flavor (at least with my Memphis Elite). 2) Some pellet grill have open flame cooking to char/sear.
Yup, you can't just hammer it with heat and expect it to accept a bunch of smoke.
Man, I’m learning a lot from these comments lol. I’m going to try this tonight on some wings. Thanks.
Steve, great tips! I have a Camp Chef and after six years I can say that I’m totally sold. I went through some of what you are expending with getting little smoke taste, but found that changing pellets and cooking low and slow did the trick. I’ve made several briskets and they get better and better. I did just replace my control board for $70, but that’s been all the upkeep it has needed. I’ve just gifted my smoker to my son and have purchases a wifi enabled 36” Camp Chef Woodwind, which just arrived. Are they grills? Nope. But as a smoker I really like it. Scott
In my humble opinion, after BBQing for many of my 70 years on earth...serious outdoor chef 's need at least 3 different kinds of outdoor ways of preparing food. Pellet, charcoal, and propane/gas. With these you will be able to cook EVERYTHING!
Yessir....you are right!
Unfortunately, in today's world, that is no longer an option for many people. Things aren't affordable anymore. A lot of people can only swing 1 unit these days.
@@mikek5631 he did say a serious outdoor chef, not the general weekend cook... it's not for everyone, or your right, not everyone can afford to..but some of us that chose to take it to the next level are in the position we can have all 3 or in my case, 4 or more, my blackstone gets a lot of use these days.
100% correct👍
@@mikek5631 the pellet grill is the only expensive one. You can get a cheap propane and super cheap charcoal grill. I have a Traeger, Weber and PK New Original and use all 3 monthly
I gave up on gas grills about 5 years ago. The last two was done after about 18 months. I purchased the Weber kettle charcoal grill about 5 years ago. It’s a red anniversary edition. It works great. I cook year round here in Kentucky. I can have hot coals ready to cook in 10 minutes. Just this spring, I picked up a Traeger smoker form Costco. I have cooked chicken, ribs, and pork butt. They all turned out great. I’m still experimenting with it. I’m cooking about ever two weeks. I’m ready to buy the next bag of pellets. You make very good points. I just finished the last of the pulled pork yesterday.
If you want more smoke flavor you should cook at 190 to 225. Pellet grills excel at low temps. I’ll put a brisket on at 7pm at 200 degrees and then give it a spritz before I go to bed. It’s usually ready to wrap when I wake up. Once it’s wrapped i turn it up to finish it. and then when it’s done I foil boat it to expose the fat on top to crust it up while I rest it for like 8 hours at the lowest temp. Plus it gets more smoke on it during the rest. It comes out amazing every time. As for high heat grilling, get a set of GrillGrates and stick them directly on top of the deflector plate. It will increase the temp of the grates by 200 degrees. So if you set the grill to 450, your grates will be 650 and sear the crap out of everything. I grill steaks and chops like that all the time. Just some little hacks to get the most out of it.
Open the lid when starting up! Pellet grills/smokers have exploded in the past during startup with the lid closed.
I saw that in another video the other day!
Very complete and informative review & comparison. The thing I love about smoking meats is that you can try a variety of methods, rubs and pellets and get different flavors and results. It’s fun experimenting. I agree with several people that have already commented on this video: 1. For smoke flavor, 250 degrees is too high of a temperature to get good smoke penetration. 2. Experiment with other pellet brands. I’m not a fan of the Traeger pellets. I’ve tried several other brands and personally like the Lumber Jack brand the best.
I have had multiple smokers for over 50 years, from 300 gallon stick burners, to smoking on an egg to my current custom made pellet grill made from 1/4" steel (it will last a lifetime). Honestly I looked at Yoder and they would have been my 3rd choice. But that is just me. I went with pellets, as I am now in my 70s and don't want to stay up all night. Multiple reasons that all pellet grills tend to have lower smoke flavor. The suggestion of finishing in an oven, once you get the taste profile you like will work, especially if you can bring your oven down to about 225. The dryness of the pellets are a factor you can't fix and limit the amount of smoke, just like kiln dried wood does on a stick burner. Best % of moisture for smoking is about 17%. Pellets are closer to 10 or less. Traeger pellets are some of the lower smoke taste. Fine powder rubs will also reduce the amount of smoke, as they create a coating. When I first received the pellet grill I had made for me, I evaluated how it works. If you have not, you may consider putting things like ribs on the second shelf, if you have one. Traeger pellets are "flavored" in a patented process. That does not thrill me. If you research Lumber Jack, you will probably find someone who orders it by the pallet(s). The negative for you, would be a bit stronger smoke taste. But, you could get milder taste with choices like Pecan. The 20lb bags are usually about $12.00. For those who stock the 40lb, they are usually less than $18.00 or so. If you choose to cook the flat only, as some have suggested, it will be less tender and less of the great taste from the point. Smoke ring is a chemical reaction of myoglobin and carbon dioxide and has 0 to do with taste. You mentioned expanding to other meats. With both Pork Butt and especially beef plate ribs and brisket, resting is critical for tenderness. The best true BBQ places in Texas and Oklahoma have an untold secret in the long rest. I have found resting a pork butt and beef plate ribs at least six hours allows for aborption so that it does not dry out as fast when you shred. Brisket I rest 10-15 hours. Again, jmo. Take it or leave it.
Jim, I agree with everything you said. Pellet brands can make a big difference. Some will use "fillers" in their pellets. It is a matter of trial and error in finding a brand/flavor profile that you like.
Also, for those of you that may want to increase the smoke flavor without necessarily adding too much heat, look into a pellet tube (A-maze-N pellet tube is a brand that comes to mind). You just fill the tube with pellets, place it in the cooking chamber and light it (I use a small torch). Pellets will smoulder and add more smoke without affecting cooking temp by much. You can even use the pellet tube to cold smoke cheeses.
I also have a large stick burner, and nothing will come close to the flavor profile of it, but yes, I love the convenience of the pellet grill when I don't want to stay up all night baby-sitting a brisket.
Could one pre soak the pellets to re hydrate them before adding them to the hopper. Of course not wet pellets but moisturizer slightly
@@ohstirfry Would not recommend that. Moisture of any kind is a big enemy of pellets. They lose their "compactness" and will just clog up your auger.
Really great commentary. Thank you. What do you mean by “cook the flat only?”
@@RealEstateSafelyNavigated A brisket is made up of two muscles, the leaner Pectoralis major muscle called "the flat" and the fattier Pectoralis minor muscle called "the point". They are separated by a fat layer between them. When you buy them together, it is called a "packer" brisket but sometimes you can just buy the thinner, "flat" muscle by itself to cook or some people may separate the two and cook them individually.
Thank you for checking out this video. If you want to see a gas grill that also doubles as a pellet smoker, check this video out czcams.com/video/wNsmVZxetsw/video.html.
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Yes they tell you when to clean these units but they also tell you to start them with the lid open because they can explode on start up. Kind of like starting a gas grill with the lid closed.
I've been using a wood pellet grill for about 5 years and absolutely love every aspect of them. The ONLY draw back of completely getting rid of a propane and/charcoal grill would be that I wouldn't have anything to cook on when the power goes out as I do not have a generator.
Another HUGE plus with my pellet smoker is that it replaces my oven in the summer which lowers my cooling cost and makes it easier on my AC.
Green mountain grills has 12 volt smoker units that can run off a battery. I have one and it's great out at the trailer.
@@segstron dfgg free fg
@@segstronseven or so years ago my GMG (Daniel Boone prime) came ready to go for both 120 AC (wall) and 12 DC (car battery). I have even powered it with one of those 12 volt rechargeable “jump packs” while camping.
You have to plug it in?
I have the 575 pro as well and just Got grill grates for it. They work so great. I got rid of my propane grill. I just got mine today, and it put a nice char on my ribeye. It put nice grill marks on the hot dogs and burgers as well. I set my temp at 500 the grill grates produce so much heat. It was like 675 degrees with the grates.
Great review. You answered all of the questions and concerns that I had regarding a unit like this. I already have a smoker that I smoke fish, pork butts, beef chucks, etc., but was looking for a good grill that I can put a nice sear to meats. I have had friends tell me how much they love this unit but I always questioned the ability to truly "grill." You saved me from buying something I really wouldn't have a use for. Many thanks for such a thorough review of the good and bad.
Sure is nice to be able to set something and walk away from it for 8+ hours
I have a Napoleon Prestige Pro. Bought it slightly used for a huge discount. it's one of the best gas grills out there. I just use a smoker box with chips and chunks to give it that smoke flavor, which really does come through very well. Since it's a propane grill, I can get something done fast if I need to, but the temp control is really good and that lets me smoke for hours if I want to.
This was the best pellet grill video I've seen. Super helpful, no time wasted with useless stories. Thank you for the time you put into this - super helpful.
Dave
Hi I saw your comment here after watching part of this video I just wanna say I think this video is absolute crap. There is so much bad information here about Pellet grilling and how it works, it’s just unbelievable. I plan to come back (ideally) and do a more in-depth commentary. I’ve just retired and I have some spare time and I honestly I love my pellet grill and seeing this sort of misinformation put out to irritates the hell out of me!
Two comments I will leave you with for now:
First, when you are starting the grill, always, always,always keep the lid open, not shut it as Dave does here. Not the way it’s supposed to be done because that smoke itself is combustable. Most importantly, when you lose flame if you are smoking and have it set to a low temp, it’s very important not to simply cycle down to Off and then back to the on or start-up position because you’ll continually feed pellets for four minutes and can actually explode your grill. You can look on CZcams for “Traeger exploding” to see videos of it doing so. Very dangerous and he did not mention it at all, real mis-information.
Secondly, Dave is talking about a specific brand, a Traeger. Now, first and foremost I am here to tell you that Traeger absolutely owns the advertising market when it comes to pellet grills, nobody is even a close second.
But this is not the only product on the pellet grill market and Dave did not mention that. Why is it important? Because there is another grill from a large manufacturer, an established brand, called the Pitboss, that works much better (and is like half the price!) for one specific reason and that reason is that the Treager can only cook by convection. As Dave explains, there is no direct access to the flame itself. This can best be seen at time 3:05 in the video, when he talked about maintenance and opens the lid- you can see beneath the meat that it is simply one large sheet to catch drippings, the flame is not in sight at all.
The Pitboss on the other hand, does have a “door” if I can call it that, that lets you put flame directly on the grill, if you want to. The door can be kept shut completely and will cook like a Treager, but can also be opened to sear the meat directly, which Dave never mentioned. Annoying, cause these grills have both been on the market for a number of years and Dave comes off as somewhat of a “Pro” at this.
If you look up a CZcams video by Patrick Sipperly called “Pitboss Pellet Grill vs Treager - Ehats the Best Smoker For” and got to time 3:10, you’ll see him show this grill door in action - one picture’s worth a thousand views !
I’ve had my Pitboss now for 3 1/2 years it’s in my patio in Southern California it’s it’s there 24 seven without a cover without anything on it, through the rain the heat the dirt and it fires up every single time no issues. It works great!
Hope all this helps a bit, feel free to reach out if you want to know more
- John (Sammy Smith is my cover name, don’t want my name all over the web)
For those that miss the "sear" or grill marks on a pellet grill look into a Sear station. These are metal plates that sit on top of the grill grate and heat up by 100-150 F above grill temp. I've had a pellet grill for over 5 years and I also missed those grill/sear marks when I started. I purchased a set of GrillGrate pellet grill sear station [no, I don't work for them or get paid by them ;) ] . They make different sizes, and some specifically for Traeger. They are very easy to clean and "expandable" by an interlocking edge, so you can just get a couple and cover a small cooking area or get enough to cover the entire cooking area.
I second this! My Grill Grates are amazing! I haven’t had a gas grill for years now that I’ve added those!
I third this... Grill Grates sounds like a gimmick but they actually work and work well,.
my pit boss has a moved grill grate over the fire pot, that lets the fire directly reach the grilling grate right above. Let me get my sear marks and still only use a pellet grill
:)
@@sirpieman300 my brother in law had a pit boss and it rotted out the bottom of the barrel and fire pot within a few years cause of the grease dripping down into the bottom.
I think most pellet grills are offering a sear section where it exposes your meat directly to the fire.
I just buy a set of high temp gloves and remove the grates and heat diffuser on my Yoder .
Really enjoy your channel and this discussion on the pellet grill. I’ve owned a Traeger Lil Tex Elite for 7 years now and have really enjoyed it. I too am a fan of the grill marks and some char on steaks and burgers, which is tough to get on the straight pellet grill. Several years back I bought a two panel Grill Grate (trade name) and have had great success. Really does a good job of giving you that taste and look. I tend to be a low and slow cooker of tri-tip and brisket and have had great success on the Traeger. For me, I do like a Smokey taste, which seems to really come out in the day or two after the cook…I use Traeger pellets most frequently.
I've watched several videos on smokers because I'm thinking of getting one. Yours is the best, most informative one I've seen, where you talk about cost of operating the grill and the fact of the draw backs. Keeping your gas grill is a big one for me because keeping both would be an issue. Thanks, L think I will hold off on the purchase for now.
Another option for cooking outdoors is a blackstone grill
Good info. Thank you. I have a good grill, and the Traeger is for things like burnt ends, brisket and such. Sound like a nice guy to be a neighbor. Take care,
Very good presentation. I pretty much agree with everything you said. The Meat Church rubs have also been my favorite. I've owned a Traeger Pro 780 since February and I really like it. You are right in that it is a different way of cooking in comparison to a regular grill. I went from a charcoal grill to the Traeger so the warmup time doesn't bother me. I have experimented with a lot of meats and have enjoyed them all. I found a local distributor of pellets called Cooking Pellets. Wow, those have been a real game changer. They provide a great smoke flavor and I do believe they don't burn up as much as fast as the Traeger pellets. Anyway, I'm very happy with the Traeger.
Thanks for the video. Another reason to get a cover for your pellet smoker is you need to keep your pellets dry. Yes, there is a cover over the pellet hopper, but you need to minimize all moisture getting to your pellets.
Just starting my research. Thanks for your candid review.
True.
I got one pallet grill but now I cook a lot more tasty meat then b4 on propane grill.
I am doing some modification to my pallet grill like putting rotisserie kit, cold smoke maker and adjustable grill grates.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Finally a no-nonsense, straightforward, no effects video and commentary that is very useful. Well done Sir👌🍻🍖
Wow, the first honest video that shows the basics... power 🔋 is required.
Almost all pellet grills and smokers use an auger to move the pellets.
This is the reason why I personally purchased a Masterbuilt Thermotemp XL, no electricity needed... and maintains the temperature 🌡 like the gas oven in your kitchen would.
I have a Camp Chef Woodwind and one thing I love about it has a rod to pull back the heat deflector from outside the smoker while it's running. So, if you set it to 500 and then pull the heat deflector back when it reaches temp, the temp at the bottom grate goes way up to the point where I can actually get grill marks on meat. It also has a side attachment with a small propane grill which can be used for a final sear (I usually only use that for steak and pork chops though). Last, I always buy my pellets from Sam's Club or Costco, they sell 40lb bags for $15 and the pellets work great and the taste is just as good as any other pellets I've tried.
The Pit Boss has a char option, you can slide open the plate and get direct flame!
I’ve used my pit boss for 2 years now and it’s replaced my gas grill entirely.
With the flame, I find there’s just no reason to go back.
Just Sunday I was able to have 10 burgers, 5 brats, and 8 hot dogs done in 25 min time (and that’s from the moment I turned it on to turned it off).
The ONLY quarrel I have with the little searing slider, is it makes a pretty gnarly hotspot in the middle, which sucks for baking
Thank you that helped a lot! That information is greatly appreciated! Peace and light to you and your family
I got the Camp Chef a few years ago because it had an ash dump and a hopper dump, if you wanted to change flavors. It was great at smoking but not grilling. I bought some Grill-Grates which really improved the grilling if you got the temp up to 450. It gradually lost its ability to go to high temp, so I paid $150 for a gen2 controller that works way better. Now I grill anything again.
I have a small traeger, I use it everyday! I make everything on it, eggs, pancakes, pizza, cake, lasagna, mac and cheese. I bought a smoking tube to provide more smoke at higher temperatures, they work well. Very easy to use.
Ranger?
To each their own, but your conclusion is spot on with my own in that they are two different animals. I view the Pellet "grill" as more of an outdoor oven that provides smoke flavor and the gas grill will always be a direct heat searing machine. Just my opinion. Awesome comparison and great insight for those who are considering their options!
Some of the new pellet grills have searing capability up to 1,000 degrees.
Your conclusions mimic what I've found, wanting a Treager to replace my gas grill now seeing that not possible, even with the models that have 1000deg searing! Enjoyed you video very much
@@XploreAznot worth the cost at all. Steaks from a $300 grill come out 10x better than from a $1500 traeger. Traeger is really only worth it if you’re gonna smoke.
I'm from Texas and love BQ. I've used charcoal, gas, and now pellet. What I like about Traeger is cooking consistency. I agree you don't get the burnt marks as you do on a weber charcoal grill, but for slow cooks like smoked chicken and ribs, it's awesome. The only problem is the smoke flavor. I don't get that rich smokey flavor that I'm used to. Watched several videos, and think it has to do with the Traeger pellets. Just bought a bag of lumberjack oak pellets, and plan on doing a whole chicken tonight. Hope it works.
Let me know how it goes!
How’d it go with the 3rd party pellets?
Totally agree with pellet grill not replacing the Gas Grill. I have both and use them regularly. Just like tools in the garage, they all have a special purpose...
When I want the smoke flavor I put it at 165 for 15 to 30 min then I turn it up to cooking temp and you get the smoke flavor. I have the same unit. Great video
Well done! I have been thinking about a Traegor you really helped with thinking about all that goes into the cooking and using it.
Thank you for the honest assessment. I thought about the Traeger. But after watching this, I am going with the propane grill.
Thanks Steve for this informative video. It was a pleasure listening to you! 👍🏻🙂
I have a Yoder and love it. Nice video!
I have a Traegar not the WiFi but basically the same model minus the WiFi with the accessories. I've had mine for 5 or 6 years, and I absolutely love it. I just did two slabs of ribs, chicken, burgers & brats.
I also have a traditional charcoal grill, I really like that too, I use both at the same time for obviously different types of cooking.
so I enjoy both...plus I'm about to add a 4 heat zone Blackstone Griddle to my outdoor kitchen 😀
Hey Steve. Checkout Yoder YS640S if you want to have only one grill. Things a beast and can do the high temps. You can remove the deflection plate to get direct flame grilling.
Excellent working knowledge! You addressed a lot of my questions. I'm leaning more towards getting one...
Thank you so much for this great and helpful video. I currently have a Weber grill, Blackstone griddle, and a Masterbuilt electric smoker. I was looking to purchase a pellet grill to replace the grill and the smoker to safe some space. You just saved me some money. Much appreciated.
I really appreciate the time and info. you put into this video. I own a gas grill and dedicated small Weber smoker and have been on the fence about getting a pellet grill. I'd miss the char for sure, otherwise it's like cooking in an oven. Also I purchased a little smoker tube which helps put a little flavor while using the gas grill. I think I'm going to pass on a pellet grill for sure now.
Buy a PK grill .Uses charcoal and you can add chunks of wood for smoking .Direct grilling or indirect .
100% you go for the traeger ur gonna kick urself for not doing it sooner.
agreed with Joseph here. I have been considering a pellet grill, to replace my propane, but i think this just convinced me to ditch that idea. I have a propane grill and a webber bullet, and this video just convinced me that a pellet grill is the worst of both worlds. Thanks Steve DOES!
Thanks for the nice detailed review. Two drawbacks I see are the price of fuel and way too much convective hot air ..I will stick with my gas grill with grillgrates!
I just bought mine !! Can't wait to use it!! Thx for the info
As far as smoke flavor I can tell you that the pro series traeger cooks well but I agree there is little to no smoke flavor. I recently upgraded from the 780 pro to the brand new timberline xl and the difference in flavor is night and day. 2 factors to this are the super smoke feature and the downdraft exhaust instead of the stack.
I typically add a smoke tube with a mix of wood chips and pellets, and that seems to really help. It's still not going to be near as smoky as an offset or a BGE or Kamado Joe though, IMO.
@@doplinger1 Watching this video and reading these comments pretty much makes me think there would be no reason for me to bother with a Traeger. I would want it specifically as a smoker, but this video and these comments basically tell me it isn't a smoker.
@@TheHOOfan1 They are smokers, and most peoole I know with them use them as smokers. You just have to learn how to use them, a lot of experimentation at first. My father in law gets good smoke flavor on his traeger, main thing is you gotta cook at low temperature and slowly. I think 4 hours is the shortest time he ever smokes anything.
I am looking at a Traeger now. This review is VERY helpful. Thank you so much.
We are on our second Traeger. I bought the first one directly from the factory in Mount Angle Oregon. The second one was made offshore. We use it primarily as a smoker and have smoked a variety of vegetables (my other half is mostly vegetarian), salt, cheese, and of course chicken, turkey breast (we like the boneless version), pork loin, pork ribs, beef ribs and just yesterday I did my first brisket. I agree with your comments with respect to grill marks and cleaning. That said, we only use the Traeger and just live with the shortcomings of a pellet stove.
Thanks for the video, I will use it to inform folks who ask us about the Traeger to help them understand the pros and cons.
I have a 575 Pro like yours. I called Traeger Customer Service and ordered the PRO 22 front legs with castors. Its a total game changer and I recommend it to everyone!
Excellent content.
Thanks for the effort.
I'm glad I ran across this.
Thank you very much for sharing, Steve. Very informative and appreciate your honest take. God bless!
Great video.!
I have a small portable Treager Ranger since we do a lot of RVingng. As for chard marks on my meat when I cook chickens, hambergers or steaks I use a set of GrillGrates made to fit my Treager Ranger. GrillGrates work like a charm for searing meat or even cook pizzas and fish.
Used my Traeger yesterday for the first time. Must say I like it!
If you get an offset smoker, you can normally put a grill over the firebox for direct heat cooking. More maintenance but for a single solution, a stick burner offset would be best.
I have Trager, and have found that for smoking, I need to be at 180-200 degrees. My trager also has the super smoke option which I have found to help, but goes through the pellets much faster. Great video, thanks for sharing.
Awesome! Thanks for the comment
I just got my new Traeger 575 2days ago and I am going to smoke a brisket tomorrow. I know it will be fantastic!
I have a pit boss navigator and it works beautifully with brisket and all you need is simple Texas style rub salt pepper and garlic with the salt don’t use table salt use kosher salt because you need the bigger grains
Thanks for the great review…. I’ve had many many many grills in my life… The best one by far has to be the kamado… I can smoke grill bake etc… and since I upgraded to a blaze kamado that thing is literally bulletproof….After the season when I’m done I hit the whole thing with the power washer And I’m done
I have owned a pellet grill/smoker for 15 years And love them. I’m not sure if anyone had mentioned it yet but I would recommend going to a pellet that is 100% wood instead of a Traeger pellet which is wood flavored will other oils infused. I personally use Lumber jack.
Excellent, informative, unbiased review!
That’s the exact model I have had for about two years now and I love it. One thing I would add is if you like more of a smoke flavor you can get a smoke tube that uses pellets for less than twenty bucks.
Thank you for the video, I was contemplating replacing my gas grill with a Traeger and I don’t have room for both. This video was very helpful thanks again
Love the honesty, legit vid ser
Enjoyed the video and your perspective. I thought about one of these but ended up buying a MasterBuilt Gravity Fed Cooker. Uses charcoal and if I want a smoke flavor I mix in chunks of wood. The one thing I love about it is the temperature range. It cooks low and slow but will also go up to 700 plus degrees when I want to sear something. A reversed seared steak (225degrees until it hits 130) and the finishing it off with a minute to two minutes per side at 700 degrees produces a mighty tasty chunk of meat. The only downside is it takes a lot more time to clean than a regular grill.
Sounds delicious though :)
Thank you for this review. It is very helpful as I am considering getting one of these!
Camp Chef woodwind Pro with the sidekick will do everything. It even has a smoke box to insert up front with extra charcoal and/or wood chunks. It will give you the added smoke that will get you as close as possible to an offset smoke. You can totally control your smoke flavor. The side kick attachment allows you to seat boil or do anything on high heat.
Thank you! Great review. I bought the Traeger Fremont (Costco, very much like yours without the wifi), and it's just fantastic. They are on sale now from $549 to $449.
Thanks for your informative video. Here are a few points with my pellet grill over the last year. A few years back I initially looked at Traeger as well but due to the insane price put my desire on the back burner. I wasn't going to fork up $1k on a grill. Now just as a little history lesson Traeger was the one that initially patented the process and hence made a name for themselves and could ask for pretty much any price. However the patent is up and there are others out there now offering pellet grills. Here is were I finally pulled the trigger. I got a Pit Boss 820D3 and can't be happier. It was less than $500 when I bought it over a year ago. It has a side tray and a fold up front tray. But for all of you that want the sear on your steak or chicken or anything else, here is the best part, pull a lever on the side and it will open up a grate on the big diffuser and voila you have an open flame to sear. I use that open flame in combination with a pizza stone to bake pizza in there as well. As others have mentioned to experiment with different pellets and you might find one that gives you a stronger flavor or add a smoke tube. I have read that some of the newer Pit Boss grills got redesigned to include an outside accessible burn pot ash clean out, like you can find on some of the other pellet grill offerings. But whichever grill you decide on, happy grilling and spread the joy and flavor.
Thank you so much Eric! Hey! Do you get a good sear/char on your meats when you slide open the direct flame?
@@rudymata3861 Hey Rudy, the sear/char is enough for me. When you open the grates you can see the open flame underneath. That is after you set the grill to high but it is a roaring fire at that point.
@@ericfabinger2083 Thanks a ton!!! Appreciate the recommendation and info. Definitely leaning PitBoss
Update to anyone interested in a Pit Boss 820D3, BJ's currently is running a special for $399.99
Im thinking of buying one so I appreciate your honest review. Thank You.
I ditched my propane grill after having our pellet grill for a few months. It took a little getting used to but now I reverse sear every grilled meat. Burgers, streaks, pork chops, chicken breast, etc. It takes a longer but the flavor, consistency, and doneness has surpassed anything I was able to do with any of my gas grills. Most important is that the entire family agrees. One thing I like about it is that I can start the low and slow before picking up my son from daycare or even going to my daughter's basketball game. When I get home the meat is right around the temp to take it off and start heating up the grill for the final sear.
A tip for using dry rub. The old timers often use yellow mustard as a binder or (glue) to make the dry seasoning stick to the meat on things that you cook low and slow like ribs or brisket. I was skeptical at first but it really works. Just put a very thin layer of mustard on and then dry seasoning. Let it sit for 10 -15 minutes. Then put it on the smoker. You will not even taste the mustard when the food is done.
I've seen the same thing in other videos but i've found that i don't need to mustard at all. The dry rub sticks pretty well on it's own.
I live in south Texas. We love our BBQ. You will see BBQ done all kind of ways. Everybody has their secret sauce.
@@SteveDOES I lightly brush mine in olive oil, everything sticks great.
The mustard is used as a tenderizer (because of the vinegar in it) as well as to help the rub stick...a lot of them will also use squeeze butter too...especially on ribs..
@@SteveDOES I did my first whole chicken at 350 and got virtually no smoke . Is this normal?
if you wanted to do brisket, you can either look for a brisket flat/lean cut or brisket point/fatty cut, instead of a full brisket, if you can't find it and had to do a full brisket, you can cut what you want to eat, then freeze the left overs. Also if you wanted to do corn beef, that's basically a brisket and you can usually find them in stores and reasonably priced. if you coat corn beef with black pepper, it's basically pastrami.
I'll be doing more research, but this was super helpful.
I have a Pit Boss and love it. The advantage is the slider for flame broiling for getting that char. Works great on thick Cowboy Rib Eyes and chicken.
Good review man. I have an Offset, Kamado, Pellet, and Propane set up. I normally use my propane to sear my meat or keep food warm. My go to is the kamado if I have the time and then my offset if I'm smoking large portions.
You answered every question I had about the Traeger pellet grill. Is it a grill or a smoker? Can I replace my regular propane Weber with the Traeger? What will the results be like? How does it work? What's the maintenance. Excellent video. Thanks so much.
As for me, y'all can keep and use everything else. I've been cooking, roasting, smoking on big green eggs. I'm at four right now. And I have had all of em rolling at various times.
I work for an ace that sells Traeger (also my stores repair tech) I have a few tips. The smoke settings for a traeger runs between 160-180. (that’s why he’s not getting smoke flavor as much at 250+) Also if you want to get a nice smoke ring chill your meat overnight in the fridge and it will give a nice smoke ring. Pellet running out is a downside but any of the digital units either have a pellet sensor installed or as an accessory that is a relatively inexpensive way to make sure you never run out mid smoke. Also try burnt ends on the traeger. YUM!
Appreciate the guidance. I bought my Traeger Pro 22 from HomeDepot during end of season sale. I have the same setup and have my Trager and propane BBQ side by side. I bought the Traeger to replace my Weber Smokey Mountain which needs more attention when cooking than the Trager. For some reason never got rid of the Weber as it tends to provide a nice smokey taste than the Traeger. I am interested in the comments below about Grill Grates....will look into them. Keep up the great work!
I did the same thing - purchased a pellet grill to replace a gas grill. However, I do have a separate Masterbuilt Smoker. The smoke flavor coming off of my Pellet comes no where near the smoke flavor coming off the Masterbuilt. Smoke ring on my tri-tip, wonderfully tender ribs. Just not near the flavor as my smoker. Happy to hear you've had a similar experience. If you've done Tri-Tip, you can do Brisket. keep on smoking!
I have both a gas grill and a pellet smoker grill. I grill out about once a week. The gas grill get used about once every two years when we need to cook extra food very fast at parties.
I purchased a Rectec Bull Pellet grill around the same time as you purchased the Traeger so I can echo your comments. Initially, I was using my Weber Genesis for anything requiring searing, but that's not the case anymore. Rectec sells a searing kit which kicks up the temperature another 100 degrees or so. I am not sure if Traeger has something similar or if there is a third party searing kit, but you might want to look into that.
If you really want smoke flavor from a pellet grill, keep the temperature at 225 degrees or below. Even then, it won't compare to an drum or an offset smoker, but I am more than satisfied with the results.
By the way, the Recteq grill is only a couple of hundred dollars more than the Traeger, but it is (1) larger, (2) comes with stainless steel grates, (3) stores much more pellets, and (4) it's app allows you to adjust the temperature wherever you are. Many of my smokes require that I change the temperature at least once during the process and it's nice that I am not stuck at home waiting to adjust the temperature.
Thx for the video. Bought the 575 recently and absolutely love it.🤙
I have the camp chef with the sidekick to smoke and grill all in one, thanks for a great vid!
Your pellet choice is everything. Knotty Wood are the best I've used.
I switched from gas grills and offset box smokers about 20 years ago and have never looked back. For me, Traeger has been the most versatile and easiest to use and maintain. Just bought my second one as my original after 20 years has some issues, but I got my money's worth for sure
Sounds like a happy customer!
I've noticed mixing the pellets half and half with charcoal pellets really extends the cooking time you get from the pellets and you get about the same smoke flavor. I also use the trager signature blend pellets
I just bought a traeger pro34 and did my first cook and I had zero smoke, am I doing something wrong?
@@thatsallfolks3115 what temp did you cook at? It won't produce any smoke at all at high temps, but at 225 you should be getting a lot of smoke. Your pellets may be bad, too.
@@firebirdlover4460 i “smoked” spare ribs at 225 for 2 hours and then at 275 for another 2 hours , but only saw smoke in the initial fire up when I was pre heating the smoker, I had all the smells and aromas but virtually no smoke. I was using Kirkland “Costco” pellets that were dry , I did have a “smoke ring” and food came out so so for my first use.
@@thatsallfolks3115 I would try different pellets. Some pellets just don't produce the flavor or smoke. Lumberjack brand (available at Dick's Sports) gets the highest reviews. A lot of people like Knotty Wood, but that's only almond. Traeger's mesquite and hickory does good, their fruit one not so much. Some of their specialty blends do great(meat church, brisket blend and bold blend). I've had pellets that don't produce any smoke and I've had pellets that produce a lot. In my experience, a lack of smoke comes down to the pellet or a lot of ash in the burn pot. You should be getting quite a bit of visible smoke.
You presentation is very captivating. Nice job on not bumbling through the words like so many youtubers do!
this was an incredibly helpful video. Thank you.
I got a Traeger Timberline and I love it. But I had to keep my Weber, grill it is still an absolute necessity. I use the Weber far more and the smoker for specialty things. Each has a purpose.
The Pit Boss smoker has a handle where you can open up the deflector to expose them to the fire directly. It works great for getting that char that you want. It is also less than half the price as the Trager. I got rid of my gas grill 4 years ago because I never used it.
Perfect video for me as I'm trying to decide the same thing. Think I'll keep my gasser and just overhaul the burners and pass on the Traeger and continue to use my old school Brinkmann stick smoker even though the set and forget would be nice. Thanks!!
Glad I found your channel. Funny though.. I’m a huge BBQ guy with all kinds of great food but my wife is a vegan! She did try my Chuck roast burnt ends and actually really liked them a lot. But normally it’s just me and my kids eating all these ribs. I can’t afford a nice Trager but I do alright on my Weber Smoky mountain! I did enjoy your take on the pellet grill. Excellent info!
I've done brisket...it always comes out wonderful. Got my Traeger 575Pro at ACE Hardware ($799+tax assembled and delivered)...the color/smoke ring is more distinctive with cherry. It always gives food good color. I have a dear friend that was a Traeger rep. He also did big bbq competitions...he told me if you see white smoke It's acrid and will give you a bitter taste...I clean my smoker every other cook to prevent the white smoke. He also said to always buy your pellets from ACE or Traeger. Not from Home Depot or Costco (allegedly, they get the older pellets and they burn faster and have less flavor). I get mine from ACE and I usually always taste the smoke flavor, not as prominent with Apple as it has a very mild flavor to begin with. I like the Traeger Reserve, great blend. I also like Pecan pellets.
Sounds like ACE is training their sales reps properly.
Thank you for this really informative video. I was needing to know exactly what you shared. I will still with my gas grill. We mostly do hamburgers and chicken and i am not into all that extra work and expense! So thanks very much!
Thank you for this video. I was concerned going from gas to pellet as well as I'm primarily focused on grilling.
Nice review. There are so many options available today. You did a nice job laying everything out. I personally prefer charcoal over pellet or gas and there is a ton flexibility in what you can do with them especially when adding pellet "like" temperature control. Traeger are great cookers as well.
I'm a charcoal guy as well.
After owning my Traegar I agree it is an outdoor oven, and works well for low and slow cooks that you want to set it and forget it. It’s great for brisket, ribs, pork butt, etc. But I would not do a tritip on it. If you want smoke taste do a pitbarrel and if you want a nice sear stick with gas.
I have a similar Traeger, Ironwood 885, and I would agree that you need at least separate gas barbecue if not even a third like the Big Green Egg, but I would get one if possible that had an infrared. 500° F is just not hot enough on "grill grates" to properly sear a steak, the alternative is a super hot iron pan just for searing.
great video. I have had the same grill for about the same amount of time. One thing, my wife likes her meat to have a crispy outside, i find i cook the meat then turn up to 400 and put hers at the back edge of the grate to get it crispier.
I cook 99% of my food at 225. i did replace my BBQ with the traeger and do everything on it. Burgers i throw on at 160 for half hour then i crack it up, last few minute on the outside edge to get that "burnt" or crispy outside.
Ive done everything from Muffins, brownies, pie, corn on the cob, pork chops, brisket, pork belly, burgers, hotdogs, pizza, hole turkey, chicken, beef roasts just about everything and love it.