Why You Should Buy From Pitts & Spitts
Yoder Ys480s Pellet Grill
Let’s be honest, if you are serious about barbecue and are looking for a pellet grill, this is probably the cooker for you. Yoder is legendary for the quality of its products. This, the smallest of their line runs $1,579USD and has a huge cooking chamber for its size. This is a serious, heavy grill. Well, to be honest, while a good grill, this is a great smoker. There are larger Yoder grills than this one, but for most people, this is all you need. Yoder also has great WiFi technology. If you buy this grill, tell them I sent you.
How To Shop For The Best Pellet Grills
Basic pellet grill designs tend to be pretty similar, Lampe explained. Youll find a little fire pot down in the bottom of your cooker and a delivery system that sends the pellets in as required, he said. This is all controlled by a thermostat and a little fan to blow on the fire.
Although this may sound simple and it can be he noted that there are different features that can make it even easier.
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How Do Kamado Grills Work
If you picture a typical Kamado grill, the dome shaped lid sits at about the 1/3rd mark, and is on a hinge. The lower 2/3rds is where the charcoal burns beneath the grill grates .
When the dome lid is closed , the unique egg shape allows the heat to be reflected evenly around the inside of the cooker.
With the majority of kamado grills, air flows into a vent at the bottom to feed the fire, and ashes drop down into the base of the egg, or into an ash catcher. Theres also a vent at the top of most grills and together the vents allow temperature regulation .
Most Trusted Pellet Smoker Brands
As I mentioned at the start of this post, there are a few pellet smokers that lead the pack in terms of name recognition. The ones featured here are those that come most highly recommended by friends of mine on the professional BBQ circuits with KCBS and FBA. As such, if you dont see one of your favorites listed here and would like to offer up a review please contact me via any of the social media links at the top of this blogs sidebar, and well see about getting a post up.
Yoder pellet smokers maintain a very strong reputation for quality and precision. Based out of Hutchinson, KS, the company prides itself on producing a 100 percent Made in America product that is one of the sturdiest and most reliable brands of smokers available. Check out this Yoder Smokers promo video to get an idea of how they are branding themselves.
Tell me thats not one of the most killer Made In America intro videos youve ever seen! Really speaks to the mindset Yoder has regarding quality and durability, not to mention the companys pride regarding operating from the heartland of Kansas in the good old USA.
One of the first things to consider when buying a pellet smoker is the thickness of metal used . The smaller the number, the thicker the metal.
Nothing in this world cooks better and more evenly than Heat Soaked Metal, folks. Nothing!
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Traegers Sell Company In 2006
The family sold the assets of Traeger Industries in 2006 for $3.4 million, according to the lawsuit, and the;intellectual property rights and names and likenesses of Joe, Brian, Mark and Randy Traeger for another $9 million.
The suit says;Joe Traeger received $2.8 million, sons Randy and Mark Traeger each received $2.7 million and Brian Traeger received $664,000.
Traeger manufactured the grills in the companys Oregon facilities until 2010, but started outsourcing manufacturing in China.
In 2013, 240 people worked for Traeger with 120 in its headquarters in Oregon.
Are All Imported Grills Bad
Does this mean all imported grills are bad? Notnecessarily. But as mentioned earlier, they are not held to the same standardsthat American-made grills are held to. You can feel the quality difference.
BBQ Depot does sell some imported brandsincluding Summerset and Blaze.This is because these brands have shown product support. It may take months andmonths for parts, but eventually those parts become available. With that being said, there are definitely quality issues as well asmanufacturing choices that can end up turning into a headache for the consumer.For example, these grills use flame thrower valves. If you need to replaceyour ignition electrode, you will have to replace the entire valve. Thiscreates a large expense for an inexpensive part. Since the electrode is builtinto the valve, there is not a replacement for it.
There is much that could be said about eachindividual brand that imports their grills. Since a large part of our businessinvolves service and selling replacement parts, we are frequently put in thedifficult position of explaining to customers why there is no product supportfor their grills.
Because of this, we have had to make thedifficult choice of not displaying imported grills in our showroom. When wedisplay a grill and a customer purchases that grill, they hold us accountablefor the quality of the product. Due to the many inconsistencies, we had noalternative but to display products we can stand behind, like our American-madegrills.
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How To Clean Your Grilla Grill
Cleaning your grill unit is necessary for its long lifespan. People think that cleaning a grill is more difficult than solving a Rubik’s cube. The following steps will change the mindset of those people.;
Make sure you have all the required tools, including heavy-duty scrubbies, cleaning solution, fresh aluminum foils, shop vacuum cleaner, wire brush, garbage bag, and paper towels. The cleaning liquid should be safe for stainless steel and tough on grease.
Hopefully, the steps will be easy to follow. For a visual demo, be sure to refer to the video below for a full overview of what was just described.
Cookshack Pg1000 Fast Eddy’s Pellet Grill
According to Lampe, this stainless steel grill is a cooking machine with double walled construction and insulation for heat retention as well as a quality searing burner and smoking performance. It also has the ability to cook over direct or indirect heat at up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit and a two-year limited warranty. Theres even a warming drawer to hold a pan of food while you keep cooking, he said. Fast Eddy is a long-time championship barbecue cook and pit builder so its no surprise that his grills are at the top of their class.
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Buy Your Grilla Grills Wood Pellet Grill And Kamado Grill Direct And Save
Theres a Grilla Grills pellet grill, kamado charcoal grill, or professional pellet smoker to meet your needs, whether you want the lo and slo flavor for BBQ ribs, high-temperature searing for steak, or deep-down professional smoke flavor throughout your meat. Compare Grilla, Silverbac, Chimp and Kong to your big box retail grills and youll quickly see that Grilla Grills deliver the best value on the market. You wont find a better deal on pellet grills for sale anywhere on the web. Oh, and did we mention that we also offer free shipping on ON ANY ORDER OVER $49 to the lower 48 states, what could be better? Light em up!
Why Pellet Grills Are Made Overseas
Manufacturing pellet grills in America is more expense than building them overseas.
For example, Grilla Grills mentions on their website that they shifted their manufacturing operations overseas because it became harder to compete with cheaper, imported ones. The 40 year old Michigan-based company moved its manufacturing to China to reduce its production cost to make the grills less expensive.
This was a tough choice between shutting down their company or going overseas to lower their manufacturing costs in order to compete with cheaper, imported pellet grills.
So in order for more pellet grill brands to offer products made in the USA we need to buy pellet grills that are made in the USA.
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Heres Why You Should Avoidimported Grills
1. Manufacturing, environmental and laborstandards. Companies building grills in the United States are subject tostringent regulations. This means that if your grill is built in the US, itslikely to be built by people who have been compensated fairly. Likewise, theenvironment likely wasnt harmed in its creation.
2. The frustration of not having access toparts such as grease trays, valves, manifolds, knobs, wheels, and bodyparts. These are just some of the parts you may not be able to replace. Many ofthe parts are only available on the aftermarket . Remember when you import products, you are subject to minimum quantity orders.When you have dozens of models using the same burners and heat shields, meetingthat MOQ is easier than other replacement parts thatare specific to model sizes.
3. There is no commitment to manufacturingequipment. When manufacturing is subcontracted, you are relying on thecontractor to stay in business and have quality and consistent manufacturing. Often, if they change equipment, the engineering of your grill model willchange thus making replacement parts obsolete. Then, when you need areplacement part, it no longer exists.
At that point, what are the replacementoptions? Often there is no replacement. Modification of the outdoor kitchen andcountertop becomes necessary, creating a huge expense. This situation rarelyoccurs in a US-manufactured grill, as we sell at the BBQ Depot.
Chimp Wood Pellet Grill/smoker
The latest pellet grill from Grilla Grills is the Chimp. While this may be a very compact and small grill compared to the Grilla and Silverbac it has all the same core features as those grills. Namely, stainless steel internals and a 180-500 degree temperature range. In fact, the Chimp was the first Grilla Grill to include the Alpha control panel which Ill discuss more below.
A quick overview of the features on the Chimp pellet grill/smoker: Video GrillaGrills.com
As should be expected, the Chimp features a slightly smaller pellet hopper than the Grilla and Silverbac at 15lbs. However, thats still sufficient for many hours of grilling, even at the maximum temperature setting of 500 degrees. Quick-release foldable legs, add to the convenience of this pellet grill as a truly portable unit.
The demand for portable pellet grills has grown significantly in recent years to fulfil peoples desires to have great tasting food out and about. So whether you enjoy tailgating or an RV lifestyle, you can now take your portable pellet grill with you and enjoy pellet grilling pretty much anywhere. Though you will still need a source of 120V AC power, but thats easy to do with a suitable 12V DC to 120V AC inverter or portable power bank.
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Heat Control And Retention
Heat control and retention was one of our top considerations in our research. There are not many things more frustrating in grilling than having unexpected shifts in temperature during the cooking process. Often times, the specific build of the grill will dictate how well it can control heat. Here are some of the factors that help you control heat on your grill:
- Ventilation systems
- Your heat source
- Mechanisms that control distance from your heat source
- The makeup of the grill shell
Arent Traeger Grills Made In The Usa
Traeger, the longest and most established pellet grill brand were originally manufactured in Oregon and were produced in the USA up until 2006 when the Traeger family sold the company. In 2006 the patent that Traeger had on the design of pellet grills/smokers since 1986 ran out, then more makes/brands of pellet grills started to enter the market. Traeger felt they had to move manufacturing abroad to expand the company to make it viable while still offering a product at a price their customers are happy to pay. Hence, today Traeger pellet grills are made in China.
While Traeger is still an American company who design their pellet grills in the USA they are manufactured abroad: Image Traegergrills.com
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Are There Pellet Grills Made In The Usa In 2021
You are probably aware that many of the appliances you buy for your home while purchased from an American brand/retailer they are actually made in another country, typically China. The reason is to produce sufficient margin/profit to cover manufacturing costs, marketing and dealers percentages while at the same time offering an affordable product to consumers. As shown in my wood pellet grill/smoker guide there are lots pellet grills/smokers on the market today. Many of those pellet grills/smokers are also made in China and other countries with lower manufacturing costs. However, there are some pellet grill/smoker brands who do still manufacture their wood pellet grills in the USA, and there is probably more than youre aware of.
A Cookshack PB500, a typical example of a pellet grill still made in the USA: Image BBQGuys.com
Disclaimer: Hey! By the way any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon or other sites are affiliate links and I earn a commission if you make a purchase.
Buying Usa Made Grills
When coming to a final decision for the best USA made grills, there a few factors to consider. The quality of your grill is one of the most important things to look for. Luckily for consumers, USA made grills are known to have excellent, long-lasting quality.
One factor to think about is the cooking surface area. Primo and Holland both have decent sized cooking area while the Americana and PK Grills have less surface area. If you plan on cooking for a large group, more space is always better.
While most USA-made grills are built with high-quality materials, rust and durability should also be a concern. The Holland Freedom grill comes with a 5-year rust warranty and a lifetime warranty on the grates. PK Grills is built out of cast aluminum, including the joints, so rust won’t be an issue here.
Portability may also be a concern, especially if you need to transport the grill. The Swinger grill is the most portable option on this list, but several others also include wheels on the legs to help you move the grill. PK grills have a good system for breakdown for when you want to take your grill on an adventure. The cast iron will be be heavier than cast aluminum though!
- Here’s my review of the KettlePizza Gas
- Here’s my review of the KettlePizza Charcoal
- Here’s the comparison of Gas VS Charcoal pizza
Watch out for fakes!
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Pellet Smokers And Indirect Heat Delivery
With almost all Pellet smokers, the heat is indirect, allowing you to cook larger cuts of meat or larger quantities of meat for long cook times at lower temperatures.
Pellet smokers normally have a drip plate under the main cooking surface that allows fat drippings to flow into a catch vessel normally a pail of some sort. Because the heat and air flow is so well-regulated in Pellet smokers, you can pack it with meat and literally walk away being assured of steady temps and very predictable outcomes.
Backyard at home BBQ smokers appreciate this feature when cooking things like chicken, which normally isnt trimmed down as much as competition cooks might leave it.
Speaking of competition cooks, youll find that many competition BBQ pitmasters who use Pellet grills as their primary means of cooking are among the more well rested come Saturday. The next step well cover in this selection of Pellet Grill Reviews is getting your pellet grill / smoker up and running. Again, what you may not see in may Pellet Grill Reviews is repeated mention that youre not going to get that deep smoke flavor profile using a pellet smoker. Though, this can be achieved by using something like the Amazen Pellet Tube Smoker 12.
Why Would I Buy A Pellet Grill
Wood pellet smoker grills take the ease of grilling with gas but give your food that awesome flavor of real wood. Think Crockpot of the grilling world. Slow cooking, set it and forget it controls means you can visit with guests and family and not have to worry about standing over a hot grill turning your food every few minutes.;The temperature controls will keep you within degrees of your set temperature, so just dial up your desired temperature and go grab a cold beverage!
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