Whats My Current Go To Pellet Brand
At present, I am sponsored by and continually usepellets produced by CookinPellets.com. There are two versions of pellets the Perfect Mix and 100 Percent Hickory.
In each of these versions, CookinPellets uses all wood, no bark, no filler woods like oak or alder and no flavor oils. Just 100% of what is on the bag. I get consistently great flavor using these two varieties of pellet smoker pellets from CookinPellets.com, and I think youll enjoy them very much as well.
Chris at CookinPellets.com is good people. You can read more about their operation here. I encourage you to give em a look see.
Best Usa Stainless Steel Grill
Napoleon Grills Prestige 500 Gas Grill
This model is very durable and high-quality made since its construction is made of stainless steel. This construction will last long since the steel is rust-resistant. The steel isnt just on the outside, but also its making the lid, tube burners, sear plates, grids, etc.
The cooking surface has 4 main burners. The Jetfire ignition system lets you power up to burners very easy and quickly. The burners deliver up to 78,500 BTU of heating across the 900 sq in of total cooking area. Grill is 26.2 long, 64.2 wide and 50.2 high. It weighs 190 pounds.
You can prepare some additional meal on the infrared side burner that heats in seconds up to 1800°F. The cooking surface also has 7 sear plates that make a much hotter zone than another area of cooking surface and it enables you to prepare grill very fast. Another great feature is an additional rotisserie kit which is also made from heavy-duty stainless steel and it allows you to cook a variety of different meals. The capacity of this grill is big since you can prepare up to 30 burgers on the main burners, and up to 8 burgers on the infrared side burner.
Characteristics:
Overall Z Grills Vs Traeger Winner
Weve done a lot of comparison articles on Own The Grill, and Im not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the closest calls Ive ever seen when comparing two brands.
As much as it sounds like a cop out, I dont think theres really a clear winner here simply because whats best for you largely comes down to your personal needs and preferences.
For example, if youre looking for a portable pellet grill well, Traeger is clearly your choice. If you have a little bit more cash to work with in your budget, a Traeger will get you more extra features and durability than Z Grills, and that might be worth it to you!
On the other hand, if youre looking for the absolute best value pellet grill, its hands down Z Grills. You simply wont find a better bang for your buck on the market. As long as youre ok without the extra bells and whistles Z Grills is a fantastic choice.
Traeger also generally holds more brand loyalty since theyre the original and have been around for so long, if you care about that sort of thing. Traeger also has a strong history of delivering quality products to their customers. Z Grills are for sure the new kids on the block, but they havent exploded in popularity for no reason.
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Which Brands Are Usa
Some brands that make gas grills in the USA are Weber, Kenmore, Char-Griller, Napoleon, Broilmaster, Dyna-Glo, etc. There are many of them and all are providing the best grilling which is an integral part of the American experience. Also, they say their quality is better because of more strict quality control.
Traeger Ranger Review: Feel The Weight
Although it looks easily portable, in reality the Ranger weighs a ton . This makes it totally impractical for carrying to a picnic spot or indeed any further than about 10 metres at a time unless you fancy a hernia. Granted, theres a lovely strong aluminium handle on it, but because the unit is quite large , it tends to bang against your leg as you walk. We should point out that this weight issue isnt unusual for a portable barbecue indeed most of the portable BBQs weve reviewed are too heavy to carry long distances. If you fancy using this model outside your caravan or RV, then you will probably need a suitable power inverter which converts standard 12V DC power to 110v or 240v, depending on which country you live in.
In case youre interested, Traeger also produces the Scout, a marginally lighter model with the same size body and grill but a smaller pellet hopper and less functionality. Its currently only available from US stores.
Traeger produces 14 varieties of hardwood pellets
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A To Z List Of The Best Bbq Wood Pellets
A pellet grill/smoker is only as good as the BBQ pellets you put into it. The type/quality of the BBQ wood pellets you use will impact temperature performance and smoke flavour. There are many pellet flavours including Apple, Hickory, Mapel, Oak and Walnut to name but a few. However, some brands are hardwood blended pellets whereas others are 100% single wood species.
In this article, I provide details on over 20 brands of BBQ wood pellets, their range of flavours, whether they are 100% single wood species or hardwood blended pellets, their typical price and where they are available. I also provide tips on how to get the best deal when buying BBQ wood pellets and how to test pellet quality. Finally, I discuss the new kid on the block, charcoal pellets and their special attributes compared to all other hardwood BBQ pellets.
Pitts & Spitts Maverick 850 Pellet Grill
Pitts & Spitts has been in the smoker business for decades. A huge favorite in their home state of Texas, they are known for their quality construction and now, the efficient design of the pellet grills. This is an old-school company that weld their grills and smokers from raw sheets of steel. This pellet grill has good features including WiFi connectivity. It is also very traditional in design so don’t worry about innovations that don’t hold up to their promise.
This unit is also available in an all stainless steel design for $3,000.
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Hunting For Cheap Bbq Pellets Or Bbq Pellet Bargains
Of course, there are always bargain hunters. Some might say Why pay $2000 for a pellet smoker and then bargain hunt for your pellets? but if you think about it this way isnt it like cooking with varying qualities of charcoal? Sometimes an inexpensive, less efficient pellet blend might be just fine for burgers or chicken breasts. Other times, you may want to step it up with a premium flavored pellet where whole turkeys, prime rib roasts, or a nice brisket can really shine.
In any case, bargain BBQ pellets are out there to be had. One tip is to search for B& B BBQ Pellets if you have a local Academy Sports and Outdoors store in your area. Rumor has it that these may be re-branded Barbecuers Delight pellets offered at a much lower cost. In any case, it might be worth giving them a try.
Traeger Timberline 850 Grill Review
By: Max Good
In 2017 Traeger introduced Timberline a technologically advanced wood pellet smoker with a sturdy design and a muscular look and feel unlike anything in their extensive catalog. Instead of a barrel shaped smokebox, Timberline has stadium or race track shaped sides with a super high-profile hood to accommodate a low, middle and high rack.
The unusual drip plate beneath the lower rack slants toward the front instead of off to one side, directing grease into a channel that runs right to left and empties into a slide out grease tray under the left side shelf. A large opening at the back of the drip tray is meant to allow heat and smoke to rise up along the back, hit the curved hood and create a downdraft for even heat top to bottom.
To avoid pulling heat toward a single chimney, Timberline has an exhaust vent that runs across the back, further mitigating temp fluctuations from left to right.
It runs hotter at the back and sides, but overall the downdraft design succeeds in providing uniform temp on all three racks. It excels at low and slow smoking in the 225°F range, but like most pellet smokers, Timberline is weak for high temperature searing.
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Are There Any Smokers Made In The Usa
Lang BBQ Smokers® is owned and operated by the Lang family since 1988. The business operates out of Nahunta, Georgia and ships smoker cookers around the world. This family owned business prides itself on offering superior barbeque smoker cooker grills that are designed and manufactured in the USA and built to last.
Rec Tec Grills Pellet Grill Reviews
For a great unboxing and pellet smoking test, I point you to my buddy Jays review of the Rec Tec Grill Pellet Smoker over at BBQSauceReviews.com. The following videos will give you an overall breakdown of what the Rec Tec Pellet Smoker is all about both from a construction and components standpoint.
Rec Tec Grill Pellet Smoker Overview
This next video is great because it really talks about how solid the construction of the Rec Tec Grill Pellet Smoker is. Youll note several times that the reviewer says how surprised he was at how heavy the lid of the cooker is. Folks, nothing and I mean NOTHING cooks as well and as evenly as Heat Soaked Metal! Thats why cast iron is so prized for cooking ability! Also pay attention to the heat probe readings you see in this video. The one thing everyone who has used this pellet smoker says is that the Rec Tec Grill keeps actual temps where set temps read better than nearly any other pellet cooker out there.
Independent Unboxing and Review of the Rec Tec Grill Smoker
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How Pellet Smokers Work
If you live in an area where wood furnaces are used , you may also be familiar with pellet furnaces. In short, pellets compressed from sawdust and wood shavings fill a hopper and are then fed into a burn pot using an electric auger system. The auger, which is basically a long screw, delivers pellets to the burn pot based on the speed dictated by the units thermostat. As the burn pot ignites, the pellets burn. Heat then carries through the home via convection means, thus allowing air flow and a blend of warm and cool air to maintain steady, even burn temperatures. A heat exchanger separates the smoke fumes from the warm air, thereby warming the room without smoking everyone out.
Pellet smokers work in much the same way, albeit with the heat exchanger removed so that the smoke produced by the burning wood pellets bathes your food in its goodness and helps render the barbecue product youre after.
As you can see from the image of a Traeger Pellet Grill above, pellets move from a hopper via an auger to a burn pot . The rate at which the pellets are fed into the hopper is dictated by your Pellet grills thermostat. Extra fuel in the form of oxygen is blown over the burn pot to increase the burn rate and help regulate a nice, steady, and efficient burn. The lower your temp, the more smoke is created.
Is Camp Chef Better Than Traeger
The temperature range of most Traeger grills is 180°F to 400°F. On the other hand, most Camp Chef pellet grills have a temperature range of 160°F to 500°F. The winner here is obvious. While you can get just about anything done that you need to on a Traeger, Camp Chef simply offers a better temperature range.
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Materials Of The Grills
Most of the gas grill the USA made models are made of stainless steel because its anti-rusting, it prevents sticking of food and its very durable. Therefore you can hold the grill outside in the yard and it will last you long. Mostly the models are made from a combination of iron, steel, and high-density plastic. The more steel means a higher quality of construction.
Is Z Grills A Good Smoker
Z Grills are growing in popularity thanks to their good build quality and low cost price. They are capable of grilling, barbequing, smoking, baking, roasting, braising, and searing. This seems like a lot to expect from one humble appliance, and you would be forgiven for thinking the build quality is low.
Z Grills are wood pellet grills meaning that you will imbue your food with a delicious smoky flavor. They can be used to cook most types of food, and the smoking function can even be deactivated if this is what you want.
They are commonly referred to as pellet grills, but you would not be wrong in calling them a smoker. They maintain consistent temperatures for a long time, giving you an even and high-quality smoke.
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Traeger Ironwood 885 Vs Yoder Ys480s
So first lets discuss the Traeger Ironwood 885 and its best features. I have an in-depth article on the Traeger Ironwood range, please check that out for a deep dive. The Ironwood range sits above the Pro Series and below the Timberline range. Traeger has moved away from the classic round barrel design to an oval cooking barrel. The advantages of an oval cooking barrel are that it makes the grill taller, hence easier for anyone above 6ft such as myself to use.
Furthermore, a taller cooking barrel simply gives more space in the cooking chamber. Making it easier to fit in and move around larger cuts of meat. For instance, cooking beer can chicken is a lot easier on a grill with a taller cooking chamber. What it also means is the upper cooking racks are much more useable.
The 885 is the larger of the two pellet grills as part of the Traeger Ironwood range: Image Traegergrills.com
The Traeger Ironwood range, like the Timberline range discussed below benefits from Traegers D2 Direct Drive platform. What this means is the grill now uses DC instead of AC motors, which provide more power and they are also variable speed. The D2 control panel is now a PID controller, which you should now expect/demand on every pellet grill north of $1,000.
From the Traeger WiFire app on your phone, you can monitor and control the grill, set timers, watch recipes etc: Image Traegergrills.com
Traeger Ranger Review: Cooking Results
We tried a number of different ingredients and the Ranger passed with flying colours. The chicken legs had the crispiest skin weve ever crunched and the burgers were exquisite. We then chucked a whole medium sized chicken on the grate thinking it would never fit wrong, you can get two on this grill. The result was a better roast chicken than the kitchen oven has ever produced. Indeed we wondered how it could have been so juicy given that the fats were either burnt away on the metal reflector plate or ported out the back.
The slow-cooked honeyed ham was another eureka moment, beautifully smoked at low heat for two hours and then hard grilled for a nicely browned outer. We reckon a whole hoppers worth of pellets will last just over an hour at constant temperatures between 200 and 210C and for a good few hours when smoking at much lower temperatures.
Fancy some bacon and eggs? Step right this way.
In a stroke of minor genius, the Ranger also ships with a heavyweight cast iron griddle for whipping up camp side breakfasts. Still full from the banquet the night before, we tried a near full english and a few Aunt Jemima pancakes, and once again the little Ranger delivered in spades. Talk about versatile.
The Traeger Ranger a weighty but exceptional performer
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While Many Folks Struggle Trying To Get Cheap Offset And Bullet Smokers To Work With A Pellet Smoker It’s Easy To Make The Best Smoked Ribs Brisket And Pulled Pork In The Neighborhood Here Are Our Recommendations On The Best Models To Buy
Max Good is the vice president and director of equipment reviews for AmazingRibs.com. Widely considered the leading authority on residential, outdoor cooking equipment, Max has written for Serious Eats and Casual Living, and is often interviewed for a variety of programs and publications.
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Barbecue enthusiasm seems to be growing every year, and many backyard cooks, no longer content with burgers and chicken, are venturing into the mysteriousand myth-ladenrealm of smoking. I’ve long been an advocate for pellet smokers, and it seems that this equipment is finally coming of age.
Pit Boss Vs Traeger: Which Pellet Grill Should You Buy
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So youve decided to invest in a wood pellet grill but still havent decided which brand to buy.
Traeger and Pit Boss make some of the most popular pellet grills on the market today.
If you ask around youll get plenty of opinions about which is better.
The problem is, people always end up defending the grill they bought and slamming the competition so its hard to get an objective opinion.
In this guide, we break down the differences between Traeger and Pit Boss and look at some of the top grills from each company to help you decide which pellet grill is right for you.
Not sold on Pit Boss or Traeger? Z Grills are a popular new brand that sell grills like the popular 700E which are a similar quality but at a lower price point. Check out our full Z Grills review.
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