Traeger And Weber Overview
Traeger is well known for its smoker & grill products that are mainly fueled by wood pellets, while Weber is known for its bullet-shaped smokers that can be driven by gas, charcoal, wood, and electricity.
They may both be useful, but the main question in this grill review is this: which brand would suit your needs better?
Instead of reading individual reviews for each brand, we have come up with a face-to-face comparison between Traeger and Weber to save you some trouble researching on your own! Which is the best outdoor cooking brand? Lets look at their overview first.
Best Traeger Grill At/under $1000
If your budget is really tight go with the Traeger Pro 575, but if you can get closer to $1000 go with the Traeger Pro 780 and dont look back.
Traeger Ironwood 885
While the Traeger Timberline is very cool , were not completely sure that the extra features are worth it compared to the Ironwood Series.
Personally we believe the Ironwood Series is the sweet spot of Traegerhood.
In the case of the Ironwood, we DO believe the value for the money is there with the extra features youll enjoy with the Ironwood over the pro line: for a bit more money youre getting a lot, including double side-walled insulation, a free side-shelf, an adjustable lower grill grate, a slightly larger hopper, Traegers Downdraft Exhaust System, and the Tru Convection option as I noted earlier, actual Traeger Ironwood users in online forums say time and again they are happy with their purchase decision.
The Ironwood 650 is a wonderful Traeger Grill and the Traeger Ironwood 885 is our Best Traeger Grill Overall Winner.
Pit Boss Austin Xl Pellet Grill
If you are looking for maximum cooking surface area at an affordable price, the Pit Boss Austin XL is an extremely popular grill that features just over 1,000 square inches of cooking surface area to work with.
It also has a 31 pound hopper capacity, which is a definite upgrade from most other pellet grills in their catalogue.
The Austin XL also comes kitted with a built-in probe meat thermometer that will display the internal temperature of your food on your control panel while it cooks.
Similar to the classic 700, the Austin also comes with the flame broiler feature that allows you to convert your pellet grill to a direct heat cooking set up.
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Z Grills Vs Traeger Grill Reviews
We thought it would be helpful to go over a few reviews of each brands most popular models, so that you can get an even better sense of which is best for you between these two brands.
Note, you can also check out our resource on the Z Grills 700 Series of grills if you want a closer look at one of their top lines of grills.
Powering The Traeger Grill
Wood pellets are more like a dense form of wood, and because they are denser, they are more efficient than normal wood.
You get different flavors in wood pellets to decide how you would like your food to taste while cooked on this Grill.
There are so many different options to choose from, making cooking on the Traeger Grill a more fun experience.
You get the wood-fired flavor in every bite making this Grill worth every penny and more.
To burn the wood pellets, you have a box-like structure called the pellet hopper at the right side of the Grill, and all your wood pellets go inside it.
The space to hold the wood pellets is quite a lot , so you do not need to babysit your Grill every now and tell just to make sure it has enough pellets.
The next thing you do is switch on the Power Button that is present at the Grills backside and make sure that you have plugged it in before you turn on the Grill.
Press the Dial on the Grill, and you would see the LCD screen lights up, which would help you control the Grill.
The wood pellets are taken from the hopper and slowly fed to fire via a screw-like structure.
It takes around 4 minutes for the pellets to reach the destination where they burn inside the Grill.
It happens so discreetly, which means you do not hear any sound coming from the Motor.
Traeger has taken care that the Motor used in its Pro Grills are amazing and that they work as quietly as possible.
The above features remain the same across both the grills.
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Benefits Of The Gen 1 Pro Series Traeger Pellet Grills
Its not clear for how long Traeger is going to keep selling Gen 1 Pro Series pellet grills but I hope its for a while yet because I do think they have a position in the market. For instance, if someone has never owned a pellet grill before the Gen 1 series components and controller have a proven track record of providing good consistent performance. Furthermore, as I discuss in my post on how to fix a Traeger grill they are many retailers providing all the parts you need to in most cases to easily and cheaply repair these grills.
It is easier/cheaper to gets parts for the Gen 1 Pro Series and the grills which cost on average $200 less than the Gen 2 Traeger Pro Series: Image
It should also be noted that the Gen 1 Pro Series controller actually has two ports for external meat probe monitoring where the Gen 2 D2 controller only has one external meat probe insert. Its probably seen as a small difference/benefit to most people, but it should be noted. Another significant difference between Gen 1 and Gen 2 is the price. On average, you will have to spend an additional $200 on a Gen 2 pellet grill over a Gen 1 relevant to the different sizes.
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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Weber Smokefire Ex4 Wood Fired Pellet Grill
Weber 22510001 SmokeFire EX4 exists in two sizes: 36 and 24. For the smaller one, SmokeFire EX4 has the dimensions 45 x 30 x 46 inches and a heavyweight of 186 pounds. Even with the smaller version, youll still be getting a generous cooking area of 672 square inches. And, its hopper capacity is 22 pounds of pellet wood.
It comes with a Weber Connect smart technology for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. This feature allows you to get notifications about your temperature and cooking time in a handy smartphone application. You can even control your grilling temperature through this app. With the advanced tech of this grill, youll sit back and relax instead of spending much effort watching your BBQ. Along with Connect, it has a built-in thermometer and LCD.
It also features an easy-to-clean ash catcher and grease drawer. You dont have to stress about cleanup too much thanks to these things.
Just like other Weber models, this includes a side table and two built-in tool hooks for cooking and food prep. The grills sturdily built in a porcelain coated stainless steel construction with four wheels, two of which have locking casters. Like the Traeger grill, this would also be a reliable and long-lasting BBQ equipment!
Unlike its superior, the Genesis II , this one has no warming rack, heat deflectors, and side burner. If you dont mind these things, then the SmokeFire EX4 is perfect for you.
- Expensive
How Do Traeger Grills Work
Traeger wood pellet grills work similarly to all types of pellet grills. The pellets get moved from the hopper of the grill to a part called a firepot.
There, a HotRod ignites the pellets, which feed the flames and impart that smoky flavor to the meat. The grill has a fan that circulates all the heat and smoke for even cooking.
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Traeger Grills Texas Elite 34 Pellet Grill & Smoker Tfb65lzbc
Traeger Grills takes pride since it is the leading seller of wood pellet grill in the industry. Only go for the original. Traeger Grills made the first models many years ago and has continuously innovated their products, making them stay on top.
One of their top electric products is the Traeger Grills Texas Elite 34. It is bigger than the other grills with 600 square inches. It is wide enough to cook for a lot of people, and its high temperature lets you cook everything you want. It means that your backyard event hosting will not be a mess and be a successful party instead.
The Traeger Texas Elite 34 TFB65 will be able to keep up with the needs of your guests as it can feed all them without worrying about running out of food. is capable of providing plenty of meats cooked in a variety of ways. This pellet grill can cater to accommodate and feed your entire guests.
- Grilling space: 646 square inches
- Dimensions: 22 x 54 x 49 inches
- Enriches wood-fired taste food uses pellet which enriches the taste of the food
- Precise temperature control: ensures precision when grilling
- Stainless steel for durability
- Porcelain-coated grill grates for a surface which is non-stick
This product is very similar to the other Traeger products, which are simple and easy to assemble in just 5 minutes. It may be large, but the wheels make transportation easy thats for sure. If you are not so much cleaning, thats okay because this grill doesnt need much cleaning.
What Can You Make With Traeger Grills
On a Traeger grill, you can cook a wide variety of meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and wild game. The Traeger grill lets you cook all of these foods in addition to frozen chicken right from the freezer!
Choosing a Traeger grill that doubles as an oven can allow more cooking options, including baking whole casseroles or even a chicken pot pie.
Some people prefer the classic barbecue style of flipping burgers and cooking ribs on their Traeger grills. Traeger grills let you cook a wide range of dishes, unlike any other grill.
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A To Z List Of Pellet Grill/smoker Brands
Back in 2007 when I first become aware of pellet grills and smokers the only brand I was really aware of was Traeger. Traeger is really where this whole concept of cooking with pellets started in the 1980s. It was a slow burner but since the 2010s is really when pellet grills and smokers started to get mainstream awareness, discussed alongside gas and charcoal grills. There are now over 30 pellet grill/smoker brands that Im aware of, and the link above goes to my A to Z list of brands article.
Now, you may already be aware of a few of the other brands such as Pit Boss, Camp Chef, Z Grills and Im sure you are aware of Weber, though you may not have known they have entered the pellet grill game. However, they are now many, many more brands to look into. Some may be what are commonly referred to as Traeger clones, but many others are offering their own unique designs and features.
Traeger Vs Big Green Egg: Which Is Better For Grilling Meat
We threw a slice of venison on the two fanciest grills around to find out which cooks best
Both propane and charcoal briquets pollute the taste of your meat. Thats why serious barbecuers use either pellets made from select hardwoods or natural lump charcoal, containing only hardwood. Those two approaches are epitomized by Traeger and Big Green Egg, respectively. But, is one better than the other? The answer surprised us.
The Traeger is a wood pellet grill. In it, pellets are drawn from a side-mounted hopper into a central burn chamber by an auger, then ignited by a hot metal rod. Those mechanisms run on electricity, so youve got to plug it in. It offers precise, digital temperature control integrated with meat thermometers. To operate it, all you have to do is fill the hopper with pellets, turn it on, and dial in whatever temperature you wantanything from smoke to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Traeger Grills: How Do They Work
With more than 30 years of experience, Traeger grills are the world’s most popular wood-fire grills. Trager’s technology uses wood pellets instead of gas or charcoal as fuel. So, you can have consistently hot results and consistently tasty barbecue.
Traeger grills provide you with an even and consistent heat source unlike other grills, such as a charcoal or gas grill. A Traeger grill includes a fan that circulates heat and smoke to provide a steady heat source.
Fuel pellets are fed into the fire in a controlled way by an auger, which uses a screw to move them. A drip tray keeps flames from flying backward, thus preventing them from directly contacting food while heat circulates in the grill.
Fired Up: On The Road With The Traeger Pro
To find out whether the Pro grills can hold up to customer scrutiny, I took to the Web and came up with some positive reviews. Many consumers were impressed by the way these units handled large cuts of meat, particularly for smoking and braising. Its versatility was soundly praised, and one user rhapsodized about the durable quality of the materials.
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Traeger: Difference Between The Smoke And 180 Degree Settings
Learn the difference between the Smoke setting and the 180 degree setting on a Traeger pellet grill and exactly when and how to use each of these helpful modes.
You have successfully purchased one of the fantastic models of Traeger pellet grills. Welcome to the family!
Traeger is an amazing brand that has been synonymous with grills for many decades now, and more recently with pellet grills as they have made them more and more mainstream.
We have already gone in depth about how pellet grills work, as well as how to start a Traeger grill step by step.
If you havent reviewed these beginner articles, give them a read and then come on back, well be here.
One question we still get ALL the time though is this: What is the difference between the Smoke Setting and 180 Degree setting?
If you find yourself looking at your Traeger controller during start up and asking the same question, dont worry, you are in good company.
We are going to give you a detailed explanation of the two settings so that you can move forward knowing what they mean and how they each work.
Whats The Difference Between The Traeger Grill Models
Because there are so many Traeger Models with different names, it can be intimidating to shop for a Traeger Grill in the beginning. For example, this is just one example of the many model options WITHIN just one model type
But have no fear, we can help you understand the differences between the Traeger Grill models.
At the time of this article, Traeger currently make 4 models of pellet grills. They are:
- Traeger Portables the most portable options of Traegers including the Scout, Ranger, and Tailgator models. The Scout and Ranger are super mini versions, while the Tailgator looks more like a traditional Traeger but has folding legs.
- Traeger Pro The most popular options for Traeger Grills. With a mid-range price points, the Pro Series are what most people will start their Traeger journey with.
- Traeger Ironwood Series If you want to enjoy more features than the Pro offers, the Ironwood Traegers may be for you. Here youll find larger cooking space and more technology .
- Traeger Timberline series Looking for a top-of-the-line Traeger? Then The Timberline is for you these are the biggest, macked-out Traegers you can buy, with up to 1300 sq inches to grill on and all the tech Traeger has to offer.
- Other Models: Traeger also has models & model combinations under the names Bronson, Renegade, Texas & Lil Tex, , XL, and Commercial. Some are sold at Big Box Stores like Costco or online.
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Final Thoughts On The Traeger Ironwood 885 Vs Yoder Ys480s Pellet Grill
It should be noted the Traeger is roughly $100 cheaper than the Yoder, and it does provide a larger cooking area over the main grate. Furthermore, for pellet grill beginners I think the Traeger WiFire app is a lot more user friendly with its video recipes etc. However, the Yoders materials/build quality is a considerable step up over the Traeger.
The Yoder benefits from features such as the ceramic igniter/direct-flame grilling which the Traeger does not. The weight of the Yoder could be a potential problem depending on your capabilities and how often you would intend to move the grill. I think for a beginner the large Traeger community and Wifire feature definitely have their benefits. However, for a more experienced BBQ user, I think the Yoder is probably a better option.
