Are Pellet Grills Expensive To Operate
Gas grills using propane cost about $1.20 per hour use, for a 60,000 btu grill running at 70% heat output. Pellet grills set at 225 degrees burn pellets at around one pound per hour. For that same one hour cook as in the above examples, the cost of pellet grilling is about $. 76 per cooking session.
Price Ease Of Use And Other Considerations
The grills featured here are not equivalent in size. This doesnt impact their ability to make great meat, but it does affect the price. The pictured Big Green Egg is the $559 small and has only 133 square inches of cooking real estate. Traegers $800 Texas Elite 34 has a 22-by-19-inch main grilling surface for 418 square inches to cook on. That makes it loosely equivalent, in terms of the amount of meat you can get on there, to the $1,200 Big Green Egg XL.
While the Egg can use any natural lump charcoal, Traeger strongly recommends that you stick to its own brand pellets. Neither fuel source is quite as universally available as propane canisters or charcoal briquets, but neither is terribly hard to find, either. Both are available at my local hardware store and you can buy both from Amazon Prime, with free delivery. I havent noticed more cost in fuel for either grillyou can be pretty economical with both if youre good about only lighting them when youre ready to cook, then shutting them down immediately when youre finished.
Youll need an outdoor outlet or long, three-prong extension cord for the Traeger. With the egg, you only need to be able to reach it with that hair dryer.
The Traeger is ready to smoke, grill, or roast out of the box. To smoke on the Egg, youll need the $110+ plate setter accessory, a metal dog bowl to hold water under the grill, and a separate bag of wood chips.
Overview Of The Pit Boss Brand
Pit Boss is a subsidiary of Dansons Inc. which was founded in 1999. Being one of the first companies to compete in the pellet smoker market, Pit Boss is best known for their affordable yet high-quality pellet grills, although they do manufacture a wide range of other barbecues including charcoal and gas grills.
Dansons also own Lousianna Grills, another popular manufacturer of pellet smokers.
Where are Pit Boss grills made?
Pit Boss pellet smokers are manufactured in China.
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Traeger Ironwood Vs Weber Smokefire Pellet Grill Ranges
Below Ill just be briefly describing the key features of each pellet grill range to compare them. I have detailed articles on the Traeger Ironwood and Weber SmokeFire pellet grill ranges if you want to learn everything about them. First, lets discuss the Traeger Ironwood range, which sits in between the lower specification Traeger Pro Series and the higher specification Traeger Timberline range. Using the latest D2 Direct Drive system and with optional extras from the Pro Series included as standard the Ironwood 650 and 885 are some of the best pellet grills Traeger currently has to offer. The Ironwood grills lack the full stainless steel interior of the Timberline range. However, they do feature twin-wall insulated construction on the sides of the grill to help to avoid issues of cold ambient temperatures affecting the performance of the grills.
The Traeger Ironwood 665 on the left and the Ironwood 885 on the right: Image Traegergrills.comThe Tru Convection vortex of heat and smoke created through the use of the downdraft exhaust on the back of the Traeger Ironwood pellet grills: Image Traegergrills.comThe Weber SmokeFire EX4 on the left and the larger SmokeFire EX6 on the right: Image BBQGuys.comRear mounted pellet hopper on the Weber SmokeFire pellet grills: Image BBQGuys.comThe drop-down pellet burn pot design found on the Weber SmokeFire pellet grill range: Image BBQGuys.com
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Traeger Ironwood Midline Buying At Its Best
The Ironwood 660 retails for $1199.99 USD and the Ironwood 880 retails for $1499.99 USD. The increased price comes with a few improvements and features above the Pro Series. If youre going to be buying a Traeger grill and have the extra bucks lying around, the Ironwood might be the one for you.
Downdraft Exhaust and True Convection
Unlike the Pro Series, which emits smoke from a side chimney, the Ironwood uses a Downdraft Exhaust positioned at the rear of the grill. This allows for a better exhaust system, which pushes old smoke out of the grill through the back, while simultaneously introducing new smoke produced in the fire pot. It also creates what Traeger refers to as True Convection.
In terms of how the Downdraft Exhaust delivers smoke and impacts the flavour of your food, it mostly applies in cases when youre actually smoking foods between 165F and 275F. When cooking above 275F, you are venturing into the realm of grilling or roasting and at those higher temperatures, the grill does not produce as much smoke because the pellets are combusting at a faster rate.
Whats interesting about the Downdraft Exhaust is that it contributes to something Traeger calls True Convection. This helps circulate heat and smoke through specially design channels throughout the grill, resulting in more efficient and reduced cooking times.
Super Smoke
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The Only Traeger Grill That Is Worth The Money
The new Traeger grills really are nice and the only real issue that I have with them is the value proposition.
There is one Traeger that has all of the advanced technology featured in the new grills and comes with a price tag that I can support. This grill is theTraeger Silverton 620 which is exclusive to Costco.
The Silverton 620 has almost as much cooking space as the Ironwood 650, has almost all of the same features and costs about 40% less. If you really want to get a Traeger but dont want to overpay then head down to your local Costco and take a look at the Silverton.
Here is the link to my full overview of the Traeger Silverton 620.
Traeger Grills: What Is The Best Traeger Grill For The Money
In the world of charcoal grills made of pellets Traeger reign supreme.
Joe Traeger invented this new style of grill back in 1986. They remain the best-selling brand of pellet grills to this day.
In this comprehensive guide, we look at the top Traeger pellet grills. We will also look at the advantages and disadvantages of each and compare them against other grills.
A brand new Traeger pellet grill can be an investment of a significant amount and its crucial to conduct research prior to deciding to make the plunge.
Particularly when there are a lot of manufacturers that produce top high-quality Wood pellet grills.
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Best Answer: Why Are Traeger Grills So Good
If you want to reliably grill meat to perfection with little effort, then youll want the Traeger. It produces consistent, reliable, great results, every single time. While it uses wood as a fuel source, it provides digital control, simplifying the grilling process and making it positively foolproof.
Is Camp Chef Or Traeger Better
Temperature Range
Camp Chef and Traegers range of pellet smokers pretty much all max out at a good 500°F. Thats hot enough to get the job done pretty well when youre grilling or searing. But, Camp Chef definitely have the edge here with their slide and grill mode. The bottom line Traeger are good.
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Traeger Grills Pel308 Maple Hardwood Pellets
Buying the best grill machine won’t alone be enough to get those smoky, tender, and juicy ribs you find in restaurants. You also need the best suitable pellets for ribs.
Maple wood is considered one of the best woods for ribs because of its sweet, light, to mild smokiness.
Of course, you can use other wood, but no one can go wrong with maple. It’s not only limited to ribs, though. You can get BBQ, roast, grill meat, veggies, beef, and chicken.
Since these pellets are made by the same company that made your outstanding grill machine, you won’t have any compatibility issues, thus no chance of your grill’s warranty being void.
Just like all the other Traeger pellets, this one also has balanced moisture. This means that you will have the perfect balance between fire and smoke. Maintains the burn-to-smoke ratio excellently.
Lastly, you can use these pellets continually for 40 hours straight. Yes, a bag of 20 pounds will last that much. So, you can guess how many times you can use one bag.
Although the Traeger maple hardwood pellets can be used for various types of meat, it works brilliantly with ribs, easily making them the best Traeger pellets for ribs.
Highlighted features:
Products For Every Customer
Weber has developed several different grills series, and each series satisfies a specific set of preferences of individual customers.
The well-known Weber grills series Go Anywhere, and Smokey Joe is suitable for camping and picnics thanks to the small barbecue area. Buy Weber grill from the Q series if you are looking for a small, portable barbecue for your home.
The Weber Spirit two-burner gas grill and 3 burner gas grill are the best gas options to fit even the tiny spaces. The Original Kettle grills are charcoal grills with a one-touch cleaning system.
The Performer series charcoal grills are very powerful, with even more things to offer. If you buy this Weber grill, you will get great features like a one-touch cleaning system and a side table.
The Weber Spirit II model of gas grills is available in two models and four bold colors to bring that added spark to your backyard. The Weber Genesis ii model and Summit grills offer an entire outdoor kitchen.
Weber Genesis ii grills are available with two, three, four, or six burners. Summit series grills offer barbecue at the highest level. The wide range of Weber accessories will satisfy all your needs, no matter which grill model you choose.
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How Long Can Traeger Pellets Sit In The Hopper
The Traeger pellets can sit in the hopper for about 6 months. Many people have reported the longer they leave them, the stronger the flavor of smoke they emit.
It might be convenient to just leave a hopper full of pellets ready to go for your next beef brisket, pork shoulder, or smoked fish, however, you may ruin your Traeger pellets if you leave them in for too long. Especially if your grill is exposed to the elements when not in use, rain, humidity, and temperature fluctuations can cause the pellets you leave in the hopper to soften and not burn as well.
When you leave Traeger pellets in the hopper for too long, you could be facing one of the following issues:
- Rot
Is Traeger Smoking Bad For You
Burning wood pellets, poured by grilling expert Brendan Burek, into a chute on the left side of a Traeger grill, doesnt necessarily make for healthier grilling. Cooking meats with charcoal or gas grills can cause the formation of compounds called heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons .
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Overall Rec Tec Vs Traeger Winner: Traeger
This is honestly a really close call, and the comparison feels a little bit like splitting hairs because both brands make extremely high quality pellet grills. The thing that tips the scales in favor of Traeger to us is the bang for your buck factor. We feel like the Traeger Ironwood series compares really well to Rec Tec Grills for a slightly better price. Plus Traeger offers a robust line of more price friendly grills too.
Not a single stone is left unturned with either brand though their grills offer literally everything you could ever need in a pellet grill, all the way down to built in meat probe thermometers.
How To Understand The Makeup Of The Traeger Grill
It may be very difficult to buy a Traeger grill. You have many different models and versions to compare with so many others in the market.
Traeger currently manufactures 4 main pellet grill lines, along with some more important models such as Renegade Elite, Bronson, and Junior Elite.
You must decide whether you wish to buy a new model, or seek to make an agreement on the slightly outdated stock.
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Natural Flavor In A Pellet
Wood is chipped, dried to specific moisture, milled to a smaller size, and then compressed into pellets. Generally the heat of the compression process pulls natural glue from the wood to keep their shape. Smoking pellets are pure wood, but the pellet smoker is efficient, so it does not put out quite as much smoke during the burn. This creates less intense flavors versus charcoal or split wood. The smoke is clean and easy to control, and it still imparts great flavors if somewhat milder than other techniques.
Louisiana Grills 900 Series Electric Wood Pellet Grill Vs Traeger
This wood pellet electric grill might have a hefty price tag, but it proves itself a strong contender to the Traeger brand in that it features a removable upper cooking rack and comes with a weatherproof cover to ensure it stays protected during unfavourable weather conditions.
The Louisiana is very easy to clean and has no problem maintaining adequate temperatures with a lid thermometer and digital control centre.
BBQ lovers can look forward to as much as 8 different cooking styles such as, BBQ, chargrill, roast, grilling, baking, searing, smoking, and braising.
The stay cool handle is a bonus and comes in handy when there is a need to open the lid to inspect the condition of the content.
You can be assured of precise cooking control that ranges from 82 degree Celsius to 315 degree Celsius.
With features like these, what is there not to like about BBQ and all the wonderful prospects that go along with it?
These guys are known to be part of a company called Dansons that also manufacture Pit Boss that like the Louisiana grills are attempting to take on Traeger and present consumers with a grill that offers much of the same, but at a lower price.
The beauty of these grills is the fact that you can hit very high temperatures than most of the Traeger brands can. The built of these grills are quite similar to the robustness of a Traeger.
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Are Weber Grills Worth The Money
Should you pay more for Weber grills? If you are buying a grill for the first time, think like this.
On the positive side, these grills have advantages like steel or characteristics of a burner. No matter if you select Weber Genesis ii or Weber Spirit, you will see the difference from the first year.
On the negative side is the price, as Weber’s grills are considered expensive.
You may think that buying a cheap grill will pay off, but imagine all problems that may arise and calculate from there. That will give you the best answer.
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Traeger Pro Series 34
Overview
Notice we did not say the least expensive Traeger, this is not. But it delivers some characteristics that make it a great contender. For over a decade the manufacturing has been in China, and frankly that is the way it is in the pellet smoker world until you get to the ultra-premium high end units. It seems that Traeger, and many others, have gotten a better build quality from their manufacturing partners recently, although there are consumers who disagree. Combine that with a lagging reputation for customer service, and it explains why the market has allowed so much competition.
Their build is certainly sturdy, coming in at 136 pounds, these contain a lot of metal. The rack space at 884 square inches over two levels is impressive. The other components get interesting results. Our experience, echoed by others, is that they are very fickle when it comes to holding temperature. This unit still uses a dial with 25 degree increments, and their own spec says it will hold to within +/-15 degrees. It also can take a significant amount of time to get to temperature, especially the listed top end of 450 degrees. It does offer two temperature probe inputs, so you could monitor the ambient temp of the chamber, although we have our recommendations for a Bluetooth set up to accomplish that and more .
Specs to know
- Weak customer service
- Expensive for the category
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Why Arent You Getting Enough Smoke With Your Pellet Grill
Although pellet grills have many significant advantages over other grill models, you might find that they dont produce as much smoke as youd like. Thats because these units produce indirect rather than direct heat.
You might think that setting your temperature preference higher than normal will produce more smoke, but that wont work with a pellet grill. These models are designed so that the more indirect heat you apply to your spare ribs or chicken wings, the less smoke the grill produces.
A complete guide on how to get smoke from your Traeger.
Understanding The Traeger Grill Lineup
Shopping for a Traeger grill can be very confusing. With so many years in business, youve got a lot of different models and versions to compare.
These days Traeger produces 4 main lines of pellet grill.
How to understand the Traeger pellet grill lineup
- Traeger Pro series The most popular mid-range option now includes Wi-Fi connectivity to the Traeger app for all 2019 models.
- Traeger Ironwood Series A step up from the Pro series, offering slightly larger sizes plus some funky new tech known as DownDraft Exhaust and TRU convection to help optimize cook times. You also get Super Smoke mode, the option to push a button and ramp up the smoke production.
- Traeger Timberline series The largest and most expensive option, choose between 850 or 1300 square inches of cooking space. You get all the features of the Ironwood plus pellet sensing tech that lets you monitor your pellet levels on the app.
- Traeger Tailgater As the name implies this is a portable model, with 300 sq inches and a lot less tech but some nice features for taking it on the go.
For all 2019 models, the number in Traegers product name refers to the cooking surface, so the Pro 780 has 780 square inches of cooking surface.
You can still pick up the older gen 1 models where the number refers to the size of the main grilling rack. E.g. the Pro Series 34 has a 34 x 19 grilling rack.
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