Pellets smokers?

[Mojave]

Traeger's were on sale for $500 at the PX here in Germany last year. I have used it daily for 10 months with no issues and only one vacuum out of the suit. Only because it stopped working.

 

[Mike D Texas]

No, it’s definitely not, my igniter rod failed. It happened twice on the same unit. I vaccumed that damn box out everytime I used it.

Also - yeah I have one fan that could fail and if it does, I go and crack a vent open a 1/4 in more and I’m golden. The fan I use has an app with full remote control and alarms. An igniter rod fails or the damn thing snuffs out, unless you have an ash vac you’re moving that thing to the oven.

So what I’m getting at is I have all the “set it and forget it” features but it has a fail over and can still grill, sear and do all the things a pellet smoker is terrible for and in the long run it is way cheaper.

Maybe my delivery was a bit harsh but this is the point I’m trying to make. A weber charcoal grill is a cheaper, more versatile grill than a pellet smoker, period.

The igniter rod doesn’t keep your pellets ignited. It shuts off as soon as the pellets ignite.

I suppose if you had wet pellets or something it may come into play.

But you really don’t even need tge igniter rod. I’ve had mine go out and I just used a propane torch to get the pellets going. After they start burning the fan and auger keep them going.

In the 10 years I’ve used pellet grills I’ve never had one go out mid cook.

As for the Weber being more versatile, that has not been my experience. I’ve used my current pellet grill to do everything from cool smoke (~150°) sausage, cheese and fish, to all normal smoked meats, high temp sear steaks and cook bread, cobblers and other items, and high temp pizza oven on it. It truly can do most any kind of cooking imaginable including using a griddle insert for breakfast.

 

[sodaksooner]

I recently got one of the Masterbuilt gravity series grills that runs off of charcoal and wood chunks. Ease of use similar to the pellet smokers, but with charcoal flavor.

Unfortunately quality control is lacking and the Masterbuilt app seriously sucks to use. It does make good food though once you've got things dialed.

Concur with this. Cooks really well with great flavor. Regulates temp perfectly IMO. Build quality is so so, but it's also quite a bit less expensive.

 

[chizelhead]

I like a steak cooked on charcoal but its not as convenient for me. Pellet smokers are just easier for me. I work 12 hr shifts, and more often then not, close to 3k hrs a year. I just dont have the desire or patience to babysit charcoal.
I want to set the temp and forget it.

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You can mix Royal Oak Charcoal pellets in to add the charcoal flavor to steak and burgers on a pellet grill.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Blaze N Grills. They are spendy, but mine has been going strong for 8 years. They are built to last. Love mine!

 

[backcountry_hunter]

You can mix Royal Oak Charcoal pellets in to add the charcoal flavor to steak and burgers on a pellet grill.

Alot of brands/models especially in the more economy friendly price points struggle to feed these (super dense/hard compared to conventional compressed sawdust) through the auger. Seems hit or miss, some do, many don't.... My GMG won't. Now I have a little less than 40lbs that is used for smoke-tube only.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

My pellet smoker.

 

[chizelhead]

Alot of brands/models especially in the more economy friendly price points struggle to feed these (super dense/hard compared to conventional compressed sawdust) through the auger. Seems hit or miss, some do, many don't.... My GMG won't. Now I have a little less than 40lbs that is used for smoke-tube only.

Good to know. I have a Mak 2 star, which hasn't had a problem. I only mix in ~10-20%. Maybe that makes it work.

 

[bullnose]

As others have said, you can't beat the convenience of a quality pellet smoker. They certainly have their place. Bearing that in mind, I'm a fan of charcoal. I run two drum smokers and an SNS kettle.

I simply prefer the flavor of meats cooked with oak lump charcoal over food cooked with pellets. I also find the entire process to be something of an art form that is open for experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement.

In many ways it reminds of how I approached archery hunting, something I can't do anymore due to shoulder impingement and nerve issues. Mind you, this was back in the "old days" before carbon arrows. I spent a lot time experimenting with shafts with different spines, thickness and diameter as well as broad head types and weights. I went through a lot of butcher paper tuning arrows. Once they were tuned, I spent many hours shooting targets and 3D until I was satisfied I could consistently take game quickly and humanely.

There was something about the commitment to doing the best I could that I really enjoyed and I now find in some measure with charcoal smokers/cooking.

All that being said, if I were to buy a pellet smoker, it would hands down be one of these:

Lonestar Grillz

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Good to know. I have a Mak 2 star, which hasn't had a problem. I only mix in ~10-20%. Maybe that makes it work.

guessing something built that heavy won't have an issue. really only hear about it in the cheaper stuff.

 

[atmat]

guessing something built that heavy won't have an issue. really only hear about it in the cheaper stuff.

Yeah, the Mak is a beast.

 

[cmahoney]

I’ve had a Yoder for 10 years and it’s been awesome


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[Beendare]

"Outdoor Easy Bake Oven"

OK , thats funny. My Reqteq is easy thats for sure....no messing with charcoal......and the fact it burns for many hours at the same temp is a game changer for me.

It is not set and forget.....It can give you a rubbery outer skin on some meats- like skinless chicken- if you go for a long time. A friend told me his trick; he sprays the meat with a mix of wine and olive oil to keep it from getting rubbery.

I'm still looking for the perfect blend of spritzer.....

 

[fisherman983]

Pellet smokers are easy and popular, but they do not produce a true smoked flavor. I have tried a couple of the top brands, and I am not impressed. I would suggest that you at least give a vertical-fed charcoal smoker a look. They are almost as easy to operate and truly produce smoke. However, they are more expensive to buy.

Good luck in your search, smoking meat can be addictive….lol!

I had a weber smokey mountain and it sucked. Definitely could have been operator error to an extent but still a hassle. More than once had to finish food in the oven. And several things got overcooked

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[butcherboy]

I’ve had a CampChef woodwind pro and haven’t had any problems with it. Temp goes as high or low as I need it. For really long smokes I will add a smoke tube. It gives a pretty decent smoke ring. It also has a setting to make more or less smoke depending on what you are going for. My next one will be a CampChef with the added compartment for wood, charcoal, or a combo. I’ve looked at the Lonestar grills as well.

 

[dreamingWest]

I have a CampChef Pro with smoke box and side burner. At the time, it was the only pellet smoker I could find that also allowed me to add real pecan wood from my property. I hard plumbed the side burner into my home's propane. I freaking love this combo. A game changer for my cooking.

The side burner is great for searing steaks and frying fish outside.

 

[Gen273]

I had a weber smokey mountain and it sucked. Definitely could have been operator error to an extent but still a hassle. More than once had to finish food in the oven. And several things got overcooked

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A Weber Smokey Mountain is not a vertical-fed smoker. Search for Old Country Vertical Fed Smoker. They are around $1800, that is as cheap of a quality vertical feed as I know of. Howeve, Masterbuilt makes one for about $800 but it is certainly made cheaper. But I know guys who have the Masterbuilt and like it.

Good luck in your search, and I hope you enjoy whatever you end up with. Also, while I am calling it a vertical fed, the correct name for the type of smoker I am recommending is a (gravity-fed). So I am sorry for any confusion I inadvertently caused with my nomenclature.

 

[RS3579]

Recteq

 

[dr.mooseknuckles]

I've had a Traegar Ironwood 885 for 5.5 years. I've had no complaints. Had to replace a deflector shield on it due to humidity, but that's about it. Some areas are starting to rust, but the ignitor rod, auger and pot are all working just fine. Smoked 2 butts yesterday on it and they turned out fantastic as always. Like everything else, depends on the user and locale.

But that's my 2 cents, and I don't care for any of yours.

 

[hikenhunt]

I've had a Traegar Ironwood 885 for 5.5 years. I've had no complaints. Had to replace a deflector shield on it due to humidity, but that's about it. Some areas are starting to rust, but the ignitor rod, auger and pot are all working just fine. Smoked 2 butts yesterday on it and they turned out fantastic as always. Like everything else, depends on the user and locale.

But that's my 2 cents, and I don't care for any of yours.

Great to hear, I got the same one a year ago. I'm loving the flavor, smoke ring, convenience, etc. I'm surprised at the amount of pellet/Traeger hate.