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A few threads here about cooking and smoking got me thinking yesterday. I stopped at my local hardware store to get light bulbs and lint traps. On the floor was a small Traeger grill that caught my eye. This is a small one with 300 Sq. inches of cooking area. In comparison, my Weber Smokey Mountain has ~480 area. They marked the Traeger down from $449 to $420 to try to move it off the floor. I love charcoal but starting it in the chimney starter and then adding it to the charcoal on the bottom takes a bit of time. The pellets start a lot faster and although the hopper is smaller, it's easy to add pellets it seems. This is a case of want and not need really. More expensive than my Weber and less cooking area. Damn do I want it though. I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not. | ||
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Character, above all else |
Pellet smokers are awesome. I've owned a Traeger for many years and it does a great job of smoking meats. But I recently bought a Pit Boss which does just as great a job and also has cutouts over the fire box so you can actually sear a steak or burgers. It's the same size as my big Traeger and was 1/3rd the cost. For the price you quoted for the Traeger on sale, you can get a much bigger Pit Boss with more capability. "The Truth, when first uttered, is always considered heresy." | |||
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| Green grass and high tides  |
look around, there are many of these available now. At one the Treager was USA made, but not now I am pretty sure. So it is not a premium unit as it once was but their price has not gone down. I would not buy it just based on a want. Or you may regret it once you have it and find it was not such a great deal after all. My take. Merry Christmas. "Practice like you want to play in the game" | |||
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| Member |
I looked at a Pit Boss a while ago before I bought my Weber. A friend has one and really likes it. He's only had it a year but it seems to be holding up well. This would be for smoking only as I have a natural gas grill. I think the only reason I want it is ease of smoking. Set the temp, add pellets and done. The Weber is pretty easy but I've had to play around with the bottom 3 vents sometimes. I'd rather be hated for who I am than loved for who I'm not. | |||
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Member |
They dropped the price $29 and that's a bargain? Going into winter in OH? 1/2 price at this time of year... _________________________ | |||
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| Member |
For my purposes, I’ve yet to need to add charcoal to my WSM and temp control has been very easy / consistent. I guess it depends on your exact need and prior comparisons though. I bought the WSM after years of using a Weber Performer, for which long cooks are challenging. | |||
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| If you see me running try to keep up  |
If you are a veteran call Camp Chef, they offer a pretty good discount. | |||
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Drill Here, Drill Now |
I know I'm taking the thread in a different direction, but firmly put me in the camp of stick with your WSM. However, I recommend you change the way you light it. In other words, ditch the chimney as it wastes time and requires you to handle hot coals. Instead, buy a Looftlighter. It's fast, never have to handle lit charcoal, and it just plain works. Mine has been flawless for 3.5 years. Relegate your chimney for power outages (Looftlighter needs power). As a bonus, following my advice will save you $355. Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer. | |||
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Certified Plane Pusher |
Have you had the chance to check out Weber’s new pellet grill? Seems like they did their research on what works, what does and what could be done better with pellet grills. The Weber can get up to 600° for searing. Situation awareness is defined as a continuous extraction of environmental information, integration of this information with previous knowledge to form a coherent mental picture in directing further perception and anticipating future events. Simply put, situational awareness mean knowing what is going on around you. | |||
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| Member |
Was not aware of those! Weber has been responding to the competing methods with some interesting and pricey new lines. With the WSM, are you willing to use the minion method (https://www.virtualweberbullet.com/firing-up-weber-bullet-2/)? If so, that can eliminate / reduce the need to replenish fuel. I use it. Admittedly, I’ve been tempted towards a pure smoker and the pellet models seem to be an efficient variation. But my 2018 purchase of a WSM overcame that urge. As already noted, it addressed the concerns I had from attempting low / slow cooks on a basic Weber kettle. And I think it is somewhat misguided to seek a pure smoking of meat. I don’t think one should attempt to fully eliminate “grilling” from the overall process. Our state (AL) produced a publicly-broadcast program highlighting the best-known BBQ joints around the state (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzhTqo8ayHU). The restaurant owners provide some insightful views on topics such as wood choice and smoking vs grilling. Lastly, the use of a chimney is facilitated by the use of a $25 Weber Smokey Joe, which is still my favorite overall grill. In fact this morning, I need to go clean that little grill which I used to cook two filets last evening. It might take me 3 minutes at most! | |||
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| Conveniently located directly above the center of the Earth  |
got to admit, as much as I like my own Weber Performer, I have yet to achieve satisfactory long cook, even with a series of 'sure fire' tricks. **************~~~~~~~~~~ "I've been on this rock too long to bother with these liars any more." ~SIGforum advisor~ "When the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change, then change will come."~~sigmonkey | |||
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I got a pit boss and am very happy with it. | |||
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| Member |
For all around use, hard to beat the Performer. Mine is at a second home and it serves the overall need well. | |||
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| Member |
I think if you buy a pellet grill for smoking only you will be unhappy with it. As much as I like mine they don’t shine in the smoking dept. you can do some things to help it but it’s still not a smoker. | |||
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Member |
I don't understand this at all... I have a Green Mountain Grills pellet grill. In my experience it's a great smoker and a pretty good wood-fired oven but not a very good grill. If you don't like your pellet grill as a smoker, what do you like about it? | |||
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Member |
If you're used to smoking with wood or charcoal a pellet smoker will be different. They're convenient as hell, set it and forget it but they don't provide as much wood/smoke flavor as a stick burner or a charcoal cooker. I just sold my Yoder pellet smoker as much as I liked it but I make food more to my liking on the BGE with charcoal. I can run 15 hours easily on a load of charcoal and hold rock steady temps overnight. Even when I was using an ugly drum smoker and Kingsford briquettes the food was better to my family the pellets. Pellets burn pretty clean at normal smoking temps (225-250) so they don't make much smoke. It's really personal preference and what you're used to. If anyone is interested in smoking on the cheap, google UDS or ugly drum smoker. You can build one under a hundred bucks and it will hold tamp like a kitchen oven and run all night long without having to add coal. I went as long as 17 hours once on my UDS before the coal was about finished. | |||
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| Member |
I have a Weber smokey mountain. I have never, ever had to add charcoal to it, that's with 2 fully lit chimneys or charcoal, dump them in, 6 chunks of hickory and smoking 2 pork butts for 15 hours at 225F. I'd dump fully lit charcoal in it, and then restrict the 3 bottoms vents to 1/4-1/3 open to keep temperature at 225F. I don't like using unlit charcoal and the snake method etc because it doesn't taste as good. | |||
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| Member |
They don’t add nearly the smoke flavor to meats like a smoker does. It’s not even close but you can help a pellet grill achieve a better smoke with some of the smoke tubes or other aftermarket smoke generators. My wife doesn’t like a heavy smoke flavor so a pellet grill is perfect for me. It’s basically as convenient as a gas grill with much better flavor. It’s also more versatile than a gas grill because you can do long cooks with it as well. I did a pork shoulder that took 18 hours and it was fantastic. | |||
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| No, not like Bill Clinton  |
Hmmm, my Pit Boss upright pellet smoker gives off tons of smoke flavor | |||
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| Member |
You just have to turn the temperature down a bit for a while, at least on the Green Mountain Grills units. At 200 they put out a lot of smoke. To me it is pretty useless as a grill. Even if you leave it on the highest temperature setting for 30+ minutes before you cook on it, it won't do even a half-ass sear. Meat barely even browns, much less develops a crust. I can get great bark on a brisket, though. | |||
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