Traeger vs Smoker

[treillw]

As I sit here and fight with my Camp Chef app and grill to change the smoke setting from 1 to 10 on my meatloaf, I wonder how much energy the pellet grills really save. I'm always fighting with something on it it seems. The wifi controls are great, when they work - but it's almost never as simple as it should be.

What are some good stick burners that would have a similar cost and size to the 36" camp chef?

 

[Jarl Varg]

The traeger is awesome. You can run it off of your phone and with the temperature probe it makes it super easy to use.

 

[Mike Islander]

My smoker is electric. To smoke a roast it takes about this much wood (I choose one pile of the six shown). Eazy peazy. Bluetooth temperature sensor is about $30.

 

[Rob960]

My smoker is electric. To smoke a roast it takes about this much wood (one of the six shown). Eazy peazy. Bluetooth temperature sensor is about $30.
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Mesquite requires so little due to the how strong the flavor can be. A few years ago Wally World had 30# bags of Mesquite lump for $9.99 a bag. Used it in my Kamado. It was great for beef.

 

[jmez]

Mesquite requires so little due to the how strong the flavor can be. A few years ago Wally World had 30# bags of Mesquite lump for $9.99 a bag. Used it in my Kamado. It was great for beef.

Good with fish as well.

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[chizelhead]

For pellets, I like Smokehouse and Bear Mountiain. I suggest you tune your pellets to your meat. I've started mixing in Royal Oak Charcoal pellets for meat where I want a good charsmoke flavor like burgers and steak.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I just went down this rabbit hole too and decided to go with a Pit Boss vertical smoker. Plenty of them in my area used for under $200. Mostly going to use it for fish so the vertical makes sense, and I'll reverse sear any other meat on a cast iron. One of the Pro Series 2's just slipped through my hands though so looking some of the Series 1's

 

[Mike D Texas]

Anything pellet, while absolutely convenient, IMO and experience don’t impart as strong a smoke flavor as a charcoal smoker or stick burner… and in fact, they’re lacking in flavor in general when compared to stick burners. There’s something about the convection and all wood fire of a stick burner. You’re gonna get far better bark off a stick burner. Some of the best barbecue I’ve ever made has come off my stick burner.

With all that said, stick burners require you to be present in some form as you have to keep the fire going. With the cheaper ones it’s not as bad as some make it out to be(you can go up to 45 mins/1 hour before needing to add a split) but it’s still something to keep in mind. There’s also a learning curve as well.

If you go this route, I wouldn’t buy anything cheaper than an OK Joe. I wanted something nicer, but living where I live it wasn’t in the budget as the “nicer” smokers with shipping factored in all came to over 2k to get it to me. If you live in the Midwest or east coast you shouldn’t have an issue finding a nice one for far less.

I enjoy smoking meat, so I don’t mind needing to tend the fire and whatnot… especially when I taste what comes off it. If you want to show your buddy what “real smoke flavor” tastes like, get a stick burner.

Generally speaking this is correct. However, if you buy a high end pellet grill like a Pitt & Spitts, Yoder or Rectec you can turn out some fantastic food AND have the versatility of the pellet grill.

The cheaper units like Traeger, Pitt Boss, etc are thin metal and just don’t hold the heat steady enough for a long cook.

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[Mike D Texas]

What pellets do you use? I have just always used the blend they have at Costco.

Pellet quality makes a huge difference.

I’ve had the best results with Lumberjack and Bear Mountain pellets.


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[Boarmaster]

If I only had one I would pick the pellet grill. Seems like they smoke , grill and cook. If I can eliminate a few appliances I am all for it. Thats the route I am going.

 

[Bucky8929]

I’ve got a pitboss and it works great so far!

 

[Robertsericj]

I'm sick of the house smelling like it's on fire after cleaning the oven from making jerky and summer sausage. Time to invest in a smoker.

I mainly make jerky and summer sausage. Typical batch size is 10-20 pounds. Would I be better off with a Traeger or a traditional smoker?

It seems like the Traeger is more geared towards every day cooking (chicken, etc) and a dedicated smoker might be better for higher volumes of meat. That is just my uneducated observation. Does one have advantages over the other, or are they essentially interchangeable?

The biggest reason I want it is for jerky etc, but I'm sure I wouldn't mind messing around with some other recipes for every day cooking with it. But couldn't you do the same thing with a traditional smoker?

I have a standard gas grill.

Thanks!

I love my pitboss. I hear some call it an easy bake oven for men! It js so easy you wont mind using it during the week as you just set the temp and it is good to go!

 

[D S 319]

Love my ironwood 650. Used it darn near year round in ND.

 

[austinrdavis7]

Why do you not like Traeger pellets? Price?