Pellet Grill Advice

So I am in the market for a new grill for the house and I have throwing around the idea of a pellet grill as I like to do some smoking to. I currently have a smoker but if I can get the best of both worlds with one unit that would be great does anyone have a pellet grill that could give some insite about the unit?? Thanks

Josh, not an answer to your question directly but if I want whatever I’m grilling to have a hint of smoke I’ll take my water soaked applewood and wrap it in aluminum foil. Poke a few holes in the foil and lay it on the grill.

Once finished the foil pack is opened and drenched with water or it sits someplace where if there’s a flair up it won’t catch anything on fire.

Gives a nice light smoke flavor to anything in the conventional grill.

You will love having a pellet grill! No matter whether you get a Traeger or a Green Mountain, ect you should be in good shape. It is so nice and easy because you can set it and not have to babysit it. I personally have a traeger and we use it all time. Your abilities as a cook will very quickly expand!
The only way I would not recommend this is if you like your food with a very heavy smoke flavor. You have to remember at the end of the day this is not what your hardcore pitmasters are going to call a smoker because it doesn’t infuse the smoke into the meat quite as much as a true stick burner, ect.
When people ask me if I like my Traeger I always tell them it is a “grill for dummies” because it is so easy to you and the food you produce will make you look like a pro!

I was looking at them, and ended up with a big green egg, only because of no motors to burn up, no mechanical parts, no electricity. I’ve had food off of pellets and it is wonderful.

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if I want whatever I’m grilling to have a hint of smoke I’ll take my water soaked applewood and wrap it in aluminum foil. Poke a few holes in the foil and lay it on the grill. Gives a nice light smoke flavor to anything in the conventional grill.

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I do the same thing except my wood is left dry and I don’t poke holes in the foil. When I remove the foil packets I let them die out on the driveway and then toss them in a pail to save. The wood inside will be charcoal when the smoking is done and when I start the grill the next time I add a couple of the foil packets worth of this charcoal to the bagged stuff. Stretches things out in the charcoal department.

I am on my 2nd year with a Memphis pellet grill. They are made locally in Bloomington. It works great for slow smoking briskets or searing steaks at 650 degrees. The new model have a removable plate to allow juices to drip directly into the fire if you so desire. The electronic temp sensor and pellet feed makes slow cooking a breeze. Pellet grills are not as smoky as a traditional smoker but we like the results as do the others at our bbq’s. 3 others have bought them after watching ours in action.

Mwal

I recommend a ceramic grill such as a Big Green Egg or a Primos. They are much cheaper to operate over the long haul. I use a Big Green Egg 12 months a year in Iowa. Lotsof people say they are fragile. I’ve been using ceramic grills for over 7 years with no issues. The BGE has a lifetime warranty on the ceramics. As long as you treat it with respect you will get at least 20 years out of it. The nice thing is I can smoke for 24+ hours on one load of charcoal. The other thing I’d I can cook pizzas at 650+ degrees on it. IMO it is the most versatile grill/smoker made. I can run 225 to approx 1000 degrees F.

big green egg all day

I am going on my third year with a Traeger and I love it. It is so easy to use, and everything turns out delicious. I am not stuck on the Traeger brand, but I would definitely go with a pellet grill. Get one with a digital thermostat so you can more precisely control the temperature, and get a wireless digital meat thermometer. It will be almost impossible not to cook/smoke/grill a perfect piece of meat.

I have Treager and a Primo, both are fabulous but have pro’s and con’s. The treager is the easiest for smoking meat, cooking turkey, chicken legs, baking pizzas, but it doens’t get hot enough for me to cook a steak the way that I like them. The primo is great for cooking chicken breasts, steaks are second to none with the temp being able to get above 600 and pork chops always come out juicy.

If you are going to buy a treager make sure that you get one that has the thermometer controller on it (I would suggest the Texas Gril it is nice to have all the room). I have had mine for three years, make sure you register it so that when a part goes out you can get it replaced. I had to have my heat rod replaced, I called Traeger and they sent out a new one right away and I had it in a week. I also thought that my controller went out and they sent me a new one out without any questions when I found out later that a fuse blew they didn’t ask me to send the said controller back so now I have a back up. It is great to be able to put a boston butt on the grill early in the morning, load up the hopper and forget aobut it for 6 hours and have pulled pork that afternoon.

The temp control of the treager is easier then the primo but the primo will put out a heavier smoke flavor if you can master the temp. Either way you can’t go wrong.