OT - Wood Pellet Smoker/Grill

[RiverCityDawg]

Anyone have a wood pellet smoker/grill?

I'm thinking about taking the plunge. Was originally looking at a Traeger since they were the first to do it, but after some research on their quality I think I'll go a different way.

I'm looking at Rec Tec, Green Mountain and Grilla at this point. Would like to keep max spend at $1000 if possible (so no Yoder). I probably won't be doing huge neighborhood cooks, so a mid size grill would be fine for me.

What say you? (Other than marinade with Dale's, slap on a Yeti sticker, 17'n mole crickets, etc)

 

[IrondawgDMD]

I have a Green Mountain and love it. Plenty big for my family of 6.

Does an amazing job with ribs, brisket, Boston butt. Have also used it for burgers, steaks and chicken.

Grills of MS in Ridgeland is where I got it and they are an awesome resource for info.

 

[PBRME]

I have a REC TEC. Didn’t like how flimsy the pellet grills felt at the box stores. Researched RT about a week before I made up my mind. It’s amazing the difference in quality. Plus I can control everything with my phone. Get notifications on grill and food temps. Can put a brisket or butt on before bed and sleep through the night knowing temps will stay exactly where I set them.

 

[Seinfeld]

I took the plunge on a RecTec RT-700 a couple months ago, and here are my initial thoughts.

Pros
-Built like an absolute tank with 6 year full warranty
-Solid temp range from 200-500 degrees
-Really efficient use of pellets, and you can adjust the auger speed depending on how much smoke flavor you want for a dish
-Incredible temp holding ability, and once you shut the lid, it is rare for the temp to deviate by more than a single degree
-Simple but solid app with temp probes synched to it

Cons
-Pellets aren't charcoal, so if you enjoy that flame grilled flavor on burger or steak, that's just not what a pellet smoker does. That said, I've gotten pretty good at the reverse sear process, and the thing still makes delicious steaks and burgers.

For me, the pellet smoker combines all the best things about an electric smoker, grill, and wood smoker, and it puts it all into one machine. So I'm a huge advocate for it. My only advice is that if you have a Weber kettle grill or something like that, I probably wouldn't get rid of it. It still has its purpose

 

[ronpolk]

Anyone have a wood pellet smoker/grill?

I'm thinking about taking the plunge. Was originally looking at a Traeger since they were the first to do it, but after some research on their quality I think I'll go a different way.

I'm looking at Rec Tec, Green Mountain and Grilla at this point. Would like to keep max spend at $1000 if possible (so no Yoder). I probably won't be doing huge neighborhood cooks, so a mid size grill would be fine for me.

What say you? (Other than marinade with Dale's, slap on a Yeti sticker, 17'n mole crickets, etc)

I have a green mountain grill. I like it a lot. Use it a couple times a week. Certainly would recommend one.

I will add this, if by doing research on the traeger that means looking at Facebook or reddit, I wouldn’t let that influence my decision too much. I follow a green mountain grill Facebook page and reddit group and most of what you see if people pointing out problems. Like anything, I think the people that complain are a vocal minority. From my personal experience and from friends that have them, I think you’d be happy with traeger, green mountain or rec tec

 

[J-Dawg]

Add another vote for the GMG. I have a GMG Jim Bowie and love it. Smoked burgers are the only way to go now.

 

[RiverCityDawg]

I have a green mountain grill. I like it a lot. Use it a couple times a week. Certainly would recommend one.

I will add this, if by doing research on the traeger that means looking at Facebook or reddit, I wouldn’t let that influence my decision too much. I follow a green mountain grill Facebook page and reddit group and most of what you see if people pointing out problems. Like anything, I think the people that complain are a vocal minority. From my personal experience and from friends that have them, I think you’d be happy with traeger, green mountain or rec tec

Fair point on the "research", which has mostly been Reddit and youtube reviews, plus just what each manufacturers says about their products.

My top two as of this moment are the GMG Daniel Boone and the Rec Tec RT-590. The RT seems to be all around better, but the GMG is much cheaper. I'm willing to spend the extra money if it's worth it, but can't find too many people with anything bad to say about GMG.

 

[NTDawg]

Any opinions on the Pit Boss?

 

[JML105]

Any opinions on the Pit Boss?

I was about to ask the same thing. Or any other grill that has the pellet smoker side with gas grill side combo.

 

[The Peeper]

Not hating on you pellet owners but I haven't invested in one and probably glad I haven't. My neighbor is a Starkville gameday resident only, lives in S MS otherwise. He has a Traeger here and has told me to use it whenever I want, and I do. I've cooked in several competitions and seen pellets win many prizes.

But, I guess I'm old school and I don't like them. I don't like the flavor of pellets, don't like walking away from it and forgetting about it, don't like the whole concept. I much prefer building a charcoal fire, picking out my pecan or cherry real wood and using a stick burner, keeping an eye on the fire and temp, etc. Cooking has always been a hobby of mine and its like any other hobby, you refine it and get good at it and appreciate it for what it is. Plugging in a grill, telling it what to do, walking away from it and having my phone tell me when the meat is ready just doesn't excite me in the least, sorry but anybody can do that. I stick to the original way because it takes some patience, knowledge, gives me some pleasure, and doesn't cost me anywhere near what the cheapest pellet units do. Again, not hating but I'm just a traditionalist.

Edit for disclosure: I have owned an electric smoker (Masterbuilt) in the past and it reinforced my previously posted thoughts. The flavor wasn't bad (its real wood chips) and if you just want something inexpensive ($300-$400 or less), its simple to set and forget.

 

[CougarArcher]

Any opinions on the Pit Boss?

I bought a Pit Boss in October of last year. I was not sold on the whole electric grill idea but I found a brand new on in Dirt Cheap. Plugged it in in the store to make sure it worked (Smoked the place up). Got it for 80% off, only paid around $120 for it. I have cooked Thanksgiving Turkey, Bone in Prime Rib, Ribs, burgers, fish, steaks, chops, etc. Always very good. I know it is the low end of Pellet grills but for my needs it has performed well. Mine is the 700. The shield it two-pieced so you can slide the top shield to get a direct flame to the meat if needed. Also, saw in another quote, pitboss allows you to use different brands of pellet. Pitboss brand also make a Charcoal pellet to use in the grill if you are wanting that charcoal flavor and not wood. I cook a lot with Cherry (has one of the best flavors to me) and I buy the Traeger brand at my local Ace Hardware.

For the money and if you are only cooking for the fam and just want one on the back porch I would go with a Pit Boss.

 

[goodknight]

REC TEC HQ about 3-4 miles from my house. Can’t go wrong with one of theirs. Got a sweet deal on a scratch and dent sale they had.

 

[Xenomorph]

I have a Camp Chef Woodwind and it's the best piece of outdoor cooking equipment I've ever owned. I was skeptical of the wifi features when I first got it but it's incredibly useful. And the cleanout system Camp Chef has is the best.

 

[LittleBigDog]

Green Mountain Grills Jim Bowie Prime WIFI!

Pellet grill has been a great purchase!

 

[engie]

What's your overall goal?

Having been exposed to a ton of pellet grills from Yoder on down and having a "cheap" one myself, I think the masterbilt gravity series takes the idea behind them(set it and walk away) to a whole new level that will be the wave of the future. Same idea, just using any basic charcoal as the main fuel -- and still giving you sear temps and charcoal flavor with wifi capability and 10 minute ignition to cooking -- for a fraction of the cost. While still offering a smoke box to add wood chips of your choice. I'm sure there will be heavier duty models coming along any second in this sector -- but it's been well worth the $500 price tag.

 

[woozman]

https://forums.sixpackspeak.com/search.php?searchid=806652

 

[Coast Dawg]

I too was looking at pellet grills/smokers for the last month or so. I already have a Weber hooked up to my home’s natural gas and will keep that for the convenience. I’ve had a small electric smoker that has served me ok for years but wanted something new. Also didn’t want to spend more than $600. After tons of reading on this, I bought a 22” Weber premium kettle. I used it last weekend for a brisket and it maintained 225* (fluxes of no more +\- 5*) for 9 hours on the original charcoal & wood chunks. I used a homemade version of a slow N sear to help with the setup. One of the main reasons I went with the Weber kettle is it also works beautifully for searing steaks when setting up two zone heat. Something a pellet cannot do nearly as good.

 

[LittleBigDog]

I do everything on mine...just love the versatility...quality

What's your overall goal?

Having been exposed to a ton of pellet grills from Yoder on down and having a "cheap" one myself, I think the masterbilt gravity series takes the idea behind them(set it and walk away) to a whole new level that will be the wave of the future. Same idea, just using any basic charcoal as the main fuel -- and still giving you sear temps and charcoal flavor with wifi capability and 10 minute ignition to cooking -- for a fraction of the cost. While still offering a smoke box to add wood chips of your choice. I'm sure there will be heavier duty models coming along any second in this sector -- but it's been well worth the $500 price tag.

...quality and taste of food that comes off of it is insane. Direct flame, indirect, roasting, baking...and, I am (was) the world's worst griller. So easy.

I especially like how easy it is to use/mix different wood pellets...pecan, hickory, mesquite, apple, maple sugar...and orange for seafood. One of the best purchases I've ever made.

I have been to Grills of MS in Ridgeland (great store with lots of pellets/seasonings/rubs/accessories/beef) and the Yoders are very nice...cream of the crop. GMG's price point is lower...and I didn't think I would need that much cooking space. Also, the bigger the grill the more pellets you have to burn. However, I can see this becoming a hobbie and opting for a Yoder one day.

 

[Seinfeld]

Fully understand, and you're not at all wrong about pellet smokers taking away from the experience. I'm just personally at a point in my life where I don't have an hour much less an entire afternoon to be messing with wood, charcoal, or vents, so a pellet smoker was right for me. I also happen to be coming off of a Masterbuilt electric smoker that got to the point where it was randomly shutting off(very frustrating), so I'm in heaven right now knowing that I actually have something that I can rely on to cook overnight.

All that said, there will definitely be a time when I'll be ready for something that takes a little more effort again. I'll also say that while I do like the pellet flavor for most of what I've cooked so far, I've held on to my Weber so that it's available for steaks and burgers too.

 

[Seinfeld]

While we're on this topic, any online BBQ seasonings that y'all would recommend. My dad normally brings a couple bottles of Commissary seasoning from Memphis with him every time he visits, but due to Covid19 and all that, I'm running dangerously low. Any readily available seasonings or ones that you can from Amazon that y'all recommend?

 

[squintdawg]

So - I did a lot of research a few months back. I had a neighbor with a RecTec, so I had seen one of those up close. After weighing everything, I landed on a RecTec. I got a 590, with comp cart, etc. I could not be happier. The thing is very high quality!!! There are cheaper ones, but you get what you pay for. The controller has worked flawlessly. I have had a Green Egg for years and still love it - but have not used it but 1 or 2 times since I got the RecTec. I will say - if you go that route, you will not regret it!!!

 

[J-Dawg]

Google JonesyQ BBQ. He’s local to Madison and has some great rubs. I recommend the “Booty Rub” and the XTC Rub.

 

[ronpolk]

While we're on this topic, any online BBQ seasonings that y'all would recommend. My dad normally brings a couple bottles of Commissary seasoning from Memphis with him every time he visits, but due to Covid19 and all that, I'm running dangerously low. Any readily available seasonings or ones that you can from Amazon that y'all recommend?

I really like Fire Dancer’s rub. I like the pork rub a lot but the chicken rub is the best I’ve ever had for chicken.

 

[Pars]

https://www.meatchurch.com/

They’re honey hog on ribs is the best. I got a sampler and liked just about all of them.

I cook on a camp chef about 3 or 4 times a week. Grill during the week usually smoke on the weekend.
Don’t have the time to be a traditionalist wish I did but the pellet grill is just too damn easy

 

[Crazy Cotton]

Yoder 640 is the best homeowner size pellet smoker made (in Nebraska by some badass welders).

 

[Chris Mannix]

Backwoods Chubby 3400 smoker, has been great and I cook on it three or so times a week. Also have a large BGE, great for high temp stuff like steaks, pizzas, and stews.

 

[Trojanbulldog19]

24 or 36? I've been looking to see if I can just check out a camp chef in person but no one seems to have one in stock or on display. Really like Slide and Grill mechanism compared to pit boss design and the clean out seems better on several aspects from ask to pellets. Pit boss is just seems like best bang for buck right now. Traeger is way over rated. I'm I'm intrigued by GMG and RecTec. I just don't really want to pay for bigger rectec. I have a good offset I bought a Christmas and an electric I've had for years. I have a couple of friend who have pit bosses who love them. JDawg just about has me sold on the GMG though. But I really like the flexibility, design, and cleanup of camp chef. Just want to get a closer look at it.

 

[PBRME]

While we're on this topic, any online BBQ seasonings that y'all would recommend. My dad normally brings a couple bottles of Commissary seasoning from Memphis with him every time he visits, but due to Covid19 and all that, I'm running dangerously low. Any readily available seasonings or ones that you can from Amazon that y'all recommend?

How to bbq right has some good ones on his site.
Google Melissa Cookston’s basic rub recipe. It’s one of my favorites.
I made an AP rub that I think is really good. Use it as a rub or table seasoning.
There’s a new rub out called Sully’s Grill Dust that I’m really liking
Jodys Asian Persuasion is really good.
Heath Riles has some good rubs. His garlic jalapeno is really good.

 

[Chris Mannix]

For rubs my suggestion would be:
https://www.jonesyq.com/jonesy-bbq-rubs
Guy is out of Mississippi.

Also second Grills of Mississippi, they have everything you could want plus a great wealth of knowledge if you get to know the guys up there.

 

[The Peeper]

I've been there, hardly lit a grill for several years while we did the dreaded travel soccer lifestyle. My kids are grown now so the smoker gets me up and outside so that's why I enjoy it. My electric Masterbuilt was my go to during that time, I've even set it up the night before with a full water pan and gone to bed w/ it monitoring till next morning, added the chips or small sticks for flavor then. The burner element gave out on it and Masterbuilt really irritated me by telling me they no longer made that element. The thing wasn't but about 5 years old and they no longer could provide one that would calibrate correctly w/ the digital thermostat in the unit. They said they had several that would fit it but if I told the digital mechanism I wanted 225' it may be 250 or it may be 200 depending on which other element I went with so I pitched it.

 

[CougarArcher]

https://www.meatchurch.com/

They’re honey hog on ribs is the best. I got a sampler and liked just about all of them.

I cook on a camp chef about 3 or 4 times a week. Grill during the week usually smoke on the weekend.
Don’t have the time to be a traditionalist wish I did but the pellet grill is just too damn easy

I second Meat Church. I also got the sampler but bought a couple extra bottles of the Holy VooDoo. Is is good on just about anything.

Another Seasoning is Malcom Reeds Killer Hogs seasonings. He is a Competition BBQ'er in Hernando/SouthHaven/OliveBranch area. His videos on youtube are excellent too "Howtobbqright"

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

have you ever made your own? i make my own and it's better than anything you can get in a bottle. find one you like and tweak it