Pellet Grill or Charcoal? Are they equal as smokers?
Helllo- I'm new to the whole smoker thing and I don't want to stir up rivalries, but I am very attracted to a wood pellet machine (e.g.Traeger ) but I want to do some serious smoking of large cuts. What is more suitable?
Thanks for your advice.
Charcoal is going to require wood chunks. A pellet smoker is likely to require something like an "Amazing Tube". Otherwise, judge by how you want to spend your time: meditating with the charcoal, or set and forget with the pellet pooper. All a matter of preference.
Have both. Weber kettle, WSM, and a Rec Tec 680. Rec Tec is definitely easier to control but there is a difference in the smoked meat. Not necessarily better just different.
Agree to all of the above. Different. Different results, different requirements / management. If large cooks are what you are planning, there are options for both. A kettle will probably cost less.
Also be sure to look beyond traeger. There’s a lot out there. Check the reviews in that section of the site. You can filter by pellet as a fuel source.
I have a stick burner, kettle, PBC, and pellet Cooker... all of them have their ups and downs.
Everyone has a different preference when it comes to flavor profiles. There is no right or wrong. Right is what you like and works best for you.
A friend of mine has had my Q from all my different cookers and made it a point to tell me once that he preferred the pellet Cooker. He realized he liked a hint of smoke as opposed to burping smoke rings... other folks prefer the heavy smoke flavor...
As far as performance goes. Like anything you just need to learn to master your Cooker no matter what it is. They all have their quarks... pellets are great when you don’t have time or want to mess with the fire much and stick burners are wonderful if you want to play with fire and have a lot of hours to dedicate to it. A charcoal Cooker is usually somewhere in between.
Decide what is important to you, what kind of time and effort you want to commit, etc... and go from their...
OR
just buy them both!
ps: I’m sure someone will be along to recommend a KBQ, Kamado, or paraglider
I have two pellet smokers, two gas grills, and 3 kettles (in various state of repairs). I love the Pellet grill for the amount of smoke flavor they give, because, like Nate made mention I don’t favor overly smoky food and think the Pellet grill gives the right amount. I also enjoy the relative simplicity and reproducibility of Pellet grilling compared to other cooking modalities. Good luck!
Hi, my name is Darrell. I'm an OTR truck driver for over 25 years. During my off time I love doing backyard cooks. I have a 48" Lang Deluxe smoker, Rec-Tec pellet smoker,1 Weber Genesis 330, 1 Weber Performer (blue), 2 Weber kettles (1 black and 1 Copper), 1 26" Weber kettle, a WSM, 8 Maverick Redi Chek thermometers, a PartyQ, 2 SnS, Grill Grates, Cast Iron grates, 1 ThermoPop (orange) and 2 ThermoPens (pink and orange) and planning on adding more cooking accessories. Now I have an Anova sous vide, the Dragon blower and 2 Chef alarms from Thermoworks.
I have both and like all cookers each is a little different than the other except the stickburner it is a lot different from the others. If you are planning on getting a pellet cooker you might want to do some more research on other pellet cookers. I have read a lot of negative reviews on the Traeger.
Weber S-335 gas grill
Weber 26†kettle
Weber 22†kettle
Camp Chef XL Smoke Vault
Camp Chef 3 Burner cook top
Camp Chef Woodwind 36 Pellet grill with sidekick burner
PBC
Accessories:
SnS XL
SnS standard
Vortex
Weber Rotisserie for 22†Kettle
1st gen FireBoard
2nd gen FireBoard
Griddle for Camp Chef cooktop
Several Thermoworks items
Set of Grill Grates
I think everyone above has given you somee great advice. IMO it’s just going to depend what your calling "large" cuts. To some a 16lb brisket is a large cut, to others a whole hog is. So depending on the amount of food you’re planning to cook at once would help everyone give you advice not only on type of cooker but also size. Budget will play a part in any decision to.
I just bought a low-mid range pellet grill just to test the waters and see how I like cooking with it. Notice I said cooking and not smoking. The smoke it imparts is fairly mild compared to what I get with my 26†Weber kettle. But once I get a little more familiar with it I’m thinking it will be a good addition to my arsenal.
I really like both. The pellet is easier to control, and gives me pretty good Smoke at low temps, but very little Smoke I'd you crank the temps. The kettle needs a bit closer monitoring, but produces an awesome product.
I have a Traeger Pro 22, a weber kettle with an SNS and a WSM. All are great cookers. The charcoal cookers are more labor intensive for cooking but are cheaper to purchase. The more you use charcoal the easier it will get. As far as taste goes I don't really prefer them to the pellet grill. I don't really like a heavy smoke flavor. The kettle will do high heat cooks which my pellet grill won't do well. If you already have a grill for that then it doesn't matter. My Traeger maxes out at around 415F. It is really easy to use and I like what I make with it. I also use it as an additional oven, which helped me justify the cost. Let me know if you have any specific questions.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
I think the simple answer is that pellet smokers are much more convenient, but give a milder smoke flavor than is possible with charcoal and wood chunks. And I would look a Rectec and Yoder before I looked at Traeger personally.
I have a Cabela's pellet smoker and really like the food I make on it. It was the right price for me. I had a Traeger Little Tex for several years. I got the Cabela's because I wanted something larger. I think Traeger is a fine brand. Decide which design elements are important to you, and your budget, then go for it.
Wow!!! Thanks to all for the welcomes and great responses. I have been battling with a COS for some years, and also an upright gas fired cabinet smoker. The gas is ok, but it's an entry level unit, and I'm having trouble with temperature control and consistency. Here in Canada we have a company called Napoleon, which makes a clone of the Weber Kettle, and I think I may start with that- Meathead gave it a very good review.
Thanks again, I'll keep you posted.
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