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Pellet smokers

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    Pellet smokers

    I’m a backyard smoker. I’ve been at this for several years, sometimes with good results and well sometimes not. My old master built pro. Which my wife bought me for a birthday present. It is gas and has done a fair job. I need a new smoker . I’ve been looking at pellet smokers. Pit boss pro and treater. I’m use to propane so not sure about this pellet type smoker.

    any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful.

    John

    #2
    Welcome! I don't have a pellet but a bunch here do. I'd think about price range and size, as well as what kind of cooks you want to do. Let folks know and I'm sure people will be along with a LOT of opinions.

    At a high level, pellets seem to give a less smokey flavor than stickburners or charcoal, but more than gas.

    Comment


      #3
      For me....I bought a pellet grill then sold it after less than a year. Just wasn’t my cup of tea as they say. I wanted a stronger smoke flavor. Others love theirs, so it really depends on what your taste is. I love my 26” Weber kettle and PBC. Both give us the flavor we like.
      if you like convenience then a pellet grill is really hard to beat! There’s so many factors to consider before deciding on what style of BBQ you actually should get. But isn’t that Part of what makes it so fun and interesting!!

      Comment


        #4
        I am looking at the Grilla line of pelleteers. I want the chimp for its portability, and lots of peeps here like the Grilla OG. There are lots of choices, I am sure more of us will be along with lots of suggestions

        Comment


          #5
          Welcome to The Pit. Sorry but I can't help with pellets.

          Comment


            #6
            I love my pellet cooker BECAUSE the smoke profile is lighter. To me it allows the flavor of the meat to shine through. To each their own. Pick what you like and you will be happy.

            Comment


            • aladdin4d
              aladdin4d commented
              Editing a comment
              I can't imagine a future with me not having a pellet cooker for this very reason.

            #7
            I have a pit boss 820 pro and I love it. Not as much smoke as my stick burner but it’s easy. Kinda set it and forget it. I’m still hunting for the perfect pellet but I highly recommend it.

            Comment


              #8
              Welcome to the Pit. I have a Yoder YS640. I have been very happy with it, built like a tank and has performed faultlessly. Yes, pellet tend to have a lighter smoke profile than a stick burner of charcoal. Determine what you will be needing size wise and they are priced from $ to $$$.

              Comment


                #9
                Budget and size are the 2 main things to hammer down first. If you aren't sure you're going to like it I've seen some Camp Chef SmokePro 24 models go for as low as 279. Yes they're basic and lower end cookers but on the flip side they're quite a bit of cooker for that amount of money. If you decide you don't like pellet cooking you can sell it to somebody else and not hit your wallet too hard.

                Comment


                • glitchy
                  glitchy commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I ran a SmokePro as a tweener waiting for the SmokeFire. It was a good grill, I paid about what you said, expected little, and was very surprised.

                #10
                I mainly use my Camp Chef Smoke Pro that I have had for over 4 years I love it. I joined the pit a couple of weeks after I bought it, so it could be all the great advice from this site has helped me more than the grill. With that said I repeat something I have said in the past. It is not always what you are cooking on but knowing your cooker inside and out. You can cook great BBQ on many grills, just know how to use it.

                Comment


                • glitchy
                  glitchy commented
                  Editing a comment
                  I mostly agree with this. Isn’t there a saying about cooking with love? In my experience a kamado like a WSCG, BGE, or SnS Kamado is most versatile, but I personally use a pellet grill the most for the balance of ease and consistency. If I want to flatter someone it goes on my WSCG, but most days it’s a pellet grill for the win.

                • TripleB
                  TripleB commented
                  Editing a comment
                  What's not to know? It's a convection oven. You just turn a dial.

                #11
                Pellet grills are about convenience. I’ve rolled through 10 different poopers and you can read about several on various threads I’ve started here. Pellet grills beat gassers for taste and charcoal and offsets for convenience. You can cook better tasting food on a WSCG, Primo, or BGE, but it takes more time and work. If you are willing to wait for a chimney to light and grill to heat up, honestly a kamado is better. However, I cook 75% of the time on pellets because I can walk out, set the temp and go in and prep food, throw it on and wait for an alert from the grill that it’s done.

                Comment


                • glitchy
                  glitchy commented
                  Editing a comment
                  If you know where to jab your probe a pellet grill is an easy bake oven if it’s WiFi.

                • glitchy
                  glitchy commented
                  Editing a comment
                  ..and avoid Pit Boss and Traeger. Camp Chef and Rec Tec are much better bang for the buck.

                • ItsAllGoneToTheDogs
                  ItsAllGoneToTheDogs commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Not just convenience, for those of us experimenting and trying to dial in recipes it's 2 less variables to worry about. Don't have to wonder if you maintained temp, don't have to worry if you added some smoking wood too soon, too late. All you gotta figure out is your timing and your rub/prep. The down side is it's harder to BS the other half and get some alone time on the deck because "I gotta man the grill" And that is a big part of what makes BBQ special to so many

                #12
                Not into the pellet world but welcome to the Pit!

                Comment


                  #13
                  Welcome from Minnesota. I've had a Pellet Grill/Smoker since about 2004. The smoke profile will be mild as already stated but they work very well and are a good cooker to have in your arsenal IMO. AS far as which brand to get, you've already gotten some good advice. Have fun with your decision.

                  Comment


                    #14
                    John Roberson what's your budget, your average feeding crowd size, your weather (wind and cold), and your intended proteins? Lots of pretty good pellet grills out there under $1,500 but it gets a little sketchier below $500.

                    Comment


                      #15
                      I have a Traeger pellet grill that works ok but I worry that some day it will quit during a cook, I used to have a problem with it going out but that has not happened this year. The Traeger insulating blanket was more money than an Akron Kamado on sale so I bought one for cold weather cooking and when it rains. I now have a Primo XL, a Traeger pellet grill and a Napoleon gas grill. If I had to pick only one it would be the Primo.

                      Comment

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