glitchy has a Camp Chef Woodwind for sale. He has it posted here on AR. Don’t know where you’re located, but if Des Moines, IA is in striking distance it may be a good "starter" option.
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Bang for the buck on a new pellet smoker
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Club Member
- Mar 2020
- 3508
- Muskego, WI
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Current cookers:
Rec Tec RT700 "Bull" pellet cooker
Smokin-It model 2 electric smoker w/ Maverick 732 temp monitor and cold smoking kit
Weber Genesis 3 burner gas grill w/ rotisserie
Charbroil Grill2Go gas grill
Weber 22" Performer Deluxe kettle grill w/ThermoPro TP-20S temp monitor
Onlyfire rotisserie kit for 22" kettle
Weber Smokey Joe
SnS Deluxe
Vortex
The Orion Cooker convection cooker/smoker (two of them)
Pit Boss 29â€, 3 burner griddle
Joule Sous Vide circulator
Favorite beer: Anything that's cold!
Favorite cocktail: Bourbon neat
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Club Member
- Mar 2020
- 4277
- Near Chicago, IL
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Current Portfolio:
Joule
PK300
Meathead’s Large Big Green Egg Loaded (see below)
Old (sold) Loves:
PBC
Weber 22" Premium
Masterbuilt Gravity 560
Akorn Kamado
Thermometers:
Thermopro wired
Thermoworks POP
Combustion Inc
Preferred Charcoal:
Masterbuilt Lump
Favorite Rubs:
Homemade (mainly MMD/Just Like Katz rub)
Other Accessories:
Big Green Egg Slow & Sear
Tandoori Skewers System for BGE
Split ceramic plates BGE
Smoking plate BGE
Mercer brisket slicing knife
Rapala brisket trimming knife
SS BBQ trays
NoCry Cut Resistant Gloves
LEM # 8 Meat Grinder
Lodge 5-Quart Dutch Oven + Skillet
Meat Claws
Grill Rescue Brush
Meat Fridge for dry aging
Favorite Whiskey/Beer:
Anything Peaty or anything from New Holland brewery
I was researching this topic as well again recently. Generally, I've favored the Grilla Silverbac, but would need something else for searing, as it won't sear very well. The GrillGrates add more cost, and then you're already in unmodded Weber Smokefire territory, and a simple Ace's coupon can knock 15% off the Weber too.
I actually think the SmokeFire is very good, and would probably buy it over the Silverbac due to the better searing capabilities and improved smoke.
There's a very interesting thread over here, where the OP does a lot of work on his SmokeFire. What I thought was super interesting is that on pg 19, he essentially removes the prior 19 pages of mods that he'd painstakingly put together, as the upgraded Weber SmokeFire with the new auger/pellet feed worked great. There's plenty of pics of the great food he was able to cook on it as well. In short, similar to glitchy 's experiences here, the improved auger etc. really seems to have addressed a lot of the issues with the original version, and I'm beginning to see Weber's point as to why they removed a lot of the original reviews of the smoker, given the improvements they've made. I do feel like if you are making a decision on the SmokeFire based on early reviews, I do think you need to at least invest some time in researching the SmokeFire post-updates as the upgrades seem very material.
Hello, I'm an avid BBQ guy, owning a whole lot of cooking equipment. From the little Weber Q1200 to a Southern Pride SP1000 trailer mounted rotisserie smoker. I've got lot of stuff in-between, but I enjoy outdoor cooking. I ordered the Smokefire EX6 from Lowes on December 1st. It arrived to...
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Thanks for that link. I definitely have started to reconsider the SmokeFire. It looks like the May 2020 software/firmware updates coupled with the improved auger and some easy mods (finger guard removal, for example) have done a lot to improve the product. In about six months when I'm ready to buy I'm sure there will be a lot more reviews out there to help me make a decision. I do like the searing capability and how quickly it seems like it can go from 250 to 600 if you're doing a reverse sear.
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Founding Member
- Jul 2014
- 1140
- Brentwood, CA
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Mark Garetz
Rec Tec pellet grill
Weber Genesis Gasser
Maverick ET-732 and Thermapen and others
I owned a Traeger for a year before upgrading to a Rec Teq 680 (then it was Rec Tec). It has worked great. Upgraded to the new wifi controller and ceramic firepot which are standard now. Turns out great food and is very reliable. You can buy a lot of accessories and pellets (and stainless upgrades) for the difference in price.
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Club Member
- Jul 2019
- 2108
- Central IA
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MAK 2 Star General
KBQ C-60
Weber Summit Charcoal Grillw/ Big Joetisserie, SnS LP, and VortexWeber Genesis II - S-345
Weber Traveler
Fireboard 2 Drive
Anova Precision Sous Vide
All the (pellet) grills I’ve loved before:
Traeger Junior Elite^
GMG DB
Traeger Texas Elite
Memphis Pro§
Traeger Pro 575
CampChef SmokePro STX (ugly grills need love too)
Weber SmokeFire EX4§
Traeger Select
CampChef Woodwind WiFi w/SearBox^
Weber SmokeFire EX4§
^ = Favorites
§ = Love/Hate Relationships
I've had a Memphis Pro (more expensive than MAK) and currently have a SmokeFire EX4. The SmokeFire cooks as good or even better tasting food and is actually far less susceptible to grease fires. However, the chassis of the Memphis is a tank. I've never had a MAK or Yoder, but from reviews, comments, pictures, and seeing Yoder charcoal and stick burners I'm guessing they are going to be the same...much heavier sturdier construction.
I thought hard about taking the plunge for a MAK several times for the same reasons as you that I've never heard a complaint about one. I never did after my disappointment with the Memphis and not ever seeing a MAK in person. It was hard to pull the trigger on a grill that expensive again. I have zero interest in a Yoder, just because I don't want to maintain paint on a pellet grill. It seems pretty well agreed upon that you need to touch up a Yoder every year or two. Does that make it bad? NO, but not something I'm interested in at this time. That's really the only complaint I hear about Yoders.
All of that being said, I've actually quit looking at other pellet grills all the time since I've gotten the SmokeFire. I use it multiple times a week at all temperatures. I always use drip pans under LnS greasy cooks. I'm ecstatic with the performance and results. It's not built like a tank, but it constructed plenty well and I'd guess it will last longer than most other pellet grills in that price category. Weber's porcelain enamel metal has a track record. They also seem to use a little thicker steel than Traeger, CampChef, PitBoss, etc. Though I haven't measured it to be certain.
It doesn't put out the smoke profile of my WSCG or a sitck burner, but it does put out noticeably more smoke than any of the other 9 pellet grills I've had. I've cooked frozen pizzas at 450 that were too smokey for my tastes. With the completely different design than all the other pellet grills, it cooks different. It's still a first generation product though and even though most of the issues seem to have been ironed out, there's a chance for more quirks to surface. If you want more info on the SmokeFire, I've been documenting my experiences here: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...okefire-redeux.
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Club Member
- Mar 2020
- 4277
- Near Chicago, IL
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Current Portfolio:
Joule
PK300
Meathead’s Large Big Green Egg Loaded (see below)
Old (sold) Loves:
PBC
Weber 22" Premium
Masterbuilt Gravity 560
Akorn Kamado
Thermometers:
Thermopro wired
Thermoworks POP
Combustion Inc
Preferred Charcoal:
Masterbuilt Lump
Favorite Rubs:
Homemade (mainly MMD/Just Like Katz rub)
Other Accessories:
Big Green Egg Slow & Sear
Tandoori Skewers System for BGE
Split ceramic plates BGE
Smoking plate BGE
Mercer brisket slicing knife
Rapala brisket trimming knife
SS BBQ trays
NoCry Cut Resistant Gloves
LEM # 8 Meat Grinder
Lodge 5-Quart Dutch Oven + Skillet
Meat Claws
Grill Rescue Brush
Meat Fridge for dry aging
Favorite Whiskey/Beer:
Anything Peaty or anything from New Holland brewery
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If I had to guess, I would put the SmokeFire article as probably one of the top 10 most read pages this year for the site. I could very well be out to lunch, but given the improvements people are reporting post-update (new auger etc.), I bet there would be a good viewership.
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I did some updating, mostly of the app which is now fully operational and very good. I'll continue to keep an eye on developments. Although Weber has, so far, made significant improvements to the controller and app, the hopper design remains an issue as described in our review: https://amazingribs.com/ratings-revi...e-pellet-grill.
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By the way, I just noticed your timeframe. I'd certainly wait to see what Weber does with the Smokefire if you're looking to buy 6-9 months from now.
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Club Member
- Dec 2015
- 996
- Phoenix, AZ
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Weber Genesis S330 with GrillGrates
Weber Summit Kamado E6
Weber Performer with SnS, DnG and Pit Viper mod
Weber 26" kettle with SnS, DnG and Pit Viper mod
Traeger Flatrock Griddle
PKGO
Fireboard (2)
Thermoworks Smoke
Thermoworks MK4 (2)
Themoworks Thermapen ONE
Accessories ranging from a Vortex to bear claws.
Throwing in a wrench here. Have you considered a kettle with a controller/fan mod? Granted you won't have the capacity that big pellet grills have. However, you could by two set ups with all kinds of extras for the money you are talking about spending. 26" Weber kettles have a lot of capacity. So if you have two you'd be set for that aspect. Kettle/fan combo is waaay more consistent than any pellet grill in my experience (having owned a Traeger and a RecTeq). Plus for me, I just don't think there is anything right now that can make pellet grills produce the smoke flavor I prefer. Just because you can do things to add more smoke doesn't mean you get more smoke flavor. It's just the nature of the fuel. The versatility of a fan modded kettle is endless.
Here's a link to doing this.
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I do own a Weber kettle and love to play with it for low and slow cooks. I don't have a problem getting it to maintain temp. I've been using it for years and I've gotten used to how I need to set the vents, how to pack the charcoal, etc. I can get it holding 225 or 250 for 5 or 6 hours easy. But then I need to re-pack the charcoal. A fan setup isn't going to change that and the set-it-and-forget-it mode is the big plus of a pellet smoker for me.
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Aside from the disposable crap out there it just feels like there are 3 tiers:
Acceptable. This stuff will have some build quality issues, not the best steel etc but it does what it says it does and will last a few years. Traeger, etc.
Very Good. Better attention to detail and better mats, but not the very best. Build quality issues might be present but tend to be minor. SMokefire maybe, Recteq, camp chef maybe?
Luxe. Very high quality materials 'built like a tank', great attention to detail and build. Can last decades. MAK, Yoder, Grilla, etc.
Personally, I think working the high end of the Very Good stuff is where you get best bang for the buck. But YMMV. I'd never spend $3000 for a pellet grill that doesn't cook any better than a $1000 one, but if the difference isn't material to someone or they just really want to have something premium, cool.
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For those who offered their comments and opinions, thank you! After all that agonizing and much internal debate I decided to go with... an M1 from MGrills! I just realized the joy of BBQ to me is the process, playing with the fire, getting it just right. A pellet grill may still be in my future but for now I decided to step up to a real stick-burner with the option to do a traditional charcoal cook as well. Once my grill arrives and I start playing with it I will post my thoughts in the appropriate forum. Thanks again everyone!
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