How I decided on a Pellet Smoker & Thoughts

[jasoncross11]

ATT: BBQ Guys is doing a Black Friday giveaway for the Camp Chef Vertical I purchased!

https://www.bbqguys.com/contests

Hello again! I wanted to follow up my post requesting suggestions, thoughts, and feedback. First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to help me think through the issues. As I read through all the posts, it helped me refine what I actually needed and what I really just "wanted" in a smoker. I also read through threads written by different folks which helped.

My Needs:

1. Under $2,000 – The highest I want to go considering I have a young family!
2. Must have reliable temp through better heat retention & PID
3. Quality of life features such as easy clean out and pellet dumps
4. Over 650 square inches

My Wants:

1. Only need a dedicated smoker as I have a gas grill already
2. Wifi – I like the phone notifications and want to be able to keep a side eye on it.
3. Higher build quality per dollar spent
4. Over 1,000 square inches – I love cooking for neighbors.
5. Under $1,000 all-in – While I could spend the money, I have other wants in life haha.

Thoughts:

• Consider buying at a lower price point and upgrading in a few years once the technology has advanced further.
• Don’t pay for versatility if you don’t need it.
• Flavor Profiles - I need to experience different flavor profiles before committing to more expensive unit. I want to try smoked food from the various methods before committing to something higher priced.
• When comparing cost, ensure you are comparing apples to apples. Some smokers include things like front shelf, cover, insulation so no need for winter blanket, etc.
  • For example, I had to buy the Smoker ($600) cover ($50) and insulated warming blanket ($150), which put me at $800. I also had a 10% off at outdoorcooking.com.

Some of the Models Considered

1. Camp Chef XXL Wifi Vertical Smoker - This looked like it would be fit the bill, but the hopper is small, and the pellet burner rate is high. I got the warming blanket and cover. Total cost was $770 including tax and shipping. It has thin metal (22 gauge), but it is a well built and designed smoker. The grease drips down and out so I am not concerned with a grease fire like with my Louisiana Vertical. I will do a full write up once I have used it more.
2. Yoder YS640S - I have a local dealer. It does everything I need, but it also does WAY more than I need. With any add-ons, it easily goes over $2,000. Consider investing now for a product that lasts a lifetime if you take care of it. If you have a convenient dealer, you can buy accessories over time.
3. Smokin-it! 3D smoker (rec’ed by @barelfly) – I was very tempted by this model, but ultimately the cost compared to the Camp Chef was what got me. It is as close to a set it and forget it non-pellet grill since it is basically an outdoor oven with a built-in wood burner. It is very clever.
4. MAK Grills 1 Star General Pellet Grill - Small cooking space and is very pricey, but otherwise looks great and Meathead loves it! Similar to the Yoder, it does more than I need.
5. Camp Chef Woodwind 36 - great features overall and looks like good temp control. It has a short warranty for the price. I also don’t need the sidekick function or grilling ability. If I am getting a camp chef, I should just get the vertical.
6. Cookshack Fast Eddys 30-Inch Wood Pellet Grill - PG500 – Man do I love the look and features of this smoker, but after getting a cover and tax, it clocks in at almost 3 times the Camp Chef. I can’t justify the 3x cost right now.
7. Pit Barrel Cooker (rec’ed by @HawkerXP) - While not a pellet smoker, it seems as close to set it and forget it outside pellet smoker. It has a super passionate following. It is somewhat set it and forget it. At the end of the day, I want to smoke using pellets and the ease of the pellet made the difference.
8. Recteq RT-700 - Great features, build, warranty, and reviews, but it looks like it skipped leg day and has bull horns. Please don't hate me if you love the horns haha. More importantly for the cost, I don’t need the features, and I may want to upgrade sooner than the warranty expiration. Based on the price point, I could buy the Camp Chef twice for the cost of one RT-700.
9. Pitts & Spitts Maverick 1250 Grill - probably my favorite at this price point, but I don't need the ability to grill so hard to justify. I love the build quality.
10. Traeger Timberline 850 Grill - Traeger's rep seems to have taken a huge hit. For the price, I probably would jump for the Maverick instead. Also, I think that I am part
11. Other Pitt Boss / Danson Grills - They don't have a PID controller. I am just so tired of the crazy swings in temp. It probably isn’t as big as an issue as I thought, but I still think it was a good decision to move away.
12. Lone Star Grillz Pellet Smoker - It looks great, but similar issues to other more expensive brands. It has a bunch of features I don't need. It also isn’t released yet! It has so many of the quality of life upgrades that I want too. I would have been tempted if it was available for purchase.
13. Grilla Grills Silverbac Alpha - After adding needed options, it runs a bit under $1k. It looks like a great build and has a good rep. It doesn't have a wifi temp so I would need to purchase one to watch the meat while I play with the kids.
14. Weber Smokefire ex6 - it looks great on surface, but the horrid experience of the 1st gen scare me. It looks like Weber is standing by the quality, but at $1,200 I could go with RT-700. Considering that Weber is committed to the model, they will likely have a seriously improved version in a few years that is worth considering.
15. Masterbuilt Gravity (MBG1050) (rec’ed @Polarbear777) – This one looks very interesting, but I got a discount on the pellet smoker so the price was similar. Also, I was concerned by the need to replace electronics.
    1. https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...sts#post862733

Please feel free to ask any questions, I have more thoughts, but the post was already getting long haha.

[Dan Deter]

That is an excellent write up of how you went through the process. Thanks!

[Old Glory]

Awesome write up. I am going through the same process. I think I want a decent grill under $2k before I fully commit.

I am hoping the 2nd Gen of the Weber fixes some of the issues. I really don't care if I need to use a drip pan. It will make cleaning easier in the long run.

I want an insulated unit so I can cook in winter temps.

[STEbbq]

The Grilla is insulated.

[jasoncross11]

If the Grilla had the wi-fi version out, it would be a compelling smoker/grill. Thanks! Since you want a decent grill, the Weber looks great assuming they ironed out the issues, which I think they will do.

[bbqLuv]

When I up grade will be

1. Traeger Timberline 850 Grill - Traeger's rep seems to have taken a huge hit. For the price, I probably would jump for the Maverick instead. Also, I think that I am part

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

Nice breakdown of the pros/cons for each cooker for you. I have a few friends with the CC vertical and they are quite happy.

FYI, the MAK 1 Star has a 858 sq inch capacity which is much more than your initial want and close to your nice to have, so not a small cooking space... However, due to certain items they have added as standard, it's also now almost $2K and I fear they have priced themselves out of comparison with anything else on the market.

Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on the CC

[STEbbq]

I just wanted to say I really appreciate you sharing all your research with us. Very thoughtful analysis.