I currently have a Monolith Kamado grill with the ultraq bbq guru, which I love for long now and slow cooks as well as high temp grilling. I've heard a lot about pellet grills and trying to convince myself of getting one. I'm more of a quality than guantity guy and tend to cook for Max 10 people. I also have a Weber kettle so can do some quick grilling on that. Would I be crazy to also get a pellet grill or is there something the pellet grill will give me flavor wise that the kamado can't? As I live in Europe, the only reputable brand that seems to supply here are Traeger, so that's what I've been looking at.
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You're going to get a different flavor profile from a pellet pooper than you do the Komando. I have a WSM and a Camp Chef pellet pooper, and although I really like the WSM, I won't be giving up the Camp Chef. For me it comes down to being able to tailor the smoke profile to the meat. With the pellet pooper and a smoke tube, I can hit just about any profile I want with the set it and, mostly forget it ease that any decent pooper will give you.
FYI, anytime you ask here in The Pit, "should I buy it?" The answer is YES!
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I love my pellet smoker. I also have 8 other cookers and use them all for specific things. Get it. You’ll love having the versatility in your cooker fleet.Comment
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Bwahahahaha as if anyone here would ever suggest NOT purchasing another cooker.Originally posted by Monopauly View Post
I don’t have one myself, but my father does...as does a cousin. Actually, he has at least two...and loves them. A friend of mine uses his at least once a week. Convenience seems to be the common denominator. They’re really not too disimilar from an indoor oven in many respects.
As willxfmr pointed out, a smoke tube might be a good addition. That will depend on the functions available within the cooker itself. It was a game changer when added to my father’s Traeger. His, by itself, doesn’t have a smoke profile that some prefer...it’s very subtle. Very. The smoke tube gave it the kick it needed IMO. And given the price, it’s an easy fix.Comment
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I have a good friend who has a Traeger and he uses it almost every day. I am jealous of his Traeger because of the ability to fire it up and be cooking within minutes.
He notices that if he stays low and slow for the first part of the cook and then cranks it up at the end he gets more smoke into the meat.
Good luck and best wishes!Comment
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we all vote yes on more cookers, whatever kind it may be.Comment
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So... I'll go against the grain since I'm one of the few here that doesn't suffer from MCS. Why do you want a pellet grill? I can see a few reasons (easy to more or less set and forget, ability to get a light smoke profile if you want one) but why do YOU want one?
It seems silly to me to get something that has a lighter smoke profile then try to mess with it to get heavier smoke when you can get heavier smoke with the Kamodo you you already have but I can see wanting lighter smoke on some things and thus using a pellet grill vs the Kamodo. But... what's your thinking here?
Last edited by rickgregory; November 3, 2020, 12:59 PM.Comment
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Very good point regarding the smoke profile.
For ME, and it’s entirely MY opinion. It seems to come down to convenience.
I don’t own a pellet cooker, and don’t see myself getting one.
OTOH, I can understand one’s desire for convenience... And the only pellet cooker that I have ANY experience with is my father’s Traeger. (He has no other smoker.) WAY too light of a smoke profile IMO. A smoke tube was a must.
Convenience is the ONLY reason I can see for owning one. FWIW, I’m not sold.
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One day I plan on up grading to Traeger Timberline 850 from my pellet grill I bought from Cabela's.
I like the idea for WIFI control over the phone. So you may cook and monitor from any location you have cell service.Comment
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My only 3 questions would be how different the Euro model is and if the customer service is adequate. Are there any brands over there that may be better but not available in the US (so not likely reviewed here)? Also, is there an adequate affordable supplier of pellets there?Comment
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Good questions. Seems the only named brand ones I can find here are traeger and Weber, and I think it’s too early for the Weber model until they sort it out. Pellets don’t seem to be an issue. There’s a local supplier here and there’s the interweb where there’s many suppliers delivering. The euro models of target are at least identical except they run on 220-240v of course.Originally posted by ItsAllGoneToTheDogs View PostComment
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Thanks. That’s my dilemma. I like the smoke profile of the kamado, even if I overdid it a few times at the beginning. One thing might be the real estate, where I can really only do 1 spatchcock chicken. Although I’m waiting for my rotisserie to be delivered which will allow me to do 2 easily.Originally posted by rickgregory View Post
I guess the answer is I don’t need it, but wonder if I could do things with a pellet grill I couldn’t do with my Kamado.Comment
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the only things you can do with a pellet grill that you can't do with another fuel type is consistently crank out good bbq while you sleep
You do give up the super strong taste/smell of a charcoal/wood smoker (depending on the pellets, the grill, and your pallet that might not be such a bad thing), you do however get to dial in your techniques to the point where the only variables are the meat and your timing. The grill should do the same thing every time. It's convenience.
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I think the long/overnight cook is a good point. One reason I do chuck vs brisket is that too many brisket cooks are 12+ hours meaning I can't even get up and 7am, start them off and have it ready at dinner time. But cooking overnight would be a snap - toss it on at 9pm, pull in the morning sometime, rest and boom.
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Have to say I’m really impressed with all the quality advice being given.Comment
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BTW, despite my question above, I'm not trying to dissuade you either. If you want one and think you might get some fun use out of it, buy one. It's not like you can't sell it if it turns out that you don't like it.Comment
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I have a BGE and was struggling with maintaining a low temp for a long time. That led me to a Yoder 480. They compliment each other and duplicate each other as well. For hot fires to make steaks, pizza, rotisserie chickern etc, the BGE is great. But for long and low temp the pellet is great. Ribs take 5-6 hrs, brisket maybe 12 hrs, and other things in between. The Yoder is perfect for this. Set the temp and no fussing. Long overnight cooks for briskets are ideal. I've gone back to the BGE to smoke a small item, and it works, but more fussing with the temp.Comment
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