Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Pellet grills

I'm looking at getting a pellet grill with the Cabelas employee pricing sale going on. Just curious if any of you guys and gals are using them. If so are they worth the large price tag? Any tips or tricks to get some great food made? Thanks! M

You know, I was never a big fan of them for one reason only, and that's because they just don't put smoke on the meat like charcoal or stick burners do. But, my friend has an FEC100 made by Fast Eddy's that he added a smoke enhancer to and it is the bomb! A truly set it and forget it smoker that has a large capacity for competition, catering or home use. In fact, I liked it so much that I've ordered one for myself. I still have and love my BGE's, but it's a PITA hauling them around for catering and competition.

Mike

I have had an American made Traeger with the stainless tambour style "lid" for 10 years or so.. I don't know if they are even made anymore.
However, BOWHUNR, has it figured. The pellet grills are good for meat that you are going to slow cook for hours. Ribs, chickens, turkeys, brisket, big chunks of meat, etc.
I have always been disappointed in the lack of smoke flavor, especially in meat that is going to be on for short periods. Pellet grills don't get much over 500* if that.....can't cook a steak on it.

I have been using lump charcoal on a couple different grills more lately.

Since Traeger has sold out to the chinks ....I wouldn't have one on the place.

I have a been using a traeger for about 4yrs now. Cisco1 & bowhunr are right, pellet grills don't put out smoke like a traditional smoker, but you can get smoke tubes and other acc that will provide more smoke. The name pellet Grills is a bit of a misnomer. They only go to about 500*, so searing steaks and such won't be happening. But you can cook steaks and burgers, it just takes longer. I do it all the time. They can be temperamental in the colder times of the year with temp swings, again there are things you can do i.e..a fire blanket wrapped around cooker to help keep that issue to a minimum. The brand and wood type of pellet does make a difference, some burn hotter than others, some smoke more. There are plenty of pellet makers, so it's just a matter of finding one you like. There is a learning curve to cooking on one but there is a large amount of info and groups on the Internet so help/ideas are easy to find. I got mine as a compromise, I wanted a BGE but my gf wanted something she could just turn on, set it and cook. So I got a pellet grill and learned how to use it.

I just added one to my outdoor cooking arsenal. Just the two of us so I bought a small Pittboss to try out. Pretty much as everyone else have said.......not as much smoke as a true smoker, not good for searing a steak but great for low & slow cooking. I did smoke a salmon fillet the other day, and it came out great, but it highlighted a weakness in the system in that your fire can go out at the lowest (smoke) setting and a bit of wind. This also made me wish for a feature that mine doesn't have which is a fire box cleanout to dump unburnt pellets that were fed in before the grill figured out the fire was out. I turned my grill into a freakin' blast furnace when I restarted it without cleaning it out first! Operator error. I don't know all the brands that have that bottom clean out feature but it's something I recommend as a "must have". All in all though, everything I've done on it so far has been very good. Will be trying some skinless chicken breasts tomorrow.

No they aren't cisco1 and don't even think about upgrading it to the new temp control/electronics. I have been told that by several owners and dealers. In fact, there is quite a market right now for the USA made Traegers. Competitive cook teams are paying premium price to get their hands on them to do their chicken.

Mike

Have a Yoder YS640 for about 4 1/2 years that has worked excellent and am very happy with. Like it for larger capacity and ability to maintain temp as low as 150º. Pellet grills do not provide much for smoke after 250º cook chamber temp, I use a tube smoke generator when wanting additional smoke.

BOWHUNR,
I like the Traeger for what it is . But, very disappointed in what I thought it was and …isn't.
To add accessories, to make it into something else is not my style.
I will buy another ….maybe look at the grill you suggested.

Best,
Chuck

The one I suggested isn't a grill at all Chuck, purely a smoker.

Mike

Thanks Mike , you like this EH?
Good suggestion. Will have to take a look....smoker is what I want.
Best,
Chuck

Well I did it. Got a Louisiana grill from cabelas for a pretty dang good price with their employee pricing and a demo model. Now to start using it. Anyone ever do venison roasts or any other wild game on one of these?

MJM,
I have done venison roasts, with good results. Just disappointed in lack of smoke.
I also, do jerky on the Traeger. Low & slow.
Good luck.

I have a Traeger and I like it for ribs and such. I still do steaks and things like beer can chicken on charcoal though.

I picked up a Green Mountain Daniel Boone with WiFi before Memorial Day and I'm digging it. Yes its chink made but I purchased it from a local small business which makes me feel a little better.

I normally have ran lump charcoal with wood chunks so a pellet grill is new to me but its been pretty nice so far. I like controlling it from my phone and being able to track pit and food temps but I really like being able to create temp. profiles (eg. 200F for 1 hr than 275F until meet reaches 190F)

To get good smoke flavor you need to start low <200F for about 45 minutes to an hour and than ramp it up to whatever you want to cook it at.

My BGE and drum smokers still produce better tasting food but for when I want to be lazy I'm really happy with my pellet smoker.

I've been using my Traeger for around 2 years now and will agree somewhat to the above statement. I like to rub my ribs/butts/briskets on the heavy side then wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight before putting them on the smoker COLD at around 180-200 so they have more time under smoke before coming up to temp. TRY IT!

As far as smokey flavor intensity goes I've had terrific luck with hickory pellets from http://www.cookinpellets.com/our-premium-pellets/40-lbs-bag-hickory-pellets/. Much better hickory flavor than several other brands that I've tried as well as being comparable or even equal to a mix of charcoal and hickory chunks from the trees on our property when used on my WSM.
YUM!!!

Side note: buy two 40 bags of the pellets listed above except go through Amazon instead and get free shipping.

I've had a Traeger for about five years. Mine will cook about anything to my liking, but my main complaint is that they are dirty burning. Mine is in my outdoor bar and about three times a year I have to clean the entire shack to rid it of the nasty, sticky smoke and grease film that gets on everything.