Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Bought a Trager today, and a Weber Smokey Mountain,

Stopped in Home depot tonight, NOT looking for a grill, but……

They are blowing out last years outdoor grills,

Trager 575 Pro for about 500 out the door,

Then also grabbed a 18 inch WSM,

Don't think I need a pellet grill, and a WSM and then also the traditional Weber kettle that’s been on the deck for years now,

Who has which of the 2 i bought today?

which one do you use most?

Might return one, or keep both, dunno just yet……

The WSM should be bullet proof, NO moving parts, 20 year life I’d think, good for ribs, Pork shoulders, and brisket, (I’ve made 2 briskets ever)….

The Pellet grill, moving parts, circuitry, fans, would be good for ribs, Pork shoulders, and possibly even better for real long cooks like the brisket,

Brats, steaks, chicken would always be done on the Weber kettle, Unless you guys convince me differently…….

Let’s talk folks…….

I’ve been using a Traeger since 2016 for everything and a bit more than you mention. It’s just been a great experience. Still have a Weber kettle when I wanna do something different but I could easily just be fine with the Traeger.

I had to find the couple hot spots to sear a steak but other than that I love it.

The WSMs are hard to beat. I bought a Traeger at Costco years ago but it was flimsy. Lots of people love them though. I have a Kamado Joe egg and a $6k commercial
smoker. My wife still prefers the food off of the WSM. Lookup the minion method of charcoal arrangement. They are low maintenance and easy to cook with. My 18” got damaged in a move I need to buy another. What did they have them priced at?

292.00 for the 18 inch, about 150 off.

Thanks.

That’s a great discount. I didn’t realize they had went up that much. I just checked on Amazon and it popped up that I bought my 18” from them back in 2012. Well worth it when the costs is spread out that long.

Can’t beat that👍

Those of you using Pellet grills,

Sufficient smoke flavor or no? Does it taste liked grilled food, or baked food?

I have no pellet grill experience, but I do use a WSM at the camp. It works great for pork ribs and other items that you don't want close to the heat source. We take the column section out of the middle and use the bottom portion as a grill for steaks. Having a weber kettle already, you won't need to do this.

Very little to no smoke flavor when you’re cooking at or above 225 degrees.

I tried a few different pellet flavors/manufacturers but couldn’t tell enough of a difference to justify the price- so I use the Kirkland pellets.

This is %100 my feelings. The Traeger shines at a lot of things, but won’t sear steaks or burgers to my liking, so I keep a charcoal Webber on hand.

I have the Weber performer kettle, it needs to be replaced this year, So another 550 bucks there,

Or as you mentioned, improvise with the modified WSM for steaks and such.

Otherwise if I buy another Performer kettle, I’ll end up with The trager pellet, The Performer Kettle, the WSM and I also have a Masterbuilt electric ‘smoker’.

I don’t need 4 units, hence this thread.

Underrated use for a pellet smoker- jerky

IME, it depends on how long the meat is in there. If you're not getting enough smoke, buy a smoke tube and put in the grill.


I have a Traeger. The fan is currently out of it and I have replaced the heating rod twice and the controller once. I bought an after market controller for $60.00. Traeger wanted $250 to "upgrade" to a controller that actually somewhat held temp. I probably wouldn't buy another.

I have heard good and bad things about Pit Boss but that's the same with all of them.

'
The WSM will take more dedication.
Learn the Minion Method - and coffee can trick for long cooks.
Hang out at TVWBB for everything WSM.

The Traeger is set it and forget it - almost.

So it depends on you and your lifestyle.

As mentioned, use a smoker tube and you'll have all the smoke you want or need. My personal favorite pellets are Lumberjack, then Bear Mountain.

I returned the Traeger, A gravity feed like the Masterbuilt 800 is what I would reallly like,

Controlled feed, and the ability to burn briquettes, lump, and chunks of hardwood if so desired.

Thanks for the FYI on TVWBB, lots of knowledge there.

Pellet smokers are for them that don't know how to BBQ.