Bye bye Traeger

[finnman]

I may be called a blasphemer or a heretic, but I have given my Traeger away! By by, good riddance, bin voyage, yep all of it! I was tired of replacing hot rods and using electricity to cook and smoke.
So I did this! Bought an oval extra large Primo ceramic grill/smoker! I have not been happier! I got my buddy to order it for me through the company he works for, saved me $350 over retail! Then I found this table made of reclaimed barn wood on CL for....yes $100! So a little cutting, sanding, staining, then lifting, I have anew BBQ table! I have made chicken thighs, baby back ribs, steaks, burgers, all over mesquite lump charcoal or Kingsfords and it's been awesome! I have not even thought about the traeger!!

[trophyhunt]

Gave it away?  lucky guy has a great smoker now!

[Special T]

I think they are superior just take more babysitting. 2c

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[finnman]

I gave it to a guy at work that never could afford one. He was thrilled! He is loving it so far. I may end up buying a smaller one later for smoking fish, but that's it.

[piled-up]

I had the same primos ceramic for about ten years.. there awesome you won't regret going to real hardwood charcoal!!

[JDHasty]

I have an old Kamado and a New Brunfels Black Diamond - pre-takeover that has been heavily modified with chimney, heat dissipation plate & charcoal basket from Horizon Smokers and have had the fire box welded on.  Although my sister uses commercial Traegers in her wildly successful restaurant, I have always preferred charcoal.  Kingsford, w/fruitwood or alder or maple in the offset and lump charcoal straight up in the Kamado.  We keep a Webber in our RV and use Kingsford in it. 


W/my NBBD offset I can leave it for six hours and it runs about 225 once set. It is about shot, it will be Horizon when I replace it.     

[merkaba93]

I may be called a blasphemer or a heretic, but I have given my Traeger away! By by, good riddance, bin voyage, yep all of it! I was tired of replacing hot rods and using electricity to cook and smoke.
So I did this! Bought an oval extra large Primo ceramic grill/smoker! I have not been happier! I got my buddy to order it for me through the company he works for, saved me $350 over retail! Then I found this table made of reclaimed barn wood on CL for....yes $100! So a little cutting, sanding, staining, then lifting, I have anew BBQ table! I have made chicken thighs, baby back ribs, steaks, burgers, all over mesquite lump charcoal or Kingsfords and it's been awesome! I have not even thought about the traeger!!

Dude looks awesome!
Personally never been a huge fan of Traeger. Smokes just fine but never get get it hot enough for a good sear. Just my opinion. I'll stick to a separate smoker and a Weber grill.

[solomtnhunter]

Looks nice!.... I'm just now getting into smoking. Nothing as nice as yours or Traeger but 3wks ago picked up a used lil chief for $20.  Did a batch salmon that weekend and am now hooked on smoking.  Week later some guy down the road had a charbroil offset he was giving away, turns out he upgraded to a Traeger.  Got home, began unloading the charbroil from my truck when my neighbor came over to chat n checkout what was going on. He then mentions he had a big chief collecting dust in his shed i could have .  Went over to pick it up and as we're walking into his backyard i notice he had 2 Traeger's and a 55gal all smoking at the same time. 

[NRA4LIFE]

Try a chicken dish called Gai Yang Chicken on it.  Use thighs, bone in with the skin off (it just burns off anyway).  It marinates for 2 days, you can find recipes on the internet.  Cook very hot to get the right color on it. 

[finnman]

There is a place for a traeger, I had mine 6 years, so I knew it's capacity. But the way I cooked and what I cooked, I found myself using my Chargriller metal egg more often. I used lump charcoal or standard charcoal briquettes. Not the ones you can start with a match, the original ones, using a charcoal chimney. A traeger cannot do a steak, unless you like them rubbery and with a weird texture. I can't do great burgers, it can't char, and if you want good meat, it needs to be charred. It can do chicken, ribs and salmon.
I do like smoke but I prefer the taste of hardwood charcoal best. This Primo grill has been nothing short of awesome. It has the divider for indirect cooking, so I can still slow cook and smoke when needed. I have 3 racks of baby backs on right now! (Ps. Please dont call the clean air people...they might stay for dinner!) lol! 😂

[JDHasty]

Try a chicken dish called Gai Yang Chicken on it.  Use thighs, bone in with the skin off (it just burns off anyway).  It marinates for 2 days, you can find recipes on the internet.  Cook very hot to get the right color on it.

Oh yea baby 

THere is no better pit than a Kamado for chicken and especially thighs and this recipe is one we use a lot

[finnman]

Okay, sold, I am going to try it!

[Stalkin Prey]

I've never owned a traeger never will. You simply can't match or come close to the flavor of smoking/grilling over charcoal and wood


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[JDHasty]

I've never owned a traeger never will. You simply can't match or come close to the flavor of smoking/grilling over charcoal and wood


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That is my take on it. 

[cbond3318]

I've never owned a traeger never will. You simply can't match or come close to the flavor of smoking/grilling over charcoal and wood


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That is my take on it.

absolutely! Do I get jealous sometimes when I'm stuck tending the fire all day while others turn a switch and walk away? Sure. Does mine taste better for more reasons than one? Absolutely.

Yes, I am a Traeger (or the like) racist.