Post by: Rob on November 21, 2024, 05:46:27 PM
I was originally thinking Traeger but it seems like there are some quality issues associated with their move to China manufacturing.
I did some searching on this site and it seems as though there are many good options.
What do folks have and like/dislike and why?
I am leaning towards the green mountain grills based on what I have read.
With Black Friday deals coming up I am hoping to see a deal pop up!
Post by: Rob on November 21, 2024, 05:51:34 PM
Post by: wadu1 on November 21, 2024, 06:01:10 PM
Post by: ASHQUACK on November 21, 2024, 06:05:27 PM
Post by: wadu1 on November 21, 2024, 06:07:02 PM
Post by: Longfield1 on November 21, 2024, 06:13:02 PM
Post by: ducks4days on November 21, 2024, 06:22:50 PM
It will not produce lots of smoke flavor, or hold low temps well. I tried maybe a dozen times to smoke salmon and duck and it just wont do it. The end result is over cooking and less smoke in the meat. I ended up buying a Masterbuilt electric smoker and use the same pellets in both with no complaints.
It also will not get hot enough to sear. It wont do steaks or kebabs or burgers with the nice crisp sear on them. I fortunately already had a propane grill, but now I have 3 outdoor cooking things taking up space. I have a lot of space to spare so it doesnt matter much, but if you have a small porch or deck or something it is worth thinking about.
All of that without any manufacturing issues as you mentioned, I clean it every 3 uses and have not had any ignition issues or welds break. It seems that just by the design it is a half step between a propane grill and a real smoker, but doesnt do either well enough to fully replace them. I dont have experience with other pellet grills, but I imagine Traegar is either killing it with the propaganda game, or their grills are above average and the design for pellet grills in general leave something to be desired.
Post by: Mtnwalker on November 21, 2024, 06:25:44 PM
Post by: 92xj on November 21, 2024, 06:25:47 PM
Recteq blows them both away. It holds temp great and is very accurate on actual temperature. The gmg and traeger were always +\-35 degrees during the cook cycle, the recteq is around 5 degrees max. Also, 6 year warranty is nice. Never had to use it, but my dad has in his high humidity place in Florida. Had some corrosion issue on a fan, called them and they overnighted a fan for his 4 year old cooker. Also, it’s so nice having a giant hopper where I don’t worry about running out of pellets during a long cook. I think mine holds around 40lbs of pellets when full.
Post by: JJJ on November 21, 2024, 06:41:02 PM
Horizontal Barrel shaped CHARCOAL BBQ is the only way to go. You can BBQ, smoke, all in one... The flavor cannot be compared. Yeah, ya gotta babysit it more, but it's a BBQ EVENT for crying out loud! :chuckle:- that's what beer is for... :dunno: :IBCOOL: :hello:
Post by: Rob on November 21, 2024, 06:42:08 PM
Looked at Yoder as well but those are out of my price range for sure.
Post by: Rob on November 21, 2024, 06:44:40 PM
Sorry Guys.... Beat me up if you must....Keep it simple....
Horizontal Barrel shaped CHARCOAL BBQ is the only way to go. You can BBQ, smoke, all in one... The flavor cannot be compared. Yeah, ya gotta babysit it more, but it's a BBQ EVENT for crying out loud! :chuckle:- that's what beer is for... :dunno: :IBCOOL: :hello:
Hank Hill would be disappointed... taste the meat not the heat!
Kidding. If I had time charcoal would be great. But I like to be ready to cook faster than charcoal allows. Not to mention the cleanup and such.
But I agree that would be my goto if I had the time.
Post by: JJJ on November 21, 2024, 06:51:47 PM
I hear ya! :tup: Charcoal can be a nightmare if you're timing is off for some reason and yer wife and guests are looking at you funny because you said it would be ready at 5:00... Hence, more beer is needed to bridge the gap.... :tup:Sorry Guys.... Beat me up if you must....Keep it simple....
Horizontal Barrel shaped CHARCOAL BBQ is the only way to go. You can BBQ, smoke, all in one... The flavor cannot be compared. Yeah, ya gotta babysit it more, but it's a BBQ EVENT for crying out loud! :chuckle:- that's what beer is for... :dunno: :IBCOOL: :hello:
Hank Hill would be disappointed... taste the meat not the heat!
Kidding. If I had time charcoal would be great. But I like to be ready to cook faster than charcoal allows. Not to mention the cleanup and such.
But I agree that would be my goto if I had the time.
Post by: elkaholic123 on November 21, 2024, 07:00:02 PM
Big step above my Traeger!
Post by: Badhabit on November 21, 2024, 07:02:16 PM
Post by: Rob on November 21, 2024, 07:06:32 PM
Post by: bigdub257 on November 21, 2024, 07:23:06 PM
Post by: Dan-o on November 21, 2024, 07:32:34 PM
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjojcuagO-JAxVNC60GHSQZFiAYABA7GgJwdg&co=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6I3LmoDviQMVTQutBh0kGRYgEAQYCCABEgJXZ_D_BwE&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJORofzeN3jsiBUtnghHz7M0PPm7xXKcntmKnY89VpTou3LxpGg&sig=AOD64_0_vKZUXCLoSHJ_i1Yqn77u5RqbCg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwidxcaagO-JAxW_IzQIHYLCIBMQwg8oAHoECA0QOQ&adurl=
Post by: Rob on November 21, 2024, 07:40:04 PM
I have a griddle that I love. I can see a use for a gas BBQ too. I would need to rebuild my back deck a bit to accommodate but that might be in the future. Right now I am leaning pellet grill.
Post by: SeaRun1 on November 21, 2024, 08:40:02 PM
I bought a RecTeq last summer after seeing Chris cook with it the last time we were in Moscow. I bought a Patio Legend after discussing it with Chris and we love it. Give me a call tomorrow and I’ll fill you in on it after a summer of cooking with it. They are on sale sometimes (right now I believe).
SR1
Post by: buglebuster on November 21, 2024, 09:15:22 PM
Post by: 3boys on November 21, 2024, 09:24:22 PM
Had a traeger I used heavily for 10 years. It was a great grill for the most part, had its quirks but worked. I bought a pit boss pro series last year and it blows that traeger out of the water. Highly recommend the grill and the price point is excellent.Pit Boss is from Dansons. They also make Louisiana Grills. I purchased one from Costco after my third treager failed. Use mine a couple times a week. Great unit with great factory support.
Post by: dwtraut7 on November 21, 2024, 09:52:14 PM
Post by: highside74 on November 21, 2024, 09:54:03 PM
You might want to pick up a couple of these:
https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjojcuagO-JAxVNC60GHSQZFiAYABA7GgJwdg&co=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6I3LmoDviQMVTQutBh0kGRYgEAQYCCABEgJXZ_D_BwE&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJORofzeN3jsiBUtnghHz7M0PPm7xXKcntmKnY89VpTou3LxpGg&sig=AOD64_0_vKZUXCLoSHJ_i1Yqn77u5RqbCg&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwidxcaagO-JAxW_IzQIHYLCIBMQwg8oAHoECA0QOQ&adurl=
What in the world?😬
Post by: 2MANY on November 22, 2024, 05:20:42 AM
Heavy steel so it takes a bit to warm up but once it does look out.
Post by: C-Money on November 22, 2024, 05:26:25 AM
Post by: Dhoey07 on November 22, 2024, 06:58:54 AM
Post by: Sakko300wsm on November 22, 2024, 07:15:07 AM
Post by: Rex_04 on November 22, 2024, 07:25:42 AM
Post by: BD1 on November 22, 2024, 07:30:17 AM
Post by: bearhunter99 on November 22, 2024, 08:03:58 AM
I also love the sidekick burner. I have the sear grate and the pizza oven and both work great. 900+ degrees on the sear really gets great marks and you also have the option of sliding the heat deflector to the side to get direct flame over the burn pot. I have not seen the newer ones with the stick wood option but I would imagine you get even better smoke.
Post by: CP on November 22, 2024, 08:05:39 AM
Post by: HikerHunter on November 22, 2024, 08:16:51 AM
Post by: SkookumHntr on November 22, 2024, 09:51:35 AM
Post by: BD1 on November 22, 2024, 10:28:49 AM
Post by: LDennis24 on November 22, 2024, 10:41:15 AM
Post by: Rat44 on November 22, 2024, 11:41:41 AM
I have the camp chef xt, I really like it and the patented ash dump makes it easy to clean!
I have had mine for 4 years now.
No problems other than it does not get hot enough for steaks.
We have a charcoal grill for that.
Kids bought me a Blackstone grill and they are handy too.
The pellet is my favorite .
Post by: IFunk on November 22, 2024, 12:31:50 PM
Post by: Hitsman3 on November 22, 2024, 02:38:26 PM
Post by: steeleywhopper on November 22, 2024, 03:41:39 PM
Post by: Tenkara on November 22, 2024, 05:06:46 PM
Post by: LDennis24 on November 23, 2024, 08:38:24 AM
Post by: 2MANY on November 23, 2024, 09:06:01 AM
Post by: Lucky Eric on November 23, 2024, 10:33:42 AM
Post by: Rob on November 23, 2024, 06:34:46 PM
I really appreciate the input. I read every post and checked out the mfg website for nearly nearly every brand mentioned-many I had not heard of prior to this thread.
I think I am sold on the Recteq. Looks like a solid grill at a decent price.
So now it is a question of the Patio Legend ot the Deck boss.
It looks like the only difference is the sq. Inches of grill space (410 vs 590), warranty period and hopper size. Does anyone know if the metal on the Deck Boss is heavier gauge than the metal on the Patio Legend? The Deck boss is a full 63 lbs heavier than the Patio Legend. [85lbs vs 147]. Not quite 2x the weight but close.
I don't need more that 410 Sq inches of grill but I would pay more for a heavier duty construction.
I may call the company next week and find out
Post by: 2MANY on November 23, 2024, 07:05:49 PM
Cheers.
Post by: LDennis24 on November 23, 2024, 08:44:45 PM
I've got a couple Yoder Smokers Cimarron S competition carts but I hardly ever use them because my Pitboss is so good. :dunno:
Nobodies gonna question this? Really? Those things are $10,000! I could build a seriously awesome smoker for that much money. I can't believe the cost of those Yoder smokers.
Post by: Rob on November 24, 2024, 07:56:07 AM
Post by: LDennis24 on November 24, 2024, 08:15:07 AM
Post by: Tenkara on November 24, 2024, 08:15:15 AM
I thought they were more like 2.5-3K?The ys 640 on a competition cart is about 3k.
Post by: KNOPHISH on December 04, 2024, 07:17:34 AM
Post by: Rob on December 04, 2024, 07:58:30 AM
I pulled the lever on a RecTeq Deck Boss. should be here in a few days. Will report back on what I think about it, but I am already quite happy with what I have read/seen.
I got one of the packages that comes with a cover, the grill, 75ish pounds of pellets, and some seasoning. Was just shy of 1K all in. I may want to get the searing plate eventually but I want to nurse my wounds for a while first.
Looks like they burn about 1 lb of pellets every hour based on some of the reading I did.
Post by: LDennis24 on December 04, 2024, 08:14:11 AM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 04, 2024, 08:50:17 AM
The one issue with the pellet grills are they run on electricity. So one needs a generator in a power out situation like you mention. Or possibly an inverter and a battery?
I pulled the lever on a RecTeq Deck Boss. should be here in a few days. Will report back on what I think about it, but I am already quite happy with what I have read/seen.
I got one of the packages that comes with a cover, the grill, 75ish pounds of pellets, and some seasoning. Was just shy of 1K all in. I may want to get the searing plate eventually but I want to nurse my wounds for a while first.
Looks like they burn about 1 lb of pellets every hour based on some of the reading I did.
How big is it for 1 pound an hour?
Post by: Rob on December 04, 2024, 12:13:01 PM
Post by: knighttime25 on December 04, 2024, 02:55:34 PM
Post by: Angry Perch on December 04, 2024, 03:31:59 PM
Not the Ole Cimarron!
Ya, but you get a free 7 piece cutlery set so that evens it out!
Post by: LDennis24 on December 04, 2024, 04:36:46 PM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 04, 2024, 05:47:59 PM
On the 1 lb per hour I would say that's obviously dependent on what temp you are running. When I change my Pitboss from 225-250 up above 300 it doesn't change much but above 350 it seems to double the usage. Not quite double the temp but the pellet rate doubles if that makes sense. I have a Pitboss Austin XL 1000 sq in.
I have a pit boss, don’t think I’ve ever used a pound per hour.
Post by: Gamblin Guy on December 04, 2024, 06:36:18 PM
The one issue with the pellet grills are they run on electricity. So one needs a generator in a power out situation like you mention. Or possibly an inverter and a battery?
I pulled the lever on a RecTeq Deck Boss. should be here in a few days. Will report back on what I think about it, but I am already quite happy with what I have read/seen.
I got one of the packages that comes with a cover, the grill, 75ish pounds of pellets, and some seasoning. Was just shy of 1K all in. I may want to get the searing plate eventually but I want to nurse my wounds for a while first.
Looks like they burn about 1 lb of pellets every hour based on some of the reading I did.
Congrats on the recteq purchase.
I've had the 380X for about a year and a half and have been very pleased. Instead of the sear plates check out etsy for after market grates, several custom makers for recteg. I bought the round griddle for mine and use it like a blackstone to make breakfast, stir fry, philly cheese steak sandwiches, smash burgers etc. I have the sear plates and dont use them as often as I thought I would.
I do still have my Weber gas that got used during the latest power outage from "Bomb Cyclone" but it hasnt seen much use since the recteq came home.
Post by: CP on December 05, 2024, 07:36:39 AM
The one issue with the pellet grills are they run on electricity. So one needs a generator in a power out situation like you mention. Or possibly an inverter and a battery?
They don’t take much power. I’ve run mine on a small, 300W, inverter.
Post by: Rob on December 05, 2024, 09:40:29 AM
The one issue with the pellet grills are they run on electricity. So one needs a generator in a power out situation like you mention. Or possibly an inverter and a battery?
I pulled the lever on a RecTeq Deck Boss. should be here in a few days. Will report back on what I think about it, but I am already quite happy with what I have read/seen.
I got one of the packages that comes with a cover, the grill, 75ish pounds of pellets, and some seasoning. Was just shy of 1K all in. I may want to get the searing plate eventually but I want to nurse my wounds for a while first.
Looks like they burn about 1 lb of pellets every hour based on some of the reading I did.
Congrats on the recteq purchase.
I've had the 380X for about a year and a half and have been very pleased. Instead of the sear plates check out etsy for after market grates, several custom makers for recteg. I bought the round griddle for mine and use it like a blackstone to make breakfast, stir fry, philly cheese steak sandwiches, smash burgers etc. I have the sear plates and dont use them as often as I thought I would.
I do still have my Weber gas that got used during the latest power outage from "Bomb Cyclone" but it hasnt seen much use since the recteq came home.
Good advice, thanks
Post by: Rob on December 05, 2024, 09:42:58 AM
On the 1 lb per hour I would say that's obviously dependent on what temp you are running. When I change my Pitboss from 225-250 up above 300 it doesn't change much but above 350 it seems to double the usage. Not quite double the temp but the pellet rate doubles if that makes sense. I have a Pitboss Austin XL 1000 sq in.I backed into the 1 lb per hour so I may not be correct.
I recall seeing stats somewhere (will need to see where but I think it was on the mfg site), that they were saying that the grill would run for XX hours and in every case, XX = hopper capacity in pounds. So I deduced 1 lb per hour. I hope they do better than that!
The grill is somewhere between Georgia and Idaho right now. hoping to have it early next week.
Post by: TCHunter25 on December 05, 2024, 11:51:53 AM
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on December 05, 2024, 06:31:03 PM
My current pellet grill is just about on its last legs, and based on the research I have done for a replacement I am very strongly considering the Recteq dualfire. Has 2 cooking chambers with 1 dedicated to direct heat high temp grilling and another for low and slow smoking.
That sounds like a winner.👍
Post by: LDennis24 on December 05, 2024, 10:05:00 PM
Post by: passman65 on December 05, 2024, 10:42:50 PM
Post by: Gamblin Guy on December 06, 2024, 07:40:21 AM
Anyone got one of these goofy looking things? It's a Recteq B380X Bullseye Deluxe Wood Pellet WiFi Grill and Smoker. Looks like a good burger grill fired by pellets if ya ask me!
Yep, have had one for about a year and a half, it will smoke at 200 and sear up to 1000 if you want to go that hot. I bought the griddle and use it like a black stone. Steaks, chicken, burgers, pizza you name it. Been very happy with mine.
Post by: LDennis24 on December 06, 2024, 11:19:25 AM
Anyone got one of these goofy looking things? It's a Recteq B380X Bullseye Deluxe Wood Pellet WiFi Grill and Smoker. Looks like a good burger grill fired by pellets if ya ask me!
Yep, have had one for about a year and a half, it will smoke at 200 and sear up to 1000 if you want to go that hot. I bought the griddle and use it like a black stone. Steaks, chicken, burgers, pizza you name it. Been very happy with mine.
That sounds good! Thanks for the info!
Post by: LDennis24 on December 09, 2024, 07:59:00 AM
https://www.outdoorlife.com/gear/recteq-dualfire-1200-review/
Post by: Sneaky Squirrel on December 09, 2024, 09:34:37 AM
I've had a GMG for 10+ years, it seemed bullet proof. Wife was doing a deep clean on it and when i got home, she was using soap and water on everything and wasn't to careful about getting it on the computer board. Long story short, she fried the board....
I could of ordered a new board but i ended up buying a new grill. After a bunch of research, i did buy the Recteq Deck Boss 590. I liked it because it had a little more size but not to big. Well, i'm already on my second one. First one, wouldn't maintain temp. Customer service is awesome and got a replacement out. Second one is better, but still having issues with temp and the auger.
I will say when i put together both of them, they are a lot better built than any other pellet grill i've seen. Pretty impressed by that. I was hoping my issue was more of a break in thing but after running (3) bags of pellets thru it, i think the break in has passed.
Post by: Rob on December 25, 2024, 04:02:37 PM
The deck boss arrived a couple days before I had to be out of town for a week. I scrambled to use it a few times so that I could accelerate the learning curve.
I tried a couple chicken breasts on it and they were excellent. I did a set of babyback ribs that came out better than anything I have bought in a resteraunt.
After returning from TX I was able to try some more recipies.
I did a rib eye steak that came out just OK. I had been using the recteq signature blend pellets and I think the flavor might be a bit stronger than I like. The smoke is overpowering the meat. I also now see what people are saying about a searing plate. The Grill is a bit more like an oven than a BBQ and the meats come out more baked than grilled. I tried to finish the steak at 500 degrees but it was just not as good as a typical BBQ. I ordered a sear plate that I will try and see if that does the trick.
My next recipe was a tri-tip roast. I over did the rub a bit and it was a too salty for my tastes, but even so it came out well. I also moved to the cherry pellets and that tamed the smoke way down. Still a smoky flavor but I can now taste the meat AND the smoke so big improvement.
The big test was today. I used the pellet grill to cook our Prime cut Prime rib for Christmas.
I prepped the meat last night with a coating of kosher salt and let it sit in the fridge last night. I got up early and coated it with fresh rosemary from the garden, crushed peppercorns, and thyme and let it warm to room temp for a couple hours.
I set it on the grill at 220, then 250 till it hit 110. I cranked the grill to 500 and made a rookie mistake. I had not replaced the foil on the drip pan and prior cookings had left a layer of old drippings. Somewhere on the way to 500i the old drippings ignited. It flared and kept going to around 700 before I noticed.
I pulled it off the grill (meat temp was about 125 so perfect), wrapped in foil and let it sit for about 35 min. The char on the edges from the flare up was actually pretty good so I dodged that bullet!
The internal temp hit 135 when I sliced it for our afternoon Christmas brunch. It was excellent. Perfect color and as tender as I could hope for. Again I put a bit too much salt on the rub but I am probably the only one who noticed that.
So my assessment so far is:
-Great grill.
-Super well made.
-Cooks excellent food- as good or better than resteraunts
-Easy to use
-Not great for steaks but the searing plate may help with that.
-Smoke can be overpowering but using a milder wood seems to have balanced that out nicely.
-Oh and the phone app is really cool. It was nice to be able to chat with my in-laws without needing to go out every 4 min to check the meat temp. Big fan of that!
Post by: LDennis24 on December 25, 2024, 04:14:03 PM
https://www.cookoutnews.com/traeger-settles-lawsuit-alleging-misleading-packaging-for-wood-types/
I just picked up some Smokehouse Alder pellets and Apple at Griggs for $6.99 20lb bags! Christmas deal
Post by: jackelope on December 25, 2024, 05:49:03 PM
Anyone got one of these goofy looking things? It's a Recteq B380X Bullseye Deluxe Wood Pellet WiFi Grill and Smoker. Looks like a good burger grill fired by pellets if ya ask me!
My buddy and his dad both have these and the more tradition recteq pellet grills. They love these ones. They get super hot for grilling and searing.
Post by: LDennis24 on December 25, 2024, 06:27:34 PM
Anyone got one of these goofy looking things? It's a Recteq B380X Bullseye Deluxe Wood Pellet WiFi Grill and Smoker. Looks like a good burger grill fired by pellets if ya ask me!
My buddy and his dad both have these and the more tradition recteq pellet grills. They love these ones. They get super hot for grilling and searing.
Ugghhh... should have asked for one for Christmas. I want one! If it really gets to 500 degrees that would be amazing! Ask please!
Post by: jackelope on December 25, 2024, 08:48:18 PM
It definitely goes way hotter than 500 degrees. I can confirm that. I think they advertise 750.Anyone got one of these goofy looking things? It's a Recteq B380X Bullseye Deluxe Wood Pellet WiFi Grill and Smoker. Looks like a good burger grill fired by pellets if ya ask me!
My buddy and his dad both have these and the more tradition recteq pellet grills. They love these ones. They get super hot for grilling and searing.
Ugghhh... should have asked for one for Christmas. I want one! If it really gets to 500 degrees that would be amazing! Ask please!
Post by: Rob on February 07, 2025, 07:56:34 AM
I have had it a bit over 2 months now. Overall very pleased!
-I have done pork ribs (better than anything I have ever had in a restaurant), Tri-tip, a NY strip roast, a few steaks, and a Prime Prime Rib roast for Christmas dinner that was also the best I have ever had.
What I have learned
-I like smoke, but I don't like overpowering smoke on everything. I moved to a lower intensity smoke (Cherry has been good, trying Apple next). I'll save the higher flavor intense smokes for specific meals.
-It was noted that the Pellet Grills don't sear well. This is very true. I picked up a searing plate and that has worked wonders. Good addition.
-I love the WiFi monitoring. When working on the Christmas dinner, I was able to keep tabs on the Prime Rib without going out constantly to check on it. Very handy
-While cooking the Prime Rib, I had drippings from prior cooking on the tray under the grill. I line with AL foil and I should have replaced the foil before starting. With a Propane BBQ I find the drippings just cook off, but not so with the Pellet Grill. It is more like an oven in that the drippings are trapped and smoke/flare up. When I moved the temp to 500 degrees on the Prime Rib, the drippings ignited and I had a huge flare up. Temps went to 750 degrees in a heart beat! I was able to shut it down before the meat was burned so all is well that ended well, but I was pretty nervous to see an expensive chunk of meat on fire!
-It takes longer to cook a meal... The meals come out better, but the Grill forces me to manage temperatures and cooking times better, and this takes more time. With my BBQ I would toss a steak on and it would be done in a few minutes. With the Pellet Grill, it takes 3-4x longer but the end product is much better
-The pellet Grill has renewed my interest in Rubs and spices. Having fun with this.
-A little Kosher Salt goes a LOOOOONG way. I over salted 2-3 meals before I figured out how far to dial back the salt.
Net-Net even though Pellet Grills are a bit higher maintenance than a gas BBQ, I am loving the grill and the extra effort yields much better food - I have not lit-up my BBQ since I got the Pellet Grill.. The Recteq quality is everything I expected it to be. It has done more than I expected - would be nice if they had included a searing plate though. That is pretty important.
Enthusiastic two thumbs up/5 stars for RecTeq
Post by: Rob on February 07, 2025, 08:00:20 AM