My propane grill has finally given up the ghost and I’m seriously considering a pellet grill. If you’ve had any experiences either positive or negative with them, I’d like to hear about it. Thanks.
I’ve got a Traeger and love it, but it does not replace a propane grill. My Traeger doesn’t get hot enough to give a good sear, so I’ll use it in conjunction with my Weber and reverse sear. Smoking a piece of meat to 120 internal temp and then crisping it is about perfect.
For more traditional smoking - brisket, ribs, chicken - it’s great. I can get 8-10 hours out of the pellet hopper without having to refill. I bought a Tappecue wifi thermometer to keep an eye on everything even if I have to go out and leave the smoker running.
I also have a Traeger and also love it. I’ll mirror everything Fins said. Mine gets to a bit over 400, and it came with a WiFi probe so I can monitor and even change temperatures through my smart phone if I’m away. I also use my Weber propane to sear at the end, but a good cast iron skillet in the oven could do the same.
Smoking though is the real joy of a wood pellet grill. I currently have six 5 gallon buckets each with a different type of wood in them. It is fun to try meats smoked on different woods and taste the subtle (and sometimes not subtle) differences.
They aren’t cheap, but I think it was money well spent.
I’ve been loving my Rec-Tec for years now. Very sturdy, looks great, and holds a temp better than my indoor oven. Huge pellet hopper. I put in a 16lb brisket overnight, set it and forget it. Highly recommended.
I broke down and got a Green Mountain Grill “Daniel Boone” model. It claims it will get up to 500 degrees so hopefully searing won’t be an issue. The instructions said that there’s a learning curve so start with something cheap. I did burgers. They were quite good. Next, I smoked a pork butt and was really happy with the results. Tonight is the ribeye test. Fingers crossed.