Got it. Should be an easy choice for anyone on a tight budget. Just have to decide whether to get the 30 or 40 inch. Thanks.
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Susie, had I known you already owned a Traeger I would have softened my criticism of it. Remember that Costco sells it along, sometimes, with Landmann smokers. The BBQ teacher thought Traeger was fine product because he not only had like six set up he was also a Traeger dealer. His problem with that guy with Traeger was one of wounded ego; had nothing to do with the grills/smokers themselves. Are you looking to replace the Traeger because it's broken or because you don't like it? You may have already stated your reason but I missed the post.
rick, i'm stuck with the traeger. i bot it before finding this site.
i posted a review about the worst customer service i've seen.
you are right in all respects. moving parts, etc. not worth buying.
for me it's not what i need at all. it only runs well from 225-400 degrees. it's more like a grill.
since coming here, i've found an interest in smoking at lower temps. not just cold smoking.
i've found i can get it down to 200 degrees. that's what i'll cook my ham at, but i sure wish i could try at 150 or lower.
most people don't mind smoking at 225 but i know dave gets great results at temps far lower n that's the way i'd like to go.
many people disagree, preferring 225 n up, but heck, it's a hobby. for me, i'll just have more fun cooking really low n slow, smoking for days instead of hours.
so, i gotta get something that will let me do that.
Thanks, Susie. The thing about this group is it's chockfull of knowledgeable people. I was introduced to Todd Johnson and his A-MAZE-N products here. I've been taught smoking techniques that enabled me to up my game. I learned much about my MES 30 that wasn't covered in the owners manual. What I now do is try to return the favor my imparting what knowledge and experienced I've gained to newbies, which is exactly what I was about 2.5 years ago.
thanks sarge. it does look as if you can hot smoke under 212.if i understand that article. you guys may be right that 225 n up is best, but i wanna find out for myself. i do know it's sucessfully done. dave does it. i need to compare the two methods. i did find out that sausages are better under 200 than those at 225. i tried that myself.
rick, you can say nothing bad about traeger that i won't second. your comments were all correct.
this grill doesn't have the ability to cook without burning pellets. nor is it insulated.
it will hold a heat of 225, plus or minus 5. when i tried the 180 setting, it's about 200. traeger doesn't try for heat under 225.
when i called them, they said the 180 setting is more for cold weather starting than cooking.
i got this before i found this site. i'll try to sell it to someone who mostly grills n just occasionally smokes.
i'm not interested in grilling.
some folks here are happy with traeger. i think they haven't dealt with customer service.
in any event, they just want different things in a smoker than i do. since it goes up to 400, it certainly can crisp skin.
i'm happy they got what they need. it's just not what i need.
Cool article. What gets me about fresh salmon is that it be hot or cold smoked depending on how you plan to serve it.
Here is an article that might clear things up:
http://butchersupply.net/blog/2010/04/01/hot-smoking-and-cold-smoking-whats-the-difference/
Lox? Oh, Sarge, don't get me started on lox--Nova or otherwise. Lox, mmm.....
Let us not overlook raw, sliced wafer thin!
I can almost feel you squinting your eyes making fun of whole races of people here. Can we get this edited?
Raw fish ,no. Parasites people. Some people are under the mistaken assumption that raw sushi is somehow healthier than cooked. I would eat raw fish in a survival situation. But that's it. At least salt cure it. No sushi fo(R) me!