Help pick the closest thing to an All in One Pellet Smoker

[Taz_Pagri]

Sorry I know this topic gets beat to death.. long time lurker first time poster.

I understand the pellet poopers are really only best for low and slow but I am looking for the best pellet option with the widest usable temperature range.

My cooking at the moment consists of (by temperature):
Brisket, ribs
Whole chicken, turkey, wings
Burgers steaks dogs

I see myself adding smoked fish (lowest temp) and maybe pizza (highest temp)

I want the smoker to have wifi..

I am trying to keep it under $2k with all the necessary accessories (cover, wifi add on, sear kit etc)

I have studied rec tec, blazin grill works, Yoder, MAK, GMG

The MAK seems to be well loved, but I hate the way it looks and the fact that I have to pay extra on top of an already pricey grill for wifi.

What are your thoughts?

 

[litzerski]

I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. I'm 99% sold on the Blaz'n Grillworks Grid Iron (or Grand Slam).

I don't care as much about Wifi and sear kit. I'll use my Big Green Egg or propane grill for most high-temp searing. I do like the twin-wall construction and insulated lid on the Blaz'n pellet grills. It gets mighty cold in Indianapolis and I like to cook outdoors all year. Also, the pro-shelf kit is a big plus for me.

I should have full required funds in the next week or 2 and will make a road trip out to St. Louis to pick one up.

 

[Taz_Pagri]

I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. I'm 99% sold on the Blaz'n Grillworks Grid Iron (or Grand Slam).

I don't care as much about Wifi and sear kit. I'll use my Big Green Egg or propane grill for most high-temp searing. I do like the twin-wall construction and insulated lid on the Blaz'n pellet grills. It gets mighty cold in Indianapolis and I like to cook outdoors all year. Also, the pro-shelf kit is a big plus for me.

I should have full required funds in the next week or 2 and will make a road trip out to St. Louis to pick one up.

Have you seen the paint peeling issue at all online? There were a few forum posts and apparently FB posts as well showing the powder coating inside and outside peeling off after just a use or two, mostly at temps above 350. I emailed the company about this asking if it was resolved. I don't know if it is a huge deal or not or if it happens to every unit or not but I would be bummed to spend that much on a grill and see it get damaged on the first smoke.

 

[ross77]

The new RecTec models are hard to beat now that the cooking chamber is stainless.

I don’t think you can go wrong with the Bull.

Customer service is top notch.

 

[Taz_Pagri]

I wanted to go with the Stampede and pretty much went to place the order before I read they won't ship until mid July. Can never win. The Bull seems way to big for my needs.

 

[ross77]

July? Wow, that is along wait.

 

[Taz_Pagri]

I ordered the Bull. :cool:

Saw a video of them making an apple pie in there and I figured bigger won't be a bad thing.

 

[troutman]

I agree with the add on wifi cost but I still gotta vote for the MAK. All stainless design means it will outlast a lot of the competition. Blazin' and Rec Tec are tied for second, but can't really say anything bad about Yoder. At the end of the day for the widest range of cooking, I still think the MAK comes in first, but YMMV.

 

[ross77]

Bigger doesn’t hurt. I’m able to cook two large Papa Murphy’s in my 680. (Same size as the Bull)

I ordered the Bull. :cool:

Saw a video of them making an apple pie in there and I figured bigger won't be a bad thing.

 

[bregent]

I'd take a look at the PG500 - no wifi, but can't be beat for how it smokes and grills. Remote Wifi temp monitoring is easy to add with various 3rd party therms.

 

[ostrichsak]

The OP was pretty clear about wanting AIO and WiFi so I'm not sure why people are trying to offer ideas on anything else.

I've got a GMG Daniel Boone which meets the criteria of what you're looking for with a set of Grill Grates added. I've had a few growing pains with mine but the GMG customer service has been very good. Quick to reply and quick to offer a solution even if it means shipping me parts on their dime. They have a WiFi model and no aftermarket WiFi offers the same sort of control and management. It's awesome to set a profile that changes temperatures of the grill based on meat temps, times or whatever. This feature makes smoking a treat rather than a chore.

 

[gr8day]

A MAK 1 Star with the Flame Zone can do it all and do it all extremely well, from low and slow to high heat searing. Best controller on the market, with the Flame Zone gets up to temp almost as fast as high end gas grill, efficient pellet usage, MAK's are the best engineered pellet grills on the market.

 

[Taz_Pagri]

After adding flamezone, wifi and a cover to the MAK 1 star it becomes $2500

 

[bregent]

The OP was pretty clear about wanting AIO and WiFi so I'm not sure why people are trying to offer ideas on anything else.

Because he said he 'wants wifi', which to me, is not the same as a must have.

 

[gmc2003]

Bigger doesn’t hurt. I’m able to cook two large Papa Murphy’s in my 680. (Same size as the Bull)

Can't offer an opinion one way or the other on poopers, but what the heck are Pappa Murphy's? Sounds like your smoking two Irish guys.

Chris

 

[gr8day]

After adding flamezone, wifi and a cover to the MAK 1 star it becomes $2500

Just paid $2074 for the 1 Star with the Flame Zone and full upper grate, took advantage of a $100 Memorial Day weekend discount at BPS. Didn't go with the wifi, the controller is programmable so if you want it to cook at 180 for 3hrs then bump the temp up to 250 then go into a hold once whatever is being cooked hits a certain IT, it will do that. Been smoking and grilling for a long time and have done fantastic without the help of wifi, also skipped the overpriced cover because I can buy a good cover for $25-$30 through Amazon.

We all have our own preferences but the Flame Zone is a game changer as far as I'm concerned and not just for direct grilling but how quickly the grill heats up because it funnels all the heat/smoke out of the fire pot directly into the grill, not around a diffuser into the belly of the grill then around the grease tray. It also uses 15% to 20% less fuel on cooks because of how it directs the heat into the cook chamber, plus there is no over hang due to the grease tray being smaller than the grate so you can use all the grate space.

I figure if I ever find value in wifi I can add it later.

 

[cavecreekgoat]

Have you seen the paint peeling issue at all online? There were a few forum posts and apparently FB posts as well showing the powder coating inside and outside peeling off after just a use or two, mostly at temps above 350. I emailed the company about this asking if it was resolved. I don't know if it is a huge deal or not or if it happens to every unit or not but I would be bummed to spend that much on a grill and see it get damaged on the first smoke.

I just ordered my Grid Iron and saw the post, but the peeling paint issue is a non-issue. No paint will withstand a grease fire that caused this. Either way, Blaz'n told me the insides are not painted anymore, so they will season properly and so no need to worry about this.

 

[Alkiax]

I'm selling a pg1000 for 2200 if your close to Oklahoma

 

[Taz_Pagri]

I went with a rec tec 700 because it cost 1000 less, they let me try it with 30 day money back and they have a super long warranty. So far I have been impressed with how fast it heats up, how hot it gets for a good sear, and how well it holds temperature no matter what temp is set and how much I open the grill.

One big downside for me is that the app temp alarms do not work if your phone is on the lock screen or even in a different app. This means it's possible to over cook your meat if you're not paying complete attention. I think they will fix this eventually as it's only a software issues

 

[Ishi]

Can't offer an opinion one way or the other on poopers, but what the heck are Pappa Murphy's? Sounds like your smoking two Irish guys.

Chris

Papa Murphy’s is a pizza chain here in Iowa and maybe other states in the Mid West. They make the pizza ( like subway while you watch) and you take it home and cook it.