High-end pellet grill rec?

[Stickman99]

Hi folks
Noob from NorCal here - my first post.

I've been running a Klose offset 20x36" since 2002, but recently a friend gave me his old entry-level Traeger when he upgraded. Now the flavor from the Traeger is not as good as from on the Klose for sure - I'd say it is only 70-80% there. But the work is SO much less! As I've gotten older and busier that is more important.

Upshot - after 22 years, I am ready to move from the Klose to a pellet grill. My good lady wife has said I can have a pretty decent budget :-)

So I am looking at the following grills: Mak II stainless, P+S Maverick 2000 stainless, or LSG 20x36".

Some concerns I had with each:

Mak II looks maybe a little small?
Maverick has no cold smoke feature
LSG could possibly rust?

Thoughts? Any other brands/models I should consider?

Many thanks!
Ramsey

 

[02ebz06]

I think any grill can rust, even SS. I've seen it at weld spots. Just not near what a painted surface could have.

Keeping it covered should minimize chances of rust.


I have the LSG 20x42. It is USA made.
Thick metal. It weighs about 450 pounds (204 kilos)
I had though the Fireboard controller was going to be the best out there.
But it has it's quirks.

Does a good job overall.

If you get the LSG, I'd recommend a few accessories:
1) Larger wheels. Comes with 5" I went with the 8". Makes it easier wheeling over cracks in sidewalks.
----If you have a rough area to navigate, you may want the off-road wheel kit.
2) Cover. To keep grill away from weather. Expensive, but a good quality custom cover.
3) Drain valve. If you don't have a valve, a lot of smoke (and some heat I would guess) will come out the grease drain.
----You could also pick one up at a Home Depot or Lowes. I got mine at Lowes. It is 1-1/4"
4) Handle (for 5" or 8" wheels) Not absolutely necessary, but is not included. Only $20.
5) Optional - SS Grates. Depends it you like expanded metal or not. The SS ones are easy to clean, but expensive.

Don't know anything about the others you mentioned, other than MAK is well respected.

 

[BigW.]

Welcome. You have a very good start to your list. I might add Yoder as another USA made choice. Shipping is pricey for smokers so hopefully there is a dealer near you. I wouldn't worry too much about cold smoke. Throw in a pellet tube or tray and you'll be set.

 

[schlotz]

Welcome to SMF from Indiana! Been using the MAK 2 Star for many years. Did a reasonable amount of research before landing on it. With the second rack installed you can smoke a bunch of meat. Guessing 8 pork butts 4 on bottom 4 on top. At least 2 briskets maybe four, kind of depends on size. This MAK has been a workhorse and has never failed. Love the smoked results which is key for us. While I understand those coming from an off set usually claim the smoke from pellet machines is not the same, my take on it is that we still like to be able to distinguish the meat flavor vs a heavy smoke forward result. I started by adding a smoker tube to the MAK but quickly discovered it really wasn't needed. In fact haven't used one now in quite some time. The MAK is not inexpensive but IMO worth the investment.

 

[mike243]

Welcome home, read to many posts of Yoder rust, Mac in the size you like imo, been using a pitboss got 5-6 years and being able to sleep at night is great lol.

 

[tpc74]

Well I really like my Recteq. That said I looked up your selections. Based on the "controllers" or my perception of the controllers based on look, I'd probably only be considering the Lone Star, which appears to come with a newer style controller.

I only have experience with my recteq controller (excellent), and my dads much older camp chef controller (terrible), which has been replaced once already. Again, I'm not sure what the Mak or P&S come with nor the LSG, but for me wifi (internet) control was a must. My wife is willing to do some stuff, but smoking food is not high on her priority list. So I wanted something that I could check in on and control, while away from the house. Of course you can't control something unforeseen, but you can do a lot. I can do it from my bed, my car, the store, a friends house, anywhere. Thats a huge boon for me, not being tied to the hip if I don't have to be.

Aside from that, my recteq does very well at holding consistent steady temps. My dads camp chef has been nothing but issues since day one. I do not like how that older style controller works. too much overshoot and hysteresis. I agree on the stainless stuff being important, but I also want a consistent cooker, that I can control from anywhere. When I look at the LSG controller, it looks like it might have that stuff, but I didn't do much aside from looking at a photo. Good luck with your purchase!!!

 

[seenred]

Welcome aboard Ramsey!

There's no question that pellet burners are more convenient than a stick burner, but it sounds like you already understand that there are tradeoffs. I made this same switch some years back to Rec Tec pellet cooker. I was fairly happy with the convenience - hard to beat being able to start a fire by pushing a button...but I was never able to convince myself I was happy with the smoke flavor. It's just not the same as the flavor from a stick burner, or even a charcoal smoker. Every person has to satisfy their own needs, and tastes vary...but I decided to sell the Rec Tec and go back to a charcoal smoker.

It sounds like you've already weighed all that out, and your research has led you to some good choices in the pellet cooking market. Although I never owned one, everyone who ever owned/used a MAK has raved about their quality. Another American made pellet cooker that seems very high-end is the Memphis Wood Fired Grill line. At the time I was comparing pellet grills, I was led to believe that they rivalled MAK in every way. But they are proud of them! If they hadn't been so expensive, I would have probably bought a Memphis instead of the Rec Tec. Perhaps another option for you to check out.

Keep us informed on your decision, and good luck with whatever you choose!

Red

 

[schlotz]

FYI, the MAK does have wifi. I use it a bunch in the colder months.

 

[Stickman99]

Welcome aboard Ramsey!

There's no question that pellet burners are more convenient than a stick burner, but it sounds like you already understand that there are tradeoffs. I made this same switch some years back to Rec Tec pellet cooker. I was fairly happy with the convenience - hard to beat being able to start a fire by pushing a button...but I was never able to convince myself I was happy with the smoke flavor. It's just not the same as the flavor from a stick burner, or even a charcoal smoker. Every person has to satisfy their own needs, and tastes vary...but I decided to sell the Rec Tec and go back to a charcoal smoker.

It sounds like you've already weighed all that out, and your research has led you to some good choices in the pellet cooking market. Although I never owned one, everyone who ever owned/used a MAK has raved about their quality. Another American made pellet cooker that seems very high-end is the Memphis Wood Fired Grill line. At the time I was comparing pellet grills, I was led to believe that they rivalled MAK in every way. But they are proud of them! If they hadn't been so expensive, I would have probably bought a Memphis instead of the Rec Tec. Perhaps another option for you to check out.

Keep us informed on your decision, and good luck with whatever you choose!

Red

One of the things that interests me about the P&S pellet grill is the "fire cage" - it's a box that sits next to the pellet burner that you can put wood chunks in. So when you need a smoke boost, you can do it with real wood smoke. Saw a you-tube demo where a guy did a brisket this way and got a bark and flavor that was not inferior to a stick-burner. He was putting wood-chunks in every 20 mins, of course - but TBH, when I use my Klose, I am fiddling with it every 20 mins anyway, so it would not be more work than a stick burner. My GUESS is that for most cooks, you could get 90% of the flavor by burning wood chunks for the first 2 hours and then sit back and finish off using pellets - and any part of the cook where the meat is wrapped could surely just be done with pellets without loss.

 

[schlotz]

It's going to come down to just how important is the amount of smoke you want on your protein.

 

[912smoker]

Don't have one but really like the looks/features of the Myron Mixon pellet grills.

Keith

 

[Stickman99]

Don't have one but really like the looks/features of the Myron Mixon pellet grills.

Keith

Thanks for the tip - I had never heard of these

 

[Stickman99]

It's going to come down to just how important is the amount of smoke you want on your protein.

smoke level, cooking space, rust resistance, after-sales service, ease-of-use ... lots of parameters to consider.

 

[seenred]

One of the things that interests me about the P&S pellet grill is the "fire cage" - it's a box that sits next to the pellet burner that you can put wood chunks in. So when you need a smoke boost, you can do it with real wood smoke. Saw a you-tube demo where a guy did a brisket this way and got a bark and flavor that was not inferior to a stick-burner. He was putting wood-chunks in every 20 mins, of course - but TBH, when I use my Klose, I am fiddling with it every 20 mins anyway, so it would not be more work than a stick burner. My GUESS is that for most cooks, you could get 90% of the flavor by burning wood chunks for the first 2 hours and then sit back and finish off using pellets - and any part of the cook where the meat is wrapped could surely just be done with pellets without loss.

The P&S was the one on your list that I'm least familiar with. I haven't heard much about them...but what I have heard has been positive. And that "fire cage" sounds intriguing. If it will do what they claim, it solves the problem many people have with pellet cooking.

I think your reasoning is sound - there are times when I only add chunks to my charcoal smoker for the first half of a cook, then finish with a charcoal-only fire. And you're also correct that, after you foil wrap, it doesn't really matter how much smoke a pit creates.

I'm happy with my gravity fed charcoal smoker, but if I was gonna think about going back to pellets, I'd give those Pitts & Spitts cookers a real hard look.

Red

 

[cptnding]

Going from a stick burner to a pellet smoker I don't think you're going to be happy with the flavor. The convenience is great but the taste is not anywhere near the same.
I've had a Yoder for 8 years now and it is fantastic. No rust issues with mine and I live in humid GA. But for most things I've went back to the kettle. The Yoder is great for volume and I do lots of cold smoking on it the winter. It's a beast and works great. For me charcoal or a stick burner just tastes better. At this point I'm too old and lazy to run a stick burner so....

 

[Stickman99]

Going from a stick burner to a pellet smoker I don't think you're going to be happy with the flavor. The convenience is great but the taste is not anywhere near the same.
I've had a Yoder for 8 years now and it is fantastic. No rust issues with mine and I live in humid GA. But for most things I've went back to the kettle. The Yoder is great for volume and I do lots of cold smoking on it the winter. It's a beast and works great. For me charcoal or a stick burner just tastes better. At this point I'm too old and lazy to run a stick burner so....

Yep, I am aware of the flavor difference - I've been working with a small Traeger for about a year now. Since I had the Traeger, I fired up the offset only one time - to make a birthday gift of some bad-ass bacon for a friend. Having tended fire for 4 hours to do it, it sure felt like a labor of love! It sounds like we are in the same place - it's either use something easy like a pellet grill, or smoke just 2-3 times a year. With a pellet grill - 80% of the flavor, but only 5% of the work ...

 

[seenred]

it's either use something easy like a pellet grill, or smoke just 2-3 times a year. With a pellet grill - 80% of the flavor, but only 5% of the work ...

That's what it boils down to, isn't it? Many stick burner owners do it that way cuz they love building and tending the fire, and don't mind spending the hours of labor involved in smoking a hunk of meat. I'm old too...and feel like I've found a great compromise between flavor and convenience with my Limo Jr. gravity feed charcoal smoker. It's not as "set and forget" as a pellet cooker...but it definitely requires less attention and tending than a stick burner.

Also, I expect that pellet cooker technology has come a long way since I jumped in to that realm several years ago. I'm sure that, with new features like that P&S Fire Cage, for example, there are pellet cookers out there now that do a better job of imparting smoke flavor than they did when I was shopping for one.

Red

 

[okie sawbones]

I was in the same boat as you. I looked at several pellet smokers, and ended up with https://mgrills.com/collections/blazn-grill-works. I got the Grid Iron version. It has been going strong for many years. I use an A-Maze-N smoker maze with every cook. As we all know, it is not as good as an offset, but age has me less inclined to use my wood burner. I still use my ceramic (Primo Oval) on occasion.

 

[02ebz06]

I was in the same boat as you. I looked at several pellet smokers, and ended up with https://mgrills.com/collections/blazn-grill-works. I got the Grid Iron version. It has been going strong for many years. I use an A-Maze-N smoker maze with every cook. As we all know, it is not as good as an offset, but age has me less inclined to use my wood burner. I still use my ceramic (Primo Oval) on occasion.

I had a Grid Iron long before the company changed it's name.
Had lot of problems with auger fires.
They finally fixed the problem with my advice, after I had sold it.
A nice unit and USA made (at least I think it still is).

 

[schlotz]

smoke level, cooking space, rust resistance, after-sales service, ease-of-use ... lots of parameters to consider.

Already discussed the first two. Rust resistance, MAK 2 Star still not showing any (it's been over 7 years) and is outside on the deck sometimes covered other times not for a couple of weeks. After-sales, big plus here I've had a number of conversations with them over the years. Each case was nothing but great communication. Last one was when I busted the antenna off in 2022 and needed a replacement. They sent it out same day. BTW: you can calibrate the temperature probe (located in back left corner) on the controller in +/-5º increments up to 20º. Not as necessary if you take advantage of their movable probe. In my case just lazy, and it was easy enough to recalibrate to compensate for the difference.