Looking to retire my MES 40 for a Pellet Grill

[ravenclan]

I went with a Pit Boss 700FB. It is now five years old and I use it a lot. Getting ready to smoke two Pork butts for New Years and did a Turkey and Brisket for Christmas.

As you can see below at my smoker "collection". The MES and pellet smoker are, at least to me a "set and forget" and I can smoke during the winter months with out too much of a worry.
Here are some pics of the smokes I have done.

The pellet smoker is good but not the best as far as smoke flavor compared to a wood smoker but does good. It did take me a few times to tune it to what I wanted in flavor.

 

[civilsmoker]

The MES with a PID would be a very good smoker!

out of the pellets you mentioned the RT would be my recommendation I have the 1250 and LOVE it. Just know that pellets are not the best at searing. Getting a set of grill grates for seating help solve that issue.

For your price pint you could get a PID and the smaller RT 340 and have both......

 

[Flatrate]

When I was researching pellet cookers some time ago Rec Tec was at the top of my list, almost pulled the trigger a couple times. Another one I really liked was Grilla Silverbac.

 

[splendorlex]

The MES with a PID would be a very good smoker!

out of the pellets you mentioned the RT would be my recommendation I have the 1250 and LOVE it. Just know that pellets are not the best at searing. Getting a set of grill grates for seating help solve that issue.

For your price pint you could get a PID and the smaller RT 340 and have both......

Would installing a PID on the MasterBuilt also allow for higher temps? There are times I'd want to bump it up over 300, but 275 is the max (and as I mentioned, it rarely actually gets there is the current controller.)

And nobody worry, I would throw out the MES. I'm just interested in something a little bit more low effort for smoking, better temp controls, high heat capabilities if needed, and no need to constantly refresh wood chips.

 

[Winterrider]

The insulation probably can't take anything over 300° for very long.

 

[civilsmoker]

Would installing a PID on the MasterBuilt also allow for higher temps? There are times I'd want to bump it up over 300, but 275 is the max (and as I mentioned, it rarely actually gets there is the current controller.)

And nobody worry, I would throw out the MES. I'm just interested in something a little bit more low effort for smoking, better temp controls, high heat capabilities if needed, and no need to constantly refresh wood chips.

Aubers makes a PID that will support up to 1800 watts at 15 amps (a standard house plug), you may have to get a larger heating element but as long as the MB cabinet can handle the the 300-325 temp.

WiFi model (3 probes)
https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_28&products_id=702

Non-WiFi
https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_28&products_id=967

 

[civilsmoker]

The insulation probably can't take anything over 300° for very long.

OK I think you have your answer here......

I would lean toward a pellet if you want roasting temps. The RT 340 is a nice little pellet for the money for a smaller family.

 

[Lonzinomaker]

The MES with a mailbox mod is my favorite cheese smoker.

 

[Winterrider]

The MES with a mailbox mod is my favorite cheese smoker.

That's the plan for tomorrow. Suppose to be high of -12°, so will set the temp at about 38° and let it roll for about 5 hrs

 

[bbqking01]

I know that there are many options, but I thought I'd like to hear some recent opinions. (And I figure we have quite a few people with a new piece of Christmas Equipment around!)

A little background. I've been smoking for over 10 years now, and my 2 current machines are a 22" WSM and a 40" MES. I like the WSM, but it's a lot more effort to get going and keep going for cooks, and I like having something like the MES around for when I just want to skip a few steps! The problem is I've had to replace the heating element in my MES twice, and there are signs it's getting set to go out again. I'd also like something that has better heat control AND can get a little hotter. The MES maxes out at 275, and honestly it rarely actually reaches that.

Budget wise, I want to keep it under a grand, but I'd also gladly pick up something even cheaper if it was well regarded. I just want something that works. I have a family of five, and rarely have to do big cooks for parties and such. (And even then it's a couple pork butts and a few other things.) So I don't need a huge cooking surface. Something I can at least get 3-4 racks of ribs on, or a couple pork butts, I think you get the idea.

I've looked at a few options:

Traeger Pro 575 - I like the sound of it, but it's on the high end of my price range. At that level I'd like something that I could also use to truly sear something.
Recteq RT-590 - Looks pretty similar to the Traeger as far as features/capabilities
Pitboss Pro 850- This one saves me more than a few bucks over the above, and honestly looks comparable. It even looks like it can achieve higher temps for searing/grilling, and it's bigger than the other two. I'm assuming the shell is a little thinner, and not as high quality. But does it work?

Other possibilities are Camp Chef or Z Grills, but I don't know a lot about either.

Any other ideas? Yoder smokers are out due to the price point. I've also thought about the Masterbuilt Gravity fed, but I don't love the flare ups and other issues I've heard about them. (And given the issues I've had with my MES, I'm not entirely surprised!)

My 2 cents. I have the Weber SmokeFire. I’m completely confounded at the bad reviews. But never have experience with pellet grills…I don’t know if there are issues amongst all pellet grills. I LOVE my EX6. Plenty big enough for a large family. Works great. I’ve never had a flare up. A couple fuses…1 minute switch out. And upgraded parts, as the 1st gen did have some longevity issues. and Weber customer service is the best. So my recommendation is the EX6.

 

[JZ_Focus]

I had an MES30 for a while, and ended up adding a PID controller because the original controller crapped out. It worked great that way, and I believe it still does for my nephew, but I personally upgraded to a recteq RT-700, and I absolutely love it. It's built like a tank and produces great food. I highly recommend getting one.

 

[chopsaw]

My 2 cents. I have the Weber SmokeFire. I’m completely confounded at the bad reviews. But never have experience with pellet grills…I don’t know if there are issues amongst all pellet grills. I LOVE my EX6. Plenty big enough for a large family. Works great. I’ve never had a flare up. A couple fuses…1 minute switch out. And upgraded parts, as the 1st gen did have some longevity issues. and Weber customer service is the best. So my recommendation is the EX6.

AMEN !!
I bought the 2nd gen EX4 . Fantastic grill / smoker .

 

[wahoowad]

I've been on a 'what's my next smoker' search for about 2 months. Like you lost interest in the WSM - just too fiddly.

I have a Weber Performer kettle which actually can meet most of my smoking and grilling needs, not sure why I am not fully satisfied with it.

I have a love/hate relationship with my Camp Chef Woodwind. Can't believe how many issues I've had and equally surprised at how many large, bulky boxes of spare parts they have sent me for free. After 3 years it is finally fairly stable and starting to grow on me. The beef back ribs I smoked on it last night were amazing. That said...I'll shed no tears when it dies, expect it to do so sooner or later, so have been searching for a replacement.

The RecTeq 590 bubbled to the top of my list and sat there for a month as the clear winner. Recteq seems to have the lead right now on quality, value, customer service and performance.

But just as I was poised to buy the RecTeq I stumbled across the Masterbuilt Gravity series and it seems to give me the charcoal and wood chunk flavor I prefer that I got from my WSM but the ease of use I get from my digitally controlled pellet smoker. So I bought it. I've only had it one day so too soon to decide if it is "the one." But I like the concept, seemed to smell good, it can do low and slow as well as go to 700 to grill/sear and there is plenty of owner support on Facebook and forums regarding operation, issues and interesting mods.

I suggest the Recteq 590 or larger if you want to go with a new pellet unit.

 

[splendorlex]

I think I may ultimately decide that I don't need anything new. My MES is fine when I want more low effort cooks, and the WSM is a great go-to when I can afford to put in more effort. As I researched the various pellet grills out there, I found out I couldn't find one that was a slam dunk for what I wanted it to do, at least not without spending more than I had hoped.

One small temptation is my local Walmart still has a Cuisinart Woodcreek that was clearanced at $200. Maybe that is worth the price, even though I understand it certainly has some issues.