Rec tec 680 as only grill in the house?

[clifish]

Have a chance at getting a rec tec 680 for sub $500, If you did not have a standard LP grill would you use this as your only grill for steaks, burgers and the like? I already have a smoker and this grill will not be used regularly as it will be in an out of state vacation house.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

Honestly if it were me I would pick up a Weber kettle for that type of situation. Save a bunch of money and have a superior grill.

 

[clifish]

I don't want to deal with a charcoal grill, if the rec tec won't work as a "regular" grill I will just get another gasser for up there.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

If you are going to use it as a grill only then I would say to go with the gasser.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

When it comes to pellet grills, I’m convinced that there is no jack of all trades.

I’m convinced that all of them, irrespective of brand, name or brand name, compromise somewhere.

To find one which all three, smokes as good as a stick burner, sears as good as a Kamado, and grills better than a Weber Kettle, is to just about find a unicorn.

Just me, but I wouldn’t put any steak that I was serious about cooking on a pellet grill.

On a different subject, but all of the above, is why I can’t see paying in the neighborhood of 2 grand for a MAK or similarly priced pellet grill.

 

[clifish]

thanks, I hear you..was considering it as it is fairly cheap for a rec tec. But I am also concerned that it will sit for months on end not used and the pellet hopper does not look easy to clean out. Even if I store it in the garage moisture will get to pellets in the hopper.

 

[6GRILLZNTN]

Will you be "grilling", or "smoking" with this rig? If it's both, then a pellet grill is a good choice. If it's just for grilling, then a pellet grill is a waste of money. I would do what drunken said. For grilled food, nothing beats charcoal!

 

[clifish]

no it would be for both...I will also have a propane masterbuilt ms40 there as well. I like about the rec tec is it seems to hold temp very accurately for long times for briskets, I don't have that kind of control yet with the masterbuilt. I just am not sure if everyone just wants a burger/hotdog dinner if it will suffice.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

I'd go ahead with a gasser. Sure the rectec could probably pump out some burgers and dogs, but if it is rarely used and not properly maintained it might not cook anything. If you want to cook a brisket you can always throw it on the smoker for a while and then transfer it to an oven to finish it off.

 

[ross77]

I use my 680 as a grill but with Grill Grates. It will get to 500 easily and I wouldn't get overly concerned about the pellets going bad. They should be ok unless we're talking about months at very high humidity. The only maintenance really is to clean out the ash occasionally. $500 would be hard to pass up if it's in good condition.

 

[sweetride95]

$500 would be hard to pas on. I have found pellet grilling a lot of fun, and have adapted some methods to use it more often. I am almost exclusively pellet now. Maybe it would blossom into something for you as well.

 

[clifish]

it certainly could be for a few months, but the house we are putting up is in North Eastern PA...not sure that qualifies for high humidity or not. I thought pellets needed to be sealed when not in use. I like the idea of a pellet grill, especially a good one. I might just grab it and keep in the garage up there and buy a small lp home depot cheapy for the upper deck....best of both worlds.

 

[mike243]

I use my PB for a grill all the time,adds a small amount of smoke flavor at high temps,some folks that's never had a pellet smoker hate them without owning 1 and trying it. I reckon a bad 1 would make you hate all of them. rectec is a good brand and I wouldn't be afraid of it for that price

 

[clifish]

Well my procrastination made me miss it and it went for sub $400! Well so far in the past 2 weeks I have seen this and a fairly new traeger for $350 so there will be others. It is the type of thing someone gets as a nice gift not realizing it is not a straight grill.

 

[sweetride95]

It's a different animal, mostly comes down to perception.
If you grill and smoke frequently, it's a neat way to sort of blend the two. If you've burned stick or charcoal and become tired of it, a pellet grill suddenly becomes pretty easy and worry free.
If your just a hot/fast burger and hotdog griller, a pellet grill may be a little slow and tedious.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

Well my procrastination made me miss it and it went for sub $400! Well so far in the past 2 weeks I have seen this and a fairly new traeger for $350 so there will be others. It is the type of thing someone gets as a nice gift not realizing it is not a straight grill.

Wow.

Well, I guess you missed out on a great deal. But you can’t win ‘em all. Good luck in your search.

 

[clifish]

Only having had a smoker for 3 weeks (bought an lp and electric off craigslist cheap) It is probably better now anyway. I really need to learn the basics for a while and then figure out what works the best for me going forward. I have learned a ton so far on this forum and am just having fun experimenting and with these smokers. Heat control is my biggest learning curve now.