Trying to decide on which pellet grill

[Bottiville]

I actually didnt realize masterbuilt made vertical pellet smokers. Any thoughts on them? They seem more like a smoker and something that would retain heat very well

 

[xsists]

Only thing I didn't like about the MES pellets wwer they weren't insulated like the old MES were. Looked like thin metal to me. There are a few reviews on YouTube on them.

 

[mike243]

Thanks for the heads up on the warranty,doesn't help me but bought the son a copperhead 5 for Christmas so it will have the 5 year warranty

 

[shinny]

I just got the CampChef Woodwind SG with Sear Box and I can't say enough great things about it. I've done everything except fish on it and I love it. I got it before Christmas when they had the $100 off sale.

 

[Mark Krenn]

I’ve had a Pit Boss for 4 years now. Menards had a floor model clearance that was $400 at that time retail was $600. Now this grill is 400 retail. I’ve had great luck with it especially after adding a PID from smoke daddy. I’ve also experimented with the GMG WiFi controller which can be used on these too. Rec Tec controllers run about $60 more and do the same. They both have a PID built in.
Good luck and happy cooking!

 

[Cookin-it]

I too started off with a Masterbuilt Dual Fuel Vertical and it sparked my love for smoking. While I loved it, i also hated it. I recently purchased a GMC Daniel Boone with Wi-Fi and, I gotta tell you, Im in love with it. It feels really weird not having to babysit my cook all day monitoring the smoker temp.

I usually use a mix of the Gold and Fruitwood and enjoy the flavor profile. While I agree that the smoke flavor is limited compared to other smokers, I've actually grown to like it better since it showcases the flavor of the meat more and not so much the smoke. it produces a beautiful smoke ring and holding the temp consistent throughout the smoke keeps the meat juicy and flavorful. I've used the Daniel Boone to smoke slow and low and Ive used it to grill steaks at 500 degrees. I recently was gifte the pizza oven attachment for Fathers Day but, havent had the opportunity to use it yet. I haven owned any other pellet grills but, I can wholeheartedly vouch for GMG. The wifi is what really puts it over the top. I can set up a smoke and go to the store for some sides or really go anywhere for any reason and still monitor the temps (or change them, if needed) directly from the phone. Its a bit of a game changer. Im curious as to which manufacturer and model you decided to go with. Im sure you'll be happy with whichever you decided fit your needs best.

 

[Winterrider]

Anyone use an amazing tube or tray in pellet grill for extra smoke? Enough air/oxygen to keep the thing lit?

 

[Cookin-it]

Anyone use an amazing tube or tray in pellet grill for extra smoke? Enough air/oxygen to keep the thing lit?

I dont use one. I dont really feel the need for 'more smoke.' IMO, the pellet grill gives off enough smoke for my tastes. I also smoke everything in a more mild flavored wood, like the fruit blend from GMG.

 

[bregent]

Anyone use an amazing tube or tray in pellet grill for extra smoke? Enough air/oxygen to keep the thing lit?

Tubes yes, they are usually easy to keep lit. I've seen very mixed results on how well they work. Some feel that they add enough supplemental smoke flavors, others report they add next to nothing. The only way to know is try it yourself.

As for trays, some folks have had success - many folks I know have not.

 

[Winterrider]

Just kinda wondering for future. May have Rec Tec , Camp Chef, Silverbac, or similar to put into the arsenal someday.

 

[mike243]

Microwave the pellets for 2 minutes makes mine lite and stay lit easier imo

 

[retfr8flyr]

I use Lumber Jack pellets in my grill and I haven't found the need for additional smoke yet. If I wanted more smoke I would use some MoJo bricks, instead of a smoke tube.

 

[Eric Hammer]

Get a Yoder ys640 and don't look back. It costs more but it's worth it...

 

[Kiwi Smoke]

I notice that Louisiana grills don't get much of a mention in this type of "which pellet grill " discussion.
I'm not very experienced in this style of grilling but recently bought an LG900 and am really enjoying it.
They are well made and produce great results and have the option to direct flame grill by sliding the one half of the heat diffuser back exposing the flame from the burn box.
Great grill good value IMO

 

[Rmartinez2]

I was in the same boat as OP for quite some time. I actually took nearly 2 months to finally decide. early on in the process i was all about Traeger, having drank the koolaid on them pioneering the pellet smoker and having one of the first patents etc. But the deeper down the rabbit hole you go, the more options you start to realize are out there. Traeger was quickly out of the picture for me when i started to see how much info there was on how their tech hasn't really changed too much since their patent expired and everyone else got in the mix. If I remember correctly (not as accurately but correctly) many of the brands you see now come from the same manufacturers that built Traeger grills for them for quite some time. I believe Pitt boss, z grills, grilla grills, and maybe camp chef all fall into this (do not quote me on that but i know z grills for sure). So given this i moved onto Z grills and started to really enjoy the tech innovation awards as I'm a full blown techy. All of them essentially seemed the same. I liken it to how a Lexus is really just a Toyota camry with a sleeker body in the case of base models.

ultimately, to not make this any longer than I likely already unnecessarily did, I chose a Pit Boss (PB pro series 1100 to be exact). Why...? for me it was important to have a good amount of surface to grill/smoke on so the size was good. They had a 5 year warranty which was not too bad considering they once only operated under 1. We constantly have huge family gatherings and we do all different kinds of food so it was important to have an easier go at switching out pellets (this is ultimately what started tipping the scale away from zgrills). And then... the broiler plate opening. This household loves its steaks, and if the sear isnt right I'm not sure what would happen so having that ability in one grill is pretty damn awesome. I've used the grill twice only and mainly for grilling no long smokes yet but the sear i've gotten on my steak is pretty impressive.

I will say that rec tec came in as a late research for me and so i may have pulled the trigger early but the way i saw it was, this is all new to me up to now i've been a straight up lump charcoal with a few wood chunks thrown in kinda guy and really only for grilling, i've never smoked a damn thing. I've not gotten to see a rec tec up close but I will say that i've already got my eyes BFG-2500 they have coming out in May I've slated myself to get this closer to the sep/oct timeframe as i'm not a fan of being an early adopter of any new release. For now i think the PB is going to be a good introduction for me.

 

[Rmartinez2]

I notice that Louisiana grills don't get much of a mention in this type of "which pellet grill " discussion.
I'm not very experienced in this style of grilling but recently bought an LG900 and am really enjoying it.
They are well made and produce great results and have the option to direct flame grill by sliding the one half of the heat diffuser back exposing the flame from the burn box.
Great grill good value IMO

Its my understanding these and pit boss are from danson (danson's??) both looked pretty much identical to me when i went to look at them. Home depot carries louisiana and lowes carries pitboss from what i saw. its possible the steel is maybe MAYBE a slight bit thicker but i honestly couldnt tell. there was a louisiana 1100 i think and it was essentially the PB 1100 without a front shelf, w/o a side shelf, smaller hopper and about $300 more... Anyway whenever i see PB mentioned i tend to think Louisiana as well. Both good ass grills