Which Pellet Smoker?

[Smokej333]

Hi. First post here. My wife and I grill almost every day. My question is which pellet smoker is the best overall? I'm talking price, ease of use, quality, and best bang for the buck. Any advice and info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[flatbroke]

Welcome to SMF. I haven’t looked at all the different pellet smokers out there but have seen some pretty nice ones. What features are important to you for the grill to have? WiFi, searing capabilities, take camping etc?

 

[Buttah Butts]

I’ve had a traeger and GMG both were awful at keeping a consistent temp had to replace circuit board on the GMG within the first 3 months. I bought a Rec Tec and it is hands down a beast. Runs like a rolex by far worth every penny. Do yourself a favor and take a look at them. They also have excellent customer service.

 

[Gecko10]

I recently got a Pit Boss 820 and have been very happy with it.

 

[smokerjim]

I have a pitboss 1000, I am happy but not thrilled with it,

 

[2Mac]

Welcome.
Not sure where you are from but in Canada we have a model called the Master Chef Grill Tourismo.
It's very similar to the Pit Boss 700 but a couple of hundred dollars less.
I bought one a couple of months ago and I absolutely love it.
My buddy at work bought one after hearing me rant about it and he is using it almost everyday.
I figure someday I will step up to a more expensive one with more bells and whistles but for my needs right now it's perfect.
So easy to use and haven't had a bad meal come off of it yet.
It holds the temps very well.
Good luck in your search/.

 

[JC in GB]

Welcome from Wisconsin.

If I was in the market for a pellet grill, I wouldn't spend a dime on anything but a Rec Tec.

My $0.02...

JC

 

[retfr8flyr]

Hi. First post here. My wife and I grill almost every day. My question is which pellet smoker is the best overall? I'm talking price, ease of use, quality, and best bang for the buck. Any advice and info would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

When you say all around what do you mean? Do you want to high temp grill, as well as low temp smoking , or are you just talking about smoking? A pellet grill is good for smoking and lower temp cooking, such as poultry and such below 400°. You need to remember that a pellet grill is basically just a large convection oven, so it doesn't really do grilling well. If you want to do high temp grilling, like steaks and such, I think you would be disappointed with a pellet grill, except for the ones with open flame grilling options. What is your budget?

 

[Smokej333]

Welcome to SMF. I haven’t looked at all the different pellet smokers out there but have seen some pretty nice ones. What features are important to you for the grill to have? WiFi, searing capabilities, take camping etc?

Thanks for the welcome. It would just be used at home for smoking mainly but also grilling, and searing. WiFi would be good but not a necessity.

 

[Smokej333]

When you say all around what do you mean? Do you want to high temp grill, as well as low temp smoking , or are you just talking about smoking? A pellet grill is good for smoking and lower temp cooking, such as poultry and such below 400°. You need to remember that a pellet grill is basically just a large convection oven, so it doesn't really do grilling well. If you want to do high temp grilling, like steaks and such, I think you would be disappointed with a pellet grill, except for the ones with open flame grilling options. What is your budget?

Hi. I'm looking to use it for mainly low and slow smoking. It would be used just for my wife and I and for family get togethers.

 

[JC in GB]

Hi. I'm looking to use it for mainly low and slow smoking. It would be used just for my wife and I and for family get togethers.

What is your price range? There are many great units available.... You get what you pay for.

JC

 

[retfr8flyr]

You need to let us know what your price range is before anyone can really offer recommendations. There are a lot of good grills out there, it all depends on how much you are willing to pay. Just remember that all pellet grills are basically the same, there is a motor to turn the auger and deliver the pellets and a controller, to tell when to have the fan blow and how long and at what speed to turn the auger. Everything else on the grill is just bells and whistles. The extra money gets you better components, like PID controllers, stainless steel containers, ceramic igniters and such but they all operate on the same basic principle.

 

[kruizer]

Welcome to SMF from Minnesota.

 

[Winterrider]

Some top of the line units in no particular order
Yoder
Mak
Rec Tec
Camp Chef
Grilla Grill
"Lots" of happy Rec Tec owners here including myself.

 

[Smokej333]

What is your price range? There are many great units available.... You get what you pay for.

JC

My price range is between $500-$1,000

 

[Smokej333]

Welcome to SMF from Minnesota.

Thanks!!

 

[Dr. Dobbins]

If you want a good smoker, and a decent grill then the smokefire might work for you. It has some issues, like you will have to put a drip pan under your meat if your smoking pork butts, or brisket. A bit of a pain to clean out. If your looking for a dedicated smoker on the cheap the pit boss cabinet smokers are decent. The cabinet smoker won't cook above 300 without issues however.