Interested in what you think about them. Do they do a good job cooking? Can you smoke meats with them? Easy to use?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Anybody got one of those pellet grills?
- Thread starter Toothpick
- Start date
Pitboss Sportsman 820.
Love it! Will 100% replace if/when it fails.
Jay
Love it! Will 100% replace if/when it fails.
Jay
I have the Pit Boss....(its made by the same guy that invented the Traeger Grill after he left the company) and it works great. You can do a lot with them besides smoke as long as you can figure out feed rates and keep an eye on temps. The down side to them is that you have to empty the hopper every time you use it...if the pellets get wet from condensation or humidity they swell inside the feeding screw and jam it up. The other down side is that you have to take it apart, vacuum the ash out of the chamber and keep the inside tidy as well. If you do those 2 things a pellet grill will last you many years.
Larry
Larry
I have a NexGrill pellet smoker / grill. My only complaint is that the hopper insides don’t slope towards the auger. However, it was a faction of the cost of a Treager, which would likely be my pick if I didn’t have a budget. I can run a 12 hour smoke and monitor temps from an app on my phone. I can also get it hot enough to put a sear on a steak.
- Thread starter
- #5
I’m assuming it’s rather easy to clean out the hopper and ash? Just a maintenance task so kinda makes it sound like a PITA. But no different than emptying the ash out of the charcoal grill I’m guessing.
Less so that a charcoal grill. There is very little ash from pellets. The biggest pain is the same I had with every gas grill I have owned, cleaning up the cooking surface after a smoke or grill. I will admit, I should do so more often.
- Thread starter
- #7
My Webber needs new grill grates because they don’t get cleaned after every use. They are rusty and it won’t come off now. So I’ll get new grates this year. But I still want a pellet grill.
Do any of you noble users detect any hint of wax or whatever is used to bind the pellets?
Cook Shack PG500. It does a good job, the exterior is all stainless steel. IMO, a hassle to do a thorough cleaning.
Recteq bullseye. It’s like an easy bake oven. Love it. As you can see I rarely clean mine
Recteq--and I love it. I used to be a "natural wood charcoal" snob with my Weber Bullet, but when it started rusting I replaced it with the Recteq. I thought wi-fi was a silly thing I wouldn't need--but now I can adjust the temperature from the comfort of my couch or from the store if I have to run out. The meats always come out great (the meat thermometers also plug into the wi-fi so it sends alerts to my phone when it's getting close). I use the Bear Mountain pellets; they get burn nice and even if I smoking in the 225-250 range, but can also get to 500 degrees if I want to grill some burgers or chicken. Someone above asked if you can taste the wax from the pellets? Maybe some pellets have additives or fillers, but none of the reputable brands do. Pellets are made using high pressure and heat to compress the wood into consistent density and shape--they shouldn't be adding any wax or chemical binders.
I used to tease my brothers that pellet grills were cheating. But after having this one for 5 years I'd definitely buy one again. It's tough to see me ever going back to tending charcoal, adjusting air vents, etc. all day long.
I used to tease my brothers that pellet grills were cheating. But after having this one for 5 years I'd definitely buy one again. It's tough to see me ever going back to tending charcoal, adjusting air vents, etc. all day long.
Easiest way I do it is to use a shop vac the next day to clean the inside out. It gets the chamber pretty clean easily that way. For the grates I use either easy off or use the dawn liquid spray and let it sit for an hour or so and must of the large stuff comes off every time.
My oldest grill is a lazy man model 26 hard lined gas grill that’s over 60 y/o. The company is still in business and parts are still made for it. It still cooks amazing after 60 years and is indestructible.
Larry
I have a Traeger Pro 22". My parents got it with the purchase of a car. The were never going to use it so they gave it to me. I love it, but there are a lot of options out there. That said, we barely use our grill anymore.
You will have to clean out the burn pot every now and then since it builds up with ash over time, but the newer models have a trap door that allows you to dump the ashes. As it stands, I have to take the grill, drip tray and heat distributor out to vacuum mine. It's not that bad, but it could be simpler.
The only downside is that you can't cold smoke with it as is, unless you use a smoke tube.
You will have to clean out the burn pot every now and then since it builds up with ash over time, but the newer models have a trap door that allows you to dump the ashes. As it stands, I have to take the grill, drip tray and heat distributor out to vacuum mine. It's not that bad, but it could be simpler.
The only downside is that you can't cold smoke with it as is, unless you use a smoke tube.
Nothing in the flavor of the meat, whether beef, chicken, pork, or venison.
I haven't looked at pellet grills, but have researched pellet stove heaters.
In most pellets, the binder should be lignin, which is a natural component of the wood. As the wood chips/sawdust is forced through a die plate it heats up, then binds as it cools; no wax or additional glue required.
How To Use The Lignin And Binders To Make Your Own Pellets
Do you know the lignin and binders used to make your own pellets? How do they influce your pellet making machine and your pellet quality?
www.biofuelmachines.com
Make Your Own Wood Pellets with GEMCO Small Pellet Mill and Large Pellet Mill from Logs / Sawdust / Wood Shaving / Industry Waste
Start making your own wood pellets with GEMCO small pellet mill and large pellet plant according to the steps: chipping / drying / pelletizing / cooling / packaging / storage. Buy GEMCO pelletizer, cheap and reliable.
www.biofuelmachines.com
This I did not know. Very informative.
Around these parts there is limited love for pellet smokers. Indeed they do have a fan base but true, hard core aficionado types dismiss them as (to use one choice of words-"cheating". I think they can be likened to a microwave for BBQ).
Truth...world class Pitmasters like Aaron Franklin, Myron Mixon, Rodney Scott and other legends of the art are not cranking out pork butts and briskets on a Traeger.
.....but that's only one person's opinion.
Some guys don't want to be tending a fire for 24 hours, final product notwithstanding.
I rather enjoy the task and the end result.
Truth...world class Pitmasters like Aaron Franklin, Myron Mixon, Rodney Scott and other legends of the art are not cranking out pork butts and briskets on a Traeger.
.....but that's only one person's opinion.
Some guys don't want to be tending a fire for 24 hours, final product notwithstanding.
I rather enjoy the task and the end result.
I started out with smoking with lump wood in a big smoker. It was both fun and challenging to see how even I could keep the temperature. So I agree with you, pellet smokers are cheating, but I don’t plan on ever going back to a lump fired smoker. I now put my efforts into the rub.
Love our 850...use it weekly.
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