I need something that will do well during Utah winters. I need something that will be fairly easy to use. Kind of a set it and forget it type thing for long smokes. Something that is large enough to do a couple of racks of ribs or a turkey. I would like to be able to use it for breads/pizza or use it for a steak at 800 degrees. Is this unrealistic? Could one of you experts please point me in the right direction?
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A Traeger will do everything you list except for the 800 degree part. It maxes out at about 400-450 degrees. Operation and cleanup could not be simpler. I love mine.
For the 800 degree part you should consider a Big Green Egg. It is also an excellent smoker and grill but it is not a set-it-and-forget-it device."There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
"It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
"Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster
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Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View PostA Traeger will do everything you list except for the 800 degree part. It maxes out at about 400-450 degrees. Operation and cleanup could not be simpler. I love mine.
For the 800 degree part you should consider a Big Green Egg. It is also an excellent smoker and grill but it is not a set-it-and-forget-it device.A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali
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Originally posted by Katy Lied View PostAnd can you set the smoker outside in the snow? Or does that fiddle too much with the smoking temperature?A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali
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Originally posted by CJF View PostWill the Traeger maintain temps decently in very cold weather?
Originally posted by CJF View PostI thought you could get a Traeger up to at least 600 degrees."There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
"It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
"Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster
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IN extreme cold, the Traeger may struggle to keep high temps (450) well. A Big Green Egg would seem a better fit and is more versatile, but not set it and forget it. Although, once you have played with it a while, you can easily get it to cruise along at 225 with little to no adjustment for hours on end.
If you are set on a pellet grill/smoker, I would suggest a Memphis Pro Wood Fire Grill. They are fairly new, but it is the new standard in pellet grills. It is insulated and controls temps better than an oven. It can also sear @ 650 degrees. Downfall is they are $2k for the best one.
http://hearthlandproducts.com/produc...ls/memphis-pro
It is what I would get if I had the scratch. I have been tempted to sell my BGE and Traeger and save up for one of these.
"I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III
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Originally posted by Drunk Tank View PostIN extreme cold, the Traeger may struggle to keep high temps (450) well.
One problem with high-temp cooking in a pellet grill is that you fly through the pellets and they aren't cheap. I bought a three-level rack for my Traeger so that I can do two pizzas at once and it has saved me a lot of money in pellets. I can't imagine how many pellets one would burn through in order to maintain 650 degrees.
On the rare occasion that I want to grill a steak, I just fire up my old charcoal grill. I am still hoping to pick up a cheap BGE somewhere."There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
"It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
"Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster
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Originally posted by Drunk Tank View PostIN extreme cold, the Traeger may struggle to keep high temps (450) well. A Big Green Egg would seem a better fit and is more versatile, but not set it and forget it. Although, once you have played with it a while, you can easily get it to cruise along at 225 with little to no adjustment for hours on end.
If you are set on a pellet grill/smoker, I would suggest a Memphis Pro Wood Fire Grill. They are fairly new, but it is the new standard in pellet grills. It is insulated and controls temps better than an oven. It can also sear @ 650 degrees. Downfall is they are $2k for the best one.
http://hearthlandproducts.com/produc...ls/memphis-pro
It is what I would get if I had the scratch. I have been tempted to sell my BGE and Traeger and save up for one of these.
A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali
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On the pellet heads forum (www.pelletheads.com) alot of the Traeger owners are modding their Traegers by adding fire bricks in the bottom of the cooking chamber. The units take a little while longer to heat up, but the added mass of the fire bricks maintains heat better and helps stabilize the temp swings when you open the lid. This actually causes the units to burn less pellets on the longer cooks. High temp cooks burn through a ton of pellets. I have a hard time with my BBQ 075 even getting up to 400 degrees. I think the cooking chamber is too big. Hindsight being what it is, I think I should have gone with the 70."I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III
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Originally posted by CJF View PostI was just about to post this model. I think this is what I'm leaning towards right now. Steak is a big deal in our family. So this one does well. I wish it would get a little hotter, but 650 is probably ok. I've read several reviews now that say it is a very well designed and built unit. I need to shop around for a deal."I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III
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Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View PostOn the rare occasion that I want to grill a steak, I just fire up my old charcoal grill. I am still hoping to pick up a cheap BGE somewhere.A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali
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Originally posted by Drunk Tank View PostOn the pellet heads forum (www.pelletheads.com) alot of the Traeger owners are modding their Traegers by adding fire bricks in the bottom of the cooking chamber. The units take a little while longer to heat up, but the added mass of the fire bricks maintains heat better and helps stabilize the temp swings when you open the lid. This actually causes the units to burn less pellets on the longer cooks. High temp cooks burn through a ton of pellets. I have a hard time with my BBQ 075 even getting up to 400 degrees. I think the cooking chamber is too big. Hindsight being what it is, I think I should have gone with the 70.A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali
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Originally posted by CJF View PostDo you think it will matter which brand of pellet is used either of the Traeger or Memphis? I've never shopped for pellets. How hard are they to find?"I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's a$$, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it". - Tommy Callahan III
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Originally posted by Drunk Tank View PostI have used Traeger brand pellets and they are good, but there are better out there. Currently I am using Cookingpellets.com "perfect mix" pellets. BBQ Delight pellets are good as well. Just dont use pellets designed for wood stoves. They need to be food grade."There is no creature more arrogant than a self-righteous libertarian on the web, am I right? Those folks are just intolerable."
"It's no secret that the great American pastime is no longer baseball. Now it's sanctimony." -- Guy Periwinkle, The Nix.
"Juilliardk N I ibuprofen Hyu I U unhurt u" - creekster
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