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  • Time to get serious about a new smoker.

    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?
    A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

  • #2
    And can you set the smoker outside in the snow? Or does that fiddle too much with the smoking temperature?

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    • #3
      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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      • #4
        Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
        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.
        Will the Traeger maintain temps decently in very cold weather? I thought you could get a Traeger up to at least 600 degrees.
        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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        • #5
          Originally posted by Katy Lied View Post
          And can you set the smoker outside in the snow? Or does that fiddle too much with the smoking temperature?
          From what I can tell the ceramic units do well in very cold weather but they're not as easy. As JL pointed out, there not a set it and forget it type of unit. The traditional steel are going to lose some heat or consistency during colder weather. I'm trying to figure out which system is better for me or if there is a compromise.
          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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          • #6
            Originally posted by CJF View Post
            Will the Traeger maintain temps decently in very cold weather?
            Yes. Works beautifully. Mine has a digital thermostat and a thermometer on top to verify the actual temp.

            Originally posted by CJF View Post
            I thought you could get a Traeger up to at least 600 degrees.
            No. 450 max.
            "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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            • #7
              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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              • #8
                Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
                IN extreme cold, the Traeger may struggle to keep high temps (450) well.
                We rarely do steak (wife does not like it) so the high temp issue is simply not an issue for us. When I do pizza I will put it at 400 or sometimes as low as 350. It takes a little longer to cook, but I get a better flavor (Traeger pizza is awesome). I do salmon and chicken at 350. Never had a problem maintaining those temps in the winter. It would be difficult to get it to 450 in cold weather.

                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

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
                  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 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.
                  A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    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

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by CJF View Post
                      I 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.
                      You wont be dissapointed. There are several people competeing with these and having good results.
                      "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

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Jeff Lebowski View Post
                        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.
                        This is something else I'm thinking about. You can score a nice Traeger and a small BGE for about the same price as a Memphis Pro.
                        A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
                          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.
                          Do 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?
                          A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. - Mohammad Ali

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by CJF View Post
                            Do 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 have used Traeger brand pellets and they are good, but there are better out there. Currently I am usingCookingpellets.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.
                            "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

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Drunk Tank View Post
                              I 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.
                              $25 shipping for one bag? Ouch.
                              "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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