Tri-Tip in my new to me Traeger

[wuapinmon]

I rescued a smoker out of a FEMA trash pile in NOLA--we cleaned it up and put in a new gas line and it was perfect. We used it to smoke brisket and pork country ribs several times. I gave it to my neighbors in NOLA because it wouldn't fit on the Uhaul. I miss it so much.

[FMCoug]

Jeff, here is the Zojirushi of smokers.

http://www.bradleysmoker.com/digital-smoker-4-rack.asp

That looks pretty sweet. They have some less expensive models too. My offset grill/smoker got left in Texas so I just have a gas grill right now. Plan on getting a smoker once we get moved to Cedar Hills. This might be a good option since I already have the grill ... a dedicated smoker might be just the ticket.

[Drunk Tank]

Tell more about this Traeger. Anybody else own one?

I used to have an electric smoker but it died on me so I replaced with with a propane smoker. I hate it. It dries the food out and it is difficult to control the temperature. For grilling, I have always gone the charcoal route because I think it tastes better, but it is a hassle so I am almost ready to break down and get a gas grill. But I have been doing a little research on the Traeger pellet grills and it almost sounds as if it would satisfy both my smoking and grilling needs.

Is this true? Can these be used for standard grilling duties or is it mainly a smoker?

From what I have read, it is a better smoker than grill. The pellets are indirect heat, so it is hard to get a good sear on the meat. Not an issue if you are doing burgers, chicken, roasts and the like. But if you are looking to grill a steak, I would fire up the ol' Weber with charcoal and go to town. The pellet cookers are essentially big convection ovens that use real wood and impart that smoky flavor to the food. I dont think there is "one" specific unit that smokes and grills equally well, but the Traeger and other pellet grills come close. The beuty is you can set the temp and walk away. With my offset smoker. I am having to check temps and add charcoal and wood chips every 30-60 minutes.

I now have the Traeger, 2 22.5" weber grills, a Charbroiler offset grill/smoker, and I am about done building an Ugly Drum Smoker. It is like a disease. What i really want is a Big Green Egg ceramic smoker/grill. They run about 1K for the large size with all the accessories, but from what I have seen and read online, they fully rock. Easy to smoke with and can acheive temps above 700* for searing/grilling. The downside is they have a small grilling surface. I havnt found one on Craigslist yet, and I'm not about to drop a grand and one.

[Jeff Lebowski]

From what I have read, it is a better smoker than grill. The pellets are indirect heat, so it is hard to get a good sear on the meat. Not an issue if you are doing burgers, chicken, roasts and the like. But if you are looking to grill a steak, I would fire up the ol' Weber with charcoal and go to town. The pellet cookers are essentially big convection ovens that use real wood and impart that smoky flavor to the food. I dont think there is "one" specific unit that smokes and grills equally well, but the Traeger and other pellet grills come close. The beuty is you can set the temp and walk away. With my offset smoker. I am having to check temps and add charcoal and wood chips every 30-60 minutes.

I now have the Traeger, 2 22.5" weber grills, a Charbroiler offset grill/smoker, and I am about done building an Ugly Drum Smoker. It is like a disease. What i really want is a Big Green Egg ceramic smoker/grill. They run about 1K for the large size with all the accessories, but from what I have seen and read online, they fully rock. Easy to smoke with and can acheive temps above 700* for searing/grilling. The downside is they have a small grilling surface. I havnt found one on Craigslist yet, and I'm not about to drop a grand and one.

I rarely (almost never) do steaks. When grilling it is normally chicken or salmon.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Jeff, here is the Zojirushi of smokers.

http://www.bradleysmoker.com/digital-smoker-4-rack.asp

I have looked at that model. Do you own it?

I would like to solve my smoking/grilling needs with one unit if possible.

[FMCoug]

Just saw that Cabela's has the 4-rack Bradley Smoker in the Bargain Cave online ... pretty good deal.