# Pellet grill



## Ray (May 10, 2018)

For those of you looking, Smith & Edwards has the new Camp Chef DLX for only $379


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

IFA has the PG 24XT on their ad this week for $349.99.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

Nice! Are they on sale because of hunting season?


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

Just part of the fall ad


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I assume that's a good deal?? I have refused using a pellet grill/smoker to do Bar-B-Q. I have a pit that I made 15 years ago and it worked for me. I laugh when I hear talk about how good one is using a Bluetooth electric pellet grill and call themselves a "Pit Master". A two year old could make honey out of Horse Busquets using one of those. 


I guess I'm a purest and like to make bar-b-q the way it was intended. Off set smoker and chunks of cherry, peach, hickory, pecan, etc. for the flavor and heat. But, I'm also thinking of the ease of an E smoker pellet grill. Someone talk me into it!


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## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

taxidermist said:


> I assume that's a good deal?? I have refused using a pellet grill/smoker to do Bar-B-Q. I have a pit that I made 15 years ago and it worked for me. I laugh when I hear talk about how good one is using a Bluetooth electric pellet grill and call themselves a "Pit Master". A two year old could make honey out of Horse Busquets using one of those.
> 
> I guess I'm a purest and like to make bar-b-q the way it was intended. Off set smoker and chunks of cherry, peach, hickory, pecan, etc. for the flavor and heat. But, I'm also thinking of the ease of an E smoker pellet grill. Someone talk me into it!


I felt the same way for a long time and then I won a pellet grill at a work function. Now, it'll never be quite the same in flavor or in your own personal sense of accomplishment, but I haven't used my traditional set-up in years. And, if I'm honest, the only person who cares is me. Most people aren't going to notice or appreciate those nuances anyway, so why go through the trouble. Fact is, you make a darn fine piece of meat on a pellet grill and save yourself all the work of managing a fire. No baffles, no cold spots, no burnouts. Set it and forget it.

I kick myself now for letting my purism make me wait so long. And I'd probably still be waiting if it hadn't been given to me. I do have moments when I feel guilty for not doing it the "right" way, and I still won't call it barbecue. But now I'm spending time with family and friends instead of worrying about my fire. It's a worthwhile trade in my book.


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## caddis8 (Sep 10, 2007)

I had a propane smoker for several years and i used it occassionally. 

To be clear, your smoker will offer superior smoking capabilities and probably a better pure smoke taste. I don't think that can be argued. There is something special about smoking with wood and not pellets. I think the smoke ring and penetration is probably better. I think there is a more intense smoke flavor. 

However, the requirements of maintenence, tending, space, and materials for smoking are more involved. The amount of wood needed takes up space. A large pit takes up space. (I would love a batch of smoked summer sausage on a pit because they're usually large enough to handle a big batch). 

Enter Pellet grills/smokers. They aren't as large a typical pit smokers. They are smaller. In effect, they are convection ovens that use fire as the means of heating. Pellet quality is important in getting deep smoky flavor. Pellet grills are not pure smokers, and they're not pure BBQ grills, but they are pretty good at both in one unit. If you like pretty good, then a pellet grill is the way to go. Pellet Grills won't get a hard sear like a BBQ can. But, you can grill and grill well. You can smoke meat and smoke meat well. It won't be "pure." But it will be significantly more convenient and offer good quality while minimizing space in both smoker and pellets. You can get a bunch of different flavors of pellets at a fraction of the space requirements as wood. 

I had smoker and a grill. I now use a pellet grill. I put away the grill (camp chef grill) and haven't got it out. I still have it for camping purposes as it isn't feasable to take the pellet grill on most trips. I got rid of the smoker because I could do pretty good smoked meat at a fraction of the headache. I just needed to monitor the temps, pellets, and meat temp. No more tending a fire or a fire actually going out. No more monitoring propane tank levels. If you've ever run out of propane while smoking at 10:00 at night you'll understand that. As long as i have pellets and power, it works great.

Another benefit of pellet grills that I've found is we use ours a lot during the summer to not heat the house up. We can cook anything on a grill as we would an oven. Pizza? Fantastic. Cookies? Done. Roasted veggies? Fajitas? burgers? Smoked salmon? Poached walleye? Pork butt? Check. Check and check. 

They are pretty slick. Some are very sophisticated. You can set for meat temp and then the grill will adjust the smoke temp to not overcook. There's a lot of cool stuff.

I'm a fan. The convenience outweighs the purist for me.


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## SX3 (Jun 3, 2014)

I was not going to respond to this but I just can't help myself. From what I have read there are good arguments here for the pellet "grill". I don't own one but have lots of friends and family that do. I have had lot's of meat cooked on them and most has been pretty good. That said I truly consider true BBQ to be an art. It is not convenient, it is very time consuming, it takes a pile of wood rather than a bag of compressed sawdust, it takes patience and skill. You don't get to set it and forget it. I have done many all nighters where I tended fire and got very little sleep. There is a huge reward in the end when folks tell you something is the best they have ever eaten.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I am perfectly fine not being considered a "pit boss" because I use a pellet grill. Yes, it is much easier and the meat is still fantastic. 

If you have never dove into the BBQ scene, a pellet grill is a great way to start if you want convenience and ease of use. If you are looking for more of an experience, follow what these pros who do it the traditional way are saying. Honestly, I've had incredible meat from people that know what they are doing both ways. I can't tell a difference in the finished product myself.


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

taxidermist said:


> I guess I'm a purest and like to make bar-b-q....


Regardless of how that sentence is finished, if it's the way you like to do it, I won't try and convince you to do it another way.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I think Twinkielk sums it up pretty well. 
I bought a pellet smoker 2 1/2 years ago. My wife was not happy.....She said you will never use it, blah, blah. 
I cooked her some salmon, some chicken, did some ribs, etc. Now she brings me stuff and says, here smoke this. She is hooked. 
I have done the Christmas prime rib twice, (was worried about it on first try, turned out perfect) Easter ham (it was outstanding), briskets, pork butt roast (my favorite), pizza, rolls, meat loaf, and a few others. Only failure was a pork sirloin roast. It had 0 fat and was too lean.
As long as you use the temp probe and cook to the proper temp, you can NOT screw it up. I'm proof of that for sure. 
Ya, it not as pure, and the real is prob better most of the time, but it works well and is much easier to use. 


I'm not looking to change your mind at all. I'm old school in a lot of areas. 
I've always said....what is good to ya, is good for ya. 
:mrgreen:


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

Honestly for me, I’m coming from a place of convenience and flavor, it’s easy as hell, I can do a lot with and it tastes amazing. If you want to sear your meat, you can buy a sear box attachment for cheap.

My backstraps are always cooked perfectly, 3-2-1 ribs are amazing on it, chicken thighs, don’t even get me started on bacon-wrapped jalapeño poppers. It cooks it all perfectly.

Seriously though, if you haven’t tried jalapeño poppers on your grill, I recommend doing it tonight!


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

Have done the peppers on the grill 2 times in the last 2 weeks. Outstanding, and a great way to use the peppers out of the garden.


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## taxidermist (Sep 11, 2007)

I haven't used the big pit since this "C" VIRUS came along. Family is hesitant to get together and have a party. I don't fire it up unless I have a lot of folks coming over, It's just to much hassle to toss a couple yard birds on the pit and spend the time baby sitting it. If I have a couple racks of ribs, brisket, chickens and a pork belly, then I'm game and get after it. 


Sounds kinda like I've talked myself into a pellet for the small jobs.:shock:


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

taxidermist said:


> Sounds kinda like I've talked myself into a pellet for the small jobs.


&#128514; welcome to the club!


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## Smokestestack (6 mo ago)

I have a Traeger grill in my backyard. It is quite versatile, you can smoke, bake, fry and stew on it. Also when it comes to andvantages, I noticed that this grill is very easy to clean thanks to the porcelain grate and steel construction with a durable powder coating. Also, his wheels are quite passable, that is, taking him somewhere in nature will not be a big problem. I also received an amazon meat thermometer with it. With this thermometer, you can measure the temperature of the product during the cooking process, and this is very important for meat. Because it is very easy to spoil even the best piece of meat, forgetting it for a few extra minutes in a pan or on a grill.


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## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

As long as bots are going to refresh the thread, I'll hop in here and brag about my flat top. I bought a Camp Chef FTG600 and my poor Traeger has gone on the back burner, pun intended. I'm running out of room on the patio. But grills and smokers are like motorcycles for me - whichever one I used last is my favorite and that seems to change with the wind. The only answer to have one of everything....


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## Vanilla (Dec 11, 2009)

I really want a Blackstone grill.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

I already had a three burner campchef so I just purchased the 3 burner griddle, I’ve been making smash burgers and doing hibachi style meals all month!


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## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

Ray said:


> I already had a three burner campchef so I just purchased the 3 burner griddle, I’ve been making smash burgers and doing hibachi style meals all month!


That's exactly where this started for me. I had a portable 2-burner and bought the flat-top accessory. It was so much fun that I "had" to get something bigger. I really want to do some hibachi/stir fry meals. We've done smash burgers, egg roll in a bowl, big breakfasts, and some other small stuff. It's awesome!


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

I want to try Philly cheesesteaks next, probably one of my favorite things to eat


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## twinkielk15 (Jan 17, 2011)

Ray said:


> I want to try Philly cheesesteaks next, probably one of my favorite things to eat


Let me know if you need a second opinion on those when you make them. I'd be happy to head over and let you know what I think.


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## Ray (May 10, 2018)

twinkielk15 said:


> Let me know if you need a second opinion on those when you make them. I'd be happy to head over and let you know what I think.


I’ll keep ya posted, good sir!


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