So I was not able to buy one last year, but looking again this year. Recteq and Grilla so far is what I am looking at but not totally sure. Want to stay in the price range of these. No Yoder prices. Any suggestions? How do they cook in cooler winter weather? Not really interested in Traeger. Also what pellets do you all like?

Thanks for the input

i got the recteq. been very happy with it. Seems to work fine in cooler weather, but i also have a good wind-block in my setup. I would be more concerned about wind pulling out heat than ambient temperature (though a combination of both would be the worst). I buy the pellets from atwoods and have been happy with them.

I got my dad a Silverback a couple of years ago. It's been rock solid. Doesn't get a ton of use, but it's as versatile as advertised. Easy to use, wifi controller and app that come with it work fine for what he needs. Solid construction, hopper and auger/motor working well. Inside drip tray is pretty easy to breakdown and clean and the grease trap/basket is perfect size for aluminum cans to catch the grease and toss.

He smoke meats, grills burgers, and steaks. If you like a good sear on a steak, just put a cast iron skillet in and crank it to 450.

Pellet vendor makes a huge difference in smoke produced. The Grilla pellets are ok for burgers but don't produce much smoke. I fixed that problem w a smoke tube and different pellets. I'd have no hesitation recommending a silverback.

Have the Recteq 1250. Little over a year. Plenty of use and no issues. Like it a lot. So easy to use and very versatile - low smoking to high heat grill. Only slight negative is High heat is around 550 - 600. Never use my Egg grills anymore.

So look, you only live once. Mortgage the house, or the wife, and get a Lone Star Grillz pellet smoker. You will never look back. 450 lbs. of beauty and perfection. I kid, if you cannot afford it, you cannot afford it. Definitely not for everyone, but it leaves the Yoders of the world in its dust (or smoke as the case may be.)

I have a Green Mountain stainless with WiFi. Had it for couple years and no issues. Use it for grilling and smoking and it's been a workhorse.

I know you aren't interested in Traegers, not sure why, but I have one and it does well in cold weather. I'm sure it consumes pellets faster, but to offset that Traeger makes an insulating jacket you can buy. Maybe all the pellet grill manufacturers do?

Grilla OG (the round one) for me. Going on 3 years, and it's amazing. Have smoked in everything down to 10 degrees outside, and it holds temp like a champ. It isn't the best at grilling, but I will throw stuff on the blackstone for a minute if I want a sear. But it is a FAR superior smoker to any pellet grill I have used (which includes 5 different brands). The design of the OG is awesome, and allows you to check without losing all your heat like a standard grill does when you open the lid. I also think the barrel design allows for more consistent heating and smoke circulation. There are no hot spots on my grill.

I don't honestly think you can go wrong with either RecTec or Grilla in that price range. Jumping up will net you a better grill for roughly double the money (i would go with a Lone Star all the way if I was spendy).

I have had a Green Mountain for nearly 5 years. Works great, although I suspect all pellet grills are essentially the same. Just a tool to maintain smokey heat at a consistent 225 degrees for 8 - 16 hours. Far better than any "stick burner".

I am starting to question the differences between different types of wood. To me at least, the salt and pepper makes more impact on flavor than mesquite, oak, pecan, apple, etc. types of wood.

dcbowers said:

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I have had a Green Mountain for nearly 5 years. Works great, although I suspect all pellet grills are essentially the same. Just a tool to maintain smokey heat at a consistent 225 degrees for 8 - 16 hours. Far better than any "stick burner".

I am starting to question the differences between different types of wood. To me at least, the salt and pepper makes more impact on flavor than mesquite, oak, pecan, apple, etc. types of wood.

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I have gone to using the pellet blends for the most part. I can't really tell a difference either. For whatever reason the blends seem cheaper too

I guess the higher end ones have gotten better. The original styles just seemed flimsy to me. I wish some of these other brands would have some at stores where you could look at them.

Some of the pellets I keep on hand. I also use a Smoke Tube as well to get extra smoke.

Bear Mountain Oak pellets

CookinPellets Perfect Mix blend pellets

Knotty Wood Almond pellets

Knotty Wood Plum pellets

Long story, short, highly recommend Grilla. Those boys are from Michigan, they can make a grill that will smoke meat just great in subzero temperatures. I have had the Silver back for over a year now. Liked it so much, I bought their Mammoth for my farmhouse. Very nice double steel wall construction. They have some really good black Friday deals going on now.

https://www.grillagrills.com/page/blackfriday?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=GrillaXMEAT%21-cbb-11.21-G24%20%2801JCKHVFDAPV7V30GJY0A1YGA0%29&_kx=umZj62z9NhYqQhd570fUI3X3nzqUdplWpdrqWbsLMjiNg7fKHnwggsyCd_fA6uuO.HjeGMy

NM.

Campchef woodwind (woodwind pro if it fits in the price range) are excellent. I've cooked on quite a few different pellet grills and camp chef is my top choice. The ash clean out is a nice cherry on top FWIW

I have the OG. It's a better smoker than grill. The Mammoth wasn't released until after I had my OG.
When I ordered mine, they accidentally sent me a Silverback. So I got to see one up close, it was very nice too. Customer service was excellent, and they immediately sent me the correct grill, a bunch of free extras, and had the Silverback picked up. Top shelf unit they are running.

If I had to do it over again, I would do exactly what you have. A Silverback for general grilling, and a Mammoth for smoking.

Curious if anyone has experience with options that have multiple cooking chambers for low&slow to sear (i.e., reverse sear cooks)? e.g., The Recteq DualFire 1200

Most real-world experiences seem to tilt towards these not really capable of reaching a good 600-700F for the sear?

Looks a lot like my 1250, just an extra chamber.

As I said, mine definitely tops out somewhere are 600 or so. Maybe it can get 700, Haven't measured it and it just says Full after 500. Still able to grill a decent steak, my crew isn't that picky. Have played with searing in a cast iron skillet, but not really worth the extra effort most of the time. I did try their little sear plate thing and wasn't too impressed.

I would imagine this might be a common downside to most pellet smokers.

RecTeq. Love the grill, great controller. I'd really like to redo my outdoor kitchen with their "built in version". No issue during "cold" months in NW Houston. Primary selling point for me is the customer service has been great.

There was minor damage during transportation, and they offered to send me a new one, no questions asked. I just banged out the dent and they still sent me a bunch of free stuff as compensation.

Also, a small issue with mine not hitting/maintaining the low temps. When I called, I got dang ol' Billy Bob from Georgia on the line pretty quick. Walked me through the process of slowing down the feed rate which fixed the issue.

Grilla OG here at the house and love it.