Food & Spirits
Sponsored by

Pellet smoker recommendation needed!!!!

11,001 Views | 83 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by Streetfighter 02
cityagboy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Hey y'all!

I'm looking to buy a pellet smoker. I know many hate on them but I'm looking for something a little easier than the offset.

What have y'all used and what would you recommend? Can you turn any on for quick grilling or are they only used for smoking?

Thanks!
Madmarttigan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Have a camp chef and I like it a lot.

Quick grilling is a little tricky to find the hot spots for a char and definitely not as easy as gas but it does the trick.

It may not be the best at anything in terms of smoking/grilling/roasting but it's easy as hell to use with almost zero maintenance.
Formerly tv1113
Shooz in Katy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I owned a Traeger for a decade and this year I bought a Recteq RT 1250 and I am absolutely in love with it.

Recteq is superior to Traeger in build quality, hopper and auger design, and especially cool temp regulation. It uses commercial PID processors to maintain a flat temperature whereas other pellet smokers (like my old Traeger) will fluctuate in either direction up to 50 F when they say they only fluctuate +/- 25F in the manual.

Recteq is also super easy to clean which is important to me on account I am lazy and pellet smokers are for lazy people in the first place!

I also love the huge hopper. I can do an entire 14 hour brisket smoke and never have to refill the pellet hopper.

My BIL is enjoying the old Traeger in Missouri but man am I enjoying the new Recteq here in Katy. Get the one that fits your needs. I wouldn't worry about price because it's such an important piece of equipment and will last over a decade.
Shooz in Katy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Also quick grilling is something I do often on my recteq. It gets up to temperature super fast and all with the push of 1 button.
aggiedata
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Another fan of Recteq here!






Love the app!


Husky Boy Jr.
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I love mine but use only for low temp cooking. Pellet quality is really important. Check out bear mountain BBQ.
texas.aggie.2010
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Grilla Grills is another regularly recommended option
Absolute
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Posted in my thread, but incase you missed it.

After much research I went with recteq and they are having their black Friday sale with a decent discount.

I ended up buying the 1250 because I might move it to a counter When we redo things out back. Shipped fast. Supposed to be here Monday.
gggmann
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I ordered a recteq today. Never used a pellet smoker, so we'll see...
DiskoTroop
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I did some research and based on my needs I settled on a Green Mountain Grill Daniel Boone.

I like light smoke flavor and I don't need high temp grilling as an option on my smoker. GMG fits this bill as it has a talk chamber which tends to put a lighter smoke on stuff, and come to find out, the grilling function is near useless anyway. Not only would it not sear, it wasn't noticeably hotter than just smoking. Price point, the light smoke and capacity sold me on the GMG though. I might have chosen another grill knowing what I know now in that I wouldn't mind having the grill redundancy but overall I'm happy with it.

Produces damn fine ribs, turkey, chicken and brisket.






Shooz in Katy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
gggmann said:

I ordered a recteq today. Never used a pellet smoker, so we'll see...


Congrats! I also highly recommend (for any pellet smoker) buy a cheap little shop vac dedicated to vacuuming out the ash from the grill. Also line your drip tray with foil for easy cleanup as well.

Lots of YouTube videos from recteq and others on maintenance tips. If you don't keep your grill from accumulating ash, eventually the ash will catch fire and obviously you'll lose temperature regulation. This will really frustrate a person. Vacuuming and swapping foil as needed is super easy. I also use nitrile gloves during this process which also adds to the convenience of quick maintenance.
Shooz in Katy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Absolute said:

Posted in my thread, but incase you missed it.

After much research I went with recteq and they are having their black Friday sale with a decent discount.

I ended up buying the 1250 because I might move it to a counter When we redo things out back. Shipped fast. Supposed to be here Monday.


Congrats you'll love it! If this is your first pellet smoker please read my note above on maintenance. I wish someone would have showed me this when I first started. Welcome to world of super delicious results for lazy people!
aggiedata
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
gggmann said:

I ordered a recteq today. Never used a pellet smoker, so we'll see...


Did you get the bundle package? Here is what it looks like upon arrival.


Absolute
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Shooz in Katy said:

Absolute said:

Posted in my thread, but incase you missed it.

After much research I went with recteq and they are having their black Friday sale with a decent discount.

I ended up buying the 1250 because I might move it to a counter When we redo things out back. Shipped fast. Supposed to be here Monday.


Congrats you'll love it! If this is your first pellet smoker please read my note above on maintenance. I wish someone would have showed me this when I first started. Welcome to world of super delicious results for lazy people!


Yep, first smoker. Will keep my kamoda big Joe for grilling. Looking forward to it.

Thanks for the cleaning tips. I will definitely follow them!
Absolute
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
aggiedata said:

gggmann said:

I ordered a recteq today. Never used a pellet smoker, so we'll see...


Did you get the bundle package? Here is what it looks like upon arrival.





I got the bundle, so was expecting something like that. Have a driveway that goes out front with the harahe on the back. Hoping they will roll it into the back by the garage for me.
aggiedata
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
They rolled it up the driveway into the garage for me. I built it in the garage then rolled in through the front door, through the house to the patio. My neighbors saw me about that time which caused them to have many questions.
EFE
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Another satisfied RecTec owner here. We have the Bullseye and it easily gets used 3-4 nights a week for quick cooks and is obviously great as a smoker as well.
Hehateme1
How long do you want to ignore this user?
You can buy a smoke tube fairly cheap on Amazon if you want more smoke flavor, I love my pellet grill
gggmann
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
My recteq showed up this morning. It's been raining all day, so maybe I'll assemble it tomorrow.
Absolute
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Got mine assembled and did to burn in today. Little disappointed in the shipping. Both bags of pellets had huge holes and went everywhere. One of the lid screws was defective. Guess I'll get to check out their customer service.
superunknown
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
When people say you can't get a smoke ring from a pellet smoker, I disagree. Do you use a smoke tube? I never have and I get comparable smoke rings like your pic shows.
EFE
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Start your brisket straight out of the fridge at 45* (or whatever your fridge is set at I just notice that mine probe at 45* or thereabouts when I start) . I also start the first 100* of cook at 225*, then bump it to 250* until done. And the last thing I do differently is I do not wrap and instead use a lemon butter sop anytime I open the lid. Usually every hour after it gets to 165*.

And fat side down.
superunknown
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Same here, except I have wrapped and not done the sop at all. I'm kind of ambivalent about the wrap, honestly. Still winding up with a drier than I'd like flat so I'm debating how to combat that.
EFE
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
How thicc a flat are you starting with? I won't mess with one that's not 1" or thicc'er in the bag. Also, lemon butter sop is similar to Franklin basting in tallow at the wrap, but a different flavor profile and I like the bark I get better.
superunknown
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I'll have to make a note on the flat next time I do one. I've always had a pan out to render out trimmings for tallow but I like the idea of a sop for it. I'd tried the wrap with butter and or tallow but I also don't want to steam it too much. Maybe I need to pull it sooner anyway. Not a big deal, the very dry part I just wind up chopping up anyway but the more juicy I can keep the flat, the better.
htxag09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
username checks out
EFE
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I generally pull at 203* +/- depending on how it probes with the instant read. And on my cook probe I go in where the flat meets the point at a 45 back up and to the point.
superunknown
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Funny, I messed with the probe last time to gauge accuracy, I normally put the probe from my smoker in the point and a different probe in the flat with the idea of pulling when the flat gets to temp. Will try one probe (not from the smoker, I don't trust the accuracy) in the middle and see if that helps. I'd even pulled at 195ish to try and not get super dry flat. I did see a YouTube video of a guy who trims the hell out of his brisket and he basically lopped off a solid inch or two off the end to get it to taper better so I'm thinking of trying that too. That super thin end ain't doing anyone any good. May as well put it in the freezer bag o' scraps for my future failures at grinding my own sausage.
MosesHallEnforcer
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Does the recteq get up to 500 for a seat? Looking at the traeger timberline series. It's pretty pricey but I like the convection burner on the side where you can get a good cast iron seat then smoke or vice versa.
Shooz in Katy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
There's a sear kit you can get for an extra $99 and it takes it up to 700 F.
htxag09
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Anyone have one of the pellet area heaters? Saw an add on social media and was intrigued
EFE
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
My RecTec will get up to 750, and they just released a new model that will up to 1000
MosesHallEnforcer
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
I just looked it up. The bullseye deluxe is the new one. Pretty cool it's like a pellet smoker kamadao and Weber all in one. Which one do you have?
EFE
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
Bullseye 380, I got it last year during the Black Friday sale for like 299
cityagboy
How long do you want to ignore this user?
AG
EFE said:

Bullseye 380, I got it last year during the Black Friday sale for like 299

There is the wifi version and the non? Is there any difference other than the wifi? It's a big price difference
Last Page
Page 1 of 3
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.