Considering a Traeger

[Grizz]

I am looking to have a few questions answered before purchasing a Traeger as I can’t seems to find a lot of info using Google.

1. Can you BBQ steaks/burgers etc without using “smoke” or pellets? While I LOVE smoked meat, not everyone in my family does and I don’t want to have to purchase this and a traditional BBQ.

2. Is the Traeger WiFIRE worth it? I love the idea of it but, is it actually worth it and does it work well? What’s the range like?

3. Is there anything you wished you knew when looking at your first Traeger?

Thanks for taking the time!

Cheers,
Dean

 

[Slimpicker]

1. Can you BBQ steaks/burgers etc without using “smoke” or pellets? While I LOVE smoked meat, not everyone in my family does and I don’t want to have to purchase this and a traditional BBQ.

Traeger is a pellet burning oven, most new owners complain about very little smoke when in fact it is a different smoke.
If you do burgers and steaks on high temps you will not have the over smoke flavor
My New Traeger Does Not Put Out The Smoke I Was Expecting!!

2. Is the Traeger WiFIRE worth it? I love the idea of it but, is it actually worth it and does it work well? What’s the range like?

YES, it is worth being able to adjust TEMPS on the fly, and it is graduated in 5° increments, non WiFi units are not.
The WiFire controller also has lots of other perks

3. Is there anything you wished you knew when looking at your first Traeger?

I Spent All This Money on My Traeger and the Meat Probe is NOT Reliable?? Unfortunately, That's Correct!!

I've been smoking meat for years and years, I have always had and relied on 3rd party Temp probes and gauges anyway, so I never took my Traeger Meat probe out of the plastic it came in.

 

[RemE]

I am looking to have a few questions answered before purchasing a Traeger as I can’t seems to find a lot of info using Google.

1. Can you BBQ steaks/burgers etc without using “smoke” or pellets? While I LOVE smoked meat, not everyone in my family does and I don’t want to have to purchase this and a traditional BBQ.

2. Is the Traeger WiFIRE worth it? I love the idea of it but, is it actually worth it and does it work well? What’s the range like?

3. Is there anything you wished you knew when looking at your first Traeger?

Thanks for taking the time!

Cheers,
Dean

As Slim mentioned, Traeger's are light on smoke, especially when cooking at higher temps. My girls don't like smoke and love the food off of this grill, alot.

To get more smoke flavor you have to cook low and slow. So there is lots of flexibility in how you can cook.

 

[Grizz]

Thanks for the replies, I REALLY appreciate it!

Is there was way, other than “low and slow” to increase or decrease the amount of smoke or is the basically a Traeger pre-programmed sort of thing?

If I purchased a Traeger with the WiFIRE system, do you still need a meat probe or is that the inaccurate part of the system you are referring to? I’ve also got a MEATER Block so I’ve got the third part probe covered

 

[RemE]

Thanks for the replies, I REALLY appreciate it!

Is there was way, other than “low and slow” to increase or decrease the amount of smoke or is the basically a Traeger pre-programmed sort of thing?

If I purchased a Traeger with the WiFIRE system, do you still need a meat probe or is that the inaccurate part of the system you are referring to? I’ve also got a MEATER Block so I’ve got the third part probe covered

Depending on the model, some have a "super smoke" mode that cycles the fan at temps under 225F to create more smoke. Also some of us use cheap mesh smoke tubes to add additional smoke if desired.

Regarding temps, many of us have found the grill good at holding to the set temperature, however, this temperature can be off by more than 20 degrees campared to a good 3rd party unit. So I set my grill's temp to whatever is needed to hit the number I want on the 3rd party unit (Fireboard 2 in my case). So I may set my grill to 180F to see 190F on the Fireboard.

Also, the Traeger's meat probe can also be off. So I use the Fireboard for all temp monitoring.

 

[Slimpicker]

• You can always buy a $20 smoking tube and add more smoke to your cooks that way... THEY WORK!!! ► Search Amazon

As far as Meater goes to be your 3rd party probe:
I have 2 of them, I also have FireBoard with competition probes (needle like)

Regarding temps, many of us have found the grill good at holding to the set temperature, however, this temperature can be off by more than 20 degrees campared to a good 3rd party unit. So I set my grill's temp to whatever is needed to hit the number I want on the 3rd party unit (Fireboard 2 in my case)

He means the Traeger built in Ambient probe is usually not accurate even tho the grill will HOLD a temp pretty steady, you would need an "ambient Temp probe" to give you accurate grill internal temp readings.... (OR, just know your can be actually running 20° lower then what Traeger is showing you, so go buy Meat IT temp to cook, not grill temp and time.

The internal reading of Meater is dead nutz ON with fireBoard and can be trusted... the APP is great but I use 2 phones to never lose signal, it's easy to set that up.

The EXTERNAL is not something to go by as you cook... the Ambient part of Meater is too close to the meat and always picks up cooler temps cuz of the meat it's next to... I have several FireBoard ambient probes around my smoker to tell me internal temps so I don't care.

APP, Meater is great
IT, Meater is great
Ease of use, Meater is great
Charging, Meater is great
the FAT probe, Meater is average
Ambient, Meater is not good

 

[Slimpicker]

Okay okay, ya forced me to make it "simple" (which I never do)
Traegers almost NEVER read out what the actual grill temp is, the end.
If you are supposed to smoke a piece of beef at 225°, till it's 165° IT, then wrap and cook at 250° till it's 200° IT, if your Traeger is reading 225 but actually only 200ish, then your "beef" is gonna be LATE FOR SUPPER!!!!!

 

[Twist]

Honestly, what I'm learning about the Traeger pellet grills is that you should basically just think of it like it's an outdoor convection oven. Everything you know about cooking over fire is out the window and there is no "grilling" experience to be had with it - it's all indirect cooking. There's no juices/fat from your meat dripping into the fire giving your burgers and steaks the taste you've come to love from grilling. Now, having said that, there's a huge place in your life for what the Traeger does well which is zero fuss outdoor indirect cooking without worrying about the inside of our kitchen oven getting all splattered up with grease from a cook.

 

[Grizz]

Thanks for all the replies and advice so far. It sounds like it is a great tool to have but a BBQ is also a required piece of kit as the Traeger does not “truly” BBQ.

What are your thoughts on the Ironwood 650? This is the one my BBQ store is recommending.

 

[Jim G]

I bought an Ironwood 885 and the extra room is definitely a plus. I must be a lucky one because I use the probes supplied by Traeger with no issues. I do verify with an instant read. My family likes the lighter smoke flavor versus the SmokeFire I returned. Lastly, I use a Genesis for grilling and the Ironwood for low and slow. I never go over 350 degrees on the Ironwood.

 

[GrillMeister]

I bought an Ironwood 885 and the extra room is definitely a plus. I must be a lucky one because I use the probes supplied by Traeger with no issues. I do verify with an instant read. My family likes the lighter smoke flavor versus the SmokeFire I returned. Lastly, I use a Genesis for grilling and the Ironwood for low and slow. I never go over 350 degrees on the Ironwood.

Welcome to the club.....The IronWood 885 Club!

 

[TheGrumpyGriller]

I love my Timerbline 1300 - for extra smoke, I'll use a tube, but I've run everything from "cold smoke" with the tube to 500 to cook some homemade pizza. I picked up GrillGrates for searing as well as a couple of cast iron skillets that do wonders. We've even gotten used to doing 2-hour smoked burgers that are really tasty.

Good luck and welcome!

 

[Tommy]

I am looking to have a few questions answered before purchasing a Traeger as I can’t seems to find a lot of info using Google.

1. Can you BBQ steaks/burgers etc without using “smoke” or pellets? While I LOVE smoked meat, not everyone in my family does and I don’t want to have to purchase this and a traditional BBQ.

2. Is the Traeger WiFIRE worth it? I love the idea of it but, is it actually worth it and does it work well? What’s the range like?

3. Is there anything you wished you knew when looking at your first Traeger?

Thanks for taking the time!

Cheers,
Dean

Hey Dean,
I've had my 575 Pro for about three months, after I had a Cabela's brand for a year and decided that a trade-in was necessary. Don't regret it in the least! My steaks come out perfectly with no more smoke flavor than with a charcoal grill. However, for long cooks, like with a Butt, I use a smoke tube with one of five different pellets on hand (i.e. hickory, cherry, apple, pecan, mesquite). Here I get smoke flavor and a lot of it. But for short cooks, it works like a charm. And the WiFi is super too. range is not real good... I use a wireless extender for my internet that places my extender within two-three feet of the Traeger. Signal is good. I can go to church and monitor and change my settings from the church pew, if I want!

Tommy