New Here

[College Party Boy]

I'm a new virgin here, be gentle.

I'm not new to smoking, I have a large briquette smoker. The kind that allows me to smoke 5 slabs of ribs, plus chicken, etc... I became pretty adept at building a fire and keeping a consistent temperature. However, the convenience of the Traeger always intrigued me. The ability to smoke one piece of salmon without bringing out the big smoker, was my justification. That and cooking other foods. My smoker smokes and, that's all it does.

I researched for a long time and decided on the Pro 575. Bought it at a big dealer here that carries all the pellets, all the accessories, etc... Only one problem, the manual that comes with it, goes into all the detail on how to "season" it first. I did this day one and was very happy how it went, until... I opened the top and saw that the plastic cap on the thermo-couple melted and hardened on it. Shame on me. However, if I'm writing the directions for how to "season", the first note I would write is, make certain to pull off the plastic cap. I called customer service, (that was a very good experience), the service tech agreed that they should have that in the manual, as I'm not the first. Of course my dealer doesn't have any replacement thermo-couplers. They are sending me one for free, but when it gets here, who knows.

That said, just a couple of quick questions.

1. Can I get some recommendations on your favorite and essential accessories? Is there a temperature probe you like that is accurate when using on baby back ribs?
2. Any Traeger cookbooks you really recommend?

Asking for a friend!

 

[pkitch]

Just getting started here, but would definitely recommend the folding front shelf, very sturdy and greatly adds to the usability for me at least. I would also recommend a way to store pellets, (lots of options discussed on here elsewhere) you'll probably want to switch them out based on what you're going to cook/smoke, perhaps some cooking mats (I bought 'frogmats') for smaller items that might fall through the grill and I am also considering a smoke tube as I really like the smoke flavor but feel it could be stronger for most cooks.

As for thermometer, I have an instant read ThermoWorks which seems to gel pretty well with the provided probe, so for now at least I don't have any immediate plans to bypass it, but as mentioned I am just getting started...

Enjoy!

 

[CampWhatnot]

Welcome from Canada!
As far as accessories go, I like using a set of grillgrates for high temp searing on my ironwood. The folding shelf is also a nice addition. I use a thermapop for verification of all temp devices I use (fireboard, tp-20, built in probes etc). Within the Traeger app there are a lot of different receips, however I find that the cook times listed are not always accurate. I find Traeger spices and sauces to be decent and tasteful. Keep in mind you don't have to follow Traeger receips as you can follow any directions you like or experiment with your own. One of the basics of BBQ, grilling and smoking is to understand the pairing of proteins with spices and sauces and that they pair the same regardless of what appliance you use. It is trial and error and keep a log of your cooks. Enjoy and don't overthink it. Also bins for pellets and keep them cool and dry.

 

[PriceMP5]

For the pro 575 I highly recommend a smoke tube, the 575 does not have a super smoke setting like the ironwood and timberline models do so a smoke tube is great for adding smoke to your cooks. Also highly recommend one when doing cold smokes

 

[College Party Boy]

Just an update, Traeger must ship via Pony Express. They didn't ship the thermo-couple for 4 days. And it won't arrive until a week later.

 

[primeone]

Welcome to the forum @College Party Boy ?

 

[GrillMeister]

Like CampWhatNot says, folding shelf & Grill Grates. Those two will make a big difference in convenience and searing.

 

[College Party Boy]

I have been using a smoke tube to get that extra smoke flavor. I keep it on until I hit 115 degrees internal temperature. I got my replacement thermo-couple, got it installed, and have been very happy with the consistency of the heat. So far, I have used recipes from Traeger to smoke salmon, chicken quarters and shrimp...all to perfection.

Thanks to everyone in this forum!