Our Niece wants to buy a Green Egg for her husband for Christmas

Slimpicker

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I mentioned my Traeger and she wants to know if that's something she should get him instead.

So I need to come up with a way to educate her on this idea... Pros, Cons, maintenance, easier, etc.
Lump charcoal wood chips VS pellets
Cleaner vs dirtier
faster vs slower
more versatility vs less

stuff like that
Middle aged couple
I never owned a ceramic brand cooker so I cannot actually say they would be happy one way or the other...
Feedback please and Thank You, much appreciated!! (I'll try not to interrupt while you guys post)
 
If HE wants a green egg, he might be disappointed if Santa doesn't bring it.

She was gonna surprise HIM so not sure 'he' is expecting anything.
And I'm not trying to talk her out of it, she asked what the DIFF would be
 
I'd defer to the GrillMeister on the comparisons

Ohhhh no, don't drag me into this. LOL. My answer is TWO of EACH. LOL.

I will say that Pellet Grills are way more convenient to me after my decades of smoking & grilling. I'm happy to have the option of cooking on both as both are awesome in my humble opinion.

Here's a couple of links to some pros & cons for both.


 
If I did have a green egg, I'd have a Fireboard controlling a fan for temp control. Got to be civilized here!

I've been using BBQ Guru PartyQ for years. I only need it to control pit temp. My MEATER probes do the rest.
 
I've been using BBQ Guru PartyQ for years. I only need it to control pit temp. My MEATER probes do the rest.
I have a BBQ guru CyberQ I got for my Kamado. Have used it for a few years now, until this summer. It was okay, and was fairly good at maintaining temperatures. But when I got my Fireboard2, I opted for the Drive unit. In my opinion. It outshines the BBQGURU in consistency and ease of use. I know my BBQGURU is a few years old and they don't update the firmware, so the algorithm they used may be outdated. New units from them may be much better.
Using a Kamado without a pit controller may be too much of a learning curve for someone new to this type of cooking, in my opinion.
So having said that, select something based on their skill level would be my advice. Make it simple and enjoyable to use and they may appreciate it more.
If someone was getting a Kamado grill my suggestion would be to team it up with a pit controller of some sort. There are a few out there to choose from. With a pellet grill, that won't be necessary.
I have done comparison cooks on both my Kamado and Traeger and have posted them on this forum. Both have their merits and pitfalls.
Cleaning on both is about the same. Both need their firepots cleaned. Lump charcoal leaves very little ash.
I like my Kamado for cooking st higher temps. I can get smoked flavors at higher temps. Poultry would be one place I think the Komado outshines the pellet grills. Low and slow, they are both pretty much equal (if your Kamado is well made and sealed well). There is more smoked flavor from a Kamado (you can add wood chunks to your lump charcoal to impart different smoke profiles).
 
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Fireboard does both functions
BBQGURU CyberQ does both as well.
The interface on this is primitive and their new controllers are way more user friendly. I used a 3rd party app, PitPal, to help with it. They no longer support Android phones ☹. It was good that you could save cook information and pictures on every cook you did.
I am using the Viper fan from BBQGURU with my Fireboard2 Drive and it is rock solid. I can hold temperatures steadier on the Kamado than the Traeger
 
I mentioned my Traeger and she wants to know if that's something she should get him instead.

So I need to come up with a way to educate her on this idea... Pros, Cons, maintenance, easier, etc.
Lump charcoal wood chips VS pellets
Cleaner vs dirtier
faster vs slower
more versatility vs less

stuff like that
Middle aged couple
I never owned a ceramic brand cooker so I cannot actually say they would be happy one way or the other...
Feedback please and Thank You, much appreciated!! (I'll try not to interrupt while you guys post)
Get the Green Egg! ALL sources rate it higher than a Traeger.... ALL sources (credible that is).
 
I have a Traeger Ironwood 650. I also have a Webber kettle grill and a Webber gas grill. I use the Traeger for smoking stuff, but if I am cooking hamburgers, steaks, etc, I use one of the Webber products (or cook inside). Until I bought this 650 I had never been very successful at cooking ribs and barbecuing pork butts and shoulders. Using this Traeger smoker has been 100% successful with respect to smoking. I have never used a egg grill before so I cannot comment, but being able to push the button and walk away for a couple of hours without worrying about the temperature is a huge advantage.

Having said that, I have recently purchased a small oven thermometer to check the thermostat on this Traeger. I think the Traeger thermostat reads a little low. Also, I use a third party temperature probe and have never tried the Traeger probe. Additionally, I have not used the wifi stuff with the Traeger.

In short I like this Traeger smoker to do stuff that smokers are supposed to do, but prefer other things when doing cooking that does is not smoking.
 
I have both... I have a Primo XL with a heatmeter pit controller (just runs a servo that controls the bottom vent) With a full load of lump it will hold my temp +/- 4 degrees for 24 hours. And it can go to 900 degrees if you need it to... My Traeger isn't even close, max temp around 450, even at 225 it's temp swings +/- 25 to 30 degrees. Now, don't get me wrong. They are two very different grills. I am not bashing my Traeger, they are just different. I would never expect supper tight control on a thin walled steel box vs 1.5 in. of ceramic insulation.
The Traeger is quicker to set up, easier to clean, and makes my food taste fantastic. If my cook is going to be longer that 4-6 hours I would choose my Primo every time. Anything less than that, I would use the Traeger, It's just quicker to set up and get going. Cooking Ribs, I've used both and both do a fine job. Ribs are kind of stuck in the middle for time. (5 to 6 hours.)
I own a Weber Kettle, an electric smoker (vertical cabinet), a Primo XL, a Traeger, a Caveman infrared searing grill and 2 Small Weber's (smokey Joes). I use them all. You'll notice the only thing missing is a gas grill. Just NO. LOL

Ease of use, lower learning curve and makes great food.. The Traeger wins. (and it comes with a controller.)
Versatility, Long cooks with unbelievable temp control. The Primo wins. (with a controller at added cost...)

If I had to choose only one grill it would be my Primo. If I had to get rid of all but two, It would be the Traeger and the Primo they are both fantastic!
 
I went with Traeger for long smokes, briskets, pork shoulder, ribs, bacon, etc.....
can set it and then leave it alone, charcoal and struck burners you have to feed on a regular basis....
last night I did a 20 hr brisket, did not look at it for 14 hrs ( time to wrap).
 
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