# Can't decide on new smoker! Halp!!



## gr0uch (Nov 25, 2019)

I'm in the market for a new smoker and I can't decide between two smokers. I know that in the end I probably can't go wrong.. but I still am stuck between the two. 

I'm not new to smoking, but am new to the forum. As it stands I have a WSM 18, Kettle, Smokey Joe, and Weber Genesis.

I'm stuck between the Rec-Tec RT-700 and the new Weber Smokefire. I just don't know a lot about the new smokefire since there's been very little testing. I'm sure that Weber has done their research and testing... but the question is, is it enough?

RT-700 - Tried and true, it's tested and people love it. Do I need all that size, probably not but it looks cool I guess. Is the Stampede just as good? Or are all the awesome features on the Bull?

Weber SmokeFire - Is the heat diffuser large enough to truly be a smoker? Is the 600 degree temp worth the purchase along with all the other features?


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## mike243 (Nov 25, 2019)

I voted Weber


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## gr0uch (Nov 25, 2019)

mike243 said:


> I voted Weber



I was leaning towards Weber but man... so many questions there. I have a ton of Webers and they all perform like champions so I didn't think this would be much of a gamble. However, what are the chances that there are significant issues after release? hmm


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## Johnny Ray (Nov 25, 2019)

I voted Rec Tec RT 700. I know several guys that have RT’s. It’s a dependable workhorse and puts out great food. 
The igniter when out on mine the other day. I called RT at 2:30 pm and they shipped me a new one that afternoon. Customer service is second to none. 
I’ll just throw this out. I have the RT 680 (predecessor to the RT 700) and the RT bullseye and I love both. The bullseye gets used 3 to 4 times per week.
 I think a great combination would be the Stampede (if room isn’t a big issue for you) and the bullseye. This setup covers low and slow and grilling. The bullseye also works well for slow cooking too.

Johnny Ray


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## gr0uch (Nov 25, 2019)

Johnny Ray said:


> I voted Rec Tec RT 700. I know several guys that have RT’s. It’s a dependable workhorse and puts out great food.
> The igniter when out on mine the other day. I called RT at 2:30 pm and they shipped me a new one that afternoon. Customer service is second to none.
> I’ll just throw this out. I have the RT 680 (predecessor to the RT 700) and the RT bullseye and I love both. The bullseye gets used 3 to 4 times per week.
> I think a great combination would be the Stampede (if room isn’t a big issue for you) and the bullseye. This setup covers low and slow and grilling. The bullseye also works well for slow cooking too.
> ...



Haha damn, the decision is tough! I do love the way that the RT-700 looks but now the damn reviews for the Weber EX6 have me puzzled. They claim that the smoke stack draws too much smoke out of the smoker. Can this be true? Then again, if it were true then that would mean that Traeger and all others brands have it wrong. 

Ahhhh!


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## mike guy (Nov 25, 2019)

The weber sear thing sounds like a neat trick and it's certainly a better move towards an all in one solution.  But jack of all trades master of none as they say.  It may sear better than a pellet grill, but that isn't saying much since none of them do a great job at searing.  

I guess what I'm trying to say is, buy a smoker because it smokes.  600 degrees is below what I prefer to sear at.  If you need to sear something, I think you are going to be better off using something meant for searing.  A lump fired charcoal fired grill, or a charcoal starter chimney with a grill grate on it, or a cast iron pan ripping hot.  

If they were talking 800+ degrees, then I might kind of lean that way, but 600 just isn't enough for my personal tastes on how to render rib eye fat.  Searing steaks on a pellet grill is like using your drill to knock in a nail.  It works, but you probably should have used a hammer.


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## gr0uch (Nov 25, 2019)

mike guy said:


> The weber sear thing sounds like a neat trick and it's certainly a better move towards an all in one solution.  But jack of all trades master of none as they say.  It may sear better than a pellet grill, but that isn't saying much since none of them do a great job at searing.
> 
> I guess what I'm trying to say is, buy a smoker because it smokes.  600 degrees is below what I prefer to sear at.  If you need to sear something, I think you are going to be better off using something meant for searing.  A lump fired charcoal fired grill, or a charcoal starter chimney with a grill grate on it, or a cast iron pan ripping hot.
> 
> If they were talking 800+ degrees, then I might kind of lean that way, but 600 just isn't enough for my personal tastes on how to render rib eye fat.  Searing steaks on a pellet grill is like using your drill to knock in a nail.  It works, but you probably should have used a hammer.



Mike thank you for your reply! That's a great way to think of it and quite frankly I'm stunned that I didn't even think about it in that way lol. 

I guess at the end of the day I'm really just wanted this thing to be a smoker as I have a Genesis ll gas grill that I can sear on or even my weber kettle with some lump in it. 

And with that we're all tied up and I think the next votes will probably be for the bull!


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## Johnny Ray (Nov 25, 2019)

I checked the Rec Tec site and for some reason the Bullseye is no longer listed. I have no idea as to why.

Johnny Ray


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## MileHiGuy (Nov 25, 2019)

Interesting. First I’ve heard of the Weber pellet grill. Mike has good points, I would buy a smoker if you want a smoker. A pellet grill would be handy at times but the sear would be difficult at best. My two cents...


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## sandyut (Nov 25, 2019)

Rec Tec all the way.  The Weber looks nice but untested by the masses.  Some say their quality in gas grills has dropped.


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## gr0uch (Nov 25, 2019)

sandyut said:


> Rec Tec all the way.  The Weber looks nice but untested by the masses.  Some say their quality in gas grills has dropped.



Good points for sure... I have a gasser from Weber (Genesis ii) and it works great. Some pieces are like thinner sheet metal but I mean if you take care of your stuff it does last. 

I am for sure a fan of how heavy the Rec Tec is. The other point is I don't recall anyone ever saying "I wish I would have gotten a smaller smoker... so I think the Bull is the way to go maybe.


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## mooncusser (Nov 25, 2019)

I'm intrigued by the Weber Smokefire, but it's a brand new offering and therefore not much information and zero real world track record.  I'm in the wait and see camp.

As for the chimney letting out too much smoke, I think that's related to Weber's design choice mixed with a bit of their marketing trying to set them apart.  It doesn't seem to be a problem for owners of other products.  If that's a real concern for you, the Stampede has 3 vents like the Weber.   I'm looking seriously at a Bull myself, and maybe get a Don Godke Downdraft for it.


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## elsos (Nov 25, 2019)

I bought a 700 this summer, and I've used it more than I thought I would have already.
Never had a pellet smoker, but I'm very impressed by this thing. It's super sturdy, heavy and it does look pretty cool.
I've been doing jerky lately and I was having a hard time keeping the temps below 210, so I posted a comment on their website.
The next Monday the guy who does their videos called me and we talked for twenty minutes! (There was a setting I needed to change due to living in the desert)
So I'm certainly biased, but if you could pony up the cash, you can be sure it's a quality deal.


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## gr0uch (Nov 25, 2019)

I think that reading http://metrospirit.com/rec-tec-grills-heat-up/ just tipped the scales for me along with everyones comments. The company itself just seems amazing and they seem to completely stand behind their products.


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## civilsmoker (Nov 25, 2019)

Well I didn’t vote for either but will give perspective to consider. I have a Memphis that will go from 180 to 600 with rear venting like the Weber. Here is the updated model I have.... Memphis Advantage Plus ....The open flame came out one month after I got mine....I’m close to getting ready to upgrade the PID & deflector in mine......

So a couple of things to consider......

Remember that the temp is air temp not the temp above the searing zone.  600 degrees in a pellet oven chamber is searing hot!  Before you take the grill this hot make sure it is clean cause excess oils will flash and cause a fire!!! I KNOW from first hand experience!!!  I’ve dumped lots of salt on my Memphis!   Now what I will say is that 550 to 600 will PERFECTLY sear a bacon wrapped filet!!!! And I mean Ruth Chris good! It’s is perfect for lower fat cuts like the filet and NY but not so much for ribeyes, however the Weber design allows for the grease to drop by the heat and that is a very good thing! But not sure how it even outs the heat. My Memphis has and partial double layer sear plate and the temp across whole grill it is very consistent (very nice for all parts being cooked evenly).

I also have a green mountain grill with open flame searing. It goes from 150 to 550. It sears very nicely and gives a better flavor than the Memphis for fattier meat. Again you need to clean it before searing or you get burnt oil or a fire.   So before I sear with either, I always clean the grease and the when it hits 375 I use a spray bottle to spray the sear plate. Bingo steam clean and NO burnt oil smell.

So you need to be sure you have the patience to clean if you are going to sear with it or you will not have a good experience and you will be disappointed.  But if you want more cooking options then having a higher searing heat is nice.

This is an example of seared bacon wrapped filet at 550....yes the bacon is crispy!






So that said, the choice is yours.....I will pm you another option to consider......


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## mike guy (Nov 26, 2019)

I'm just now reading the comments that weber says other brands "draws" too much smoke out of the chamber.  This is obviously marketing BS from them because a fan based fire doesn't draw.  It's kind of silly for them to even insinuate that because it's not a draw based chimney.  It's a positive pressure from the fan, so it's just a plain ole exhaust vent.   You want a lot of positive airflow in a smoker anyway.  You don't want the stale smoke rolling around the meat, you want to push air in and get it out quickly. 

It's either a dumb marketing statement, or their engineers actually believe that a positive fan based pressure has chimney draw, in which case yikes.


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## sweetride95 (Nov 26, 2019)

Weber just doesn't have any mileage in the pellet sector yet. I would assume the Weber is going to be a solid performer, but if I had to bet $1500 on it today, I'm just not ready to pass on the Rec Tec.


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## gr0uch (Nov 26, 2019)

sweetride95 said:


> Weber just doesn't have any mileage in the pellet sector yet. I would assume the Weber is going to be a solid performer, but if I had to bet $1500 on it today, I'm just not ready to pass on the Rec Tec.



Seems that's how most people feel. Rec Tec is just tried and true and Weber well... they're just entering this market. I think I'm just going to have to order me a RT-700... Poor me! :P


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## civilsmoker (Nov 26, 2019)

gr0uch said:


> Seems that's how most people feel. Rec Tec is just tried and true and Weber well... they're just entering this market. I think I'm just going to have to order me a RT-700... Poor me! :P



I don’t think you will feel bad at all when you open that box......

....out of curiosity I went hunting for info on the Weber and most things I’ve found say they haven’t had a chance to do a full test on the smoking/roasting temps. It does sear with a hot spot in the middle with the right side being hotter than the left. I’m assuming this is cause that is the way the air flows. This tells me it will have similar heat differentials at lower temps as well. 

I would go with the trued and proven true! So I voted for the rec


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## Perfect Meat (Nov 27, 2019)

Rec Tec will obviously win this survey as there are infinitely more Rec Tec owners than there are Weber Smoke Fire owners (exactly 0).

I do not own a pellet grill yet so all of this is IMHO... but I have been researching for months on a perfect solution and have not yet pulled the trigger. I was leaning towards the Stampede but discovered that there is a difference in gauge of steel between the Stampede (18 ga body and 12 ga lid) and the Bull (14 ga body and 10 ga lid) per Rec Tec. Which to me justified the $300 difference in price. Plus the fact that the Bull sells more and thus brings the per unit cost down. Which means the Bull is probably worth more than the cost difference over the Stampede.... but I am getting off point.

So I had decided to purchase the Bull on Cyber Monday.  Along comes the Weber SmokeFire. I have changed my mind in 2 days of research.

I too have a weber gasser so the ability to sear is not critical. But I have very limited deck space so if I could get rid of my gasser and replace with a cooker that can do it all that would be a great advantage. Jack of all trades is not always a bad thing. Advantage Weber

The price is of the 2 units are dead even on the surface. I would have to purchase addition items with the Rec Tec that I would not need with the Weber. Such as GrillGrates for searing. a shop vac for cleaning and Downdraft for efficiency. So slight advantage for the Weber but relatively even.

The ability to smoke meat is the unknown here. I have confidence the Weber can handle the task as it will obtain the 200 degree level which is necessary to achieve maximum smoke output. But I will give this point to Rec Tec.

Construction was a key factor in my previous research for both heat retention and longevity. The stainless steel construction of the Rec Tec vs the enamel coated steel of the weber, gives the Bull the edge. Although, the Weber has double walled construction in certain areas so it may have an advantage in heat retention. But the overall point will have to go to the Bull.

Now the weber design has several design features in their unit that the Rec Tec does not. Such as the angled auger with reverse motion on shut down. Better location of control panel. Easy clean out with hidden grease pan and pellet dump. 4 temp ports vs 2. Pellet low level alarm. All add to a better maintenance experience and more importantly "Safer" operations. All advantage Weber.

The point about the smoke stack and how it effects the flow of smoke on the cooking surface is a minor one (again IMHO) but I believe weber has a point. If the smoke stack was not an issue than there would be no market for products like the Don Godke's Downdraft. Advantage Weber.

I believe both are outstanding cooking solutions but the Weber probably fits my long term needs/desires better. You will have to decide which fits your needs/desires.


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## gr0uch (Nov 27, 2019)

Perfect Meat said:


> Rec Tec will obviously win this survey as there are infinitely more Rec Tec owners than there are Weber Smoke Fire owners (exactly 0).
> 
> I do not own a pellet grill yet so all of this is IMHO... but I have been researching for months on a perfect solution and have not yet pulled the trigger. I was leaning towards the Stampede but discovered that there is a difference in gauge of steel between the Stampede (18 ga body and 12 ga lid) and the Bull (14 ga body and 10 ga lid) per Rec Tec. Which to me justified the $300 difference in price. Plus the fact that the Bull sells more and thus brings the per unit cost down. Which means the Bull is probably worth more than the cost difference over the Stampede.... but I am getting off point.
> 
> ...



All great points TBH and well thought out.

Like you this would be my first pellet smoker and I have also been doing research for months because well, it's what I do when I'm going to buy something for this price point. 

I can say that I just spoke to someone at Rec Tec and the experience is awesome. It's almost like you called your best friend that's been doing this for years and has a crazy amount of experience and wisdom. This point certainly goes to Rec Tec. 

I don't think that Weber WON'T knock it out of the park, I just think that with customer service and build quality, they won't touch Rec Tec's Bull. He also told me that starting tomorrow at 3pm  you can see the new deals on their site but can't order them until Friday. He also told me that it would be far superior to my Military discount so take that for what it's worth. 

I for one will for sure be ordering a bull and I'll come back and post pictures when it gets here!


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## mike guy (Nov 27, 2019)

it’s funny to see almost the exact opposite conversations go on with stick burners.  You go with big tall stacks and run wide open to improve draw and get the smoke out faster.  When you bbq on large trailer size pits, the exhaust is coming out very fast.  The smoke spends very little time in the chamber.  Suggesting that slowing the smoke down in any way makes it stick to the meat differently or better flies in the face of all bbq knowledge. If that was the case these huge restaurant smokers with high draw wouldn’t produce good bbq, let alone some of the best.  i hate to say it, but It sounds like snake oil.  A pellet cooker with a fan does not draw, it pushes.  

And secondly the burn pot is a pellet cooker is designed to have the fan push through the system.  Choking that off doesn’t really change how long the smoke will stay in.  It just doesn’t make sense in a positive pressure chamber.


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## Perfect Meat (Nov 27, 2019)

gr0uch said:


> All great points TBH and well thought out.
> 
> Like you this would be my first pellet smoker and I have also been doing research for months because well, it's what I do when I'm going to buy something for this price point.
> 
> ...


As I haven't purchased yet, I will definitely take a look at the Rec Tec deals tomorrow. BTW according to Rec Tec the military discount only applies to the accessories and not to a grill. Lowes is participating in the Weber SmokeFire Cyber Monday pre-order launch and Lowes will honor the military discount on the purchase. SO another $100-$120 savings for the Weber. Keep in mind,  I am really not trying to influence you either way. I am just trying to provide information.


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## gr0uch (Nov 27, 2019)

Perfect Meat said:


> As I haven't purchased yet, I will definitely take a look at the Rec Tec deals tomorrow. BTW according to Rec Tec the military discount only applies to the accessories and not to a grill. Lowes is participating in the Weber SmokeFire Cyber Monday pre-order launch and Lowes will honor the military discount on the purchase. SO another $100-$120 savings for the Weber. Keep in mind,  I am really not trying to influence you either way. I am just trying to provide information.



This would be fantastic with Lowe's if they didn't change their military discount policy... punks! They pro-rate the discount now and if it's a deal already (i.e black friday) it's even less than 5% I believe.


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## Winterrider (Nov 27, 2019)

Rec Tec would get my vote with stainless steel and PID


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## bregent (Nov 27, 2019)

I'd go with Weber.  Flavorizers seem like a much better idea than drip pan.  I do like stainless, but Weber porcelain coated steel is tough. My Weber kettle has been sitting uncovered for 30 years with no sign of cracking or chipping and will certainly outlast powder coating. I also like pellet drop like on my Memphis. Don't recall if Rec Tec has that or not.   I like the other innovative features like the perforated fire pot, large direct flame area.  It's new so a bit of an unknown, but I would take a chance on it.


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## jmtyndall (Nov 27, 2019)

mike guy said:


> it’s funny to see almost the exact opposite conversations go on with stick burners.  You go with big tall stacks and run wide open to improve draw and get the smoke out faster.  When you bbq on large trailer size pits, the exhaust is coming out very fast.  The smoke spends very little time in the chamber.  Suggesting that slowing the smoke down in any way makes it stick to the meat differently or better flies in the face of all bbq knowledge. If that was the case these huge restaurant smokers with high draw wouldn’t produce good bbq, let alone some of the best.  i hate to say it, but It sounds like snake oil.  A pellet cooker with a fan does not draw, it pushes.



Agreed, this is something I can't quite reconcile myself. People say pellet grills don't give as much smoke flavor because the pellet burn is "so efficient". They add smoke tubes full of pellets until smoke billows out of the thing like a locomotive to try and match the flavor of an offset.

But I've been cooking an offset, and you get better and smokier flavor by burning a hot fire to produce clean smoke without excessive by-products and that's what I would consider efficient, not the white smoke from pellets. It seems to me that the reason for less smoke flavor must be more about sheer volume of combustion gasses, and not at all about the mythical efficiency of pellet burning. My stick burner by all accounts produces less visible smoke than a pellet grill, but moves a far greater volume of air and, since it burns far more fuel by weight than a pellet grill, must produce far more combustion gasses also. We also do as much as possible to keep the gasses moving and prevent stale smoke from hanging around in the smoke chamber and leaving a bitter flavor.

I think any discussions about creating more billowing white smoke, or restricting air so that smoke stays in the smoke chamber of a pellet grill are pursuing the right goal in the wrong way. I don't have a pellet grill and havent experimented with them but based on my other bbq experience I expect that better flavor would come from increasing the airflow and forcing the grill to burn more pellets, thus producing more combustion gasses.


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## mike guy (Nov 27, 2019)

jmtyndall said:


> My stick burner by all accounts produces less visible smoke than a pellet grill, but moves a far greater volume of air and, since it burns far more fuel by weight than a pellet grill, must produce far more combustion gasses also. We also do as much as possible to keep the gasses moving and prevent stale smoke from hanging around in the smoke chamber and leaving a bitter flavor.



It depends.  Some of the vapor you get from a pellet grill is water vapor from the pellets.  But yes, if you run your stick burner at 275+, you'll probably just see heat waves and very little smoke.  Same is true of a pellet smoker.  Agreed all around on the other parts.  Just because you can't see smoke, doesn't mean your meat isn't getting smoked.



jmtyndall said:


> I don't have a pellet grill and havent experimented with them but based on my other bbq experience I expect that better flavor would come from increasing the airflow and forcing the grill to burn more pellets, thus producing more combustion gasses.



I do have both, and while I like little more than sitting around tending my offset all day, I have two kids now and just don't give up that kind of day anymore.  A pellet grill can get you 90-95% of the same product if you use them right.

One big difference I see in pellet grills is the fan strength.  Moving air and smoke is key, and the higher end pellet grills that produce tons of air burn hotter, and cleaner, which tastes closer to my offset (and my neighbors competition trailer) than grills that try and cycle the fan on and off a bunch or have weak fans.

TLDR:  Air is the name of the game, you want lots of it.  It leads to hot clean combustion, and rapid exchange of the chamber gasses.  I'm pretty sure if most pellet smoker owners started with an all wood fire first, a lot of these myths wouldn't exist.


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## jmtyndall (Nov 27, 2019)

mike guy said:


> It depends.  Some of the vapor you get from a pellet grill is water vapor from the pellets.  But yes, if you run your stick burner at 275+, you'll probably just see heat waves and very little smoke.  Same is true of a pellet smoker.  Agreed all around on the other parts.  Just because you can't see smoke, doesn't mean your meat isn't getting smoked.



On bigger offsets you can run lower temps, like the 225 number people love, while still having clean smoke. Dilution with cool ambient air will bring the temps down a bit without compromising the burning of the wood. Upper air vents can help with that.




mike guy said:


> I do have both, and while I like little more than sitting around tending my offset all day, I have two kids now and just don't give up that kind of day anymore.  A pellet grill can get you 90-95% of the same product if you use them right.


Totally agree. That's why I am shopping for a pellet grill now. Some days I want to tend a fire, other days I want to come home and take a shower while some meat smokes itself on the patio. I'm not the type to argue that theres only one right way to smoke meat!



mike guy said:


> One big difference I see in pellet grills is the fan strength.  Moving air and smoke is key, and the higher end pellet grills that produce tons of air burn hotter, and cleaner, which tastes closer to my offset (and my neighbors competition trailer) than grills that try and cycle the fan on and off a bunch or have weak fans.
> 
> TLDR:  Air is the name of the game, you want lots of it.  It leads to hot clean combustion, and rapid exchange of the chamber gasses.  I'm pretty sure if most pellet smoker owners started with an all wood fire first, a lot of these myths wouldn't exist.


Agree again. Do you know which grills have strong fans and move air like you're talking about?


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## gr0uch (Nov 27, 2019)

jmtyndall said:


> On bigger offsets you can run lower temps, like the 225 number people love, while still having clean smoke. Dilution with cool ambient air will bring the temps down a bit without compromising the burning of the wood. Upper air vents can help with that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I agree with all of these points. I have 3 kids, and the youngest is the one that takes the most time but... miss a few moments and you never get that time back you know?

I'm pretty sure that the Rec Tec is considered one of the pellet smokers that has a higher end fan because it seems to me like it does move air quite a bit. I could be wrong and I'll wait for others to chime in but I think it fits the bill.

I enjoy how technical this talk has gotten, it's not just about producing "smoke"... it's about having a clean fire for great taste.


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## mike243 (Nov 28, 2019)

I'm not sure any of them have weak fans, all of them are DC and can be ramped up or down, the controller is what decides what it is going to do . My pitboss does fine and not sure how any of them stack up against the others as I haven't ate food from any but mine. I wont be spending a lot of $ to try to fix something not broken.


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## mike guy (Nov 28, 2019)

I didn’t mean to suggest it was a brand issue.  I think the fan size and strength has more to do with model than brand.  Any of the brands can have a high volume cfm.  But I have seen smaller models that don’t push nearly the volume.  

I do get skeptical of any brand who wants to choke the airflow off, or suggest that a positive fan has chimney draw.


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## jmtyndall (Nov 28, 2019)

Maybe "weak fans" is the wrong way to say it. I'm sure any of the fans could move as much or more air than a similar sized offset. The difference is in the controller cycling or modulating the fans in a way that reduces total airflow. 

I struggle to come up with a metric you could use. More pellets per hour definitely means more combustion gasses, but can be caused by too much heat loss through the skin rather than being an indicator of good air exchange. But burning more pellets doesn't necissarily mean you're getting the combustion gasses you want, because burning too cold or without enough air still causes the white billowy smoke. Most likely theres no single metric to compare


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## sweetride95 (Nov 29, 2019)

I took the Weber no-chimney approach as a borrowed idea from Traegers Timberline grills. I think they say is helps even the heat and makes the smoke roll around the cooking chamber just a little bit longer. Traeger has also migrated that idea to their Ironwood line. I'm not sure it counts as downdraft concept or not. I think it looks a little nicer as an entire grill package, but time will tell if it's an advantage.

The more I look at this damn Weber, the more I want to buy it. LOL


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## gr0uch (Nov 29, 2019)

*Update*

Wife bought me the package today with the RT-700, Shelf and pellets! It should ship next week sometime and I'll have to update this again once it's all here and put together. 

I think it goes without saying that I'm excited and can't wait to get the first cook underway!


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## Perfect Meat (Nov 29, 2019)

gr0uch said:


> *Update*
> 
> Wife bought me the package today with the RT-700, Shelf and pellets! It should ship next week sometime and I'll have to update this again once it's all here and put together.
> 
> I think it goes without saying that I'm excited and can't wait to get the first cook underway!


Congratulations!!!

I looked at the Cyber deals and they don't appeal to me as I wasn't looking to add most of the accessories. I just wanted the cover and GrillGrates. They don't offer that package. I am going to take a leap of faith that the Weber will perform to expectation. Look forward to the pics of your cooks.


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## CedarSavage (Nov 30, 2019)

MileHiGuy said:


> Interesting. First I’ve heard of the Weber pellet grill. Mike has good points, I would buy a smoker if you want a smoker. A pellet grill would be handy at times but the sear would be difficult at best. My two cents...


I don't claim to be an expert on pellet smokers but I  had to chim in here.  My new Pit Boss Classic 700 has a sliding cover over the crucible.  Slide it back and you can flame sear or broil.  1.75" rib eyes were crisp on the outside, warm but rare in the middle.   If you have never flame broiled then be advised, you need to stand right there and keep flipping.   I worked in various restaurants as a youngster.  It reminds me of those big gas fired steak broilers.


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## Perfect Meat (Nov 30, 2019)

Perfect Meat said:


> Rec Tec will obviously win this survey as there are infinitely more Rec Tec owners than there are Weber Smoke Fire owners (exactly 0).
> 
> I do not own a pellet grill yet so all of this is IMHO... but I have been researching for months on a perfect solution and have not yet pulled the trigger. I was leaning towards the Stampede but discovered that there is a difference in gauge of steel between the Stampede (18 ga body and 12 ga lid) and the Bull (14 ga body and 10 ga lid) per Rec Tec. Which to me justified the $300 difference in price. Plus the fact that the Bull sells more and thus brings the per unit cost down. Which means the Bull is probably worth more than the cost difference over the Stampede.... but I am getting off point.
> 
> ...


Here are a couple of additional points:
I read where Weber will be adding a Smoke Boost option on their controller (https://www.engadget.com/2019/11/18/weber-smokefire-wifi-pellet-grill-announced/). This just further boosts my confidence that they have addressed the issue of smoking meat adequately. 

I didn't address some issues between the Bull and Weber as they maybe issues for me and not necessarily the masses. One, Weber is assembled in Illinois. As I live in Chicago, I think we can all agree it is advantageous to support your local businesses. Two, I am not a fan of the horns on the Bull. I know this has nothing to do with the ability of the cooker to cook but it is a personal preference. Reading some these forums, it does appear that I am not alone in this preference. 

The PID  controller/software  Weber has chosen to employ (in partnership with June Technologies) appears to have one up'd  the Rec Tec system.

 If the Weber Smoke Fire is constructed like my Weber gasser (15+ yrs old and 3rd owner), I think Weber has a true winner.


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## kstone113 (Dec 2, 2019)

Congrats on your Rec Tec Bull purchase!  I have the Bull and LOVE IT!!!  

If I was in your situation right now....man, it is a tough call.  A TON of unknowns with Weber SmokeFire.  I have watched videos on it and it appears with their new set-up, you can sear steaks and other stuff with it.  I wonder about the clean-up though from long smokes with lots of grease from a brisket or pork shoulder.  I've been a Weber fan forever as my first grill was a Weber Q and then a Weber Genesis.  

I have heard(don't have a source) from a forum to where someone said they knew someone who works for Weber and they are having lots of issues with temp swings with their PID and that's the real reason why it wasn't available this year and not till next year.  That does make sense as I heard it was supposed to come out on Black Friday.  So I won't say for even a milisecond that Weber's controller has one up'd Rec Tec at this point.  I can attest from experience that it is insane how accurate Rec Tec's PID controller is.  For hours and hours and hours, it will hold within a degree or two.  

To me, the Weber SmokeFire can (if it is a hit) only make others step up their game.  And from a customer service point of view, I don't know if I have ever had better customer service as I get with Rec Tec.  Weber does do a decent job also but it would be a tall task to even get in the same ball park as Rec Tec there.  

But all this said, I am very curious how the SmokeFire will do and test out when people really get their hands on them.


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## gr0uch (Dec 2, 2019)

kstone113 said:


> Congrats on your Rec Tec Bull purchase!  I have the Bull and LOVE IT!!!
> 
> If I was in your situation right now....man, it is a tough call.  A TON of unknowns with Weber SmokeFire.  I have watched videos on it and it appears with their new set-up, you can sear steaks and other stuff with it.  I wonder about the clean-up though from long smokes with lots of grease from a brisket or pork shoulder.  I've been a Weber fan forever as my first grill was a Weber Q and then a Weber Genesis.
> 
> ...



Great points and I wonder how true it is about them having problems. I can honestly see it happening as it's not an easy task to enter this world and be competitive. 

I talked to the Rec-Tec folks to finish up the order that my wife made and holy crap man, they are seriously the friendliest people on the planet. They sent me a bunch of rubs and stuff to get me started and they truly are amazing. 

The only issue now is that the Rubs have arrived, but the grill has not!! The wait continues and boy am I impatient to get this thing and get it fired up. Now I have to figure out what my first cook will be, maybe I should create a poll for that! haha. Glad to be a part of the Rec-Tec crew, it's going to be a great adventure for sure.


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## Perfect Meat (Dec 3, 2019)

kstone113 said:


> I have heard(don't have a source) from a forum to where someone said they knew someone who works for Weber and they are having lots of issues with temp swings with their PID and that's the real reason why it wasn't available this year and not till next year.  That does make sense as I heard it was supposed to come out on Black Friday.  So I won't say for even a milisecond that Weber's controller has one up'd Rec Tec at this point.  I can attest from experience that it is insane how accurate Rec Tec's PID controller is.  For hours and hours and hours, it will hold within a degree or two.


I read that same post as well. He said that he heard from a friend who has a friend that he thinks works at Weber say there was an issue with temperature swings on the Weber PID controller. Weber allegedly delayed the release to address this issue. I don't know how much faith I have in a rumor from a friend of a friend. But you know how these things go, the more it is repeated in these forums the more it gets exaggerated and the higher the perceived truth.

I pre-ordered my Weber SmokeFire EX6 from Lowes yesterday. With the military discount (10%) it was $1,080. Here is another rumor: I believe I heard in one of the videos that Weber is providing something extra for customers who pre-order. I hope it is a grill cover!


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## jmtyndall (Dec 3, 2019)

Perfect Meat said:


> I read that same post as well. He said that he heard from a friend who has a friend that he thinks works at Weber say there was an issue with temperature swings on the Weber PID controller. Weber allegedly delayed the release to address this issue.


At this point that's like...hearsay three times removed? I would put no stock in that "information" and at this point assume it's being spread by someone who would rather you buy "insert their favorite grill brand here."


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## sweetride95 (Dec 3, 2019)

That's the first time I have heard of the control being a PID. For the price, it needs to be a PID and be pretty accurate. I hope they delay release until they have their algorithm correct. It has to land as advertise.


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## mike guy (Dec 3, 2019)

I’m skeptical that they were having PID issues.  That tech is so heavily used and works out of the box.  I doubt they invented their own.

In other hobbies I’ve added my own pids to things (aurdiono and pi controllers) and there is very little to work out on the software and hardware side.  Amateur hobbyists use pids all the time with more or less plug and play behavior.

maybe Weber tried to get clever and reinvent the pid controller but if they were having temp swings it was probably something else.

99% of product launch delays are manufacturing or supply line delays.  It’s more likely they wanted to change suppliers due to tariffs.


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## Perfect Meat (Dec 3, 2019)

mike guy said:


> I’m skeptical that they were having PID issues.  That tech is so heavily used and works out of the box.  I doubt they invented their own.
> 
> In other hobbies I’ve added my own pids to things (aurdiono and pi controllers) and there is very little to work out on the software and hardware side.  Amateur hobbyists use pids all the time with more or less plug and play behavior.
> 
> ...


According to multiple media sources, Weber teamed with June to provide a new controller and software.








						Weber SmokeFire EX4 and EX6 Wood Fired Pellet Grill Review
					

Weber has a new pellet smoker and it is alone among pellet cookers in that it can properly sear steak across the entire cooking area. Read our review of this groundbreaking design.



					amazingribs.com


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## mike guy (Dec 3, 2019)

Good info.  If they teamed with someone else, I'm even more surprised the PID was an issue for them.  But maybe when working with an external team, they expected one thing and got another.  Still, having worked with PIDs, they are so dead simple to integrate into almost any controller, it then becomes superficial to managed damn near anything with them.  

Clearly I have no idea what the problem is, just I would be shocked if in 2019 professional engineers actually ran into a show stopping problem with one.


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## gr0uch (Dec 3, 2019)

mike guy said:


> Good info.  If they teamed with someone else, I'm even more surprised the PID was an issue for them.  But maybe when working with an external team, they expected one thing and got another.  Still, having worked with PIDs, they are so dead simple to integrate into almost any controller, it then becomes superficial to managed damn near anything with them.
> 
> Clearly I have no idea what the problem is, just I would be shocked if in 2019 professional engineers actually ran into a show stopping problem with one.



I don't think it'll be showstopping for them. Will it be perfect? Probably not, was there issues? Who knows maybe. There's nothing concrete that shows that they did or didn't have issues to be honest, just hearsay. 

All that said, Rec-Tec still has real world experience and as much as I wanted to gamble on the Weber because I like their products, Rec-Tec still won me over with their customer service. I don't regret my purchase and I haven't even received the smoker yet. Someone said exactly how I feel earlier, if Weber came out and designed a better mousetrap (by a margin or by a ton) it's only going to push companies like Rec-Tec, Yoder etc to raise their game also.


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## kstone113 (Dec 3, 2019)

Perfect Meat said:


> I read that same post as well. He said that he heard from a friend who has a friend that he thinks works at Weber say there was an issue with temperature swings on the Weber PID controller. Weber allegedly delayed the release to address this issue. I don't know how much faith I have in a rumor from a friend of a friend. But you know how these things go, the more it is repeated in these forums the more it gets exaggerated and the higher the perceived truth.
> 
> I pre-ordered my Weber SmokeFire EX6 from Lowes yesterday. With the military discount (10%) it was $1,080. Here is another rumor: I believe I heard in one of the videos that Weber is providing something extra for customers who pre-order. I hope it is a grill cover!


Hey man - when you get your grill(congrats!!!!), come back here(not this forum but start a new thread) and share your results.  Would love to hear about it.  I'm still a Weber fan and will always love their products and super curious how the SmokeFire will work in real world grilling/smoking.


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## Perfect Meat (Dec 3, 2019)

kstone113 said:


> Hey man - when you get your grill(congrats!!!!), come back here(not this forum but start a new thread) and share your results.  Would love to hear about it.  I'm still a Weber fan and will always love their products and super curious how the SmokeFire will work in real world grilling/smoking.


I will definitely post pics and comments when I get it. My scheduled delivery is Jan 06 but only Weber knows how accurate that is.


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## gr0uch (Dec 4, 2019)

The tease continues, there's finally a tracking number posted in my purchase history but it doesn't say which freight company picked it up so I can't even track it haha. 

At least I know the smoker is on it's way!


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## gr0uch (Dec 11, 2019)

it’s here and all put together! the wait for its arrival is now over and the wait to be able to smoke something on it is here!

it was fairly easy to assemble and went together well. You can just feel the quality with every part that you touch! Burn in is complete and she’s ready for the first smoke. Maybe I’ll do some ribs this weekend or something!


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## mooncusser (Dec 11, 2019)

Congratulations!  Hope you get to use it a bunch, look forward to hearing how it cooks for you.  I've got one on the way myself - trying not to stalk the shipment tracking...


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## gr0uch (Dec 11, 2019)

mooncusser said:


> Congratulations!  Hope you get to use it a bunch, look forward to hearing how it cooks for you.  I've got one on the way myself - trying not to stalk the shipment tracking...


Oh I definitely stalked my shipment because they wouldn’t be able to deliver to my door because of my driveway.
When they called I setup a day and time to go pick it up from the facility and drove it home! Worked out great for me, a day early haha.


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## kstone113 (Dec 11, 2019)

Congrats and the Bull is so pretty when new.  Good luck keeping clean!  I plan to get my a good cleaning on the outside this spring.


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## gr0uch (Dec 11, 2019)

kstone113 said:


> Congrats and the Bull is so pretty when new.  Good luck keeping clean!  I plan to get my a good cleaning on the outside this spring.


I have a feeling it’s gonna be difficult to keep clean but we’ll do our best.
I’m trying to figure out what to cook on it first! Need something fatty, hmm


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## mike guy (Dec 11, 2019)

A spotless smoker is boring.  A smoker without a little bit of smoke and grease build up is like a truck without a few scratches on it. 

For the first cook, I would (and did) cook a pork butt on it.  Will help you get to know it, and they are impossible to screw up.

Congrats on the new smoker btw


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## gr0uch (Dec 11, 2019)

mike guy said:


> A spotless smoker is boring.  A smoker without a little bit of smoke and grease build up is like a truck without a few scratches on it.
> 
> For the first cook, I would (and did) cook a pork butt on it.  Will help you get to know it, and they are impossible to screw up.
> 
> Congrats on the new smoker btw



Definitely good advice, with such a busy schedule I think I'm going to put a pork butt on in the wee hours of the morning on saturday before my son's soccer tournament so that I can use this beast! I can't go too many days without at least trying it!


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## Perfect Meat (Dec 12, 2019)

Congratulations!!! Great looking grill and view.


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## SNeal5966 (Jan 23, 2020)

I am thinking about rounding out my arsenal with a pellet grill. I have a Weber Genesis E-330 (previous generation) for whatever I want to cook on a gas grill (less and less all the time). I have a green Weber Premium Kettle, 22", a Weber Q1200 portable grill for tailgating, camping, and what not....due to shear convenience I think gas grill is best fit for portable, and I have a badass home built offset smoker, all 1/4" steel and weighs 900 lbs for smoking. I think I have every situation covered, but I am kind of geeking out about the pellet grills these days so I can have bbq even when I don't have time to tend the fire all day.....I know I voted for the SmokeFire but I am torn between that and the RecTec Bull....I might buy one of them in the next few months...

Then again....I also have a big charcoal basket that I built for the offset, and if I load that up and put 1 chimney of lit coals in I can get like 6 - 8 hrs of stable temps out of one load. Trouble is that takes like 20 lbs of coal lol But I can get away from it for a while too.....Hmmmm what to do what to do?'???


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## The Rock (Feb 12, 2020)

I'm coming in a bit late into this thread.  I am also in the market for my first pellet smoker/grill.  I had my heart set on the RecTec RT700 from the research that I did.  I could not find any negative reviews on this grill and was all set to purchase, until I saw the Weber Smokefire.  I lost about 2 weeks time in purchasing a grill because my intention was to order the RecTec RT700 on February 1st and it is now the 12th.  I saw some youtube videos of the Smokefire that some youtube influencers did when they got invited to the launch party.  It looks amazing.  Love how it sears and you can almost cook over it with an open flame.  Looking at this grill/smoker I had to have it cause it is the new kid on the block which nobody else will have.  My problem from purchasing it the same as everyone else's....there is no real world testing done on it yet.  I am sure it will not have any problems as Weber probably spent a lot of money in R&D on this thing but the RecTec RT700 is tried and true.  I am still undecisive but hoping that by tomorrow morning I can make a decision.  The RecTec RT700 does have an optional cold smokebox as well.


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## mike guy (Feb 12, 2020)

That's a tough decision to make.  I can't really speak to the searing performance of the smoke fire, but I'll just chime in on my general thoughts about searing with pellets to begin with.

Searing with pellets in my experience is not my favorite way to go.  I have tried in a number of ways, and it's just not a great experience compared to charcoal or just using a cast iron pan, or even your oven broiler.  I just don't think they make a good fuel to sear with.  The burn is a bit uneven, they have a burn curve that ranges in temps, and they can give off lot of flame and produce a lot of flare ups.  With those flare ups come even more grease drips which can put parts of the pellets out, and that gives off bad smoke. Even with mods to limit the food drip issue, I just can't say I like cooking hot with pellets.  

My advice is to buy a pellet smoker with one purpose in mind: smoking.  If you are space constrained, buy a 20 dollar charcoal chimney, a small grill grate, and load it up with lump for searing.  You can grill an entire steak this way, or reverse sear several steaks in your pellet grill and finish them off on the chimney in just minutes.  Or bring them inside and hit up the cast iron.

I'm sure there are a number of people that produce really good grilled and seared food with pellets.  I'm not saying what I made that way was bad.  It's just that personally, pellets as a fuel source takes last place for my searing preferences.   Lump Charcoal Fire > Cast Iron > Oven Broiler > Pellets.  

If you have the patio room, I'd personally keep my smoker and grill separate.  Add a small weber kettle grill.  Or a small kamado.  

Hope that helps.  Cheers.


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## elsos (Feb 12, 2020)

The Rock said:


> I'm coming in a bit late into this thread.  I am also in the market for my first pellet smoker/grill.  I had my heart set on the RecTec RT700 from the research that I did.  I could not find any negative reviews on this grill and was all set to purchase, until I saw the Weber Smokefire.  I lost about 2 weeks time in purchasing a grill because my intention was to order the RecTec RT700 on February 1st and it is now the 12th.  I saw some youtube videos of the Smokefire that some youtube influencers did when they got invited to the launch party.  It looks amazing.  Love how it sears and you can almost cook over it with an open flame.  Looking at this grill/smoker I had to have it cause it is the new kid on the block which nobody else will have.  My problem from purchasing it the same as everyone else's....there is no real world testing done on it yet.  I am sure it will not have any problems as Weber probably spent a lot of money in R&D on this thing but the RecTec RT700 is tried and true.  I am still undecisive but hoping that by tomorrow morning I can make a decision.  The RecTec RT700 does have an optional cold smokebox as well.


You know, I have and love the RecTec 700. But I'd really bet that whichever you choose, there are no wrong answers. You just learn to cook on what you have and in the end we become loyal after a few great cooks.
I've never tried to sear with it, and I don't plan on it really.
Actually I struggled between the RecTec and the CampChef with the sidekick searbox. Would be fun to have both, but a guy can only eat so much food at a sitting!  Lol.
Good luck and don't regret, it's going to be fine whichever way you go.  It's a blast.


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## mooncusser (Feb 12, 2020)

The Rock said:


> I'm coming in a bit late into this thread.  I am also in the market for my first pellet smoker/grill.  I had my heart set on the RecTec RT700 from the research that I did.  I could not find any negative reviews on this grill and was all set to purchase, until I saw the Weber Smokefire.  I lost about 2 weeks time in purchasing a grill because my intention was to order the RecTec RT700 on February 1st and it is now the 12th.  I saw some youtube videos of the Smokefire that some youtube influencers did when they got invited to the launch party.  It looks amazing.  Love how it sears and you can almost cook over it with an open flame.  Looking at this grill/smoker I had to have it cause it is the new kid on the block which nobody else will have.  My problem from purchasing it the same as everyone else's....there is no real world testing done on it yet.  I am sure it will not have any problems as Weber probably spent a lot of money in R&D on this thing but the RecTec RT700 is tried and true.  I am still undecisive but hoping that by tomorrow morning I can make a decision.  The RecTec RT700 does have an optional cold smokebox as well.


I was in a similar spot a couple months ago. The new Weber unit is intriguing but we won't know real world experience for a little while.  I took the plunge with the RecTec and have been happy. It's a beast!

Just be aware that you probably won't find any negative reviews on RecTec's website.  It's been said that they - shall we say "curate"? - reviews to keep them positive.


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## gr0uch (Feb 12, 2020)

mooncusser said:


> I was in a similar spot a couple months ago. The new Weber unit is intriguing but we won't know real world experience for a little while.  I took the plunge with the RecTec and have been happy. It's a beast!
> 
> Just be aware that you probably won't find any negative reviews on RecTec's website.  It's been said that they - shall we say "curate"? - reviews to keep them positive.




All of that may be true... however like you, I also decided to trust the Rec-Tec RT-700 and you know what? I've never looked back! This thing is a monster and handles more than you could ever throw at it. It's super consistent, the app is decent and well, the food is amazing. 

I've not had any issues with it and anytime I call customer service, they're awesome man. I don't work for them, but if they paid my current salary I would! haha. 

Weber is awesome, I have tons of em, however the new one is just not tested in the real world. Think of it like this, Gordon Ramsey could probably cook with the worst hardware and still turn out an amazing meal. Can amazing bbq'ers turn out an amazing meal on the Smokefire? Sure. Can we? Who knows! :P


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## The Rock (Feb 14, 2020)

gr0uch said:


> All of that may be true... however like you, I also decided to trust the Rec-Tec RT-700 and you know what? I've never looked back! This thing is a monster and handles more than you could ever throw at it. It's super consistent, the app is decent and well, the food is amazing.
> 
> I've not had any issues with it and anytime I call customer service, they're awesome man. I don't work for them, but if they paid my current salary I would! haha.
> 
> Weber is awesome, I have tons of em, however the new one is just not tested in the real world. Think of it like this, Gordon Ramsey could probably cook with the worst hardware and still turn out an amazing meal. Can amazing bbq'ers turn out an amazing meal on the Smokefire? Sure. Can we? Who knows! :P


Yeah, I guess you are right.  I think I will buy the RecTec RT700 this weekend.  I know one of the guys that replied above said to just get a chimney and put a grill grate over that for searing but honestly, it may work, but it seems a bit tacky and redneckish...lol.  I got a nice backyard so I would prefer to have a proper setup.  Currently I have a Kamado Joe Big Joe 2 that I purchased last year and I absolutely love it.  Does everything.  I prefer cooking with lump coal/charcoal compared to gas/propane.  I also have  a drum smoker from Barrelhouse Cooker which works fantastic when I do my ribs and Thanksgiving day turkey.  I am also going to upgrade and purchase a Hunsaker Vortex drum smoker probably this summer.  But for now I would like to have a peller smoker.  I am not too worried about apps at this point because I have a Meater Plus (check it out on Amazon or just Youtube it up if you don't know what it is) that I think works amazing when I do my cooks.  Someone else had mentioned that pellet grills/smokers are not good for searing but I've seen quite a few videos on Youtube where people are actually searing their steaks with the use of Grill Grates.  I know right now RecTec is offering 20% off all accessories with the purchase of a new grill so I will gladly buy the searing grill grates with the grill.  I actually work for another Pellet Grill Manufacturer.  We own the factory that the Traeger grills come out of and we just started making our own pellet grills with our own brand once the patent for Traeger came up.  I will keep the name of the company confidential for now but our grills are "decent" and budget friendly, similar to a Pit Boss.  I just rather spend more money and get something a bit more high end on quality and performance.


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## mike guy (Feb 14, 2020)

If you already have a Kamado grill I think you are set.  The chimney work around is a cheap suggestion.
I have a similar setup.  The rt 700 and a big green egg. And an offset smoker. 

My main point was that was, in my opinion, pellets aren’t a good grill fuel and to stick with charcoal.   I have yet to see a jack of all trades put that does it all perfectly.  I know that multi cooker setups aren’t for everyone, though.  And at the end of the day we’re talking the last 10% of quality, not night and day differences. 

To be honest I can make a good steak on some fire and a flat rock.  Or smoke a brisket Alton brown style in a cardboard box.  Nice equipment and toys sure are fun though!

The grill grates that rt sells as an option are nice. Just be sure to season the heck of them with a good oil.  Treat them like cast iron.  They do a decent job on a steak but the temp is too low for my liking.  and at the temps you are cranking the grill to achieve to preheat them, you aren’t getting any benefits of using a pellet.  They burn hot so no smoke.  

if you want a smoked steak my advice is a reverse sear in the RECTEC you get some smoke and then take it inside for the cast iron finish.

I felt like a cast iron inside did a better job than the grill grates. And then of course my personal perfect steak comes from a ripping hot lump charcoal fire that renders the rib eye fat and fries the steak in it. I’ve tried it all and at the end of the day I like a hot and fast type of steak on the kamado.

good luck on your eventual purchase.  You can’t go wrong with all that gear in your back yard.


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## The Rock (Feb 14, 2020)

mike guy said:


> If you already have a Kamado grill I think you are set.  The chimney work around is a cheap suggestion.
> I have a similar setup.  The rt 700 and a big green egg. And an offset smoker.
> 
> My main point was that was, in my opinion, pellets aren’t a good grill fuel and to stick with charcoal.   I have yet to see a jack of all trades put that does it all perfectly.  I know that multi cooker setups aren’t for everyone, though.  And at the end of the day we’re talking the last 10% of quality, not night and day differences.
> ...


Yeah I feel your brotha.  Seems like we both have a good setup.  I do agree with you that nothing cooks, sears, bakes, smokes, roasts, grills, etc. like a kamado.  I guess I am a hobbyist and like to have a little bit of everything.  I do feel that besides a Kamado everything else is a jack of all trades but a master at none.

I do have a Himalayan Salt Rock Tablet that my wife bought for me back in August for my birthday.  Still have yet to use it but I hear steaks come out amazing on it.  I was also thinking of a reverse sear if I get the RecTec.  

I have seen other people place a nice weighted steak press/bacon press on top of their steak for added pressure when it is on the grill grates if you are using a pellet smoker.  This seemed to produce some fantastic grill marks.  I think I am still going to move forward with RecTec.  I am tired of looking at grills.  Looked at the new Pitboss Platinum Series Lockhart and that thing is freakin ugly.  I just saw the Masterbuilt GF-560 last night and that unit looks very interesting.  Why are there so many damn options, it's making my go crazy.  Might have to go see a therapist soon....ha ha ha.


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## SlowmotionQue (Feb 15, 2020)

The Rock said:


> Yeah, I guess you are right.  I think I will buy the RecTec RT700 this weekend.  I know one of the guys that replied above said to just get a chimney and put a grill grate over that for searing but honestly, it may work, but it seems a bit tacky and redneckish...lol.  I got a nice backyard so I would prefer to have a proper setup.  Currently I have a Kamado Joe Big Joe 2 that I purchased last year and I absolutely love it.  Does everything.  I prefer cooking with lump coal/charcoal compared to gas/propane.  I also have  a drum smoker from Barrelhouse Cooker which works fantastic when I do my ribs and Thanksgiving day turkey.  I am also going to upgrade and purchase a Hunsaker Vortex drum smoker probably this summer.  But for now I would like to have a peller smoker.  I am not too worried about apps at this point because I have a Meater Plus (check it out on Amazon or just Youtube it up if you don't know what it is) that I think works amazing when I do my cooks.  Someone else had mentioned that pellet grills/smokers are not good for searing but I've seen quite a few videos on Youtube where people are actually searing their steaks with the use of Grill Grates.  I know right now RecTec is offering 20% off all accessories with the purchase of a new grill so I will gladly buy the searing grill grates with the grill.  I actually work for another Pellet Grill Manufacturer.  We own the factory that the Traeger grills come out of and we just started making our own pellet grills with our own brand once the patent for Traeger came up.  I will keep the name of the company confidential for now but our grills are "decent" and budget friendly, similar to a Pit Boss.  I just rather spend more money and get something a bit more high end on quality and performance.




If you already have a Kamado Joe, well then IMO, you already have the best thing for searing steaks, short of "perhaps" an Otto Wilde or Salamander type device.

They sear at around 1500°F.

I agree on several points with forum member mike guy above.   Personally, I think that searing steaks on a pellet grill is hardly the best way to sear a steak.  But I stress that this is just my opinion and my own personal tastes.

Again, if you like to sear steaks, then your KJ and cast iron, whether you're using cast iron grates or griddle, or even if you're using a cast iron skillet sitting over your stainless steel  grates,  is going to do a much better job at that than a pellet grill.  I own a Rec Tec Stampede, but I'm a believer in the right tool for the job.

My Rec Tec Stampede  pellet "grill", does many, not all, but many, of the *smoking* chores around my house and some of the grilling chores.   It's a great smoker.    We love it.   You'd have to take it by force were you to try and take it away from me.   However; I don't "smoke" steaks.  I sear them.

Thus my pellet grill, well  it handles the overnight cooks.    Pork shoulders, briskets.  It handles  spatchcock turkeys,  and some grilling chores.  Wings, ABTs,  Shrimp en brochette,  lobster, asparagus and other vegetables, these usually get the Rec Tec.

Ribs now get done on either my WSMs, or my KJ.  They give a more pronounced  smoke flavor than my Rec Tec.  I can add as much wood as I like, and again, I like using lump charcoal.

Salmon,  will be done on my KJ on soaked cedar planks.  Whole chickens on my Joetissierie and KJ.

My choice for steaks  below is my  KJ classic, using Royal Oak lump charcoal and  KJ cast iron grates or griddle.    I am using a coffee ground based rub on these in the first few pics.    My IR  tops out at around 1030° F.     As mentioned, I'm using Royal Oak lump, but I am told that B&B Lump charcoal  actually burns hotter than Royal Oak.   I'm currently experimenting with B&B and a few other lump charcoals out there, but that's another story.   Here the temp has reached 1,030°F  in the one instance and 1,034°F in the other instance.  The dome temp is at around 800°F  in both instances and I've reached 900°F at the dome thermometer on occasion.    The temps at the grates or the griddle are of course hotter as they are closest to the coals.     I see  people with pellet grills reporting  500°F  or so at the sensor in some of the pellet grills.  Sure that's hot, but it's not approaching the temps I'm talking here.

But the long and the short of it is that my pellet grill, the Rec Tec Stampede,  won't get this hot, nor does it produce a better tasting steak than does my Kamado Joe.

If searing steaks is your bag, and you already have a good Kamado, well then attempting to sear them on a pellet grill is IMO a step down.









































Typically speaking,  pellet grills are not going to get this hot.  That's not to say that they can't sear a steak, because by all indications I've read, they can.  However my own attempts at searing a steak on my pellet grill, simply could not match the results that I've had on my Kamado running 800°F or so at the dome and over 1030°F  at the grates.  I believe that hotter is better for searing steaks.  I even like steaks seared to "Pittsburgh Black" status.   But I do recognize  some don't prefer to sear as hot as I do, and still get results that are suitable to their personal  tastes.










Yes, the thermometer in my KJ has been changed between these pics  for the 2019 model thermometer.   See the change in the logo.  The old one now resides in my 22in WSM.


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## elsos (Feb 15, 2020)

SlowmotionQue said:


> If you already have a Kamado Joe, well then you already have the best thing for searing steaks, short of "perhaps" an Otto Wilde or Salamander type device.
> 
> Personally, I think that searing steaks on a pellet grill is hardly the best way to sear a steak.
> 
> ...


Ooh, it's about lunch time here! Man, those look really good!  :)


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## SlowmotionQue (Feb 15, 2020)

elsos said:


> Ooh, it's about lunch time here! Man, those look really good!  :)



Thanks.

I have done reverse sears using my Rec Tec to bring the steaks to temp, and then taking them home on my Kamado Joe, allowing it to do the "heavy lifting".

The first pics show seasoning, and placement with temp probes into the Rec Tec Stampede.  But when it's time to bring the heat, they go onto the KJ at 1,030°F plus on cast iron grates.


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## elsos (Feb 15, 2020)

SlowmotionQue said:


> Thanks.
> 
> I have done reverse sears using my Rec Tec to bring the steaks to temp, and then taking them home on my Kamado Joe, allowing it to do the "heavy lifting".
> 
> ...


Oh, stop it. :)
Excellent stuff man.


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## SlowmotionQue (Feb 15, 2020)

elsos said:


> Oh, stop it. :)
> Excellent stuff man.



Thanks.

I figure that for searing steaks, the only way that I can get "perhaps" better,   would be to go to one of these.   Searing at 1500°F or more.

I intend to purchase one when the weather breaks, so I'll soon find out.    But it's also why I laugh some when people talk about searing steaks on a pellet grill.


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## The Rock (Mar 16, 2020)

Well everyone, it looks like it is official.  The Weber Smokefire is a disaster.  It needs to be renamed The Greasefire.  So at this point the RecTec RT-700 would be the way to go.  I just got back from New Orleans this past week.  I flew from Los Angeles to New Orleans for 3 nights to go attend the HPB (Hearth Patio BBQ) Expo.  It was a massive show and got to see so many new grills coming to market, from kamado grills, to charcoal grills, to wood pellet grills.  And so many accessories to help us solve some of our BBQ issues when we get behind the grill.  One of the newer BBQs I saw looked intriguing and seemed to have similar capabilities as the Weber Smokefire.  Oklahoma Joe's (Char-Broil is the parent company) has a grill called the Rider DLX which looks pretty cool for the money and has a interesting searing mechanism built-in.  Has anyone seen this grill or has had personal experience with it?  They have a new Drum Smoker out as well called the Bronco Pro which also looks interesting.  I was going to purchase the Hunsaker Vortex but this Bronco Pro does look like a contender despite the fact that it is a Oklahoma Joe branded product.  Would love to hear everyone's opinion.

Weber was scheduled to be at this Expo and they even blocked out time for a Spotlight Session but they backed out of the show last minute.  I think they wanted to save face and not feel the embarrassment from their failed Smokefire.  I think little it had to do with the COVID-19 because none of the other exhibitors backed out of the show besides Weber.


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## Zolla (Mar 16, 2020)

gr0uch said:


> Haha damn, the decision is tough! I do love the way that the RT-700 looks but now the damn reviews for the Weber EX6 have me puzzled. They claim that the smoke stack draws too much smoke out of the smoker. Can this be true? Then again, if it were true then that would mean that Traeger and all others brands have it wrong.
> 
> Ahhhh!


I agree about the Traeger having it wrong, but they all knew it when they added the stack. The stack add was a marketing thing, if you read the forums for them they will tell you it is recommended to stuff the stack with foil... replace often.  You will also notice that the new timberline series has removed the stack again...Weber does make a great grill, I'm concerned not about the materials of the Weber, but more the moving auger system.  Quality for them is never an issue


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