# Which pellet grill for the money?



## smokepuppet (Apr 27, 2020)

Sold my Masterbuilt smoker and going to pull the trigger on a pellet grill. Staying around a 500.00 budget. So many brands and types of pellet grills its getting confusing.
Been looking at Traeger, Camp Chef, Pitboss Grills on line.

Welcome all or any comments as to quality, features and favorites and why would be appreciated.

Thanks    Smokepuppet


Thanks for everyones input!  I ordered the Camp Chef Pro DLX last night. Of all places I found the best price at Target online.  Getting excited!!


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## Wasi (Apr 27, 2020)

Are you dead set on a pellet grill?  If I had to do it all over and they had this when I was looking this is what I would have bought.  


			Robot or human?


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## schlotz (Apr 27, 2020)

Man, this question has been prevalent lately. So many posts on the subject.  It must be the dreaded and deathly '*smokervirus-20*' that has infested and consumed so many units over the past 6 months!


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## smokepuppet (Apr 27, 2020)

Wasi said:


> Are you dead set on a pellet grill?  If I had to do it all over and they had this when I was looking this is what I would have bought.
> 
> 
> Robot or human?


Im open to suggestions! ty ill look at that


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## smokepuppet (Apr 27, 2020)

schlotz said:


> Man, this question has been prevalent lately. So many posts on the subject.  It must be the dreaded and deathly '*smokervirus-20*' that has infested and consumed so many units over the past 6 months!


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## smokeymose (Apr 27, 2020)

I'll be watching with you, smokepuppet. I've noticed that a _lot _of folks here are using pellet smokers. 
It's like the hot new thing. I've been toying with the idea, but if I got one I'd have to get rid of the offset (which I really like) because if I added another cooker to the patio I'd probably have to sleep on the patio LOL!
I also worry about pellet availabilty. I can always slice up some firewood for the offset. How much pellet does one of those things use for a cook?
I hope you get some replies.


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 27, 2020)

$500.00, is not going to get you much in the way of a good good sized  pellet grill.


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## smokerjim (Apr 27, 2020)

I have a pit boss 1000t2 which I'm pretty happy with, my wife got it for me last year I think she paid around 350.00-400.00. As for the amount of pellets you use it all depends on the temps ya cook at.


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## sandyut (Apr 27, 2020)

its a budget driven decision most of the time...  if you could cough up a few more buck i would recommend a Rec Tec.


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## Winterrider (Apr 27, 2020)

I think that $$$ range, i would lean towards Pit Boss  Austin XL


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## JWFokker (Apr 27, 2020)

Pit Boss or the Masterbuilt gravity fed as others have mentioned.


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## Buckeye1 (Apr 27, 2020)

I gotta the smaller Rec Tec for $599 delivered. It is a solid grill and Wi-Fi controller.
To me Wi-Fi is a great tool.


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## retfr8flyr (Apr 28, 2020)

One thing I will say about pellet grills is they all work exactly the same, it doesn't matter if you pay $$, or $$$$, they work the same way. There is a hopper for the pellets, an auger for delivering the pellets  to the fire pot and a controller to tell the auger how  many pellets to deliver. You are paying for convince, better materials in construction and bells and whistles, with the higher priced grills. The food will taste the same from a cheap grill or an expensive one. I have the Timberline 1300 because I like the features and heavy duty construction.


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## Buttah Butts (Apr 28, 2020)

Save a little extra and go with Rec Tec. I made the mistake of getting a traeger which was horrible then I wasted money on a GMG Daniel Boone which was better than the traeger but still had huge temp swings. I finally went with a Rec Tec which is a great grill no issues and that thing holds temp amazing.


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 28, 2020)

retfr8flyr said:


> One thing I will say about pellet grills is they all work exactly the same, it doesn't matter if you pay $$, or $$$$, they work the same way. There is a hopper for the pellets, an auger for delivering the pellets  to the fire pot and a controller to tell the auger how  many pellets to deliver.* You are paying for convince, better materials in construction and bells and whistles, with the higher priced grills*. The food will taste the same from a cheap grill or an expensive one. I have the Timberline 1300 because I like the features and heavy duty construction.



You're also paying for warranty,  customer service and support after the sale with the more expensive grills.


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 28, 2020)

Buttah Butts said:


> Save a little extra and go with Rec Tec. I made the mistake of getting a traeger which was horrible then I wasted money on a GMG Daniel Boone which was better than the traeger but still had huge temp swings. I finally went with a Rec Tec which is a great grill no issues and that thing holds temp amazing.



Wow.  Were you able to recoup some of your money from the Traeger and the GMG Daniel Boone?

That's a lot of money tied up in pellet grills.  

Talk about "buy once, cry once".  Looks like you bought 3 times and cried twice.


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## Buttah Butts (Apr 28, 2020)

SlowmotionQue said:


> Wow.  Were you able to recoup some of your money from the Traeger and the GMG Daniel Boone?
> 
> That's a lot of money tied up in pellet grills.
> 
> Talk about "buy once, cry once".  Looks like you bought 3 times and cried twice.


I gave the traeger away to my neighbor it was about 6 months old after 6 months he threw it out and bought a Rec Tec. The GMG i sold for 300 after about 2 or 3 months. You live and learn I guess. I just had heard so much about Traeger that I thought they were a decent brand but i was wrong. The GMG was alot better that the Traeger but still had huge temp swings that I didnt like. Im happy with the Rec Tec


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## smokepuppet (Apr 28, 2020)

retfr8flyr said:


> One thing I will say about pellet grills is they all work exactly the same, it doesn't matter if you pay $$, or $$$$, they work the same way. There is a hopper for the pellets, an auger for delivering the pellets  to the fire pot and a controller to tell the auger how  many pellets to deliver. You are paying for convince, better materials in construction and bells and whistles, with the higher priced grills. The food will taste the same from a cheap grill or an expensive one. I have the Timberline 1300 because I like the features and heavy duty construction.


Thank you so much!!!


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## smokepuppet (Apr 28, 2020)

Buttah Butts said:


> I gave the traeger away to my neighbor it was about 6 months old after 6 months he threw it out and bought a Rec Tec. The GMG i sold for 300 after about 2 or 3 months. You live and learn I guess. I just had heard so much about Traeger that I thought they were a decent brand but i was wrong. The GMG was alot better that the Traeger but still had huge temp swings that I didnt like. Im happy with the Rec Tec


This is great to know, I will look hard at the RecTec


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## smokepuppet (Apr 28, 2020)

Buttah Butts said:


> I gave the traeger away to my neighbor it was about 6 months old after 6 months he threw it out and bought a Rec Tec. The GMG i sold for 300 after about 2 or 3 months. You live and learn I guess. I just had heard so much about Traeger that I thought they were a decent brand but i was wrong. The GMG was alot better that the Traeger but still had huge temp swings that I didnt like. Im happy with the Rec Tec


Im going to have to check out the RecTec thank you!!


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## smokepuppet (Apr 28, 2020)

SlowmotionQue said:


> $500.00, is not going to get you much in the way of a good good sized  pellet grill.


Don't need a large grill but the RecTec seems to be the hot grill right now. No pun intended   Going to investigate the small one...


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## smokepuppet (Apr 28, 2020)

Buckeye1 said:


> I gotta the smaller Rec Tec for $599 delivered. It is a solid grill and Wi-Fi controller.
> To me Wi-Fi is a great tool.


Im going to check that one out!!  Thanks


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## matty gunns (Apr 28, 2020)

I have a camp chef zg slide and grill.  I’ve done chicken, ribs, burgers, and pork butt on there and they all came out pretty good.  I had one issue with temp my first cook but I’m pretty sure it was pellet bridging and haven’t had an issue since, just Have to check the hopper every now and then and check the pellets.  I wouldn’t spend a crazy amount of money on a pellet grill mine was just under 500 with a discount from dicks.  If I could do it again, I would get one with WiFi.  You will definitely use it.


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## Smokin' in AZ (Apr 28, 2020)

Buckeye1 said:


> I gotta the smaller Rec Tec for $599 delivered. It is a solid grill and Wi-Fi controller.
> To me Wi-Fi is a great tool.


Me too - and it is awesome!

John


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## schlotz (Apr 28, 2020)

So, as the comments come in, the clarity increases. Not all pellet smokers are the same... amazing


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## K9BIGDOG (Apr 28, 2020)

My Camp Chef continues to impress me.


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## Buckeye1 (Apr 28, 2020)

Smokepuppet, feel free to PM me if you have detailed questions


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 28, 2020)

smokepuppet said:


> Don't need a large grill but the RecTec seems to be the hot grill right now. No pun intended   Going to investigate the small one...



I own a Rec Tec, albeit not the smallest one, and so mine was out of the $500.00 range.  If you're going to spend the extra $100.00 and go with a Rec Tec RT 340,  it retails for $599.00, you'll have a great pellet grill, and with excellent customer service and good build materials, in terms of the grate, firebox, etc.  However make sure that their small  RT340 grill, which has 340 sq in of grilling space, and they say  will hold about 3 racks of ribs,  will fit your needs in terms of how much food you're planning on cooking at once on your new pellet grill.

You can get a less expensive  grill which will hold more food than the  small Rec Tec RT 340.  But if you go cheaper than it, you risk purchasing a larger grill,  which is cheaper,  but it  has poor performance, poor build materials, and poor customer service.  

A good pellet grill at a $500.00 price point with any capacity, good build materials, good customer support, WiFi,   well that combination is going to be hard to swing at a $500.00 price point.  And if you buy too small of a grill, no matter it's quality, customer service etc., you'll still end up buying again.

Buy once, cry once.

Good luck whichever route you go though.


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## madsedan (Apr 28, 2020)

I'm new to the forum and this is my first post. But I just bought a Traeger Ridgeline from QVC, it appears to be the Pro 22 gen 1 for reference. It came in a kit with the optional flip down front ($60), a cover ($60), and 2 bags of pellets ($40). All for $549 delivered, on the Traeger site and some of the other retailers I found, that's normally a $740-750 purchase before shipping.
Seemed like a great deal, just got it yesterday and doing the seasoning/initial burn in on it now. Its plenty big enough for my family, says its 575 sq inches of cook space.


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## Larryl (Apr 28, 2020)

smokepuppet said:


> Sold my Masterbuilt smoker and going to pull the trigger on a pellet grill. Staying around a 500.00 budget. So many brands and types of pellet grills its getting confusing.
> Been looking at Traeger, Camp Chef, Pitboss Grills on line.
> 
> Welcome all or any comments as to quality, features and favorites and why would be appreciated.
> ...


I recently purchased a Rec-Tec grill/smoker.  It's awesome.  It's a bit over your budget but it's worth it for a solid stainless steel unit.

Larryl


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## tanglefoot (Apr 28, 2020)

smokepuppet said:


> Don't need a large grill but the RecTec seems to be the hot grill right now. No pun intended   Going to investigate the small one...


I've had my GMG Daniel Boone for about 7-8 years now and i love it. It was in that 500.00 price range. I'm sure it's just like everything else (some swear by it and some swear at it). Yes it has some issues, (hot and cool spots, temp swings) but you learn those things as you use it and learn to adapt. I use mine year 'round (I have an insulated winter cover for it) and have never had a problem with it.  Just like any similar rig, it pays to keep it cleaned out. (I have and old shop vac relegated solely to this task. There. You have my $0.02.


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## smokepuppet (Apr 29, 2020)

K9BIGDOG said:


> My Camp Chef continues to impress me.


I'm thinking about the DLX 24 pro Camp Chef


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## smokepuppet (Apr 29, 2020)

tanglefoot said:


> I've had my GMG Daniel Boone for about 7-8 years now and i love it. It was in that 500.00 price range. I'm sure it's just like everything else (some swear by it and some swear at it). Yes it has some issues, (hot and cool spots, temp swings) but you learn those things as you use it and learn to adapt. I use mine year 'round (I have an insulated winter cover for it) and have never had a problem with it.  Just like any similar rig, it pays to keep it cleaned out. (I have and old shop vac relegated solely to this task. There. You have my $0.02.


Thank you DOG!


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## smokepuppet (Apr 29, 2020)

SlowmotionQue said:


> I own a Rec Tec, albeit not the smallest one, and so mine was out of the $500.00 range.  If you're going to spend the extra $100.00 and go with a Rec Tec RT 340,  it retails for $599.00, you'll have a great pellet grill, and with excellent customer service and good build materials, in terms of the grate, firebox, etc.  However make sure that their small  RT340 grill, which has 340 sq in of grilling space, and they say  will hold about 3 racks of ribs,  will fit your needs in terms of how much food you're planning on cooking at once on your new pellet grill.
> 
> You can get a less expensive  grill which will hold more food than the  small Rec Tec RT 340.  But if you go cheaper than it, you risk purchasing a larger grill,  which is cheaper,  but it  has poor performance, poor build materials, and poor customer service.
> 
> ...


Very helpful, thank you slow mo!!


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## K9BIGDOG (Apr 29, 2020)

smokepuppet said:


> I'm thinking about the DLX 24 pro Camp Chef


That's the model I have. I added the front shelf and the Sidekick to mine.


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## candurin (Apr 29, 2020)

Have you Camp Chef owners been happy with the grills?  Im looking at the woodwind 24 or the SG 24 (which now has WiFi and the Gen2 PID).  There’s $100 difference between the two and it seems like the only difference is the woodwind has the bottom shelf underneath the grill, the colored display screen and 4 instead of 2 meat probes.  I’m feeding a family of 4 and may go up to as many as 12, if we are entertaining.  I don’t think the 36 is necessary (it’s not a budget issue, just not sure I need the larger size).

Any issues with rust, electronics or otherwise?


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## bigfurmn (Apr 29, 2020)

candurin said:


> Have you Camp Chef owners been happy with the grills?  Im looking at the woodwind 24 or the SG 24 (which now has WiFi and the Gen2 PID).  There’s $100 difference between the two and it seems like the only difference is the woodwind has the bottom shelf underneath the grill, the colored display screen and 4 instead of 2 meat probes.  I’m feeding a family of 4 and may go up to as many as 12, if we are entertaining.  I don’t think the 36 is necessary (it’s not a budget issue, just not sure I need the larger size).
> 
> Any issues with rust, electronics or otherwise?


I have yet to read or hear anyone on this site say "I should have gotten the smaller one".


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## SlowmotionQue (Apr 29, 2020)

bigfurmn said:


> I have yet to read or hear anyone on this site say "I should have gotten the smaller one".



No, I don't think I've ever heard that either.

However I have heard, "I'm glad that I didn't get the bigger one."  

That's close.


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## mike243 (Apr 30, 2020)

My Austin LX has 1008" of grate space, I have only filled it up 3-4 times in the last 2 years, but I like having the choice to load a lot more than normal if I want lol. I don't drive gas sipping hybrid cars, 2-4 door F150's lol


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## K9BIGDOG (Apr 30, 2020)

candurin said:


> Have you Camp Chef owners been happy with the grills?  Im looking at the woodwind 24 or the SG 24 (which now has WiFi and the Gen2 PID).  There’s $100 difference between the two and it seems like the only difference is the woodwind has the bottom shelf underneath the grill, the colored display screen and 4 instead of 2 meat probes.  I’m feeding a family of 4 and may go up to as many as 12, if we are entertaining.  I don’t think the 36 is necessary (it’s not a budget issue, just not sure I need the larger size).
> 
> Any issues with rust, electronics or otherwise?


My PG24DLX came with the the larger pellet hopper, the window and bottle opener and more importantly it has ports for two meat probes.  When I ordered it I was expecting it to only have one probe port so I guess they've upgraded the model.  It only came with a single probe in the box but I picked one up for under $20.


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## candurin (Apr 30, 2020)

I guess my only concern is that I have a 40” built in gas grill with infrared searing burner, and plenty of other outside gadgets.  I’d like to replace my 40” MES so I can graduate from an electric smoker to a pellet smoker.  I think the most we’ve ever made at one time (in almost 10 years of smoking) was 3 ribs, and 2 butts, which will easily fit on the 24.  Even then I would still have room for a tray of smoked Mac and cheese.

I am really just using the smoker for well, smoking!  I will not be purchasing any extras (sidekick, grill grates or otherwise).


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## danbono (May 1, 2020)

If customer service is important to you, look NO further then Rec Tec..The Rec Tec 590  is my 1st pellet grill. My  phone calls to them  went great..It is also an  excellent looking & built grill/smoker. Haven't done my 1st smoke on it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.


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## forktender (May 1, 2020)

SlowmotionQue said:


> $500.00, is not going to get you much in the way of a good good sized  pellet grill.


That's not true, with the holiday coming up and a lot of stores being closed because of this Covid 19 crap there will be some screaming deals to be had. I got a good size  Camp Chef a few years ago from Dick's for under $300 ( It was on close out) and I can smoke 6 racks of ribs or 2 brisket on it if I use the shelf, which is more than enough for my family. 

Personally I'm not very big fan of pellet pooper's I've had food off of at least 4 different brand pooper's and could barely smell of taste smoke on the food they produced. I still use my pooper when I'm being lazy, there is something to be said for their ease or use, at least for me there is. I have a horribly bad back being held together with rods, pins and screws, so getting up and down on long smokes is a thing of the past for me.
 So I'd be seriously looking at building a UDS or buying that M.B. Gravity but charcoal sure isn't easy to come by right now around here and when you do find it, it's not cheap at all.

I hope the O.P. enjoys his Camp Chef, I will say that mine has been perfect for at least 2 maybe 3 yrs as far as operation it's been awesome, I just like heavier smoke I guess coming from a reverse flow offset smoker. 

I highly recommend that the O.P. should buy a 10-12'' Amaz'in Smoke Tube and some Hickory dust to kick up the smoke flavor, without a smoke tube I would've ditched this thing yrs ago.

Best of luck too you.
Dan


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## forktender (May 1, 2020)

danbono said:


> If customer service is important to you, look NO further then Rec Tec..The Rec Tec 590  is my 1st pellet grill. My  phone calls to them  went great..It is also an  excellent looking & built grill/smoker. Haven't done my 1st smoke on it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.


Going from the smoker in your avatar to a pellet pooper is going to be challenging if you're anything like me.
I love the taste of the food that my reverse flow offset kicked out, but my back can't handle getting up and down to feed the damn thing, so I gifted it to a buddy. I sure miss the sticky black Texas briskets that thing use to kick out but it's was just too much for me and wood was hard to come by around here in the republic of kalifornistan other wise known as Mexifornia.


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## danbono (May 3, 2020)

Hi I still have a WSM 22"  for the bark and smoke flavor..Right now I'm doing an over night brisket on the Rec Tec..Meat temp 165* really nice bark surprised me..
Dan


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## jmtyndall (May 13, 2020)

Nobody has mentioned the Grilla Chimp yet. The Chimp is the same size as the RecTec people are recommending, but it's in your price range at $529. Grilla has amazing customer service, but everyone says that about their company. The Chimp does have an upper rack that most grills in that size range don't have, though it's only big enough for 1 rack of ribs, but that lets the grill hold 3 racks instead of 2 like the other tailgate sized grills.

Anyways, I'm a big fan of my Grilla over my old Traeger, though I don't have the Chimp. There's a Facebook group "My Grilla Grill Smoker" that people are always posting cooks, and recipes in. When someone has a problem, the owner chimes in to help them and they don't get banned, so that's pretty cool. If you're looking at a small sized, top tier grill then give the Chimp a look too. If you need a bigger grill and can't flex the budget then you'll give up some quality, but you can probably still find a decent grill. Don't forget to consider the used market.


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## Buckeye1 (May 13, 2020)

I looked at the Grilla, couldn't buy something from that state up north!!!  haha.

Seriously, I went Rec Tec for the WiFi and at the time they could not ship because their government considered them not essential.

could not be happier with the Rec Tec


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## jmtyndall (May 13, 2020)

The App store reviews of RecTec wifi are one of the things that drove me to look elsewhere lol. I didn't want to pay more for something and then have it not work for me.

That said, I've rarely ever seen someone with either grill that wished they'd bought the other instead. Do your research up front, buy what you like then just cook on the darn thing.


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## SlowmotionQue (May 13, 2020)

Buckeye1 said:


> I looked at the Grilla, couldn't buy something from that state up north!!!  haha.
> 
> Seriously, I went Rec Tec for the WiFi and at the time they could not ship because their government considered them not essential.
> 
> could not be happier with the Rec Tec



You went the right way.  Welcome aboard from a fellow Rec Tec owner.

You might not see anyone with either grill that wished they'd bought the other instead.

But I can show you someone who is glad that they didn't buy the other.


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## Buckeye1 (May 13, 2020)

The Wi-Fi works to e if you know-how to work a wireless router, which I dont. Haha. So I called the router OEM , and had them get it to link up properly and it works like a champ.


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## smokepuppet (May 16, 2020)

I have purchased the Camp Chef DLX and very happy  thanks all!!!


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## K9BIGDOG (May 16, 2020)

Congrats!  I have the same model and I really like it.


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## phoenix921 (May 17, 2020)

On the Rec Tec, if you buy the grates, does it do a good job searing a steak? I seen pit boss has direct flame broiled searing.


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## SlowmotionQue (May 17, 2020)

phoenix921 said:


> On the Rec Tec, if you buy the grates, does it do a good job searing a steak? I seen pit boss has direct flame broiled searing.



The right tool for the job.   And this from the owner of  a Rec Tec RT590.  

Pellet grills are going to leave a lot to be desired if you are trying to sear steaks with them.

They simply are  not the right tool the the job when it comes to searing a steak.

Pellet grills are great for grilling and smoking.  For searing, not so much.

The best way to sear a steak at home,  is with one of these.  1600°F








						Infrared Grill Showdown: Beefer Grill vs Inferno Grill vs Otto Wilde Grill
					

We look at the newest trend in outdoor cooking: Steakhouse quality infrared grills. We reviewed the top three models on the market.




					www.grillseeker.com
				
















	

		
			
		

		
	
O

Or barring that, then one of these.  A Kamado 1030-1100°F and cast iron.





						Review of Jealous Devil Lump Charcoal -- Naked Whiz Ceramic Charcoal Cooking
					

Review of Jealous Devil Lump Charcoal



					www.nakedwhiz.com
				

























And if neither of those,  if they are too expensive or unattainable, well then one of these filled with lump charcoal and put into a kettle type grill.  Truthfully, I'd buy one of these for much cheaper than one can buy "searing grates" for a pellet grill.  And I'd end up with a better seared steak.















And with a cast iron skillet placed over the top of it.  Dirt cheap.







Otherwise, if you're trying to "sear" a steak on a pellet grill which is capable of "maybe"  reaching temps  around 500° F, well  then IMO, you're just wasting time and fooling yourself..  Even with their "sear grates".


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## Winterrider (May 17, 2020)

The sear grates work, but it takes a long time from 225° when you pull steaks off at approximately 125° for it to reach the 500° again for searing.


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## schlotz (May 18, 2020)

With the right amount of research one can find a pellet grill that can sear a steak quite adequately. Now if you have to adjust some innards to allow direct heat that becomes a bit cumbersome IMO when wanting to reverse sear.  While my MAK can easily surpass 600ºƒ and does a real nice job of searing,  I don't use it much for that. It is way easier to set the MAK for smoking and take the meat over to the gas grill to finish the process.


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## SlowmotionQue (May 18, 2020)

schlotz said:


> With the right amount of research one can find a pellet grill that can sear a steak quite adequately. Now if you have to adjust some innards to allow direct heat that becomes a bit cumbersome IMO when wanting to reverse sear.  While my MAK can easily surpass 600ºƒ and does a real nice job of searing,  I don't use it much for that. It is way easier to set the MAK for smoking and take the meat over to the gas grill to finish the process.



I agree.

The right tool for the job.

One can remove bolts with a pair of pliers.   Drive nails with a brick or a large rock.  Turn screws with a knife.

But why, when the proper socket, wrench,  hammer, nail gun or screwdriver,  are all  available in this day and age?

These steaks were done on my Otto Wilde.  Using a MAK or any other pellet grill, or even one's home oven,  to get this kind of sear on these steaks would be like using a brick or a large stone to drive a 16D nail.

Can it be done?   Sure.   Absolutely.   Eventually.  Some time today.   You could frame an entire house using a stone , or a brick,  to drive your nails. And it would be just as well built as the house that was framed using the nail gun. 

It can be done........

But why????  

The right tool for the job.


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## migraine (May 18, 2020)

smokepuppet said:


> Sold my Masterbuilt smoker and going to pull the trigger on a pellet grill. Staying around a 500.00 budget. So many brands and types of pellet grills its getting confusing.
> Been looking at Traeger, Camp Chef, Pitboss Grills on line.
> 
> Welcome all or any comments as to quality, features and favorites and why would be appreciated.
> ...


Our costco is closing out the Louisiana Grills upright pellet smoker for $449(Sacramento, Ca)  If I was in the maket for another grill/smoker, I would consider it.  Specailly since Costoc has a good return/satisfaction policy.


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## phoenix921 (May 23, 2020)

Thanks for the replies, I can't decide between a RecTec or Kamado Joe. It will be used for smoked meats as well as steaks.


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## Inscrutable (May 23, 2020)

You might also consider a Searzall for searing


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## schlotz (May 23, 2020)

phoenix921 said:


> Thanks for the replies, I can't decide between a RecTec or Kamado Joe. It will be used for smoked meats as well as steaks.


Well from those that own the Kamado Joe you'll most likely receive very positive support and frankly you should expect the same from the Rec-Tec owners.  Bottom line they both can do the job. With Rec-Tec you are looking at a pellet driven heat source.  With the Joe you are dealing with either lump or charcoal plus wood chunks for the smoke and maybe a bit more fire management both before & after than the Rec-Tec.  I would put all the spec side by side and rank them most important to least.  Then see how they stack up.  It's going to come down to your preference


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## SlowmotionQue (May 24, 2020)

A Searzall will work, but it's slow and not practical for multiple steaks.  Searzall is good if you only have a steak or two to do.  It's also great if you're trying to brown other foods as well. 

 But to sear steaks with it, while it can be done, it is a slow method for searing a steak.   

I use mine to get a good  Maillard reaction on certain foods that I want to make look good.  It's great for that.


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