Traeger Grills: Expectations vs. Reality

Expectations vs. reality

When you see things online, from websites to social media it is often easy to build up a certain expectation.  Traeger Grills are no different. In the world of social media and promotion you are lead to believe that a Traeger Grill is the king, the best of the best but how true is that in reality?

Hot Box Stoves were fortunate to be invited to a Traeger training day! An ideal opportunity to put the expectations to the test and find out what the fuss is all about.

Being an American brand you can always expect the over-emphasis on how great things are, the almost bigger is better kind of style. Don’t get me wrong some of these grills in real life are pretty big!.

But getting under the hood of a Traeger is what you really need to do. It’s all well and good, looking big and impressive but does it actually do what it claims?

A Traeger Day of testing

Our invite saw us travel to Brockholes a fabulous location set up for a day of grilling! Upon arrival, we had a warm reception and everything you would expect from Traeger was there. (One thing about Traeger is they know how to market a brand.) Now, this could be a superb marketing campaign for an inferior product. Or they really do have something to be proud about.

Learning about the history behind a product can help you understand its purpose. An introduction into Traeger was provided and it was soon apparent that the need was a grill that didn’t ruin another Thanksgiving meal. Simple but I guess a genuine problem to solve.

Joe Traeger took this issue and set about creating the ultimate grilling machine.

Fast forward 20 or so years and the grilling experience has transformed. Technology has advanced and so have the core elements of Traeger yet the main purpose reamins. The ability to grill without failure.

No stone left unturned

When taking a product like a Traeger grill apart you will realize this is no normal BBQ. Imagine if you will compare a german engineered car like BMW or VW and compare it to a French model you would quickly see the quality difference. The same can be said about Traeger. The quality of the components let alone the build is superior.

The metals used, the finishes down to the tiny details of down draught exhausts and reverse augers, everything has been meticulously engineered and thought about.

As technology has advanced so have the standard options. Wifi controllers, digital displays built-in probes and hopper alerts. It has them all.

So looking at these grills in person you get a feel for the quality. Great there built to last and will certainly look the part in any garden. But do they actually make any difference when cooking?

What it really boils down to

Cooking is what you are really interested in. Forget the bells and whistles, the quality components can this thing actually cook?

As part of our training day, we had the full complement of grills to test and play with. From your travel companion Traeger Ranger right up to the mac daddy Timberline 1300.

So what is the difference between each grill? Why not just make one amazing grill.

My honest opinion is that they want to bring a grilling experience like Traeger to as many people as possible. The more you add to it and the better you make unfortunately the cost has to rise. Now for everyone its not always possible to have the best of the best, top of the range. So I feel Traeger has tried to offer a range for every budget.

Where do you start?

You may think that moving from gas or coal traditional cooking is scary. I mean what is pellet cooking anyway? (read our cooking with pellets guide for more on that!) Briefly cooking with pellets transforms your cooking experience. The Traeger grills all function via pellets.

This form of cooking is called indirect. Your traditional gas or coal BBQ’s are direct cooking. Whilst you whack your meat straight on the grid above a bed of hot coals or roaring flame. The Traeger takes your seasoned meats and gently surrounds them in a circulation of smoke and heat instead.

I would liken it to your favourite pillow, everyone has a favourite pillow and I think a Traeger grill is just that. Once you have experienced the cooking you won’t go back. (wow…just actually said that almost sounded like marketing)

So let’s jump straight in and look at what makes these grills different.

Our training day allowed us to create a burger from scratch. We rolled the minced pork and beef, seasoned with sea salt and the famous Traeger Rub. The first grill under test was the Traeger Ranger.

Small but mighty

The Traeger Ranger is the smallest option in the range. Whilst promoted as a travel companion it is still fairly bulky.

One issue is that it will require mains power. Now if you are in the middle of the wilderness that won’t be readily available. Traeger fully reassured me that a power bank can indeed power the grill (but this is an additional item to buy)

I feel perhaps building in some form of battery pack may be a good idea. But I guess that would add to the weight…

Cooking on the ranger is a breeze just like the marketing team suggested. Inbuilt with its hopper and feeder just like its bigger brothers and sisters. A generous hot plate and a digital controller make cooking simple.

To fire up the ranger just add your chosen pellets to the hopper, ensure it has power, and press ignite…

And that’s it.

No really…

That’s all you need to do. I stood in amazement with my beef patty in hand watching this little piece of ingenuity take over. No gas bottles, no coal not a firelighter insight. Within a few moments, the display was telling me that it was ready. On went, the beef patty of course using a Traeger spatula.

Dropping the lid and waiting in anticipation for my burger to grill, I grabbed my bun, lettuce tomatoes, and BBQ sauce. Not forgetting a slice of cheese as well. Flipped the burger and added the cheese. The smell was something else! Taste buds were most definitely watering.

It was not long until it was ready, cheese melted perfectly into the bun it went and just like that. The most flavoursome, juicy burger  I have ever made.

If this little machine managed to do that just imagine what is bigger counterparts can do!

A smoking beginner

It’s likely (from Traeger’s research) you are a first-time smoker. A novice per say to the pellet cooking style. If that’s the case your looking for advice. That friendly honest john style post about what you are getting into.

Dive into the world of smokers and your perception of cooking will be flipped upside down. If you have made pulled pork at home it will pale into insignificance once you smoke it…

If your starting out then heading into the entry-level Traeger is your safest bet. I mean you could start with the ranger but for a family, it’s probably best to step up a level.

Now calling it entry level is probably wrong, whilst it is at the bottom of the Traeger range it is by no means lacking

The Pro Series grill makes it simple to achieve incredible wood-fired flavor. Set-It & Forget-It® ease and precise temperature control help you create unforgettable meals.

I’m ready to step it up

Garden envy will be on the menu when you step up to the Ironwood series. The ideal option if your upgrading from a Webber kettle BBQ or smaller gas grill perhaps. By stepping up to Ironwood you are expanding your cooking range whilst maintaining that simpliciy and ease.

Ok, so what am I getting that I won’t get with a pro series?

The core of the concept remains however the cooking style improves. You will note that the pro-series has its external chimney a nod to the traditional smoker grills and its original form. As with any smoke/heat it will rise and find the quickest way out that being the chimney. Therefore your cooking chamber will only see the smoke once before it exits, it not a bad thing but makes a difference.

The Ironwood series has an engineered down draught exhaust built into the back. What does that mean? This style of exhaust enables the smoke and heat to circulate within your cooking chamber gently rotating around your joint. Thus making the perfect smoked flavours into the meat.

Coupled with its exhaust system, the sides of the grill have been double insulated, locking in that extra heat for superior consistency.

Go big or go home

Should you be upgrading your existing smoker or your just the kinda person who wants the big boy’s toys, you won’t be disappointed with a Timberline Series.

Our premiere grill, the Timberline redefines what’s possible in the world of outdoor cooking. It boasts next-gen features and premium construction to deliver the ultimate grilling experience.

Premium is the only way to describe this model. Built to cook up a feast in its vast cooking area. Three Tiers of grilling space no less.

Extra touches that its little brother Ironwood didn’t have like a magnetic bamboo cutting board and stainless steel front shelf for added convenience.

Like the ironwood upgrade to its sides, the Timberline has its Fully insulated construction that maintains consistent temps even in cold conditions. Including the back and lid!

Not only that it comes with extra buttons namely Super Smoke Mode! just one push of a button and you will get maximum wood flavour!

Getting your meat closer to the heat allows you to sear steak!

As expected or bitterly disappointed?

So the top and bottom of it, the real reason you are here is it all just marketing BS?

On this occasion NO it most definitely is not. What they claim is what it does and better in my opinion. From the ease and convenience to the amazing flavours what could make it possibly any better?

Hands-on experience is what makes you understand just how different it is. If you’re considering a Traeger Grill I would highly recommend getting in front of a demo unit and firing it up. Experience the flavours and ease first hand.

No sales pitch or written information could possibly compare to the real experience.

Hot Box Stoves are pleased to offer you a FREE to use demo unit, come and try it for yourself and experience that difference. It would be almost safe to say that once you have cooked a burger or smoked some pork you will have one in the back of the car and ready to set up in your garden.

Yes, it really is that good. I think it may be time to upgrade your outdoor cooking.