Pellet Smokers.....which one?

[Fly Carpin]

Pellet grills remind me of fish and ski boats.

Can both smoke and grill, but fairly lame at both.

Holy moly. This is the most accurate description of a pellet burner I've read. my GMG sucks for searing, sucks for smoking fish, and is pretty damn mediocre for wings, ribs, pork shoulders, and brisket.

 

[MarbleEyez]

Holy moly. This is the most accurate description of a pellet burner I've read. my GMG sucks for searing, sucks for smoking fish, and is pretty damn mediocre for wings, ribs, pork shoulders, and brisket.

Why do you say "Mediocre"? Is it not enough smoke? You've got me curious!

 

[guywhofishes]

Pellet grills are curious beasts. I think the issue is that by design they need to move a LOT of air (pellet burner fan thingy) whether smoking and/or grilling or whatever you might call their hybrid cooking function.

For smoking one often wants thin blue haze smoke and moistish air (water tray at bottom). What one does NOT is a lot of air movement that dries meat out. Boo. Hiss.

For grilling a guy wants it freaking HOT in some areas with an indirect area as well for certain items/techniques and for a stationing area.

I think pellet grills have the smoke right (it's thin and blue) and that's about it. Their other attributes are just sorta in the middle wonky.

My two brothers really get into the outdoor meat cooking crafts. They both have gas grills, classic round charcoal Webers, BGEs, pellets, etc. But they don't have true smokers and all their attempts fail pretty consistently.

I'm not a fan of their Big Green Eggs in particular. Anything done for more than a coupe hours tastes way too smoky for my tastes - almost creosote-ish. Blech. Maybe BGE's are truly grills for pizzas and steaks and burgers and aren't meant for low/slow? I'm no expert.

My bro from HI makes the best ribs we've ever had - every time. He does it on a crappy little round charcoal briquet classic using an indirect method. He's sitting on many thousands of $$$ in steel and technology from around the world... and his go-to for ribs is a $50 grill. Ha ha.

That said - I haven't looked at any pellets in a few years so maybe they got some things figured out.

 

[Freedom]

No soul in pellet grills, same can be said about electric augers but that's another thread

 

[7mmMag]

No soul in pellet grills, same can be said about electric augers but that's another thread

So do you cook on an open fire? Cut holes in the ice with hand saws? Anything other than that is soulless.

 

[Freedom]

So do you cook on an open fire? Cut holes in the ice with hand saws? Anything other than that is soulless.

If someone knows what their doing almost any smoker makes better food than a pellet grill but it takes skill and time. I use a drum smoker, doesn't require as much skill as an offset but imo puts out a better end product than pellets.

 

[Fester]

Pretty sure this thread was about pellet grills....my choice GMG for cheaper end..Yoder for higher end.
Oh and yes Josh at smokin steel grills is an awesome guy with awesome customer service..a ton of different pellets.

 

[Wall-eyes]

Well now I am perplexed and might have to start my fishing pontoon search again.

Hell not i just cant.

 

[Fly Carpin]

Why do you say "Mediocre"? Is it not enough smoke? You've got me curious!

Maybe mediocre is the wrong term. Like others have said, it just lacks that undefinable soul that you get from a real wood or charcoal burning smoker. Plus I've replaced the mother board and two thermal sensors in less than three years of owning it due to WILD temp swings. Moderate temps, low wind, trying to hold it at 225 and it has been known to swing from 160 to 375 during a cook. Not cool

 

[eyexer]

Got a Z grill for Xmas. Used it four times. So far I really like it. I’ve never had a pellet grill. But do have an electric smoker that shit the bed and a gas grill. The pellet grill only gets to 400 so it’s not a searing grill. But that’s fine because I fire up the gas grill to reverse sear steaks, etc after slow cooking in the Z grill. It’s not fast but it does a good job and great flavor. I did notice you have to watch brats closely because as mentioned they will dry out quick from the air. At least that’s what I think was starting to happen. Brats are best on the gas grill but requires more attention and when it’s this damn cold out I don’t want to hover over the grill. So in a nutshell if I had only one grill I’d have to chose gas. But since I needed a smoker it made sense. It does a good job of smoking. I did some short ribs for six hours and they were really good. I didn’t put in a water pan but I probably will next smoke I do.

 

[johnr]

This fancy effr I just picked up this afternoon has a down draft smoke lid, which is supposed to circulate the smoke around the cook area much more than the old design. It also has a "super smoke" option, with the push of a button it should add considerably more smoke.

Of course I haven't tried it yet, and it will likely be a week or so, as we have now dipped into the -40 range.

As far as pellet grills being to easy, I guess that is exactly what I am looking for. Driving my pickup is pretty easy too, but I am sure you hikers out there think I suck for not also hiking, and taking that easy drive home from work each day..

 

[CatDaddy]

I've had an Oklahoma Joe's Rider DLX 1200 for 3 years now and am very happy with it. It's lower end of cost as far as pellet grills go and large (1200+ sq inches of cooking space). It's good from 175 to 575 degrees IME and lives up to it. Uses a sliding handle to open the heat baffle for "sear" mode. It's modular with many smoking attachments, allows for dumping the hopper into a bucket that holds 20 lbs, cap to catch and dump ash, and build very well. No wifi but time and temp settings with 2 probes.

I've done countless smokes and add a pellet tube if I feel the need for extra smoke. Done everything from smoked ribs, mac and cheese, poppers, turkeys, venison, brisket as well as grilled steaks, burgers, chicken, brats, veggies, and more. Really couldn't be happier, especially for the price. It's $899 today but was $499 when I bought during Covid.

I also own a tripod grill for over a fire and use that sometimes during the summer. Usually can't beat that!

https://www.oklahomajoes.com/rider-dlx-1200-pellet-grill

 

[Fester]

I've had an Oklahoma Joe's Rider DLX 1200 for 3 years now and am very happy with it. It's lower end of cost as far as pellet grills go and large (1200+ sq inches of cooking space). It's good from 175 to 575 degrees IME and lives up to it. Uses a sliding handle to open the heat baffle for "sear" mode. It's modular with many smoking attachments, allows for dumping the hopper into a bucket that holds 20 lbs, cap to catch and dump ash, and build very well. No wifi but time and temp settings with 2 probes.

I've done countless smokes and add a pellet tube if I feel the need for extra smoke. Done everything from smoked ribs, mac and cheese, poppers, turkeys, venison, brisket as well as grilled steaks, burgers, chicken, brats, veggies, and more. Really couldn't be happier, especially for the price. It's $899 today but was $499 when I bought during Covid.

I also own a tripod grill for over a fire and use that sometimes during the summer. Usually can't beat that!

https://www.oklahomajoes.com/rider-dlx-1200-pellet-grill

Best bbq joint in Kansas in my opinion! Oklahoma joes is a must if you get down there.

 

[Whisky]

I can agree with the traditionalists POV on pellet ovens. There is something about cooking over real coal and wood that is awesome. On the other end of the spectrum, I think pellet ovens are way overhyped by ppl with no grilling or cooking skills whatsoever. I fall somewhere in the middle. They serve a purpose for me at times. But I also know their limitations.

 

[espringers]

i've got a weber charcoal, a nice sized gas, and a pit boss pellet/charcoal side by side combo that i picked up for nearly half off just before christmas. if anyone cares, there are a couple more at tsc in devils lake. $350 already assembled. regular price 599 i believe. anyways, yeah... they all sort have their place. but, i will say this: if you are stuck with just a gas grill, those smoke tubes work just fine. i paired one or two of those with a gas grill for the better part of 15 years and can't say i ever had any complaints. the control of gas is nice. its not super heavy smoke. but, nobody usually wants that anyway.

 

[Jiffy]

used a couple tuna fish cans covered in aluminum foil with a few holes poked in it for most of my younger/poorer years.

You can catch a fish with a cane pole too if you have to....

 

[johnr]

I can agree with the traditionalists POV on pellet ovens. There is something about cooking over real coal and wood that is awesome. On the other end of the spectrum, I think pellet ovens are way overhyped by ppl with no grilling or cooking skills whatsoever. I fall somewhere in the middle. They serve a purpose for me at times. But I also know their limitations.

Is it that the people have zero skills, or is it that the ribs off a pellet grill, or gas grill with a smoke tube taste basically the same, and get the fam just as excited as the ones a fella tending a traditional smoker for 9 hours does, so why do all that work for the close to exact flavor and award winning taste.

I don't have to build my pickup to enjoy driving it. Someone has already done that.

But I also make a living outside of smoking meat, so putting a ton of effort into a meal that is likely going to get the ravs just the same as the fella that worked hard for several hours makes zero sense to me, but when I retire and have no other project to do, such as a fish to catch, woman to hump, shit to take, I will build a smoke house from ground up, move into the woods, make my own shine, hunt a critter, age said critter, spend days tending the perfect center pit fire in my stone smoke house and you fuckers will really taste the effort, like no one has ever put out. Then I will eat my words I tell ya.

 

[wslayer]

I like the fact I can throw a rack of ribs, pork butt or whatever, set the temp and go golf 18 without a worry. Can monitor turning temp up or down from phone.
My MB electric gets triple the use for the fact of the lower temp possibilities for jerky, sausage, or smoking fish. Only downfall of that rig is max temp of 300°

 

[FightingSioux]

My $180 Walmart special pellet grill does the job for me. Cooks wings, chicken, stuffed mushrooms and ribs just fine to me. Don’t need to mess with it much, set it and forget it. Might not be the best way to smoke food but does a good enough job for me!

 

[Whisky]

Is it that the people have zero skills, or is it that the ribs off a pellet grill, or gas grill with a smoke tube taste basically the same, and get the fam just as excited as the ones a fella tending a traditional smoker for 9 hours does, so why do all that work for the close to exact flavor and award winning taste.

I don't have to build my pickup to enjoy driving it. Someone has already done that.

But I also make a living outside of smoking meat, so putting a ton of effort into a meal that is likely going to get the ravs just the same as the fella that worked hard for several hours makes zero sense to me, but when I retire and have no other project to do, such as a fish to catch, woman to hump, shit to take, I will build a smoke house from ground up, move into the woods, make my own shine, hunt a critter, age said critter, spend days tending the perfect center pit fire in my stone smoke house and you fuckers will really taste the effort, like no one has ever put out. Then I will eat my words I tell ya.

Yes, some people have zero skills.

As I said though, they do serve a purpose (convenience).