Wild Will Bartell Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 I’m finally getting settled in to my new digs. The floors are done, the new furniture delivered, and now I’m faced with possibly the most important decision I’ll make regarding new purchases... What kind of grill/ smoker should I buy??? I’ve seen the dual charcoal/propane ones and they look like a good bet, but I also saw something called a ‘Texas Triple’ that is a charcoal/propane grill with a real wood smoker all in one unit. Anyone have any experience with these combination units? They seem more close-efficient than buying three separate units. All input will be appreciated. WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 If you want a truly good grill it will cost you some coin unless you happen to luck into one on Craigslist. Problem with most combo rigs is that they don't really do anything as well as a dedicated cooker. You can read some good unbiased reviews on AmazingRibs.com. Lots of good advice, cooking techniques and recipes too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Traeger pellet grill does it all, smoke, bake, grill. I have a Weber also but use the Traeger 90% of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Will Bartell Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 Dave-I’ve just spent some time on that website-WOW! Can’t wait to get started on some of the recipes. I like the fact that they review all of the products fairly objectively. Yul-I’ve seen pellet grills around, but I’m not familiar with the concept. What’s the advantage over the more traditional grills/smokers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Rick Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe - you can grill, smoke or bake. No electricity or propane bottles - not that there's anything wrong with either... Downsides: not inexpensive and heavy (put 'em where you want 'em the first time!) Check out kamadoguru.com Rotisserie pork loin and chicken. I've maintained ~250F for 20 hours never opening the lid when smoking three pork shoulders. I've grilled burgers and sausages to perfection. Bacon wrapped, cheese filled chicken. I've made the best tasting pizza - takes about 10 minutes at 500F. Chicken, shrimp & oysters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Will Bartell Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 5 minutes ago, Chief Rick said: Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe - you can grill, smoke or bake. No electricity or propane bottles - not that there's anything wrong with either... Downsides: not inexpensive and heavy (put 'em where you want 'em the first time!) Check out kamadoguru.com Rotisserie pork loin and chicken. I've maintained ~250F for 20 hours never opening the lid when smoking three pork shoulders. I've grilled burgers and sausages to perfection. Bacon wrapped, cheese filled chicken. I've made the best tasting pizza - takes about 10 minutes at 500F. Chicken, shrimp & oysters. Ok Rick; I’m bringing the beer. What time are we doing this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 1 hour ago, Wild Will Bartell said: Dave-I’ve just spent some time on that website-WOW! Can’t wait to get started on some of the recipes. I like the fact that they review all of the products fairly objectively. Yul-I’ve seen pellet grills around, but I’m not familiar with the concept. What’s the advantage over the more traditional grills/smokers? You have your choice of what kind of pellets you use, many to choose from. You can slow smoke below 200 degrees or crank it up to 450+ degrees for grilling. I’ve had mine about 15 years and other than a cold solder connection it’s been trouble free. Get one with the digital controller, you’ll be glad you did. I vacuum out the ash pot about once a month and empty the liner in the grease pail and replace it with another and I’m good to go for another month. If we have meat, fish or chicken it’s done on the Traeger. Put it on set the temp and come back a few hours later and it’s done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Will Bartell Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 12 minutes ago, Yul Lose said: You have your choice of what kind of pellets you use, many to choose from. You can slow smoke below 200 degrees or crank it up to 450+ degrees for grilling. I’ve had mine about 15 years and other than a cold solder connection it’s been trouble free. Get one with the digital controller, you’ll be glad you did. I vacuum out the ash pot about once a month and empty the liner in the grease pail and replace it with another and I’m good to go for another month. If we have meat, fish or chicken it’s done on the Traeger. Put it on set the temp and come back a few hours later and it’s done. Thanks, Yul-I’ll look into one of those. If it’s trouble free, it’s for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 1 minute ago, Wild Will Bartell said: Thanks, Yul-I’ll look into one of those. If it’s trouble free, it’s for me. To be fair to Chief Rick, Mrs. Lose asked me what I wanted for Bday/Christmas present this year and I told her a Big Green Egg or Kamodo Joe, sometimes I’m cooking enough I could keep the Traeger, Weber and one of the egg cookers busy all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Will Bartell Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 4 minutes ago, Yul Lose said: To be fair to Chief Rick, Mrs. Lose asked me what I wanted for Bday/Christmas present this year and I told her a Big Green Egg or Kamodo Joe, sometimes I’m cooking enough I could keep the Traeger, Weber and one of the egg cookers busy all day. Wow, you fellas are inspiring me! Looks like a bad time for me to try to lose some weight... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 34 minutes ago, Yul Lose said: You have your choice of what kind of pellets you use, many to choose from. You can slow smoke below 200 degrees or crank it up to 450+ degrees for grilling. I’ve had mine about 15 years and other than a cold solder connection it’s been trouble free. Get one with the digital controller, you’ll be glad you did. I vacuum out the ash pot about once a month and empty the liner in the grease pail and replace it with another and I’m good to go for another month. If we have meat, fish or chicken it’s done on the Traeger. Put it on set the temp and come back a few hours later and it’s done. Everything I have ever read about pellet grills like the Traeger is to get one with the digital temperature controller or don't bother. You cannot properly regulate the heat on the ones without. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Just now, Sedalia Dave said: Everything I have ever read about pellet grills like the Traeger is to get one with the digital temperature controller or don't bother. You cannot properly regulate the heat on the ones without. You are correct. The older controllers had a potentiometer that you had to fiddle with all of the time and you never could set it very accurately. I was much happier when I replaced it with the digital controller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 We have a Traeger at work and the guys do everything on it including smoked pizza. Sounds weird but boy is it good. Nothing’s better than fresh Salmon or Steelhead smoked on a Treager. There is another brand here that gives Traegers a run for their money. They are Green Mountain smokers. https://greenmountaingrills.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw4avaBRBPEiwA_ZetYqjIu_lFQQtwng8hWgN6e1wX7DL_kdxSiFzXuBAxYJq6b4fHc6fRKxoCq_oQAvD_BwE I have no real experience using either of these grills but I do like the results. I like the splint gas / charcoal grill idea but I have to kill the gas grill I have first...don’t ask... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 6 hours ago, Yul Lose said: To be fair to Chief Rick, Mrs. Lose asked me what I wanted for Bday/Christmas present this year and I told her a Big Green Egg or Kamodo Joe, sometimes I’m cooking enough I could keep the Traeger, Weber and one of the egg cookers busy all day. Look at the Primo XL -- made in America, and it cooks like a champ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Please don't settle for just one grill. If the bug bites you, you'll have three or four. I have a Primo Oval XL, an offset smoker, and a Blaz'n Grill Works pellet pooper. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses. As Sedalia Dave said, Amazing Ribs is a great place to start. It is full of reviews and techniques, as well as busting old myths. Franklin Barbecue: A Meat-Smoking Manifesto, by Aaron Franklin is a nice book to read, especially if you get an offset smoker. Grab Myron Mixon's Smokin' with Myron Mixon: Backyard 'Cue Made Simple. It has all of the basics for making rubs, injections, sauces and the like. There are a lot of tips to cooking, as well as recipes. Welcome to the great big BBQ world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Rick Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 9 hours ago, Yul Lose said: To be fair to Chief Rick, Mrs. Lose asked me what I wanted for Bday/Christmas present this year and I told her a Big Green Egg or Kamodo Joe, sometimes I’m cooking enough I could keep the Traeger, Weber and one of the egg cookers busy all day. And I keep looking at the Traeger pellet smokers. I have all three Kamado Joe's but only consistently use the Big Joe. I use the Classic when I want to rotisserie as they didn't have that option for the Big Joe when I purchased it. The Joe Junior hasn't been used in quite a a while. My former boss had a Green Mountain. He did everything on his that I did on mine. I believe that using the pellet smoker/grill is easier, or at least doesn't have as steep a learning curve. It takes a little while to learn how to control the temp in an egg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 3 hours ago, Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 said: Look at the Primo XL -- made in America, and it cooks like a champ. They’ve got those at Costco out here and I’ve looked at it a couple of times. Looks well made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Okie Sawbones, SASS #77381 Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 4 hours ago, Yul Lose said: They’ve got those at Costco out here and I’ve looked at it a couple of times. Looks well made. It is made well, and cooks very great with lump charcoal and wood chunks. Here is a turkey that I cooked on it. And a brisket. And spare ribs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wild Will Bartell Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 I’m going to be looking at the Traeger pellet grill and very probably one of the egg-shaped ceramic grills as well. I may be coming into a little windfall soon, so I’ll have more options available. Okie-I like your idea of having more than one, but as Dave suggested, not all-in-one. Also, thanks for the suggested reading on the subject. I’ve been grilling my entire adult life, but not as a science. When I grill, I figure out how I want the meat to taste (Cajun, smoked, rubbed,etc) and I just cook it “‘till it’s done” as my dad used to say. I guess for me, it’s a means to an end; that end being delicious food going to my guests as well as into my pie-hole. Thank everyone so much for all of the input-I am truly inspired and will try to make grilling a science from now on. WWB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yul Lose Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Okie Sawbones ought to know what he’s talking about, in his real life he’s a BBQ cook off judge in his spare time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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