Pellet smoker ?'s

Yoder YS 640 I have had mine for about 4 months and love it. They are built like a tank and in the USA. Cooks great, with a nice smoke ring. They don't take as much attention as a stick burner.

wsmbgm said:

As a "newbie", just curious about pro's and con's of a pellet smoker and recommended brands. Thanks in advance.
WSM

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I would say the biggest pro is ease of use. They are literally as easy as using your indoor oven. They are fantastic for long cooks, such as overnight, where you can just set it where you want it and go to bed. In the morning it will still be right where you want even if the weather has cooled down a lot etc. Food is consistently great. (or at least, when it isn't the smoker isn't to blame)

On the con side, as mentioned, the smoke flavor is lighter -- personal preference whether that's good or bad. Personally, I like to add some more, my wife likes it the way it is. They also use electricity to run which means you probably need to be a little more careful in the rain. (though lots of people including me haven't had an issue with that.

On brands, Traeger is the dominant player but there are better choices at all price levels (IMO). A good entry level choice is Camp Chef. Little higher up (and larger) I'd consider Rec Tec and Yoder. MAK and FEC are supposed to be great too but out of my personal budget range.

For the size and money, I still think RecTec is a good choice. The Yoder is better I think but not quite as sure on the "bang for buck" measure.

Well, why break the string here. I've owned a Yoder YS640 and currently own a Yoder YS1500. They cook a great end product with good smoke and a great texture. The build quality is stellar and the customer service before and after the sale is even better. Absolutely no regrets, it's been one of the best purchases I've ever made. The smoke flavor and texture are nearly identical on a YS1500 and a Yoder Kingman stickburner. I've cooked on both side by side and did comparison cooks and the similarities are quite amazing. I too, say Yoder is the way to go.

I have to go with the Yoder for all the above mentioned reasons. The only regret I've had with mine is not getting a bigger one like the 640 and I would almost kill to have a 1500. Also at its price point it has the best direct grill feature IMHO.

With that said I believe a rec tec is very acceptable and their service is right up there with Yoder.

Whatever brand you end up with, I know a pellet grill/ smoker will not disappoint

I agree with pretty much everything said above. The other way to add more smoke flavor is to start your cook on the low "smoke" setting for at least 3 hours (some people go longer). Then raise the temp to your normal cooking temperature. I am a fan of the MAK cookers. Great build and the best programmable controller around.

Interesting Post.
Now I hate to be offside but I have just sold my GMG .
reason is its not touchy feely enough for me.
Please note I said me.
I much prefer my Kettle and Acorn and my Aussie built offset.
more hands on for my way of BBQ.
just my opinion.
I do have an empty nest, just me and the Wife.( she loves her Gas Weber )

I just purchased a GMG Jim Bowie. I absolutely love it. After cooking on my UDS and weber kettles for the last few years I love the size of the smoker, ease of use and it can hold a lot of meat! Yes it is like an oven were you turn it on and basically wait for the food to be done, not much "tending the fire " Except for adding pellets when needed over long cooks. but for me I get a great smoke flavour and so far no complaints about the food!! We're I live I didnt have many options on brands or types of smokers to buy. What ever you get, research the diff brands and get what best suits you. So far I give GMG a big thumbs up!

Different strokes for different folks and all that, but, I like to work the fire on my cooks. To me its not just about the food, to me its about the cook. Menu planning, prep, fire management and presentation are more fun to me than the actual cooking. Most times I don't eat much of my BBQ.

Having owned and used 2 Traegers, a Yoder YS640 and a FEC100, if having to choose only one, I'd go with the Yoder. By far the most smoke output of the three and it produced some solid prouct. I only sold the Yoder because I needed more rack space, which I got with the FEC. And like Ron L. stated above, no one has every told me I needed more smoke flavor. Now I am to the point where I need even more rack space.

I bought the Traeger Jr. Elite. First was price. Second I had never used a pellet pooper so if I didn't like it no big deal. I have used it frequently over the last few months. The only mod was adding firebricks to control temp swings. You can change the "P" setting so control the amount of smoke. The only downside is the hopper is rather small so you have to check the pellets every 3 or 4 hours.

We have the GMG Daniel Boone and use it alot temp settings from 150° - 500° and the hopper lasts about 12 hours at 350°. I think it is one of the best bang for the buck but I thnk I would go with a Yoder if I bought another.

These were cooked in my YS640, Built like a tank and an excellent cooker.

I have owned a Traeger Texas for a few years now and purchased a FEC-100 a few months back. I love the consistent smoke and temp that I get from pellet smokers - well spent money. I was looking at a Yoder and that might be where I go for another backyard addition but I love my FEC. I will probably add a FEC 120 or a 300 in the coming year for my catering side. I guess it all depends on what your goal is for your cooker.

I get great results with my Rec Tec. I like to start out at a lower temp to get a good smoke going them turn it up. I went with Rec Tec because of their great reviews and customer service and it was easy to buy. 6 year warranty is nice too. Very large cooking surface was another reason.

Memphis Pro owner for the past year. Excellent build quality and fit and finish. Smoke level is more than adequate for me.

If you need more smoke try a Smoke Daddy pellet smoke generator. Heck of a lot of smoke, but the smoke time is only about 2hrs, although it is re-chargeable during the run

I currently have a Traeger - I use a smoke tube to help me get the smoke flavor I get from my R&O Stick burner ... having used a Yoder, a Rec, and a FEC if I go with another pellet cooker it will be a Yoder. However I am getting a Vault before that due to capacity.

Pros of a Pellet cooker - ease of use and more sleep
Cons - less smoke and sometimes it can be difficult to find pellets