Going to pull the trigger on a pellet pooper

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Brahern02

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May 26, 2020
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Brendan
Ok so I’ve been back and forth on this for awhile, but I think it’s a good time for me to pick up a pellet grill. Wife and I sold our camper and I brought the 2015 Weber kettle home. Going to retire my 2001 kettle. Really don’t need 2 if I get a pellet grill. Won’t have room anyway.

Ok, so here is what I have it narrowed down to. Other suggestions welcome if in the same price range with similar size/features. Size I’m not entirely sure of yet. But bigger is probably better. For features, I definitely want WiFi monitoring and control. Convenience plays a huge role in this for me. Other than that, I’m looking for good quality. Here is the list I’ve come up with over the last few weeks.

Weber smoke fire gen 2. Again, not sure about size. Both look to have ample room.

Recteq 590 or 700. Both look to be great machines.

Camp chef woodwind WiFi 36. Removable ash catcher looks like a winner to me.

Pit Boss 1600 pro series. It’s huge, good price, double insulated etc. Not sure how much double insulated makes a difference. I’m in the Chicago area and would like to use in the winter.

I also have a Pit Barrel Cooker for smoking, and I will definitely be keeping that too.

All of these seem like good cookers. The recteq 700 and the bigger smoke fire would be top of my budget for sure. 1200 would be my limit. A bit cheaper would be better, hence I included the smaller smoke fire and the recteq 590.

What do you guys think?
 
If in your shoes, I would more than likely go with the Camp Chef. Lot of bang for your buck, with some really nice features.
 
I have the Smoke Fire Ex6 1st revision. I went through a lot of back and forth with Weber on getting it fixed, that said, It had been pretty flawless since the upgrade. I assume the second generation has all of the problems worked out and is much like mine. I do believe it is a better grill than smoker. If you put pans under your meat so it doesn't start a grease fire, it will definitely smoke well, with great smoke flavor.

While I was back and forth with Weber, I bought a Pitts and Spitts Maverick 2000. I've had many pellet smokers over the years and this one is the best one I've had by far.

I sold my Camp Chef Woodwind 24" to buy the Weber, not because it was a bad smoker, I wanted more room and the Weber was new and shiny. The Camp Chef Woodwind is a solid smoker and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one.

I kept the Weber because of it's grilling capabilities. It fills the void I have for quick cooks because I don't own a gas grill. When I cook steaks, I throw Grill Grates on it for the sear. For everything else, I just use it like I would on a gas grill.

My first pellet smoker was a Yoder 640 and I loved it. I ended up selling it to fund my Outlaw stick burner. Yoder makes a solid pellet grill as well.
 
Have a look at Grilla Grills. They're in your neck of the woods, double insulated, stainless steel and about $700.
 
I had a Pit Boss Austin XL for a few years and cooked a lot on it. It was a very solid cooker and put out great food. The newer Pro Series units look nice and the warranty is good at 5yrs. I sold it when I got my Yoder and the Yoder is definitely very different, but I do think in that price range Pit Boss is tough to beat. I also looked at the Camp Chef's when deciding on the Pit Boss but ultimately ended up with the Pit Boss just because I found one on clearance. I think RecTeq makes a solid unit, but I couldn't get past the used car salesman marketing and videos.
 
I love my RT 590. A couple of the features that led me to it were the ceramic ignition rod. Lots of stainless steel components. Great customer service. Amazing PID controller that has worked absolutely flawlessly. It has done nothing but meet and exceed my expectations. I got the 590 because I didn't want to drop 300 more dollars for the 700, but the 700 is a beast. Only thing is I do wish it had a pellet dump. #RecTeqlifestyle
 
I believe the Rec Tec is a better built cooker than the Camp Chef. That is coming from several reviews I have read over the last couple years from those who have owned both. But that is the internet so take with grain of salt. As sweetheat says, there are certain things in the RT that are really good for the money. Great controller, ceramic ignitor, great customer service and stainless construction.

I have been using my 590 a ton and had it for right at a year. Trouble free and a great cooker. Very happy with it.

I don't really miss the ash dump. It is easy enough to use a shop vac to empty out. Only takes a couple minutes and is not a big deal. Pellet dump sounds like a good idea but I would rather just settle on a pellet I like and stick with it. If you end up with a pellet you hate, there are several ways to scoop them out of the hopper.

I have never felt I didn't have enough room on my 590. Since you still have a weber kettle and a PBC you have plenty cooking capacity for entertaining.

Grilla Silverbac is a good option too. But the only part of it insulated is the lid. Pellet Pro is another good option in the same price range.
 
I just got my Pitts & Spitts Maverick 850 about a month ago. For me so far anyway, it has been great.
 
RecTec is not insulated.

I've read of many that cook at low temps with no issues.

Uses more pellets when it's super cold outside but that is the only thing.
 
Do not hesitate to buy a RecTeq 700. I have one in MN and it works flawlessly. I would purchase a cheap welding blanket to cover it with though if you are going to use it in the winter. 700 comes with a 6 year warranty. I've had mine now for about a year, called customer support once for a small tear in the cover. They sent a new one out free of charge and was able to keep the torn one. Fantastic customer service and they are always live on Facebook and Youtube with cooking shows.
 
AussieMatt said:
Have a look at Grilla Grills. They're in your neck of the woods, double insulated, stainless steel and about $700.
Click to expand...

I can't recommend this company. It's not a bad design within the parameters of the basic import template it's based on (Z Grills is another that uses it); in fact I would say with its upgraded specs it offers the best value in its class-- all other things being equal.

But that's where my praise ends.

I recently ordered a Silverbac Alpha as a gift for my son-in-law. When the crate arrived it was labeled correctly on the outside and initialled in several places by an inspector, but what the crate contained was a damaged earlier non-Alpha version. Lengthy back and forth communication with Grilla finally sorted things out, but . . . to be charitable, I'll just leave it at that.
 
Purchased a Weber EX6 for the two of us' use. I like the bigger size since sometimes we cook for 4-5 other people as well as for us. Can't do that with the smaller EX4. It's a Gen2 bought in December 2020. Done 18 hour briskets, reverse sear tomahawk steaks, sausages, wings, Chex Mix, pizza and anything else you can think of. Smoked Canadian Bacon 2 months ago that turned out beautifully. I have a Masterbuilt 560 and 1050 sitting under covers that I haven't used once since getting the Smokefire
 
I love my Smokefire and use it at least a couple of times a week. I had a Grilla Silverback and sold it to a friend. Nothing wrong with it but didn't produce enough smoke flavor for my liking. The Smokefire doesn't have that issue and produces great flavor.
 
RT590 here and love it. My only complaint is the notifications on the app. You can't pick and choose which ones to get. And they can be annoying.
 
I saw the Weber Smokefire EX6 tonight for the first time in person. It was much larger than I was expecting. Looked really impressive next to some other pellet grills around.

I saw the $1k Kamado Big Joe mentioned in another thread. I was so tempted on both of them, but I can't bite at the moment. House is undergoing some big renovations that are going to put my purchasing off for another 2 months most likely.
 
SweetHeatBBQnSC said:
I love my RT 590. A couple of the features that led me to it were the ceramic ignition rod. Lots of stainless steel components. Great customer service. Amazing PID controller that has worked absolutely flawlessly. It has done nothing but meet and exceed my expectations. I got the 590 because I didn't want to drop 300 more dollars for the 700, but the 700 is a beast. Only thing is I do wish it had a pellet dump. #RecTeqlifestyle
Click to expand...
:clap2::clap2::thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:
RT590 all the way!!
DanB
 
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