Traeger Grills at Costco!

[doetracks]

If anyone is looking for a good smoker, the Costco on Winterburn Rd. in Edmonton has some until Monday.

Junior is $499
Larger size $1199

Bags of pellets (Mesquite and Apple) $19.99

[KWO]

My neighbour has one and loves it!

[doetracks]

I have been eyeing these for a while.

Right place, right time today

[mooseknuckle]

anyone which model the "bigger" one is? I don't see anything on the website.

[doetracks]

I think it is the Texas Elite but not 100% sure

[mooseknuckle]

Originally Posted by doetracks

I think it is the Texas Elite but not 100% sure

cool thank you. I should just suck it up and head over there.

[Xbolt7mm]

Its a pellet grill, not a smoker, theres quite a difference. The treager also only gets to 450 degrees so it wont sear a steak without using grillgrates and releases 1/4 as much smoke as a real smoker, any pellet grill will stop smoking or smoke very little once your above 185 ish as the pellets burn cleaner at higher temps. BTW the green mountain grill will hit 580 ish, which will sear.

[denied access]

I researched pellet grill s a lot before purchasing my Green mountain. I absolutely could not be happier and it beats the Traeger in every way at the same price. I have 2 friends with traegers so I am quite familiar with them 2.

The GM seems to be better at maintaining temp. It gets Hotter. The wifi thing is awesome (although instructions on how to set it up suck). I can start my grill from the house. it alerts me when it gets to temp. I can then build a program to run on time or internal temp or both. Set it. Forget it. Get a message when my delicious food is done.

Only thing better about a Traeger is the cleanout on the pellet hopper.

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by denied access

I researched pellet grill s a lot before purchasing my Green mountain. I absolutely could not be happier and it beats the Traeger in every way at the same price. I have 2 friends with traegers so I am quite familiar with them 2.

The GM seems to be better at maintaining temp. It gets Hotter. The wifi thing is awesome (although instructions on how to set it up suck). I can start my grill from the house. it alerts me when it gets to temp. I can then build a program to run on time or internal temp or both. Set it. Forget it. Get a message when my delicious food is done.

Only thing better about a Traeger is the cleanout on the pellet hopper.

with in the next month that gmg app will allow you to link its own wifi to your house wifi instead of your phone and you will be able to run your grill from anywhere, like your alarm system if you will. I have all three sizes and can hardley wait for that.

[denied access]

Originally Posted by Xbolt7mm

with in the next month that gmg app will allow you to link its own wifi to your house wifi instead of your phone and you will be able to run your grill from anywhere, like your alarm system if you will. I have all three sizes and can hardley wait for that.

That will be cool. Grill hot when I get home from work.

Only problem I have is when I get home my phone connects to the grill rather than house wifi. I think it is trying to tell me to put some pork in the grill. Made pizza on yours yet? If not stop what you are doing right now and go do it. Pie??? Sweet jesus I think I found god in an apple pie made on the gmg. Bread? Yes please. Baked beans? WOW. Turkey? I through away the deep fryer. Did I mention pizza?

[yoteblaster]

I have a Trager pellet grill. Nothing special. Definitely is not a smoker as mentioned. Takes a long time to heat up also. Only benefit over a propane bbq is the flavour you get from the different pellets. Downside is needing power

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by yoteblaster

I have a Trager pellet grill. Nothing special. Definitely is not a smoker as mentioned. Takes a long time to heat up also. Only benefit over a propane bbq is the flavour you get from the different pellets. Downside is needing power

gmg makes a 12 volt one that works great and it hits 550

[omega50]

Traeger-proudly made in the USA-well right up until they got into bed with Costco

[rocpilefsj]

I love my traeger and so do many of my dinner guests. Smoked 5 pounds of jerkey yesterday, grilling some steaks tonight. One of my favorites on it is whole chicken, little bit of traeger chicken rub and away you go. Have never seen a green mountain grill in action but have heard good things.

[mooseknuckle]

was gonna hit costco and grab a traeger until I read up on the green mountain. think I'll be looking into them first.

[bobinthesky]

I have the Louisiana Grill pellet grill and I think it's better than the Traeger in that you can sear meat with it. They're an Edmonton company and they made grills both in Canada and China, mine is local made.

[Beeman3]

I am thinking of going a different route. I also researched pellet grills and am now thinking of going with a Kamodo (ceramic) charcoal grill. What do you guys think of these?

[Warrior]

I have a Camp Chef..... I love it... I picked it up at BassPro. Cabelas has the same one with their name on it....

I wouldn't say it ISN'T a smoker.... IMO it is a smoker that can do more... or it is a grill that can smoke as well. You can't cold smoke on it, but other that that have done everything on this plus a lot more that on my Bradley. Candied salmon, jerky, chicken breast, pizza, brisket, chickens, did a few elk salami's, the list goes on.

A couple neat feature that mine has is the built in meat probe as well as a clean out cup underneath to clean the ashes out.
All this for $500-600

[4thredneck]

Where do you buy the Green Mountain Grills?

[denied access]

Originally Posted by 4thredneck

Where do you buy the Green Mountain Grills?

http://greenmountaingrills.com/find-a-dealer/

[martinnordegg]

I've got one of the older Traeger's. It is a Smith and Wesson 357 Mag Model. I have looked at the new ones and they seem very poorly built compared to the old one I have. The old one has three times the thickness in the iron as a new one. I've had it for ten years and still going without any repairs.

After I got my Big Green Egg though it doesn't get as much use.

[gtr]

Originally Posted by Xbolt7mm

Its a pellet grill, not a smoker, theres quite a difference. The treager also only gets to 450 degrees so it wont sear a steak without using grillgrates and releases 1/4 as much smoke as a real smoker, any pellet grill will stop smoking or smoke very little once your above 185 ish as the pellets burn cleaner at higher temps. BTW the green mountain grill will hit 580 ish, which will sear.

Its a pellet smoker, that you can grill on. Have seen 550 on the temp scale, and will cold smoke all day long. The limiting factor on the junior model is the pellet hopper needs extensions. Also have, and use the ceramic smoker. I have no experience with GMG so have no idea if they are any good. The Traeger works well for me and cooks steak and whatever else you like from cheese to ribs.

[Warrior]

How are you able to cold smoke? I would like to try smoking cheese

Originally Posted by gtr

Its a pellet smoker, that you can grill on. Have seen 550 on the temp scale, and will cold smoke all day long. The limiting factor on the junior model is the pellet hopper needs extensions. Also have, and use the ceramic smoker. I have no experience with GMG so have no idea if they are any good. The Traeger works well for me and cooks steak and whatever else you like from cheese to ribs.

[gtr]

Slow the feed rate down as low as you can and still burn. Ice in a tray on the rack with cheese on a rack above the ice . Smoke about an hour . If you want to do a big batch the Bradley is easier.

[SamSteele]

I have had a Traeger Lil Tex for the last 5 years, ever since the bottom of my Broil King propane grill melted and nearly set my house on fire.

A few thoughts about the Traeger:

- Yes, they are a pellet fed grill that requires 110V AC power. That could limit some people, but I use mine at home and power is readily available. I like the pellets because I always know how much fuel I have, unlike propane tanks where it usually ended up with me halfway through cooking for a group and running out.
- Pellets are easy to add, easy to clean up after, and you don't need to mess around with pans of water, wood chips, charcoal, etc. It's pretty much "plug and play".
- I had a paint issue on the body of my Traeger last summer. It started peeling off in large areas. Didn't affect performance but it did look bad. I found some information about a recall in the US relating to the same issue. Contacted Barbecue Country about it and they wouldn't do anything. Contacted the Traeger Canada guy out of Saskatoon and he shipped me a whole new body, no charge, for a unit that was 4 years old. I didn't need to ship the old one back as proof either. Just pictures via e-mail.
- I use my Traeger for everything from smoking salmon to cooking pizza to cold smoking Mennonite sausage.
- I built a cold smoke box and used a dryer vent hose (flexible metal one) to connect the chimney of the Traeger to the cold smoke box. Whole unit cost me $20 in parts and I cold smoked 100 lbs of Mennonite sausage in it. Turned out awesome! BTW, you can't do this with the Junior size as there is no chimney for the smoke, just openings in the back of the lid.
- I have had to replace the fire box inside the unit this past summer as there was a hole burned through the metal beside the glow rod. Part was $20 if I remember correctly, and took 5 min to install.
- I bought the insulated blanket wrap for the unit this year. I have used it all winter in the past, but burn rates of pellets increases with cold temps, and (obviously) your max temp drops too. The insulated cover helps with that. Smoked some candied salmon for 40 people the other day at -15C and it turned out great.
- Max temp is about 450F on mine. I haven't found a need to go higher than that. If I absolutely need to sear, a hot cast iron frying pan on the stove first works well. I can count doing this on one hand though.

Overall, I have been happy with the unit. Many of the people I know that have eaten food off it have gone and bought one. It's simple to use, pretty easy to clean, and the customer service I have received from Traeger has been great. I haven't looked at the Green Mountain units as I haven't felt the need. I may if the Traeger craps out and needs replacing.

SS

[hl649]

Xbolt7mm

Its a pellet grill, not a smoker, theres quite a difference. The treager also only gets to 450 degrees so it wont sear a steak without using grillgrates and releases 1/4 as much smoke as a real smoker, any pellet grill will stop smoking or smoke very little once your above 185 ish as the pellets burn cleaner at higher temps. BTW the green mountain grill will hit 580 ish, which will sear.

My experience has been that a pellet grill produces plenty of smoke. You don't want very much smoke or you get darkened meat and an off flavor. My rule of thumb is if you have to look twice to see if there is any smoke then you are about right. Any more than that and you are ruining the meat. A lot of people think you need clouds of billowing white smoke; all you need is a light blue haze.

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by 4thredneck

Where do you buy the Green Mountain Grills?

Paradise lesure products in Calgary, sylvan lake and red deer both have a place and at Edmonton it's just north of Devon

[Xbolt7mm]

Originally Posted by hl649

Xbolt7mm

My experience has been that a pellet grill produces plenty of smoke. You don't want very much smoke or you get darkened meat and an off flavor. My rule of thumb is if you have to look twice to see if there is any smoke then you are about right. Any more than that and you are ruining the meat. A lot of people think you need clouds of billowing white smoke; all you need is a light blue haze.

Above about 180 you won't even get a haze unless you use traeger pellets. Gmg pellets are actually the real wood, traeger pellets are hard wood with flavour oils put on the pellets, creates "black rain" faster than other brands.

[threeforthree]

Originally Posted by Warrior

How are you able to cold smoke? I would like to try smoking cheese

[gtr]

Originally Posted by Xbolt7mm

Above about 180 you won't even get a haze unless you use traeger pellets. Gmg pellets are actually the real wood, traeger pellets are hard wood with flavour oils put on the pellets, creates "black rain" faster than other brands.

You really drank the green koolaid.