Used my Traeger for the first time this weekend (with pics!)

how was the smoke flavor?

i have always heard pellet doesn't provide the same amount of smoke that a stick burner does. Its got nice color!

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how was the smoke flavor?

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I thought the smoke flavor was great and I could definitely taste it. Does a traditional smoker deliver a more smoky flavor? Yes, I'm sure it does. But for the homecook I think this delivered exactly what I had hoped for.

I was worried because I also read about pellet grills not delivering a good smoky flavor, but seeing the amount of smoke this thing put out, I was optimistic.

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Its got nice color!

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Was also worried about color and bark but both came out great. Looking forward to brisket and chicken.

I too recently used a Traeger Pro I bought at Home Depot for the first time.

I wish I had not bought it.

It is, IMHO, an outdoor oven capable of dropping wood pellets occasionally on the electric element.

I am sure people can cook great dishes on it---none they could not cook in their oven or on a much less expensive real smoker.

I put two chickens on Saturday. I normally smoke chicken about 3.5 hours at about 250 or 275. I understand I only want a wisp of smoke. I had no smoke flavor at in all in those chickens after 3.5 hours.

I called Traeger and they nicely explained to me that it was a grill first and a smoker secondarily. They said I would have been better off setting the knob to "smoke" which cooks between 180 degrees and 220 degrees. To me that is a vary wide variance and too low for chicken. I suspect it would have taken me another couple of hours to smoke those chickens at temps that low.

I thought about the issue and I think I have it semi solved. The pellets burn very quickly at hotter temps and produce very little smoke at those higher temps. (I used Traeger apple flavored pellets.) At low temperatures the pellets will smolder more. I think what my Traeger is doing on the smoke setting is cutting on and off thus the wide variance in temps on that setting. It does produce a lot more smoke on the smoke setting.

I think the Traeger would be fine on the smoke setting for pork butts and brisket BUT will take substantially longer to break out of the stall than it would on a stick or charcoal or even a propane smoker set to run at 250-275.

As far as using an electric grill goes---I will pass. I could cook hamburgers and steaks in the oven but I don't and Traeger is nothing but an electric grill when set to temperatures hot enough to grill burgers and steaks.

My go to every day grill/smoker is a Charbroil 940X. I agree with this guy Charbroil 940

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It is, IMHO, an outdoor oven capable of dropping wood pellets occasionally on the electric element.

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I've read this, and yet several times when I walked out to check temp on my shoulder, it was engulfed in smoke at 250. Never had any issues with not enough smoke.

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I think the Traeger would be fine on the smoke setting for pork butts and brisket BUT will take substantially longer to break out of the stall than it would on a stick or charcoal or even a propane smoker set to run at 250-275.

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Started mine at 6:00 AM. Was done at almost 4:00 PM on the dot. At 250, it took about 10 hours and got great color and flavor. Proof is in the pudding from the pics above.

I am going to try chicken tonight and use their recipe on youtube. Going with a higher heat, so we shall see.

A friend of mine gets smoke with another brand of pellets he says.

Here are the pics

Do you know what brand he uses? I used Bear Mountain and it put out some great smoke.

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I think the Traeger would be fine on the smoke setting for pork butts and brisket BUT will take substantially longer to break out of the stall than it would on a stick or charcoal or even a propane smoker set to run at 250-275.

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I use the smoke setting for 3 hours (my traeger smoke temp is 160°) and then increase the heat to 250°. As I understand it will only take on smoke for a few hours. Long before I reach the stall I've got good heat rolling.

I don't have any problems getting smoke rings or a smoky flavor. I'll take it for low maintenance.

Cooked a whole chicken last night and it came out juicy and delicious. Not a lot of smoke taste though due to cooking at a high heat (375). I did some reading up and indeed cooking at a low heat produces a lot more smoke.

So next time I will do leg quarters and cook them low at 250 and then maybe bump to 350 to finish. Like the pork, I know there will be a smokier outcome.

That looks like it works fine.

I am going to cook on it some but really to smoke I should have just bought an electric smoker like this $124 one LINK

Who really can't grill better on a good charcoal or even gas grill than on a Traeger electric grill?

For me that old 940X I have is the BEST all around grill/smoker I have. I got my first 33 years ago and kept it 20 years or so and then bought my current one. Charbroil doesn't advertise it much and most retailers do not carry it because of price and weight. The old WC Bradley company in Columbus Ga started making them in the fifties. I think they may have quit making them in the last year or two. Here is a link to one that is out of stock on WalMart.com LINK

They weigh about 300 lbs.and last a long time. You can adjust the coal up and down, load coals into the front with out lifting the lid, has cast iron grates and is overall a great device. I start a fire on one side and can do a butt for 12 or 13 hours just by throwing free coals on from time to time. I can grill anything on it and it is easy to clean.

You see them from time to time all across the south. My neighbor in Dulac has one and every time I am at my camp I see him cooking on it. Anyone that has every owned one loves it.

If you ever see one for sale buy it.

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That looks like it works fine

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GTFO that chicken was absolute fire and you know it looks like it too. Quit hating on a Traeger just because you’re completely inept.