thinking of buying a small pellet grill

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samthesham

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I have a offset wood smoker. I have used it several years with decent results. I have been thinking of a small pellet grill for the ease of cooking. I really don't need something large as it will mostly be used for me & my wife. Also like the portability of the smaller grills. Looking for suggestions & advice from those that own the smaller pellet grills.
Thanks in advance
 
Based on your criteria, I would be leaning towards the https://www.rectecgrills.com/bullseye-rt-b380-wood-pellet-grill/ for 2 reasons: a) as you have an offset, you have the ability to cook in pans already (due to the rectangular shape of the cooker), so there is nothing inherently lost by acquiring a round smoker, and b) 55lbs is pretty lightweight for the capacity
 
I have the Green Mountain Grill Davey Crockett pellet grill. If you can handle about 60#, it is portable. I take it camping in the back of my pickup. It is 12v powered so it can be run off of a vehicle battery, does come with 110v converter too.
I also like the android app for wifi connection. And the wifi can be used as a network connection (but I stick to plain wifi because of camping).
I can make 6 large and 8 medium hamburgers at once, smoke a turkey breast or a rack of ribs cut in half without standing ribs up.
 
I would NOT recommend a Traeger Jr. Elite. I was given one and IMO it is a glorified oven. I have tried new controllers, different pellets, new thermostat,etc. Thing will not get over 350 degrees on the grill and won't produce any smoke once set to anything other than the smoke setting (180 or so).

Works well for chicken wings/quarters but sucks if you are used to the taste of Q from an offset.
 
I have a Traeger L'il Tex at our lake home and a Camp Chef DLX at the city home. They are essentially identical except the CC has a very clever ash dump to clear the burn pot without taking the thing half apart.

I can do two racks of St. Louis ribs on the main grate and four or six using Traeger's shelf: https://www.traegergrills.com/shop/accessories/smoke-shelf-lil-tex-22-series

The "lack of smoke" IMO is a bit of an OWT. I smoke at 100 or 225 and at those temperatures there is quite a bit of smoke. To increase it, I will sometimes us an adjustable length smoke tube (https://www.amazenproducts.com/product_p/oet.htm). I set its length to suit the front/back distance in the smoker, then put it at the right end of the grate. Plenty more smoke ... The A-Maze-N maze would work too but it takes up a lot of grill space. The tube -- almost none.

Portability is in the eye of the beholder, though. These are small grills but you will have to carry them in your pickup, not your grocery-getter.
 
I have the GMG Crockett also. Not really a gripe but the auger is loud as fark. Other than that I love it.
 
Thanks for the replies. I searched a couple of these grills online. I also saw the RecTec Trailblazer RT340. Anyone have one of these?
 
Davy Crockett. Very capable and not expensive. Truly portable.
 
I have a dc and it works well, but the auger noise is terrible. I use it in my camper and will until Mak releases their mini...if it ever happens?


Memphis Elite





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I have the RecTec Trailblazer and it is wonderful. LOTS of stainless, a great controller, WiFi, two meat temp probes and great customer service. I can't say enough good about this cooker. I use it about two times a week, and so far it has been flawless.

To me it is the best value small cooker out there. I really appreciate the longevity / lack of rust with the stainless, and the controller / WiFi / meat probes are added bonuses.

I really can't think of anything negative to say about the Rec Tec, although some people really dislike the bull horn handles. I'm not a big fan of them, but that was a small concession when I considered all of the advantages of this cooker.

I believe that you will be pleasantly surprised and happy with any of the cookers discussed. Just decide what's most important to you, and then buy the cooker that checks the most boxes on your list.

Good luck, and welcome to the world of pellet cooking!
 
lkissell said:
I have the RecTec Trailblazer and it is wonderful. LOTS of stainless, a great controller, WiFi, two meat temp probes and great customer service. I can't say enough good about this cooker. I use it about two times a week, and so far it has been flawless.

To me it is the best value small cooker out there. I really appreciate the longevity / lack of rust with the stainless, and the controller / WiFi / meat probes are added bonuses.

I really can't think of anything negative to say about the Rec Tec, although some people really dislike the bull horn handles. I'm not a big fan of them, but that was a small concession when I considered all of the advantages of this cooker.

I believe that you will be pleasantly surprised and happy with any of the cookers discussed. Just decide what's most important to you, and then buy the cooker that checks the most boxes on your list.

Good luck, and welcome to the world of pellet cooking!
Click to expand...

I've been leaning towards this RecTec. How stable are the legs without a cross shelf/brace? Also have you tried a turkey and if so, how big?
Thnks for the input.
 
Another GMG Davy Crockett owner here. I've had it just under a year with no issues. Personally don't think the auger is all that loud, but this is my first pellet grill/smoker.
 
the sky is the limit, there are so many brands out there, I have a fec-100 and a Traeger offset, and no wood pile attracting rats & snakes.
 
I have a GMG Daniel Boone and soon to add the Davy Crockett, it’s really the only portable PG I’ve found and I’m way impressed with the GMG customer service (the one time I called them) the only thing I would change on the DB is I wish I had gotten the WiFi model, prolly going to order that controller and swap it out. Import to import, I don’t see how it gets better than the Green Mountain Grill...
 
+1 for the GMC Davy Crockett. I have exactly 1 burn in cook on it (last night). I agree the auger is loud, way louder then I would have thought. Other then that it appears to be working as advertised.
 
Davy Crockett is a great portable grill. Yes, the auger motor makes noise, but it's not as earth-shatteringly loud as others would have you believe. If you've ever heard a DC motor with a reduction drive on it, that's what it sounds like. I think I'm going to have to get out my decibel meter to measure it, because some people make it sound like you have to wear earplugs around it. :shock:
 
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