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My thoughts on the Weber SmokeFire pellet grill

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Baby Back Maniac

is Blowin Smoke!
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Hey guys,
For those that don't know, I got invited to Weber to see the new pellet grill (Weber doesn't sponsor me, but Weber paid for my travel expenses so I could go.) I got some great info about how the cooker was made and what all went into it. It was fun to see the mothership and all the people who were there. I got a chance to meet the often mentioned "Weber engineers" and see where they do their thing. It was very eye-opening.

https://youtu.be/iRSdgBebvLY

For those that don't like watching videos, here's the 50000 foot view. I think Weber did exactly what they needed to do. The grill isn't perfect...but for $1199 I think they hit a home run. They did a lot of homework on the front end, and it really paid off. They engineered a lot of the problems common with pellet grills out of this one while retaining what people love about them. One thing they said that stuck with me was they tried to make a cooker that could "Sear like a Genesis and smoke like a Weber Smokey Mountain" and I think they got really close on both ends.

Thanks for watching. I really appreciate you guys.
 
Thank You!!! I really appreciate your videos and this follow up. I'm very interested in this grill/smoker as I probably will be replacing my gas grill next year. This looks like it might be the perfect replacement...
 
creek bottom said:
Thank You!!! I really appreciate your videos and this follow up. I'm very interested in this grill/smoker as I probably will be replacing my gas grill next year. This looks like it might be the perfect replacement...
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My pleasure. There are alot of people in this situation and Weber knows this. I think that's why they put so much emphasis on making the grilling acceptable and easy to use (without having to take things apart.) They want it to be a similar cooking experience only with wood.
 
Baby Back Maniac said:
Hey guys,

One thing they said that stuck with me was they tried to make a cooker that could "Sear like a Genesis and smoke like a Weber Smokey Mountain" and I think they got really close on both ends.
Click to expand...

I think that's a fair position to take, that's all I'd really expect out of a pellet grill anyhow. Look forward to seeing one in person.
 
Just commented on your vid. As a Yoder YS1500 owner im super impressed with this new Weber. Don't have a ton of experience with the brand owning only the std. kettle and a Family Q (to which they happily replaced my rusty grates for free due to a cleaning error in there original instructions) but even here in Australia the Webe brand is well respected and has a backup you can rely on.
 
long haired hippie said:
$1200 for a smoker? Cya later bye
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Hi, I’m Bill. Welcome, You must be new to this site....

Joking aside, I’ll reserve judgement until it’s out but, unlike with the WSCG, I think they did a pretty good job on pricing. Yes it’s more than a Pit Boss but it’s a Weber and that’s always going to come at some premium. It’s similar to Traeger which is the market leader. Same price as the Rectec Bull which has always been a great bang for the buck among more midrange options. The Rectec probably has heavier duty construction but the Weber is likely solid enough and offsets that with the grilling capability and I think greater headroom which will give it a little more effective capacity
 
This may not be important to anybody but me. Where are they made? USA or China?
 
Sounds like China or elsewhere parts but assembled in USA. The price resembles that. I would hope Weber has good quality control though. Better pricing (not putting it down) than a $5300 Memphis that’s built in China. I’m still disappointed that Weber is coming to market with a controller that’s not really ready for WiFi app users & no accessories besides a cover. I’d like to see what a side shelf costs or maybe a front shelf or the better wheels! Just my opinion. Just seems a little rushed for holiday shopping. I’m still contemplating on ordering one the 2nd. I just don’t want reget my purchase because it’s not coming out with accessories that I want.
 
Crispy Bacon said:
Sounds like China or elsewhere parts but assembled in USA. The price resembles that. I would hope Weber has good quality control though. Better pricing (not putting it down) than a $5300 Memphis that’s built in China. I’m still disappointed that Weber is coming to market with a controller that’s not really ready for WiFi app users & no accessories besides a cover. I’d like to see what a side shelf costs or maybe a front shelf or the better wheels! Just my opinion. Just seems a little rushed for holiday shopping. I’m still contemplating on ordering one the 2nd. I just don’t want reget my purchase because it’s not coming out with accessories that I want.
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I’m in same boat. I’m going back and forth preordering for same reasons.

But it’s Weber so you know they’re not going anywhere and I’ve owned Weber grills that have lasted decades. I started smoking on a WSM and the food that came off her was awesome. I even sold it for a decent amount considering it was 4 years old.

So I’m leaning towards doing it because I know whatever comes down the road will be top notch as always. And for $1200, compared to some Weber grills of same size, is reasonable.
 
Just to clarify, the WiFi app should be ready by the time it ships... Supposedly that’s the reason why it’s not shipping now. They want it ready from day 1. I personally have had so many issues with WiFi from the day I bought my first cyberQ to 8 years ago most recently my MAK that I didn’t want to say anything until I saw it.

I also forgot to mention it has Bluetooth capability as well. So when close it’s Bluetooth and further away it’s Wi-Fi.
 
Great info and I appreciate you letting us know! It is an interesting option. I think you have a great idea and I think you should push them on the two zone idea! Being able to fire up one side of the grill for only 1 steak, etc and having a cooler side would be a GREAT idea. As far as I know, there isn’t another pellet option out there that does that - dual zone pellet cooker! Great review and ideas!
 
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