High-end pellet grill rec?

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stickman

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Hi everyone!

Noob brother here - my first post.

I've had a Klose offset for 20+ years but recently a friend of mine gave me his old entry-level traeger after upgrading. Only 80% of the flavor, but only 5% of the work! I am a convert, and now looking to replace my Klose, which has gotten rusty one too many times. I don't need to do anything except smoke - I have good other solutions for sear and baking. I mostly like heavy smoke - which seems to be hard to do on the traeger.

Currently shortlisting Mak 2* stainless, P&S Maverick 850 Stainless, and LSG 20x36.

My questions:
How well does the LSG stand up to rust?
Is the 2* big enough? Seems kinda small?
How well do the cold smoke features on the 2* and the LSG work?
How convenient is the grease handling?
How easy is ash cleanup?
Any comments on the smoke level they can produce?
Anything else you think I should consider?

Any other pellet grills I should look at?

Many thanks!

Ramsey
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Klose 20x36" pipe smoker (class of 2002); Engelbrecht Braten 1000 (class of 2014); BGE XL; Carson Rodizio; Traeger 22x15"; Weber 22" kettle with rotisserie attachment; Camp Chef 900 FTG; Camp Chef Somerset 4-burner stove
 
Last edited:
If it's within your budget, and all you want to do with it is smoke, contact Nelson White at Outlaw Smokers in Boise, ID.

https://www.outlawsmokers.com/

His OL3 cabinet smoker is simply outstanding. Other products are better known. Or come complete with a cool company website. None make food taste better or are remotely as easy to clean. (You'll remember that if you get one that's not easy to clean, which is most pellet cookers.)

Call Nelson at 208-789-2080
 
I can't answer a lot of questions about the MAK, but I can offer two suggestions.
First of all, try a smoke tube with the Treager. It is a less expensive way to add smoke flavor and may suit your needs.
There are quite a few members here that own MAKs and you may be able to find some of their reviews. One of the members here, Robb of rwalters fame, usually organizes a group buy with the makers of MAK and there is quite a bit of savings as a result. If I can find some of the links, I'll post them for you because searches are easier for paid memberships.
Welcome to the Brethren, Ramsey. Now, get on over to Cattle Call and introduce yourself.
 
I have no idea how much room you need but my 2017 mak2* has been flawless an is plenty big enough for my needs
 
In terms of size - I am often doing a 12lb pork-belly for bacon (usually cut in 2 pieces), or two 9lb pork necks for ham and I find the Traeger, which has a 22" x 15" cook area, a bit cramped.

I've done a whole salmon in the Klose on occasion and the 36" length cook area made it real easy. The Mak2* is 24", right? So I was wondering.
 
ttkt57 said:
If it's within your budget, and all you want to do with it is smoke, contact Nelson White at Outlaw Smokers in Boise, ID.

https://www.outlawsmokers.com/

His OL3 cabinet smoker is simply outstanding.
Click to expand...

Wow, that is one big-ass smoker! Might be a bit too much for me - but for what you get the price point looks pretty good.

Do you know how grease management is done on this?
 
stickman said:
Wow, that is one big-ass smoker! Might be a bit too much for me - but for what you get the price point looks pretty good.

Do you know how grease management is done on this?
Click to expand...

As far as I know all Nelson's pellet cookers use a similar system. Short auger leading to a big, V-shaped fire basket under a heat shield under a big, sloping, grease drain plate that leads to a drain hole at the bottom.

The door gives you access not only to your food but also to the grease system, along with access to ash. Super easy clean out.

He also has a smaller OL1500 with a similar configuration. I had the OL450 and loved it except for its size limitations. If I were to get another pellet cooker I would get the OL1500:

 
I’ve had two Rectecs and bought a Mak 1* for my son. The Mak definitely puts out more smoke than mine do. You can fit more than you might think because they are a bit taller than some others so can fit more than you might think.

Having said that, if you like a heavy smoke profile you might want to try something running on charcoal. More work than a pellet grill (might be up to 10% of the effort of the stick burner) but not a lot and, in general, they generate a pretty heavy smoke flavor.
 
LSG makes cabinet pellet smokers as well. No experience with them…but I’m happy with my LSG vertical offset cabinet. And the previous owner has the standard LSG pellet and stated he was very happy with it. Looks like the same size cabinet as mine…and if so…TONS of cooking space!


Sorry I can provide actual experience with them. I just have a camp chef that I modified and accessorized.
https://lonestargrillz.com/products/lone-star-grillz-cabinet-pellet-smoker
 
I don't understand. You were an offset guy for 20 years. You tried a traeger and liked it, it gave you 80% of the smoke flavor. But you like heavy smoke which seems hard to do on a traeger.

Mak has been a innovation leader for a long time. One of the reasons I like the Mak's are the grate size, they're unusually deep at 22" so you can fit ribs in front to back. I do think Mak should have been the one to come up with the wood chunk burning idea. Instead it was camp chef.

Mak's put out a lot of smoke but on meat it's that light, sweet, blue smoke taste. If you want smoky I'd check out a smoker that allows you to burn wood chunks in it like the camp chef woodwind pro or a pitts and spitts with the wood burning cage.

I don't think the LSG pellet smokers have been around long enough to know about rust. But I think they're painted.
 
Vision said:
I don't think the LSG pellet smokers have been around long enough to know about rust. But I think they're painted.
Click to expand...

Size and functionality (and price) look great on the LSG, but you are right, they are painted. I like the idea of the full stainless options that Mak and P&S are offering. I hope I've got another 20 years of BBQ in me and would love never to have to worry about cleaning rust off again.

How many racks of ribs can you do at a time in your Mak?
 
No clue how Traeger's run, but on my Recteq RT1250 I run it at low (180F), a smoke tube, and put the meat on straight from the fridge. Run for several hours like this.

All these tips allegedly increase the smoke flavor from pellet grills which, per the internet, don't give enough smoke flavor. My family complains that some of my cooks are too smokey.

IDK - flame suite on....
 
stickman said:
Size and functionality (and price) look great on the
How many racks of ribs can you do at a time in your Mak?
Click to expand...

I have the full upper rack so 6 but you would want to rotate them halfway through for even cooking.

All cooking is done on the upper rack or it's rotated.
 
Vision said:
If you want smoky I'd check out a smoker that allows you to burn wood chunks in it like the camp chef woodwind pro or a pitts and spitts with the wood burning cage.
Click to expand...

Just watched the Pitts and Spitts video on their wood-burning cage. Looks very interesting and could solve my concern.
 
This goes without saying but I'm going to say it anyway. There are as many exaggerated claims as there are people with only one kind of cooker.

Take your counsel from people who have cooked with many kinds, not from people who only know (for example) propane and pellets.
 
If money wasn't an object i would get a Pitts and Spitts hybrid. I basicly made my own out of a Pit Boss KC Combo i got end of season on clearance for $375, but it took some serious mods and won't last as long as a P&S. That said my Pit Boss 800 is still going strong after 7 or 8 years.
 
Itsdone said:
If money wasn't an object i would get a Pitts and Spitts hybrid. I basicly made my own out of a Pit Boss KC Combo i got end of season on clearance for $375, but it took some serious mods and won't last as long as a P&S. That said my Pit Boss 800 is still going strong after 7 or 8 years.
Click to expand...

I also liked the P&S hybrid but with that gas starter thing it looked to me like the firebox was kinda short. I don't really understand why folks want gas starters. A twist of kitchen roll with cooking oil on it under a small pile of charcoal will work pretty fast for most situations.
 
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