Michigan BBQ Fan
Take a breath!
Do kinda feel bad about the "punchy" nature of my post. Anything that gets you into making BBQ for family and friends is a good thing. I just sometimes everyone had the same passion I do.
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Funny conversation with the pellet grill salesman at Costco
- Thread starter ncmoose
- Start date
guero_gordo
is one Smokin' Farker
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2014
- Location
- East Bay, CA
Rockinar
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2013
- Location
- Houston, TX
rwalters
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Working full time... heavily involved with our church... heavily involved w/ our 9 kids, 8 being adopted from the system... I would not consider myself to be lazy... and I LOVE pellets... and yes, I love the ease of pellets and the end result. Not all of us can sit around all day/night and man a smoker. Pellets have allowed me to provide lots of great BBQ that I would never have had the time to prepare had it not been for the ease of operation. Ease of operation does not always equate to lazy ;-)
Bucknekked
Full Fledged Farker
I have to agree on target market: the target market for Traeger at Costco is someone who can drop $700 on a purchase without a moments hesitation on a product they have "heard about" but don't know a single thing about really.
Smoking meat is undergoing a boom period right now. Smokers are everywhere you look these days. Most of them are cheap crap for sure, but, they are on hotlists for hardware stores, big grocery stores, and anyplace people gather in numbers. Its no wonder they are at Costco.
I love the Costco business model: they shop a product category and pick the top 2 products (usually) and that's your assurance: somebody has already shopped for you. All you need to do is show up and buy choice #1 or choice #2. No worries if its a good deal because somebody has already run that down for you.
We can debate for sure whether Traegers are great smokers, or great deals, or great at anything. But, its no accident that Costco is selling every single Traeger that they line up on their floor. They know their target market ! They know they can sell every single one that they put on the floor.
Caveat Emptor.
One more thing about the quality, or lack thereof, of the Traeger sales guys. I think most are well intentioned and the ones I have spoken to seem genuinely supportive of their product making good food. Not all will be great, but because they aren't all great doesn't mean the whole lot of them are some sort of hucksters. I would think most are just trying to make a buck selling something enjoyable : a cooker that makes pretty good food even in the hands of a rank beginner.
Smoking meat is undergoing a boom period right now. Smokers are everywhere you look these days. Most of them are cheap crap for sure, but, they are on hotlists for hardware stores, big grocery stores, and anyplace people gather in numbers. Its no wonder they are at Costco.
I love the Costco business model: they shop a product category and pick the top 2 products (usually) and that's your assurance: somebody has already shopped for you. All you need to do is show up and buy choice #1 or choice #2. No worries if its a good deal because somebody has already run that down for you.
We can debate for sure whether Traegers are great smokers, or great deals, or great at anything. But, its no accident that Costco is selling every single Traeger that they line up on their floor. They know their target market ! They know they can sell every single one that they put on the floor.
Caveat Emptor.
One more thing about the quality, or lack thereof, of the Traeger sales guys. I think most are well intentioned and the ones I have spoken to seem genuinely supportive of their product making good food. Not all will be great, but because they aren't all great doesn't mean the whole lot of them are some sort of hucksters. I would think most are just trying to make a buck selling something enjoyable : a cooker that makes pretty good food even in the hands of a rank beginner.
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rwalters
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Great post! Lots of valid points, IMO. Indeed, most of the T sales guys seem to be pretty cool and genuine guys. That said, they really need to stop telling me that their product is gonna crank out a steak better than Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
We're getting some quotes on a home project and every worker that shows up sees my stacks of weber briqs in the garage and i get a lot of those funny comments as well. A lot of times when I'm buying briskets at costco i get questions from other shoppers about how to cook one, etc. So i try to pass on some knowledge to help out.
I do get a little irritated when people ask if i have a Rec tec because I do comp bbq or bbq in general. I live where rec tec is made and it's almost to the point if you dont have a rec tec grill then you dont know how to cook bbq. I could go on and on about their team but i showed them a couple weeks ago. #endrant
I do get a little irritated when people ask if i have a Rec tec because I do comp bbq or bbq in general. I live where rec tec is made and it's almost to the point if you dont have a rec tec grill then you dont know how to cook bbq. I could go on and on about their team but i showed them a couple weeks ago. #endrant
jasonjax
Babbling Farker
"Punchy" is this forum's middle name. Mostly thick-skin here. (mostly)
And typically true trolls get run off after a while. Post on!
jasonjax
Babbling Farker
Great response rw … just remember: some people are truly stupid, as in extra low IQ so once he or she thinks they know something trying to enlighten him or her is next to impossible even if they don't actually know that thing to start with. And then there are the true ideologues who are unwilling to comprehend logic and rationale thinking. Those people aren't typically worth the breath/keystrokes.
And btw - pretty awesome of you to adopt the kids you did. Doesn't get much bigger than that in terms of taking on the ultimate responsibility. But clearly, you must be lazy because you use a pellet cooker.
rwalters
Quintessential Chatty Farker
Great response rw … just remember: some people are truly stupid, as in extra low IQ so once he or she thinks they know something trying to enlighten him or her is next to impossible even if they don't actually know that thing to start with. And then there are the true ideologues who are unwilling to comprehend logic and rationale thinking. Those people aren't typically worth the breath/keystrokes.
And btw - pretty awesome of you to adopt the kids you did. Doesn't get much bigger than that in terms of taking on the ultimate responsibility. But clearly, you must be lazy because you use a pellet cooker.
You're a good man RW as is your wife for all you folks do. Thanks.
Sorry for the delayed reply guys... just woke from my 7 hour nap... lol. In all seriousness, I used to look down on pellets, not the people, but the cookers... that is until I bought an old used MAK. That experience changed everything for me. Sure pellets aren’t for everyone, but sometimes I wonder if the peeps knocking them have really had a good meal prepared from a pellet grill. Anywho, to each their own
I was the same way until I bought a small GMG on sale so thought I'd try one out. I use the Kamado Joe or the LSG for different things and depending on time. I've turned out some really good bbq on a pellet. So much so I've upgraded to an Ironwood 885 and im very impressed with the grub it turns out. My best rack came from a pellet cooker.
rus_bro
Full Fledged Farker
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2016
- Location
- Humble, Tx
I dont think anyone is knocking that some amazing food can come off of a pellet grill, BUT the lack of BBQ activity that is involved in it. BBQ to me has always been an activity where someone gets to build and control fire, using that fire they produce an amazing product. That skill is what i consider BBQ. Its a skill that is learned and mastered over time.
$700, an instruction booklet, and a power outlet doesnt have any attraction to me. I know some people have no want to babysit a grill or smoker... to each his own.
Now i shall to get off of this soapbox without blowing out a knee...
rb
Pedro7
Full Fledged Farker
Good thing for Traeger is 99% of the people walking the floor of Costco don't know what a stick burner is either....at least where I am. Easier sell to these New Yorkers.
Lake Dogs
Quintessential Chatty Farker
It does remind me of the first time my brother saw my Lang84... Looking at it, all big-eyed, out of his mouth comes "Man, how many steaks can you cook in that?!?!?!"....
Me, bewildered (ever tried to get a big Lang over about 350? not happening), I pause, let out a sigh, and said: Zero.
Me, bewildered (ever tried to get a big Lang over about 350? not happening), I pause, let out a sigh, and said: Zero.
70monte
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2017
- Location
- Aurora, Mo
This right here describes why I don't want a pellet grill either. I equate a pellet grill to an outside stove except for the slight smoke flavor.
I have tons of friends who have pellet grills and love them but at this point, they are just not for me and I have no interest in owning one.
