The Official Pellet Grill Smoker thread.

[rwalters]

Hey all,
So life got in the way and I never did get a pellet grill that I'd been hoping to buy in the last two years, and I'm wondering if anything's changed (for the better) in terms of what's available to casual back-yarders.

I had been looking at a Camp Chef Woodwind III but now I'm starting to see horror stories online about bad customer service and other issues, and likewise Traegar. I cook maybe a dozen times a season, if that, and usually it's just for my wife and me and to have leftovers for lunches. I'd like to be able to do 4 racks of ribs at a time, or two average sized briskets for a big party that we throw every fall, but a more typical cook would be 2 or 3 racks or one brisket or two pork butts. That's it really.

I'm cooking on a 2008 Weber Smoky Mountain 18" and it's turned out some amazing Q over the years but the PITA factor is really starting to get to me and I'd like to consider something else. Set it and forget it kinda thing.

I've got about $1k at the very outside. I'm not looking for a competition-level smoker nor something that I'll be running every weekend and feeding a small army. I don't need to grill with it or sear...just smoke at 225 to 400° and that's it. Suggestions? Would I be wasting money on a Traegar or Camp Chef due to quality problems or bad customer service? Thanks in advance.

Kinda surprised to hear you’re seeing bad stuff about Camp Chef. You seeing it consistently, or just here and there? Every brand will have a certain percentage of unsatisfied owners, some brands fewer than others. To your question, if I had your budget, I am almost certain I’d be buying a Camp Chef Woodwind. IMHO, they have some sweet features and really are a great bang for the buck. Most CS owners I have spoken with seem to be happy with them.

 

[Hot Spot]

Not sure if it applies to either of those companies or any of those situations but some companies do not respond well to emails. Camp Chef always seem to do very well overall in ratings. Have you tasted food from a pellet cooker? Some people that are used to charcoal end up disappointed with the smoke profile from pellet cookers.

 

[PeterD]

Not sure if it applies to either of those companies or any of those situations but some companies do not respond well to emails. Camp Chef always seem to do very well overall in ratings. Have you tasted food from a pellet cooker? Some people that are used to charcoal end up disappointed with the smoke profile from pellet cookers.

I have never had pellet-smoked food; it's disappointing to hear that the smokiness isn't as pronounced. I just find lately that I'm dreading using my WSM for doing ribs (juggling food on both the upper and lower grates) and for long 16+ hour cooks where I have to refuel, stir around coals, etc. I definitely like a smoky brisket and chicken!

 

[glitchy]

Kinda surprised to hear you’re seeing bad stuff about Camp Chef. You seeing it consistently, or just here and there? Every brand will have a certain percentage of unsatisfied owners, some brands fewer than others. To your question, if I had your budget, I am almost certain I’d be buying a Camp Chef Woodwind. IMHO, they have some sweet features and really are a great bang for the buck. Most CS owners I have spoken with seem to be happy with them.

I agree with Robb in being very surprised hearing bad stuff about CampChef. Every company has an occasional issue, but I had two CampChefs. a Woodwind WiFi 24 and a SmokePro 24. I never had any problems at all with either. I had both of them less than a year, so can't speak of longevity. They always worked flawlessly when called upon to cook.

However, grills are a hot commodity this past year, so I suppose it's definitely possible that CampChef asked the factories to boost production and possibly lost some quality as a result? Hard to say.

 

[glitchy]

I have never had pellet-smoked food; it's disappointing to hear that the smokiness isn't as pronounced. I just find lately that I'm dreading using my WSM for doing ribs (juggling food on both the upper and lower grates) and for long 16+ hour cooks where I have to refuel, stir around coals, etc. I definitely like a smoky brisket and chicken!

Some of it is how much wood you use. I don't feel that I get that much more of a pronounced smoke on my WSCG over my pellet rigs. However, I usually only use 2-3 chunks of wood on a short cook and 3-5 on a longer smoke.

Pellet grills are generally a light smoke profile, but do vary quite a bit in how much smoke they impart from model to model. In my experience with the mass mainstream pellet grills (Traeger barrel style with a solid drip and and smoke stack), the gills people complain about the most with temps bouncing around, actually seem to produce the better smoke profiles. Meaning the grills I've had with older controllers that had temp swings produced more smoke that the newer controllers that kept a steadier temp. The exception being the Woodwind that had a Smoke setting that when turned up allowed more temp swings.

I'd recommend that if you have questions on whether you'd like it, find a way to cook or at least sample food cooked on the smoker you are looking at or something of a very similar design. You can also boost the smoke profile a bit using a smoke tube with pellets or chips.

That being said pellet grills are not the solution that will make everyone the happiest, they are convenience first. If you are looking for more convenience, but would really prefer to stay charcoal, you could look at the Weber Summit Kamado. I can go 16 hours on my Weber Summit Charcoal (prior and more expensive model to the pretty much identical Kamado minus the probane starter) without refueling, probably longer. If you have an Academy nearby, they have been selling a new Old Country gravity feed smoker for around a bit over a grand. There's a big thread around here about that smoker. There's also the Masterbuilt and Chargriller Gravity feed smokers which are a lot like a pellet grill converted to charcoal.

 

[mbrass]

Under 2K you will most likely need to look at Yoder/Outlaw/Louisiana-style burn pots instead of the Traeger style.



No pellet grill under 2K does this as well over the entire grate as does a good propane unit. Some do well over a small hot spot. Yoder/P&S offer removable shields so that flame is directly exposed to part of the grate. Outlaw requires removing the drip pan. No truly good system among any of the pellet grills under 2K I know of. Probably just the nature of the beast.



You have many options.



That eliminates Traeger.



Most have this, either standard or as an option.



Outlaw, period. Nothing else even comes close.



A great choice unless you put a priority on ash clean out.

Thanks all for the input. I did some extra digging, and here’s where I’m at. At my max budget (2K all in), I’m choosing between:
- Mak 1 Star (I thought these were out of budget but no tax and free shipping. One dollar short under budget)
- Yoder YS480
- Pitts and Spitts 850 (I think I may cross this one off the list since to stay under budget I can’t add the trap door seat station or WiFi)
- Blazn Grand Slam (this guy is a bit cheaper than the ones above)
- Outlaw OL680 (not a lot of reviews or pics/videos I can find - makes me a bit nervous)

What would you pick? Again, this would be replacing a gas grill and would become a back up smoker for me.


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[rwalters]

Thanks all for the input. I did some extra digging, and here’s where I’m at. At my max budget (2K all in), I’m choosing between:
- Mak 1 Star (I thought these were out of budget but no tax and free shipping. One dollar short under budget)
- Yoder YS480
- Pitts and Spitts 850 (I think I may cross this one off the list since to stay under budget I can’t add the trap door seat station or WiFi)
- Blazn Grand Slam (this guy is a bit cheaper than the ones above)
- Outlaw OL680 (not a lot of reviews or pics/videos I can find - makes me a bit nervous)

What would you pick? Again, this would be replacing a gas grill and would become a back up smoker for me.


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My answer will probably come as no surprise (lol), but based on your need AND the fact it’s replacing a gas grill... no if’s, ands, or but’s... I’d go with the MAK 1 Star. It’s a crazy good smoker and with the Funnel Flame Zone, you can grill across the entire cook surface vs the small sear zone that most other pellet grills offer (if they offer anything at all). Not knocking your other options by any means... but IMHO you’re gonna be very hard pressed to beat a MAK on numerous levels

 

[1MoreFord]

Where are you hearing bad stories about Camp Chef customer service?

Back at the start of Covid they could be hard to get in touch with by phone but once you got them they took care of me. I contacted them the other day for a dead temp probe and they answered in a reasonable amount of time and sent me a new probe.

I can't complain about their quality either. It's reasonably sturdy and fit together well. I'm happy with their build.

 

[Chester]

Thanks all for the input. I did some extra digging, and here’s where I’m at. At my max budget (2K all in), I’m choosing between:
- Mak 1 Star (I thought these were out of budget but no tax and free shipping. One dollar short under budget)
- Yoder YS480
- Pitts and Spitts 850 (I think I may cross this one off the list since to stay under budget I can’t add the trap door seat station or WiFi)
- Blazn Grand Slam (this guy is a bit cheaper than the ones above)
- Outlaw OL680 (not a lot of reviews or pics/videos I can find - makes me a bit nervous)

What would you pick? Again, this would be replacing a gas grill and would become a back up smoker for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Pitts and Spitts is made a half hour from where you live. It would really be hard to consider any other for that reason alone.

I was olging an 850 about a week ago at Megabyte BBQ in Orlando. They had a couple in stock. They are beautifully built machines.

If you are really trying to keep costs low for a US made Pellet Grill, Smoking Brothers Premier line is really nice. Shipping is reasonable, and their 24" model is $1300, 30" model is $1500, and 36" is $1800. Not sure what size you are looking for. The 24" would be closest to the size of a MAK 1 Star.

 

[ttkt57]

Pitts and Spitts is made a half hour form where you live. It would really be hard to consider any other for that reason alone.

I just made this connection too and couldn't agree more. P&S, no brainer. Just do it. Later, if you want something changed, go shake hands again with the men who made your smoker, further establish your relationship with them in person, and have them customize your unit as your needs evolve.

If you can buy local, that is your decision right there.

 

[Bush438]

Thanks all for the input. I did some extra digging, and here’s where I’m at. At my max budget (2K all in), I’m choosing between:
- Mak 1 Star (I thought these were out of budget but no tax and free shipping. One dollar short under budget)
- Yoder YS480
- Pitts and Spitts 850 (I think I may cross this one off the list since to stay under budget I can’t add the trap door seat station or WiFi)
- Blazn Grand Slam (this guy is a bit cheaper than the ones above)
- Outlaw OL680 (not a lot of reviews or pics/videos I can find - makes me a bit nervous)

What would you pick? Again, this would be replacing a gas grill and would become a back up smoker for me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Similar to you I was between the MAK 1* and a Yoder 480. I went with the MAK and so far so good. The Yoder is built like a tank and the only negative thing I ever heard about it is the paint/rust issues. But everyone that has one seems to enjoy it. I ultimately went with the MAK because the Brethren Group deal was going on and their customer service reputation is top notch. Both are made in USA. Honestly I think you will be happy with either one. Also if you do go with the MAK, just FYI the price will increase on June 1st by $200. They will have WIFI standard in them.

 

[retfr8flyr]

I would defiantly go with the P&S. It's a great grill and they are local too you, you can't beat that combination. Go and talk to them and see what they can work out for you. You can always add the wifi at a later date.

 

[OneEyedGupy]

Afternoon all,

Been trying to catch up on this thread before next weekend and now know I won't make it, so I might as well introduce myself and ask my questions! I'm 133 pages in and it's sort of like skipping to the end of a book, there are certain characters that I know how it turns out because of other threads, but want to know why!

Grilling forever, and using a electric MB smoker for a few years with varied success. PG's seem to ring all the right bells for me, and forums with enthusiasts are always the best source for me, so here I am (I'll hit the introduction thread later)

I had it narrowed down to the Comp Cart 640 or the Mak 2 Star. Not hard to figure out why in this thread! I also have a dealer that sells Memphis, Yoder and P/S right down the road from work, so I've seen those all in person. But the Mak calls to me, with a couple of thorns......

I prefer to buy well and maintain, otherwise I'll be back to upgrade anyways, I know myself. The price is fine, I haven't seen one in person, and what I have seen in person were all built well. But $300 for a WiFi add on when I could add a whole good controller with WiFi seems like gouging, along with the shelf, DOOR and such. I'm sure I'll get over it after the purchase, but it's digging at me now..... the GF was all for it and asking all sorts of questions, even watching a couple of YT videos with me, till she heard about the extras!

So, let's here the why's/why nots of the following:

Does the WiFi add on make programming a cook easier? Does it add abilities that you don't have access to without it? I'm a techy guy and usually this would be a no brainer, but it seems like a lot if it's not adding anything but being able to see where things are at on the phone. I could be sold on this option......

Door for $200 and the compartment still isn't completely enclosed? Why other than aesthetics then, which I do prefer the look of.

The grill grates seem like a no brainer, those will probably be added regardless.

I know they go on sale this weekend, and prices are going up June 1, are there updates with the price increase? I was hoping $200 off and I could add the grates, a cover and possibly WiFi and still be under $3500, not sure but that seems to be what past sales have been.

As for the extra grate, I'm sure there's all sorts of reasons for each, but the 3/4 rack seems the middle ground with extra room and still some room for reaching, is that a fair assumption.

Any and all other thoughts are welcome, I'm just anxious to get something ordered and start killing time waiting for it!

Loving the forum and especially the vibe around here, so much friendlier than other forums, people are so pleasant that I'm thinking maybe bbq is the answer to world peace!

 

[crboggs]

What would you pick? Again, this would be replacing a gas grill and would become a back up smoker for me.

My YS480 replaced a gas grill.

Very happy with it.

Wife is already thawing a picanha for this weekend.

 

[Rib Rub]

My YS480 replaced a gas grill.

Very happy with it.

Wife is already thawing a picanha for this weekend.

My Pellets replaced my Gas grill also. I actually threw my gas grill in the trash as I had no use for it and it just took up valuable space for other grills and smokers I was using.

 

[Rib Rub]

I agree with Robb in being very surprised hearing bad stuff about CampChef. Every company has an occasional issue, but I had two CampChefs. a Woodwind WiFi 24 and a SmokePro 24. I never had any problems at all with either. I had both of them less than a year, so can't speak of longevity. They always worked flawlessly when called upon to cook.

However, grills are a hot commodity this past year, so I suppose it's definitely possible that CampChef asked the factories to boost production and possibly lost some quality as a result? Hard to say.

Yeah Camp Chef responded to me also for my Woodwind. I forget what it was but I was missing a part and the probe was not working and they sent it right out to me, that was years ago. Have not had any trouble since.

 

[glitchy]

So, let's here the why's/why nots of the following:

Does the WiFi add on make programming a cook easier? Does it add abilities that you don't have access to without it? I'm a techy guy and usually this would be a no brainer, but it seems like a lot if it's not adding anything but being able to see where things are at on the phone. I could be sold on this option......

Door for $200 and the compartment still isn't completely enclosed? Why other than aesthetics then, which I do prefer the look of.

The grill grates seem like a no brainer, those will probably be added regardless.

I know they go on sale this weekend, and prices are going up June 1, are there updates with the price increase? I was hoping $200 off and I could add the grates, a cover and possibly WiFi and still be under $3500, not sure but that seems to be what past sales have been.

As for the extra grate, I'm sure there's all sorts of reasons for each, but the 3/4 rack seems the middle ground with extra room and still some room for reaching, is that a fair assumption.

Any and all other thoughts are welcome, I'm just anxious to get something ordered and start killing time waiting for it!

Loving the forum and especially the vibe around here, so much friendlier than other forums, people are so pleasant that I'm thinking maybe bbq is the answer to world peace!

WiFi is definitely a personal preference for another week or so. I don’t believe there is any functionality you get that you cannot control without it. If you plan to run a lot of programs based on timings and/or food temps that might be easier to setup on the MAK mobile page with WiFi. Otherwise, if you already have a wireless thermometer you might be happy without it. If you don’t already and only see having one grill, WiFi to be able to remotely monitor food temps is probably worthwhile.

You get one upper shelf with the grill. The top slot does not fit a full shelf, but a 3/4 which I missed when buying mine. However, the main grate will hold a full, letting you use the two halves in other slots. I ordered an extra full and chose a full, but wished I would have picked a full and a 3/4.

I like the door, but I have a covered patio. Again it’s really personal preference and what you desire to store in it. Depending on what you want to store, you can use tubs or buckets. I just wanted the clean look.

Another thought is you can always add accessories later you are uncertain about now. A 2 star with a full upper grate as the included 2nd shelf and a cover is a pretty versatile setup to start with.

 

[TravelingJ]

Does the WiFi add on make programming a cook easier? Does it add abilities that you don't have access to without it? I'm a techy guy and usually this would be a no brainer, but it seems like a lot if it's not adding anything but being able to see where things are at on the phone. I could be sold on this option......

As for the extra grate, I'm sure there's all sorts of reasons for each, but the 3/4 rack seems the middle ground with extra room and still some room for reaching, is that a fair assumption.

The grates sit rather close together, so depending what you plan to cook, you likely won't use all the grates at once. I really haven't found myself using more than one at a time with this limitation. If you like using foil pans, this is a big deal. The affordable pans at Sams will not fit, as there is right at 2" between grates. You'd have to order online and pay twice as much, to get anything that will fit under a grate.

I'm not sold on needing the WiFi. It was something I thought I'd add on, but I just can't seem to find a reason. That said, I already have a Fireboard that does a fantastic job of logging and alerting me, so that is covered, and I don't change temps often.

I'd probably skip the front shelf. I really wanted it at first, but with the odd depth to these grates, you'll have to lean way over to get to anything in the back of the smoker. I think if I had the shelf, I would officially give up using the back half of the MAK.

 

[Hot Spot]

2" between grates?

 

[rwalters]

2" between grates?

Roughly 2.75”. It’s a bit tight, but I have used the multi-grate setup many times with zero issue...