Traeger question

[Zedsdead]

So I'm a little turned off by the price of a BGE after you add in all the accessories so considering a cheaper option, a Traeger. Anyone have one of these and if so, can you use it for grilling at high temperatures for things like steaks and burgers?

 

[BBQ Grail]

I paid more for my Traeger than a BGE. The traeger is wonderful. But it's not going to do what a BGE will do. I've never tried to grill on mine, but I suspect it would just eat pellets.

 

[Shotgun smokers]

I LOVE my lil tex! I mostly cook brisket and pork butts on it. They almost always turn out AMAZING! You can't really do burgers on it or at least I haven't. But if you get one you won't be unhappy with it! You will fall in love with it!!!

 

[bbq lover]

I have a 075 and it does burgers just fine it does steaks just fine get grill marks the egg is a great cooker and the treager is a very good pellet smoker just my 2 pennys

 

[NewEnglandQ]

I sear my steaks on the Egg and then move them to the Traeger with a probe to finish to perfection. Best of both worlds.

 

[SmokenIdaho]

The day I got my first Traeger I gave away my grill. We do steaks and burgers all the time. THey take a little longer (not much) but it is worth it.

 

[hydramax]

You can grill on Traeger but my temp doesn't get hot enough for searing good nor do I like the way it grills. My egg is great all around. I use Traeger for smoking when gonna be gone for awhile, very convenient and use all the time. My 2 cents!

 

[Brewmaster]

I have both. If you are cooking mainly burgers and steaks I would go with the egg.

A traeger will cook steaks and burgers okay but it will not give you a good sear on a steak.

I assume you are looking at the Lil Tex. If you are strictly looking at price and not convenience then I would go with the egg. The little extra money is well worth the versatility.

Don't get me wrong, I love my treager but they have their place.

As I try to explain to my wife, I need six grills for a reason.

Because they all cook differently. I'm not sure she understands.

On a side note, a country smoker will cook a steak and burgers very well.

 

[Zedsdead]

Is a bge really worth the money, after all the accessories like the placesetter, nest, side tables etc a large egg is close to $1400, is it that much better then a cheap charcoal grill I could buy for a couple hundred?

 

[Brewmaster]

Is a bge really worth the money, after all the accessories like the placesetter, nest, side tables etc a large egg is close to $1400, is it that much better then a cheap charcoal grill I could buy for a couple hundred?

You know you are asking a bunch of BBQ purists this question?

It all depends on how much you will use it vs how much you have to spend.

I would say only you can answer this question. We can only tell you how the equipment cooks.

 

[MAB52]

Hey Zedsdead,
I have a Traeger and we love it. We bought ours because we are more for flavor and convenience than looks. I bought the digital thermometer so I could get a about 75 degrees more from it. The Smoke-Medium-High gage doesn't get the higher temps. We are also not overly concerned with grill marks just flavor. My sister and her usband came up for a few days last year and so I BBQ's some ribs. Well when I was ready to take them off Jim tells me that he is not a big fan of ribs, so I went to the freezer and pulled out a couple of rib steaks and thawed in the microwave real quick, hit them with a little garlic salt and cracked pepper, turned the Traeger up as high as it would go and put the steaks on and 20 minutes later we ate. His comments were-- WOW this is the best steak I have ever had-- which is my wifes and my opinion as well. So I would recommend that if you have dealer in the area ask them if you can have them sample it for you and when they do give them a burger and a steak and a piece of chicken and then you can go from there.

 

[Diva Q]

I have three traegers and I use them all regularly. Heres is what I find happens when I want to play and have the time I will pull out the charcoal and use the webers. However for day in and day out convenience I absolutely love my traegers. They work well in any weather condition and seriously no babysitting involved. PLus you have to think about the bacon factor. You can wrap ANYTHING in bacon and put it on a traeger with no worries of any flareups at all. I love that.
We do steaks and burgers on the traegers with no problem at all. They come out nice and juicy every time. I may not get a hard sear ont hem but really I dont miss it at all. The sugars will still caramelize the temps get hot enough and the mouth feel of the proteins etc is great.

I think there is no reason why anyone should have have just one or two grills.
Multiples are better. More things to play with more BBQ and grilling fun.

 

[beerguy]

Well put, DivaQ. Zedsdead, I think Brewmaster pointed out a truth here, you are talking to purists here, and eventually we all wind up with multiple cookers, even if early on we didnt expect that to happen. I started out with a WSM, thought that was all I needed, and it was 4 yrs ago. I still use it a lot and love it. Last year I added a huge Traeger to use for large cooks and for competitions. My partner (Brauma) started with a Bandera, then added a BGE. As your needs and skills change you will most likely add cookers down the road in a few years. We all watch for good deals on Ebay, Craigslist, and classified, and add equipment when the price equals need. Make the right decision for you now, and if your needs change, trade up, or add on later. Good luck.

 

[kickassbbq]

I love my Traeger, BUT you are NOT gonna get a GREAT steak off it!! I have tried and they taste like crappola.
No searing with this baby. But it's NOT a grill, it's a smoker.

 

[Zedsdead]

How r chicken pieces off it?

 

[MountainMan]

While you asked about Traeger products please know that there are at least five other companies producing pellet cookers.

Most of these do reach temps over 500 degrees for grilling and many are made in the USA unlike Traegers.

 

[beerguy]

How r chicken pieces off it?

Chicken is excellent. i use a lighter smoke for fish and poultry such as alder but thats just my taste. My bride doesnt like a heavy smoke, so alder is just the ticket for her.

 

[topchefvt52]

The Traeger does a great job on everything but steaks...but I like 'em medium rare with a crusty char.

 

[Brewmaster]

While you asked about Traeger products please know that there are at least five other companies producing pellet cookers.

Most of these do reach temps over 500 degrees for grilling and many are made in the USA unlike Traegers.

Are they not made in Wilsonville Oregon anymore?

 

[MattG]

I like my steaks on the fire hot grill, I couldnt get it with my Treager.
I aso thought they were in Oregon. I know that they sold out but my buddy still gets his stuff from there.