Pellet Smokers - Flavor Quality

Beware of Traeger. The went to China for a manufacturer and quality suffered.

There are a lot more companies out there making pellet smokers now then there were a few years ago. You can spend a few hundred to several thousand dollars on one just depends on what your looking for. The ones I have experience with produce great smoked bbq and are easy to use. If you're looking for something to grill and smoke on make sure you read up on them and check the reviews you need more direct heat for grilling and indirect heat for smoking. If you want more smoke flavor then the pellets provide some are capable of adding extra smoke using wood chips in a tray or some type of smoke generator. Good luck !

I love my Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett pellet Grill and would disagree that they don't produce the smoky taste.

firemedic1992 wrote:
I love my Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett pellet Grill and would disagree that they don't produce the smoky taste.

The argument isn't that they don't produce a smoky taste, it is that they don't produce the same smoky taste as wood or charcoal fueled smokers. And to this I whole heartedly agree. They are good, just not as good.

To me it's a trade off. I don't care for charcoal taste, wood is great but I don't have the time, space or desire to deal with chunks of wood. The pellet smoker we have, a Louisiana Smoker, let me make fantastic smoked meats at home without the hassle. Does wood create more flavor? Perhaps, but just like cooking with anything it takes time, practice and patience. Using the right quality pellets matters. I've sampled a dozen friends smoked meats all off of pellet smokers. Some have a great smokey taste others not so much. To me impatience is usually the problem, low and slow is the key.

I'm happy with our Louisiana Smoker, it was the best Mothers Day present I've ever bought my wife and she agrees. If I were buying today the Green Mountain would be top on my list. Personally I will no purchase a Traeger for reasons already stated and others.

We also have a GMG Davey Crocket and love the flavor. It smokes well yet gets hot enough to cook a great steak. We smoke our small cuts of meat (steak, pork chops, chicken, etc) 30 minutes and remove from the smoker. Then we crank the temp up to the highest setting. After it comes to temp, we put the meat back on. We cook chicken slightly different after smoking because it does not need that high heat. Last night we tried lamb chops and they were fantastic. We are big mesquite fans and we use that flavor pellet almost exclusively.

KCFDCapt wrote:
Beware of Traeger. The went to China for a manufacturer and quality suffered.

Sounds like good advice.
My buddy had the small table top Treager and it continually covered the food in grey ash. Treager couldn't figure out the problem but sent him several parts. He finally gave up and bought another brand.

I like my Traegers as we get delicious smokey flavor because we do it correctly. One of the best things about pellet smokers is that you DO get a bark (crust) and a good smoke ring. You cannot get those using electric or gas smokers.

I have a Rec-Tec wood pellet smoker. I love it and the customer service is second to none. The owner gives you his cell phone to call him direct with any issues. I had a Traeger, never again.

Thanks for all the great feedback. I have the Weber Bullet smoker, but I was thinking of getting a GMG for longer cooks like pork butt and brisket. I've cooked both on the Weber, but having to get up in the middle of the night to tend to the charcoal is a hassle - a worthwhile hassle, but a hassle nonetheless.

Now I'm on the fence.

Y-Guy - where do you get your pellets?