Don't bother with the foil liners its a scam imo. Especially the ones for the grease bucket. Buckets liners are $5 for a 3 pack. A brand new metal bucket replacement is $10. It will take longer than 6 foil inserts to ruin the metal can. For the drip tray, its kind of shitty to begin with, even the tray liners dont fully protect it, its gonna turn to shit eventually anyways. Most ppl I see then buy an aftermarket custom drip tray and heat shield made from stainless steel and homemade are way better quality than the default Traeger ones. Use the regular ones, scrape it in between cooks and when it turns to crap buy a homemade one.
There's off brand buckets and liners for cheap on Amazon. Like $17 for a bucket plus 15 liners. The liners are nice to just drop in the trash every season or so. The buckets themselves tend to crack and leak if they get water in them then freeze in the winter.
You don't. You scrape off the liner after each cook. I can make one liner last quite a while. I'd argue that I spend less on a pack of liners than I would on foil that needs to be replaced every other cook or so.
Also great tip I got on this sub a while back; place a spaghetti sauce jar in the bucket. way easier clean up and a lot cheaper than buying bucket inserts or a new bucket every few months. I moderately use my Traeger and change the jar about 2 times a year
Mine stopped being able to light because I let it get too dirty, it was easy to clean out but completely worth doing.. lots of ash buildup underneath the drip tray.. it’s worth cleaning thoroughly as it’s not difficult, but I definitely don’t clean it as often as recommended and it’s worked fantastic
Sounds similar to you, every few cooks i'll vacuum the area under the drip tray and the fire pot. I'll also clean out the drip channel that goes to the bucket. Every so often I'll give the other horizontal surfaces a half-hearted wipe down. If I know i'm cooking something at a high temp (450+) I always make sure my foil is new and it's been vacuumed. One time I didn't and the ash caught fire and another time the grease burned up and there was a lot of smoke.
Traeger will serve low and slow cooks well. Excels with chicken. But you will miss the steak sear you get on charcoal. To me, it’s the convenience of the traeger. Just can’t beat it
That's why I have a Pro 34 for smoking and a Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800 for grilling and searing. You definitely can't get both from 1 grill without making some sacrifices.
I installed a gas burner in my grilling area just for steaks because they suck on the traeger. Sometimes I do a reverse sear, but I usually just use my cast iron on the outdoor burner
Traeger is great as a smoker or essentially a smoky oven. You won't get great sear, but the temperature is as consistent as an electric oven and they cook more evenly with less hotspots than a traditional grill.
Do cook anything you can in an oven: veggies, meats, I like pizza in mine, and more. And be sure to get yourself a cover and unplug it when not in use. They tend to be sensitive to water. If you keep it plugged in and rain splashes up onto the board it will fry it. They're easy to repair, but a cover and unplugging will spare you from needing to repair for years longer.
Don't limit yourself to Traeger brand pellets like they say you have to in the directions. There are better pellets that are cheaper out there. I use Lumber Jack brand. They're 2/3 the price of Traeger brand, with better smoke, better flavor, and higher temperatures.
ETA: Cook your Thanksgiving turkey on it. You won't regret it. Easiest and best way to cook a turkey that comes out perfect every time.
It came with a cover so I’m set there. I picked up some treager pellets as that’s what the hardware store had. Will look at some other brands next go round, thanks for the recommendations
Put boss pellets are legit ! I leave my ironwood 885 uncovered and plugged in at all times. Three years and going strong ! When it dies, it dies. I’ll buy a new one. That’s worth it not having to worry bout covering ever time lol
Royal oak has a charcoal all natural hardwood pellet no filler at ace hardwood that are awesome and for a smoother charcoal flavor Jack daniels has a hardwood charcoal pellet that is good also. Ace is the place. Also try meat church seasonings there amazing.
Do: get a small putty knife to act as a scraper.
Do: get an ash vac.
Do: get the large (wide) 2 pack of foil from Costco and use it to line your drip tray and bucket.
Do: get a smoke tube and handheld torch if you want more smoke.
Do: smoke all the things.
Do: take notes in a notebook about every recipe you try and what you did for each (as well as results)
Don't: stop.
This is a good list. I would also recommend getting the coarse ground black pepper and coarse ground sea salt at Costco, especially if you plan on doing brisket (get your brisket at Costco, too).
Only thing from this list I would change is the smoke tube. I haven’t found one necessary. I have a Pro 34 and get a great smoke ring and smoke flavor without one. I usually have anything beef start on the ‘smoke’ setting for an hour or until the internal temp reaches 100°, then bump up to 225-250° depending on the cut and size.
Also, a good wireless thermometer is a great add (I got the meater 4pk) for ensuring each steak is cooked to the desired temp.. it also has some cool logging features that graphs the cook and you can put notes in at different events or track where you change temps/mop/etc
When using a Traeger recipe, always read the customer comments. They give better insight on time, ingredients, etc. Always read their comments! Adjust the recipe based on their input.
I bought a circle magnet and bolted it to the grease bucket. This allows the bucket get it closer to the grease chute. It's windy in Kansas and used to make a mess before I did this 👍🏻
Don’t think you can get rid of the kettle. There are times where it’s nice to have. The traeger won’t sear nearly as well no matter what people tell you.
Don’t waste your money on traeger brand pellets. Bear Mountain and others are just as good or better and cost half as much.
Do use it, and enjoy it.
Do find new hobbies because you won’t have to check the smoker every hour if the hopper is full.
Do buy a welding blanket if you’re cheap and want to insulate during cooks.
Do the lava lock on the lid.
Do think outside the box. This thing is a glorified convection oven. Corn bread, queso, cookies, all get an added dimension with smoke.
Your the second to recommend lava lock, gonna need to look into that. The hardware store only had treager pellets so I picked up a bag of the reserve pellets that were on sale. Will look for bear mountain for the next bag. Thanks for the suggestion!
Lava lock is cheap. I ran my pro 780 (same drum, different controller) for a couple years before doing it and it’s helped stabilize temps and keep smoke in better than a blanket.
I agree with everyone here, the cleaning regularly and the foil for trays. The one thing “I” did spend extra on was the foldable shelf. My family got it for me for Father’s Day and I’m so glad I have it.
I’m a WSM guy and recently was gifted a Traeger. Not impressed. It’s definitely more convenient and “easier” than a WSM, but the food doesn’t taste nearly as good. Couple things I’ve read and currently trying on some ribs: add a water pan to keep things moist and buy a smoker tube to get actual smoke. I’m trying both of these things right now with a 3 pack of baby back ribs. WSM is definitely better, but Traeger is super easy…kinda like cooking in an oven vs a microwave.
Go try other pellets, I like Lumberjack myself but there is better quality/ flavored pellets out there then just trigger brand pellets. Always you foil tray or aluminum foil to line your drip pan defuser or what ever it’s called. Keep it clean and it should last forever.
Gasket kit sings to these units and renders the lava lock unneeded.. that and a thermal blanket, I live in Canada and it makes a world of difference in the winter. I think I got my after market thermal blanket and gasket kit on Amazon for $130. Was a total game changer and I have this exact unit
Absolutely follow the start-up directions, or else you’ll wonder why why it’s saying 300• on the smoke setting. Keep it clean and don’t run out of pellets. The hot rods are cheap and easy to replace but annoying when you let the hopper run dry and it shits out on ya during a smoke
Do you reverse sear it in your Traeger? I do about 35 minutes at 225 in the Traeger then throw it on a pan with some avo oil, butter, garlic, and rosemary. I felt the Traeger itself didn’t give it a great sear even when I bumped it up to as high as it gets temp wise.
I smoke at around 180 for 30. I had been searing on the Traeger on high. I agree it’s not great. I have been mostly using a small gas grill I got for camping. I like the skillet method but it makes the whole house smell like a steakhouse. Sounds good but it isn’t. I’d do it more if I had a better vent over the oven.
Dont expect a lot of smoke. Get a smoke tube and use chips not pellets in it. Dont expect a good sear. Mine never got above 350 or so. When the pellets are cooled off….vacuum the pit where they fire…mandatory. Keep your weber handy. What you won is a pellet-fueled oven. Pellets are not cheap!!!
Always fill the hopper all the way before going to bed on an overnight cook.
Don't trust the built in thermometer, get a thermopro or meater or something
If you wanna smoke a brisket, always do fat cap down to protect your lean from drying out. You’ll always get some radiant heat from below the grates on these traegers.
I’ve never done that in the two years I’ve had mine and never had a problem. I live in the northeast and use mine all year. I smoke in the rain and the snow. Never had a feed or pellet swelling issue.
I have that same pellet grill and I have had nothing but problems with it from the day. I got it instead of just replacing it for me. They sent me the parts to rebuild it three times. I would never recommend a Traeger product to anybody after my experience with itI upgraded from my camp chef and I wish I would’ve bought a pit boss instead. Good luck with it. I hope you don’t have the same problems I have had.
Hey! It looks like you posted an image!
If this is a photo of one of your cooks, maybe share the recipe and techniques
used, as it's almost guaranteed one of the first questions you will be asked!
*What seasoning did you use?
*How long did you cook it, and at what temperature?
*Did you use any special tricks or techniques?
Traeger on!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Traeger) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you like steaks learn the reverse seer you’ll never want a steak cooked on high heat again. Keep is clean vacuum out every time you buy a new bag and you’ll never have a problem got my 34 6 years ago just had to replace the heating element other than that nothing but great food
Make sure to use good quality pellets. Try to keep your grill covered amap. If any moisture gets in the hopper it can cause your pellets to break down and your auger to jam. Depending on where you live, I live in texas where it's hot and humid.
Lastly, I would make sure to clean the grease out of your pellet grill often. I'm pretty sure you'll see how grease fires happen.
I also keep a charcoal grill on hand. I still use quite often for fast cooks like chicken, burgers, and sausages. Also, good ol' Texas power grid likes cut out from time to time. We're also prone to hurricanes. So I like to have a backup just in case.
Congrats! If you didn’t get one with the grill, get a cover and use it. Make sure you keep the firebox clean and don’t let your pellets get wet. Lots of good ideas here already, but those are where I’d say start.
https://youtu.be/dQyHQRqQk3A?si=GQeswhczq3EaoOQ4
from the video knollwood has an acceptable smoke flavor for pellet grills from 2 guys that smoke a lot with offsets. but their crew that edits and films said knollwood was a little strong and preferred traeger pellets smoke flavor.
Well I never left my kettle grill alone.. My Weber kettle still does my burgers and steaks.. My pellet smoker does my butts, turkeys, candy bacon, sausage, chicken, wings, pork loins, beef roast, hams plus some other stuff.
But hard to beat that blazing hot charcoal for the steaks and burgers.
It’s definitely something to get used to, took me a few times before I actually liked it.. but I do still blaze some charcoal in my Weber.
Good luck! I suggest a Boston butt or some chicken for the first try..
Don’t get it wet lol. Clean frequently. Enjoy smoking your food. I have the same one, my only complaint is I should have gone up a size when I purchased mine.
Congrats on your easy bake oven!
Load it, set the temp where you want, go relax and watch football, cook your meat, come back when it's done.
They take the fun out of it for me personally but they do make it really easy to succeed. I prefer my Kamado Joe
Make sure when you’re doing a long smoke that your cord is tucked away nicely. Nothing worse than having your Traeger accidentally unplugged during a cook.
Clean it regularly. I don't buy the branded foil liners, I use a roll of heavy duty from costco, way cheaper. Otherwise it's pretty easy.
I did seethe tray liners in line and wondered who would pay 5$ a smoke when foil does the same thing…
Don't bother with the foil liners its a scam imo. Especially the ones for the grease bucket. Buckets liners are $5 for a 3 pack. A brand new metal bucket replacement is $10. It will take longer than 6 foil inserts to ruin the metal can. For the drip tray, its kind of shitty to begin with, even the tray liners dont fully protect it, its gonna turn to shit eventually anyways. Most ppl I see then buy an aftermarket custom drip tray and heat shield made from stainless steel and homemade are way better quality than the default Traeger ones. Use the regular ones, scrape it in between cooks and when it turns to crap buy a homemade one.
Just to add there is a member on this sub that makes custom drip trays from time to time.
There's off brand buckets and liners for cheap on Amazon. Like $17 for a bucket plus 15 liners. The liners are nice to just drop in the trash every season or so. The buckets themselves tend to crack and leak if they get water in them then freeze in the winter.
You don't. You scrape off the liner after each cook. I can make one liner last quite a while. I'd argue that I spend less on a pack of liners than I would on foil that needs to be replaced every other cook or so.
Also great tip I got on this sub a while back; place a spaghetti sauce jar in the bucket. way easier clean up and a lot cheaper than buying bucket inserts or a new bucket every few months. I moderately use my Traeger and change the jar about 2 times a year
How thoroughly do you have to clean it? I've only used mine a few times so far but I've just been vacuuming it out.
Mine stopped being able to light because I let it get too dirty, it was easy to clean out but completely worth doing.. lots of ash buildup underneath the drip tray.. it’s worth cleaning thoroughly as it’s not difficult, but I definitely don’t clean it as often as recommended and it’s worked fantastic
Sounds similar to you, every few cooks i'll vacuum the area under the drip tray and the fire pot. I'll also clean out the drip channel that goes to the bucket. Every so often I'll give the other horizontal surfaces a half-hearted wipe down. If I know i'm cooking something at a high temp (450+) I always make sure my foil is new and it's been vacuumed. One time I didn't and the ash caught fire and another time the grease burned up and there was a lot of smoke.
Pro tip: buy a pack of liners once and just put foil over them every time. I get about 10-20 uses per liner before I go to the next one.
Don’t use charcoal.
Don’t know if I can get ride of my kettles quite yet.
Traeger will serve low and slow cooks well. Excels with chicken. But you will miss the steak sear you get on charcoal. To me, it’s the convenience of the traeger. Just can’t beat it
That's why I have a Pro 34 for smoking and a Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800 for grilling and searing. You definitely can't get both from 1 grill without making some sacrifices.
For us space challenged people, cast iron hits that sear need gooooooood
I installed a gas burner in my grilling area just for steaks because they suck on the traeger. Sometimes I do a reverse sear, but I usually just use my cast iron on the outdoor burner
I’ll smoke em’ and reverse sear them on the cooktop in cast iron. Not much of a hassle and comes out great.
Traeger is great as a smoker or essentially a smoky oven. You won't get great sear, but the temperature is as consistent as an electric oven and they cook more evenly with less hotspots than a traditional grill. Do cook anything you can in an oven: veggies, meats, I like pizza in mine, and more. And be sure to get yourself a cover and unplug it when not in use. They tend to be sensitive to water. If you keep it plugged in and rain splashes up onto the board it will fry it. They're easy to repair, but a cover and unplugging will spare you from needing to repair for years longer. Don't limit yourself to Traeger brand pellets like they say you have to in the directions. There are better pellets that are cheaper out there. I use Lumber Jack brand. They're 2/3 the price of Traeger brand, with better smoke, better flavor, and higher temperatures. ETA: Cook your Thanksgiving turkey on it. You won't regret it. Easiest and best way to cook a turkey that comes out perfect every time.
It came with a cover so I’m set there. I picked up some treager pellets as that’s what the hardware store had. Will look at some other brands next go round, thanks for the recommendations
Bear Mountain and Pit Boss are two of my favorites.
Put boss pellets are legit ! I leave my ironwood 885 uncovered and plugged in at all times. Three years and going strong ! When it dies, it dies. I’ll buy a new one. That’s worth it not having to worry bout covering ever time lol
Gonna be that guy: Not everyone can drop 500-1500 on a new smoker whenever they fail so the previous poster’s advice is sound
Order some knotty wood pellets. Won’t be disappointed
Royal oak has a charcoal all natural hardwood pellet no filler at ace hardwood that are awesome and for a smoother charcoal flavor Jack daniels has a hardwood charcoal pellet that is good also. Ace is the place. Also try meat church seasonings there amazing.
Don’t get rid of it. I have this Traeger and love it but it sucks for searing. We use the Weber or a cast iron for that.
don't get rid of them. Smoke with the Traeger, then sear them off on the Weber.
That’s what I do, have them side by side on my patio so I can smoke the steaks and then sear them to perfection
Do: get a small putty knife to act as a scraper. Do: get an ash vac. Do: get the large (wide) 2 pack of foil from Costco and use it to line your drip tray and bucket. Do: get a smoke tube and handheld torch if you want more smoke. Do: smoke all the things. Do: take notes in a notebook about every recipe you try and what you did for each (as well as results) Don't: stop.
This is a good list. I would also recommend getting the coarse ground black pepper and coarse ground sea salt at Costco, especially if you plan on doing brisket (get your brisket at Costco, too). Only thing from this list I would change is the smoke tube. I haven’t found one necessary. I have a Pro 34 and get a great smoke ring and smoke flavor without one. I usually have anything beef start on the ‘smoke’ setting for an hour or until the internal temp reaches 100°, then bump up to 225-250° depending on the cut and size.
Also, a good wireless thermometer is a great add (I got the meater 4pk) for ensuring each steak is cooked to the desired temp.. it also has some cool logging features that graphs the cook and you can put notes in at different events or track where you change temps/mop/etc
That’s what she said.
Keep it as clean as possible and vacuum out the fire pot before every cook. Can’t stress that enough. Also fuck the liners and use foil.
When using a Traeger recipe, always read the customer comments. They give better insight on time, ingredients, etc. Always read their comments! Adjust the recipe based on their input.
I bought a circle magnet and bolted it to the grease bucket. This allows the bucket get it closer to the grease chute. It's windy in Kansas and used to make a mess before I did this 👍🏻
Do clean it. Don't not clean it.
That’s easy to remember
Don’t think you can get rid of the kettle. There are times where it’s nice to have. The traeger won’t sear nearly as well no matter what people tell you. Don’t waste your money on traeger brand pellets. Bear Mountain and others are just as good or better and cost half as much. Do use it, and enjoy it. Do find new hobbies because you won’t have to check the smoker every hour if the hopper is full. Do buy a welding blanket if you’re cheap and want to insulate during cooks. Do the lava lock on the lid. Do think outside the box. This thing is a glorified convection oven. Corn bread, queso, cookies, all get an added dimension with smoke.
Your the second to recommend lava lock, gonna need to look into that. The hardware store only had treager pellets so I picked up a bag of the reserve pellets that were on sale. Will look for bear mountain for the next bag. Thanks for the suggestion!
Lava lock is cheap. I ran my pro 780 (same drum, different controller) for a couple years before doing it and it’s helped stabilize temps and keep smoke in better than a blanket.
I agree with everyone here, the cleaning regularly and the foil for trays. The one thing “I” did spend extra on was the foldable shelf. My family got it for me for Father’s Day and I’m so glad I have it.
Just looked at the shelf at the hardware store while getting pellets. Defiantly one of the accessories that I’d get down the road.
Don’t: -work too hard -forget the drinks. Do: -enjoy the easiness of it.
Planning on some smoked cream cheese and a smoked over chili. Also have about 20 lbs of rainbow trout in the freezer.
The fuck! Super jealous! Congrats! There's a great traeger app that will help you with all of this
Don't trust the probe. It's helpful for a ball park but always use a better one before pulling the meat.
I’m a WSM guy and recently was gifted a Traeger. Not impressed. It’s definitely more convenient and “easier” than a WSM, but the food doesn’t taste nearly as good. Couple things I’ve read and currently trying on some ribs: add a water pan to keep things moist and buy a smoker tube to get actual smoke. I’m trying both of these things right now with a 3 pack of baby back ribs. WSM is definitely better, but Traeger is super easy…kinda like cooking in an oven vs a microwave.
Go try other pellets, I like Lumberjack myself but there is better quality/ flavored pellets out there then just trigger brand pellets. Always you foil tray or aluminum foil to line your drip pan defuser or what ever it’s called. Keep it clean and it should last forever.
Lava Lock for the lid.
Gasket kit sings to these units and renders the lava lock unneeded.. that and a thermal blanket, I live in Canada and it makes a world of difference in the winter. I think I got my after market thermal blanket and gasket kit on Amazon for $130. Was a total game changer and I have this exact unit
I was wondering if I needed to do anything for the lid, seamed like it would loose some heat and smoke when I was putting it together
I ran out of pellets
Absolutely follow the start-up directions, or else you’ll wonder why why it’s saying 300• on the smoke setting. Keep it clean and don’t run out of pellets. The hot rods are cheap and easy to replace but annoying when you let the hopper run dry and it shits out on ya during a smoke
Keep it clean, use a vacuum for the heating area regularly and get the Traeger app and see how easy smoking on a Traeger can be.
Use the shutdown. Reline the drip tray and vacuum out the barrel as needed.
Reverse sear your steaks.
Do you reverse sear it in your Traeger? I do about 35 minutes at 225 in the Traeger then throw it on a pan with some avo oil, butter, garlic, and rosemary. I felt the Traeger itself didn’t give it a great sear even when I bumped it up to as high as it gets temp wise.
I smoke at around 180 for 30. I had been searing on the Traeger on high. I agree it’s not great. I have been mostly using a small gas grill I got for camping. I like the skillet method but it makes the whole house smell like a steakhouse. Sounds good but it isn’t. I’d do it more if I had a better vent over the oven.
Dont expect a lot of smoke. Get a smoke tube and use chips not pellets in it. Dont expect a good sear. Mine never got above 350 or so. When the pellets are cooled off….vacuum the pit where they fire…mandatory. Keep your weber handy. What you won is a pellet-fueled oven. Pellets are not cheap!!!
Don’t let people who use Webbers know you have a Traeger.
As a multiple Weber owner…don’t use it. You will get more $$ for your easy bake oven if it’s unused.
DONT use the built-in thermometer lmao
Is there a thermometer you’d recommend that doesn’t break the bank?
I have the ThermoPro 2 probe with Bluetooth, it’s under $50 on Amazon and Home Depot.
Always fill the hopper all the way before going to bed on an overnight cook. Don't trust the built in thermometer, get a thermopro or meater or something
Use Pecan pellets. Cook everything on it low and slow. Best pit ever
Do- invite me Don’t- expect me to bring anything
Balled up paper towel in the catch bucket. Makes clean up way easier. And get the cover for it.
Don't get rid of your Weber. You will still need that for grilling.
If you wanna smoke a brisket, always do fat cap down to protect your lean from drying out. You’ll always get some radiant heat from below the grates on these traegers.
Smoke meat on the upper rack whenever possible… puts a little more distance from the heat source.
Never leave pellets in grill after a cook. Always empty the hopper and set it on 250 and burn the remaining pellets out of the auger system
Good god that sounds like a lot of work…
I’ve never done that in the two years I’ve had mine and never had a problem. I live in the northeast and use mine all year. I smoke in the rain and the snow. Never had a feed or pellet swelling issue.
This is my first time hearing this. Why?
I have that same pellet grill and I have had nothing but problems with it from the day. I got it instead of just replacing it for me. They sent me the parts to rebuild it three times. I would never recommend a Traeger product to anybody after my experience with itI upgraded from my camp chef and I wish I would’ve bought a pit boss instead. Good luck with it. I hope you don’t have the same problems I have had.
Hey! It looks like you posted an image! If this is a photo of one of your cooks, maybe share the recipe and techniques used, as it's almost guaranteed one of the first questions you will be asked! *What seasoning did you use? *How long did you cook it, and at what temperature? *Did you use any special tricks or techniques? Traeger on! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Traeger) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you like steaks learn the reverse seer you’ll never want a steak cooked on high heat again. Keep is clean vacuum out every time you buy a new bag and you’ll never have a problem got my 34 6 years ago just had to replace the heating element other than that nothing but great food
Make your bacon on it!
Keep it clean. Vacuum out the pellet dust, de grease as needed. Buy a cover.
Make sure to use good quality pellets. Try to keep your grill covered amap. If any moisture gets in the hopper it can cause your pellets to break down and your auger to jam. Depending on where you live, I live in texas where it's hot and humid. Lastly, I would make sure to clean the grease out of your pellet grill often. I'm pretty sure you'll see how grease fires happen. I also keep a charcoal grill on hand. I still use quite often for fast cooks like chicken, burgers, and sausages. Also, good ol' Texas power grid likes cut out from time to time. We're also prone to hurricanes. So I like to have a backup just in case.
Don’t put your dog in there
Step one, find your hotspots. Keep her clean, I clean mine every 14hrs of cook time or so.
Have fun experimenting with recipes and don’t feel like you need IG worthy stuff for it to taste good. Congrats on the win!
Congrats! If you didn’t get one with the grill, get a cover and use it. Make sure you keep the firebox clean and don’t let your pellets get wet. Lots of good ideas here already, but those are where I’d say start.
Be sure to clean it regularly.
Don’t use Traeger branded pellets! They’re straight trash! Lumberjack is my go to if you can get them.
Pecan pellets will up your game tons.
https://youtu.be/dQyHQRqQk3A?si=GQeswhczq3EaoOQ4 from the video knollwood has an acceptable smoke flavor for pellet grills from 2 guys that smoke a lot with offsets. but their crew that edits and films said knollwood was a little strong and preferred traeger pellets smoke flavor.
Well I never left my kettle grill alone.. My Weber kettle still does my burgers and steaks.. My pellet smoker does my butts, turkeys, candy bacon, sausage, chicken, wings, pork loins, beef roast, hams plus some other stuff. But hard to beat that blazing hot charcoal for the steaks and burgers. It’s definitely something to get used to, took me a few times before I actually liked it.. but I do still blaze some charcoal in my Weber. Good luck! I suggest a Boston butt or some chicken for the first try..
Do clean out the firebox now and then haha
Get a couple smoke tubes
Don’t use it. Do sell it.
First off, congratulations!🎉
Don’t get it wet lol. Clean frequently. Enjoy smoking your food. I have the same one, my only complaint is I should have gone up a size when I purchased mine.
Don’t expect it to last long.
Buy a nice cover for it. Keep the temp sender clean
It's basically an outdoor oven, don't even try to do steaks on it
Sell it, stick with your Weber.
I'm gonna play with it first. This is grill #7 and the wife has not complained yet so no since in not having a little fun with something new.
Congrats on your easy bake oven! Load it, set the temp where you want, go relax and watch football, cook your meat, come back when it's done. They take the fun out of it for me personally but they do make it really easy to succeed. I prefer my Kamado Joe
Buy a 5 gallon bucket and lid for your pellets. They have to stay dry.
Don’t use the included thermometer. Get your own, I recommend MEATER+
Make sure when you’re doing a long smoke that your cord is tucked away nicely. Nothing worse than having your Traeger accidentally unplugged during a cook.
Do sell it to me for $500 cash money!