vtlandrover
Well-known member
I thought the only draw to Saugus was the Golden Banana!
Traeger know: can I sear at the last stage of grilling a bone-in ribeye? Can I end up with transluscent fish? Can I slooooooow cook chix thighs?
The limited surface area of the Egg, Komodo, etc type grills was a huge turn off for me. My original Traeger Ironwood 650 was still too small for me which is the reason I got rid of it within 6 months for the 1300. Pizza night for a family of 5 or even cooking a whole chicken was an issue.An update for those interested:
Infrared seems to be exclusive to red meat. I was intrigued by a Soltaire ($1,200.00) unit, but one review really seemed to offer objective negative points: it's too hot even at its lowest setting for any kind of low/slow or even indirect heat and the shape of the grill surface traps food that will sear its way into the next meal and carbon-up the flavoring. Otto Wilde is still in the heat. Get it?
Ceramic (i.e. Big Green Egg) is a fancier Weber Kettle and takes a learning curve. I'm up for a challenge, but am not convinced about its limited surface area, which is less than half that of most any grill. Vertical meat seems at risk of liquid flavorings sliding off altogether.
Propane grills range from a couple of hundred to several thousand and a few days in to my research, I can't see a huge difference! I handled grates and tubes on a $500.00 Charbroil and a $4,000.00 AOG and yes, the higher quality stainless is undeniably beefier. But does that translate to better tasting food? I'm not convinced.
Traeger is ahead of the pack by two lengths. Just trying to wrap my head around an entirely new form of heat source (to me). To those in the Traeger know: can I sear at the last stage of grilling a bone-in ribeye? Can I end up with transluscent fish? Can I slooooooow cook chix thighs?
This is another great lead. Thank you. It looks like the base model - while a lot more expensive than the regular kettle - allows for better air control. Hoping to take a look locally.I think it's only apropos that your grill becomes a rusting money heap like the Land Rover. LOL
Lots of good suggestions here but based on what you like to cook, i would suggest a Weber Performer Kettle. The Weber Performer models have a built-in propane torch to light the charcoal which is really convenient. Or use a chimney. Either way you are cooking in 10 minutes and IMO charcoal is much superior to gas. The Weber Kettle's can do everything, it's a great all around grill, get it ripping hot for a quick sear on steaks, close all the vents and go low and slow with some pork. It does it all and it's fairly inexpensive compared to other grills.
Traegers are great but their pricey and more focused on smoking. To me it would be a great second grill but as a Land Rover owner, i'm also a masochist so if something makes a task too easy I immediately dismiss it.
BGE or Komodo's are great too but really expensive... and really heavy if you need to move around.
If you want a smoker, check out Pit Barrel BBQ, it's made in the USA, cheap and really well built. It holds temp really well and uses regular charcoal briquettes. I have a Pit Barrel and 2 Weber Performers and cook outside year round. BTW, one of the Webers is over 10 years old, never had a problem with it, haven't had to replace any parts, minimal rust and it sits outside 24/7 without a cover.
Agree. I have a Timberline 1300+Weber Genesis. I smoke wings all the time, 2 hours on smoker, 10 minutes to finish on Weber For crisp skin. Neighbors love the too.Personally, I have the Traeger 650 Ironwood and Weber Summit 670 propane. I am a firm believer the Traeger should not be your only grill. It complements your gas grill. I use the Weber 50x more than the Traeger, just too busy to smoke. However, it’s awesome to have. Smoke ribs for 7 hours and finish them on the Weber. The Traeger does not dear (unless you get the 4,000$ new one just release). You’ll read shout people saying the others can dead - it’s not the same as a grill.
I use these recipes often as well.This is a pretty good forum for all types of ideas. Recipes, modifications, etc.