Review: The Traeger

The Traeger Wood-Fire Grill is currently, the popular way to grill or smoke your meat. One of the main components to the Traeger is how it utilizes wood pellets as its fire / smoke source. The fire pellets ignite when an electronic button ignites and the pellets begin heating and smoking the food. The emission of smoke and the way it circulates is what gives the genuine and natural taste. Consumers that are currently using the Traeger have been raving about the way their food tastes. That taste comes at a little bit of an expense as the smaller entry level Traeger starts at $799, but can you really put a price tag on not only great food, but a great experience?

The Traeger is broken down primarily into three different models: The Pro Series, The Ironwood Series and the Timberline Series. Each series has a small and large grill size option (obviously the smaller option will relate to a lower cost and the larger size a more expensive cost). The number associated in the model name is in reference to the grilling area in square inches.

The Pro Series (575 and 780)- This is the entry level grill. It still produces a great taste and grills just like the others do, but with a few less options. This comes with the capability to connect to your grill sensors and manipulate the grill, set timers and keep an eye on the temperature of your food through a service that Traeger has tagged “Wifire”. For the smaller 575 it is retailing for $800 and the larger 780 at $1,000.

The Ironwood Series (650 and 885)- This is the mid-level grill and you begin to get extra features as the cost starts to rise with this series. This model offers the ability to Super smoke your food with the press of a button. The exhaust is out back of the grill (downdraft exhaust) instead of up top (as it is in the pro series). Having the exhaust in the back of the grill allows True Convection (another term tagged by Traeger) to have old smoke exit and new smoke circulate the food being grilled.

This series also comes with an extra layer (thermal wall) of protection to keep your food insulated when cooking in colder temperatures. This does make the temp fluctuate from what you have the temp at, but no more than 5 degrees either way. The other item with this grill is a side shelf area of hooks where you can hang your grilling utensils to make it more convenient when grilling out. The smaller 660 is retailing for $1200 and the 880 for $1500.

The Timberline Series (850 and 1300)- This is the advanced Traeger Series and provides all the bells and whistles that the other series have, but includes a few more. This has a gasket that runs all around the grill door keeping heat from escaping when the lid is closed. It also has a door to help with circulating the smoke even more than the Timberline Series.

The height of this grill is a little taller than the other series. With the extra height comes a 3rd shelf used for other ingredients, or whatever need you may have. This series also comes with a larger hopper for the wood pellets and has a sensor to alert when getting low. It also routes the grease down the front and is out of the way, unlike the other series where the grease is routed to an outside bucket.

The Traeger Grill is a grill that allows you to enjoy the amazing flavor of your food while it is smoked / grilled with wood pellets.

With several sizes and models there is a Traeger for each individual in their BBQing journey. Although the price attached to these grills can be conceived as substantial, the taste is out of this world. Even with the entry level Pro Series Traeger you will notice a big difference from grilling on it when compared to your everyday propane or charcoal grill. We HIGHLY recommend the Traeger Grill to any cooking out aficionado.

Check Prices : The Traeger – Pro Series
The Traeger – Ironwood Series
The Traeger – Timberline Series