Traegers are a big deal in this area of Wyoming. As I enjoy the meals off of them I am wondering is there an alternitive out there to them?
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Search thru the forum about Traeger. Someone here recently had a really bad experience with them.
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That was markem. But there are many of us who have had nothing but positive experiences with our Traegers.

I'm not too familiar with the other pellet smokers. But hopefully someone else can chime in.
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In the pellet market, Green Mountain Smokers is the primary competition to the Traeger (http://greenmountaingrills.com/). Lots and lots of advantages to a pellet and the Traeger with the temp control (actual temp setting, not the default hi/med/low) is hard to beat in that market. For a pellet smoker, I'd probably be hard pressed to find a better option than the Traeger.

I've had bad luck recently with Traegers but that doesn't mean that I haven't enjoyed years of great service from mine either. The real point of frustration to me, when it came right down to it, was the lack of insulation. I live where it is cold and rainy (it is cold and windy where you are at, I bet). The lack of insulation on the Traeger and similar brands makes it too limiting for me. I would rather BBQ year round.

As a result, I went with a Big Green Egg (www.biggreenegg.com). Ceramic insulation and uses lump charcoal (I use Royal Oak from Home Depot). Some add-ons to the BGE can cause the price to jump quickly, but if you don't mind making a platform out of concrete blocks and jury rigging some table space, then the medium is about the same as the Traeger lil tex elite.

I bought the large and added a rolling nest and a couple other items that drove my final price closer to 40% above the Traeger.

One note: it is hard to do other than smoke on a Traeger. You can cook a steak, but expect no sear (about 450* upper limit). I don't have that limitation with the BGE as I can remove the "plate setter" to get a traditional high temp BBQ or pizza oven, but is it worth the cost? Dunno, I've only had mine a few weeks.

Pnoon can even tell you how to do some tasty cheese and salmon on a Traeger as well.
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When it comes to pellet smokers/grills there is really no other choice than one between Rec-Tec and Yoder. The only "knock" on Rec-Tec is that save for the electronics its made in China (and so is that Apple product you may have, right?), although the quality is superb by any measure (Apple anyone?). Yoder is all USA made, more expensive, and may last forever due to heavier gauge metal used throughout. Electronics on both are on par and beyond reproach, best in business and made in USA by a high end shop.

For me Rec-Tec is the better buy, I was a bit annoyed with Yoder sales guys "failing" to specify that their best "sales voice", a well known smokers/grills blogger, was provided with a free model worth >$2,300 to post a "review". I had to put 2 and 2 together and ask them point blank, otherwise one would not know. Hate buying anything made in China, but in this case Rec-Tec won out when all was said and done, same performance, better pricing, no negative reviews at all, and great customer service from a company that started in a garage. If you order direct (not through Amazon) you will pay same price, but they tend to throw in some freebies (40lb of pellets, smoker tube for applying smoke while grilling, grill mats, etc.), at least try to "suggest" to them your decision may be more favorable if you they can "sweeten" the deal. Any freebie helps at that price. By the time I priced Rec-Tec and similar size model from Yoder, plus shipping and all, Yoder turned out close to double the price of Rec-Tec. China or not, that was the deal breaker for me and Yoder sales guy's BS did not play out well, either. Your mileage may vary, of course.

See Rec-Tec videos on YouTube, the thing is really good. Yes, you can sear a steak, as you can do on Yoder as well. Both can do anything you want.

Green Mountain smokers are good, but a step below both Rec-Tec and Yoder, and definitely a step below on electronics. Main reason they were "disqualified" for me right away, as were others, temp stability is key while smoking food. Same for Traeger and others. Traeger quality is near the bottom when it comes to pellet smokers, have no idea why Costco carries them when they usually select top shelf products.

I'll throw out another option that is used by a number of commercial places lately. I also have an older Cookshack electric smoker, USA made, smallest one, but good enough for up to 30-35 pounds of food. The thing is rock solid, set it and forget it type of thing, in any weather (insulated better than a fridge and cooks in bitter winter temps), took me a bit of time to start using more wood (thanks to T.G. critique) as I was at first afraid to "oversmoke" food, but since using more wood have had great results, and this includes fish as well (salmon, mackerel, etc). But mention "electric" to food smokers' crowd and you are the devil incarnate. I see same unit as mine used in restaurants these days, though, in some Food Channel/Travel Channel shows. If you only want to smoke food and not grill, this may be the way to go, mine is more than 10 years old now and works as well as when new. Plug it in, stick the food in, set the temp and walk away, no need to do anything else. Roughly 30 minutes per pound of food plus 15 minutes for the unit to get up to preset temp. Super easy.

But for pellets, Rec-Tec or Yoder, don't waste money on anything else.
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How to I go about becoming a "Yoder reviewer"? :-)
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Opinions vary.
:-)
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We love our Traeger and use it for just about everything short of searing a good steak and grilling burgers and hot dogs. We have had it for 4-5 years and the only problem we had is when the pellets sitting in the hopper absorb too much moisture. I try to minimize the amount of leftover pellets in the hopper when I'm done cooking, but this usually isn't a problem as we use it 3-4 times a week.
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My friend has an electric smoker that looks like a small wine fridge. He likes it and it's easier to operate than a wood fired smoker. Not as nostalgic, but does the trick. I think it may be made by Brinkmann
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For searing meat I always just figured you throw a cast iron skillet in the smoker, let it get hot and throw your meat on it (phrasing), you'd get a nice cast iron sear.
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With a maximum temperature of ~450 degrees, it just doesn't get hot enough, but I have both a gas grill and Weber kettle for cooking steaks and burgers. :-)
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Heat the cast iron inside, start the steak inside, and when it's time to flip, put in the smoker on the cast iron. You'll get some smoke with it. If you want a smoky steak, direct charcoal is a better bet than something offset like a smoker.
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I think traegers are good for smoking and they make one hell of a beer can chicken! That said I would not try to cook steaks on my traeger. I prefer to use a Weber charcoal grill for steaks and burgers because you get that nice sear.

Another consideration with all pellet smokers is that they are going to be dryer than real wood. Real wood releases moisture as it burns and that moisture goes into your meat. To compensate for this I like to put a BBQ safe container with some water in the traeger when smoking things to help maintain some moisture in there.

One of the draw backs of traeger is that it is not insulated so it just does not work well when the temperatures drop.

For the day when I start working less and take my BBQ more seriously - I want to get a Backwoods Smoker Chubby.
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Of course they do. Too bad some are way more informed than others, shame when one who has NEVER driven a Maybach, for example, thinks his "opinion" that Toyota Avalon, a car he does have, is somehow just as good. I'll double up on that and bet whatever odds that you have never even heard of either Rec-Tec or Yoder before I posted, but who cares, you have a Traeger and an opinion, right?

Interesting board following a certain path where those who have really never smoked island cigars, never mind buying them at Casa del Habano, will offer their expert opinion (but of course!) that varnished Cohiba boxes are real deal or that a zillion "free trade cigar shops" somehow sell real deal as well (old school Cuba guys must really be crazy stupid losing out on all that profit managing highly regulated and limited stock). All the Billy Joe Bobs out there must really be so smart taking advantage of Cuba idiots... Or those who have NEVER smoked island cigars to begin with prior to the 1998 switch over from Criollo and Corojo think they know what a REAL Cuban cigar of days gone by should taste like. But, hey, who cares about real, factual experience, its opinions that matter, never you mind theirs are only based on interwebs pichures and stupid Cubans...

But you're right, its just an opinion. In the immortal words of Clint Eastwood, "Opinions are like a holes..."

Keep using inferior products and offering expert opinion, de rigueur for this board, it seems. The board has been half dead for the past couple of years now, postings wise, save for the herfs and "look what I got" threads. I wonder why...
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So if I am reading you correctly, you are agreeing with Peter. Because all you are bringing to the table is opinion and feeble rhetoric. No wonder boards that you are on are half dead.



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Indeed.
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Listen, you dumb ass, I HAVE heard of the brands you mentioned long before you graced us with you massive intellect and ego. :-)

To correct your erroneous statement, I've never once claimed or inferred I was an expert. Just offering my opinion. Now you, on the other hand, are quite the opposite. Your pomposity and arrogance is astounding. I've listened to the last of your passive insults. Next time will be your last.
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Of all people, the Riddick should know you keep what you kill.
Like the desire for people to make company of him.

I hope there's another Riddick movie coming out soon. Love that franchise. :-)
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