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BGE vs PELLET GRILL

michigan_jason
michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
edited July 2012 in EggHead Forum

I am posting this topic to help out a fellow member who emailed me with questions regarding my thoughts on a XL BGE or to buy a pellet grill (fast eddy pg1000)

 

From what I see, the pellet pg 1000 is alot more money, (looks like double.) I do not know all that much about them,  but from what I see, the money saved can buy a lot of fun BGE accerories!



"Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

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Comments

  • Logger
    Logger Posts: 309
    I've got a buddy that has a Traeger Pellet Grill.  We cooked a wild turkey breast on the egg and he said he can't get his to produce such a moist breast and still be that done.
    He wants a BGE for that reason and to get hotter temps if he wants.
    Just my 2 cents.
    OKC area  XL - Medium Eggs
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    Thanks for the input.



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • Eggdam
    Eggdam Posts: 223
    I cooked 2 10 lbs butts at the cottage last weekend with my brother who owns a traeger. He told me it was the best pulled pork he has ever had. Mustard with rub and smoked with half cherry and half hickory. 21 hours. He was surprised how little charcoal it took and how well it kept temp with no adjustments.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,671
    i feel sorry for the guy that buys a 2500 dollar plus grill and then keeps looking at that strange ceramic thing for the next 5 or 6 years before he breaks down and buys one
    :D you even see the big championship guys with the 10000 plus dollar rigs bringing eggs along for the trip nowadays
    :))
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    Haha, this is too true! I say go with an XL, and get all the toys for it.



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • Newville
    Newville Posts: 84

    Who does that Traeger work for you when attempting the TRex method of cooking a steak (or similar for sordfish steaks, etc.) :P

     

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/trexsteak.htm/

  • michigan_jason
    michigan_jason Posts: 1,346
    lol...i dont think anyone here has a traeger...



    "Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity, and are able to turn both to their advantage."

  • tazcrash
    tazcrash Posts: 1,852
    Looked at Traeger on a couple recommendations.
    I Didn't like having to be tied into proprietary pellets or an electric source.
    Bx - > NJ ->TX!!! 
    All to get cheaper brisket! 
  • troutgeek
    troutgeek Posts: 458
    lol...i dont think anyone here has a traeger...


    Oh I have a Traeger. I got it before I bought my first egg. It does a great job drying out food. As for TRex, pre-egg, I had to sear steaks on the Weber, and then finish on the Traeger. Seriously, it does a good job on sausages. If your friend lives in the Wisconsin area, I'll sell him the Traeger for a good price. I'll use the money to save up for a third egg.
    XL BGE - Large BGE - Small BGE - Traeger Lil' Tex Elite - Weber Smokey Joe
  • booksw
    booksw Posts: 470
    Not sure how the Fast Eddy compares to the Traeger but there is a great temperature range comparison chart of many different grills including the Traeger on the Naked Whiz's website: 

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/thermometer/thermo.htm
    Charleston, SC

    L/MiniMax Eggs
  • Brownie
    Brownie Posts: 1,023
    troutgeek pretty funny (only because I never bought a Traeger, so I can't sympathize)
  • troutgeek
    troutgeek Posts: 458
    Before I got an egg, I thought Traegers were the bee's knee's. It does a decent job, and it's very easy, but it doesn't compare with the egg. I think your friend should just buy two eggs (or one Komodo Kamado).
    XL BGE - Large BGE - Small BGE - Traeger Lil' Tex Elite - Weber Smokey Joe
  • Methos
    Methos Posts: 6
    I had a Traeger.  For a few years I was happy with it but I had many cooks where the food was dry or the food was over smoked.  My wife got me a BGE XL for fathers day last year.  I didn't use the Treager again.  Not that I didn't like it or had a specific problem with it. Just didn't need to.  I eventually sold it.  It was kind of nice to know it had a new home where it would get some use.  Never had a second thought.  Maybe someday I'll get another pellet smoker but if I do it will probably be a MAK or a Fast Eddy PG500/1000.
  • henapple
    henapple Posts: 16,025
    My neighbor has one... Was complaining about the cost per cook. He's eyeing the egg. Loves my cooking.
    Green egg, dead animal and alcohol. The "Boro".. TN 
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    A quick google shows that cooker has a 2 year warranty...compared to lifetime that is pretty shabby! 


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • Foghorn
    Foghorn Posts: 9,795

    The only potential advantage to the pellet smoker is that it might have more capacity, but if you add an AR or a swing grate to an XL BGE I don't even think that is the case - and even with accessories it will be cheaper than the Fast Eddy 1000.  And the egg can do so much more. 

    I actually like my side firebox smoker BECAUSE it takes some attention and fire-meddling so my son and I get to play with fire all day - and on some days that is exactly how we want to spend the day. 

    XXL BGE, Karebecue, Klose BYC, Chargiller Akorn Kamado, Weber Smokey Mountain, Grand Turbo gasser, Weber Smoky Joe, and the wheelbarrow that my grandfather used to cook steaks from his cattle

    San Antonio, TX

  • jeroldharter
    jeroldharter Posts: 556
    I have a Traeger and I like it. It does a great job with most things. It is very easy to use, more so than the BGE. But compared to the egg, its use is limited. It can't do high temp grilling, it needs electricity, it has hot and cold spots, it is not nearly as good in really cold weather, etc. But you just push a button... Not everyone is so avid.

    My friend bought a Traeger just after they changed production to China. He had endless troubles with it, on the phone daily with customer service, basically rebuilt the thing twice, and now it works fine. But he wanted a more solid pellet grill capable of high temps. He bought a Yoder this spring and it does look well built. But it does not work. Takes a long time for the temp to equilibrate and he can't get the temp above 450. Also, it eats pellets compared to the Traeger. It is relatively quiet though. The fans on the Traeger can be annoying. The Yoder is supposed to get up to 600 but I have not seen it. Plus, the "firebox" is the size of my fist. For that to get the grill to 600 seems wishful. They say you can do a direct cook on the Yoder using grill grates. But the hot spot can't be much bigger than an apple.

    So a problem with pellet grills is trouble shooting problems and then solving them yourself. I don't think my Traeger dries out food. I rarely use it now that I have the egg.
  • KennyLee
    KennyLee Posts: 806
    tazcrash said:
    Looked at Traeger on a couple recommendations. I Didn't like having to be tied into proprietary pellets or an electric source.

    I thought the exact same thing when I looked at these. 

    I'm sure the Traeger is a nice cooker and I've not owned one so can't really comment, but it's pretty evident the versatility of the Egg is far and away better. 

    LBGE

    Cedar table w/granite top

    Ceramic Grillworks two-tier swing rack

    Perpetual cooler of ice-cold beer

  • SteveWPBFL
    SteveWPBFL Posts: 1,327
    A year ago my neighbor fell in love with the pork roast I gave him off my Egg so he decided he needed to be able to do that but all things considered the Traeger met his requirements. His pork roast is not my pork roast. His has some smoke taste, mine is smoked, the charcoal gives it more depth, and the bark is better on the Egg. The only other thing I know that he does on the Traeger is beer can chicken and those of us who spatchcock chicken on the Egg would kind of look down our nose on beer can chicken. I don't smell much going on over there in the past six months and we still use our Egg three - four times a week and we do direct, indirect, pizza, veggies, high heat, burgers, etc. that the Traeger doesn't really do. So it's mostly apples vs. oranges, the pellets are what they are and what they aren't is an Egg!
  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,168

    @SteveWPBFL - I'm curious. Do many people in WPB hibernate in the winter? I may be part polar bear, but I would be out enjoying the outdoors in the cooler months. 

    My MIL sent us this postcard years ago.  It seemed related to my question.

     

    image
    Flint, Michigan
  • Browninggold
    Browninggold Posts: 453
    Foghorn said:

    The only potential advantage to the pellet smoker is that it might have more capacity, but if you add an AR or a swing grate to an XL BGE I don't even think that is the case - and even with accessories it will be cheaper than the Fast Eddy 1000.  And the egg can do so much more. 

    I actually like my side firebox smoker BECAUSE it takes some attention and fire-meddling so my son and I get to play with fire all day - and on some days that is exactly how we want to spend the day. 


    I looked @ the Fast Eddy also the 1000. It can do pretty much all the BGE can do. Cold smoke, low and slow and sear 1000 degrees plus. But at 2500 dollars or more its too much. On a side note I went to the Hoosier Eggfest the first Annual. Great prices but I still don't have the funds as of now. Maybe in a mos. or so.
  • mo egg
    mo egg Posts: 143
    I bought the memphis advantage pellet grill to go with my med egg and i really like it just set temp and let the pellets do the work http://memphisgrills.com/products/grills/memphis-advantage
  • milesbrown4
    milesbrown4 Posts: 314
    Pellets are treated while BGE is real wood lump.  

    No comparison
  • mo egg
    mo egg Posts: 143
    I got it going right now with 100% hickory
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Pellets are treated while BGE is real wood lump.  

    No comparison
    not always. Pellets are typically sawdust that is extruded through a die causing lignin to bind it together. It is still all wood, it is just created the same way cheese puffs are made. 
  • yellowdogbbq
    yellowdogbbq Posts: 389
    It's funny that this old thread resurfaced, stopped in to my dealer this weekend and he had a Lg egg vs a pellet smoker competition going.  Seems that they are afraid that BGEs will be sold in box stores soon and looking at other grills.  They also have a grill dome demo sitting on the floor.  I wasn't overly impressed with the pellet stove, seemed to be dummy proof but not nearly as versatile as the egg.  I know money talks but I can't see BGE shafting all the dealers, seems like they have a good thing going with the dealer setup.  Who knows.
  • mo egg
    mo egg Posts: 143
    Cooked a angel food cake on the pellet grill the other day, tried to post a picture of it but it wouldnt let me
  • mo egg
    mo egg Posts: 143
    The reason i bought the advantage is the pellet comsumption performance, the advantage ran 165 min. at 200 and used 1/3 lb of pellets, i ran 225 for 5 hrs. today and used prob less than a lb.
  • mo egg
    mo egg Posts: 143
    The reason i bought the advantage is the pellet comsumption performance, the advantage ran 165 min. at 200 and used 1/3 lb of pellets, i ran 225 for 5 hrs. today and used prob less than a lb.
  • GQuiz
    GQuiz Posts: 701
    Traeger rep tried to talk up his grill one day at Costco.. When he heard I had an Egg, he said I could get good money on Craigslist for my XL that could go toward one of his grills. I told him where he could return those pellets.

    XL BGE; Schertz TX by way of Stow OH. #egghead4life