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Big Green Egg versus Traeger Grill

I am quite familiar with the BGE. But not the Traeger. Any pros and cons from the pros on this forum? I notice Traeger just went public and the stock has been doing quite well. I am sure some of the pros have both! Thanks for reading and any comments.
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Comments

  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,205
    A friend has both and uses the Traeger quite a bit. He likes the "set it and forget it" nature of the grill. He uses it for ribs mostly, but has done brisket and pork butt too. To each his own I guess.
    Michiana, South of the border.
  • iudex
    iudex Posts: 79
    I have read some things on Traegers here and there and the biggest con would seem that you cannot get it up to high temps (be it searing or pizzas).

    This only further justifies having both (as per Teefus' remark), but the only real pro I can see is the huge amount of space compared to a LGE.

    Would love to mess around with one, though.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174
    edited August 2021
    There may be some insights in this thread:

    Re: BGE vs. Traeger?   FWIW-

    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • EzraBrooks
    EzraBrooks Posts: 379
    My neighbor has a Traeger.  To me, when he runs it it smells like a wood-burning pen, which is not a pleasant smell.  I have never eaten any food off of it, but I did gift them some pulled pork after they had their baby and they raved about how good it was, so in this one instance it would appear BGE delivers a better product.  However I'm sure choice of pellets probably has a lot to do with final product.
  • lkapigian
    lkapigian Posts: 10,708
    they all have a place, they all have a different flavor profile ...you can get much more set it and forget it than a BGE, even without a controller ..Trager is good, but as with anything with moving parts/electronics more things to go wrong 

    I say, buy one of each and make your own decision 
    Visalia, Ca @lkapigian
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    My pellet smoker hopper isn't big enough to go through a low and slow without adding pellets.  I don't have that problem on the BGE.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,871
    lkapigian said:
    they all have a place, they all have a different flavor profile ...you can get much more set it and forget it than a BGE, even without a controller ..Trager is good, but as with anything with moving parts/electronics more things to go wrong 

    I say, buy one of each and make your own decision 

    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • one big difference is that you can cook with charcoal only one the bge, with the traeger you always have a smoke flavor 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    one big difference is that you can cook with charcoal only one the bge, with the traeger you always have a smoke flavor 
    I dunno about that.  One of the biggest pellet smoker complaints is about the lack of smoke flavor.  I think you have to add a foil pack of wood chips to the pellet smoker just like you need to add smoke wood to the lump.

    That said, I'm sure there are enough differences in pellet smokers where some don't burn the pellets as hot and you get some smoke flavor.

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • one big difference is that you can cook with charcoal only one the bge, with the traeger you always have a smoke flavor 
    I dunno about that.  One of the biggest pellet smoker complaints is about the lack of smoke flavor.  I think you have to add a foil pack of wood chips to the pellet smoker just like you need to add smoke wood to the lump.

    That said, I'm sure there are enough differences in pellet smokers where some don't burn the pellets as hot and you get some smoke flavor.

      I don't know, that was my uncles complaint, he has one and said if he wanted to cook something and not impart a smoke flavor he had no options.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • xfire_ATX
    xfire_ATX Posts: 1,110
    My neighbor just went all in on a $2k Traeger Timberline and he already has an XL BGE.   He frankly doesn't use his BGE very often, more likely was using an ok Gasser which the new Pellet Grill replaced.  He used his BGE for longer cooks.

    My thoughts-
    Positive- the phone app of set it and forget it is very appealing.  It tells him when the pellets get low during a cook so it wont go out.  It holds a lot of whatever, the inside is huge.
    Negative- the unit is massive, requires electricity (which for me is far from my cooking area).  For the 4th of July we did a neighborhood brisket cook off and judging by the leftovers the BGE won (could be hunk of cow helped!).

    I still look at them for the set and forget but if I do it, it will be a 2nd one I likely buy used for a decent price.
    XLBGE, LBGECharbroil Gas Grill, Weber Q2000, Old Weber Kettle, Yeti 65, Yeti Hopper 20, RTIC 20, RTIC 20 Soft Side - Too many drinkware vessels to mention.

    Not quite in Austin, TX City Limits
    Just Vote- What if you could choose "none of the above" on an election ballot? Millions of Americans do just that, in effect, by not voting.  The result in 2016: "Nobody" won more counties, more states, and more electoral votes than either candidate for president. 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,174
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • danhoo
    danhoo Posts: 675
    I would not want to generalize all pellets as the same, nor all Traeger pellet grills as the same. 

    I have both a large BGE and a pellet ( not a Traeger ) and I'll be candid, both have a learning curve and both can cook amazing food.

    my 2 cents of advice is join the Traeger forum and read about what their owners describe is going well, and not so well. Some, perhaps most is issues with individual models, and some of their models may be ones to steer clear of.  Same with PitBoss, and Rectec. Nothing is perfect or foolproof.
    current: | Large BGE |  Genesis 1000 | Genesis E330 | 22 inch Kettle | Weber Summit Kamado
    sold:| PitBoss pro 820  WSM 22 
  • sumoconnell
    sumoconnell Posts: 1,932
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++
    Austin, Texas.  I'm the guy holding a beer.
  • xfire_ATX
    xfire_ATX Posts: 1,110
    MY BIL bought that, havent seen it in use but apparently hes pretty happy wiht it.
    XLBGE, LBGECharbroil Gas Grill, Weber Q2000, Old Weber Kettle, Yeti 65, Yeti Hopper 20, RTIC 20, RTIC 20 Soft Side - Too many drinkware vessels to mention.

    Not quite in Austin, TX City Limits
    Just Vote- What if you could choose "none of the above" on an election ballot? Millions of Americans do just that, in effect, by not voting.  The result in 2016: "Nobody" won more counties, more states, and more electoral votes than either candidate for president. 
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Re: flavor wrt pellet smokers, most of the pellets are made of whatever hardwood, then flavored with mesquite/hickory/apple, etc. 

    pellets actually made 100% from apple/hickory/mesquite, etc. are not as easy to come by, and are significantly more expensive than what most people use to cook with. So, most folks are probably not cooking with great pellets. 



    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.

  • I’m saying charcoal burns clean relative to pellets. 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    Well one you have to plug in like a vacuum cleaner and the other is a real grill. That's about all I can contribute.
    Are you a betting type of guy?  ;)



    I'm just messing with you....
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • I love my Weber smokefire pellet grill. It has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I had a green mountain grill pellet cooker, and it didn’t impress me much. The Weber launch was bumpy, but they ironed out the issues and the cooker is incredible. I do a lot of high heat cooking on it since it can get really really hot. So hot, it’s uncomfortable standing in front of it to flip the protein. 
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    I love my Weber smokefire pellet grill. It has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I had a green mountain grill pellet cooker, and it didn’t impress me much. The Weber launch was bumpy, but they ironed out the issues and the cooker is incredible. I do a lot of high heat cooking on it since it can get really really hot. So hot, it’s uncomfortable standing in front of it to flip the protein. 
    Like what you are saying. I followed Smokefire when it first came out and remember people complaining about some issues. What did they change to make it better?
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Photo Egg said:
    I love my Weber smokefire pellet grill. It has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I had a green mountain grill pellet cooker, and it didn’t impress me much. The Weber launch was bumpy, but they ironed out the issues and the cooker is incredible. I do a lot of high heat cooking on it since it can get really really hot. So hot, it’s uncomfortable standing in front of it to flip the protein. 
    Like what you are saying. I followed Smokefire when it first came out and remember people complaining about some issues. What did they change to make it better?
    They figured out some issues with the auger, software, and the angle of the pellet chute.  I have actually moved the smokefire into pole position on the patio.  Its my go to for weeknight cooks, I use it like a gas grill actually.  Take the cover off, plug it it, hit go, and I am grilling from 350-600 in 10ish minutes.  Charcoal is still where I go when I have more time.  I did buy some charcoal pellets that I want to try out.  They are just crushed and pressed lump into tiny pellet size.
  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
    Photo Egg said:
    I love my Weber smokefire pellet grill. It has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I had a green mountain grill pellet cooker, and it didn’t impress me much. The Weber launch was bumpy, but they ironed out the issues and the cooker is incredible. I do a lot of high heat cooking on it since it can get really really hot. So hot, it’s uncomfortable standing in front of it to flip the protein. 
    Like what you are saying. I followed Smokefire when it first came out and remember people complaining about some issues. What did they change to make it better?
    They figured out some issues with the auger, software, and the angle of the pellet chute.  I have actually moved the smokefire into pole position on the patio.  Its my go to for weeknight cooks, I use it like a gas grill actually.  Take the cover off, plug it it, hit go, and I am grilling from 350-600 in 10ish minutes.  Charcoal is still where I go when I have more time.  I did buy some charcoal pellets that I want to try out.  They are just crushed and pressed lump into tiny pellet size.
    Thank you very much.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
  • Photo Egg said:
    I love my Weber smokefire pellet grill. It has absolutely exceeded my expectations. I had a green mountain grill pellet cooker, and it didn’t impress me much. The Weber launch was bumpy, but they ironed out the issues and the cooker is incredible. I do a lot of high heat cooking on it since it can get really really hot. So hot, it’s uncomfortable standing in front of it to flip the protein. 
    Like what you are saying. I followed Smokefire when it first came out and remember people complaining about some issues. What did they change to make it better?
    They figured out some issues with the auger, software, and the angle of the pellet chute.  I have actually moved the smokefire into pole position on the patio.  Its my go to for weeknight cooks, I use it like a gas grill actually.  Take the cover off, plug it it, hit go, and I am grilling from 350-600 in 10ish minutes.  Charcoal is still where I go when I have more time.  I did buy some charcoal pellets that I want to try out.  They are just crushed and pressed lump into tiny pellet size.

     Cool, I did not know they made those, but it only makes sense.
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • Tspud1
    Tspud1 Posts: 1,486
    one big difference is that you can cook with charcoal only one the bge, with the traeger you always have a smoke flavor 
    I dunno about that.  One of the biggest pellet smoker complaints is about the lack of smoke flavor.  I think you have to add a foil pack of wood chips to the pellet smoker just like you need to add smoke wood to the lump.

    That said, I'm sure there are enough differences in pellet smokers where some don't burn the pellets as hot and you get some smoke flavor.

    I agrre, my RecTeq pellet smoker doesnt have near the flavor of my egg
  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,984
    A former neighbor of mine, had a pellet grill, and for whatever reason, the pellet feeder would jam up in the humid weather. (Maybe the type of pellets he used?) That thing spent more time in the garage than on his patio.

    His wife surprised him with a BGE. He liked the Traeger, but he really enjoys his BGE, due to its ability to deliver tasty food, without having to disassemble and repair. 

    I just told him, “wait until your base cracks.”

    There may indeed be a few plus and minus lists with both, but I just rather have BGE type cooker, and deal with the ceramic issues.
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
  • Comparing a green egg to a Traeger is like comparing an oven to a microwave.  They both do the same thing with somewhat different outcomes.  I have considerable experience with both.  We all know the pluses and minuses with the egg so I will offer a few comments on the Traeger.  The Traeger is a tool for folks that want outdoor cooking reduced to simple.  It accomplishes that with a well designed phone app and easy temp control.  The finished product looks great and comes out juicy but without smoke flavor.  We have cooked biscuits in one and you can’t tell the difference from ones cooked inside in the oven.  There are lots of folks that don’t like smoke so it suits them perfectly.  This is easy to explain since the moisture content of pellets is under 12%.  At low moisture levels it is impossible to impart smoke flavor.  After months of experimentation with different wood moisture profiles in my KBQ I am now very sensitive to smoking wood moisture levels.  Hope this helps.
    Southeast Louisiana
    3 Larges, Rockin W Smokers Gravity Fed Unit, KBQ, Shirley Fabrication 24 x 36, Teppanyaki Stainless Griddle 
  • dstearn
    dstearn Posts: 1,702
    Matt Pittman (Meat Church) uses a Traeger Timberline on his YT channel and seems to get great results. The basic pro model does not have the Super Smoke feature but the Ironwood and Timberline models do. So perhaps it depends on which model you are using. The Ironwood and Timberline can get up to 500 degrees so you can sear especially if you use Grill Grates.
    Malcom Reed from How to BBQ Right uses a Yoder on occasion and also achieves good results.
    So I think it depends on which manufacturer and model you choose.

    For me I only had space for one smoker and I wanted the sear a steak so the XL was a logical choice for me.

    My Step Son just got a Traeger and I steered him into getting the Ironwood instead of the Pro. He is obsessed with it and now thinks that he is the greatest Pit Master in the world.