MAK 1 or 2 or Memphis Advantage ... Decisions, decisions

[BlackC5]

Glad to have found and permitted to become a member of LTBBQ.  I Recently watched an infomercial (several times) on TV for Traeger Wood Pellet Grills.  It sounded amazing and peaked my curiosity and hopes that maybe even I could learn how to smoke restaurant quality Ribs and other meats ... without over or under cooking them.  After doing some research ... and continuing to do so, I have learned there are units engineered that can sear & grill steaks and hamburgers, smoke ribs/butts/chicken/fish and even bake cookies/cornbread/beans/pizza and much much more.  The best part, everything is supposed to taste as good or better than restaurant quality good, without having to go to a particular restaurant.  With proper preparation of course, using recommended seasoning, spices, sauces, tips, tricks and cooking temperatures.  Information I hope to receive from other seasoned and newbie Let's Talk BBQ and More members.  I have flip flopped in the following order: from a Traeger Lil' Tex, to a REC TEC RT 680, Fast Eddy's Cookshack PG500, Yoder YS 640, Memphis Advantage, MAK 1-Star or MAK 2-Star.  I am pretty sure my choice is down to either a Memphis Advantage, MAK 1-Star or MAK 2-Star and this will be my first question to post.

[smokeasaurus]

I would like to welcome you from Southern California.

The Maks and Memphis grills are at the top of the heap when it comes to pellet grills. The Rec Tec is a solid performer at a good price point and that 40 lb hopper is real comforting to have on an overnight cook 

[TMB]

MAK makes a wonderful pellet grill just out of my range price wise.    So I bought a Rec Tec 680 and never regretted doing it


Welcome to the forum

[Pappymn]

Welcome from Minnesota

[smokeasaurus]

Tommy makes a good point. The Rec Tec has the same controller as the Memphis. It has heavy stainless in all the right places. I did pellet consumption testing in a Rec Tec for a pellet grill store and it is a solid performer and a pellet miser.

Of course Mak and Memphis are at the top of the heap.....the Rec Tec is around a grand however.....................

[tomcrete1]

Welcome from Wisconsin, the MAK and the Rec Tec are both great units 

[ACW3]

Welcome from North Carolina.  I own a 2 Star.  Love it.  However, when I bought mine, the 1 Star was not yet available.  The 1 Star kicks out more smoke than my 2 Star.  Tenthunter (aka Cliff) has a 1 Star.  He could probably give you a good recommendation on it.  I have found that I don't use the smoking box much anymore since I can cold smoke in the main chamber with an Amazen tube or maze stoked up with flavored pellets.

Good luck on your ventures.  There are some good articles in Hub's section about pellet grills.  Check them out.

Art

[tailfeathers]

MAK makes a wonderful pellet grill just out of my range price wise.    So I bought a Rec Tec 680 and never regretted doing it


Welcome to the forum

Everything he said, verbatim!

[sparky]

Welcome from northern Cali.  I own a memphis but have also owned maks too.

[TentHunteR]

I think you're on the right track going with either a MAK or Memphis. They are both solidly built in the USA.

It boils down to this.  If you will be doing mainly grilling,  then go with a Memphis. That is their forte, because they are insulated, and really hold the heat well.  But for that same reason they are known for not giving much of a smoke profile.

If you are going to be doing mainly low & slow,  then go with a MAK. They are more versatile than any other pellet grill on the market,  have the best controller on the market,  and have the best customer service bar none. 

The new 2016 1 Stars are now the same size as the 2 Star. The main difference is the 2 Star includes the FlamZone, has the cold-smoke chamber, and the cook chamber is 304 grade Stainless. One thing that sets MAK apart is the metal they use for the rest of the 2 Star as well as the 1 Star. They are using aluminized steel with a 1200 degree powder coat finish. So it will virtually never rust.

All the new 2016 MAKs are also coming with the new FlashFire ignitor, which virtually never has to be replaced and has you up and cooking almost as fast as a gas grill.

When comparing prices, keep in mind that shipping is also already built into the price of a MAK.

Yes you will pay more for a MAK, but the difference in what you get far outweighs the price difference.



P.S.  One more bonus is MAK is also a forum sponsor.

[rwalters]

Just my opinion. Sounds like you are looking for a pellet pooper that'll be your all-in-one cooker. Unless you add the flame-zone kit to the 1 Star, I would not consider it a grill. I have the 1 Star and LOVE it as a smoker/mid temp roaster...not a grill. If I were in your shoes, and finances were not a limiting factor, I would without a doubt go with the 2 Star. It does it all, and does it quite well. And it'll last for YEARS and YEARS and YEARS!

[muebe]

BlackC5 as you might already be aware of the new 2016 Memphis line has an updated controller with three meat probes, wifi, etc.

MAK makes a fine pellet smoker. With that being said I own a 2011 Memphis Pellet Grill. The grill is a thing of beauty. And so well built. High quality stainless steel on almost the entire grill. Has the best temperature range of any pellet grill on the market.

Their pellet delivery system is genius. It is nothing like the standard issue. No pellet jams and chance of burn back through the pellet tube. The pellets slide down a small ramp into the burn pot and not directly into the burn pot with a worm drive like all the other pellet grills. This greatly reduces the chance of a burn back into the hopper. With the Memphis design it is dang near impossible frankly. Has never happened to me once. Not even close. Never had a flameout either.

And even though MAK has upgraded their igniter recently Memphis did not need to. The igniter is located just outside of the burn pot and trouble free already. Not exposed directly to the ash of the pellets.

The Memphis line have one of the lowest if not the lowest pellet consumption on the market. Depending on how much you cook and how much your pellets cost can save you money in the long run.

And it does give a milder smoke than some other pellet grills but that is because it is so well insulated that there are very little temp swings. Nothing an Amazn tube smoker can't take care of. Plus I am not into super heavy smoke flavor anyways.

Oh and it can grill. It gets searing hot and quickly. Low and slow. It does it all.

A pellet grill that you will hand down to your kids or grandkids

[HighOnSmoke]

Welcome from SE Georgia!

[smokeasaurus]

Here is a good question that could come into play when deciding on a Mak or Memphis (a win win situation if you ask me), how easy are they to clean??

[sparky]

The mak you pull a pin and empty the fire pot.  On the Memphis you vacuum out the fire pot.