A little apprehensive on this new purchase...

[perferd]

A little back ground on myself before I get to it lol...

I tend to over think many things and then I tend to over purchase those things. I mean lets say I want/need a lawnmower do I need a new one do I need a honda will I even use it the way its intended??? Or could I just go with a nice used mower something that will do the job without all the bells and whistles cause in the end I might never even use a bell or a whistle lol...

Now plug in the pellet smoker instead of the lawnmower. For my Needs and my level of grilling will I even begin to use a pellet smoker? If I had to guess right now I would probably 90% of the time be throwing on burgers dogs and steaks. Now lets say I choose the gasser instead then comes in do I need those bells and whistles or could I just get away with the base model that cooks my burgers dogs and steaks perfectly fine lol...

BUT in the back of my mind I get this feeling if I do buy a pellet smoker I will be on here and other sites looking for recipes. I will want to make myself learn how to grill and how to smoke.....



or I could just be over thinking and over buying LOL












BTW Lets Go Wings!!!

[teesquare]

Hey perferd!

I think some of the issues you will want to weigh in the decision will be, do I really want to learn new methods of cooking?
Do I want a cooker more capable of a larger variety and range of cooking temps/styles?

I can say from my personal experience that a pellet grill/smoker is a more universal way to cook - as long as you purchase a unit that will reach 500F, and you can install GrillGrates on it - so it will sear like a gas grill. You can turn it way down, and smoke like an offset stick burner. And in the median range - cook as you would in any oven.
The taste of the food, the convenience of flipping a switch, setting a temp. and walking away until it is done is - well, it always you to focus ont he recipes and the prep and presentation instead of staying up long ohors as with a stick burner, or burning your food due to in-accurate temp control as on a gasser.

and - as for brands...look at our Site Sponsor section. We are picky about which companies we take on as sponsors here on LTBBQ. Quality and support are very important to us. You can't go wrong with any of the folks that support us here.

Just my 2.38 cents ( with inflation )

[Pappymn]

Paralysis by analysis I think they call it. I had a Weber Gasser for a dozen plus years. No problem with cooking dogs, steaks, burgers. Great outcomes from a well made grill.

Not the end of my story......I love to cook, and to push myself to do it better.

So I sold the gasser and bought a pellet pooper. It can do anything, and has made me a better cook. I don't hardly use the oven anymore. you can make great food on any pellet pooper.

I also wanted to cook on charcoal....never really had. So I got a Weber Performer. Great unit that I will have forever.

I think I have the best of both worlds

[Hub]

A good pellet cooker will do everything the gasser will do and more -- it will smoke and bake in addition to grill and impart woody flavors if you learn to use it properly.  It will require only slightly more maintenance if you buy a good one.  The cost of operation will be pretty much the same after you learn which pellet you prefer and buy in bulk.  I'm not anti-gasser.  I just think there is a whole lot more "room" available to cooks who unstrap themselves from the tank.  And, there's lots of good folks here who will help you up the learning curve.

Hub

[teesquare]

I should have added that - like Hub, I am not anti-gasser. If you look at the bottom of my posts - you will see I have a good variety of cookers.
But, I default to the pellet cookers 90% of the time. Ease of use. Consistent temps. Wood grilled flavor and aroma.

[drholly]

I'm not "anti-gasser" either. In fact you'll see in my signature at least a couple at any time - I do like my G2G and SRG - although I do use pellets in both for flavor. Like Pappy, several years ago I went back to my charcoal "roots" and picked up a Weber Performer. I love it - versatile, great flavor potential, and a great way to experiment. I've added some more cookers over the years, and have developed a pattern based on what I am cooking and amount. But I will always have a place for my charcoal Weber Performer. And my PBC, and my G2G and my SRG and my thermos, and my paddle ball game... but nothing else... 

[perferd]

Its nice to read unbiased non judgemental or belittling posts...thanks

As for charcoal I would need some serious serious serious persuasion cause I just dont see myself going that route. I am not sure this will be a lifestyle a ritual a tradition a whatever you want to call it for me. I dont really drink so I dont have buddies over to sit on the patio with beer in hand over the grill. Those who do thats awesome cause its usually me the one at someone elses house smoking and joking while they cook lol...For me I see this as a tool to cook the food for my family and time is a precious thing lol...I guess you gotta remember my intro thread...I have never owned a grill hell we never even really had one growing up. I know I know I am missing out but it is what it is I guess...

[muebe]

The fact you are intersted in a pellet grill tells me that there will eventually be more to your cooking than just dogs or burgers

A gas grill is a one trick pony. If your positive that only burgers and dogs are on the menu then maybe a Weber gasser will fit your ideals. The fastest to pre heat and be ready for grilling will be a gasser.

However a Pellet Grill is a multiple trick pony. They fire up pretty fast, burn clean with wood pellets, and one like my Memphis can grill a mean dog or burger.

If you do look at getting a pellet grill make sure it has a high temp range of at least 500F. A flame zone insert helps with giving that flame kissed taste.

And one that is insulated like the Memphis line can reach very high temps 700F plus and use less pellets.

[Pappymn]

Its nice to read unbiased non judgemental or belittling posts...thanks


That's why this site is the best.

Just don't poke the turtle......

[teesquare]

Do you characterize yourself as a "push-button preference" guy or a "fiddle and check-it" guy?

That may help you decide where to start. We have eliminated charcoal per your preferences -so:

One can assume that a stick burner whether direct or indirect, is out of the selection as well. Similar time involvement, and skill set required to operate those.
Gas powered grills can give you some degree of consistant temps - once you have learned the particular grill's personality. But that requires time and some under/over-cooked food to learn . It also requires that the tank is full when you need to cook .

As long as you have a plug in handy there are several other ways to go there are electric grills - which are...o.k. but lack power or size for larger cooks. Charbroil make a Patio Bistro that comes to mind.
There are the "box" smokers that are electric ( Bradley and Masterbuilt are the most popular) but they are limited to around 250F - so are for low and slow cooking only.

And, you have seen the info on pellet cookers, so I do not want to re-hash those. But they have been the choice by so many because they can "do it all" - if you choose a unit with a broad temp. range. The learning curve is short, and simple. This is especially true if you purchase a good quality remote thermometer for monitoring the meat temp during the cook. Some brands even have a meat probe built into the controller panel.

The cost is something that you have to consider as well. Yes, it does cost more for quality, and for some features. But the successful mix is one that is a compromise that fits YOU.

It is a great thing to have so many choices. Enjoy the exploration and feel free to ask any questions. As you have seen, we have a lot of folks here that are always willing to help.
T

[RickB]

Well I quess in my 58 years I have had about every type of grill you could buy at the time. From the hibachi I bought that fit perfect in the that studio apt when I got out of school, to nat gas units, propane,charcoal, stick burners and what I have know. But one thing is for certain, the more I became interested in cooking better, the tools evolved to meet the challange. The Mak 2 Star  and the Weber Performer I have now will cook for 2 to 20. Any type of food or preparation. I can say they are a great combination. Good luck in finding your comfort zone!

Rick

[perferd]

My family was fortunate to purchase a new home recently and we now have a nice backyard and patio. I also picked up a nice gazebo and made my own patio furniture out of pallets which looks great. Really the only thing missing is a grill for the backyard and we can just all chill back there. My last house was Nothing like this hell I am not sure we Ever spent the day or night out there lol. I can see us totally utilizing a nice grill while spending all of our time out back especially with a pool going in in the next couple years.

I bet you I just havent bought the pellet cause of my location lol. I have had to pull myself away from a few gassers recently cause its soooo easy to buy one locally...

[teesquare]

Where do you live?

[perferd]

Windsor Ontario....across from Detroit MI...

I cant find a dealer of any kind brand of pellet except for traeger...

[smokeasaurus]

It wouldn't hurt to have a small gasser for the quick hot dog cook during the work week. It would also come in handy if the power is out or if the pellet grill is down for a repair.

Get a good quality pellet grill and it will be your main      (smoking-roasting-baking-grilling)    pit.