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There are a myriad of ways to cook food, from boiling to frying and baking, but most people can’t help but love a grilled steak or pork. There’s nothing else that gives that particularly delicious flavor. In this list, we compiled the best Traeger grills of this year, so you will know exactly which one to pick to fulfill your culinary desires.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Traeger Grill
- OUR TOP PICK: Traeger Grills TFB38TOD Renegade Pro Pellet Grill and Smoker
- RUNNER-UP: Traeger Grills TFB88PZBO Pro Series 34 Pellet Grill and Smoker
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Traeger Grills TFS60LZC Select Elite Pellet Grill and Smoker
Comparison of the Best Traeger Grills
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Who is Traeger?
This prestigious company provides high-quality, wood-fired grills. It started 30 years ago in Mt. Angel, Oregon. The humble beginnings started a wood-fired revolution that spread quickly. This ultimately led to Traeger becoming the number one selling wood-pellet grill in the world.
Traeger grills are all designed beautifully, with a particular emphasis on versatility, ease of use, consistency, and of course, taste. They are all made with premium-quality materials, plenty of features, and affordability in mind.
The goal of this company is to continuously innovate, with the ambition to make outdoor cooking a lot easier and tastier. The Traeger company will help you spend less time tending to the grill and more time enjoying your friends and family’s company.
What to Look For When Buying a Traeger Grill
Here are the most important considerations to keep in mind:
Price
The price range is affected by the product's materials, design, build quality, and features. It may vary, and it depends on what you need it for. If you want a budget-friendly, high-performance product just to have it, then you do not really need an expensive, feature-rich grill. The same is applicable vice versa.
Materials
The materials with which these are constructed are always of high quality. Typical materials used include sturdy stainless steel, ceramic, and more. The materials matter because they determine how heavy the final product will be, how easily it can be cleaned, and how durable it is.
Durability
These are constructed in such a way and with such high-quality materials that they can last for many years if maintained properly. They are extremely sturdy, with no apparent way to break. Sometimes, bits and pieces break now and then, but do not expect that any time soon.
Features
They are feature-rich, boasting a multitude of useful functions and accessories with innovative designs.
Willy's Top Picks - Best Traeger Grills
Here are the best Traeger grills:
Review of the Best Traeger Grills
We have looked at what a Traeger grill is and what you should keep in mind when selecting one for you, so now let’s move on to the best options.
Best Overall:
Traeger Grills TFB38TOD
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
This product is extraordinary. It produces such tasty foods that it is impossible to ever consider changing it. If you want a Traeger grill for a long time, you need to consider this Renegade Pro version. It is not only affordable, but provides great value for your money, and makes tasty, juicy, and well-cooked food.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The Renegade Pro is extremely convenient, being the perfect size to fit in your yard, and it can produce 12 burgers simultaneously. The excellent wood fire makes every piece of food taste wonderful and keeps it even so it's cooked properly. The robust and heavy-duty build and design allow you to keep cooking with it for years and years to come.
Who Will Use This Most
This is a compact and all-around excellent wood grill that just makes good food taste better. It can be easily placed in your backyard. For those of you who love the sizzling sound and the smell of cooking steak or burgers, this is the product for you!
Bottom Line
Overall, this product features an incredibly sturdy and robust build and a small, compact design that allows for easy storage. It also has a digital temperature controller that maintains the cooking temperature. Thus, you can consistently cook delicious food and wonderful meat for your friends and family to enjoy.
Runner-up:
Traeger Grills TFB88PZBO Pro Series 34
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
The food you can make with it is incredibly tasty. Comparing it to more expensive grills, you honestly cannot tell the difference. It is highly durable and comes with great features. The large size, measuring 884 square inches, can easily cook 40 burgers at the same time.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The extremely large cooking area is perfect for big parties and a lot of people. Plus, they will absolutely love the food, which is made with a wood fire that just makes food taste better. It offers an incredibly sturdy design that features a digital temperature controller and great versatility. It not only gives you the ability to grill, but also to smoke, bake, roast, and braise your food.
Who Will Use This Most
This is perfect for any individual who loves a well-rounded, very versatile wood fire grill that gives you the control you need. It is ideal for gatherings in your backyard and even for cooking everyday dinner, with the wood fire making your food taste incredible.
Bottom Line
All in all, this wood-fired grill is exceptional due to its sturdy and robust build and premium-quality materials. The versatility in what and how it allows you to cook is endless, and it permits precise control of the temperature. It excels in making the roasting and grilling process so much more enjoyable.
Best for the Money:
Traeger Grills TFS60LZC
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
This is, again, another very sturdy and durable product from Traeger that meets all the expectations. It’s perfect for cooking in the backyard, and with its versatility, you can make the food however you want. Although it is quite difficult to assemble, it is certainly not a buy to be missed.
Why it Stands Out to Us
It has a very large cooking area that allows for up to 20 burgers at the same time. It is built with high-quality materials like stainless steel, and it is versatile, letting you cook in all the ways you love. This product features a digital temperature controller for heat control, stainless steel shelves, a double-door storage cart, and increased pellet capacity.
Who Will Use This Most
If you love grilling and roasting and smoking delicious food right in your backyard, this is perfect for you! Show your loved ones your cooking skills with this wood-fired, digitally-controlled, heavy-duty, versatile grill. It will make every backyard party memorable.
Bottom Line
In summary, this is exceptionally well-built with many features to offer and a sturdy and durable build. It will allow you to make delicious wood-fired food for a long time. Perfect for parties, gatherings, and everyday meals, this will provide the taste you desire from your grill.
Best Traeger Smoker Grill:
Traeger Grills TFB57PZBO Pro Series 22
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
It is incredible how versatile this is. You can smoke, roast, and grill anything you like without much difficulty. Most buyers love the digital temperature controller, which allows them to measure and set the temperature with ease and precision. This is perfect for any backyard BBQ.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The high-quality materials and construction Traeger use in their wood-fired grills are outstanding, and this is certainly no exception. With durability and sturdiness to last for years, this packs a lot of features, such as temperature control and high cooking capacity. It also has a durable powder coat finish, easy-to-clean porcelain, and all-terrain wheels.
Who Will Use This Most
Grill masters and professional chefs, as well as people who love to gather friends in their backyard, would love this product. If you want to throw a party with delicious, grilled, or smoked or BBQ-ed food, this is the perfect product for you. It will make every meal taste amazing because of the wood fire and efficient design.
Bottom Line
There are endless types of grills on the market. However, regarding wood-fired grills, you can not get much better than a Traeger, and this one is a great example. It is very durable and heavy-duty, with a plethora of features, a large cooking surface, and outstanding versatility. It allows you to make delicious, tasty, wood-fired food like a pro.
Best Traeger Portable Grill:
Traeger 10526 Bronson 20
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
The food tastes amazing, and the build quality is outstanding. You will fall in love with it the first time you use it! The food is absolutely delicious, and is easy to use and will help you make delicious ribs and steak the way you want, every time.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The versatility of Traeger grills is amazing, allowing you to cook your food exactly how you want to. Also, the large grilling surface ensures that you can make a lot of food at once. The digital controller will measure and maintain a certain temperature. Meanwhile, there is improved portability with all-terrain wheels and a sawhorse chassis for stability. Finally, everything comes with a great, sturdy build.
Who Will Use This Most
For people who love to cook or taste the fine, juicy perfection of a well-made rib or steak on the grill, this is exactly what you need! Look no further, you will be amazed by this. It will impress your friends and family, too, with the delicious and perfect meals you can bring into their lives.
Bottom Line
Overall, this is an excellent choice of a wood pellet grill, built to last with premium materials and a sturdy design. It also features a digital temperature controller and provides incredible versatility in how you can cook your food. It has a perfectly-sized cooking area, improved portability with all-terrain wheels, and offers an incredible taste every time.
Best Traeger Tailgate Grill:
Traeger Grills Tailgater
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
This is a go-to choice for everyone because it is incredibly well-built with premium materials and a great design. The wood fire makes the food taste incredible every time. Plus, the digital controller allows you to set the exact temperature, while the foldable legs provide greater transportability.
Why it Stands Out to Us
The features and design choices that Traeger makes are all in relation to their vision that is mirrored by all of their products. This makes incredibly tasty food at standards that only much pricier grills do. It has a sturdy build, varied features, and enhanced portability. This is another great product from this trustworthy company.
Who Will Use This Most
It is much more portable than other Traeger grills, so this is perfectly made for campers and travelers. It is also perfect just for backyard use. Whether you are planning a journey, traveling to someplace, or just roasting some juicy, incredibly tasty meals, this is exactly what you need.
Bottom Line
All in all, with its exceptional build quality, this is an excellent choice of a wood pellet grill. It offers much-needed portability, so you can take this incredible product on your journeys. Furthermore, the versatility that it provides in cooking and the outstanding taste it provides are a must-try experience!
Best Traeger Wood Pellet Grill:
Traeger Grills TFB38TCA Renegade Elite
Pros
Cons
What Recent Buyers Report
This item provides an amazing grilling experience, as it produces an impressive taste with its wood pellet method, and the large cooking area is perfect for a backyard dinner or party. It is easy to use and versatile.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This is another great product from Traeger, which consistently provides excellent wood-fired grills that produce delicious results. This is an amazing choice because of its premium-quality materials, sturdy build, and versatility in cooking. The integrated digital temperature controller and the ideal size for home cooking are two other great features.
Who Will Use This Most
For those of you who love a nice, grilled piece of meat that is tastier than you could imagine, this is perfect for you. It bakes, roasts, grills, and barbecues all manners of food to juicy perfection. It is built with a robust frame and high-quality materials. It will last you a long time, and it also features a tool caddy rack and a wire front prep rack.
Bottom Line
Overall, this is a great choice of a wood-fired grill due to its heavy-duty build and the control it provides over the temperature and style of cooking. It embeds extra convenient features, like the tool caddy and wire front prep rack, easy-to-clean porcelain grill grates, and incredibly tasty results.
How Do Traeger Grills Compare to the Competition?
The Traeger company manufactures the best wood-fired grills. Actually, they are the number one wood pellet grill manufacturer in the world, and that is not simply by chance. The company produces exceptional results, and with the versatility their products offer, they surely outmatch any other competitor.
Pit Boss vs. Traeger - Comparison Overview
Both these companies produce extremely well-made wood pellet grills. Traeger's quality has slightly lowered compared to the older models, but they are still leading the market in this area. Pit Boss is considered to produce the same quality at a slightly lower cost than Traeger, but this is debatable. Traeger models used to be made in the USA, but now they are manufactured in China. Both use a different kind of fire pot and a different heat distribution system Traeger’s is on one side, and Pit Boss’ is in the middle, allowing for open fire cooking.
Rec Tec vs. Traeger - Comparison Overview
Traeger offers exactly what you see. Everything that you require for grilling and roasting comes with the grill when you purchase it. Other companies make product alternatives that can be paired up with Traeger grills. Traeger themselves only make wood pellets, grills, and other basic products.
Rec-Tec makes a wide variety of products that you can use to customize your grills, like a second shelf or a searing kit. They also make storage shelves that you can attach to the bottom of your grill.
Green Mountain vs. Traeger - Comparison Overview
Green Mountain started selling rather recently, in 2008, and they built a loyal fan base that loves their products and their high tech, well-built grills. Traeger grills were slightly behind them when it came to technology until 2019 came around. Then, they made all their grills Wi-Fi compatible. The Davy Crockett from Green Mountain is their only portable Wi-Fi grill. They both make incredible products, and because the price rarely lines up, it is quite hard to make a fair comparison.
How to Start a Traeger
Not sure how to start your Traeger grill? Here is how you do it:
- Get the grill ready. You may have to assemble it if it doesn't come already assembled. The correct way to assemble it will be shown in the user's manual. Every Traeger model is different, so follow the instructions properly. When igniting it for the first time, you should remove the heat baffle, grease drain pan, and grill grates.
- Plug your grill into a power outlet. Unlike traditional models, these require power to function, supplying power to the thermostat, fan, and other internal electrical components. To avoid accidents, leave the grill unplugged when not in use.
- Insert the wood pellets into the hopper. The hopper is the large metal box found on your grill's main body. It is advisable to buy wood pellets directly from Traeger because they work best with their grills.
- Clean the RTD temperature probe. The probe resides on the left side of your grill's body.
- Preheat the grill. Open the lid and turn it on. It needs to heat up, so do not put anything on it.
- Turn the temperature knob to the "Smoke" option.
- Let it heat up for approximately 5 minutes.
- Close the lid while it is heating up.
- Check to make sure there are no problems with the hotrod, fan, or auger.
- Set your temperature to your desired cooking level.
How to Clean a Traeger Grill
Here is how you can quickly and easily clean your grill:
- Buy a Traeger cover. A cover will help you if you plan to keep your grill outside without anything covering it. The rain might penetrate the pellet hopper, making the wood pellets expand and clog the auger.
- Clean the grease drain pan. It is advisable to change the aluminum foil on the grease drain pan often.
Additionally, clean underneath the foil, as well. If the grease drain pan gets clogged, there is an increased risk of a grease fire. - Empty the grease bucket. It’s not that pleasant, but it’s quite easy and very important. Empty the grease into something you can throw away, like a plastic bag. Don’t throw it into the sink or gutter. Be sure to let the grease cool before throwing it out.
- Wipe your grill’s exterior. To keep that sturdy powder coating looking clean, use warm soap with water to wipe down the grease. Do not use scouring pads or chemicals to clean the exterior of your grill.
- Remove the leftover ash from the firepot.
Routinely remove the porcelain grate, grease drain pan, and heat baffle to clean the ash in and around your firepot. This step can be swift and easy using a vacuum.
Conclusion
This was the list of the best wood pellet grills that Traeger produces. With so much to choose from, this will help you pick the best model for your needs. Don't worry about the taste, they all make incredibly tasty food, guaranteed!
People Also Ask
Do you still have a few questions about Traeger grills on your mind? Don’t worry! We have you covered below.
Is a Traeger a Smoker or a Grill?
The products that Traeger manufactures are considered wood pellet grills, but they are very versatile in how you cook your meat. They give you the ability to grill, smoke, roast, BBQ, and even bake your food.
How Long Do Traeger Grills Last?
They are extremely sturdy and made with high-quality materials, so expect them to perform and improve your grilling experience for years to come. Regarding the wood pellets, a wood pellet lasts you around 20 hours.
Can Traeger Grills Get Wet?
If stored outside without a Traeger cover, they may get wet when it is raining. That can lead to the pellets expanding and clogging the auger. It's best to invest in a cover. In addition, they cannot function when wet.
Can You Use a Traeger in the Winter?
It is possible to use the Traeger grills in the winter, but it will take additional time to heat up, and it may affect the thermometer. During winter months, propane and gas grills are inclined to perform better than wood pellet grills.
How Do I Get More Smoke Out of my Traeger?
If you are not satisfied with the smoke generated, you can add a supplementary cold smoke generator. To install it, you must drill a hole in the side of your grill, and insert the tube, start the smoke generator, set to the desired temperature, and then close the lid. The cold smoke generator will only produce smoke without heat.
How Much is a Traeger Grill?
The prices for these vary widely because of the fact that Traeger had little to no competition when it came to wood pellet grills. Thus, they could charge extra, even though the price was actually justified by the products’ quality. The cheapest portable grill comes at under $300, and you will spend close to $10,000 for the most expensive one. Meanwhile, the mid-range grills that most consumers buy range from $599 to $999.
