I am new to pellet grills, which is the best one?

If I were to get a pellet grill, it would be from Cook Shack. The main reason is that it is stainless steel so no rust and definitely no paint to blister and peel over time. And they have a great reputation, minus a few folks who have a tough time mastering a different way of preparing Q. Try googling pellet grill forums, pellet smoker forums.  You will find some good info, as well as the sour grapes I just mentioned.  The CS forum will be your best source of info and you are already here. Two other places to are lets talk bbq and smoking meat.  Youtube will have lots of owner videos and they are quite honest about the pros and cons. Good luck!

All depends on your budget. Can you tell us your budget?

My budget is no more than 1000$. Which grill should I choose in this budget? Pit Boss or Traeger?

Made in the USA with great customer support is VERY IMPORTANT to me!

@johnio posted:

My budget is no more than 1000$. Which grill should I choose in this budget? Pit Boss or Traeger?

No recommendation for either.  This is a COOKSHACK  forum. You will need to seek recommendations elsewhere. Sorry.

Reported as spam. The link does not include Cookshack.

Well done Jay!  I usually forward the link to the post to Stuart. He removes the offending post or the entire topic.  

Thanks, Sarge. Are we the only regulars left here now? Maybe mountainman and lonzinomaker?? Sheesh it feels lonely.

Not sure Jay.  I long ago quit talking about my smoking adventures here, at smoking-it, smokingmeatforums, letstalkbbq, and one or two others. I decided to chime in and help folks rather than boast and brag and post photos.  There are plenty of people doing that.  As for this forum, I really do not know.  I truly believe it is the format. A couple of forums I belong to use simple machines.  Here is a link:https://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php

Thanks. I think I'll hang out here. I don't feel the need to post pics and bbq adventures (unless I'm really impressed with myself), but sharing tips and recipes is why I came here. Plus as you note, CS service is first class. I long for the not-to-far-removed days of the bbq exchange gifts, what a great forum this used to be.

Times and people change.  

jay1924 and oldsarge well said.

My thoughts exactly no need to brag.

Please don't get me wrong. Posting recipes and/procedures are very helpful to many and a photo or two of the results can give people the confidence they need. Posting an epic failure is not only humorous but instructive. It keeps people from making a similar mistake or overthinking something simple.

In 2012, I acquired the Amerique. My first butt was a massive failure.  I have stated before that I belong to many forums.  Most of them emphasize the need for a continuous flow of smoke, thin blue when possible. Same procedure I used with my offset stick burner. Long story short I ignored the instructions from CS regarding the amount of wood to use. 3 ounces? Great.  I will add 3 oz when the smoke dies out.  I did that 4 times till the meat hit 195. Smelled great. But it was coated with what can best be described as creosote. Not edible. Major difference between an electric and a wood fired smoker.  Second butt, also in 2012, came out perfect by following instructions. And sage advice from CS forum members.  Here is my 2d butt and that is the end of my bragging.  Ribs, brisket, butts, all great.

Great pic, and great advice! I haven't done a butt for quite a while (I have trouble selling pulled pork around here, much easier with ribs). Gonna give it a go with a huge butt I bought in semi-panic when meat supplies started to fall short around here at the start of the pandemic.

Thanks. And good luck on the butt.

Cook Shack would be my first choice for a pellet grill. The major reason is that it is stainless steel, which means it will not corrode and will not blister or peel over time. And they have a good reputation, with the exception of a few people who are having trouble learning a new technique of cooking Q. Googling "pellet grill forums" or "pellet smoker forums" can provide results. You'll discover some useful information as well as the sour grapes I mentioned before. You've already arrived at the CS forum, which will be your finest source of information. Let's discuss barbecue and smoking meat are two additional locations to go. There will be a lot of owner videos on YouTube, and they will be extremely candid about the benefits and drawbacks. Best of luck! More Details here.

All good points. Everyone has their favorite brand of pellet cooker and will not consider anything else. They learn to work through the quirks (all can be quirky one way or the other) but you will find the CS stands behind their product as do most manufacturers.  Good luck and happy shopping.

I am still here Jay.  I just haven't been doing much smoking this summer.  2 major surgeries will do that to you.  I finally did get the new PG 1000 seasoned today.  Big temp swings during the hour long smoke at 400 degrees.  averaged out to a 60 degree swing.  I will call Cookshack tomorrow and see what they have to say.  I plan on doing Brats Saturday and chicken Sunday. 

Mike, I knew it, just forgot to mention you (my BBQ exchange partner). I hope your recovery is going well, take care! Man, when I see what people go through to get their PGs dialed in, I have to think I'm too old for that, I like my SM066 "set it and walk away." But eventually there seems to be a great number of fans. Enjoy!

Hope you are mending well Mike. I keep thinking a PG 500 or 1000 is in my future. I've been thinking that way since I bought the 066 in 2012. Maybe for my 71st birthday (this DEC). Then again.............

Take care.

Oldsarge:

I will be 70 Dec. 31.  I am feeling better all the time.  I am still limited to what I can lift due to having my chest cracked but even that is getting better. 

Dec 29. Old age is a state of mind one you get past aches and pains.  Hope all goes well with your healing.

72 this past June. A little creaky, and paying for many summers in the sun, but otherwise good.

Happy belated 🎂

Thanks! Although I stopped "celebrating" ten years or so ago. Now my birthday present is a pie made with summer-ripe peaches topped with whipped cream, made by my  favorite lady.

I hear you.

Hi! Your article is very helpful for me. I got a lot of knowledge from your article. Pellet grill designs tend to be pretty similar, Lampe explained. Are Your Looking Pellet Grills for Searing with Cooking details then its ample cooking space and searing box are fabulous? “You’ll find a little fire pot down in the bottom of your cooker and a delivery system that sends the pellets in as required, this is all controlled by a thermostat and a little fan to blow on the fire.”

Tell us your intended useage, i.e. how many pounds, how often, etc.

I seem to remember the verbatim post that carterherbert posted, from a thread some weeks ago. It was spam.

I have been in contact with Stuart and had obvious spam removed as well as questioning a few odd non-spam posts.  Amongst other things. He and crowdstack are working to tighten up the shot pattern, if you know what I mean.

Good!

Reported as spam.  Will request Stuart ban the spammers and delete entire board. Sorry folks.

Thanks Dave. I wonder if "banning" will have any effect since these seem to be "one hit wonders" (to use a very old phrase), and re-joining as a new member is always possible using fake names and email addresses. Unless CS or Crowdstack has done something different. Worth a try though...

It could.  Some folks like trolling and toss in tidbits with camouflaged links.  A ban goes straight to the persons IP address and host. Same IP cannot post again. Most folks don't have multiple IPs.

Well, that ignores that many people, including myself are using VPNs to disguise IP addresses to avoid spam every day. Anyone who sees my IP address thinks I'm in NYC, which I'm not. Unless I choose to be seen. I still think a more robust sign-up page with lots of questions to answer and lots of options to choose would be a deterrent. Just my $.02.

I agree Jay about vpn.  Super useful in this day and age.

Are you interested in smoking or grilling?