With the arrival of pellet grills, the barbecue revolution has arrived: Can you imagine cooking with all the flavor of burning natural wood, but without the need or time required to make embers, while being able to control the temperature at all times and with the spaciousness and convenience of a good grill area? That is exactly what the Traeger pellet grills. Choose the pellet, press a button, and in ten minutes you’ll be making the best cookouts you can imagine.
Cookouts and more, much more! Take note, because I have a lot of information about pellet grills that I’m excited to share with you in this post, where we’re going to look at:
- What pellet grills are
- How pellet grills work
- Consistently delicious results
- Traeger Grills, the No. 1 pellet grills
- What sets Traeger grills apart
- What you can cook on a Traeger grill
- How to choose your ideal Traeger grill
- Traeger pellets
- The Traeger community
- The Traeger universe
I hope my opinion on pellet grills and all the information on how they work is useful to you. Let’s see if you become a Traeger style fan like me!
What pellet grills are
Grills, in general and traditionally, are outdoor appliances where wood or charcoal is placed and, on a top grate, all kinds of food are cooked naturally, with the added bonus of that toasty aroma and distinctive hint of smoke.
Thus, traditional grills work by burning charcoal or wood. It’s simple and economical. The big downside is the time and hassle usually involved in lighting them.
Because charcoal grills took time and were difficult to use, gas grills appeared. Convenient and practical, they are grills you can get running quickly, since gas ignition is instant (just like turning on a gas stove, you turn on the grill). But they have a big downside, especially for lovers of authentic barbecue: their cooking lacks that smoky note that only burning charcoal or natural wood can provide.
And this is where pellet grills come in: pellet grills, whose origin began in the Traeger grills we’re talking about today, are grills that deliver that truly unique barbecue flavor thanks to the smoke and taste of burning natural wood (the pellet), and they also combine the convenience and ease of gas grills, since they start with the push of a button. Pellet grills combine all the benefits of charcoal and gas grills, with no downsides. They are the perfect grills! That’s exactly what you’re reading. Shall I go on? Follow me!
How pellet grills work
Fill the hopper with pellets, choose the temperature with a dial or button, and press the button. Yes, Traeger grills work like an oven; you don’t need to heat the charcoal or prepare the wood. It does that for you when you turn it on, and in 10 minutes you have the grill at the temperature you set so you can start using it.
And that’s how it works across all Traeger grill models. They are electric grills that start with a switch and run on the pellets placed in the hopper. In addition, their energy consumption is minimal, since it is only needed to activate the burner and keep the fan running.
Consistently delicious results
One of the most notable things about Traeger grills is that they guarantee consistency in the final result. Every single time we cook with them, we get perfect results. And that’s thanks to:
- The fast ignition, in about 10 minutes.
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The precise temperature control from 75 °C to 260 °C.
Traeger Grills, the No. 1 pellet grills
As I was saying, pellet grills represent the evolution of charcoal and gas grills, with great performance, convenience, and precision. It all started with what are now Traeger grills, which today are the No. 1 pellet grills in the world (and perhaps an even greater feat, today they’re already the No. 2 grills in the USA across all grill types and brands, including charcoal and gas!).
Discovering a Traeger means entering the world of these grills by the hand of the creators of the first original pellet grill, invented more than 30 years ago. In addition to being a global leader with its pellet grills (the best-selling in the world) and the market’s top specialist, Traeger has perfected pellet grills, bringing together in one appliance all the benefits of a grill, an oven, and a smoker.
What sets Traeger grills apart
- They are very robust and complete grills: Designed and built to last a long time.
- They are very easy to use, as easy as the oven at home: You only need to fill the hopper with pellets, press a button, and in ten minutes it’s ready to cook.
- Their fast ignition. Their electric self-ignition system ensures that in just a few minutes the grill has reached the set temperature.
- The consistency of their results and their great final flavor: Thanks to precise temperature control, you’ll always get perfect results. Every single time. In addition, the 100% natural wood pellet enhances the flavor of food and adds great wood-fired taste.
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Their large cooking area: Traeger grills have a large cooking surface and allow you to cook on multiple levels (except the Ranger model, the portable grill).
- Their barrel shape: Their barrel-shaped design optimizes hot air circulation, fully surrounding the food, making even cooking easier and reducing time (except the portable Ranger model).
- They are very versatile: In addition to grilling, you'll be able to bake, slow-cook, stew, sear, smoke, and braise, thanks to their precise temperature control and large capacity.
- The super smoke function: During cooking (between 70 and 105ºC) you can intensify the smoke flavor. Just press a button or use your phone. This option is available on the Timberline and Ironwood models.
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Control the grill from your phone: Thanks to WiFIRE® technology (originally created so astronauts could cook on the moon), you can connect your grill to your smartphone and access the control functions from the TRAEGER app on your phone (except on the portable Ranger model).
- Their community: Traeger brings people together around their grills. A community that reaches all over the world, showing the best ways to get the most out of every model, and which even has its own official day on the calendar.
What you can cook on a Traeger grill
A Traeger grill lets you cook everything. Its temperature range, from 70-75ºC to 260º C, makes it easy to prepare any recipe you want. What you can make in the kitchen or oven, you can make on a Traeger grill. You’ll see:
- Grilling, of course! Whether quickly at high temperatures, searing meat, vegetables, or fruit and giving food that quick sear without too much smoke flavor penetrating it, or at lower temperatures for very different results.
- Grill cooking (with the lid closed) from a whole rack of ribs (or two!), chicken thighs, or any cut of meat or vegetables. With long cooks of 4 to 24 hours, at temperatures of 110ºC to 135ºC and . controlling the different techniques of slow-cooking where the aroma of smoke plays a role.
- Smoke all kinds of food, with temperatures from 75ºC to 105ºC, to cook perfectly with more smoke and a more intense final aroma. Fish like salmon, meats, and even fondue cheese.
- Bake. From pizzas, focaccias, or empanadas, to loaves of bread, pastry doughs (cookies, ensaimadas, muffins, or the Christmas roscón!), cheesecakes or puff pastry tarts, savory or sweet ones like apple tart, sponge cakes. Anything you bake in the oven at home, whether on a tray or in a mold, you can bake on a Traeger grill.
- Braise or stew at low temperature in the stew pot, in the tagine, or in the casserole, for example, from a legume recipe to chicken stew with sauce or beef stew.
- Confit. Yes, it’s also possible to confit meats or vegetables. A fantastic way to prepare certain foods at low temperature in oil or in their own fat.
The large size of its cooking area and the ability to move or remove the grates makes it possible to cook large quantities or whole pieces. On models like the Timberline, for example, it’s possible to cook on 3 levels at the same time, or with 2 grates, you can roast 9 to 12 chickens at once (depending on the version you choose).
How to choose your ideal Traeger grill
One of Traeger’s strengths is having managed to design grills for everyone. Depending on what you need or how you like to cook, you can choose the right model without risking a mistake:
- RANGER Grill
Traeger’s "Baby," the Ranger grill, is a portable grill with a compact design, with capacity for 1 rack of ribs or 6 burgers. Perfect to take with you everywhere, it’s ideal for small spaces, second homes, camping, RVs, or to take wherever you go.
- PRO Grill
The Traeger Pro grill is perfect for the garden or patio and for easy cooking. Medium-sized, with a double grate and in two versions so you can choose the capacity that suits you best. Simple and suitable for cooking any recipe, it has WiFIRE® technology that lets you connect your grill to your smartphone.
- IRONWOOD Grill
Larger than the PRO, the IRONWOOD Grill offers you a bigger cooking surface, perfect for somewhat larger families. It has a double-walled interior so you can cook with it with the same results every day of the year, even in the coldest weather. Equipped with WiFIRE® technology, you can control the grill from your phone and it has the super smoke function.
- TIMBERLINE Grill
The Timberline grill model is the top Traeger. Very complete, perfect for ideally cooking outdoors, with a large cooking capacity and three grates at three levels. It also offers a large stainless steel front surface for food prep and a bamboo cutting board. Its double-walled stainless steel interior guarantees unmatched strength and perfect insulation of the internal temperature. Ideal for large families or if you cook larger quantities, since it allows you to cook 9 or 12 whole chickens at once, depending on the version you choose.
The Pellet for Treager grills
Considered another ingredient in cooking barbecue food, essential for enhancing its flavors and aromas, the Traeger pellet is manufactured in the U.S., with the entire process monitored from the sawmills to the point of sale.
It has FSC certification, from responsibly harvested wood. It is made in a totally natural way, with no fillers, bark, or added binders, avoiding waste and contributing to cleaner forests, which helps minimize the risk of fire spread.
Each wood provides a characteristic aroma and flavor that enhance the food itself. Varieties include apple, cherry, hickory, or mesquite, which are ideal for pairing with different foods.
The Traeger community
Treager is much more than a grill brand, much more than the biggest barbecue experts. The Traeger community has a day on the calendar when everyone celebrates this way of understanding barbecue (in 2022, it was May 14). Cooking, company, family, and moments to share are fundamental to Traeger, which has continued innovating since its first grill so that we can all enjoy them without missing a thing.
Because for the Traeger community, barbecue is a way to connect, to build bonds, to bring people together, to enjoy, and to share. Showing new ways to make the most of cooking on any of its models, teaching and sharing countless recipes to learn and enjoy cooking and eating in a fun and healthier way. Because there is nothing like the flavor of food cooked on the grill!
The Traeger universe
Traeger also offers a wide collection of utensils to cook comfortably, safely, and easily on the grill. Robust, high-quality, and generously sized, they are made of stainless steel with wooden handles and have a leather strap at the end so they can be easily hung from the hooks on the side of the grills, keeping them always within reach.
And since there’s no barbecue without sauce, I can’t fail to recommend the Traeger sauces. I had the chance to try them at the presentation of their grills, and I was surprised by their delicious flavor and the possibilities they offer when paired with food cooked with the different pellets, both for glazing meats and for serving alongside them or adding the finishing touch to vegetables and fish. Truly delicious!
