ExclusiveBBQ Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Well, I just placed my order and will be receiving a new smoker this Wednesday - a Traeger Pro 575! I placed my order with Meat & Cleaver as I had spotted their website some time ago as a place that I might be able to get good brisket and pork from. It's my first order with them and I'm placing a separate order for brisket and bone-in pork shoulder, as well as some Traeger rubs, on Wednesday so should be up and running by the weekend! After finding out that Pit Barrel Cookers aren't widely available in the UK, and then deliberating over other upright smokers (like the ProQ Frontier and WSM) I decided instead to go for something that'd not require so much effort but be able to give me some mean smoked meats! I'm not going to be able to think of much else until Wednesday but watch this space for 100+ photos of my unboxing it and using it. 😅 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Piggy bank must be feeling sick??? 🤣😂 Ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExclusiveBBQ Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 From a possible £250 to £800+ after buying the cover and pellets... If I suddenly stop posting, it's because my wife found out how much it cost. 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icefever Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 On another forum (beer) there's a saying " the only thing I'm worried about is, if my wife sells all my kit when I die, for the price I told her I'd paid for it" 🤣😂 Ice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokin Monkey Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 2 hours ago, Icefever said: On another forum (beer) there's a saying " the only thing I'm worried about is, if my wife sells all my kit when I die, for the price I told her I'd paid for it" 🤣😂 Ice. Tell her it cost the same price as her new shoes! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExclusiveBBQ Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 4 minutes ago, Smokin Monkey said: Tell her it cost the same price as her new shoes! Wouldn't work - I'm definitely the spending addict in the relationship! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epangelia2k2 Posted July 3, 2019 Share Posted July 3, 2019 Hi - joined the forum today as wanted to get my first pellet grill as part of a long overdue garden revamp... would love to hear about your experiences with the 575 and impressions! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExclusiveBBQ Posted July 3, 2019 Author Share Posted July 3, 2019 5 hours ago, epangelia2k2 said: Hi - joined the forum today as wanted to get my first pellet grill as part of a long overdue garden revamp... would love to hear about your experiences with the 575 and impressions! I'll preface the below information by saying that I have used this for just one cook so far, but am thoroughly impressed so far and will throw another update in after this weekend's cook. Assembly and Setup Assembly was stupidly easy; I struggle with Ikea flatpacks and had it up in 45 minutes. Once it's loaded with pelletes, the 'seasoning' process takes 50 minutes total, and has you set a couple of temperatures using the dial. It's easy enough and at least gives you the chance to check that it's all working for your first cook. Ease of use Pleasantly easy to use, has a basic menu that I've not needed to drill into much (although this is where you set up the Wi-Fi connectivity and alarms for the meat probe etc.). Temperature So, one of the downsides of cheaper pellet grills is that the temperature fluctuates quite a lot (apparently). During the 10+ hours I was cooking last weekend, it was set to 275°F and didn't go up or down more than 5°F each side which was awesome. Smoke Another concern that I've seen is that pellet grills, in general, don't give you as much smoke as a traditional barbecue. For low-and-slow cooking, the Traeger gives off plenty and I had a nice looking smoke ring on my brisket so I've no concerns there. The only downside is that, as you reach higher temperatures, the smoke flow visibly reduces which leads me to believe that anything above 300°F probably wouldn't give you as much smoke as a charcoal grill with wood on it running at the same temperature. Downsides There are a couple of downsides I think. The first one is the cost of the pellets; I reckon I used almost half a bag for my beef brisket cook, which worked out as around £7-8. This is obviously more expensive than a charcoal grill but I've since sourced slightly cheaper ones (message me if you'd like details as I had to track them down) and, for anything I wrap in foil, I'll be throwing it in the kitchen oven anyway. The second downside is probably the electricity; it's super convenient but unless you have outdoor sockets or a suitable way of leaving it outside then it might not be worth the hassle. Overall Although it's expensive, I bought it to make life a little easier and I've got no reasons to not recommend it to anyone who's after a pellet grill. I weighed up all of the available options and it seems to be one of the best under £999 - especially since it's the newer model, meaning that it comes with all the snazzy features like Wi-Fi connectivity (WiFire) and better temperature control. Don't hesitate to message me if you have any questions. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epangelia2k2 Posted July 4, 2019 Share Posted July 4, 2019 (edited) Great to hear your positive feedback, and thanks for covering all the bases... really appreciated! I'm chasing down if GMG may be an option - decisions, decisions - but s good 'problem' to be faced with Edited July 4, 2019 by epangelia2k2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExclusiveBBQ Posted July 4, 2019 Author Share Posted July 4, 2019 4 minutes ago, epangelia2k2 said: Great to hear your positive feedback, and thanks for covering all the bases... really appreciated! I'm chasing down if GMG may be an option - decisions, decisions - but s good 'problem' to be faced with No worries! I didn't look at GMG but did look at Camp Chef as they have features that the Traeger doesn't. I contacted their UK supplier and was told that they could order it from a European factory, next-day delivery. I didn't bother pulling the trigger in the end as they have a small footprint in the UK and so their support for UK residents is virtually non-existent. I've also heard great things about Traeger's customer service and you can find plenty of examples online of people who have had the odd issue and have had it dealt with swiftly and effectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valve90210 Posted July 5, 2019 Share Posted July 5, 2019 On 7/3/2019 at 10:30 PM, ExclusiveBBQ said: Downsides There are a couple of downsides I think. The first one is the cost of the pellets; I reckon I used almost half a bag for my beef brisket cook, which worked out as around £7-8. This is obviously more expensive than a charcoal grill but I've since sourced slightly cheaper ones (message me if you'd like details as I had to track them down) and, for anything I wrap in foil, I'll be throwing it in the kitchen oven anyway. The second downside is probably the electricity; it's super convenient but unless you have outdoor sockets or a suitable way of leaving it outside then it might not be worth the hassle. I wouldn't mind the details of the pellets you've tracked down please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreedyBreed Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 On 7/5/2019 at 8:30 AM, valve90210 said: I wouldn't mind the details of the pellets you've tracked down please. Likewise - I wouldn't mind the details for where you're getting pellets from if possible! Owned my 575 for about 3 months now and nothing but good things to say about it so far. Got some pork shoulder and ribs arriving on Monday just in time for the bank holiday weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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