When summertime comes and the nights become warm, there’s nothing better than having a get-together with your loved ones, especially with the smell of barbeque lingering nearby. If that idea sounds like something you may want to try, you will need a good pellet grill. In fact, you don’t need just any pellet grill, you need the best Traeger grill. With Traeger being the pioneer developer of pellet grills, it’s easy to see why the brand has become synonymous with high-quality, reliable, and functional grills.
However, while some people believe that Traeger never makes a bad pellet grill, we think some models are still better than others. With that in mind, we’ve reviewed the seven best Traeger grills on the market, in order to ensure that you find a model that works for you. Some of the key factors we considered include the primary cooking area, which determines the number of people you can cook for at a time. We also considered the hopper capacity to get the idea of how much fuel can be added at a time. Finally, weight and dimensions will tell you how portable the unit is.
Overall, this guide contains everything you need to know when shopping for the ideal Traeger grill for your needs. First of all, our research lasted for tens of hours, which indicates how much work we have put into this. To allow you to easily compare our picks before even reading the reviews, we also included a comparison table. Moreover, we have compiled comprehensive reviews for all our picks, complemented by a buying guide that enlightens you about these grills in general.
More features: porcelain grill grates; electronic auto-start ignition
It is generally believed that about 80 to 85 percent of the pellet grills in the US are manufactured by Traeger, and on the evidence of the Traeger TFB57PZBO, we perfectly understand why. Featuring a set-it-and-forget-it function, it is a simple grill that is super easy to use. In addition, it is made with a non-stick material, which means you don’t need to put much effort into cleaning.
However, the versatility of this product is where it thrives most. It features six-in-one options, which makes it useful for other things like smoking, baking, barbequing, braising, and BBQing. There should even be no problem if you want to cook for a large group of people. With its 418-square inch cooking area, it will be enough for five rib racks, 16 burgers, or four chickens.
Despite coming with multiple functions, this smoker is incredibly user-friendly. It features an electronic automatic ignition, so you don’t need to go through the stress of using a fire starter. Construction-wise, this porcelain grill is manufactured using durable materials, which means it will last for a lot of years.
To regulate the temperature, you only need to turn the dial, which is easy to do, by the way. There is also a digital display for monitoring the precise temperature of the smoker. Apart from that, the convenient settings enable you to cook low and slow, which is ideal for smoking. However, the grill doesn’t come with the necessary accessories, which is the only flaw we found.
More features: steel construction; powder coat finish
With its remarkable instant temperature rise and electronic ignition system, the Traeger Pro 575 is a mean machine. You can easily start the grill without dealing with fire starters and charcoal chimneys – simply flip the switch, and it’s ready. Beyond that, this unit has a cooking area of 646 square inches, making it one of the largest grills on the market. Space is large enough to cater for the whole family and a few friends.
With the super-large space, it is capable of accommodating up to nine racks of ribs, 32 hot dogs, 24 burgers, and six whole chickens. This means there is no need to smoke your food multiple times to feed your family and guests, which can really be stressful. Apart from the large surface, it’s also equipped with a Digital Elite Controller, which is a super exciting feature. With this impressive add-on, you can easily grill your food with great temperature accuracy, choosing between slow and low cooking.
In addition, it comes with an LED display for effortless and easy reading of the temperature of your grill. Moreover, the unit is very easy to clean, due to the porcelain-enameled grates. Therefore, it allows you to spend more time with your family and guests and less time cleaning. However, it does struggle to get to any temperature above 325, which is really bad for this price.
More features: 500 F max. temperature; EZ-Clean™ Grease & Ash Keg for easy cleanup; side induction cooktop; intuitive touchscreen display
The Traeger Timberline features an intuitive touchscreen display and simple control which makes it easy to use. Also featured is the Traeger Induction cooktop located on the side of the grill which allows for frying, simmering, scorching-hot searing, sautéing, and others. This shows its unmatched versatility which screams “there’s no limit to what you can cook!” Its built-in compatibility allows you to create an all-mighty backyard cooking setup, and with its thoughtful design, it is easier to clean and maintain.
It uses a Smart Combustion technology that maintains consistent cooking temperatures and reduces temperature fluctuation. The EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg collects pellet ash in a large container that is accessible for convenient and stress-free cleaning, you do not need to worry about things getting all messy.
Timberline has a MEATER Wireless Meat Thermometer, and a WiFiRE technology that allows you to monitor your grill and always be in control. The fun fact is that you can set up your grill in a way that works best for you with P.A.L (Pop-And-Lock) ModiFIRE accessories. With the P.A.L Accessory Rail, you can arrange extra selves, roll racks, storage bins, and tool hooks to match your cooking style and expand your cooking possibilities. The ModiFIRE surface can be placed on your grill grates. It’s important to know that the Timberline can be permanently built-in and with this, you can create the outdoor kitchen of your dreams.
More features: Keep Warm mode; meat probe; Digital Arc controller; latched lid
Wherever your journey may take you (as long as you have access to an electric outlet), choose the Traeger Ranger Portable Pellet Grill. This grill is best if you love to enjoy the wood-fire flavor on the go, and also the perfect travel companion. It offers a few neat features such as the Traeger digital arc controller which gives you precise temperature control in 5-degree increments. With its “keep warm mode”, it ensures your food is always hot-off-the-grill just at the tight time you are ready to eat. So, having a grill like this is having a familiar grill away from home. When it comes to durability, The Ranger is fully equipped with baffled lid latches which allow for a grill on the go.
Other nice features of this portable grill system include Cook Timer which serves as a reminder when it’s time to check on the food, A Meat probe that allows a temperature check on your food without opening the lid, and a Cast Iron Griddle for extra cooking versatility. The Traeger Ranger may be small but not lacking.
In terms of cooking space, The Traeger Ranger Comes with a 184sq. inch grilling area with which you could be cooking up to 6 burgers, 10 hot dogs, or a rack of ribs at once. And with its 8lb built-in hopper capacity, you’ve got enough time to cook too. So, you don’t have to worry! When the next adventure calls, answer it with Traeger Ranger!
More features: can grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and BBQ, 450°F max temperature
If the wood-fire taste is something you like, then it would make sense to go for the Traeger TFB29LZA. Coming at a super affordable price, this unit is a wood-pellet grill engineered to cook with wood rather than gas or charcoal. Furthermore, this product is popular because of its incredible versatility as it can cook hot and fast or low and slow. Added to that, it also comes with six different modes – roast, smoke, BBQ, bake, grill, and braise – which allows you to cook your food to perfection.
It doesn’t end there – the Traeger grill also comes with a built-in Digital Elite Controller that helps to maintain the temperature of the grill within +/- 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides, the advanced controller also makes setting the temperature to be easy. And with its manageable 300-square inch cooking area, you can cook up to two whole chickens, three racks of ribs, or 12 burgers at the same time. It’s also outfitted with an LED display, which enables users to read and accurately set the cooking temperature with maximum ease.
On top of that, the Traeger Junior Elite pellet grill is perfect for people who don’t have a large space and can’t afford the space that full-size smokers consume. In other words, this unit is very compact. And the deal is made even sweeter by the three-year warranty that it comes with, making you completely confident. For the shortcomings, we found a few. First of all, it lacks a window to monitor the temperature, and secondly, it seldom shuts off while cooking.
Even though Traeger rarely produces a bad grill, some of their models are still better than others. With that in mind, we have created this super-enlightening section to help you identify the best Traeger grill to buy.
Digital ThermostatMost Traeger grills come with a digital thermostat, which reduces your worry of overcooking your food since you know there’s a temperature fluctuation range and the temperature will never go above it. Therefore, Traeger grills allow you to cook your meals without needing to worry about burning your food.
Durability is an essential part of choosing a grill, and nobody knows this more than Traeger. The company uses almost the same highly durably metal to manufacture all of their units. This guarantees optimum durability and makes sure that you can use it for many years to come.
In order to ensure the durability of the product and to guarantee users of their products’ optimum durability, Traeger provides a three-year warranty with all of their products. In our experience, most companies in the grill manufacturing industry do not offer more than one year, so Traeger is really impressive in this regard.
Ease of use another way to identify high-quality grills, which is probably one more reason why Traeger is popular among grilling enthusiasts. Traeger makes sure that their products are not only easy to use for professionals but also user-friendly for beginners. Their grills often come with a simple ignition feature that gets rid of the typical stress of firing up a grill.
Deciding which model to choose can really be difficult since there are so many options. However, making up your decision becomes easier when you realize the exact thing you need. These are the factors you must remember before heading to the market to buy a grill:
Traeger actually produces only one type of grills, and that is pellet grills. Even though these grills have been on the market for about three decades, it was just in the past few years that they became more mainstream. Instead of natural or propane gas, pellet grills use pea-sized wood pellets, which are actually safe to use for cooking.
While there’re not many options for adjusting the grill once it has started, a pellet grill doubles as both a grill and smoker. So, it is like a hybrid system. The truth is that no BBQ tastes quite as great as a wood fire BBQ, which is why many BBQ enthusiasts love pellet grills. Pellet grills give a unique taste to whatever that is cooked on them.
The cooking area is another important factor you must consider when doing your shopping. This generally depends on how big you want to go. Just bear in mind that the larger you go, the costlier the grill will probably get, so you must keep the number of mouths you want to be cooking for in mind.
If you choose a model that is too small, you will not be able to prepare sufficient food for all your guests. However, a grill that is too big will cost more money to maintain, and you will waste some pellets. We recommend you to select a grill that is a bit larger than what you actually need.
The hopper is where everything begins. It is where you load your wood pellets up, so you know it is a very important part. This is why it is important to consider the capacity of the hopper as it will determine how long you can cook for without refilling the hopper. When it comes to the hopper, it’s always the bigger, the better. However, if portability is what you’re looking for, a small 8-pound hopper on the Traeger TFB30KLF will not add to the unit’s weight still getting the job done perfectly.
It is also important to consider the built-in digital controller before choosing a Traeger grill. Most models come with a Digital Elite Controller, which is a basic controller that provides precise temperature control but does not come with meat probe connectors. Nonetheless, it is important to check if it comes with the grill you’re looking at. You will find it on models like the Traeger TFB38TCA and the Traeger TFS60LZC.
It is also important to consider the dimensions, especially if you have limited space available. By considering the dimensions, you will make sure that the unit you are looking at is actually not too large for the space you have available for the grill in your kitchen or your garden.
A grill’s weight is a vital consideration as well. It determines the unit’s overall portability, which is important to pay attention to even if you are not planning to take it with you on camping trips.
The odds are you’ll have to move it from place to place within your backyard or patio, so pay attention not only to the model’s weight, but also if it features wheels which enhance portability.
While the warranty will probably not be the sole factor for making your decision, it always feels good to know that the manufacturer is confident in their product. As for Traeger, they usually offer a three-year warranty for all their products, which is quite impressive since most other manufacturers don’t offer up to that.
Different models are usually equipped with different features. However, it is always convenient if a unit has side shelves, wheels, storage compartments, and foldable legs. If you could find a model with all these features, it would be really great.
Clean before you cookBefore cooking, always make sure you clean your unit for performance optimization and to prevent off-flavors. Endeavor to check the collectors or pans before grilling as the pans could be full, which could start a fire. If your unit has a grease chute, make sure you clean that one as well.
Burners are important components, and you have to inspect them as often as possible. Make sure that there is no corrosion or blockages. Adopt the proper methods to clean your burn pot, and you will see outstanding results.
Generally, don’t clean your Traeger grill with water, so make sure your hose pipe is kept far away. These grills often come with digital controllers, a fan, an igniter rod for the fire pot, and a motorized auger. All these parts we mentioned are likely to get damaged if they come in contact with water. So, clean them by gently dry scrubbing the dirt off them, while ensuring you don’t disassemble any component.
Traeger is probably the most reliable pellet grills manufacturer there is, and it is easy to see why the brand is so popular with the Traeger TFB57PZBO. Not only does it have a fairly large cooking area, it is also super versatile and durable, not to talk of its built-in state-of-the-art features. It is the best Traeger grill on this list, but just by a slight margin.
The products on the second and third spots are the Traeger TFB65LZBC and the Traeger TFS60LZC respectively, with the former possessing the largest cooking area on this list and the latter having the second largest cooking area. On top of that, both models come with the famed digital elite controller, which allows for excellent temperature accuracy.
