Using an outdoor grill can be a wonderful cooking experience. The usual choice of grills is charcoal, electric, or gas. However, Traeger grills offer something different: hardwood cooking that is convenient. Many people swear by the taste of hardwood-cooked foods, but until now, getting that taste at home has been nearly impossible. Adding soaked wood chips to a charcoal fire can be a lot of work with a debatable taste difference. Traeger grills offer the convenience of traditional grills and the flavor of hardwood cooking.
How do Traeger grills work?
Traeger grills cook with wood pellets (made from virgin wood and available in a variety of “flavors” such as alder, hickory, cherry, oak, and others) instead of charcoal or gas. They do require a standard electrical outlet to power the ignition rod, motor, and fan. Users load the grill’s pellet hopper with wood pellets, close the grill, and turn it on. The grill then heats the pellets and transfers them to the firepot. Using the pellets as fuel and a convection airflow system, food is cooked evenly without the need for turning. Once the food is in the cooking chamber and the grill settings in place, users can essentially set the temperature and let the grill do the work.
What are the benefits of a Traeger?
The grill is versatile, cooking anything from chicken to pizza to smoking meats. Overnight smoking is easy with this grill, and clean up is a breeze: simply line the drip pan with heavy aluminum foil and remove it once cooking is done. Convection cooking means no charring and less fat than traditional grills can boast. The Traeger can be used to grill, braise, roast, bake, smoke, and slow cook, so it does the job of many different outdoor cooking appliances all in one.
The automatic ignition means no lighters, matches, or flare-ups, and the temperature control settings take the guesswork out of cooking.
There are a variety of sizes available, from a small grill perfect for small households to a commercial cooker with 50 square feet of cooking surface.
Where can I find a Traeger grill?
The Traeger website lists locations where these grills are available. They appear to be sold exclusively at smaller hardware stores, and pricing is not available on the website. Wood pellets, however, are sold on the website.
Traeger grills are not inexpensive, but they do offer an alternative to traditional grilling methods. Because they are less hand-on than other methods of grilling, they may not be the perfect choice for every outdoor chef.