An Introduction to Wood Pellet Grills with Traeger
- 02 Apr 2021
- Home , BBQ , Tips, Advice & Info
At Thermapen we believe in achieving consistently perfect results using smart cooking. One brand who shares these values is Traeger Grills. The original inventors of the pellet grill, they have been perfecting the art of wood-fired cooking for over 30 years. A high quality grill and thermometer work hand-in-hand to create incredible food, cooked to perfection.
We spoke to the UK Traeger team about how their grills work to combine the convenience and precision of the indoor oven with the joy and flavours of the outdoor grill, why their products are such versatile cooking tools and how the future of BBQ is making outdoor cooking more accessible than ever before.
What is a pellet grill?
Traeger’s grills bring unrivalled wood-fired flavour to food, using 100% pure hardwood. Traeger manufactures their own hardwood pellets, which means from mill to grill, only 100% natural, virgin hardwood makes up each of the six delicious wood-fired flavours. Hickory, Signature, and Cherry hardwood pellets combine to create a blend that can take on just about anything you cook. From classic BBQ meats, to fish and vegetables
How does it work?
All-natural hardwood pellets are moved from the ‘hopper’ to the fire pot by an auger, where they are ignited by the ‘HotRod’ to feed the flames and add delicious wood-fired flavour. A fan circulates heat and smoke for even, consistent cooking, and a drip tray keeps flames off your food and prevents any flare-ups.
Why choose a pellet grill?
Wood Pellet grills deliver consistent smoke and heat that is easily adjusted. The smoke gives everything you cook a natural wood-fired taste. There are no flare-ups because the flame is kept safely away from the food. And there is no need to monitor a pellet grill — the temperature stays where you want it for as long as you want.
Cooking with all-natural hardwood makes your best recipes taste even more delicious. Cooking with a Traeger is so versatile, you can basically cook anything you can imagine, from grilling, smoking, baking, roasting and slow braising. From low and slow to hot and fast, you can cook everything with confidence and ease. And it’s all operated by a controller that maintains precise temperature so you can spend more time with the people who matter most and less time watching the grill!
What grill would you recommend for beginners?
The Traeger Pro Series is the best-selling pellet grill in the world and uses WiFIRE® technology that allows you to monitor and adjust your grill anytime, anywhere from the Traeger app on your smartphone. The Pro575 is a great all-rounder and is the perfect size for family and friends.
Do they require much maintenance?
Like anything you cook with, you need to give it a good clean to keep it in the best condition, but even this we have made super easy. You can get liners to sit under your grill grates and when they get dirty, you just replace them! After larger cooks you just need to vacuum out the grill to remove the dust.
How long do the pellets last?
The smoker in a Traeger grill burns 1 to 3 pounds of pellets per hour. We say that means each 20 pound bag of pellets provides between 6 to 20 hours of cook time (at high or low heat).
What can you cook on them?
You can cook absolutely anything on a Traeger grill. You can barbecue, bake, braise, smoke, roast and grill. If you’re cooking a Sunday roast you can cook the chicken, vegetables, roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and even the dessert. Whatever you can cook in your oven, you can cook on the Traeger. It will just be better.
What flavour pellets are there?
Traeger pellets also come in a variety of flavours to suit every type of food. Fruit woods like cherry and apple impart a sweeter, more subtle flavour that matches perfectly with poultry, pork, seafood, and baked goods. Bolder staples like oak, hickory, and mesquite are tailor-made for savoury beef, wild game, and vegetables.
Who is wood-fired cooking ideal for?
Absolutely everyone. Whatever your family size – there’s a perfect grill to suit you. The Ironwood has two removable grilling grates that can accommodate up to eight chickens, six pork roasts, or five racks of ribs. The Timberline 1300 is the top of the range barbecue in the Traeger lineup, with a capacity for 12 whole chickens. But even if you only have a tiny garden or balcony, there’s a great compact travel grill that will fit your space. There really is a grill for everyone!
Do you need any BBQ experience?
Not at all. A Traeger grill is for everyone – even if you have never cooked on a barbecue before. The easy controls and compatibility with the app means the temperature you set is the temperature you’ll consistently keep, which means you can deliver perfectly cooked food every time.
What about getting kids involved?
Grilling for your family can be one of the most satisfying things you do as a parent. Spending time outside, testing new techniques — and eating, of course. The best part is kids can safely join in too.
The Traeger website includes age appropriate recipes from 3-5 years, 5-7 years, 8-12 years and 13+ and includes safe activities and key cooking and grilling tasks for each recipe. Traeger of course recommends that all work undertaken by children is supervised, especially tasks they are trying for the first time.
What about getting kids involved?
In February 2021, Traeger launched its new Apple Watch app in the UK. A first-of-its-kind offering for the grilling industry, Traeger’s new Apple Watch app provides users with WiFIRE® compatible grills the ability to monitor and control their cooks anywhere, anytime from their wrist.
Traeger will continue to innovate to bring the latest grill technology to their products and enhance the wood fired flavour to suit the tastes of our users. The Traeger brand is a balance of head and heart – combining groundbreaking innovation with making wood fired cooking a real community activity that’s accessible to everyone.
