EX6 or RT700 (OR 1250)


 
Mac LA

Mac LA

TVWBB Super Fan
Hello everyone, I hope all is well.

First and foremost, I am a Weber guy, I've got 2 22inch WSM, 22 master touch and a Genesis II 435 and love them all. I've been wanting to add a pellet pooper to the arsenal however I'm torn between the Recteq and smoke fire.

I do love more intense smoke flavor and while I do understand there will less pronounced smokiness than my wsm, both seem to do OK, with the SF edging out the competition.
I'm leaning more towards the Recteq simply based off build quality but the SF is still pulling me based off taste (from the reviews I've seen). Question is, can't I just add a smoke tube to the Recteq if I feel I need more pronounced smoke flavor?

Thoughts?

Johnny
 
Mac, I think that all pellet grills will deliver a much lighter smoke flavor than you are used to using chunk wood on the WSM. To get around that, some people will use a smoke tube, or there are even pellets that purport to deliver a bolder smoke flavor (I think Bear Mountain has one.) After almost 20 years cooking on a WSM, I discovered that I actually appreciate the lighter smoke flavor on my pellet grill (RT-700), as it lets the meat and seasonings come through in a more pronounced way. And, of course, if there is something that I think NEEDS bolder smoke flavor, a smoke tube is always an option.

The only pellet grill I have ever operated is my RT-700. I think the build quality is excellent, and the customer service has been excellent (both pre and post sale, though I have not encountered any significant issues.) One area that RT has not delivered on well is their app. It's not super well designed from a UI perspective, and it suffers from poor performance during busy holiday weekends when the load surpasses their capacity. This is a minor annoyance for me, as I don't really count on the app as a must have, it's a nice to have. I'll sum my experience with my RT up by saying that I would not hesitate to purchase another RT grill if I had the need......

Now, I'll add to the above by saying that I was shopping for a pellet grill in the midst of the somewhat difficult introduction of the Smokefire. Given the initial issues that Weber was having with the original version of the product, I decided that I did not want to fight through those issues to end up with a grill I could count on and enjoy. There are a number of folks on this board who did, very successfully, work their way through the original issues with the Smokefire, and have shared examples of the stellar food they can prepare in various posts here (that I'm sure you've seen.) It seems like Weber has done a good job of correcting issues with the SF, and if I were in the market today, I think I'd be considering them both as you are.

Based on what I've seen, I don't think you can really go wrong with either choice, and I know for a fact that a good cook can turn out great food on either one.

Not sure if that helps or not, but good luck, and I'm sure you'll get great enjoyment out of whichever grill you choose!

Rich
 
I have a 26" kettle 22"WSM and electric cabinet and a RT700. I use the 26" 95% of the time. I'll smoke chicken on the RT700 because of how easy chicken takes smoke. But other than smoking chicken that's the only action it sees.
 
My first pellet grill was a used RT-300 and I used RT customer support and it was great. My son now has my RT-300 and I have a Smokefire EX6. I'm 80 and I had too many grills and smokers to maintain properly so I got the Smokefire as my all in one cooker. It meets my needs and it has tested me on occasion but always finished the cook. Assemble it properly, operate it properly, and monitor your cooks and it will serve you well. The same can be said of the RT-700. The stainless innards of the Recteq are sweet. I'll echo what Rich G said, I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. Good luck with your decision.
 
Rich G said:
Mac, I think that all pellet grills will deliver a much lighter smoke flavor than you are used to using chunk wood on the WSM. To get around that, some people will use a smoke tube, or there are even pellets that purport to deliver a bolder smoke flavor (I think Bear Mountain has one.) After almost 20 years cooking on a WSM, I discovered that I actually appreciate the lighter smoke flavor on my pellet grill (RT-700), as it lets the meat and seasonings come through in a more pronounced way. And, of course, if there is something that I think NEEDS bolder smoke flavor, a smoke tube is always an option.

The only pellet grill I have ever operated is my RT-700. I think the build quality is excellent, and the customer service has been excellent (both pre and post sale, though I have not encountered any significant issues.) One area that RT has not delivered on well is their app. It's not super well designed from a UI perspective, and it suffers from poor performance during busy holiday weekends when the load surpasses their capacity. This is a minor annoyance for me, as I don't really count on the app as a must have, it's a nice to have. I'll sum my experience with my RT up by saying that I would not hesitate to purchase another RT grill if I had the need......

Now, I'll add to the above by saying that I was shopping for a pellet grill in the midst of the somewhat difficult introduction of the Smokefire. Given the initial issues that Weber was having with the original version of the product, I decided that I did not want to fight through those issues to end up with a grill I could count on and enjoy. There are a number of folks on this board who did, very successfully, work their way through the original issues with the Smokefire, and have shared examples of the stellar food they can prepare in various posts here (that I'm sure you've seen.) It seems like Weber has done a good job of correcting issues with the SF, and if I were in the market today, I think I'd be considering them both as you are.

Based on what I've seen, I don't think you can really go wrong with either choice, and I know for a fact that a good cook can turn out great food on either one.

Not sure if that helps or not, but good luck, and I'm sure you'll get great enjoyment out of whichever grill you choose!

Rich
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Thank you for taking the time to reply and offer some insight Rich.

I was first sold on the Recteq, the one reservation was the lack of smoke flavor vs the Smokefire. I guess my biggest fear is dramatically changing the smoke profile that I've gotten used to with my WSM's; of course, I expect some change. If I could just add a smoke tube that alleviates some of my concerns.

Hearing about the app issues is a bit of a letdown, especially considering I would use the unit for overnight smokes but I could get around that with other monitors.

This does offer me some clarity so thank you.
 
Joe Anshien said:
Have you looked at the Spider 22 pellet pooper attachment for you 22" kettle?
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Hello Joe, I have not looked into those attachments. While it's a neat idea, I personally would require more space than the kettle offers.
I typically use that 22 unit for small high heat cooks only or when I use the Vortex for wings.
 
Lew Newby said:
My first pellet grill was a used RT-300 and I used RT customer support and it was great. My son now has my RT-300 and I have a Smokefire EX6. I'm 80 and I had too many grills and smokers to maintain properly so I got the Smokefire as my all in one cooker. It meets my needs and it has tested me on occasion but always finished the cook. Assemble it properly, operate it properly, and monitor your cooks and it will serve you well. The same can be said of the RT-700. The stainless innards of the Recteq are sweet. I'll echo what Rich G said, I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. Good luck with your decision.
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Thank you Lew! I think I'm set on the Recteq, but I feel like I'm cheating on a spouse now. hahah

Thanks again to everyone. :)
 
Having had two SmokeFires and 11 pellet grills, I’ll say nothing produces the same end results as the SmokeFire. I’ve never had a Recteq, but I know by the design it will be lighter on smoke profile than some others. However, quality for $, it looks hard to beat. I’ve never considered them for two reasons, curated reviews and the dumb horns. If you want a pellet smoker, the Recteq will probably be good, if you want a smoker and grill, the solid drip pan will be lousy at grilling.
 
Shane - glitchy said:
Having had two SmokeFires and 11 pellet grills, I’ll say nothing produces the same end results as the SmokeFire. I’ve never had a Recteq, but I know by the design it will be lighter on smoke profile than some others. However, quality for $, it looks hard to beat. I’ve never considered them for two reasons, curated reviews and the dumb horns. If you want a pellet smoker, the Recteq will probably be good, if you want a smoker and grill, the solid drip pan will be lousy at grilling.
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Could you expound on the curated reviews part? The horns don't bother me, personally, I think they are sort of comical.

This would just be a smoker, no grilling.
 
Mac LA said:
Could you expound on the curated reviews part? The horns don't bother me, personally, I think they are sort of comical.

This would just be a smoker, no grilling.
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They remove any less than stellar reviews from their site and harass people that post negative things elsewhere. It doesn’t mean they have a bad product by any means, just means you’ll never find anything negative. The first version of the bullseye was a mess, yet you never saw a negative review on their site.
 
I have heard that about Recteq, too. At the same time, I have heard many stories where they came through in a big way for their customers.

My RT-700 has yet to let me down. I found the app to be great until I moved and our new place has 5G with which the app doesn't work with. I keep hoping they will update. I have a Thermoworks Smoke, so it isn't a big deal to me. And the bull horns, I personally like a lot and think they are such a cool thing for their brand. The fact that they are polished stainless and not some cheap material says something about Recteq.

I think my Recteq would perform similarly to other standard design pellet grills. The solid shield is well made and easy to clean if you follow their simple instructions to coat with good aluminum foil every few cooks, depending on what you are cooking. The other internals seem rock solid to me, a big plus compared to the SmokeFire's out of the door thin metal. Hopefully, what we are hearing that Weber realizes their error in pursing bean counter cost-cutting will turn out to be true. Addressing the rapid deterioration issues is very important.

When it comes to results, though, it sure seems like the SmokeFire stands out. See the other post about "SmokeFire makes us proud" and watch the very careful comparison video. The SmokeFire clearly topped all the competition including grills costing twice as much or more - even a Yoder. I think the Yoder would way outlast a SmokeFire, but if results are your main thing, you have to be impressed when the reviewer - definitely a bbq and grill pro) said that he thought the SmokeFIre ribs were equal to those from an offset smoker!

I would give the SmokeFire VERY serious consideration, IF you are up to working through some issues and ready to take extra good care of it. Store it inside a garage, not out in the rain, keep it very clean, etc. If that sounds like too much hassle, then a Recteq (maybe augmented with a smoker tube) would be a top drawer pick in terms of what you get for the money.

FInally, the new RT-1250 is essentially an RT-700 with an added slide out top shelf and other options included as standard. If you are OK with spending more, I would say the improvements over the base RT-700 look like a fair deal.
 
I have a RT700 and I really enjoy cooking on it. Something minor, but definitely worth considering - having a smokestack makes it a total PITA to cover. I'm Sure I could get something really loose that would fit it easier, but the RT cover, which fits it nicely, is a pain to get on it. To get around that, I put it in my carport. Pro: I can cook in the rain and have it covered. con: it's less convenient for a quick cook.

I have a friend with a SmokeFire who swears by it. Says its the best food he ever cooked, and he had a traeger beforehand, so it's not just using a pellet grill.

The RT customer service has been very responsive and the build quality is pretty solid. Cooking results have left nothing to complain about. I do think the brand "personality" takes away from it a bit.
 
John owns an RT700 and says good things about the Smokefire. My EX6 is exactly right for me but I really liked all of the stainless in my little Rec Tec. I think the RT-1250 is a great bang for the buck pellet grill. There's an alternative to smoke tubes in a pellet grill and that's wood chunks placed on the flame shield over the fire box. I cut thin slices of Cherry, put them on the shield, and got enhanced smoke flavor. The 700/1250 has more head room than my 300 so you can use thicker chunks of wood in it. As long as you're only looking for a smoker, that 1250 looks like a winner and I like those horns.
 
Not having any experience with a SF, I was wondering if strictly lower temps for smoking only were used and no HH grilling would that greatly extend the life of the thin metal parts. I have 2 1/2 gassers and my performer to do high heat cooks. I only use my Camp Chef since new for 325 or under cooks and so far, zero issues.
The reason I ask is I have a neighbor who is going to sell his lightly used EX4 2 for $450 because they are moving to an assisted living facility and can't take it with them.
 
The RT700 is an awesome smoker, my best friend puts out amazing stuff and I recommended he buy one. He’s come so far in 2 years it’s awesome!
I love my SF, I think it has plenty of upside and hasn’t disappointed me one time since th welded auger replacement.
As for Rich’s question I believe the parts would last much longer if you only went low and slow, however Weber has upgraded the internals they are sending out. I’m probably not putting anything in h til the older stuff no longer works.
 
@Jon Tofte by 5G do you mean 5G cellular or 5GHz WiFi? Either way it will likely never work with that. The controller on the grill probably has a 2.4GHz WiFi card like most other pellet grills. If so, they‘d have to make a new controller and you’d probably have to pay to get it and that’s if they make it a retrofit. Most new routers are dual band and many can create a guest network that is solely 2.4GHz. If I remember correctly 2.4 penetrates walls better, so that‘s why they continue to use it.
 
Bruno said:
Ok I’ve never looked up a 1250, that thing is going to be AWESOME!! Congrats!! I just can’t see that being a bad decision. Looking forward to hearing more.
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I will certainly report back. I wanted to stick to Weber because I'm as loyal as a dog but the construction materials of the RT seemed better to me.
 
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