New Weber pellet grills for 2020


 
Dan, I'm in my 70s, I do have a small herd of mavericks to monitor my cooks but the constant going in and out for adjustments gets old especially in the winter. With my meds once I get chilled it takes hours for me to warm up again. Wandering back and forth through the snow to attend a grill is off my list of fun things to do.
Also we have fire restrictions almost every year now so no charcoal in the summer. If I was allowed to use a pellet grill in the summer life would be good, yes you can smoke on a gasser and I do but it's not the same. A pellet grill would make it much easier in the winter also.
Also it's time to downsize the number of grills and smokers I have which is nine. I sure don't need four gassers for just the two of us plus two WSMs, a performer, a jumbo joe, a gas powered kettle.
If they decline to allow the use of a pellet grill during fire restrictions I won't be getting one.
 
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Dan Leighton said:
Somehow, I think even a pellet grill would require some monitoring.
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Dan,
I guess that really any grill needs some monitoring. Still, I have left my Rec Tec going, gone to work just checking it in my phone now and then. (You can also set out of range alarms.) The phone app even lets you adjust the temperature settings. So, as long as there isn’t a power failure or the electronics don’t go bad, a good pellet grill is probably as close to low maintenance as you are going to get and still have wood burning.

The updates and closer looks we are slowly getting about the Smoke Fire are encouraging. I am still a Rec Tec fan, but it looks to me like this Weber will give them - and Traeger - some serious competition. I expect Rec Tec to sometime soon roll out a new “flagship” model to better compete with the Traeger Timberline. That Traeger model does impress me, admittedly based only on looking at pictures and review videos. It, however, is priced a good notch higher. Their Ironwood models offer some of the Timberline features at a lower price with less quality construction. That’s the one I think Weber has taken aim at. Looks to me like Weber has a better grill than the Ironwood set for launch.
 
Rich:
I hear you on getting cold. My blood definitely has thinned out after 11 years out here. Used to run around in a tee shirt and shorts year round for the first few years. Not any more.... I definitely hear you on snow, too. Back in RI I would cook out on a hibachi or smokey joe with snow or sub-freezing temps, but it was only about 3 ft. out the kitchen door so you could watch things from inside. I definitely hear you on the fire restrictions too after spending most of my life in the fire service. I'll take a structure fire any day over wildland fires. Way too many variables. I think the pellet grills will be ok since the actual fire is contained within the grill pot. 95% of the time I'm just cooking for two as well and my wife isn't into using a grill, so other than smoking ribs and grilling steaks and burgers that is where it ends. My rotisserie is still in new the box from 11 years ago. The Costco chickens have made it too easy. Happy grilling!!! Stay warm.
 
Jon:
I looked at the Rec-Tecs too and am continuously fighting the urge to buy a pellet grill with the Weber on the horizon. I liked the center feed feature. The Camp Chef I've got pegged (24") has a bottom cleanout eliminating needing a vacuum and a chute dump so you can change out pellets easily. Unfortunately, I'm afraid the price point on the Weber or Rec-Tec may be well beyond what I can justify for the amount of time that I smoke anything. I have been trying different flavors of pellets in my Smokemiester. Most of them are Camp Chef pellets and a few Traegers. Presently, really liking the Apple.
 
Dan,
Do you notice any difference between the brands? Apple is my first choice for ribs. For brisket and faux burnt ends, I have started experimenting with a blend recommended by Dave in KC, using Lumberjack - 50% cherry and 50% of their char-hickory which includes charcoal flavor pellets. That’s a good one. So is CookinPellets.com Ultimate blend, at least in my limited experience.
 
I’ve had my eye on a traeger, glad I didn’t get one, I will be purchasing the large model as soon as it comes out.
I have been blown away with Weber’s customer service over the years and am happy they are going in this direction.
I’m too busy to hover over my WSM
 
Bruno,
Weber’s upcoming model definitely looks very promising and hopefully a step forward for pellet grills. I would say for sure worth waiting for to look at and examine in person. While you are waiting, take a look at Rec Tec’s website and some of the YouTube videos reviewing and comparing pellet grill models. I don’t know anything about Traeger, but Rec Tec is well known for extremely good customer service with many stories of them going the extra mile for their customers. The owners are highly enthusiastic grill people as you will see if you check out a few of their videos.
 
Jon:
My first bag was Traeger Hickory. I had problems with them burning completely with many of the pellets not doing so. I bought that bag at HD, so they may have been old or not stored correctly. Since then I have been buying the Camp Chef flavors which have burned much better. I've got Cherry, but have not tried that one yet. There is a agricultural store here C-A-L Ranch with seems similar to Agway when we lived in RI. They have a large line of camp stoves and accessories as well. Definitely want to check the other flavors out as well. Bought a busted bag of Oak, but haven't tried that yet besides the Charwood-Cherry, Hickory, and the apple. I have a sample of their competition blend too, but haven't used it yet. I would buy them when on sale. I've even cheated smoking Costco chickens while warming them up with pretty good results for some of our suppers. Right now I've got a pretty good stock of pellets so I haven't really gone looking at other brands. I agree about those Rec-Tec videos too. Look like nice rigs.
 
Rich Dahl said:
Saw this ad for Traeger this morning, $100 off and 0% financing. Looks like the price wars are starting even before Weber has theirs out for sale.

https://www.traegergrills.com/sale
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Yep, Rich, I think we are going to see things heat up in the coming months. All the better for us consumers to keep the sellers on their best behaviour:smilekettle:!

I noticed that the $100 off does not seem to extend to their Timberlines series top end model. That one does look very impressive to me, but it should for two grand for the large one and almost as much for the smaller one. I think Weber wisely aimed at the tier below this, which for Traeger is their Ironwood series (also not eligible for the $100 off:mad:). These Traegers, the new Weber, Rec Tec and I am sure some others are all in a pretty tight price range, depending on size. It will be interesting to see how the market reacts to Weber's new entry. Oh, don't forget Broil King, who stumbled a little out of the gate. (I think they were trying too hard to get a jump on Weber.) It seems they have corrected their teething problems and now have a very nice product. It even offers a rotisserie which seems like a great match for a pellet grill to me.

ADDITION:

Here's a good article directly comparing the Rec Tec RT-700 Bull (that I own) with the new Traeger Timberline (one that I have admired from afar). It is all just this reviewer's opinion, but it gives good insight into what we will all be needing to do in looking closely at the new Weber SmokeFire. If they don't skimp on the quality of hardware, and the electronics work as they are supposed to, I think Weber may well be on the way to becoming the new Sheriff in town!
 
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Looks like there is a leak on the Lowe’s website about the Weber Smokefire EX4. I google searched “Weber smokefire ex4” and clicked on the Lowe’s link. It is saying that the grill is 672 sq ft combined and has a price of $824.21. There are also a bunch of photos of the grill. Details have it with a temperature range of 200-600 degrees. Says it is 156 pounds and made in USA.
 
Sounds like it is coming in a bit lower than expected in price. I do like the design of the grill from the outside. I am not sure it is being done like that for performance or not. But, it might make it just a little easier for people to make the jump if it isn't as intimidating and looks more familiar.

One thing I don't like is the "plated" steel grates. I am sure they will last like any plated grates.
 
Bruce said:
Sounds like it is coming in a bit lower than expected in price. I do like the design of the grill from the outside. I am not sure it is being done like that for performance or not. But, it might make it just a little easier for people to make the jump if it isn't as intimidating and looks more familiar.

One thing I don't like is the "plated" steel grates. I am sure they will last like any plated grates.
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Yeah, not totally clear what plated steel means...is it porcelain or stainless wrapped around regular steel. The small Lowes picture doesn't look like porcelain plated. Still, overall, I like a lot of what I see.

Rich Dahl said:
Well the cats out of the bag now. Wonder how Weber will respond. Hopefully with an earlier release.
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Definitely is, Rich! Wow, even the owners manual. Maybe they plan to make a hard push for Christmas, at least in select markets. I am sure that would be good for sales.
 
This is gonna be " tinny " like the Traegers. I've lifted the lid on Traegers and get immediately turned off by how light they are, feels like they're made from sheet metal.

This Weber weighs 156#.

For comparison, and yes these are much higher priced, but the Yoder 480 weighs 270# at $1600 and the Yoder 640 weighs 335# at $1800.

I gotta think the thicker metal on the Yoder is gonna hold heat better and lower fuel consumption.

And If I were gonna go this pooper route, I would not try to get by on the cheap. Either pay for quality or don't go at all. Too many moving parts. Too many things to go wrong.
 
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