The recipe for delicious barbecue only needs three things – meat, fire, and smoke. Of course, you do need to have quite a bit of skill to produce consistent results. Fortunately, some grill manufacturers have made backyard cooking simple and easy with the introduction of the pellet grill. Pellet grills or pellet smokers are one of the best things to have ever graced our backyards. No need to keep fueling your fire to maintain a specific temperature because this grill will do it for you automatically. And we’re not talking about your average charcoal briquets. We’re talking about pellets made from sawdust of your favorite wood flavors.
Now, in the world of pellet grills, the competition between two brands can be quite fierce. Traeger is the original creator of the wood fire grill and has been producing pellet grills since 1988. Their product line includes large and small smokers that can fit any griller’s needs. Even better, they’ve recently redesigned their products to feature modern technology. REC TEC, on the other hand, may be a relative newcomer in the market but it actually offers quite a lot to its customers. The company built their pellet grills with the goal of providing backyard chefs the ease of cooking on a gas grill and the delicious flavor of smoke from a wood fire. This meant providing grills that feature advanced technology, accurate temperature control, and incredible durability. Coupled with a long warranty and amazing customer service, it’s safe to say that REC TEC is a serious contender that may or may not have already exceeded Traeger.
That being said, one man’s dream grill isn’t always the same as the next man’s. There’s a lot that needs to be considered before we can decide which one’s better. So, let the battle of the best pellet grills begin!
Comparison 1: Traeger Grills TFB65LZBC Texas Elite 34 Wood Pellet Grill vs REC TEC RT-340 Wood Pellet Grill
- Sales Rank is
- Department:Lawn & Patio
- Weight:
Our Summary Score: 8.7 points
Main Features
- Never use gas or charcoal again: cooking with wood just tastes better. Traeger created the original wood-pellet grill as the ultimate way to achieve wood-fired taste
- Assembled Grill Dimensions: 54" W x 22" D x 49" H | Weight: 125 lbs
- Versatile Barbecue Cooking: Hot and fast, or low and slow, the Texas Elite 34 pellet grill offers 6-in-1 versatility to grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and bbq food to juicy perfection
- Protect Your BBQ Grill at All Times: Made of heavy-duty, all-weather material to protect your grill from rain, sun, and snow
- Avoid Water Damage: Water resistant to ensure your grill stays dry
- Expand Your Working Area: Perfect for prep space and as a landing pad for finished food
- Never in the Way of Your Cooking: Conveniently folds down when not in use
- Sales Rank is510
- Department:Lawn & Patio
- Weight:
Our Summary Score: 9.0 points
Main Features
- RT-340
- Two Mesh Non-Stick Grill Mats
- 80 lb REC TEC Ultimate Blend Pellets
- Premium Grill Cover
The first grills in the ring are Traeger’s Texas Elite 34 Pellet Grill and the REC TEC RT-340. At a glance, we gotta say that the Traeger grill looks cooler due to its powder coat finish. It features 646 square inches of cooking surface provided by porcelain coated grates and 36,000 BTUs of cooking power. It also comes with the Digital Elite Controller for more precise temperature control and a hopper with a capacity of up to 18 lbs of pellets. Now, the RT-340 is much smaller in comparison. It only has 345 square inches of cooking space. But it features Wi-Pellet Wifi Technology which means you can remotely control your grill plus two built-in meat probes for more accurate temperature control. Not only that, the RT-340 features a higher temperature range, reaching up all the way to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, a larger capacity hopper (20 whole pounds!), and lockable folding legs as well as rollerblade style wheels for portability. Verdict? REC TEC RT-340.
Comparison 2: Traeger Grills TFB38TOD Renegade Pro Pellet Grill vs REC TEC RT-570 Wood Pellet Grill
- Sales Rank is936
- Department:Lawn & Patio
- Weight:
Our Summary Score: 9.5 points
Main Features
- Never use gas or charcoal again: cooking with wood just tastes better. Traeger created the original wood-pellet grill as the ultimate way to achieve wood-fired taste.
- Versatile barbecue cooking: hot and fast, or low and slow, the Traeger Renegade Pro pellet grill offers 6-in-1 versatility to grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and BBQ food to juicy perfection.
- Precision temperature control: The Digital Pro Controller rocks Advanced Grilling Logic, which maintains a +/- 15 degree F temperature control to guarantee precision grilling.
- Sturdy and Durable: Powerful steel construction and durable powder coat finish, easy to clean porcelain grill grates and all-terrain wheels.
- Perfect size for the at-home cook: 380 sq. in. cooking capacity that can accomodate 2 chickens, 3 racks of ribs or 12 burgers.
- Exterior Dimensions: 27" D x 39" W x 50" H
- Sales Rank is
- Department:Lawn & Patio
- Weight:
Our Summary Score: 9.7 points
Main Features
Between the Traeger Renegade Pro Pellet Grill and the REC TEC RT-590, it’s safe to say that the latter is a much bigger piece of equipment. But is bigger really better?
Let’s see. The Traeger Renegade Pro may only be offering 380 square inches of cooking space, but that’s more than enough to cook 3 full racks of ribs simultaneously or 16 large patties. It features dual meat temperature probes and the Digital Pro Controller for more precise temperature control. It has a hopper clean out and porcelain grill grates for easy cleaning, all steel construction and powder coat finish for durability, and an electronic auto-start ignition. As for portability, this grill comes with a sawhorse chassis, all-terrain wheels, and a side lift bar. All good things, right? Unfortunately, the RT-590 gets the prize for offering something a little bit better. Aside from the size, this baby comes with Wi-Pellet WiFi Technology and the Proprietary PID Controller which allows you to control temperature at 5-degree intervals. It comes with a 30-pound pellet hopper for overnight cooking. And it’s constructed out of stainless steel for a lifetime of grilling.
Comparison 3: Traeger Grills TFS60LZC Select Elite Pellet Grill and Smoker vs REC TEC RT-700 Wood Pellet Grill
- Sales Rank is
- Department:Lawn & Patio
- Weight:
Our Summary Score: 8.7 points
Main Features
- Never use gas or charcoal again: cooking with wood just tastes better. Traeger created the original wood-pellet grill as the ultimate way to achieve wood-fired taste
- Versatile barbecue cooking: hot and fast, or low and slow, the Traeger Select Elite pellet grill offers 6-in-1 versatility to grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and BBQ food to juicy perfection
- Precision temperature control: The Digital Elite Controller rocks Advanced Grilling Logic, which maintains a +/- 20 degree F temperature control to guarantee precision grilling
- Sturdy and Durable:Includes stainless steel side shelves, dual door storage cart and increased pellet hopper capacity
- Large cooking capacity: 589 sq. in. cooking capacity that can accomodate 4 chickens, 4 racks of ribs or 20 burgers
- Sales Rank is444
- Department:Lawn & Patio
- Weight:
Our Summary Score: 9.4 points
Main Features
- RT-700
- Two Mesh Non-Stick Grill Mats
- 200 lb REC TEC Ultimate Blend Pellets
- Premium Cover
- 6-Year Warranty
The Traeger Select Elite Pellet Grill has a lot to boast about. It features 586 square inches of cooking space which equals to 6 full racks of ribs, the Digital Elite Controller for more precise temperature control, and a 3-piece porcelain grill grate for easy cleaning. It also comes with stainless steel side shelves for extra prep space and a dual-door storage cart for keeping all your grill accessories. However, just for a couple of hundred more, you can get The Bull – REC TEC’s RT-700. Like all REC TEC grills, this features Smart Grill Technology and Wi-Pellet Wi-Fi Technology to make controlling and monitoring temperature easy as pie. The dual meat probes lets you accurately measure temperature, so all your cooks are oh-so-perfect. Pure stainless steel construction and a 6-year warranty pushes this grill in the lead. Plus, you get 702 square inches of cooking surface which means you can safely feed your entire neighborhood anytime you feel like it. When it comes to bang for your buck, the RT-700 wins hands down.