Traeger Grills -- Frequently Asked Questions About Traeger Pellet Grills

Here are some of the questions (and answers!) we have had from prospective and new Traeger Pellet Grill owners over the years. If you have additional questions that are not addressed here, we encourage you to email us. Read through the entire list or jump directly to any specific topic.

How does a Traeger Pellet Grill work?
Please see our detailed description of how a Traeger works.

Why is indirect cooking better?
Indirect cooking is healthier and allows for more even cooking. Because the Traeger Pellet Grill cooks like a convection oven, your food is surrounded by hot, smoky vapors that help to seal in moisture and flavor your food while cooking it evenly throughout. Additionally, with direct cooking, fatty juices come in contact with the fire, creating smoke that contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), a known cancer-causing agent. Further, the extreme high heat from direct cooking create a condition whereby a second type of carcinogen, heterocyclic amines (HCA), can develop in meat. This is the product of a reaction between the food's natural amino acids and creatine, a substance found in muscle tissue. Traeger's patented, indirect cooking method--as well as the exclusive EZ-Drain Grease system that channels fat drippings out of the grill and away from your food--makes cooking with a Traeger Pellet Grill the healthier, tastier option!

I know the Traeger Pellet Grill is great for smoking and baking, but does it get hot enough to sear food?
Searing is done at a temperature between 300 and 500 degrees and is the result of the Maillard reaction, which occurs when sugars and amino acids are heated together. When meat is cooked in this temperature range, the outside reaches a higher temperature than the inside, triggering the Maillard reaction and creating the strongest flavors on the brown, slightly crusty surface. This also helps to seal in moisture. Here's how to sear: Run your grill on high for about 15 minutes, then place the meat on the hot cooking surface; you'll here the sizzle. You can then continue to grill the steak as you would with any other grill, or you can also lower the temperature to medium or smoke to lay a wonderful smoky flavor on the meat and ensure even cooking and uniform color on thicker cuts. You will love the wonderful, flavorful results of cooking with a 100% hardwood fire, and your friends will, too!

Are searing and charring the same thing?
It is important to not get these two terms confused. Charring occurs when meat is cooked at more than 500 degrees, or allowed to cook too long. When meat is charred, its surface is broken down and carbonized. Charred meat can raise the risk of cancer; excessively charred meat is to be avoided.

What will it cost me to run my Traeger Pellet Grill?
This will vary, of course, by what you are cooking and for how long, but you can figure the average cooking session will use 1-1/2 pounds of pellets, so at retail value, that equates to $1.27 in pellets. If you are cooking for longer times, it probably means that you are cooking more meat, too, so your cost of pellets per pound of meat really is quite low.

For more information, please see our detailed description of how a Traeger works.

Is there a rotisserie available for Traeger barbecues?
Traeger barbecues do not need a rotisserie. The Traeger's patented indirect cooking system and convection action causes food to cook evenly. Rotisseries are necessary for open fires and grills that don't cook food evenly.

Do I need the Digital Thermostat Control?
While a nice addition to any Traeger Grill equipped with a three-position temperature control board, it is by no means a necessity. Most Traeger Grills in service today have the three-position control. The Digital Thermostat Control is an option worth considering if you frequently will be cooking in cold temperatures, smoking fish or making jerky, as its ability to control cooking temperatures more precisely will prove beneficial in those applications.

Can I use a Traeger Pellet Grill in barbecue competitions?
No problem! Most major sanctioning bodies (such as the Kansas City Barbecue Society, or KCBS) require that the only source of cooking heat in your unit be from wood and/or charcoal. Since Traeger Grills burn 100% wood pellets, they meet the criteria. And you can get a good night's rest while your competitors tend their fires. Here in the Western U.S., about 25-30% of the competition teams use pellet-fired barbecue grills--and take home lots of trophies!

What is in Traeger cooking pellets?
Traeger pellets consist only of pure hardwood sawdust, ground to flour in hammer mills, heated and compressed into pellets at a pressure of 10,000 psi. Traeger pellets contain no binding agents or glue.

What flavor of pellets do you recommend?
Hickory and mesquite are by far the the most popular, but most Traeger Grill owners like to experiment with other flavors and even blend them. See our basic pellet recommendations here.

Will I always be able to get Traeger pellets?
Of course! With all the Traeger owners out there, the demand for our 100% hardwood cooking pellets grows every day. Traeger owns two pellet mills and production always will keep pace with demand. In addition to the free pellets you will get from your first order from us, you can buy them from any Traeger dealer or directly from the manufacturer by calling 800-TRAEGER.

Can I use heating pellets in my Traeger cooker?
This is not recommended! Heating pellets can contain many impurities, such as scrap wood with glues, paints, varnish and other resins. Heating pellets are for heating buildings, not cooking. Using them to cook food is unhealthy and will void your warranty. Besides, when is the last time you ever heard anyone talk about the delicious pine-smoked ribs they just had?

How long have Traeger Pellet Grills been around?
Since 1986, when Traeger manufactured its first Wood Pellet BBQ Grill. Twenty years later, there are Traeger grill owners in all parts of North America and around the world. Traeger is a third-generation company that remains family-owned and managed.

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