A Short Summary of Our Findings

Here at Grills Forever, we’re constantly on the lookout for the leading grill makers and their best-selling models. We make it our mission to research, try, and review each one of these grills so that we can help our readers decide which grill would suit their needs. That’s why we’ve come up with this Top 07 Traeger Grills for 2019.

Traeger manufactures wood grills that really stand out for their signature smoky flavor using pure wood pellets. Whatever it is that you’re roasting, smoking, barbecuing, baking, searing, Traeger has a recommended wood pellet that will bring out the best taste out of your dish. We have personally been using a Traeger pellet grill for more than ten years, and we can honestly say that it’s one great investment for those who love to cook outside of their kitchen.

In order to come up with this review, we rounded up our team and started our research on Traeger’s grills. Then, we scoured through the internet for product descriptions and features, critic reviews and user feedback. We don’t want to bore you with the details, so here’s a summary of our findings, and we hope it helps you choose what’s best for you.

Out of the 48 features that a Traeger grill can have, this Lil’ Tex Elite has 40! With 418 square inches of cooking space, its non-stick grate easily lets you cook a feast for a large group. It has digital controls, an automatic ignition, and various cooking settings to make cooking easier. The grill has a maximum temperature of 450 degrees F and LED digital display that lets you know how your cooking is going. All these features and more for a reasonable price of just under $700, complete with 3-year warranty. It’s the perfect backyard pellet grill for both beginners and seasoned grilling enthusiasts alike.

Out of the 48 possible features of a Traeger grill, our Runner-up Pick has 38, just 2 features shy of our Top Pick. Like the Top Pick, it’s a 6-in-1 non-stick grill that you can use to grill, barbeque, smoke, braise, bake, and roast your food. It has a cooking area of 300 square inches, and shares the same features as the top pick such as automatic ignition, digital temperature control, and LED display. What sets it apart is its size – 36 x 39 x 18 inches and weighing only 60 lbs. It is easier to move around, making it ideal for outdoor barbecue parties and weekend camping trips. Plus, it’s more affordable at a price of under $430 only.

Top 07 Traeger Grills (March 2021): Detailed Buying Guide

Let’s set the scene: it’s a beautiful sunny day, you’re lazing around in the yard, perhaps by the pool with a cool drink, enjoying your free day. Suddenly you’re really hungry but you really don’t want to go inside to make dinner. That’s when you realize you need to buy a grill! Not only could you stay outside in the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine, but you wouldn’t have to worry about cleaning up the kitchen either!

I remember moving from a city center apartment into my first house with a yard. My first purchase? A grill! I couldn’t wait to invite my friends and family and spend some time outdoors. My first grill turned out not to be that great – I did no research and bought one on a whim. After that experience, I made sure that when I replaced the grill I did as much research as I could. That’s where this Buyer’s Guide comes in!

Here at Grills Forever, we’ve done all of the hard work for you and if it’s a Traeger Grill you’re after, look no further. This Traeger Grill Review will provide you with everything you need to know about the Top 07 Traeger Grills of 2019.

Why Should You Trust Us?

Trust is important when reading online reviews but we can guarantee that we are writing with one sole purpose in mind: to help you choose the product that is right for you. We have tons of experience in this field (I suppose the website title ‘Grills Forever’ gives that away!) and we are not affiliated with any brand or manufacturer.

For the past five years, we have been running methodical product research on a huge amount of grills and grill accessories. For this particular review and buyer’s guide, we have arrived at our conclusion after carrying out online research for over 48 hours.

We have had several people involved in our research process and have made sure to check their reviews for subjectivity and bias. Any reviews that weren’t objective have been eliminated to ensure you’re getting the right information.

Finally, whether you’re looking to purchase your first grill or update your existing grill, we’ve covered all bases and this guide is for you. In this Traeger Grill Review, we considered all of the models that Traeger offer. From them, we selected what we consider to be our Top 7 products and ranked them in the order you’ll see below.

Why Wood Pellet Grills Taste Better?

Cooking with pure hardwood is a unique experience and is what gives Traeger grills their signature flavor. The possibilities are plentiful, you can choose from oak, mesquite, hickory, apple, cherry, maple, pecan etc. and many chefs choose different wood pellets depending on what they’re cooking. Cooking with a wood pellet grill, therefore, means there are so many possibilities and flavors. No gas or charcoal grill can compare! So, consider oak with your beef, apple with your pork and pecan with your vegetables. Traeger even have a handy guide on their website as to some typical pairings but the possibilities are endless and you can try all sorts of combinations until you find your favorite.

What Should You Look for in a Traeger Grill?

Traeger were the first to introduce a wood pellet grills way back in the 80s so they are experts in their field and are still the number one manufacturer in the industry. Traeger offer a 6 in 1 product that not only allows you to grill, but you can smoke, bake, roast, braise and BBQ all of your favorite foods. With a Traeger you don’t need a separate smoker or a roaster, one grill is all you need. It is even more versatile than your usual kitchen oven! Along with the different flavors of wood you can try, the 6 in 1 grill means your cooking experience is so versatile and the possibilities are countless. So, if you like baby back ribs, wood-fired pizza, smoky mac and cheese or even homemade apple pie, you can do it all on one piece of equipment!

Traeger have many grills on the market and they really cater for all sort of budgets and requirements. Before you begin reading up about the different grills they offer, it would be a good idea to have in mind what features you might want from your grill. Consider the size requirements of the grill, the number of burners and the accessories it comes with. If you are a small family unit or a couple, how you want your grill to perform will be very different to someone who wants to hold neighborhood parties!

Speaking more technically, you might want to consider the heat distribution of the grill, the materials it’s made with as well as the durability and safety of the grill. If you have young children, the safety aspect might be the first thing you consider before anything else.

Finally, the price will be a key factor in deciding which grill to go for, but you should also look at the grill’s warranty. You don’t want to go spending hundreds of dollars on a grill with a poor warranty.

How We Picked and Tested

Carrying out our product research on Traeger grills was a long and arduous process. In the first phase, we pored over more than 1500 user reviews of different Traeger grills on sale and used these to determine what key features consumers look for and need when buying a grill, as well as what they got from the product they purchased and how satisfied they were.

After analyzing this background research, we shortlisted 7 grills that we considered to be the best buys. With these products, we carried out further and more in-depth research. We looked at the product descriptions of all the products and assessed all the objective reviews of individual users to determine each and every of these Top 07 products. We really wanted to make sure we knew what we were talking about before presenting the information to you!

With our shortlist, we compared each grill side-by-side in order to evaluate each of their features. We wanted to know everything there was to know about each grill before taking the research to the ‘testing’ phase.

During the next stage of the process, we had a diverse group of volunteers try each specific model in our shortlist in their own homes. Once they had tried the product, they provided us with feedback. We then analyzed our volunteer’s feedback against the data we had accumulated through online research.

Backed by our researched information, we put the shortlisted products into a Top 7 list, which we are happy to present to you without delay.

Our Top 7 Traeger Grills List

Our research led us to analyze 48 different features among all of the Traeger grills in our Top 7 – that’s a lot of different features to look at! We found many of these qualities from the summary that the products display on their manuals. Some of the features we discuss weren’t necessarily mentioned in the user guides, but are features consumers consider to be important when buying a grill. You can find a comprehensive list of the features each product has by reading our research report.
It is also worth mentioning that we have gone through all of the machines that will bring the best return of investment. At Grills Forever, we really do care about getting value for money from a product.
We made sure to consider the opinions of customers of the products to determine which grills should and should not make the final cut in our Top 7. It is vitally important to us that we present an accurate review of the best Traeger grills of 2019. Without further ado, let’s begin with our Top Pick:

Our Top Pick: Traeger, Lil’ Tex Elite 22 (TFB42LZBC)

Why Is This Our Top Pick?

Before I jump in with the review of this product, let me tell you why we have chosen it as our Top Pick.

As mentioned above, we found 48 different features a Traeger grill can have and you can’t get better than this one! The Traeger TFB42LZBC has the highest number of positive features compared to any other Traeger grill on the market. If we compare all of the features with other Traeger grills, this has to be our number one. To clarify, it has 40 positive features out of a possible 48!

Despite its high number of positive features, it isn’t the most expensive grill in our list. It costs around $700, which is very reasonable for a Traeger grill with 6 in 1 capability.

Even with all of these factors, the Traeger TFB42LZBC wouldn’t have made it to our number one spot without good reviews. This grill has a great response on the market with over 400 reviews. It has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5, which is the highest rating among the Traeger grills on sale.

Finally, it is the perfect size suitable for cooking at home. You can enjoy a 418-sq. in. grilling space with this grill. This means that you have the space to cook four whole chickens, five racks of ribs or maximum 16 burgers! The pellet hopper also holds an impressive 18lbs.

All things considered, it just had to be our Top Pick. Here is some more detailed information about this top product.

Detailed Review:

Features:

The hopper can contain 18lbs. of pellets, which will give you hours of grilling time without having to refill. To make it super easy to clean, it has a removable grease pan. Traeger also recommend that you line this with heavy duty aluminum foil to make cleaning even easier. If you need to, you can transport this grill, but it is not particularly easy. The burners are made of good-quality steel meaning it is durable and made to last.

Build:

This Traeger weighs a sturdy 98lbs and is constructed from steel with a durable powder coat finish. The grill measures 49 x 42 x 22 inches and the cooking space is an impressive 418 square inches, which is perfect for cooking for a large family or group. The grill is also non-stick making cleaning up much easier! There is also a warmer tray and a high-temperature door.

Temperature and Control:

There is an integrated digital controller that keeps the cooking temperature to within 20˚F. The controller means it is really easy to set your grill temperature. You can use the ‘smoke’ setting to cook food at a lower temperature for a longer period of time, or you can use the hot and fast setting. The maximum temperature of the grill is 450˚F.

The digital control means your cooking experience is always consistent. You can set it to your required temperature and get busy preparing other parts of your meal, or kick back and relax with a cold drink. The LED display is easy to read too, so you can easily check on your food.

The auto-start ignition means your grill is ready to go as soon as you are. You don’t have to battle the wind with matches and firelighters!

Other factors:

Traeger TFB42LZBC costs just under $700 and comes with a 3-year warranty. The average rating of 4.6 out of 5 shows that customers are happy with their purchase and think that their money has been well spent. This is the most reviewed of all the Traeger grills in our Top 7, with over 420 reviews at the time of research. It is also reviewed frequently meaning that people are continuing to purchase this product and are happy with it.

Verdict:

This grill is both suited to the amateur backyard griller or someone with more experience. It is really easy to start grilling and is easy to maintain. If your budget allows and you’re not wanting something very portable, then this would be the one to go for.

Get it on Amazon!

Runner Up Pick: Traeger Tailgater TFB30LZB 20 Wood Pellet Grill

Why Is This Our Runner Up Pick?

Of the 48 possible positive features, we found in our Top 7 Traeger grills, our runner-up has an impressive 38, just 2 fewer than our Top Pick, which is why it didn’t cinch our top spot. Given that it is such a great product with lots of positive features, it still maintains a strong position as our number 2.

This grill is priced around $480 (at the time of research), which means it’s a good chunk cheaper than our champion and therefore might suit smaller budgets.

Detailed Review:

Features:

This Traeger Tailgater TFB30LZB Wood Pellet Grill offers the same six-in-one cooking experiences as the Lil Tex meaning you can grill, smoke, bake, braise and barbeque your food. Unlike the Lil Tex, however, this grill is much more portable and it is not only great for home cooking, but you can take it away camping or tailgating too. The burners are a sturdy steel and it also has a grease tray for easy cleanups.

Build:

One of the reasons this model is better for moving around than our number 1 is because it weighs only 70lbs. It measures 24 x 20 x 20 inches and still has an impressive 300 square inches of cooking space, meaning you can easily accommodate up to 12 burgers at any one time. The grill is non-stick and there is also a high-temperature door.

Temperature and Control:

This Traeger Tailgater TFB30LZB Wood Pellet Grill has much the same temperature and control features of our number 1. It has the easy-to-go electronic auto-start ignition and the same Digital Elite Controller, so setting up and getting going is really easy and you can guarantee the consistency of your cooking too.

Other factors:

Retailing at just under $480, this is a cheaper purchase than our Top Pick. It comes with a 3-year warranty, which adds reassurance if the lower average review rating puts you off.

Verdict:

If cost is an issue for you with our Top Pick, or you’re looking for something more suitable for transportation then look no further than This Traeger Tailgater TFB30LZB Wood Pellet Grill.

Buy it on Amazon!

A List of 5 Other Traeger Grills We Reviewed

No 3. Traeger TFB42LZB Lil Tex Elite 22 Grill

Features:

This Traeger TFB42LZB Lil Tex Elite 22 Grill is very much similar to our top pick. It has 18lb  hopper capacity meaning you can enjoy hours of smoking without needing to refill the pellets. It is a heavy and robust grill but it does have easy-glide wheels so that you can maneuver it easily into position. You can also lock the casters to make sure it doesn’t move when you’ve got it where you want it. It has an impressive 38 positive features, the same as our Top Pick.

Build:

The Texas Elite measures 49 x 42 x 22 inches and weighs a sturdy 98lbs. If cooking for a large number of guests appeals to you, you won’t be disappointed with the size of this grill. It has an impressive cooking space of 418 square inches. This means you have the space to cook 16 burgers or 4 whole chickens at once! If you’re not cooking for a large group, you could cook an entire meal all at the same time – appetizers, entrées, and even desserts! You can also buy a shelf to attach to this grill.

Temperature and Control:

The Digital Elite controller shows the inside temperature on the LED panel. As with other Traegers, the temperature is monitored by a probe that keeps it within 20 degrees. Like the other models, the auto-ignition is simple and easy to use too.

Other factors:

At around $940, the Texas Elite is one of the more expensive grills in our Traeger Grill Review, which is why it has secured a lower spot in our Top 7. It does, however, have excellent reviews and an average review score of 4.6 out of 5, which matches our Top Pick.

Verdict:

If budget isn’t an issue and you want something large then the Traeger Lil Tex Elite 22 Grill is a good choice. You can cook your whole meal at once or invite the whole neighborhood for a pool party without people waiting hungrily for their food!

Order it on Amazon!

No 4. TFB38TCA Renegade Elite

Features:

The good thing about Trager is that they really know how to pack in the features in their grills. For example, although this is our Number 6 Pick in our Top seven Traeger grills, the Renegade still has a fantastic 34 features! It incorporates the Traeger EZ drain system for grease management and easy cleanup. Another nice feature that most others in our list don’t have is the hopper cleanout door.

Build:

The Traeger Renegade Elite grill is one of the heavier grills in our Traeger Grill Review, but it does have wheels for easier maneuverability. It weighs 120lbs. and measures 42.2 x 23.5 x 9.8 inches. The cooking surface area is 380 square inches, meaning you have enough space to cook food for the whole family!

Unlike the grills we have looked at so far, the Renegade comes with a handy tool caddy rack, at the front so you can keep all of your utensils and sauces to hand in a convenient location! It also has a wire front prep rack, which is strong and robust. You can use this for prepping your food, testing it or simply resting it when unloading from your grill.

Temperature and Control:

The Digital Elite Controller is fitted as standard on this product, as is the auto-ignition system. You can cook up to 450˚F as with other Traegers and can also cold smoke down to temperatures as low as 150˚F.

Other factors:

The Traeger Renegade Elite grill retails at the same price as our No. 1: around $700. Its average review rating is a good 4.3 out of 5. However, this score only came from 11 reviews at the time of research, meaning we can perhaps feel less confident about it than our Top Pick, which is why it doesn’t feature as high up our Top seven list. It does come with the Traeger warranty.

Verdict:

If space to prepare is your thing, you’ll love the caddy rack and preparation rack that this grill offers. It is worth reading around a bit more online about this grill, however, since there are only a small number of reviews.

Grab it on Amazon!

No 5. Traeger Pro Series 22

Features:

This is a professional and sturdy grill with 35 positive features. The Hopper can hold 18lbs. of pellets and has a cleanout system, meaning you can change the flavor of your pellets on the fly by opening a door to empty it. It has all-terrain wheels so you can roll it easily over many surfaces. It is constructed from high-quality steel and has a powder-coat finish. It comes in bronze or blue so if you’re someone who likes to add color to your yard, this one fits the bill! Unlike other grills mentioned so far in this review, the Traeger Pro Series 22 has an extra grill rack. It is easy to clean with its angled drip pan too.

Build:

The Traeger Pro Series 22 has a sawhorse chassis, which makes for a sturdier grill. It also has a side lift bar to give even weight distribution. This grill measures 49 x 41 x 27 inches and weighs around 110lbs.

The extra grill rack means that this grill has a cooking area of 572 square inches making it one of the highest cooking areas in our Traeger Grill Review.

Temperature and Control:

This grill comes with Traeger’s Digital Pro Controller with Advanced Grilling Logic to maintain your desired temperature. This means it maintains the grill temperature within 15˚F, therefore it is slightly better than the Digital Elite Control. The Pro Controller takes 60 readings in a minute, so you know that the temperature being displayed is highly accurate. You can also monitor the internal temperature without opening the lid of the grill. The Pro Series 22 also has dual meat temperature probes.

Other factors:

At just under $913 dollars, the price of this grill may be off-putting for some, which is why it features further down our list. It does, however, have an average rating of 4.1 out of 5 in its reviews, 70% of which are 5 out of 5. It comes with a warranty too.

Verdict:

The Digital Pro Controller and dual meat probes are definitely a pulling factor for this grill. If the price and number of reviews put you off, it is worth reading around different sites to see what others are saying about this grill to help you decide.

Get it on Amazon Before Stocks are out!

No 6. Traeger TFB29PLB Bronson 20

Features:

This grill has a good 34 positive features. The hopper capacity is somewhat smaller than other grills in our list at 10lbs and falls into the more portable grill option.

Build:

The Bronson 20, like the Pro Series 22, also has a sawhorse chassis, which gives it stability. It also has all-terrain wheels and a side handle helping you to move and place the grill where you want it. It is one of the lightest grills and weighs 76lbs, making it more portable than many others in our Traeger Grill Review. It measures 38 x 35 x 22 inches, making it larger than the PTG and Tailgater 20.

It has 300 square inches of cooking space, which is the same as the Tailgater 20 and enough space to cook 4 whole chickens.

Temperature and Control:

This grill comes with the Digital Elite Controller. With this controller, you can set the temperature in 25˚ increments. The shutdown setting on this controller runs the fan for around 10 minutes so that excess ash is blown out from the fire pot.

Other factors:

This grill is slightly more expensive than the Tailgater 20 and sells for just under $500. The average rating is only slightly less than the Tailgater 20 at 3.9 out of 5 at the time of research. The warranty comes as standard, like all Traeger grills.

Verdict:

This grill is a real in-between grill for those of you who are looking for something that can be portable but still maintains the great features of a standard backyard grill. So, if you intend to use your grill both at home and out and about then this might be the one you want to look into further.

Buy it from Amazon!

No 7. Traeger TFS60LZC Select Elite

Features:

The Traeger Select Elite has a different look to the other models in our Traeger Grill Review in that it has an enclosed storage space underneath that has 2 doors. You can use this to keep your grilling items close, or to store your wood pellets that you need to choose carefully. It is big enough to hold 2 bags of pellets. Due to its larger size and the storage space, I wouldn’t really consider this grill to be portable.

Another different feature of this grill is its stainless steel side shelves. These are ideal for prepping food or putting down utensils whilst you’re cooking. You could even rest a cold beer on them I’m sure!

Build:

The Select Elite measures 57 x 25 x 46 inches and weighs a hefty 170lbs. making it the biggest and heaviest grill in our Top 7. As this is a big grill, the wheels definitely help you move it into place. They also have locking casters so you can be sure the grill is secured where you want it before switching it on.

Temperature and Control:

Whilst not the biggest cooking area in our Top 7, the 586 square inches of grilling space that the Select Elite has is more than adequate and can fit up to 20 burgers! The grill also comes with Traeger’s Digital Elite Control so you can set the dial and go.

Other factors:

This grill is the most expensive in our Top seven with a price tag of around $1300 dollars. It is worth noting that the average rating from reviews is 4.1 out of 5, which means that people consider themselves to be getting value for money with this product. You can request the manufacturer’s warranty on purchase.

Verdict:

This is great if, like me, you love out-of-sight storage! No more tripping over pellet bags in your backyard! Although it’s the most expensive grill in our Top 7, it does have really good reviews and people seem happy with what they get for their money.

Check Price on Amazon!

A List of Some Other Products We Tested

• DOUBLE COMMERCIAL PELLET GRILL TRAILER>>> 22 Positive Features as seen on our research report
• TIMBERLINE 1300 PELLET GRILL>>> 25 Positive Features as seen on our research report
• BRONSON 20 PELLET GRILL>>> 25 Positive Features as seen on our research report
• RANGER PELLET GRILL>>> 24 Positive Features as seen on our research report
• SCOUT PELLET GRILL>>> 21 Positive Features as seen on our research report
• LIL’ PIG PELLET GRILL>>> 9 Positive Features as seen on our research report

Additional Information on Traeger Grill Review

We’ve mentioned a lot of different facts about Traeger’s Controllers so now let me take the time to summarize the information all in one place.

The majority of the grills in this Traeger Grill Review are equipped with the Elite Digital Controller. This controller maintains the internal temperature of your grill to within 20˚F in ideal conditions. The LED display is a typical red color. You can set the controller in 25˚ temperature increments from around 155˚F to 425˚F. There are also two more settings: at the lower end, this is labeled as “smoke” and at the higher end, this is labeled as “high”.

Traeger’s other controller is called the Pro Series Controller. This controller has the added features of 2 meat probes so you don’t have to open the grill to check the temperature. The LED display on this controller is blue, which makes it easier to see in bright conditions. It also has Advanced Grilling Logic, which holds the temperature better than the Elite Digital Controller as it is maintained within 15˚F, making it more accurate. You can also buy this controller to install onto your existing Traeger grill to upgrade from the Elite.

Care and Maintenance

Because burning wood pellets slowly can cause a buildup of creosote, it is important to know how to clean and maintain your grill as buildup could ultimately lead to a fire. Depending on usage, you need to inspect all elements of your grill, including the grease pan, drain and bucket at least every six months. Any visible signs of buildup should be removed to reduce the risk of fire. It is important to use a non-scratch tool (like a piece of wood) to scrape the buildup away and use a biodegradable degreaser where necessary.

It is easier to clean grease when the grill is warm. Be careful that the machine is off and unplugged and cooled down enough to prevent injury! It is a good idea to clean the grill straight after cooking (once it has cooled down somewhat). For this, it would be handy to have a long-handled cleaning brush near the grill to remind you.

Wrapping it Up

Now we’ve come to the end of our Traeger grill review, I hope it has helped you in your decision on what to buy. We’ve made sure to cover a wide range of budgets and grills from the easily portable to the backyard staple. If you’re still undecided, our Top Pick is the best all-rounder and will surely satisfy many people’s requirements. Whilst we have endeavored to make our review as comprehensive as possible, it is always wise to do your own research and read online feedback from people who have bought each product. However, it is worth bearing in mind that unlike ours, some reviews may be biased. Finally, for a quick look into the features we found for each product, and to find all of the information in one place, read our research report added above. We hope you find a Traeger grill you love! Happy grilling!