If you are anything like me, you must be wondering about Camp Chef vs Traeger pellet grills for some time now. Indeed, it’s tough to choose between these two brands that people have loved for years.
Still, don’t worry too much because I am here to help with your decision-making process. Keep on reading to know what makes one better than the other.
Table of Contents
Camp Chef vs Traeger - Complete Comparison
- Side and grill technology
- Direct flame grilling up to 650°F
- Extended chamber height for more cooking space
- 10 levels of smoking
- Great customer service
- Efficient digital controller with menu
- 6-in-1 versatility
- WiFire technology
- Pro D2 Direct Drive
- Impressive hopper capacity
- Barrel-shaped chamber
- Advanced Grilling Logic
Best Overall: Camp Chef Smoke Pro SG vs. Traeger Ironwood 650
Camp Chef Smoke Pro SG Grill/Smoker
Smoke Pro SG grill and smoker has 811 square inches of cooking space. The main half measures 429 square inches, while the secondary space measures 382 square inches. This extension is possible because of its expanded chamber height.
Smoke Pro SG’s pellet hopper can hold 22 lbs with ease. It has a PID controller with increments of 5°F.
- Large hopper
- Easy-to-read and glare-free LED display
- Temperature range from 160-500°F
- Comes with a 3-year warranty
- More of a grill than a smoker
Smoke Pro SG is one of the most impressive pellet grills as it comes with advanced technology that even millennials may love. Aside from that, it has two meat probes, a user-friendly menu dial, easy ash cleanout, and grease management system, and many more.
You can download the brand’s app to monitor, control, and set the temperature remotely. It also has a side shelf on the right and two wheels in front for easy mobility. The patented slide-and-grill technology can be used for direct flame grilling so that its internal temperature can go up to 650°F.
Traeger Ironwood 650 Grill
The best Traeger grill is this unit from the Ironwood series that offers 650 square inches of cooking surface. In truth, it accommodates eight chickens or five racks of ribs at a time. Like other Traeger pellet grills, Ironwood 650 supports the advanced technology that the brand equips its products with. E.g., Alexa, WiFire, Turbo Temp, and D2 Direct Drive.
- Easy to use for beginners
- Stable and sturdy unit
- Keep Warm feature
- WiFi-enabled
- WiFi only works well with good internet connection
Traeger Ironwood 650 has a barrel-shaped chamber that facilitates better smoking and 6-in-1 cooking. Its hopper capacity is 20 lbs, so there’s no need for a refill even after hours of using it.
For stability, Ironwood 650 is provided with four wheels, and two of those wheels at the back have locks. It also has one meat probe and other features like Keep Warm, Super Smoker, and Timer. These are all accessible through the digital control panel on the hopper.
Best Budget: Camp Chef PG24XT SmokePro vs. Traeger Renegade Pro
Camp Chef PG24XT SmokePro Grill
PG24XT SmokePro is the most affordable unit from the brand. Despite its budget-friendliness, it is featured with all the patented technology that chefs want, such as slide-and-grill technology, Smart Smoke technology, and patented ash cleanout system. It also has 570 sq inches cooking space — sufficient enough to use for backyard parties.
- Affordable and packed with great features
- Ideal temperature control setting for beginners
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Decent cooking surface and hopper capacity
- Temperature control swing issues
The PG24XT SmokePro comes with a stainless-steel meat probe and firebox, blue LED digital temperature display, grease management system, etc. It boasts of an 18-lb pellet hopper capacity, as well as a temperature that ranges from 160-500°F.
Controlling the grill’s internal temperature is not a big deal, thanks to its versatile digital controller. It also has automatic auger feed pellets, so you won’t have to check it from time to time.
Furthermore, the unit has a lever that you can pull out to get all the ash out when you are done cooking. The hopper surface can be conveniently used as a side shelf, too. More storage is always welcomed while grilling; that’s why PG24XT SmokePro’s bottom shelf is incredible.
Traeger Renegade Pro Pellet Grill/Smoker
The most cost-effective Traeger model is the Renegade Pro that doubles as a grill and smoker. With 380 square inches of cooking area, it is enough to cook two chickens, three racks of ribs, or 12 burgers for a small family gathering.
Renegade Pro is equipped with a cool-touch handle, two meat probes, an ash bucket collector, and a side handle for movability. Nonetheless, the main highlight is its digital control panel.
- 6-in-1 cooking
- Easy-to-control temperature
- Digital panel
- All-terrain wheels
- Electronic auto-start ignition
- Less cooking surface area
This pellet grill also features Traeger’s Advanced Grilling Logic that sets the temperature for your food automatically. The temperature control can be maintained in increments of 15°F for precision cooking.
Did we miss telling you about its warranty? Traeger offers a 3-year warranty for Renegade Pro and can reach a temperature range of up to 450°F. The cooking grates are made from porcelain, which makes them easy to clean.
Best Portable: Camp Chef Pursuit PPG20 vs. Traeger TBT18KLD
Camp Chef Pursuit PPG20 Portable Grill
This Camp Chef pellet grill has to be the most convenient of all portable grills. You can just unfold Pursuit PPG20’s legs with the push of a button and roll wherever you go.
Pursuit PPG20 comes with 501 square inches of cooking surface and a 10-lb pellet hopper capacity. This surface area can accommodate four chickens, four racks of ribs, 16 ½ pound burgers, or even a 12-inch pizza.
The heavy-duty wheels and locking lids make it even better for tailgating, RVing, backyard partying, camping, and whatnot.
- Sizable cooking area
- Folding legs and leg levelers
- Locking chamber and hopper lid
- Auger feeding issues
Pursuit PPG20 has Gen 2 PID controller, too. It has a 10-level smoking setting, increments in 5°F for temperature control, two meat probes, a menu dial, a 110-volt outlet, and a high-visibility LED display.
Aside from that, the grill comes with all the patented features of other Camp Chef pellet grills, as well as a 3-year warranty.
Traeger TBT18KLD Grill
The TBT18KLD grill is a part of Traeger’s Pro Series, and it is ready to be loaded to the back of your truck whenever you feel like going on an adventure. This is one of the best pellet grills that only requires you to spend $399.
- Conveniently priced
- Front latches for safe transportation
- Also includes a meat probe
- Sturdy, stable, and easy to use
- Dual purpose
- Minor design flaws
This Traeger unit has a 184-square-inch cooking space. Though it seems small, it is enough for ten hot dogs, six burgers, or one rib rack. The pellet hopper’s capacity is 8 lbs, which is compatible with the surface area.
The grill also has a digital arc controller that allows the temperature to be set in increments of 5°F. The maximum temperature for TBT18KLD is 450°F. It comes with all the trademark advanced features, such as Timer, Keep Warm, and Ignite.
Best Large: Camp Chef Smoke Pro DLX vs. Traeger Pro Series 780
Camp Chef Smoke Pro DLX Pellet Grill
SmokePro DLX is an upgraded version of SmokePro XT. This unit has 570 square inches of cooking space, a meat probe, pellet rake, 18-lb hopper capacity, ash cleanout system, drip bucket, two wheels, and comes with a three-year warranty.
- True hardwood smoke flavor
- Electronic auto-start ignition
- Dual LED digital temperature control readouts
- Hard to take pellets out of the hopper
Its features are all the same as SmokePro XT’s. The additional ones include an extra side shelf and a large pellet hopper lid surface that doubles as another side shelf.
You will see a more advanced Gen 2 PID controller in SmokePro DLX. This will provide 10 levels of smoking and precision cooking as it lets you set the temperature easily.
This unit costs $700, which makes it one of the best pellet grills cost-wise.
Traeger Pro Series 780 Pellet Grill
The best large Traeger model has to be the Pro Series 780 pellet grill/smoker. It is priced at around $1000, but the amount is totally worth it.
For one, its surface area is 780 square inches. This cooking space has enough room for six chickens or rib racks or 16 burgers, so you can invite as many family members as possible to your cookouts.
- Massive cooking area
- Barrel-shaped chamber
- Adjustable grill racks
- 6-in-1 versatility
- Alexa-enabled
- May not be an impressive wood pellet smoker
This Traeger grill is constructed from sturdy 16 gauge high-grade stainless steel. While it doesn’t have a shelf, you can use its top as a small storage space.
You can set it and forget it without burning your food, thanks to its amazing in-built features like Pro D2 Controller, Pro D2 Direct Drive, TurboTemp, and WiFire technology.
The above features help the unit to work like convection, improve searing marks, function remotely and reach the desired temperature in no time. Hands down, this is one of the top-rated pellet grills you can ever get.
Final Verdict: Camp Chef vs Traeger
With this, we come to the end of this Traeger vs Camp Chef review. Choosing one among all the pellet grills that both brands produce would be a really tough task. There is no clear winner here — both brands have a close call despite their history, patented technology, and other unique features.
Camp Chef has some of the best grills and smokers at a budget price. In our humble opinion, it is the first brand to stand against Traeger fairly. However, that doesn’t make the pellet grills from Traeger bad.
The latter actually has the upper hand with all the precision temperature control features it offers. You can choose from cheaper low-cost grills to the more expensive and advanced ones. Again, Traeger owns this category without any room for argument.
Depending on your needs and preferences, choosing a grill from either of the two will not be regretful at all.
Don’t forget to check out our Camp Chef vs. Rec-Tec comparison here. We also highly recommend you to see the Z grills as they are known for delivering power-packed performance.
FAQs
- Is Camp Chef better than Traeger?
Like Pit Boss’s Austin XL, Camp Chef’s products can reach the lowest of lows and the highest of highs with the temperature range of 160-500°F. On the other hand, Traeger pellet grills can only manage to reach 450°F at max. Hence, the brand may be better than Traeger in this sense.
- Can you use Camp Chef wood pellets in the Traeger pellet grills?
Technically, all pellets work for Traeger and Camp Chef pellet grills. However, the brand does suggest using their own products to avoid any trouble.
According to Camp Chef, using other wood pellet brands can burn the meat differently and alter its flavor. That’s why you need to use 100% natural wood pellets with no flavors, glue, corn, oils, and binders if you have no choice on the matter.
Meanwhile, Traeger says that using pellets of other brands will void the warranty.
- Is Camp Chef a good brand?
Camp Chef dates back to the 1990s. It has a rich history and deals with a variety of pellet grills and other products alike. They first started with the flat-top, portable, pellet, and outdoor grills. Now, the brand is excelling in every type of grill they make. That suffices to say that it is a good and trusted brand.
Furthermore, the products are fairly priced despite the hi-tech inclusions.
- Are Camp Chef pellet grills outstanding?
Every Camp Chef pellet grill is worth every buck. In reality, they can all provide rich smoky flavor, are Wi-Fi-equipped, and come with Gen 2 controller that makes them ideal for both beginners and pros.
If you want to know more about grill competition, read our Pit Boss vs Traeger and Camp Chef vs Pit Boss reviews.
Noam
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