recteq 700 or 590 pellet grill

[jab112]

Trying to decide between the 700 or 590. It’s just me, my wife and son. I really like the look and build of the 700 with the smoke stack. Just done know if i need something that big. Any suggestions?

 

[Cirhere]

I went with the 590 for the simple fact the way my deck is the side hopper worked out best the rear hopper just was not right

 

[Waterboy]

If you have the room, physically and financially, get the 700. They will both cook great but the extra real estate is nice when cooking multiple items.

 

[ghuns]

Trying to decide between the 700 or 590. It’s just me, my wife and son. I really like the look and build of the 700 with the smoke stack. Just done know if i need something that big. Any suggestions?

The wife and me are newly empty nesters. I went back forth between the two. A Bullseye would honestly be big enough for 80% of what I cook.

But when we have some people over, something we do a lot more now that the kids are gone, I am really happy I went with the 700.

 

[charlesrshell]

If I would have known about the cooking area that is lost because the food has to stay over the drip pan, I would have gotten the Bull. Also, the Stampede lid smoke vents have to be sealed if you don't want the smoke stain around them. Don't have that issue with the Bull.

 

[Hilbe]

They saying is "you can never have too much grill space". That said, I would consider the 700 just for the fact it has a 6 year bumper-to-bumper warranty.

 

[Jonathan Buffett]

I would get the 700 if I had the space and the money. It’s their flagship model - better warranty, better built, better smoke stack, slightly more accessories, and more cooking space. You can cook a small meal on a large grill but you can’t cook a large meal on a small grill.
The only advantage I can see with the smaller grill is it gets hotter faster. I own a 700 and pellet usage is really not that bad. Most of my cooks are at or below 300 degrees and it sips pellets in that range. Higher temp cooks are usually short duration so again pellet usage is not that bad.
Trust me after getting one you will be cooking all kinds of things that you never cooked on a grill before. You are gonna want that extra space!

 

[Revert180]

We purchased a Stampede back in May. This was our first smoker and with trying to maintain deck space (we also have a Weber Genesis), this was a good choice for us. As far as cook space, I think it will be fine 95% of the time for your family. I am sure there will be an event in the future where I wished we purchased the 700, but that will be few and far between. I do prefer the smokestack on the 700 vs the 590 vents, and that is after purchasing the all-weather vents.

While the 590 only gives you 4 yrs of warranty, I would suggest using a credit card (like Citibank) where they provide extra warranty coverage. In the case of Citibank, they extend the manufacturer’s warranty for
an additional 24 Months. Of course, this approach only makes sense if you are able to immediately pay off the card.

Whether you go for the 590 or 700, I'm sure you will enjoy it. Good luck!

 

[OceanSailor]

I recently had the same question. I didn't like the vents on the 590 (we can get a lot of rain in FL) and the all weather accessory vents were out of stock but coming in shortly. Asked some questions and received this info from Rec Teq:

In regards to the RT-700/RT-590 temp differences go, they are very minor verging on negligible. The time to get to your set temp is practically the same between the two models. Once they reach your desired temp they will burn at almost an identical rate. The RT-700 can be a little easier on pellet consumption due to the thicker steel retaining more heat but this is something that comes into play with a colder climate. Since you are in Florida I don’t see there being any difference on this front.

I decided to go with the 700. Even though it is usually just my wife and I, we occasionally have 20-30 guests so the extra space may come in handy some day. I preferred the rear hopper and the stack over the vents. Either way I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice. My other decision was competition cart or not. Went with the cart at half off and it was definitely the right choice for me since I move the grill a lot...even during cooks. If money was an issue I would get the 590 with the cart over the 700 without the cart.

 

[We'reSmokin'Now]

Just my two cents: I love my Stampede, but eight weeks into my 590, I wish I had bought the 700. Every time I cook, I wish I had the extra room.

 

[Bik]

I also agonized over this decision . But at the end of the day, 700 turned out to be an easy choice. As others have said, if you want to keep the drippings in the drip pan, the cooking area is reduced. The actual foot print due to rear mounted hopper is not much different. Shorter auger distance to firepot if that matters. Better overall value

 

[critter]

I started with the 700 so I could cook for large get togethers. What I have discovered is that it is a little overkill for when it's just the wife and I, plus it's not ideal for cooking something quick or with high heat. I have now added a bullseye to use for these purposes, which gives me the best of both worlds, IMO.

I would do the exact same thing if I had it to do over again. I feel like if I would have gotten the 590, I'd still want the bullseye. So I would recommend the 700. If you never cook for large gathering or don't have the need to cook multiple items at the same time, the 590 might be a good fit. Either way, I'd bet you will want to add the bullseye to your arsenal at some point in the future