Stampede The Difference

[Kid]

Seems like I have read a few times people saying there's little or no difference in taste using smoker vs gas .

I have read many times pellet smokers do not come close to old fashioned wood smokers

What's y'all take ??

 

[Jim6820]

Seems like I have read a few times people saying there's little or no difference in taste using smoker vs gas .

I have read many times pellet smokers do not come close to old fashioned wood smokers

What's y'all take ??

Well, I have—and, use—both very frequently. My “take” is that there‘s no way to objectively compare the two if you cook on them like I do. Gas is my hot-and-fast option while the pellet grill/smoker is for low-and-slow.

Hot-and-fast cooks on the gas grill have no wood smoke flavor unless I use a smoke tube. They do, however, produce a very flavorful final product with a nice seared flavor.

Low-and-slow cooks on the pellet grill do pick up some wood-smoke flavor, depending on which pellets I use and the temperature I cook at. Do pellet grills impart a heavy wood smoke flavoring? Not without some help from smoke tubes and the use of bold-flavored pellets like mesquite or hickory.

Of course, the discussion will inevitably turn to “Is it enough smoke flavor?” That’s definitely a personal preference thing; some will say “yes” and others “absolutely not.” If you came from a stick-burner experience, you might say it is “not enough,” though that’s where I came from and I get just about the right amount of “smoke” from my pellet grill.

YMMV

 

[DesertRat]

I'm not a competition quality smoker or griller, and I'm not sure I would appreciate the difference between a Recteq pellet smoker and a offset charcoal and wood chunk smoked set of ribs. Side by side, sure, I probably could tell the difference but at my level this pellet grill works just fine. Same with my gas grill. Would lump charcoal and higher heat produce a better finished product? Probably, but not so much that I want to fuss with all that, especially in my old age. Convenience has become more important perhaps than it should, but that's life.

 

[Lager1829]

Recteq has a wall full of trophies from competition BBQ teams that use Recteq pellet grills. Can't get a better side by side comparison with other methods than a competition.

Probably, but not so much that I want to fuss with all that, especially in my old age. Convenience has become more important perhaps than it should, but that's life.

This is me^^^

 

[Jim6820]

I'm not a competition quality smoker or griller, and I'm not sure I would appreciate the difference between a Recteq pellet smoker and an offset charcoal and wood chunk smoked set of ribs. Side by side, sure, I probably could tell the difference but at my level this pellet grill works just fine. Same with my gas grill. Would lump charcoal and higher heat produce a better finished product? Probably, but not so much that I want to fuss with all that, especially in my old age. Convenience has become more important perhaps than it should, but that's life.

What he said! I’ve been through them all over the years, and “in my old age” I still love to grill and smoke, but not tend the fires.

A pellet grill lets me do it my way and still enjoy the finished product. YMMV

 

[Greg Jones]

What he said! I’ve been through them all over the years, and “in my old age” I still love to grill and smoke, but not tend the fires.

A pellet grill lets me do it my way and still enjoy the finished product. YMMV

My take is 80% of the results with 20% of the effort!

 

[Jim6820]

My take is 80% of the results with 20% of the effort!

@Greg Jones and I are on the same page here. I like the way he thinks.

 

[Kid]

Good way to look at it .
I am sure I'll be more than pleased
Thanks for the replies

 

[SmokeOCD]

I have a few different grills, each does something best. There is in fact a huge difference between steak on gas vs charcoal vs recteq. Love 'em all, just depends on mood and availability of time.

 

[Greg Jones]

I have a few different grills, each does something best. There is in fact a huge difference between steak on gas vs charcoal vs recteq. Love 'em all, just depends on mood and availability of time.

Agree, although I haven’t owned a gas grill in forever. When it comes to steaks, there is a huge +difference in a flavor of a steak cooked over charcoal (PK grill here) and a steak cooked on a pellet grill. When it comes to smoking, things even out and I’ll take the convenience of a pellet grill.

 

[Jim6820]

Agree, although I haven’t owned a gas grill in forever. When it comes to steaks, there is a huge +difference in a flavor of a steak cooked over charcoal (PK grill here) and a steak cooked on a pellet grill. When it comes to smoking, things even out and I’ll take the convenience of a pellet grill.

Yeah, @Greg Jones, but charcoal is such a PITA to deal with. And, just to throw a curve ball in here, many of the top steak houses in the world cook on—wait for it—gas-fired infrared grills that hit 1800F, just like the Napoleon Prestige 500 some of us have. Oops, did I Say that?

 

[charlesrshell]

Yeah, @Greg Jones, but charcoal is such a PITA to deal with. And, just to throw a curve ball in here, many of the top steak houses in the world cook on—wait for it—gas-fired infrared grills that hit 1800F, just like the Napoleon Prestige 500 some of us have. Oops, did I Say that?

What type grill does Texas Roadhouse use?

 

[SmokeOCD]

Top the 1800* steak with a quarter stick of butter as it rests and you've got at least a $50 steak. (Ruth's Chris)

Edit: ↓↓↓↓↓ How can someone be sad about melted butter over a steak!!! ↓↓↓↓↓↓

 

[childjulia]

I have both. My smoker I use a few times a year. My gas grill I use a few times a week.

 

[Motodad1776]

I have both. My smoker I use a few times a year. My gas grill I use a few times a week.

I also have both, use the gas grill maybe a few times a month but use my pellet grill multiple times a week. There is little flavor with a gasser, but nothing quite like a fine piece of dead animal flesh being kissed with some proper smoke.

 

[pungo]

Seems like I have read a few times people saying there's little or no difference in taste using smoker vs gas.

I read it on the internet so it must be true

Just so you know, a pellet grill can do low and slow, hot and fast, plus everything in between.
So when you say a "smoker vs gas", when the pellet grill is in smoker mode, there will be a difference since it's kinda hard to use a gas grill

If you're talking hot and fast, there's little difference since the pellet grill has minimal smoke at higher temps. I use my gas grill for hot and fast and my pellet grill for low and slow, 2 different tools for 2 different jobs. Sure you can do hot and fast on a pellet grill, but my Weber Summit gas grill is superior in many ways for that type of cooking.

I have read many times pellet smokers do not come close to old fashioned wood smokers

Many times, the old fashion smokers produce an extremely smoky tasting meat since the operator doesn't know what they're doing therefore there's a ton of dirty smoke, which to me, tastes nasty, like a house fire. Sure a properly burning stick smoker will produce a more smokey flavored meat than a pellet, but at the expense of having to baby sit it instead of set and forget.

 

[Maule Guy]

Agree, although I haven’t owned a gas grill in forever. When it comes to steaks, there is a huge +difference in a flavor of a steak cooked over charcoal (PK grill here) and a steak cooked on a pellet grill. When it comes to smoking, things even out and I’ll take the convenience of a pellet grill.

I use my RT-590 as a smoker and seldom go above 350F. Pellet vs stick burner? As a kid and young adult I remember going to my grandad's Masonic 4th of July BBQ. Someone had to sit by the pit to tend the fire all night and into the morning. If one drove down a country road on the evening of July 3rd there would be fires in many yards with someone w/ a cup of coffee tending the fire. With my 590 I set the temp go to bed and check the cook in the morning. Call me lazy but I much prefer this method.

 

[Motodad1776]

I use my RT-590 as a smoker and seldom go above 350F. Pellet vs stick burner? As a kid and young adult I remember going to my grandad's Masonic 4th of July BBQ. Someone had to sit by the pit to tend the fire all night and into the morning. If one drove down a country road on the evening of July 3rd there would be fires in many yards with someone w/ a cup of coffee tending the fire. With my 590 I set the temp go to bed and check the cook in the morning. Call me lazy but I much prefer this method.

That's a perfect example of "work smarter, not harder".