Texas_TL
Well-known member
- Messages
- 80
LAST UPDATED: 05/24/2022
UPDATE: Now that I've had my grill for over 6 months, I feel I can provide additional info, so some of the items below may have changed. Of course, anything I say is my opinion, so take it for what it is.
My new RT-1250 arrived today and I've made it to the point of needing help to move the biggest piece, but while I wait for a buddy to arrive, I'm going to start this thread. Since it doesn't seem that there's a concise "Here are the tips for newbies" thread with all the mods, questions, etc in one place, my hope is to build this out as I go through the process of assembling, burning in, and my initial cooks and pull together what I can from other threads about all topics that I have to learn about. Hopefully, I can help others that come after me so they don't have to spend quite as much time digging into the RT-700 threads, searching other areas of the internet / Facebook, etc.
For now, here are some of the initial topics I know I have questions with already. I'll flesh these out in the next few days...Feel free to jump in with advice / tips below and I'll compile everything in this first post over time.
First, since these are most urgent...it's going to rain tomorrow, so the plan is to do things like assemble in the house today, put on the seal if I decide to go that route, use the high temp sealant around places where there are openings (e.g. at the bottom of the drain spout), and wash all the interior parts.
To Seal or Not to Seal...that is the question?
I've seen both sides of this, seal with LavaLock / do not seal, it was designed to breathe (Recteq's answer).
Pros:
UPDATE 5/24/2022: My Sam's Club Members Mark grill cover is still going strong and does a GREAT job of keeping out the rain while at the same time not letting moisture get trapped under it even in the TX humidity. It's extremely easy to get on / off and the bungee straps on each side snug it up tightly enough to lock the bottom. It's also large enough that I can get it on / off with the drip bucket in place and the top grill grate hung on the back which is a plus.
UPDATE 5/24/2022: I had nothing to add here, but now, I've tried 3 different types of pellets and can give my opinion on those 3. Of course, this is an area where EVERYONE has an opinion so my advice is try any pellets you're interested in and see what they do...worst case, you're out a few $ and learn what you don't like.
Mods / Accessories
Updated: 05/24/2022
GrillGrates Sear Kit - When I bought my grill, I also ordered these per recommendations here and I love them. I grill on the flat side more often than the ridge side to get more surface area seared, but have also used them for veggies, "naked" chicken nuggets (these are great for freezing individually, then throwing in a huge ziplock for the kids to grab for quick meals), burgers, steaks, and tri-tip. However, when I ordered mine, they were about $70 and now they're SIGNIFICANTLY more than that...with the new higher price, I don't know if I'd buy them again or go with something like cast iron that could also be thrown on the grill to do searing. Also, cleaning the ridged side is difficult and when they aren't in use, I keep them in a cardboard box to capture any grease runoff, so that's a bit of hassle. If you don't mind the cost, they are a great addition to the 1250 though. Now, $110 at Recteq (was $70).
A-MAZE-N Oval Expanding Tube Smoker - I bought one of these at Home Depot and now it's a staple when I smoke larger pieces of meat such as pork butts, brisket, or ribs. I fill it (it expands, so for shorter cooks like ribs, I keep it collapsed and only fill it half full or with brisket, I fill it about 3/4 full) with a mix of pellets and wood chips / chunks of whatever wood I want for the cook. It gives me more control over the flavor of the smoke and also gives more smoke for what I want. ~$25 at Home Depot or cheaper for other brands at Amazon.
Recteq Mesh Cooking Mat - I'm mixed on these. I've managed to destroy 2 of them without doing anything I feel was wrong or incorrect use. They are large and as a result, they will partially go over the gap between the barrel of the smoker and the drip pan which is a hotter spot. On both that I destroyed, they burned / broke down in this area on cooks that were in the 350º range and I didn't feel comfortable using them once the fibers were showing. The first one was replaced by Recteq at no cost, but when it happened again I just threw that one away and decided I wouldn't buy anymore. There are similar ones on Amazon for less but I haven't tried those. Cost $20 at Recteq (Was $15 when I bought mine).
Checkered Chef Baking Sheet with Wire Rack Set 13" x 18" (Amazon) - I have 2 of these and LOVE them. My first one was put in the dishwasher by my wife and the aluminum was corroded, so I ordered a second. Now, I use them both all the time and having 2 is nice. These are great for prep / moving things to and from the grill and the large size works for everything...beef jerky, bacon, steaks, ribs, brisket, or pork butts. For the things like bacon, veggies, and beef jerky, I just lift the wire racks out of the pan and place them on the grill. I can fit 2 of these side by side in the 1250 on the bottom shelf and then have a couple of smaller wire racks that I can fit 2 of in the remaining space. Even better, the WIRE RACKS are dishwasher safe and so far I don't even have to scrub them before loading in the dishwasher. Everything comes off. However, DO NOT PUT THE PANS in the dishwasher! They are well worth the $29 IMO and in hindsight would use these instead of the Recteq Mesh Mat.
Inkbird WiFi Grill Meat Thermometer IBBQ-4T (Amazon) - This is one of those products I REALLY wanted to like, but just don't. As far as performance and monitoring, it works perfectly. The display is easy to read when outside and the app is sufficient for checking in on whatever is cooking + the ambient grill temp. However, the alerting is not useful for real life use IMO. In order to get alerts (at least on an iPhone), the app has to be open/active and the screen on. Once the screen goes to sleep or the app is in the background, the alerting is not reliable. The main reason I wanted a device like this was for waking me up in the middle of the night if the grill temps went out of range or when the food was done / ready for wrapping or etc. Unfortunately, it falls short and I went back to my old school Maverick temp monitor that I hadn't used since my Weber SMC days. The other weird thing is that the app asks for access to a lot of info which didn't feel like it should be necessary for the functionality of the monitor. I'm now investigating other solutions that can alert whenever the app is in the background / iPhone screen is off OR can send SMS texts like my FlameBoss does for my Kamado. I can technically use the FlameBoss, but it's overkill for a pellet grill. $60-120 @ Amazon depending on sales.
Alright, that's all for now...I need to get some work done. I'll try to add to this in the future as I learn more!
Any feedback on the above items is greatly appreciated! As I said, I want to flesh this out so that someone new can come in and find the info quickly.
UPDATE: Now that I've had my grill for over 6 months, I feel I can provide additional info, so some of the items below may have changed. Of course, anything I say is my opinion, so take it for what it is.
My new RT-1250 arrived today and I've made it to the point of needing help to move the biggest piece, but while I wait for a buddy to arrive, I'm going to start this thread. Since it doesn't seem that there's a concise "Here are the tips for newbies" thread with all the mods, questions, etc in one place, my hope is to build this out as I go through the process of assembling, burning in, and my initial cooks and pull together what I can from other threads about all topics that I have to learn about. Hopefully, I can help others that come after me so they don't have to spend quite as much time digging into the RT-700 threads, searching other areas of the internet / Facebook, etc.
For now, here are some of the initial topics I know I have questions with already. I'll flesh these out in the next few days...Feel free to jump in with advice / tips below and I'll compile everything in this first post over time.
First, since these are most urgent...it's going to rain tomorrow, so the plan is to do things like assemble in the house today, put on the seal if I decide to go that route, use the high temp sealant around places where there are openings (e.g. at the bottom of the drain spout), and wash all the interior parts.
To Seal or Not to Seal...that is the question?
I've seen both sides of this, seal with LavaLock / do not seal, it was designed to breathe (Recteq's answer).
Pros:
- Helps keep grill clean by preventing leakage
- Keeps more smoke in for more flavor
- Improves heat retention, especially in colder weather
- Reduces pellet consumption
- Additional expense / work
- May hold in too much heat in warmer weather / climates and make it difficult to reach ultra low temps
- Another area of maintenance over time
- Feel - The grill just "feels" better when closing the lid. There's no metal on metal sound and it gives it a cushioned feel. I personally like that since I came from a Kamado with the similar seal tech.
- Drips - I do feel it makes a difference on the front of the grill to keep drips from running down the front and onto my patio. The grill did change colors in that area anyway, but I think that's more heat, less grease / moisture.
- Temps - I live in Texas where grilling season is pretty much year round and I've now had the opportunity to grill in "Texas Cold" and some pretty hot days already this summer and have had 0 temperature issues. I've smoked beef jerky at 180º for hours with the temp staying within +/-1º and gone up to 500º without any problems. I've cooked pizzas at 500º and again, the grill holds the temp perfectly. I have done FULL a couple of times, but then decided that I didn't need to go that hot for anything I'm cooking. The 500º + GrillGrates gives me a great sear on anything.
Of course, if you live someplace where temps are significantly different, YMMV.
RecTeq
Pros:
- Made to fit
- Seems to last a while
- 18 Month Warranty (My credit card would extend this by another 2 years)
- Buckles / made for the grill
Cons:
- Expensive ($85)
- Fits too well...difficult to get on without ripping
- Some complaints of early deterioration
Unicook (Amazon) - 65" (will this fit the 1250?)
Pros:
- Inexpensive ($30) - Could replace 3x for the price of one RecTeq
- Easier to get on / off
- Straps
- Air vents
- Great Reviews
Cons:
- Generic fit
- May not cover as completely?
- Possibly lower quality material?
Members Mark 68" (Sam's Club) - UPDATE: THIS MAY NO LONGER FIT. It appears that it's now only 24" deep. I do not have the box from the one I bought to compare advertised dimensions.
I remembered that I had one of these in my garage that I had never used. Since I didn't have a cover ordered and rain was in the forecast, I used it. It fit over the grill nicely and was easy to get on!
Pros:
- Inexpensive ($25)
- Heavy Duty
- Has vents at bottom to allow airflow
Cons:
- Generic Fit
- Bungee Cords in Bottom difficult to pull tight. Could be because mine is older though.
PelletsUPDATE 5/24/2022: I had nothing to add here, but now, I've tried 3 different types of pellets and can give my opinion on those 3. Of course, this is an area where EVERYONE has an opinion so my advice is try any pellets you're interested in and see what they do...worst case, you're out a few $ and learn what you don't like.
- Recteq Ultimate Blend - The OG pellet...I assume this is the first pellet most people here have tried, at least if a Recteq is their first pellet grill. When ordering with the grill, they're worth the discounted price of $20 per bag. They burn hot, have low ash, decent flavor, and seem to be high quality. For me though, at $30-40 / bag on the reorder, I have moved to pellets I can find locally for cheaper. I'm cheap like that.
- Smokehouse (Sam's Club) Smokehouse Blend - These are available at most Sam's Clubs during the grilling season and in TX, that means they're available year round (so far). They're a blend of Hickory, Oak, Maple, and Cherry wood and are only $15 / 40 lb bag...half the price of Recteq's $30 sale price and available locally when I need them. They also burn well and I've had no issues with high or low temps when using them. The flavor profile is slightly different than Recteq and I honestly can't say which I prefer. They do seem to generate slightly more ash than the Recteq, but aren't bad and I clean my fire pot every couple of cooks anyway.
- Smokehouse (Sam's Club) Classic Barbecue - These are my favorite so far. They're a blend of 50/50 Oak and Hickory wood and have a more similar flavor profile to what I was accustomed to with my Kamado. They're also $15 / bag and perform like the Smokehouse blend on temps / ash. However, these are MUCH more difficult for me to find and aren't available year round in most places like the Smokehouse Blend. Fortunately, the Sam's Club near my mom's place has them sometimes, so when I get low I order online and have her pick them up for me to keep stock.
- Kirkland (Costco) Pellets - These are new and I have not tried them yet, but plan to as soon as I can find them. Apparently they are rebranded Pit Boss pellets though which have mixed reviews, so I will only try one bag. They are only $12.99 / 40 lbs, so again, it's worth the try...stay tuned.
Mods / Accessories
Updated: 05/24/2022
GrillGrates Sear Kit - When I bought my grill, I also ordered these per recommendations here and I love them. I grill on the flat side more often than the ridge side to get more surface area seared, but have also used them for veggies, "naked" chicken nuggets (these are great for freezing individually, then throwing in a huge ziplock for the kids to grab for quick meals), burgers, steaks, and tri-tip. However, when I ordered mine, they were about $70 and now they're SIGNIFICANTLY more than that...with the new higher price, I don't know if I'd buy them again or go with something like cast iron that could also be thrown on the grill to do searing. Also, cleaning the ridged side is difficult and when they aren't in use, I keep them in a cardboard box to capture any grease runoff, so that's a bit of hassle. If you don't mind the cost, they are a great addition to the 1250 though. Now, $110 at Recteq (was $70).
A-MAZE-N Oval Expanding Tube Smoker - I bought one of these at Home Depot and now it's a staple when I smoke larger pieces of meat such as pork butts, brisket, or ribs. I fill it (it expands, so for shorter cooks like ribs, I keep it collapsed and only fill it half full or with brisket, I fill it about 3/4 full) with a mix of pellets and wood chips / chunks of whatever wood I want for the cook. It gives me more control over the flavor of the smoke and also gives more smoke for what I want. ~$25 at Home Depot or cheaper for other brands at Amazon.
Recteq Mesh Cooking Mat - I'm mixed on these. I've managed to destroy 2 of them without doing anything I feel was wrong or incorrect use. They are large and as a result, they will partially go over the gap between the barrel of the smoker and the drip pan which is a hotter spot. On both that I destroyed, they burned / broke down in this area on cooks that were in the 350º range and I didn't feel comfortable using them once the fibers were showing. The first one was replaced by Recteq at no cost, but when it happened again I just threw that one away and decided I wouldn't buy anymore. There are similar ones on Amazon for less but I haven't tried those. Cost $20 at Recteq (Was $15 when I bought mine).
Checkered Chef Baking Sheet with Wire Rack Set 13" x 18" (Amazon) - I have 2 of these and LOVE them. My first one was put in the dishwasher by my wife and the aluminum was corroded, so I ordered a second. Now, I use them both all the time and having 2 is nice. These are great for prep / moving things to and from the grill and the large size works for everything...beef jerky, bacon, steaks, ribs, brisket, or pork butts. For the things like bacon, veggies, and beef jerky, I just lift the wire racks out of the pan and place them on the grill. I can fit 2 of these side by side in the 1250 on the bottom shelf and then have a couple of smaller wire racks that I can fit 2 of in the remaining space. Even better, the WIRE RACKS are dishwasher safe and so far I don't even have to scrub them before loading in the dishwasher. Everything comes off. However, DO NOT PUT THE PANS in the dishwasher!
They are well worth the $29 IMO and in hindsight would use these instead of the Recteq Mesh Mat.Inkbird WiFi Grill Meat Thermometer IBBQ-4T (Amazon) - This is one of those products I REALLY wanted to like, but just don't. As far as performance and monitoring, it works perfectly. The display is easy to read when outside and the app is sufficient for checking in on whatever is cooking + the ambient grill temp. However, the alerting is not useful for real life use IMO. In order to get alerts (at least on an iPhone), the app has to be open/active and the screen on. Once the screen goes to sleep or the app is in the background, the alerting is not reliable. The main reason I wanted a device like this was for waking me up in the middle of the night if the grill temps went out of range or when the food was done / ready for wrapping or etc. Unfortunately, it falls short and I went back to my old school Maverick temp monitor that I hadn't used since my Weber SMC days. The other weird thing is that the app asks for access to a lot of info which didn't feel like it should be necessary for the functionality of the monitor. I'm now investigating other solutions that can alert whenever the app is in the background / iPhone screen is off OR can send SMS texts like my FlameBoss does for my Kamado. I can technically use the FlameBoss, but it's overkill for a pellet grill. $60-120 @ Amazon depending on sales.
Alright, that's all for now...I need to get some work done. I'll try to add to this in the future as I learn more!
Any feedback on the above items is greatly appreciated! As I said, I want to flesh this out so that someone new can come in and find the info quickly.
Last edited:
