Expert: John Langenfelder - 5/11/2011

Question
I WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE A TRAEGER WOOD PELLET GRILL BUT I AM NOT SURE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE ITEM AND SUPPLY OF THE PELLETS AND IF THEY WILL BE EASY TO OBTAIN.I LIVE IN ADELAIDE.        HOW DOES THE PELLET TYPE GRILL COMPARE TO A CHARCOAL/GAS COMBO GRILL.WHAT OTHER TYPES OF CHARCOAL / GAS BARBECUES OTHER THAN WEBBER CAN I PURCHASE IN AUSTRALIA.                           MANY THANKS,                                                 IAN.

Answer
since I am in the US, I can't say much about the availability or COST of pellets in Australia.  You should check with the dealer about that. Traeger is a good cooking unit, used by many BBQ competitors in the US.  They maintain the heat without worrying about the temperature by adjusting the air and feeding the pellets as needed.  My concern is just the overall cost of the item including the cost of the fuel.  A weber smokey mountain smoker with a bbq guru (controls the temperature on a charcoal/wood smoker) will do the same for a lot less, using standard wood and charcoal.  A gas grill is an easy, no mess cooker.  All you do is buy the gas to operate it.  You can add wood chips to a gas grill to provide some smoke.Some gas grills have a wood chip container, or you can buy one or simply put the chips in the aluminum foil and put that on the grill.