Is Traeger or Kamado Joe Better? (how do I choose a smoker?) 

I have both a Traeger and Kamado joe 3. Everything he did to light the Kamado and get it to temp was the hard way. It probably took him twice as long because he blew way past the target temp and then had to wait for it to cool down again which takes forever with the Kamado. It takes practice but the Kamado can get locked into a temp, the Traeger will temp swing like an oven. There is no question the Traeger is stupid easy. But before you judge the hardness of the Kamado, there are some great videos on RU-vid by people who’ve had Kamado style grills for years who give some great tips on where you place wood and how to get it at a stable temp the fastest.

SOLD! Thanks for posting these videos. They helped me decide on the brand, model and size. The fact you're local is that much better! I get to support local business, keep our taxes in Colorado and have a local person to talk to if anything should ever go wrong....I can't go wrong here. Thanks guys...looking forward to my Big Joe III delivery next week.

Perfect video. This is how RU-vid is supposed to be. Great content and totally educational when comparing consumer products. Thank you for putting in this work for us all!

I appreciate the comparison and I agree - I kind of want one of each! Again, this was very helpful. Thank you for the post.

I never even considered a Traeger because I'm tired of replacing grills made of metal and I want something I can grill and smoke on that does a great job. I bought the Kamado Joe Classic Series II because I was able to get it at a great price and I want to get that extra smoky flavor and have some fun. I'm retiring in a month and a half, so no more weekends... ever. Every day will be the weekend.

Great video! I'm in Phoenix and even during the summer I still love to come out to my Kamado Joe I've had both and you can't beat it.

Awesome video. Thank you for posting this, I was having a hard time trying to decide

I was Sold on this by finding your channel! Glad I ran into your channel so my family and I can support a family business. Can't wait to get my Big Joe 3! Tiana was great in assisting me with the big leap into the kamado grilling way of smoking and grilling.

Thanks for great vid! Love these type of comparisons. Today I only use charcoal grills, but have been thinking of adding a pellets one. Would it not be possible to use pellets made of a mixture of stronger smoke trees, to have a comparable strong smoke taste as with charcoal grills?

The Treager got my wife into grilling. She’s made some absolutely fabulous dishes on the Treager. I was torn between the Komodo Joe and the Treager but I the end I went the Treager route as I my schedule doesn’t offer me a lot of time to prep both my meals and the grill. Great video and now I’m off to cook myself a Wagyu Picanha on the grill. Cheers!

I am planning on buying a KJ tomorrow but wanted to research little more before pulling the trigger. Your video rocks man! by far the best review video I have watched. You and your awesome fam made it even better thanks for helping reaffirm my decision!! If you could ship one to Washington I would buy from you guys ur rad!

This is without a doubt the best explanation of what each cooker excels at. I have a Joe for low and slow and a Weber for hot and fast. Thanks

Appreciate the honest and straight forward review .

Great video, thanks. Here in Australia I have the Traeger Pro 22 and KJ Classic 1. Both are great, though definitely use the Kamado more on the weekends when I have more time.

I just ordered my Classic 3 from your store, I can’t wait for it to arrive!

Good video guys! I live in a colder climate and even when it's below zero I can get my KJ III up to 750 degrees to do a wood-fired pizza! WIth the thinner metal of the Traeger, that will be a bit more difficult. With a cyber-q I'm able to control the low, long and slow cooks to within a few degrees for many, many hours and can see it on my smartphone. Like you said, there is something fun about prepping a real fire!!! Go with the Joe!

I've watched a lot of videos and read many articles working on this decision. This one was the most useful. Thank you!

Best grill video I’ve seen. Definitely helped me make a decision. Straight to the point. Keep up the good work 🍻

Beautiful view, beautiful home thanks for shipping my grill safely! Can't wait to buy more stuff from you guy's, I highly recommend your store!

Nice video, great job on the steaks. You're absolutely right....I have one of each. I have had them both for awhile and love them. I'm retired so everyday is a weekend.

Excellent video! I was looking for a comparison of the Traeger and the Kamado Joe!

Solid video and spot on review. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for making this video. I currently have a Traeger pro 575 and we basically use it 2-3 times a week all year round (even in eastern Canada where from January to February it gets a low as -22f) and I love it but I know (and my offset smoker friends constantly tell me) you get less smoke flavour. I’m a smoke guy like Mr Tate so I really want that smokier taste but I’m also a dad of one (second on the way) and days nights and weekends are always busy as hell. This helped me a lot to decide (if anyone wants to tell my wife we really need both that would be greatly appreciated 😜) looking at a new pellet grill next summer and also tempted to go the Kamodo route. I currently use a tube I fill with the same pellets in the actual smoker to add some extra smoke but I’m sure it’s a bit less (clean smoke)

U know I'm going to be honest this was a GREAT VIDEO I ACTUALLY WATCHED ALL OF IT GREAT DETAIL EXPLAINING ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. GOOD JOB A+

Great video. Very informative!

Great video, I have a WSM and a Weber gas grill.... trying to decide between the ease of pellet and the superior flavor of charcoal and wood chunks. I'm all over the place with Camp Chef pellet, a kamado, a plain old kettle with a SnS.... videos like this help me make a decision, so thanks. By the way - GO PACK GO

Thanks for honest reviews:)

This is so helpful. Keep up the good work.

Like what your doing, keep up the great content.

Kamado Joe for the win. Excellent video and love the family participation and dynamics. Great way to spend time.

Great video man..i think I'm going to buy they both..

Excellent video about grilling vs. smoking while using low temperatures and charcoal or pellets in order to make tender and juicy meats taste wonderful.

Super helpful here, got the Weber kettle and gas grills and deciding what my smoker will be.

Your video was awesome. Personality is perfect for this type of video

I have had my kamado joe for two years now and I love it. As everyone has mentioned it does take time to set it up so if you looked for a quick cook you will need a second grill. You can cut down your set up time drastically by not blowing past your temp because it does take forever to get back down. Also side note, Pizzas on the kamado joe are delicious. Probably my favorite thing to cook on the grill.

Great video. I don't have a Kamado Joe, but I do have a Traeger. I also have several other grills, I will get the Kamado Joe soon. Personally, I like my Traeger, but I prefer cooking with wood on the weber, or my Santa Maria grill. I have decided Kamado Joe over the egg, and I will by one some day. Great video. Thanks.

Great comparison review! Just in time for Father’s Day!

Great video! Made my choice much easier. Going with the Joe. Thanks

Good video, when I dial in my charcoal grill you need to start before your target temp, if im going for 225 I start closing it off at 160 175ish. These are fun videos would like to see more. Keep up the good work

I must say i absolutely love this video. It points out the exact pros and cons of each grill and for someone who owns a Traeger, i must say that it is a ‘set and go’ grill and that’s not a bad thing. I’l buy a KJ in the future when I have more space on my patio. Both Grills are wonderful. You’ll get a new subscriber today.

I appreciated hanging out with you for a bit. Great video.

I've owned the Traeger Deluxe grill (discontinued) for about 5 years now and love using it. It's so easy and results are great. My buddy has a ceramic grill and makes awesome pizzas since you can get the temperature so much higher. I got interested in the Kamado Classic 3 for making pizzas but I can't wait to do more with it. I'll still have the Traeger in my arsenal and this video just solidified that decision.

Good vid. Nice job man

Awesome video , and I am glad you share your honest opinion even though you sell both of them .

Sweet vid bro!! Should've seasoned the sides tho :D

thanks for the video ! i was debating whether to get a traeger style grill over kamado but now ill stick with kamado

17:22 I agree with getting both. I have both Kamado Joe Classic 2 and a Pit Boss Pellet Grill. My main go to is the Pitboss with grill grates (only way to sear on a pellet grill with indirect heat) for quick cooks and Kamado for Longer cooks. Cook wise the Kamado blows the Pitboss out of the water. Best part about having both is that you can roast a chicken in the Kamado and grill a fish/burgers/etc in the pellet grill. I'm just waiting for the pellet grill to break so I could pickup a Traeger.

I have a kamado, pellet smoker with additional cold smoke box, and traditional gas grill and I think you need all three. I use each for cooking different things and to control the smoke profile - I like rich smoke flavor, my wife likes a little smoke flavor, and my kids don’t like much smoke flavor at all. Things I want to cook hot and fast (steaks, lamb chops, burgers, etc) or if I want a strong smoke profile go on the kamado. Low and slow (brisket, ribs, pork shoulder) or cold smoked (cheese, nuts, fish) go on the pellet smoker. Simple things (hot dogs), or no smoke flavor (kids’ stuff or some veggies) go on the gas grill. Sometimes I’ve got all three rocking at once. If my yard was big enough, I’d probably get a big wood smoker and maybe a pit in the ground to cook whole hogs luau style 😂

I recently bought a Traeger and love the easiness of it but it doesn't nearly have the amount of smoke I like. So I light a couple chunks of mesquite or whatever wood I like in a pan and just set it on the grill. Works like a charm. On a side note, I always cook steaks on 450 on the Traeger and on a charcoal grill it's screaming hot.

I usually smoke mine in Traeger and bring it to temp 120.. then sear it with lump charcoal in my Weber kettle grill.. which I had for the past 8 years... works out fine

Great video! You nailed it on most points, though I somewhat disagree on your assessment regarding dialing in the temperature on a Kamado Joe. I’ve been using a Kamado Joe and I have no problem at all dialing in my temperature consistently well within 5 degrees and maintaining that temp for several hours; it takes practice and patience to learn how; however, it’s very doable. There’s definitely a learning curve, but it can be done.

Love the Packers hat. I just got a Kamado Joe, and I love it. Nice video.

To me I just bought a KJ classic 2 back in February. I’ll get a KJ when it comes to 5.

Great comparison video! Thank you. Love the panel review, and the ladies opinion. Sounds like my wife would prefer the Traeger

Nice video, went to our local Australian BBQ store today to look at Vertical pellet smokers, pitboss and Louisiana. I have a cheap chargrilled Kamado now, was going to upgrade. To pellet. The BBQ store guy said the same as you trager pellet or Kamado Joe. Both on special. Is there a big difference between the Joe and the cheaper Char,_griller akorn? I did get abit confused with so many types of Kamado Joe's they had, was expecting maybe 2 types. Haha. I walked out confused. My Akorn is 6 years old still runs well no rust.

great video, can i ask why you didn't use the smoke function on the traegar ? surly that would have increased the smoke, likewise you put whisky blocks on the Kamado creating more smoke ? .. i am after a grill so really interested :-)

after this video, im thinking of getting a Traeger. Im upgrading/adding from my current Weber Charcoal grill. I think it can compliment both, since one of them can sear better. I also noticed your knife is from cutco isnt it? Lol

Hey brother, I've had a BGE for approximately 18 years and it took awhile but I can set it and forget it. For long cooks I use a BBQ guru, which I can control with my phone.

Hi. Very timely video as I am trying to decide between the Traeger Ironwood or the Weber Charcoal Grill (Kamado). Would the traeger steak have been smokier tasting and comparable to the Kamado Joe if you would have used the super smoke mode?

I have had a BGE for over 5 years and love mine. Can you cook steaks with the Traeger on direct heat?

Good fair test, I have both (different brands). Agree with your assessment, weekdays - pellet cooker, weekend - ceramic cooker for the same reasons you gave.

I'll have to stay with the charcoal. Once you are used to setting the vents on a Kamado grill, it is simple to dial in the temps. I have done several 12-15 hour cooks on mine. Also, there is nothing like smoking a 3" thick Prime New York steak, cranking the grill to 600 degrees and giving a quick sear on both sides to bring out the ultimate in flavor AND texture! Great video, thanks for comparing.

I really appreciate you doing this comparison. Did you use the Meater Meat probes in both the Traeger & the Kamado Joe? I am wondering what’s the best for the Kamado Joe. I think I’ll be buying the hubby the Classic III.

Cool video. I have both. Big traeger and a big joe. It’s easy to get too much smoke on your meat with the Joe. It so easy with the traeger. But, I love em both! I’m concentrating on the Joe these days as I’m still learning how to fine tune the temp. Meanwhile, I have two pork butts on the traeger, going 11 hours for Carolina style pulled pork. And I’m going to do a tritip on the joe at the same time. It’s ALL good.

Great video! And great comments!! Apologies up front because my comments are a bit lengthy. I've been barbecuing (a lot) since 1980. Thanks, in advance for reading, if you choose to. I have a KJ Classic I and a Pit Boss Pro Pellet/Gas combo. Is one better??? It depends on what you want. And WHEN you want it. Along with others who've commented, I've cooked magnificent high-end-restaurant quality steaks on BOTH cookers. The methods vary to a large degree. With one, you're literally cooking with fire and wood. With the other, it's like an oven with a little bit of smoke. Since the video focused on STEAKS... SMOKE - KJ/ceramic (BGE, etc..) wins. Can't beat the smoke flavor from a wood/charcoal cooker. BBQ competitions confirm this. Design of pellet cookers results in a lack of smoke, comparatively. As commented, adding a separate smoke box can help. EASE of COOKING - Traeger/pellet wins. The Crockpots of BBQ! If you can make toast, you can make a great steak. The flame pot requires maintenance if you want to 'set it and forget it'. Cook-To-Fork time is easy to calculate, a feature my wife LOVES, she's THE side dish coordinator. Add-ons are available for the KJ (the Divide and Conquer; the iKamand temp control and cook monitor), simplifying things a little, but not like a pellet cooker. SEARING - if a seared 'crust' on a steak is important to you, KJ/ceramic wins. Not sure about Traeger, but my Pit Boss does have a 'hatch' that slides open to expose the flame pot. It will mildly sear, but takes a bit to reach the desired heat which throws "Ease Of Cooking" aside in favor of babysitting. Also, drippings will get through the hatch opening, requiring more maintenance to the flame pot. With the KJ, using dividers, it's very simple and effective within the same cook, even if you choose to reverse sear. Considerations other than cooking STEAKS... POTENTIAL PIT FALLS - Initial investment, weather and Infrastructure. Check your credit line for a full-featured Kamado!! It will, however, last much much longer than any metal grill. Both perform well in extreme cold (I live in the Mid West), but the Pit Boss fluctuates a bit, needing attention. KJ holds steady n ready in the cold. High wind impacts both cookers. Not having experienced it myself, I have read comments about seasonal high humidity in GA and FL impacting pellet cookers. If the power goes out, so does the pellet cooker and I have experienced this. Fortunately my Pit Boss has a built in gas grill. MUST MENTION: Long Slow cooks - Brisket, Pork Butt-Shoulder, etc - KJ/ceramic wins. Reason: MOISTURE!! (often overlooked) The dome design on kamado style ceramic charcoal cookers captures and holds moisture naturally. Interior surfaces on metal cookers are prone to "burn off" resulting in less moisture coming in contact with the meat. A drip pan with liquid may help a little depending on temps. The ease of use with a Kamado actually improves during a longer cook. KJ's hold steady temps for a VERY LONG time. The Pit Boss/pellet makes a really good brisket or pulled pork, but the KJ makes 'em far better! FINAL OPINION: If you've never owned either type, and you can afford it, buy both, you won't be sorry. If you're like me and have owned both for a long time, you have to approach it as "Sophie's Choice" (apologies, check IMDB if that's vague). If someone were to steal one of my cookers, I'd prefer they take the Pit Boss Pro. I'd be heartbroken if they took my Kamado Joe.

I think both grill types have their pros and cons which is why own both a Kamado and pellet grill. Nice video comparison. For me though I would never cook a ribeye at such a low temp. I use my kamado to get a great sear on it and use the indirect side to let it finish cooking to perfect temp. Reverse sear works as well. I dont really feel forward or reverse sear is better than the other. Both turn out great in my opinion.

I added a Traeger to my kettle grill cause I hated the messing around all the time when I was smoking on the kettle. The smoke isn't as pronounced, but I can do long jobs with ease now, and still have the kettle if I want.to do casual quick grilling. The ceramic grill looks like a perfect mix, but after looking at various vendors I decided against it as it too many parts and maintenance (as parts break by design to protect the outer layers) seems expensive

I've had both pellet and kamado style. The disadvantage stated it takes time to start the kamado is over used in my opinion. People act like it takes 30 minutes to get the fire started and get your temp set. If your smoking or grilling food in my experience i light the grill than prep the meat and my grill is up to temp. Pellet grills are convinient , but are a pain to clean kamados are easy and have better flavor offering wider temperature ranges.

I own a Big Joe 3 and after using for some time, it is very easy to operate once you have some experience. As others note, it takes about 30 minutes to get up to temp while I can do other food prep. Once it is at temp I rarely touch it the rest of the cook because it holds temp remarkably well if you know how to use it. Once you get past the learning curve it is pretty much as “set it and forget it” as the Traeger.

They do sell wifi controllers and fans that mount to the komado. It makes temp control very consistent from a phone just like pellet grills. I use one on my Primo in Costa Rica all the time with excellent results. Also, lighting the charcoal is not that difficult or time consuming. Good video to teach the difference in smoke flavor between the two.

I think you made starting up the Kamado joe a little more difficult than it actually is. I had a Rec Tec and a Kamado Joe Classic 2 and ended up selling the Rec Tec because it kind of took the fun out of cooking. It was convenient for weeknight cooks, being able to start it up while at the grocery store, but at the same time cooking is my hobby.

How strong of smoke flavor did you have? I have a co worker who has a green egg, when he does a beef brisket, the flavor is so smoky, I burp it up later, and it is dryer. I do mine on a natural gas Jenna ire grill , I throw in a small stick of hickory and I have a light smoke flavor, but a lot juicer. I am planning to make my own grill/smoker/pizza oven. I plan on smoking high enough above the wood fire, that I can let the dripping burn, without hitting my meat, I think that is where the flavor, comes from. I plan on having it insulated like the KJ. What do you think??

If you have the means: get both. I have the KJ + Grilla Silverbac. They both serve their purpose, and I'd never purchase another grill. Pellet pooper is great for weekdays and a light smoke, KJ is great for weekends and a heavier smoke + searing. Cheers from SE Aurora.

I have a Kamado Joe and even though I have a full time job, I use it during the weekdays pretty often. Where it really shines on steaks is a reverse sear which the Traeger doesn't do as well because it can't reach the temps that the Joe does. Also, the start up on the KJ is a little easier than this video portrays, but not as easy as pushing the button on the Traeger. Every time I cook, I fill the basket full of charcoal (which doesn't take much because a kamado is pretty fuel efficient), light a fire starter, wait a couple of minutes for the charcoal to start, close the lid, go do whatever food prep I'm going to do and I'm cooking on it within about thirtyish minutes or so. With that being said, you can put ribs or a brisket on a Traeger in the morning, go to work, and have it ready by dinner time. Not so much with a Kamado Joe or any other kamado without additional purchases.

What pellets did you use for the taste test? Would a Hickory pellet produce a more pronounced smoke flavor than a fruit wood?

With the Traeger Ironwood set to "supersmoke" mode would it be comparable in smoke flavor to the Kamado Joe? The ease of the Traeger is appealing to me but your video has me considering all options now! I am a skilled fire tender so I know the Kamado Joe would be great, but the ease and wifi convenience of the Traeger is definitely appealing to. If I only can have one for now I don't know which way to go. Any advice?

I bought the Kamado Joe because of this video. I’m so glad I went with the Kamado Joe. Thank you!!

With the Traeger i have found that the lids dont close enough to keep the smoke from coming out of the sides. I think it depends on ones pref if you like smokey flavor food the komado joe if not the Treager.

QUESTION?!?! Can I get the same smoky flavor out of a Traeger by using a smoke tube or similar pellet burning device while cooking?

For those that already own a gas grill is a pellet smoker worth getting? Or go straight for the big egg? Because I'm hearing you say the pellet lacks the smoke flavor, but it's easy. To me, that is what I already have w/ my propane grill.

You should check out the Auber Instrument charcoal smoker controller. I have one and they are great! Controls the temperature of your charcoal smoker, hooks into you WiFi so you can see the grill temperature and the meat temperature from your smartphone. You can make temperature adjustments while you are out. It will also show you graphs of your meat temp and grill temp over time.

The question is what flavor pellets were used in the Treager and can you add hardwood chips?

You used the SloRoller on the Kamado but did you use the equivalent Super Smoke feature for the Traeger? I'm just starting my research before I buy my first smoker. But I don't know if this is an apples to apples comparison?

I own a Big Joe and a Treager (which I’m now selling) and it’s not even a race! The treager is a bit more convenient in regards to start up, but does require clean up and maintenance as well. I’ve noticed the treager takes about 20-25 mins to reach max temps which is about 323 ish even when using an external temp probe to verify. The newer units DO NOT smoke past the initial start up cycle and I myself have not gotten a deep rich smoke ring that I get every time with my KJ. Last year I purchased an iKamand for the KJ which allows me to ramp up the grill to the desired temp within 20 minutes every time. It’s fan assisted and worth every dime. Hope this helps anyone that’s on the fence about which way to go. I would say I’ve heard great things about the Treager, but thats not my personal experience. One last thing is the door on the treager is very light with a loose fit and allows heat to constantly pour out and losing the ability to maintain constant temp. I’ve called treager 2 x trying to work out adjusting p settings to pump more smoke only to find out there is no p setting on the newer control. I’ve contacted KJ once with a cracked ceramic fire box and they overnighted me a free replacement under warranty. If your serious about cooking the KJ is absolutely the way to go. Happy hunting!

I don’t have space to store my grill inside. Knew it would be outside (covered) in all kinds of weather and didn’t know how the Traeger electronics would handle the dampness long term. Went with Kamado Joe.

I agree with you need both. As a minimalist, I hate having extra stuff. However, I sometimes need to get a good cook quickly.

Does the Traeger have an option (button) to have more smoke? I have seen Traeger's with more smoke coming out of them. I do like them both and would plan to get both.

I like your test and I like differences of personal preferences.

Can you cook with less smoke on the kamodo? I mean for those days that you don't want overwhelming smoke flavor, are you able to control the amount of smoke?

Done both and the final comes down to preference based on what you're willing to give up. If you want a simple no bother "restaurant type" diner then go with the Traeger; you won't be disappointed. If you like to control you level of smoke and flavors the go with a KJ; you won't be disappointed. They're both amazing, cook delicious foods and that's the real difference; it matters what your tastes are. Secondly, the KJ (or any Komados for that matter) last for ages due to the materials used to build them. The Traeger is thin walled metal and electronics so they are prone to rotting / fouling similar to a standard BBQ so, another thing to think about is longevity and replacement.

Both good, but what pellets were used in the Traeger? Traeger pellets are the worse for bringing a smoke flavor to the food.

Could you light a chimney outside the kamado, then put bed of coals in and top off with charcoal if its needed

I think there are better smoke performing pellet grills out there. I didn't see much if any from the Traeger. Wonder if super smoke was used or not?

Informative video. Thanks. Since I have two weber grills and a weber smoker...I don't need a Kamado Joe. I've been considering a Traeger because I am tired of "Babysitting" my smoker all day for Brisket or Beef Rib cooks....If I want Rib Eyes, I'll use my griils....Long Smokes, Traeger. So thanks, Traeger does exactly what I need to compliment my existing outdoor "Kitchen"

I am coming up on my 16 year of owing a Big Green Egg. When I made the purchase, I paid with accessories $850. The only think I have ever replaced is one gasket and one grill rack. My favorite.

Hi, how long time takes to grill the steaks in 225F in the Traeger and Kamado Joe? Thanks

I agree 100% with this video, I’ve been on the carnivore diet for almost 6mo now and you can’t beat the traeger for convienece and quality cooking but it’s not a great smoker which is fine with me because I don’t like heavily smoked steaks. But I will say I did notice a few things you didn’t touch on, 1- there is a better traeger that performs better, 2- the traeger has a super smoke mode that you didn’t touch on, and 3- pellets brands matter for what your cooking and how your cooking. I personally got a traeger pro (cheapest one) used for $400 and I’ve been using it 3-4 times a day .

So don’t you need a chimney to get the charcoal going instead of igniting it inside the Kamado?

I have neither. I have been watch numerous videos of both but in one video they mention pellet smoker cleanup after each grill due to reported fire hazards. Is that true?

I have both as well. My thoughts are the pellets you used were probabky crap in the traeger. Also, I finish the steaks off at 350 for crispness and still get medium rare. I can make my traeger provide more smoke flavor than kamado