Pellet Smoker Cook-Off | Yoder vs Weber vs GMG vs Pitts & Spitts 

I’ll admit that I don’t have any interest in a pellet grill (love my offset), but Eric was incredibly interesting to listen to. Found his run down of each smoker very informative and well explained.

Anyone else consistently get the feeling after watching Mad Scientist videos that Jeremy is just a really honest and genuine guy? Haha

This is a fantastic video. Thank you for the time to put this together. Very objective conversation and I love hearing the positives of all of them. Thank you!

Compare the Smokefire against an offset and a gravity smoker, like the Masterbuilt 800 or Chargriller 980, see how big the difference is.

I've owned the Weber Smokefire EX 6 since June 2020. I noticed a few things about the early RU-vid videos back in February/March 2020 that I would describe as user error. The biggest was doing large fatty cooks (two or more pork butts) without a drip pan. The drip pan isn't completely necessary but what ended up happening is that users would raise the temp at the end to hasten the end of the cook. Since there was still fat in the bottom of the cooker, raising the temp would get the temperature of the grease past the flame point (which was assisted by having the burn pot in the center throwing sparks). Grease catches fire and all of a sudden you have a really interesting RU-vid video. The fix? Use a drip pan and most of all be patient on the cook and you'll be fine. I could understand making these mistakes from a novice user like myself (in terms of using a smoker, not cooking in general). But the videos usually were posted by people who should have known better. The biggest fixes Weber has done midstream in the Smokefire's life was redesigning the auger which tended to fail in year one (all owners got the new one no charge and the new auger is the difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 units. Replace the auger and you're Gen 2 now. The second improvement was steady improvements to the firmware with the biggest improvement coming in May 2020. The iPhone/Android apps also got substantially better later in 2020. Flaws? The hopper design is still sub par since Weber was looking for a sleek low profile design instead of having a nice chimney use gravity in your favor. There are things users do in order to prevent pellet starvation but a redesign would be helpful. The food is outstanding which I agree with the outcome of this video. But the real advantage of the Smokefire is being able to credibly do high heat cooks (burgers!) like an actual charcoal or gas grill. When I was in the market for a pellet grill, I had a problem where I needed to replace a cheap barrel Char-Grill charcoal grill that I used for when I needed more real estate than a Weber kettle. And I only had space for one product. The Smokefire can grill and smoke and do both effectively. The Smokefire can do 600 degrees F which is great but I haven't had a situation where I've needed more than 550. In fact, the highest settings can easily damage Weber's temp probes since they aren't that good. Fortunately, the ones from Thermopen are more durable at higher temps and work just fine with Weber's computer. If you've never used a pellet grill and you need to actually grill stuff, it's a great product to check out. The biggest issue in learning this or any pellet grill is translating recipes from gas or charcoal grills since there is no such thing as direct and indirect cooking. But it's not hard to figure out after a few cooks. Once I figured out the reverse sear method for steaks, my wife loves the taste so much that she will never go back to the old way I cooked on the kettle. It's that much of a difference.

Jeremy, I give you a lot of credit for putting aside any bias and going into this open-minded. I have heard a lot of negative things about pellet smoker favor, so it was nice to hear some positive comments. Great video and enjoyed seeing you go slightly out of your comfort zone.

Great video! Nice to have all the extra information from Eric as well about the different controllers. Now I'm hungry for some ribs!

I just traded up to a Weber Smokefire EX6. I love it so far. I’ve had a Treager for 3 years, and it’s been great for me. Did I mention I Love the features of the Smokefire. I smoked a prime rib for Christmas and it was perfect. I love your approach to BBQ. Thanks

Great video as always! Have you considered testing drum smokers vs the offset or a pellet grill? It would be super interesting to get your take on the flavour profile differences

As somebody who grew up eating burgers, steaks, chicken, etc. off of a good old Weber kettle it makes me happy to see that the affordable Weber pellet smoker still punches above its weight in the blind smoke test. Also very interesting to learn about the technical how's and why's about how each device is put together and what to expect.

Thanks for all of the vital unbiased information that you put out. Along with all the work that it takes to do so. I'm currently looking into buying my first smoker and because of videos such as this it is helping me narrow down my list of what I should go with.

Thanks for the confirmation. I’ve been looking at the Weber for awhile. Great job as always guys.

I have the EX6 Gen 2 since July 2021. I absolutely love it. I've made some fantastic food on it, brisket, ribs, chuck roast, short ribs. I'm very happy with it!

Very glad I watched this video. Just bought a Smokefire EX4 this week on clearance for $250. The rumors on the internet had me worried but after much research I’ve kinda learned as long as it’s maintained it’s fine. Now I know it cooks great food also!

Great test! I'd love to see a camp chef wood wind, and a masterbuilt gravity series charcoal tested too!

This was a great video. I love how unbiased you are with your tests. I would love to see a similar video with some of the lower end pellet grills you can get form the big box stores. Lower price points/something your average Joe can afford and still get a good cook out of.

I started out in 1999 with a Traeger competition model. Was always a good reliable smoker. Upgraded to a Yoder YS1500 in 2014. Had nothing but problems. Had a defective controller right out of the box, then the igniter went out, had multiple burn plates that kept warping and used enormous amounts of pellets. Also, the YS1500 is a nightmare to clean. Finally gave up and sold it. Then bought a new RecTec and still have it. Best pellet smoker I've ever had and never any problems.

I've been cooking on a GMG for a long time. Cooked on just about every kind of smoker you can name. Big fan of GMG but you can make pretty good Q on all of them if you'll just invest the time to learn how. Pretty good comparison on four main line PGs. There are some pretty easy add ons and mods that will take them to the next level...would like to see a video on those too!

Great video! I’ve had a SmokeFire from day one and love it. It was a pain In the beginning but Weber stepped up, got parts out and it’s been rock solid. Thanks!

Awesome and extremely informative Jeremy, job well done to you and Eric..

Been loving my GMG for a couple years now. Bang for the buck cant be denied

I’ve always thought my Smokefire put out an awesome flavor - glad to see my experience is not uncommon. Great video!

Great job guys! Loved the rundown on the controllers too. Although not a geek, I have watched the development of digital controls as I was considered an instrument tech when we used pneumatic controllers and later supervised techs in my roll as a maintenance manager. The controllers on these units are capable of doing great things. Our original unit is a $3200 Memphis Pro we got for 1/2 price brand new. It is an amazing unit but probably more in the line flavor wise with the Pitts and Yoder. We also have a Series 7 vertical that makes food more in line with the GMG. I know this because our second pellet unit was a GMG Davy. Can't tell you how many people I have told that my $300 cheapie camping unit makes the best food. We are a household of 3 so it is the perfect size for quick meals. The MP gets used a lot too because the Series 7 is a pellet hog and good for big cooks. So I will be looking for a Weber down the road LOL My wife will shoot me, we have her propane Weber, a Weber Kettle and a Big Steel Keg. They all serve a purpose but will have to clear something for a new one to fit our patio LOL Appreciate the effort and love the Mad Scientist BBQ

Thank you for the great video. The best non bias pellet smoker comparison I’ve ever seen! Thanks

Great video. Enjoyed learning about the different systems. Glad you had good results with the Weber. I bought one and it had one good cook then serious problems. So not from the internet, I lived it. They sent me several new parts that I had to replace myself. After 6 months I had to change many parts and finally gave up as I ruined too many meals. Sent it back and bought a Rec Teq and have not looked back. Not even close. Much better. Once again thank you for doing this as helpful for those looking to buy.

I have a Yoder640, and this was a great video to compare these pellet grills. I couldn't help but notice that Jeremy wrapped the ribs on the Weber and GMG, put the ribs fat side down (or bone side up) to get a tighter wrap and then put them back on the grill that way. The other two were done differently from what I saw, but who knows if that made much of a difference. #2 and #4 were rated higher though ... lol .

Love you channel and bbq hq. There right down the street from my house. I had a gmg for about a year and wasn’t happy with it. Eric traded me the gmg back for a 22” Weber Smokey mountain and a 26” kettle. Couldn’t be more happy with that company and the quality of meat from charcoal smoking.

Thank you for doing this four way showdown. Great info always

I'd love to see the Camp Chef Woodwind

Great video and nice to see Weber get some love in the pellet grill market. Got mine when it was released and Weber did right by sending me all of the upgrades for free. Take care of it and it will give you some great smoked meat. The temp range really makes it a great pit to keep out on the back porch.

Great informative comparison, thanks for the video! Looking forward to pellet brand testing.

I have a Traeger with the D2 controller and so far I have loved the BBQ off it. It’s not the offset quality to me but that might be because I learned on a offset. What I have loved is the fact that I can do a real slow overnight brisket on the pellet and still get some sleep. If you get a larger Traeger I cook my meats closer to the far side. I find anything in the middle does get a bit more heat. Love the show and keep at it.

Great video. Interesting the cheaper units outperformed the premium units. I’d love to see a comparison of the Smokefire Gen2 vs Camp Chef Woodwind Pro. These two units have both got significant design differences vs the majority of pellet smokers, and seem to produce the most smoke flavour of the units on the market. I’d love to see this comparison test. Long time fan!

Great video. I’ve had an old school (made in US) Traeger, two GMG’s, Louisiana Grill and the original Weber GarbageFire. After the Weber debacle I bit the bullet and went all in on a MAK. Wow, what a difference. Top notch build, controller and features. IMO, one of the most important elements when considering a pellet smoker is ease of cleaning and overall maintenance. Above all else, that’s why I love the MAK - removable firepot, pull out ash and grease catch, pellet dump hatch. So far I only have to clear out all the ash a couple times a year on the MAK. On all the others I had to remove everything and vacuum out the firepot before every cook if I wanted good results. Since MAK is now direct only they wouldn’t be included in a comparison like this, but I’d love to see it.

Thanks for the comparison video. Very informative. I have owned a Gen 1 smokefire since they came out. Was very hesitant at first but purchased based on build quality and the weber name and support. I have smoked many different meats and they have all came out great! I really appreciate all the tips and videos Jeremy does. I have learned some things especially seasoning with just salt and pepper to bring out the true flavor of the meat your cooking! Thanks Again!

Great comparison and overview...been looking at each of these grills!

It's nice to see an another honest video featuring the Smokefire. I'm not surprised by the results and think you folks did a great job. I did enjoy the rundown on the differences in the controllers. Very informative.

Jeremy, great video. Would love to see a video comparing the masterbuilt gravity smokers and more traditional pellet smokers. The master built seems to sit in its own category using traditional charcoal/ wood but having the convenience of a pellet smoker with its digital controls

Great video Jeremy & Eric! I did an unboxing and assembly right after I purchased a GMG Ledge from a local dealer in Tempe two weeks before this video. You two sold me again on a Green Mountain with the PDI details and 12 Volt advantages. I have been a subscriber to Mad Scientist BBQ for well over a year. I would like to see some videos on cook times and temperatures like how long did you cook the spare ribs? temp? how often did you spray? etc... Again, thank you for all your hard work.

I had a Weber Smokefire and loved the flavor and ease of use but it had to go back. I now have a P&S and also love the flavor and ease and this one is bullet proof. I'll give up a little of the flavor and direct heat to have something I can feel more comfortable using. But I agree with their assessment. Great video.

Awesome video!!! I love these head to head challenges!! It would be so awesome to see a Traeger vs Camp Chef challenge!!!!! I would love to see a head to head with those two grills!! Both are headquartered here in Utah, both are super affordable, and both seem to be extremely widely used!!! I have cooked on Traeger's, Camp chefs, and GMGs and I have my preferences, but I would love to hear your takes Jeremy!!

Great video! Maybe could do this test on some other mainstream smokers like Pitboss , Traeger , req Tec etc

I really needed this. I would never consider a pellet grill because what he said if the smoker burns consistently you don't get great bbq. It's awesome you guys have done indepth with these, awesome.

THIS is quality content, and was a joy to watch. thank you!

Hey Jeremy, thank you for all of your videos 1st off. My question is can you or Eric from The BBQ HQ do a review on the Recteq? Specifically the 590 or the 700. At the very least just talk about your opinion of them. Thank you.

Man, I’ve been waiting for you to review pellet smokers. I’ve come to really trust your information. Your video about the pellets themselves was very informative. I’m a backyard BBQ enthusiast but sometimes I just don’t have the time and attention required to run my off set. The convenience of a pellet smoker is attractive but I’ve never been impressed with the flavor that my friends fail to achieve on they’re pellet smokers. Your info is telling me that flavor is possible with the right pellets and smoker. I would love to see you review Lone Star Grillz family of 20” smokers, including the stick burner vs the their pellet smoker and the LSGz pellet vs Weber Smokefire . Thank you and Happy New Year.

Thanks guys! I'm not really a fan of the pellet grills because my first one was a Sh!t Boss and they are terrible smokers. A good friend of mine has a GMG, and it puts out amazing bbq. So if I were to get one, that's the one, but now you have me wondering about the Weber. Great and very informative video. Thanks a million, and have a great New Year.

Great video Jeremy! The Weber SF is also Harry's favorite pellet grill too for the same reasons as Erik. That said I still want to get the Char-Griller 980. I wish Erick would carry them, I would definitely like to give him my business.

Great video! My only disappointment with my Weber EX6 was that I waited so long to purchase it. It has replaced my previous smoker AND my Weber Genesis completely. I’ve used my gas grill only once since I purchased the SmokeFire. In the summer, I use it roughly 5 nights a week on average. In the winter (Wisconsin for ya!) I still use it a couple times a week.

I've been a Weber man since day 1 and you've given me confidence to take the plunge on their pellet cooker. Would love to see y'all do a comparison test with chicken or turkey.

Great video! how about doing a review on the char griller gravity fed 980? Curious to see how the flavor is with a digital controlled fan and lump charcoal in a typical offset style smoker

Happy New Year. I'd love to see you cook and review a Lang 48 smoker and also a Lone Star Grillz pellet smoker.

I got a recteq, try one of those. They pretty much all simular I guess.

Awesome video!! Would love to see your experience and share your thoughts on a master built 800.

I've been rocking the Oklahoma Joe's Rider DLX for two years,and love it! Great job guys,lots of good information!

Yoder YS640 owner here and I absolutely love it. I have had it since 2018. I have it in a corner of our garage and then vent it through a chimney outside. This lets me use it year round in central NY. Now I am looking into an offset.

I’ve owned a Traeger,Camp Chef and Yoder out of those three it was Yoder,Camp Chef then Traeger,but none of those three can touch my Req Tec 700 they call The Bull.

Great video! What brand and flavor of pellets did you use?

My dad loves his Treager. He's 79 and doesn't have the desire nor stamina to run an offset. He can make some good bbq with it, but... Can't wait to see how you approach your gas grill smoke off. Love your videos bud. Keep em coming. Hope yall had a great and merry Christmas, and a happy new year to you.

Great comparison video! I really need to add the Webber to my arsenal of a WSM and 3 22" grills

Had a gmg daniel Boone and it was a great cooker for starting out doing bbq. Got away from pellet smokers due to flavor profiles not being what I wanted and to many electronics to possibly fail in a cook. Couldn't be happier with my stumps gravity feed smoker.

I happen to own a Webber SmokeFire so I was delighted with the results. I have been very happy with this product.

I just st bought a Pellet grill to try, had a Traeger 6 or 7 yrs ago, wasn't impressed. I love my offsets, but often I don't have the free time to babysit the offset....great test and the results really made me chuckle,. Well done👍🏼

Great video! It would be fantastic to see a comparison or a review of the Chargriller Gravity 980 with some wood chunks in the hopper it seems like it would be the ultimate set it and forget it smoker!

As a pitts and Spitts owner I would definitely say it would come down to your smoking temps. I have had a traeger and the Pitts blows it out of the water. I get some amazing smoke flavors and good bark.

Great video, loved the comparisons and kind of shocked at the results. That said, when you said look at that smoke ring, I knew that was the SF. That's the first thing people notice when I cook on it, the deep smoke ring and awesome bark.

Great video, wish this came out last year when I bought my spits.

Hello, I I absolutely love your videos! Ever since your fatstack smoker overview I’ve been wanting to see more because I am looking to by an offset smoker myself. Would like to see the cook on any type of protein if possible. Thank you !

Great video! would love to see a deep dive into the new Recteq 1250 (Merry Christmas to me :-) Haven't even assembled it yet. Just came in yesterday. Moving from a Traeger.

Yup, loving my Ex4 and laughing at all the haters! Got mine half price brand new to boot. 2 questions though. What temp did you cook them at and what pellets did you use?

Was very reluctant to buy a pellet grill because I’ve had very mediocre bbq cooked on them before, but have found that not only the grill but the brand of pellets are huge difference makers. Bought a Smokefire gen2 last year and it’s now my favorite grill.

I have the Gen 1 Weber. I love it. Early on they had some software issues that Weber figured out and fixed. I like the fact that it does so many things that most pellet grills don't do.

Love my Rec Tec 700

Great vid Jeremy. I’ve been thinking about how much wood I burn to do briskets, so been toying with idea of cooking on traditional stick burner for 3-4 hours then finish off cook in a pellet smoker.

Wow. I was just at the grill store today and was planning on buying a Yoder tomorrow, now I’m really considering the Weber which I have never even considered. I love the quality of the Yoder but at the end of the day it’s all about the flavor.

I bought my YS640S from bbqhq 2 years ago. Great store. Worth the drive. Enjoyed the video.

All the grills are similar, I have a recteq that I like. The pellets I think are key to the foods you cook.

I know it takes longer, but my family much prefers brisket or chuck roasts more than ribs, so some comparison on how the pellet smokers deal with that longer cook would be great to see.

Great video I have a Yoder y640s can you make a video of cooking a brisket in the bottom rack everyone always cooks on the top rack in pellet smokers videos keep up the great videos.

LOVE the comparison and information. I have WSMS so not surprised at outcomes

Try the RecTec vs smoke Fire next! Great video!

I'd love to see you try out a Masterbuilt Gravity Series, I think you'll be suprised how much closer to a stick burner the flavor is compared to a pellet

Great video guys, thx for sharing. Really enjoyed the "behind the scene's" explanation of each grill. I saw when Jeremy wrapped the ribs he put them back on with meat side down, when Eric wrapped, the one he started wrapping had meat side up but it didn't show how he completed the wrap or putting it back on the grill. Were all four wrapped and put back on with meat side down?

Got a Pit Boss 1150 pro a month ago am happy with for now but when I upgrade definitely going with Rec Tec

Pretty sweet comparison! Weber is at the top of my wishlist, would be cool to see this go up against a gravity fed charcoal cooker and maybe a kettle.

I have a middle-sized GMG. I've made incredible chicken on it. Pretty good ribs. And the brisket was not so great. I found the temp on the brisket was all over the place. The bottom was jerky while the top was pretty good. I'm glad I didn't spring for the Yoder as that was the one I was drooling over. Definitely think 2300 over 659 wasn't a good trajectory. I need to get the upper rack for my GMG.

Awesome comparison. Thanks for posting this. Most interesting was the review of the SmokeFire. I took it of my list of pellet smokers I was considering since most reviews are negative! 👍👏🍻

Mad Scientist BBQ and BBQHQ - First Appreciate you both putting this pellet smoker test together. It was a great test that I enjoyed. I consider both of you to be genuine, open, and honest gentlemen. Thanks - Second my wish list for a future video is that you two would compare the following three smokers with a 20 pound beef brisket cook using 50/50 mix of oak and hickory pellets and wood for the stick burner. 1) Webber Smokefire Gen2 EX6 2) Lone Star Grillz 20 by 42 inch Pellet Smoker 3) Mad Scientist BBQ choice of a smaller size offset stick burner A perfect sequel follow-up would be the same smokers and wood with a 20 pound whole turkey. Thanks again for a great smoke off.

Love to see a chargrill gravity added to taste comparisons

I have had a big green egg for years and love it and for Christmas the family got me a rectec 1250 , have you ever done a review of rectec grills or their pellets? Is there a big difference over the bge other than the easy start ups?

This was excellent because it wasn't sponsored by a particular smoker and it gave real feed back on flavors. I run the GMG with a smoke daddy to get a little extra smoke when I need it and for cold smoke but I believe in the weber theory on burning up that grease and drippings. That's some excellent smelling smoke mixed in with hickory wood pellets.

Eric is a super cool guy. very knowledgeable. he educated me and I bought a Yoder YS640 comp. from him. He's also a great golfer.

I really like my rectec and so does everyone that eats off it I have done about 20 brisket on it and they have all turned out great and so have all the ribs and pork butts.

Can you make video for pellets and tell us which one is the best brand for flavor And which one did you use today?

Great review. I had a first gen Weber that I absolutely loved. Weber stepped up and sent me all the parts to upgrade for free. Flavor was second to none on everything I cooked. The reason I got rid of it was it cost me a brisket. Overnight cook, checked and filled pellets before bed but when I got up 5 hours later it had flamed out. So off it went.

Interesting ! 👍👍I have different Offset, WSM and Pellet. The smoke profiles of all my smokers are different, but you can adjust by temperature, wood, waterpan, meat and chose by the time you have this day. Cheers from Austria, nice video ! 👍👍

My takeaway from this: "If I got this at a restaurant I'd be really happy and say that's a great rib!" Really sad when "BBQ" restaurants aren't outperforming basic pellet smokers, and this mirrors my experience at a lot of BBQ joints. Either they might as well be cooking in an oven or everything is oversmoked, dry and bitter. Having taken up backyard smoking I understand why BBQ is so expensive because of the time investment necessary, but I definitely won't be paying anyone else to do a worse job than I can do.

What about Pit Boss, Masterbuilt and Treager? Those three are the smokers that are more readily available in the market place. I know that you'd probably see this as being inferior but I have an electric Masterbuilt and it does a wonderful job.

Great experiment! Great presentation. Im wondering if you have already done a video of prime briskets. One cooked hot and fast vs low and slow. Is there much of a difference?

Ever tried a Grilla Grills Silverbac? I love mine-just curious how it might stack up to the grills you tested in this video. Great work. What an awesome job you have!!