I recommend NOT using aluminum foil on the grease pan. Aluminum is pretty reactive at those temps. You want to eat vaporized aluminum?..go right ahead. Also, if you wrap ribs in aluminum foil dont use a vinegar spray. Dont believe me?..spray some foil with vinegar, fold it up for a few hours then unwrap it and check out all the holes dissolved by the vinegar.
I have an RT680 love it. Smoke flavor is good, but remember anythng you cook higher then 240 or more you may not get as much due to the pellets burning so clean. Next time long cook star off 180 to 200 for an hr or so then bump it up.. You will really love this unit
For extra smoke flavor on long cooks, do the 1st hour on low temperature setting. This is about 180 deg and produces more smoke. I do this on briskets and get the good bark and smoke flavor.
Me too, though for things like chicken I find 30 minutes is enough. Anything above 300 isn't going to have much smoke at all, that's the same with most all pellet grills.
Ken Rizza I’ve had the Rec Tec 700 for well over a year now and absolutely love it. My brother has a big Green egg and it’s nice but even he says he wishes he had gotten the Rec Tec like mine. As far as smoke flavor, I’ve found that using 100% hickory and doing low smoke for the first 30-60 mins will give you all the smoke flavor you’ll ever need, if not, you can always use a smoke tube filled with the pellets you’ll have on hand anyway. The Rec Tec is easy to use, built like a tank and has the best and most accurate controller on the market. I highly recommend it if you can afford it. If price is an issue Camp Chef makes a really good grill and even Pit Boss (for the price) but neither has the build quality or a controller that comes anywhere close to the one on the Rec Tec.
plmn93 I’ve had an xl egg for about 5 years, love it to death for a lot of reasons. But there’s the convenience and surface area that bring me back to my bull about 80% of the time. 1000 degree pizza oven? Egg. Ribs and chicken and veggies for family and a few friends? Bull.
I just bought one a few months ago and I think it's great. It keeps the temperature that you set to within a few degrees...even if it's set to 180. Just make sure you use real wood pellets...like Smokin' Pellets or Lumber Jack.
I have the old version of this smoker, from back when they were red (I’ve had it for around 5 or 6 years). The things they’ve done to the new ones are a huge improvement. Don’t get me wrong, I love mine, but the painted side shelf, painted lid, lack of stainless, etc, has allowed a lot of peeling and bubbling due to the wet Pacific NW winters. However, I’ve made all kinds of stuff on mine and it does a great job, even though it’s not as pretty as it once was. From smoked salmon, to venison jerky, venison pepperoni sticks, venison summer sausage, ribs, pork butt, etc. It has performed well on everything. I think it may be time for an upgrade given all the new features on the new one! One other note, Rec-Tec has phenomenal customer service! In the old models their igniters have a tendency to fail, they’ve been amazing replacing parts any time that something went wrong. In fact, I called one of their execs (it came with his business card) on 4th of July weekend, and he answered his cell. So, if customer service is important, you can’t go wrong with Rec-Tec. Great video. Thanks for posting
My first pellet smoker. Can’t say enough good things about it. Very well thought out, easy as a 1st timer to get started. If I’m not mistaken it’s no longer made by RecTeq. But whatever model RecTeq you might be considering, I’m sure it’ll be money well spent.
I have been using pellet grills about 15 years now. I had an old original treager that I regret getting rid of simply because I gave it away and it would have been a nice project to restore it. I then bought a Cabela's grill (it lasted 1 year) and I decided to pull the trigger and get the rec tec. In my limited experience the Rec Tec is the absolute best grill. The accuracy of the temp over a several hour cook is amazing.
I’m on my second RecTec and I love them. The guys in the shop are always very happy to help if there is a question. I do wings all the time. Start at 220 for 45 mins, finish at higher 350. Smoky and crisp. Always start low. Ribs for 6 hrs at 220 are to die for. All my friends are blown away. Maybe it’s just me, but when I hear it’s not smoky enough, I’m kind of questioning my flavor sense.
Just looked at smokin brothers... those look really nice. well thought out design. I like the shelf / smoker box in the front. I also like the grease trap below the rig. looks like you got a winner!
I've owned my RT 700 since August of last year. This is an unbelievable product. Brisket, Ribs ..great bark and smoke ring. Great flavor. With the grill grate sear kit, internal temp of the grates gets up to 625 degrees . This is my go too grill. I also own a pit barrel, a 26.75 weber charcoal and a gas grill.
Had 3 rectec over the last 5+years. Truly honest company! Makes me proud to see a old school American business. Definitely not a product to go to a big box store!
I've had my RecTec 680 since spring 2016 and NOTHING is better... Well, OK - looks like maybe the 700 is better - loving that new control with the addition of WiFi and meat probes!
If you want more smoke, use a smoker tube, it allows you to choose the flavor of smoke you want, a tube last approx 4 hours, and if you want more use 2 tubes
The Company's customer service is great too. In fact, they're the ones who advised me to use aluminum foil to cover the drip pan to make cleaning the smoker a bit easier.
I love my RT680 had it for a little over 2 years absolutely no problems with it and once you go pellet you don't go back it is so convenient to be able to set it and walk away for the longer 12 hour cooks, And the Wi-Fi upgrade is a must if we're going to cook something simple like hot dogs and hamburgers for supper I can turn it on when I leave work and it at temp when I get home, no regrets!
I was planning on getting the Smokefire until I saw your videos. Fiends at work all have Rec-Tecs and swear by them. I need real-time videos of cooks and results. I’m super stoked you have this 700. It’s the same model I’m about to pull the trigger on so let’s see some videos ASAP! Thanks man. Good stuff
Personally, I didn't have a problem connecting the WiFi. I think that's a very homeowner specific critique. I did about 6 months of research before pulling the trigger on the Rec Tec 700. The staff at Rec Tec answered all of my questions very logically when I compared their product to the Camp Chef. They told me why they made the design decisons they did, and I wasn't even a customer yet. The 6 year warranty is legit, and Rec Tec takes care of their customers if anything happens to need replacement. I agree with the critique of the cable holder, that would be nice. I also find the light inside to be essentially useless after a few months.
It's going to depend on the router. Both your phone and the grill need to be on 2.4 for setup to work. I had to create a separate SSID that was 2.4 only. Some new mesh routers like the Google Nest don't even allow that. In any case, RecTec needs to update their controller to account for this because it's only going to get worse.
Noticed your comment about the lack of smoke flavor. Am I the only one who distrusts the pellet manufacturing process? All sorts of scrap material goes into them from windstorm salvage, fire remediation, and flood mitigation. And they add binder which is made of...? I see the convenience of pellets, but it’s not charcoal or wood.
I agree with you about the lack of a second shelf that not apart of the grill itself instead of being what seems like an after thought. I was very close to pulling the trigger on the rec tec a few years ago, but the only reason i didn’t is because i use my grill a lot and i needed more space so i went with another brand, that i am extremely happy with. I don’t have anything bad to say about the company or the grill it self other than that. And when people ask my recommendation based on all the research and cooking i have done on other pellet grills this is my top three recommendations.( I personally haven’t cooked on this one yet) A friend from works has the mini and he loves it. I am strongly considering buy one for one of my siblings.
I was in the same boat as you back in February where I wanted to purchase the SmokeFire or the RecTec Bull RT-700. Needed to see real reviews on the SmokeFire in which I did. After seeing so many negative reviews I sent an email to Weber's marketing department asking them to rename the SmokeFire to GreaseFire. It is a more suitable name. I currently own a Kamado Joe Big Joe 2 and I absolutely love it. Wanted to get my first pellet grill so it looks like I might go with the RecTec RT-700. I was just at the BBQ Expo (HPB Expo) in New Orleans last month and I got to see some new products that are coming out which look pretty good. One of the new pellet grills that I was impressed with was by Oklahoma Joe called the Rider Deluxe. This pellet grill has some cool features, great reviews, and looks like a solid build. I am also going to purchase a new drum smoker. I currently own a Barrelhouse Cooker which is fantastic but a bit small so looking to upgrade to either a Hunsaker Vortex, Oklahoma Joe Bronco Pro, Gateway Drum Smoker, or the Blaz'n Grill Works N1. Does anybody have any experience with any of these drum smokers? Would love to hear people's thoughts. Since we are all quarantined right now all we can do is write long comments like this and BBQ....lol.....stay safe and healthy everyone.
I have a 590 and although the build is great and the smoking us easy the customer service is what made me a fan boy. After my first smoke my niece decided to help me out my washing the inside down with a hose. Yeah...she's dead to me. The auger was so stuck with swollen pellets that it bent trying to get it out. I, shamefilled, called Rec Tec and the told me I would need a new auger, a new feeder, and a new ceramic lighter. They said it would be in the mail that day. When I asked what it was going to cost the reply was, "Oh...no, thats why you bought a Rec Tec." It was at my door a week later and has worked perfect since. You show me that kind of customer service and you get a customer for life!
Any pellet grill will cook some good food. The big difference is how well the cooker will hold up. I have a GMG and for the $600 it's pretty good. Rec Tec is pretty nice though.
Completely agree on adding the integrated second shelf. That is the only thing I am waiting on before I make purchase. They have done it with the BFG, so it is doable.
@@dougiefresh9618 I am aware of that. The only issue I have is that it has to sit on the main shelf taking away space from the bottom shelf. I know it is a small amount, but I would prefer the integrated second shelf. I believe it will be added with the next revision of the model.
@@dougiefresh9618 I know, but I prefer a top shelf that slides in and out without taking up shelf space on the bottom shelf even if it minimal. I believe this is coming with the Bull 3.0
Love watching your reviews and cook videos so I was glad to see you giving the RecTec family a shot. I absolutely love mine. (700, matador, and bullseye). But not only is it an amazing smoker, their customer service and warranty are above all else. And you can’t say enough about all of that 304 stainless. They are built to last. One other thing that is nice about the RecTec’s is the ability to control (speed up or slow down) the pellet feed rate. You can really get it dialed in depending on which climate you are in. Looking forward to seeing your upcoming pulled pork and brisket. This thing loves long cooks.
Hi my friend! I bought the Bull about a month ago and am very happy with it. I would love to watch you do some stuff on one. Come on in and be a part of the Rec Tec family! I bought the cooking grates and the front folding shelf. Very happy with it.
Thanks for the review. I was going to get a smokefire until I saw yours & several others having issues. I went with a MAK. It was hard to justify the price but it’s been very solid. Smokes great & I’m impressed with its grilling capabilities. The size is deceiving. & the roaming thermocouple is great. I’m glad you were able to get something you like after the Weber disaster. I think we were all let down by them. Looking forward to more reviews of this cooker! Thanks.
The lack of an integrated second shelf bothers me too and no clean out door for the pellet hopper. I like to change pellets depending on the cook. I'll be curious how you feel about the smoke on your longer cooks. It's said the rear vents allow for more smoke flavor than a chimney on a pellet smoker. Then you have to deal with wind and rain. Surprised a company hasn't gotten that right yet. Can't beat Rectec build quality though. Thing is solid through and through.
I Love It. I have watched just about every video they have. Quality Product. I would love to own one, one day. I probably remind my wife of that about every other day. Now she just leaves the living room when i am watching these videos.
RecTec rocks! You won't be disappointed. Looking forward to more cooks to see how you feel about it in a month or so. Reverse sear some steaks (get sear plates). Mine is 3 years old and i use it almost every weekend. Brisket tomorrow!
Bro great video. I have an RT-590 and I love it! I have had absolutely no problems with it. Cooks very even from left to right. And as far as the lack of smoke flavor I agree. But that doesn’t bother me as much because my family doesn’t like a lot of smoke on food. When I want extra smoke I use my green egg or weber like you do. That’s the beauty of having options. Enjoy that pit brother and congrats!
Features to make it perfect: (1) ash drawer on the bottom so do not need to disassemble to clean out ash, (2) window to visually check so do not need to open lid & lose heat (3) top rack
As much as I would love to buy one of these, my El Cheapo Brinkmann Electric and Weber accomplishes all the features this has for under $200- and this combo has won taste test in my neighborhood over Green Eggs and Kamado's on everything from Butts to Briskets- Good cuts of meats, proper seasoning and technique can allow anyone to BBQ with the best of them, even with less than desirable equipment. With that being said, I still want one!
hey... whatever gets it done right? My first smoker was a hand me down electric brinkman with no temperature control or anything.... but it got me hooked and down this path
I’m glad to see you went with a RecTec. I own 2 RecTec smokers, a 590 for the back patio and the smaller trailblazer that we take in our 5th wheel. I absolutely love them!
I bought my Bull last month and am very happy about it. I also bought the front folding shelf and the sear grates. I am glad I added them as well. The last steaks I cooked to about 110 degrees and then took them off and turned it up and got to about 525 degrees. I then put the steaks on the sear grates 3 minutes each side and they turned out grate! Ur, I mean GREAT! So I think they were searing around 650 plus degrees.
Neighbor has a RT 590 and it's great for long kooks like brisket and pork butts with temp control and wind resistance of sort but they don't have the full smoked flavor that an off set or a real wood or charcoal and wood smoker has. I suspect it is the same for other brands of pellet smokers as well. We live in a moderate climate range and it tends to be windy. This is an issue for any smoker but the pellet temp controls of the RT do a good job dealing with this issue. I'm thinking of upgrading my wood fire offset to a more tight model and also getting a pellet smoker like a RT too. Two different animals but each have a purpose. This one here in your review looks nice and great for long cooks and meats that benefit from milder smoke. Just my 2 cents from what I have seen so far.
its a good smoker... quality is high and it never had an issue.... just different flavor profile. a lot of wives like the pellet smokers more than others, as it is not tooo smokey
Had a bulleyes from RT...forgot to cover it for a storm..RT gave me full credit to upgrade to 590.. Customer service is excellent!! And they got a 24 hours hot line .lol
Man I am so glad you got a rectec. It's just a tank. Bullletproff or better zeroissues proff. Have mine for a year now. I use mine 3 days a week, have done anything you can imagine. Still no issues it just works. It's well made, anyone will realize that when assemble. I actually called twice to rectec and it's just impressive customer service. None exiistance nowadays. Glad you are giving them a chance. Must of the time I follow the recipes in the app. All worked because they actually tested and you will find RU-vid videos of must of them.
As you use this smoker the better seasoning it get and the better smoke profile you get . I recommend 100% mesquite for Brisket and 100% cherry for pork butts
I've owned 2 Rec Tec cookers and never had any problems with either of them. All of the people blaming the users of that "other" cooker that was having trouble makes me a little sick at my stomach.
seriously... I totally agree... I got enough smarts and common sense to figure out any use error type problems. For a pellet smoker... I do like the Rec Tec so far.. not intense smoker flavor, but does everything it should do very well!
I have had my RT700 for almost 2 years now. The BIGGEST change I had to make to readjusting from my offset to my RecTec is cooking temps. Usually for my offset I ran about 225 to 250 for brisket. With my RecTec I pulled it down to about 215. It was the magic number. I really think it has something to do how much steadier the temps are held. Ribs, butts, briskets, I have brought them all down on temps and it seems much better. Chicken, turkeys, etc have been fine though. I have heard all the stories about not enough smoke, no ring, etc., but I don’t think it is true. I have absolutely beautiful smoke rings on my food with plenty of WOOD flavor- not smoke. To me smoke is bitter, creosote tasting nastiness. I have people who said that they can eat my BBQ without getting heartburn like they normally do. We spend some time and effort in selecting the right woods for the food only for some people to destroy any flavor by “charring” the meat to death. There is a definite difference in a good bark and flat out burnt. Without rambling too much, I love my RecTec. There has been and still will be some learning curve but it has been one of the best investments I have ever made. One of the best things about it I can sleep for 5 or 6 hours while my brisket is smoking and not have to tend a fire.
Good thoughts there.... funny enough... I smoked a brisket at 225 over the weekend... and it cooked way faster than I thought it would, compared to my green egg. So... perhaps 215 is a better number.... there is always next time!
My thinking also. I was seriously going Rec-Tec until I came upon the new Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi. The pellet dump, ash dump, extra level of removable grill grates for more capacity are very nice. Then add the side kick unit which can be a griddle, then add a pizza oven and a sear station(propane fired)...that may be the total cooking package.
@@conradkostelecky7935 You will never find a better pellet grill that is a better "bang for the buck" than a RecTec product. They have the most stainless steel and best warranty against anyone else in the market.
I was down to these two as well. Last month I ordered the Rec Tec. I did not believe that the add ons for the Camp Chef were something I would really use. I am very happy with my Rec Tec Bull and it looks great on my front porch!
That's beautiful. I've had a PitBoss Austin XL for over a year, and it's been great - HOWEVER, I will need to buy one of these also. Because, that's why.
It’s a beautiful smoker.. BUT i feel it’s too electric. But everyone is different. I’m a stick burner man myself. I’d definitely add some rtv to those joints where the stack and cook chamber meet. Losing heat.
I ha e one for over a year. I am very happy with it. Hell, my entire family is happy with it. Overnight cooks are a breeze. I can make a full packet brisket on a week night.
To achieve a BGE type smoke flavor, get a smokin' tube, fill it with pellets, then light with a blow torch. Put it in the smoker somewhere and you will get double the white smoke. It will burn for several hours. Myself, I have come to prefer the subtle flavor of cleaner smoke, which is the kind the REC-TEC puts out once you get it up to 250 degrees or more. Despite the lower visual density of this bluer smoke, I get thick smoke rings. I suppose that has more to do with chemistry of smoke and protein than the nature of the smoke. Mine does not put out much visible smoke at the higher temps, but the smell of it permeates the neighborhood. You can also get more of the white smoke by lowering the temp and activating the on-off cycling of the fan, which lowers the temp of the fire, thereby causing more smoldering from the pellets, like the chips do on a charcoal fire. White smoke is the result. For maxing out the smoke flavor, one could use the built in function and a smokin' tube together. As far as longevity, mine will be 6 years old in July. The more I use it, the better it gets. No rust, anywhere, and the early models did not have the stainless barrel. I have touched a couple of places up with high temp engine enamel. If you ever need support, they return calls the same day. You will hear from a human with an easy to understand southern accent. And no, I am not one of their employees and I paid full price for my rig.
right on. i have used the super smoke setting and it does get more smoke on the meat. it can drive you crazy if you are sitting by the grill though... the constant on and off is a little maddening to sit next to while having a conversation and what not.
My concern would definitely be the amount of smoke since that’s the entire reason I’d buy a pellet grill smoker. The loose grates would drive my crazy !!
Start wings at 220 for about an hour for the smoke, then turn up to 350 for the next hour to hour and a half. Smokey and crispy wings! #recteclifestyle
Listening to the complaints about the grill tells me you really had to work hard to find something to complain about so that seems like a good thing to me.
that's generally true. if you get a pellet smoker, this company should be towards the top of your list... very reliable, looks great, and has everything you need straight out of the box.
Dear Sir, appreciated your review. Added myself to your channel's subscription. I am a product research kind-of-guy. For example, use Consumer Reports, unfortunately they've not reviewed the Recteq, but this you have done well. My brother is still skeptical of me buying the brand, as compared to the Traeger Ironwood 650, which I am sure is a great grill too. Again, thank you. Like your channel. Greg
Greetings from Ankeny IA. I have the newest version of the RT-700. Had two GMG before. Reqtec much much nicer. Better temp control, build, materials etc. Just watched your LONG brisket video. I have never raised my brisket off the grate to cook. Interesting idea. Have had 5lb. briskets take as long to cook as 12lb.briskets. Either way, it's a fun way to pass time.
Thanks for the video. We were apparently in the market for the Weber at the same time. I decided to save a bit and went for a WSM 22-I had a need for a new cooker, not specifically a pellet cooker. Oddly, before the troubles you and other pointed out with the Weber, I had decided that the Rec Tec was a better choice for me, although the smaller one. Yikes then I saw your video and a couple of others with the significant problems with the Smokefire. I'm really looking forward to more from you on this cooker. You do a great job.
Looks interesting. I bought a Pit Boss 1100 about a year and half ago and the food I've cooked on it has been great. It has its issues. I live on the coast, so its already starting to rust. The heat shield won't last. The worst is the temp variation from the main sensor to the far side of the grill. It can be as high as 50 degrees! It really cuts down on the size of the cooking surface when smoking. The hopper design is poor. The pellets don't feed properly. You get this hole at the auger channel, which causes the grill to run dry, even though there's plenty of pellets in hopper. It looks like the Rec Tec may be solution to my issues with my pellet grill.
@@Searedandsmoked I did some research and discovered other Pit Boss 1100 owners reported the same issue. One guy described why thought its happens and I totally agree. The thing does really have a true dispersion Plate. The drip pan sits on top of the cup, so no wonder. Planning to buy a new dispersion plate and drip pan. Wish me luck.
I'VE had my RT680 for almost six years. This grill is a beast. Ive smoked every kind of meat know to mankind. Excellent, excellent grill. I give this grill the highest rating possible. It will not let you down.
It works good and not too much smoke escapes during cooking. I have not had a problem with it. I am sure could add a gasket on the lid like a green egg if you wanted to, but I have not felt the need to
If I cook a Boston butt, I will put a smoke tube in the grill,and set it on extreme smoke. After three hours I crank it up to 250 ,or 275. Works great.
@@billdobberpuhl9507 Well that's interesting. I am in the market for a smoker but would prefer to buy US-made. That only leaves Yoder, Pitts and Spitts, and MAK. Memphis Grills are now made in China. There may be others that I don't know about.
Not knowing 2.4ghz vs 5ghz isn’t the fault of the grill or software. If your router supports both, during the router setup, the network should be noted as such by adding 5g after the SSID. (Searedandsmoked, Searedandsmoked5g) Many people remove this during setup because they want a cool network name and it causes setup issues as they don’t remember which network is which later on. Just my 2 cents worth. Nice review, I’m pretty sold on RecTec after a number if reviews. I’ll be ordering mine soon.
I get that... the issue is that these days the routers carry both 2.4g and 5g, but switch automatically for you, with out a choice when setting it up... so it requires a work around which is not straight forward for most.
