Very nice explanation of how you came to your conclusion. Guess it would be different for everyone based on what is more important to them. I think I would go flavor over technology. Looking forward to what thick offset you get. Have a great weekend.
Yeah, I am hoping I made the right call. I don't use it often, but when I do, i want to make sure its running in the middle of the night. Flavor hopefully, I can make some magic happen, with a smoke tube or creative fat guy skills!
Yeah, i've heard harsh reviews on the pitboss from certain people. I hate that its a roll of the dice on whether the tech is going to work or not. With the offset you know its coming to whether you can control the fire!
@@ComparisonCooking i am so glad I found your group on Facebook. I did an experiment with todays cook. I restricted the opening to the firebox and cook chamber what a difference. I was able to maintain the temp and hold it for an hour straight. Only used 2 logs split for a 5 hour cook.
Excellent breakdown! Great series. I'm with you on the technology. If I'm going to cook on a pellet smoker (I use offset for "real" smoking) , I'm totally gonna go for ease of use.
100% Jet, I really don't stop and think for a second, is my traeger still running. I know if its got pellets its rolling! Thanks for watching brotha, have a great weekend!
As an owner of an Oklahoma joe, you really glossed over the maintenance between the two. Treager has a grease tray, which you can line with aluminum foil, and that’s 99% of your cleanup. OKJoe has a heat baffle that doesn’t catch everything, so a ton of grease goes to the bottom of the barrel. Cleaning the thing is a pain.
I just ran the Oklahoma joe hot and it burn off everything. Plus I never loaded it up so I didn’t get a lot of drippings that weren’t directly over the heat source. I could see it being an issue if the cooker was fully loaded up. Thank you for watching
I just bought an Oklahoma Joe Pellet Smoker. It’s a smoker. He said himself the smoke profile is a lot better on the Joe’s. It’s also half the price. Joe>Traeger
Agreed, if I didn’t have all my other searing options, and could only have one smoker in my backyard, you bring up a good point, DLX would be the winner.
You didn't add the ease of cleaning with the pellet grills...hands down goes to Oklahoma Joe....u also didn't add the ease of changing out the pellets...hands down goes to Oklahoma joe. I've had both and comes down to the flavor of the meat plus texture tenderness and juiciest of the meat....hands down goes to Oklahoma Joe!.
Agree that when the Joe was working properly it was the winner, but it was not reliable and all the reviews online were having the same issue. 1 out of 10 people I talked to about it had no problems the other 9 had ongoing issues. I hope they get the issues resolved because it will become the best smoker out there. Hopefully, you got one of the good ones 👍
Been watching your videos for a few days and they are pretty great. Based in the UK and I'm looking to get a dedicated smoker (So the OK Joe is likely out the window). I've been using my gas grill to smoke for the past couple of years and now want to step up. The Traeger interests me, but I'm concerned about a few other videos I've watched and your conclusion in this one that the food taste quality is so low. You mentioned the next version up in the Traeger line is the Ironwood and it should have a better taste. I don't mind spending the money as I'll likely keep it for around 10 years. My other option is a Weber Smokey Mountain, which is less than half the price so not be sniffed at, but I really like the idea of the convenience and ease of these pellet grills. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Any chance you can get in touch with your people about testing the Ironwood?
Weber Smokey Mountain is the closest set it and forget it when it comes to traditional charcoal/fire bbq pits. One of my good friends has one, and absolutely loves it. Makes really really good bbq and from what i hear from a lot of people, you can walk away from it for a few hours. He did do a long over night brisket on the weber smokey mountain and he said it was his best brisket. I would save the money and start with a Weber Smokey, and then you have one of the best units out there to begin with and can search the FB Market place to see if anyone is unloading a traeger for a decent price in the upcoming years. Hope that helps, and good luck!
@@ComparisonCooking thanks for the feedback - really appreciate it. My missus will be happy that your suggestion saves about £700 😂 It's really a shame that I can't rent one of each and see how I get on. Another good friend of mine recommended the SM over the Traeger too.
So, you put a 1000$ pellet smoker against a 600$ pellet smoker. The extra 400$ got you wifi so you can leave a smoke unattended at home. The 600 beats the 1000 at cooking and the traeger won because of wifi. Sounds like you are one of those traeger fans where name is everything. If you took away all those wifi points at the beginning with some fairness of your category comparison here then the OK Joe wins. Also, this is Joe's first pellet cooker and it out cooks a cooker that is 400$ more and has been around for awhile, what else should be said.
I found with my Traeger (same model as yours) I need to add another hour or so to my cook to get a great level of smoke. Just run for abut two hours at 185-195 range. It will smoke! Then move up to your normal slow (for me that's 225-245). Doing this will add an hour to your cook (2hrs @ 195 =~ 1hr @ 235), but you get a LOT of smoke. In most cases the smoke will penetrate pork ribs all the way to the bone. Is that enough?
That’s a great way of doing it and I do that trick from time to time on the Traeger. For experiment purposes I wanted to keep it equal but in my backyard with the just the Traeger I do do it that way!
You could buy a WiFi temp probe for less than the $600 price difference. So if you're across town at a party, as you say, and your Traeger app tells you something isn't right, wouldn't you still have to go home to check it out? So a WiFi probe that costs $100 to add to the OK Joe is a better buy, IMO. I think your grade of 1 of 5 is a bit harsh. Disappointed that price wasn't one of your categories. So even if you leave the bad "tech" score and add a "price" category, I feel your final score would be 20 for Traeger, 21-22 for the OK Joe.
That's logical, and I agree with everything you said about wifi/price. Joe is a very solid machine, but the tech is the issue. You don't know if you are getting a unit that will give you no issues or you will be on the phone with customer service every other day. My friend that bought the smoker from has called customer service 5 times after having it for 4 months. Customer service was great and he only had to pay $10 bucks for shipping, but he's gotten all the components replaced on it over the past 4 months. He's hoping the issues are resolved and it will make it through the next couple seasons.
Glad I could help, I am playing with a smoke tube on the traeger, its not really helping. The traeger still works for me, I have the stick burner when I want a deep smoke flavor, and the traeger for when my wife wants a hint of smoke. My buddy that bought the OK joe off me, uses it 3 times a week. So i think you are making the right call.
Why do you only consider internet access as technology? Rack customisation, ash trap, pellet changer. Was this not taken into consideration? I know a lot off people that wouldn't leave the grill unattended regardless. I know this is just my opinion but, I'd pur internet access at the bottom of the list of important things.
For the average backyard bbqer with a busy lifestyle this is what they are concerned with. Customization, pellet charger, these people have done their research and know exactly what they want. Videos meant to help the people upgrading from their gas grill to what’s convenient to them, and in their opinion advance with ability to carry on with their weekend to do list.
Nice review. I have to say that I dislike all the electronics in general. I am now searching for something more simply operated. My last two smokers, both electronic have died in under 2 years. The failure is always the electronics.
I haven’t seen it, but now I’m interest in finding out more about it. I know nexgrill on the charcoal cookers didn’t seem to last more than two seasons. So just be careful to see how thick the metal is on it.
You can literally buy wireless probes that do the exact same thing that the Traeger is doing. You can set alarms on it to tell you if it drops below or go higher than a certain temperature. No need to pay hundreds of dollars more for a smoker for that one piece you can get on Amazon for fractions of that price.
I tend to agree with your findings here with these two. The OKJ just isn’t there yet. I think a Green Mountain grills pellet like a Daniel Boone would be a great comparison for the Treager. I’m also kinda curious how the Weber Pellet is in comparison to the Treager and GMG.
I got a 80% discount coupon from a customer who works for Traeger. He was very appreciative of my work n gave me the code for the discount as a tip. Freaking love the thing. I can't help but to smoke everything. Long story short I made Thanks Giving. I made hands down the best Turkey the family had. The whole family telling me this was the most moist and flavorful Turkey they ever had. My Brother first apologized and told my Grandma, Mom n Aunt that I take the Gold Medal now when it comes to making Turkey. I love to cook and see people's reactions and having a smoker kicked it up alot. From veggies, Meats and Dips it makes everything works much better. You can make some mean Collard Greens by smoking them.
I made a decent brisket and ribs with a $60 charcoal barrel smoker but it’s 15 hours of constantly opening vents, closing vents, adding coal, adding water, adding wood chunks. It really takes your whole day and you can still fail if something goes wrong
You hit the nail on the head, you can get deeper flavors with a barrel or offset, but at what cost. Its a long day! I've sold more traegers to my friends and family just by asking them if they want to babysit a smoker all day or are you to busy to do that, Traeger! Hoping to work on my 25 hour brisket edit tomorrow, and get the video out this weekend, I'm still dreaming about this brisket, you are going to love it.
Hey dude, seriously important question before I put money down on an O.J. like this - can you do burgers on it? When you flip the center to sear mode, does the whole grill get hot enough to do burgers in a fairly normal time? Thanks! :-)
I didn’t do it on camera, but you can burn off grease a little easier with the hotter temps on the OK joe, you also run the risk of cracking the grates at such high heat. As far as pulling out the grates and vacuuming up pellet dust, both take about 10-15 minutes
I use a smoker for the smoke flavor. Traeger’s “hint of smoke” just falls too short for me. The fact that it is easy and fool proof is no substitute for great tasting smoked meat. All that said, I have recently tasted food off of two different auto feed charcoal grills and I am hooked. There will be a new auto feed charcoal grill in my backyard THIS SUMMER. My son can have my old Traeger and I will begin a whole new era in smoked meats cooked in my backyard. The difference is day and night.
Great video - i hope i didn't miss it, but can you sear steaks on the traeger? I do a lot of steak/burger BBQs, so searing is important (for the steak, not the burgers) - thanks!
Some people say it sears, but it really doesn’t. It taste great, but you’ll never get grill marks unless you make modifications. I used to care about grill marks, now it’s all about flavor.
I don't get it. You compared an entry-level pellet grill against the top-of-the line flagship product with a high-end target market? And then you crowned the spendy one the winner? You cooked briskets different ways (low and slow vs. hot and fast) and then compared them? You really trimmed down the one you used on the OK Joe, cooked it hot and fast, and then declared it a bit dry. Huh.... You clearly graded on a curve- if the Traeger got a 5/5 for assembly, then the OK Joe's AUTOMATICALLY got a lower score (DESPITE the fact that the OK Joe's is ALSO very easy to assemble) simply because it didn't have the bells and whistles APP that the Traeger did. However, you didn't grade on a curve with respect to PRICE. But you knew if you had done that the OK Joe's would have won. Somehow I think you couldn't let that happen because you wanted to keep the more expensive one.
Personally, I wanted to keep the oklahoma joe, but I didn't want to be on the phone with customer service every month. Like the person that got the grill off of me has had to do. At the end of the day, all your points are valid, the Joe probably would of won on a low and slow brisket (and it was over trimmed for hot and fast), but I didn't feel comfortable with going over night with a low and slow setting on the Joe because the way it was running i couldn't trust run the whole night for me. Price points obviously didn't match up, and especially a year later now that Traeger has jacked up prices even more. However, the conclusion from all the inquiring pellet smokers buyers i've talked to, is they are looking for a smoker that they can use in their busy lifestyle with reliability when they walk away from it for extended periods. If you have to babysit it as much as an offset why spend any priced pellet smoker. Since Traeger has jacked up prices I have told friends to start research RecTec as the reviews are really strong and I've never had anyone complain about a RecTec to me. Appreciate your thoughtful comments.
So basically you rave about how much better the OKJ cooks food, but it loses just because it doesn't have WiFi? What about all the other features it has that you don't even talk about? The Traeger can't sear. The Traeger doesn't have that unique pellet drain system. The Traeger doesn't have all those different rack attachments or grill grate attachments that the OKJ offers. This review is missing too much.
Just scored on a a traeger pro 780 used ...for 380$ ....thank u offer up and thanks to living in southern California...🤣😅 where ppl move or dont have space in their new place
You forgot to add a category...Which one is Made in the USA?....Traeger is 2 out of 5 and OK Joe is 5 for 5 so it's OK Joe for the win. Thanks for helping me out on my next purchase!
Good call! That would of definitely sealed the deal on that. They just came out with the 2.0 version, i'll be putting it together and testing it out soon.
What brand pellets did you use?? Lumberjack,cooking pellets, and knotty pellets are suppose to be the best.. traeger pellets suck.. flavor comes from oils not the wood
I don't remember. I've used a bunch of different brands, there is no noticeable difference. Its just whatever article or internet forum we read that makes us have a preformed bias.
Buys smoke tube to improve smoke on traeger rates 5 on tech. Can’t buy WiFi temp probe to improve OJ tech rates a 1. The rates traeger a 2 on smoke. Calls OJ a smoke box pouring from every opening but only a 4.
When the machine randomly shuts down or won’t start without a hard reset, that deserves a 1. WiFi thermometer doesn’t help when a smoker shuts down on you.
@@ComparisonCooking apparently you need to go watch you’re own video. At no point when talk about tech did u mention shutting down with a hard restart.
Here’s my 2 cents my fist pellet grill was the Char Broil Oklahoma rider 900 , had so meany issues within 6 mos bad controller keep blowing my circuit , replaced 2x from mfg. the auger went out replaced by mfg. large temp swings , gave it away FREE. Treagers are just average over all They too have temp swing issues With not good searing capabilities. For one of the better mid level pellet grills the Green Mountain Daniel Boone prime is a much better choice no swing in temps they use 13 gauge steel Has WiFi, temp settings of 5 deg increments vs 25 deg of Treager and Oklahoma Joe , cones with 2 probes, viewing windows on both grill and hopper , has internal light, top of the line PID controller Best of all it’s DC. Comes with an AC/DC converter. It can run off your car, Truck or RV or your any a/c power. I’ve even ran it off a old used car battery at the park. Don’t think OKLAHOMA Joe or the Treager can do that.
I agree, the Daniel Boone is a great smoker. I think Traeger has done a good job of creating a cult following so people are fine with an average smoker because they are part of a club. The model I have does set at 5 degree increments and holds temp really well. My old Traeger was 25 degree increments and temp fluctuations were constant. They’ve gotten better but there are like you said better choices out there. Thanks for watching and commenting!
Solid comparison series overall. I have the Rider DLX, and have had minimal issues since I've had a chance to learn from the community you mentioned. I essentially do a burn off every time I use mine to clear the auger tube and eliminate a lot of the interior grease. It makes clean-up a lot easier. The DLX produces fantastic food. For me, the food quality relative to price outweighs much of the technology especially since I can now get Wi-Fi thermometers for around $100. As an example, you should have seen the reverse-seared steaks I made a while back. Those were some of the best things I've ever eaten.
It really is a great smoker, the food output was really tasty. My issue was, I wanted something I could feel more comfortable with a 20 hour brisket cook. You are right though, my friend that bought it from me is making killer food. However he’s be on with customer service at least 5 times in the past 4 weeks. Some of them just have ongoing issue. Customer service is basically sending him the parts to build a new one. When they come out with their second irritation of this pellet it’s going to be the best out there after they fix the bugs.
@@ComparisonCooking eventually ill get a smoker but I get by with my weber summit with the smoking chips and pellets. I know it ain't the same, but I'm not usually just sitting around eating meat. I use the meat in other things like steak sammiches and fajitas, etc. So the meat is only a portion of the flavor. I love to rotisserie too. My problem is I don't have a place with a covering to protect a bunch of fancy equipment. At least not yet. And the sun destroys the plastic coverings you buy in a year or two.
Of all the Many pellet grills I've had, the DLX has always been the most "fun" or versatile grilling machine, despite having no tech bells n whistles and some quirks. Traegers just totally lack sufficient ability on the grilling side of things. OKJ just recently got the DLX "2.0" out and available, got one delivered yesterday to try.
I've had my Dlx since the end of May and its only worked okay enough to cook 5 times, and they weren't all successful due to having to fiddle with it. 1st cook was flawless, second ignitor went out, 3rd the Auger motor, and 4th and 5th started fine but after pre heat, it would flash er2 again after about 5 minutes. Just replaced ignitor, must be control panel? Have you had any issues like mine?
I’ve had all but number 3 happen to me, and I know some other friends have as well. Very disappointing that these issues are happening. They could have reversed engineered a Traeger or a rectec and been like oh, okay!
I've had food off both. (I don't own either) Traeger was better taste wise, looks of finished product go to Oklahoma Joe. I understand it is a set and walk away (Once figured out) and pellets have their merit but for flavor I don't get it from pellets. They just can't replace charcoal and hardwoods. I can get better flavor and smoke from a Weber Smokey Mountain. Sure I have to take 30 minutes to dial in my temp but after that, I walk away. I would love to see a Weber with thicker steel! Hint, hint Weber! No dis on either but 15 years in on my Weber, I know it and it is easy to get a true Competition quality cook done.
100% put effort into the process, i think makes the food! Set it in forget it, but its like when I crab in Maryland. Putting the effort into catching them, baiting traps, etc etc, those crabs taste so good because you worked for for them. You buy them on the side of the road all steamed up for you, just not as good! Thanks for watching, glad you got value out of the series.
Do you know if any changes made or being made on the Oklahoma Joe since making the video? I own the same Traeger model for over 13 years and had three igniter and two auger issues which maybe not bad but not happy with the amount of heat it produces and wish it was a true 500 degrees or higher for the searing of meat. I'm considering a smaller model of either model shown in your video with price range of $600+. WiFi means nothing to me so not a plus. I may need a dartboard...!
I have not seen anything from oklahoma joe announcing any changes. My buddy that took the joe of my hands, has basically replaced the whole unit with new parts. He cooked on it 5 days a week for the first 2 months. He got all the replacement parts for cheap, like $9-$13 dollar shipping for replacement parts. He almost has two different smokers from it at this point. (luckily he likes tinkering on these things) The Ok Joe, will definitely get above 500, you have to be careful because it will crazy the metal if you have the sear go too hot for too long. I have not had any issues with my traeger since this video. My old traeger like yours was issue after issue. For price/flavor its ok joe, you just might have to call customer service and replace some parts (I have heard from a few that they did not have any issues with needing replacements, but also heard from many that they have customer service number saved in their phone). Hope the information helps and good luck!
@@ComparisonCooking Yes...good information and I thank you. Also looking at Camp Chef as an option so now three to consider. Because Traeger has fiddled while other brands have made innovations I'm leaning away from Traeger.
Im suprised. I thought you go for the flavor over technology. You really worry that much? Maybe there is an aftermarket accessory you can get some tech with. But I guess you get what you pay for, but I aint rich.
Nothing stresses me out more than walking out to a smoker that cut out for no reason, or being finicky and not turning on. Luckily, troubleshooting has had quick fixes, but I might as well stick with a sure thing and play with a smoke tube.
So far I am on my second DXL. The first might as well have been a boat anchor. Three months in the new on is not far behind the first on. Auger jams, temp probs are not even close to reality and the interior thermostat is probably 10 degrees away from reality.
Damn, that sucks. That sounds like my first Traeger, everyone raved about them and I got a lemon. I definitely had some hiccups with my dxl, I would contact Ok Joe and see if they would send you a barrel or an offset as a replacement at this point.
@@ComparisonCooking yes every time. Helped with auger jams, but not the temp swings and the fact that the probes are never accurate. Also after cooking for a large group. The cap to empty the burn pot is stuck on.....and no its not cross threaded. For someone like me the OKJ is a waste of money. I cook on it 4 to 5 times a week. Its not made for that.
My buddy is selling his Oklahoma Joe's Rider DXL to me for $200 bucks, he wants a komado Joe and I want the convince of a pallet smoker. But like you, I'm worried about leaving the DXL if I'm away. I'm thinking about getting a wifi probe like the meater or something that tells me what temp my smoker is and my meat. Do you have any recommendations on a good wifi probe?
The meater has worked for everyone except me, haha. All my friends love it and mine just gives me issues. I use the inkbird wireless, which normally has a discount of 20-30%. Been very reliable for me. Just remember if you leave your smoker for extended periods of time, move it to the middle of the yard 👍
@@ComparisonCooking thanks! I about to purchase one. Wish I could count on the manufacturers wifi probe but I just can't. Same goes for my masterbuilt 560. I always use a wired probe and double check with a insta read thermometer but been needing a good wifi probe. Heard nothing but good things about inkbird. And thanks for the videos I recently subbed trying to find good videos about the rider DXL
From everyone I’ve talked to, that got the joe, including the guy that took mine. They all have customers service number saved in their phone due to constantly having to call them.
When handling both I noticed that the Oklahoma is built heavier duty that the Traeger. I don't need wifi on mine so hands down with the OJ. All's you need is a temp alarm in the smoke box that goes to a monitor that will tell you if the temp gets too low which I already have. For nearly the same cooker the Traeger is 40% more expensive and is of a lighter construction. I think that id why Traeger fans get so defensive of their grill is that they payed way more money than they had too and so it has to be the best.
@@localunion874 there is an update to fix the firm wear. Maybe that's the issue. You can do 10° increments to 300 I believe. I sear at 500° and have not had a issue yet. Contact Pit Boss customer service and send your board in and they will update it.
I’m not a lazy Bbq guy, wgaf about technology, I will stay and watch the meat I’m cooking, I would much have a better smoke tasting flavor, but to each his own, if you have deep pockets get the the Traeger, I would personally get the Oklahoma Joes great video though
Save the money by an offset and play with the fire is my typical way of doing bbq. But unlimited money supply, go Traeger, working the budget go Oklahoma joe 👍 totally agree
Price was my reason for getting the Joe. Now I have been lucky and have had minimal issues with the Joe compared to some people. Now I realize you compared them has "smokers" but if you compare them has "smokers/ grills" the Joe fits my needs completely with the high temp grilling on a pellet grill. Since getting the Joe I haven't fired my gas grill up one time. Great content man!
Thank you for the compliment! Yeah, I need to disclose that in my videos, my default setting in my mind is smokers. However, you are 100% right, there is no comparison when it comes to grilling capabilities, this OK Joe is a furnace!
I don’t know Traeger at all but I couldn’t agree more on the OK Joe, definitely based on my weird experience and from others I’ve seen. For me it is not a set it and forget it pellet grill, if I didnt know what I was doing and measured temps I’d be doomed. Very cool series Kevin!
Thanks Charley, I'm really glad I did the series, but also glad its over, hahaah! I'll see you aroung buddy. My friend that took the smoker was like, yeah i've been watching some Pickles bbq channel and he said he had a similar problem, hahahaha. Everyone knows Pickles!
The set up is perfect, you have to have them both for different reasons. It's the only way to do it. I mean they are both 5 out of 4's for sure 😂😂 Thanks for the fun this morning. Enjoyed the video.
I’m moving from an offset okla joe to something pellet, mainly for connivence and cheaper to find pellets here in NC, I was set on a treager but I love the deep smoke flavor from an offset. Do you think the OK joe is more what I’m looking for? I’m used to sitting outside for hours drinking beer and watching my temps and doing fire management anyway
My biggest hang up with the Oklahoma Joe is everyone I talk to says they are having to call customer service every few months. Everyone loves it when it’s working, but it seems like you have to tinker with it every few months. I am not very good with tinkering so it’s just not a fit for me.
I went with the Oklahoma joe .I to have the offset old school smoker and I love my weber grill .this smoker like he said produces a hell of a lot more smoke then the Traeger and from the times at the friends house of having to smoke the food and sear it on a propane grill the JOE does it all with a slide of a lever … all in one is better and makes better smoky flavor food you cant go wrong ..I was about to buy the Traeger until this came out ..GAME OVER and by the way you can always pic up a wireless meat probe that links to your phone big deal.
Thanks for the comparison video. I have had a older Traeger and gave to my Son and got a OJ Rider DLX. I was just considering going back to a newer Traeger but after watching your video I'll stick with the Oklahoma Joe DLX. It reminded me of my main complaint of the lack of smokey flavor that the Traeger had. The lack of Technology is no big deal, I have a stand alone Thermoworks Signals thermometer that has better technology than the Traeger. I think the only advantage the Traeger has is it has better temp control. The Oklahoma Joe can have larger swings and you have 25 degree differences in the settings dial. That is not much of a problem though when you learn where to place your meat. The higher up you place it, the hotter it is. For example if you want to smoke at 225, set the dial at 200 and smoke on the second shelf. The thermometer will show 225 in that shelf or close to it.
I really really liked the food the DLX delivered, actually really surprised me. I think you've got it pretty dialed in and I would agree with you that making the jump back to Traeger doesn't make sense. Good to hear you haven't run into any issues with it, that's the biggest thing I hear from people all the time, always on with customer service. Traeger just sent me the Ironwood 885, so I'll be doing some comparison videos on the new gear soon! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.