Yoder Smokers YS480 & YS640 Pellet Grill Review | Product Roundup by All Things BBQ
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- Опубліковано 20 лип 2016
- Josh walks you through the YS480 and YS640 pellet cookers from Yoder Smokers, giving you the details on both the good and bad, and why he believes these are the best pellet grills on the market today.
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Straight forward well stated review. I like that. This review influenced my decision and I bought one. Thanks
Purchased my YS480 last week - I LOVE MY YS480! It is an absolute tank! Plenty of room for cooking! The controller is awesome and maintains a good "target" temp. with minimal swings/the controller is a big winner! So glad my first smoker is the best pellet smoker!
Thank you! This is the best video I have seen describing the Yoder Smokers. I have a smoker from a different company right now (used to be based in Michigan), but when it dies, I am definitely going to look to upgrade to a Yoder. Thank you so much for your straight forward review. Have a great day!
Made in U.S.A baby. It don't get any better than that.. Customer service and warranty best in the biz. Rock on Yoder!!
Just bought mine last week. It cannot be overstated how well built these things are. They are truly a tank. Can't wait to do some more cooking. Thanks for all of the videos. You guys helped me make my decision to go Yoder.
Westmoore Films had mine for about 6 months. This video doesn't even begin to explain the build on these. It's an absolute tank.
2 years in...what do you think? Still holding up well?
Thanks for a great review. I have been wanting one for a few years now. Hope that will come true soon
The Yoder will be worth the wait, thanks for watching!
Just ordered mine from you guys!!! I can't even tell you how excited I am!!
Awesome! Thanks for shopping with us, and we can't wait until you can start cooking!
Very well made and explained video.....you went in depth which i like....Keep it up :)
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the info Josh. I do have a few local gmg and smokin brothers dealers.
Great video. I have begun to budget for one of these Yoder smokers.
Awesome, you will love it. Thanks for watching!
hey guys love your recipe videos. here soon i will be in the market to buy my first competition/rec smoker. can you suggest a grill with the first time competitor in mind thank you.
Great video. I'm a traditional direct fire griller, but for the last couple of years, I've been wanting to get into offset smoking. I was looking at stick burners, specifically Old Country BBQ Pits. Would the Yoder be a good choice for the novice smoker? I know purists like Aaron Franklin scoff at pellet grills. What's your take on traditional stick fire boxes vs. pellet grills? Is it better to master stick fire boxes?
Hi Chef Tom and the community. I am looking to buy either the 480s or the 640s. My goal is to be able to cook three briskets comfortably. Do you think I can fit three 10 lb brisket (19inch x 10inch) on the 480 or should I go bigger for the 640? Thanks ! Antoine
Thanks! You just helped me make a huge decision.
Awesome, glad we could help!
Great overview of our cookers, thanks guys! #TeamYoder
Thank you for building great pits!
How do I get one of these bad boys to Sweden? Is it even possible?
thanks for the video. I would be coming from a gas grill, and very used to grilling at 350-400 over direct flame. do you have a video showing such technique on the yoder?
Here is our reverse sear steak video on a YS640. ua-cam.com/video/SY-ieRRl4ak/v-deo.html
Thanks for watching!
I have. A Yoder 1500 on layaway I can’t wait to pay it off... I’ve been looking at this smoker for 3 years and it’s destined to be in my garage very soon
I'm in love with this smoker. I really want one and I don't want any other brand. Unfortunately I live in Mexico. Is there any way to make my dream come true?
Was thinking about getting a loaded Wichita, but will the 480s be as good for brisket? I'm worried about getting enough smoke.
copy that!! i here you loud and clear on that one thanks
Is there a spec on the color matched paint?
Great video! I currently use a smoke tube on a propane grill. I am wondering what is the difference between that and a pellet smoker as far as taste goes? Also, I have been thinking about getting a pellet smoker or getting a Weber Smokey Mountain. As far as taste goes, which do you prefer? I definitely know the convenience of the pellet over charcoal. Thanks!
The pellet cooker, especially the YS series from Yoder produces food that has the color, flavor and texture of a wood pit. It's incredible what they can do. I prefer it over the WSM simply for the size as well. I can cook a full packer and a couple butts with room to spare! Thanks for the questions.
Great vid!!! Btw I see no misrepresentation!!! I do have a question regarding the ignition rod; are they ceramic and if not are there any plans to make the ignition source ceramic? And are there any plans for a WiFi controller?Thanks
Is ceramic better than carbon?
Well done. Nice video...
Almost bought a 640 but ended up with a Lone Star Grills Vertical Insulated Cabinet Smoker. The 640 or 1500 will have to be added to the collection later.
You won't be sorry with either the YS640 or the YS1500 for sure. Thanks for watching!
Great review. Liked and subbed. Question: Can the Yoder YS640 smoke a 25lb turkey? I host Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for our family and I have to have a 25lber to feed everyone. Thanks in advance sir!
Maybe consider doing two 12lb turkeys? I find the smaller turkeys cook better than trying to cook one mammonth-sized turkey.
I plan on leaving this outside under a roof in my outdoor kitchen. How do you get out unused pellets so they dont swell in the auger from outside condensation? Could go long periods without use in winter.
By hand or vacuum. It doesn’t have a trap door.
Enjoyed your video. I am on the fence between a ys640 and Mak1 general. I live in a humid place and can't leave pellets in the hopper very long. Any tips on easy removal? A door would be nice.
Where do you live? We have YS640s all over the world, from Florida to Australia to the swamps of Louisiana and no one has had any problems at this point. A door is a possibility, but not sure if the custom shop at Yoder would have the time these days. It's always something we can work on though, just let us know if you want to chat about that. Thanks for watching!
Thanks. Live in Cincinnati and just found a Yoder owner within 30 miles. Have made contact and he has answered some questions for me.
I know this is an old video, but I'm hoping I can still get an answer. I have a Green Mountain (similar to Traeger) and I put foil down on my diffuser plate/grease catcher to make clean up easier. Is this something the Yoder can do because of that door over the fire box, and is it even really needed? If not needed, how do you clean all the burned on crap off the plate?
You can wrap it in foil or what I do is use foil wrapped cookie sheets that are easier to clean than the plate. The plate is heavy. It probably weighs 15-20lbs. It’s easier to load and unload a cookie sheet.
YS 640 vs. Smokin Brothers 30.... I sure hope I get a response.
getting the Yoder
Josh, what is your opinion of the Pitts and Spits Maverick 1250?
Had my hands on one in Texas a few weeks back. The lid is way more heavy than it looked, but otherwise it's totally fine. The real problem I have is it's just another Traeger style design with a small center mount burn pot. No matter how well built, they'll all cook the same. I'm not a fan of the flavor profile off of center mount pits personally.
I have 42” of space. Can anyone help in telling me the width without the side rack on it? 😊
When you set the temp for a cook, what are you basing that temp off of? Pit, grate, etc?
Pit. This is an older model. The newer ones have two additional probes that you can use for internal meat temp or grill area temp, all three of which are read outs on the screen or Wi-Fi to your phone.
I have a yoder Wichita but looking at the pellet. Does the pellet rust like the firebox on my Wichita
Great question. No, the firebox on a Wichita is subject to very intense heat, which is extremely hard on paint. Having owned a Wichita for over 10-years, an annual cleaning, sanding and applying a few new coats of paint is the answer. For super easy cleanup on a 640, add the grease shield - www.atbbq.com/accessories/grill-accessories/ys-accessories/yoder-smokers-pellet-grill-grease-shield.html. Let us know if you have any other questions at all.
So are you taking the heat diffuser completely out to direct grill?
Most of the time, yes. Unless you are using a two-piece diffuser, then you can just remove the door. Thanks for watching!
So the Big Question is which do you prefer the pellet smoker or the offset pit?..... And why?
I'm seriously considering a purchase but undecided at this point help me out..... LOL.
R Ryan do you want to wake up all hours of the night to check fire and add wood or do you want to get some sleep so when it's time to eat your not a zombie
Just learned about Yoder from a thread this weekend. Was leaning toward a Rec Tec but now I saw this. What about grease drippings? Where does the run off go?
I’m trying to find the answer to that too. Their website shows a drip bucket on the 640 but not the 480.
@@iamthehenke I ended up buying the 480. It’s amazing!!!! The heat shield rests at an angle. Grease drips down into a chute, then the pail. (I wrap the shield in tinfoil to keep it grease- free.).
Thursday I went to get the Yoder from my dealer closest to my house and
drove 3.5 hours to pick it up, and save shipping fee's...Now, I researched for over a month and this
was the grill I really wanted that was in my price range. I come to
find out that it costs more at my dealer buying direct (Grills of
Mississippi)...than ordering it from Allthingsbbq.
Being self employed and owning a few business as well as a
franchise...nothing irritates me more when the consumer who wants to buy local and have
dealer support..has to pay a higher premium... On the flip side, If I was the owner of (Grills of MS) who is your stocking dealer that has 1000's dollars of Yoder inventory, I would be irritated if I had to charge the consumer more do to a shipping charges vs what I can buy from All Things BBQ/Yoder direct.
Need less to say I was quite upset,
and ended up purchasing a grill for a few 100 more that is wifi compatible and 100% stainless. I purchased a MEMPHIS,
and am extremely pleased with my purchase and the level of professionalism that was given to me
yesterday. I also purchased 274.00 in rubs and pellets, and was given
the time with numerous taste test, samples of smoked food, recipes...all
this that you get from your local stocking dealer...something that you
can not get from buying on the net. Don't get me wrong, the videos you
provide are excellent..but they also sell product and should be used as a tool to support your dealers,
not sell against them.
My point is simple. Local dealers that stock Yoder should be given the same price or less
what is advertised here so that they have an advantage....and fix the
shipping charges. Ok Rant Over........Have a great Holiday guys.
Jeff Jassby hi what rubs and pellets from your experience is best?
I’m thinking of Yoder vs Rectec and like how Rectec is free shipping/easier to purchase
This is a stupid question: What is the source of heat and fire? Is it pure electricity or propane gas?
Any plans for a wifi controller?
What about the diffuser plate, does it come with the 480 or just the 640? I know pellets grow on trees, but how much more does the 640 take to achieve what the 480 will do?
thank you in advance
The YS480s does come with the diffuser plate. The pellet hopper on the 480 is the same as the 640 (they both hold 20 pounds of pellets). The main difference between the grills is the cook space. The 480 has 800 square cooking inches and the 640 has 1,070 square cooking inches. If you have any more questions about this grill, you can reach our team at info@atbbq.com or call us at 316-440-3950.
Thanks!
@@allthingsbbq searched for this answer and finally found it explained in simple terms. Thanks….. I thought I was missing something. Good/ better/ best- and than the 480 vs 640.
so what is the difference in the grills? is it just the cooking area? both seem to have the same headroom inside.
The only difference is the cooking area. The 640 is larger. Other than size, both cookers are made from the same materials and have the same control board.
Hi, do you know if new grills come with the new diffuser plate with the door?
They do not, it is simply an add-on.
Where do you find that? for a 640? Thanks
Jeff Miller Here it is: www.atbbq.com/yoder-smokers-heat-diffuser-access-door.html
Can you do one on the ys1500
Yes, we are shooting that one next. Most of the team will be on vacation next week, but it will be up in the next few weeks. Thanks for watching!
How many slabs of ribs can the ys640 cook at a time?
At least 10. 4 on top and 6 on bottom.
I have been dreaming about owning a Yoder for a very long time. Your video convinced me it’s time to sell the wife and buy the grill
Lol! Don't sell the wife, Frank! We have financing available. ;-)
Here's an overview of the latest version of that smoker, the YS640S w/ ACS control board:ua-cam.com/video/QocJjJVttfM/v-deo.html.
How do these handled being moved a lot? Picture makes them look pretty well built.
They are incredibly well built and will last being moved very well. The casters and wheels are quite good, but if you're going to compete or move a lot for catering or other reasons they do manufacture a competition cart version which you can see here: www.atbbq.com/yoder-smokers-ys640-pellet-grill-on-competition-cart.html
Thanks for watching!
Thanks.
If you move it a lot, I would spring for the comp cart model. It has bigger/better casters. This thing is heavy. The 640 mode weighs 415lbs. You’ll want the larger casters.
Any chance we can get an overview on the cimarron pellet cooker?
We have plans to do the YS1500 next, and then the Cimarron after that. Yoder is working on building the first larger run of the Cimarron and we're in the pipeline to receive one.
+allthingsbbq
good cause I'm thinking of a 1500 or a cimarron.
Either will be a great choice, and I'll try and work with Yoder to get a Cimarron to do a full review of as soon as I can. Have a great day!
Thanks for the response. Is there a 2nd choice you'd recommend if the wife says "no" to the Yoder?
Well, most of the import cookers cook pretty much identically (they are all based on the original Traeger design) so I would go with something you can get solid service on if needed. Either a local dealer or call the manufacturer to find out who you feel best about.
On the flip side, we offer financing with Affirm, so that can make purchasing a Yoder even easier. Thanks!
There's no doubt that these are probably great but with the initial price tag and the options, which some seem to be a necessity, these grills are way too expensive.
Is there a WiFi model?
Hey yoder don't you think powder coating the pit could insulate the pit and thus make it more efficient? the paint does truly suck
Powder coating wouldn't do anything for the pit as far as insulation goes. In our view, the paint is great. We have been cooking on the pits on our patio for years (they have more hours on them than any other Yoder pellet grill out there) and we have very few issues with the paint. The few we do get touched up, and 20 minutes of work makes a pit look brand new again! Thanks for watching.
How much are the grills and where do I find them
You can check them out here: www.atbbq.com/grills-and-smokers/pellet-grills/yoder-smokers-ys640s-pellet-grill-with-acs.html
Why is the warranty on the Rec Tec so much better than the Yoder if the Yoder is so superior?
Ok I'm on the fence with the YS 480. What is your honest opinion about the level of smoke flavor these grills produce ? 1 being a gas grill and 10 being an off stick smoker..
I'd give the YS series a 7 or 8. They produce great smoke through the entire range. That is of course my personal opinion, but I really prefer it over any other pellet grill out there and I like it more than my offset (also a Yoder) for most smoking jobs. Thanks for watching!
Mike I bought a YS640 about a year ago. It really is all they say it is. It's amazing. I went from a guy who cooks burgers with moderate success every couple of months to note being known in our little neighborhood as a pit master haha. Also if you want to add extra smoke flavor get an amazing smoke tube fit some extra smoke. I smoke ribs, pulled pork, pork belly, brisket, ham, burgers, hotdogs, sausage, and roast. You name you can do it with these smokers. I was going to buy a Big Green Egg. Thank goodness one of the sales reps saved from that mistake. You really can't go wrong here. My family loves it.
A.W. W. I know it’s been 2 years since you posted this comment but how are you liking the ys640. I’ve always been a fan of how the green eggs and kamado joes cook but this just seems so much more versatile.
@@BIGBUCKHT75 Kamado grilling is great also. I bought a Weber Summit Charcoal and I'm beyond happy with it. One thing a Kamado does well is high heat. Most pellet grills can't match a Kamado in that area. I never thought it mattered much since I rarely cooked over 500° at the time but, boy I'm glad I went with a Kamado. I got into making high temperature dough for pizzas and calzones. After having the high temperature food I've made, I'd be really sad to have to settle for a lower temp. It's hard to explain, you just have to try it to truly appreciate the Summit or most Kamados for that matter. I also love that it holds temperature exactly like a BGE or KJ but without the set backs of ceramics. Nothing should ever break on my cooker, there's nothing fragile and moving it around is a breeze. In all fairness, I think the BGE and KJ are both great and I'll be adding both to my lineup soon. But it's all about you in the end, buy whatever will always you the happiest.
you really should review what you sell
With being such a big investment and not having a distributor near me, I'd have to order online. Do they get banged up by delivery company's?
TEEvar Mine didn't. Love mine.
TEEvar There is always a chance something could happen, but if it does we will have it brought back and send a new one.
you should try smoking turkey legs and make them taste as good or better than the ones you see at fairs and theme parks
We'll add it to our list!
What's are the differences between the two?
Just the size. The YS640 is 8" wider than the YS480.
allthingsbbq okay thanks, your channel is awesome!
Do you feel that these smokers put out enough smoke?
Sorry I took a bit to get back to you, I was out of town.
The answer is an absolute yes. When an offset is run dead clean (no dirty smoke) it is tough to tell the difference between food smoked on it and a YS series pellet grill. Yoder pits put off more clean smoke through the full range than anyone else. If someone wants more they can always supplement with a smoke tube, but we rarely do that. Thanks!
@@allthingsbbq I tried the smoke tube but I personally found it to be a gimmick. It introduced a dirty acrid smoke.
I’m going to buy this instead of the TRAEGER
Yoder vs rec tec?
Sorry it took four days to get back to you, we just got back from family vacation on Tuesday and I have been playing catch up!
I have cooked extensively on nearly every pellet grill on the market and just so happen to have spent a good amount of time cooking on a Rec Tec. Here are the four places the Rec Tec can't compete:
Build Quality: While the Rec Tec is well built and fairly heavy duty for an import grill, it weighs nearly half as much as the YS640 and the body is almost half as thin. The body on a Rec Tec is the same gauge as the pellet hopper lid on a YS640, which is the lightest weight gauge used on the cooker. It just won't hold up over time the same way.
Versatility: You can't pull the diffuser out of a Rec Tec and grill direct over a wood fire. Only a few pellet grills allow it and the YS640 has the largest open direct grilling surface (at 320 square inches) of any traditional pellet grill on the market. Yoder was the first to offer custom GrillGrates for high-heat searing as an option straight from the factory for this reason.
Controller Quality: The Rec Tec uses a simple PID controller. A PID is nice if you only need to control a single variable (like fuel flow rate), but a pellet grill has to cook outside in different weather, from cold to hot, dry to wet and with wind coming and going. Add to that the different cooks you'll do from a few chicken breasts to a loaded cooker full of meat and the PID can't keep up. It doesn't have the intelligence to handle all of that information and react to it. The YS series has a custom built micro-controller (designed in Kansas, manufactured in Oklahoma) that looks at multiple variables and controls the auger with more speeds than any other company.
Smoke and Heat Flow: The airflow of a pit is going to have a huge impact on the color and flavor of food it puts out, and also on the evenness of the grate area. The YS series has an offset pot instead of the standard small center mount pot that nearly everyone uses (which Traeger originally designed in the 1980s). This has several nice effects on the cook, one is that it cooks low and slow much more like a traditional offset pit and the food looks and tastes closer to it due to that fact. The other great thing is the size of the burn pot. Being larger it can hold more pellets, which means it will produce more smoke throughout the smoking range. The YS640 produces real smoke at 300º while the Rec Tec starts to shut down around 250º. The way they have gotten around that is by stuttering the fan, which is good in theory until you realize that smoldering pellets produce a ton of creosote and make foods bitter and black. By burning a larger amount of pellet the YS series can burn them at a lower BTU to get to the cooking temp you want without sacrificing flavor. No need to set the smoker at 180º for the first three hours of a cook to get flavor, just set it to 250º and let it rip.
One other reason to buy a Yoder Smokers pit is the cook space. The YS series has more headroom and a whopping 1,070 square cooking inches while the largest Rec Tec comes in at 680 square inches, so it won't be able to feed large groups or do really big cooks well.
I hope that answers your questions and let me know if you have any others.
Have a great day and thanks for watching,
Josh
Didn't you just review your own product? I may be wrong but I believe the owners of yoder smokers own all things bbq. Just seems weird not to mention that in a review
They are two separate companies that operate with different staff, and the Yoder staff was not involved in what was said or what went into the review. We reviewed the YS480/YS640 as we would any grill or smoker we carry. More reviews will be coming of Napoleon, Weber, Fire Magic and more. We simply started with our most popular model. Thanks for your question, and thank you for watching.
I'm probably going to buy one of these Yoders, but you should specifically mention Yoder is owned by the same parent company if this is the case. It's just common sense to disclose that sort of thing. I don't know why you'd argue with Kyle.
I didn't feel like it was an argument. Just set the misrepresentation straight. Yoder does not own ATBBQ and we don't share a parent company. Simply different companies.
The person that founded/owns Yoder also founded/owns ATBBQ.
There's 23 Yoder titled videos on this channel. Theres 3 videos of Napoleon and 5 of Weber. There aren't any actual grill reviews for these other manufacturers on this channel and the Yoder one is a year old. Yoder is arguably superior to both and is my personal preference, but the case for bias here is undeniable. You're plugging your own stuff, which is fine (especially in this case when you've got one of the best)... but own it.
A little on the high side .
Good Lord Ladies settle down. Yoder is the best period. Anything else is ridiculous. Buy what you want to. I want American made period! Keep it moving. Gods Blessings 🙏
We’ve had our Z Grill ZPG-450A pellet grill for a little over two weeks. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx3c8DmtYRYEKYTiR4g7y6Yc2amUPVs_3X It was relatively easy to put together, with 2 of us. (friend and I)The grill seems well built and heavy duty. I followed the start-up directions, and then cooked chicken on it that evening. We’ve since cooked burgers, pork chops, meat loaf, and steak on the Z Grill and love it. I’ve used a hardwood mix (per my Son-in-Laws recommendation) and we are very happy. Like cooking in an outside oven with a nice smoky taste. This is a perfect size for the two of us, and would probably work fine for a small family also.All the things we have cooked have kept their moisture, and remained juicy. No burning on one side!My next challenge will be a brisket. We highly recommend the Z Grill 450A, so far. Hopefully they did get whatever “bugs” fixed from previous models (per the description on Amazon). I’ll update our review after a few months.
Is there any way to use a rotisserie with the YS640?
Due to how the unit cooks (forced air with dual fans) it just isn't necessary. It won't benefit the cook at all. I have seen people put them in the units before, but it doesn't make the food any better... I think it's just about doing it for some people. Thanks!