Camp Chef SmokePro Pellet Smoker/Grill 2 Year Review. Can it Grill Burgers?
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- Happy July Fourth! I mention in the video that I posted my first video on this pellet smoker on July 4th 2016, but that was on my other channel • Video and to this day that remains my most watched video! With the popularity of that vid I was encouraged to create this channel, as that one is mostly dedicated to pipe smoking. This is the current version of this smoker: amzn.to/3JgzqMV I would suggest you avoid the WiFi version.
The one question that I asked that I failed to answer is can you grill on this pellet smoker? In my opinion, not foods that cook quickly like burgers. Yes, the burgers cooked just fine and were juicy and tasty, but I like a burger with a nice char, so that's why I have the optional sear box on my smoker. But seeing that burgers cook so quickly I prefer to either smoke them low and slow on this pellet smoker followed by searing on the sear box, or grilled over charcoal on my grill.
I fully expect that I'll get comments saying the brand X or Y can grill, and I'm open to testing them out, but if they only get to 400 degrees they aren't hot enough for the way I like my burgers cooked, which is over 600-degree charcoal.
This is the current version of this smoker: amzn.to/3JgzqMV I would suggest you avoid the WiFi version.
On you video review of the camp chef pellet smoke. Several years after this video was released it’s still getting views. I found this review to be refreshingly honest and due to the nature of the camp chef and it’s performance for you family I found this review very helpful. I hope you smoker is still giving you and your family joy all these years later. Cheers!!
It sure is still making great food and we continue to enjoy it. I can’t say that the newer versions with their fancy-schmancy Wi-Fi connections don’t catch my eye, but I have no complaints. Thanks for watching and commenting. Scott
great video. Just bought one today over a traeger that was fifty dollars less. Your video confirms the salesman at D&B Supply, Boise ,Idaho. Can't wait to smoke some Mule deer ribs.
I have the Treager Pro 22 and cook hamburgers all the time. Put it on high and let sit for 10 min and then it is hot enough for the burgers. I cook 10 min with lid closed and then flip. After about 5 min I open the lid and place the buns on the little shelve rack to toast the buns. Retain juices and are better than any burger you can buy from any restaurant.
I would clean it out. My Woodwind caught fire after setting it to the highest temp setting. The WW got to 490, and then the dust ignited. By the time I noticed, the grease trap bucket was on fire as well. It was pretty tense for 5 minutes.
Danny That happened to me when I cooked burgers with the slide not over the pot. Camp chef claims to use it that way to get a sear... well the grease leaked through the louvers of the drip pan and started a grease fire. Like you said pretty intense for a few minutes scrambling trying to get heavy gloves to take everything out of the grill and get the fire out. That was my only fire in it while owning it. I dont use the “slide technology “ technology it offers anymore haha. It stays over the fire pot all the time.
I enjoyed your video. Researching my first pellet grill. Thought this was very informative. I think your a nice guy. Thank you.
I’m the wife.
I purchased the same model camp chef in june of this year. I also think it's a great pellet smoker. Camp Chef changed the hopper lid to a simpler design which keeps the water out when raining. I added the front shelf and also purchased the three teer jerky racks which come in quite handy for other cooks. There is a company that makes accessories for pellet smokers. One is a Pizza oven !
Yeah, I saw that new lid and am envious of it. I haven’t tried jerky with it but that also appealed to me. Have you made jerky.
Thanks for the great video on this, I really enjoyed it. I just purchased one of these yesterday with the optional sear box and I am very excited to use it.
You are going to love it! I'm coming up on three years with mine and I use it all the time. Scott
Whoops, I was logged into the wrong channel! Scott
Great review. I’d like to make two comments. First, please take a shop vac and clean out the dust. I have done it once in the last year. It’s not hard. Second, if you want a more even heat, get rid of the aluminum foil. It is acting as a reflector. It’s a tough call whether to use aluminum foil or not. I chose not to to have a more even heat and use the grill as designed. Depending on what I’m cooking I have to scrape off the excess from that tray. But in one year the tray is fine. Again the choice is more even heat or easier cleanup. This of course is personal choice.
I appreciate the comment. I never intended to ever use foil but after two cooks the drip pan became a total mess. I will clean the ash out once of these days but as I mentioned in the video, it just doesn't bother me.
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The burgers looked great. The deviled eggs were a classy touch love them.
Jandy did a fine job on them.
Thanks for this! I have a new woodwind, and boy I sure wish I had the simple nob you do for selecting stuff. I really kind of hate the LED display and turn/click setup. I'm sure I'll learn and get good at it, but this looks so much more user friendly. I didn't opt for the whole wifi thing...just not needed in my case and not worth the extra money.
Yeah, my dad purchased a Woodwind and hasn't enjoyed it half as much as I have enjoyed this smoker. She's still going strong, BTW! Scott
@@Aristogrub good to know they've got some longevity. Though I'm finding over the years that the "new version" of things isn't nearly as solid as the old. Just bought a replacement part for my 15 year old food processor because I absolutely hated the newer model!
You really need to treat yourself to one of the new upgraded versions of these Camp Chef Pellet Grills. I just got mine two days ago and I can't believe the improvements over your model. They have solved basically every problem you stated you have with yours, and then some.
Perhaps some day. I convinced my dad to buy wifi Camp Chef Woodwind and because they live in Denver and we are in NC I haven't gotten a chance to play with it.
Enjoying your videos. You gained a new subscriber and Alerts. Glad you made a 2 year video. Just posted a 1 year Camp Chef review. Hope to get more use out of it.
Since you have the sear box you night enjoy the burgers cooked on it. It takes four to five minutes to grill a 1/4 pound Burger on the warm sear box setting and the taste is great. It's nice when I want to fix a good quick lunch or not spend a lot of time getting the grill going.
Earl Slusher For sure, but I had 28 burgers and 16 hotdogs to prepare yesterday and the sear box just didn’t sound practical. Thanks for sharing the suggestion though. Scott
Glad to see she's as good as new.
Hilman She sure is. I got a bit distracted by sous vide cooking but I’m back on the smoker now.
Dis a good video ..dis how us black folks be cooking only thing is we use dat real wood dat been cut and allowed to season instead Dem lil pellet things ..but in da black culture BBQ more bout fellowship and laughs than a fast easy cook ..it's about getting da community out and socializing ..and drinking some forty ounce and smoke Dem blunts ..dis dude knows his pit and took da time to learn his pit ..each pit be different
Those burgers look so good. Have done some once and they were great. Keep Smoking!
They were good.
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Great video, that's for the tips.
I had my camp chef for about a year now. Only complaint is the paint flaking off the inside of the cover and the louvered drip pan is rusty. I don’t wrap it in aluminum foil. I don’t trust the high heat and the foil so cleaning it is often a pita.
I'm glad I waited to get the SG love it!
Excellent review, thanks for sharing. Those deviled eggs look great.
Indirect heating and you thought you could cook with the lid open? There isn't even a point in using pellets if you don't close the lid to encompass the meat in smoke.
Isn’t it apparent that yes, that was my hope. This product is being promoted as a “grill“ and on a grill I do not “grill” with the lid closed. Obviously it cannot perform as a grill,the way it is often promoted.
Yep, couldn't believe it when I saw it.
Aristogrub grilling with a lid closed is pretty normal....
@@Aristogrub I dunno, I’m almost 60 and I’ve used a closed grill my entire life. The Weber kettle was literally designed to be exclusively used when closed. I see you have an older model. The sliding pot cover was a big step forward for camp chef.
If you seal your lid you will get higher temps I've had mine up to 556 when on highest setting
I'll get around to adding the seal as soon as we find it! I can't believe how far and wide things got disperced during our move.
Whoops! I replied from the wrong account.
I may be wrong but many smokers need ventilation for the smoking process. Think camp fires, need oxygen for the burn and smoke.
what material would you use to help seal the grill?
@@LaidBackMatt Just a gasket for smokers, you can find them on Amazon. I put one on my Camp Chef and it keeps the smoke from going out the lid, keeps more smoke on the food! Also get higher temps when using the slide and Grill feature.
I love my camp chef xt, I live 3 blocks away from camp chef dutro, so I get to see all that cool shit.
Why didn't you grill them over the flame? What was the purpose of the foil at the bottom? Doesn't this model allow for direct flame grilling?
That’s a good question and you answered it correctly; this model was made before any pellet smokers had a direct searing option. The latest version of the Camp Chef, Traeger and others now have that feature, but if I really want a grilled burger I’ll just light up my charcoal grill. Good question. Scott
I'm just curious, how long does it actually take to grill burgers to medium or better with the lid closed, start to finish? I was thinking about getting this same model smoker and I'm wondering if it would completely replace my propane grill. If it takes forever to grill burgers, steaks or whatever I would probably keep the propane grill as well. I realize you have that sear station attached to the smoker but I'm not super interested in dumping $200 into that immediately after getting the $500 smoker.
Hootie Too long. It takes 20-30 minutes so if you already have a grill I would hold on to it. I truly love the smoker as a smoker but it just couldn’t grill. That said, the brand new Woodwind has a couple neat new features that could change all that, so I suggest checking out the latest video from the channel “TonyBuddy” here on YT.
On a pellet smoker, you always keep the lid closed. That's Pellet smoker 101.
For smoking you are correct.
@@Aristogrub If you're going to grill on that thing, because it doesn't hold heat very well when the lid is open, it must stay closed, just like if your smoking.
Thanks for the great video!
Why in the world don't people take off the grate on the pellet hoppers. The first thing I did when I got my smoker. If a person is not smart enough to keep their fingers out of the auger, they shouldn't be using a smoker to begin with.
I lived with four of my grandchildren at the time. I have since removed it and reinstalled it with rare earth magnets. Best of both worlds.
@Aristogrub I wasn't calling you dumb I was referring to the companies that started putting these in. But I guess some children don't know better, so maybe that's why they did it.
I can smell bbq from here!
Mustn't be mine, but BBQ is like a game of "telephone". It only takes one pit or grill to fire-up to inspire the next one, and the next one...
How long ddi the hamburgers take to cook or how long would you have cooked them? The Deviled eggs looked great! Seeya on 7/4/2019! LOL!
Too long! If I recall correctly it took about 45 minutes. If I was smoking them as a large meatloaf it would have taken much longer, but if I had fired up my charcoal grill they would have been done perfectly in about eight minutes. I love this pellet smoker for smoking and use it all the time for that, but a grill it is not.
You should slide the heat reflector out of the way. That rusty peice is meant to diffuse heat for smoking. Then it's a grill, the manufacturer explains this
Great video, my Camp Chef arrives on Monday. I’m excited about it, so doing some looking around at ideas. Question - where did you get those Hickory-Charcoal pellets? Did you notice a “charcoal-y” flavor in the burgers/dogs?
Matt Sturges Exciting days ahead for you! I got the pellets at the Field and Stream store. I just learned that Camp Chef is coming out with several new charcoal flavored pellets, so check wherever you find their pellets. I’ve purchased some from Amazon.
Matt Sturges Sorry Matt, I just noticed that I was logged into the wrong account when ai replied. Scott
No worries! Thank you for the reply. I’ll keep my eyes open for the new pellets. What part of NC are ya in?
Matt Sturges Between High Point and Thomasville in Trinity. You?
Cool cool! Born in Raleigh, lived in FL, LA, and Eastern NC. I lived in Hickory for about a year and moved back east to Winterville NC last August (outside of Greenville). I travel a lot especially in NC for work, I’ve been out your way before, for a couple of months for work (Archdale)
So how were the pellets?.....Lumberjack makes a premium pellet but I've always wondered about the Hickory/Charcoal...
Doug Dreyer Oh yeah, I guess I didn’t say. All in all I think they were fine for what I was attempting to do, but I would never smoke with them. In fact, I’ll probably use them up the next time I smoke a butt or brisket but only after I wrap them so they will only be needed to provide heat. They do that very well. They also do provide some charcoal flavor, which is what I was shooting for, but I don’t believe I’ll ever “grill” on the Camp Chef again. That’s what my grill is for. Scott
Aristogrub I don't think I'd grill with the smoker either...I was wondering about slow smoking steaks with those pellets and if there's enough charcoal to produce a good flavor...I like charcoal flavor....I was also wondering if it effects the temp with the pellets not being 100% wood...
Doug Dreyer I’m going to slow cook some ribeyes over these pellets tonight and will try to remember to report back.
HOT TIP, go to 6 minute mark where burger info starts. The 0 to 6 minutes is unrelated talking. My gawd this man likes to rattle on !
Comrade Yuri Yep, if you are only here based on a UA-cam search I’m sure that’s all you would be interested in. Scott
Could you taste the charcoal from the pellets?
Chris HIll Oh yes, it was very evident and was a familiar taste in a grilled burger. I wouldn’t pay extra for them, but I’ll keep a bag of these on hand for burgers and steaks.
Where do you buy those pallets at I never saw those before
RONALD BARBEE They seem to be showing up everywhere. I bought two bags of applewood pellets this week at Walmart and a bag of pecan wood at our local hardware store.
get a camp chef cover for that
lardo2525 I have one.
@@Aristocob frozen pizzas are better on the camp chef
lardo2525 Thanks for the tip. I’ve cooked a few Papa Murphy pizza on it, but never a frozen pizza.
Yum! Just wondering “cooked a little more done than I like” do you not fully cook your burgers, or are you talking about how you normally have your steak? I know that the current trend is to have burgers that are still red/pink, but I’ve always been concerned with ecoli or a plethora of other nasty bugs. What are your thoughts?
Richard T I prefer a medium rare burger, but only if I am confident in the meat. I would never buy a five pound tube of grocery store ground beef and cook it medium, but I picked this up at a reputable butcher who only works with primal cuts and tests in-house for ecoli. NC won’t allow restaurants to cook burgers below medium unless they grind their meat in-house, which most don’t, and most seem to error on the side of safety by severely overcooking their burgers, so unless I’m at one of the few places that grind in-house I don’t even bother ordering a burger. I even eat steak tartare and carpaccio.
Aristogrub I fully agree, if you can get good quality meat from a good butcher then you’re golden! So when is dinner? I’ll bring the wine :)
Richard T Ha! I have ribeyes
Why did you wait 9:44 seconds into a 11min video to actually put the burgers on?!
You must be new here.
Dude....clean your grill hahaha
Brian Dudasko I still haven’t!
no you cain't grill on a pellet smoker if you cover the fire chamber with foil..
It's the drip tray that is covered with foil and I'm not about to grill directly over the fire pot without protecting it from grease. I'm OK with this being a smoker as I have a charcoal grill for grilling.
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It took 10 minutes to put the food in lol dude what the fucj
Steven Leeming This isn’t a cooking video.
It’s NOT GRILLING, it’s an oven that has a bit of smoke
Steven Leeming Correct.
It took a while to get to the main point...
You’re new here.