If you have been searching for a good pellet grill, you must have come across two of the most trusted brands – Traeger and Camp Chef!
Traeger is very popular for being a well-esteemed manufacturer of pellet grills. However, their high prices are also decided keeping their popularity in consideration.
Whereas Camp Chef has been designed to be budget-friendly, despite promising the best features for a pellet grill.
To decide between these two brands can be a great hassle! Therefore, we’re here to help you understand everything that you need to know about the two
Camp Chef Vs. Traeger – A Comparison
It’s not false to say that both these brands manufacture pellet grills that are great for anybody’s use.
However, they do differ in various features which makes them compete with one another.
| Features | Camp Chef | Traeger |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Construction | Durable (powder-coated steel body with enamel-coated grates) | Durable (powder-coated steel body with porcelain-coated grates) |
| 2. Portability | Portable | Portable |
| 3. Cooking space | Small to very large (575 to 1300 square inches) | Small to very large (500 to 1236 square inches) |
| 4. Pellet hopper size | 18, and 22 pounds | 18, 20, and 22 pounds |
| 5. Sear box and sidekick | Included | Not included |
| 6. Temperature range | 180 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (can reach 640 degrees Fahrenheit on direct heat) | 150 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit |
| 7. Temperature control | Easy and automated | Easy and automated |
| 8. Meat probes | 2 to 4 included | 1 to 3 included in some models |
| 9. Downdraft exhaust system | Not included | Included |
| 10. Ash cleanout | Removable and easy | Easy |
| 11. Integrated grease management system | Included | Included |
| 12. Price | $700 to $1000, lower in some models | $700 to $2000, higher in some models |
| 13. Manufacturing country | Designed in USA but manufactured in China | Headquarters in USA but manufactured in China |
| 14. Warranty | 3 years warranty | 3 years warranty |
| Visit Camp Chef’s Website. | Visit Traeger’s Website. |
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Everything You Need to Know About Camp Chef
Camp Chef was established in 1990 with the idea to provide high-quality outdoor cooking equipment to campers.
Eventually, they shifted their ideas from just camping and portable grills to other products, such as ovens.
The company decided to provide pellet grills to the market eventually. Formerly, they could not do so since Traeger grills had patented the idea of designing pellet grills.
Their pellet grills were a success due to their high durability and portability, which was also accustomed to affordable prices.
All pellet grills at Camp Chef are designed and tested in Utah, USA, but manufactured in China.
Our Pick
The Woodwind WiFi 24″ With a Sidekick Flat Top
This 150 pounds pellet grill from Camp Chef offers a highly durable construction.
Not only does it have a stainless steel firebox, but the 4 meat probes included with it are also made of stainless steel.
The product offers a temperature range between 160 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Under open-flame cooking in direct heat, it can even reach a temperature of 650 degrees Fahrenheit!
The temperature range is also easy to access and control.
The Woodwind WiFi 24 also features smart smoke technology that allows you to control the smoke intensity, as well as a sidekick flat top.
This pellet smoker is easy to clean, since it has been designed to have an easy-to-use ash cleanout system, and also features a grease management system.
Everything You Need to Know About Traeger
As one of the earliest designers of a pellet grill, the founder of Traeger realized how good the idea behind a pellet grill was.
Therefore, the company patented the idea in 1985, preventing any other brands from competing with it.
This update from a wood fired smoker gained popularity; hence Traeger enjoyed a great deal of benefit from pellet grills.
Eventually, the patent did expire in 2006, which allowed other brands to use the idea and compete with their own designs of pellet grills.
However, despite this change, Traeger was able to maintain its position and popularity as the first and best manufacturers of pellet grills.
Today, all pellet grills at Traeger are manufactured in China. Although their headquarters are still present in the US.
Our Pick
Traeger Pro 575 Grill
The 124 pounds pellet grill by Traeger weighs even less than the product by Camp Chef.
Since it’s meant to be used outdoors, it is designed to be portable and features all-terrain and locking castor wheels for this purpose.
Like all other pellet grills by Traeger, the Pro 575 grill has high durability. All of its grill grates are coated with porcelain.
The temperature range for this pellet grill is between 150 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. All of these temperatures can be easily accessed and controlled.
This model by Traeger also includes meat probes for the user’s convenience.
The cleaning process of this grill is made easy with easy ash cleanout, as well as grease management system. Therefore, cleaning can’t be a hassle for you either!
A Side-By-Side Comparison
Camp Chef and Traeger are both great grills to purchase.
So, if you’re still confused between the two, you’re not the only one.
To make the decision easy for yourself, you can always see which features suit you best and vice versa.
Construction
Camp Chef grills are designed to be highly durable with their bodies constructed of powder-coated steel. Every model of pellet grills designed by Camp Chef will also have all of their cooking grates coated with enamel.
Similarly, Traeger also constructs its grills’ bodies with powder-coated steel. However, they do not yet provide cooking grates that are enamel coated.
However, their recent models have their cooking grates coated with porcelain.
TAKE AWAY
With only this slight difference in construction, it’s fair to say that both the brands have taken their products’ durability seriously, and purchasing either of the two will give you similar reliability.
Cooking Space and Pellet Hopper Size
Rather surprisingly, both these companies offer not only very similar, but also very accommodating cooking surface areas.
Camp Chef has many options, ranging between 575 to 1300 square inches. Whereas Traeger has options ranging between 500 to 1236 square inches.
Unless you want a really small pellet grill, in which case Traeger is your option, there’s a tie between the brands.
Similarly, Camp Chef lets you choose between two sizes of pellet hoppers, 18 and 22 pounds.
With Traeger, you have an additional option to pick a pellet hopper that can contain 20 pounds of wood pellets at a time.
Temperature Control and Range
Both the brands provide easy and automated temperature control for all their pellet grills.
Camp Chef allows you to pick a temperature from a range of 180 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, like most other grills.
Traeger beats this range by allowing you to set an even lower temperature, giving you a range of 150 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, no model of grills by Traeger has yet introduced an open flame.
TAKE AWAY
Camp Chef wins in this regard because by allowing you to cook on direct heat, it can help you reach a temperature of 650 degrees Fahrenheit, or even higher!
Portability
Both Traeger and Camp Chef have designed all of their pellet grill models to be portable.
Therefore, having either of the two brands won’t pose a problem for you in case you like camping around too much!
Price
The price range for Camp Chef and Traeger is almost similar.
However, Traeger is known for being overly expensive. Therefore while their cheapest grills are only around $700, their most expensive grills can even cross $2000!
On the contrary, Camp Chef has tried their best to sell budget-friendly grills. If you look up, you’ll find that some of their grills can easily be found for less than $700. Whereas their highest prices don’t shoot over $1000.
Warranty
Traegar and Camp Chef both offer a warranty on their grills up to 3 years.
This means that whether you choose one brand or the other, you won’t have to worry about unforeseen repairs as they will have it covered for you.
Additional Features
Although a sear box and sidekick are additional accessories that most grills will not have included, Camp Chef makes sure they include them in all of their older and newer models.
For Traeger, you will have to purchase them separately if the need arises.
Similarly, Camp Chef also provides you with at least 2 to 4 meat probes in all their models.
Some models of grills in Traeger will have none at all! Only newer models tend to include 1 to 3 meat probes today.
Cleaning has also been made rather easy in Camp Chef by the inclusion of removable and easy ash cleanout, as well as the integrated grease management system.
Traeger features both of these, as well as a downdraft exhaust system!
Still, if you need extra perks, Camp Chef is your choice.
Is Camp Chef Better Than Traeger?
It does seem like Camp Chef offers better value to your money as compared to Traeger, while offering you a very similar set of high-quality features.
However, the best product for you is the one that meets your expectations in a pellet smoker.
All the pellet smokers designed by either two of the brands feature a list of similar qualities. But at the same time, they also feature a set of distinct extra features that makes their product superior.
You need to pick a product that matches your requirements in a pellet smoker.
As far as their running experience is concerned, we can assure you that we’ve personally smoked many types of meat using both of the products mentioned from these brands, and have had no complaints!
Wrapping it Up
Traeger has designed pellet grills as the only company for many years now.
Despite having their patent expire, they have competed with several companies to maintain their established name.
Yet, brands like Camp Chef have improved over time and become well-esteemed competitors to Traeger.
Both these companies have a lot to offer to anyone whose needs they meet. You need to look for a product that suits you to have no complaints regarding it.
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