All Or Nothing: Pellet Grills

A friend called me a few weeks ago and when I picked up the phone he asked…

“Donnie … I know you’ll have an opinion …what are your thoughts on a pellet grill?”

He’s right. I have opinions on ridiculous things like grills …coffee makers and contraptions …headphones.

Rather than tell him some pros and cons, or maybe something I read, I said something like the following.

Don’t … don’t … get a pellet grill. Those things seem cool, but you’re better off using your oven. First, pellets aren’t natural … they’re expensive. You’ve got to monitor them and refill them often, sometimes during a long cook. Which people who love their pellet grill think is cool …  a loooooong cook. But, again …oven. And I’d rather get a wood burner and buy apple and cherry wood and really get that natural wood fire. Do you ever go to a BBQ joint and the menu says “pellet grilled ribs?”  No. You don’t. Charcoal. Propane. Or some sorta wood burner. And of course I like my flat top. If you’re gonna go for a long cook – like ribs for 3-5 hours, or a pork shoulder or a brisket, you’d be just as good if you got an electric, three-level smoker and put wood chips in there. I mean, if you bought me a super nice, top of the line pellet grill, I’m not kidding, I would say “thank you” and “how thoughtful” but as soon as I hung up the phone or you were out of site, I would list that thing on Craigslist. Waste, waste, waste of money. Then of course, the next time you called and asked how am I liking that pellet grill, I would have to lie to you and say, “I love it and I’m using it a lot,” and God forbid you call and say, “Hey, Don, I’m in the neighborhood, I’m gonna stop by.”  Then I’d have to run out to Lowe’s and buy a new one and put it in my yard like I didn’t actually sell the pellet grill you gave me. So, just …no. Let me send you a couple side-compartment wood burning smoker-style grills.

Then we talked for half-an-hour about Green Egg verse Kamado Joe and why that would be a great compliment to a traditional propane grill and I said why I like my Camp Chef flat top grill (cooking steel) versus a Blackstone (cast iron) and he was right …I have strong opinions. On silly things. And someone might read this and say, “who’s this idiot blogging about pellet grills” and I’m OK with that.

When I get into something, I dive deep. I read. I hem and haw. I make a decision. Then change my mind. And change my mind back again. All until I I know I’m confident and “right” in my opinion and then, eventually, my purchase.

We’re in a time where everyone has an opinion. I think it’s OK in cases like this …or why a certain instant one-cup quick-brew coffee maker is an abomination. It’s for people who say they like coffee, but don’t really like coffee. That’s another Blog post, right there.

Arguing about a flat-top versus a traditional Weber, or a pellet grill versus a charcoal grill versus a wood-burner …these are old-fashioned arguments that used to take place at a bar over beers. Things like “who’s the best running back, ever” . . . “who’s the best NBA player of all time.”  Now, with Google, sometimes there’s a true answer. But sometimes, it’s worth arguing over.

And having an opinion. A strong opinion. But be ready to back it up. You don’t have to be an expert on everything and have an opinion on everything …like I don’t ever argue the “best tent” or “best hiking boot” ….but be an expert in something and climb a hill …and die on that hill.