Traeger Woodrigde Pro - from a Stickburner's perspective.

I BBQ part-time professionally, primarily using larger wood and charcoal smokers.  Historically, I haven't really had much interest in pellet smokers. Not for any reason other than I simply enjoy the process of tending fires. I am, however, quite surprised, and not even a little embarrassed to admit how much I enjoy using my Traeger Woodridge. In addition to the obvious convenience advantage compared to woodburning cookers, there is a great deal more to like about it... 

The controls are straightforward and very easy to use. The large, retro "8-bit"-style display is easy to see, even from a distance. The app is super intuitive and cleanly designed, without a lot of fluff or clutter between you and getting cooking. I appreciate that it uses Wi-Fi (rather than the more common Bluetooth), as Wi-Fi enables you to view and control a cook from anywhere you have cellular or Wi-Fi service! YES, I have indeed managed a cook, from a vehicle (as a passenger, of course), about 90 miles from home! The temperatures across the cook chamber, and top to bottom, are within reasonable differences. And the built-in food probe seems accurate when compared with my various 3rd-party leave-in thermometers.

Initially, I found the remaining pellet warning (a feature not included on the base model Woodridge) a little annoying. But I have to be honest, it's saved my “bacon” (almost literally) more than once! 

While it may seem like a small thing to get excited about, it’s without doubt, THE easiest-to-clean pellet smoker I've ever used. Almost to the point of being enjoyable. There are hooks on the cooker body and framework where you can hang ALL the grates, including the primary drip tray, while you clean the inside. And unlike most other pellet smokers, there are no dark, hard-to-reach places inside. Once you remove the firepot cover, grease channel, and ash/grease keg cover (which all simply lift out with no contortions or gyrations required!), everything can be easily scraped or swept into the catch keg, then removed and dumped. Reading this as I'm writing it, it doesn't sound that easy. BUT TRUST ME, it really is incredibly easy. 

With all of these advantages, the REAL STANDOUT feature of the Woodridge for me is the way it cooks. Most horizontal, or what I call “offset style” (meaning a horizontal, barrel-style cook chamber with a pellet hopper to the side) pellet smokers have a tremendous issue with radiant heat, and cook more like an oven than a smoker, resulting in what I consider a less-than-optimal texture to your cooked food - ESPECIALLY BRISKETS, where I find the output from most pellet smokers to be noticeably "pot-roasty." What I'm assuming is happening with the Woodridge is that with the lighter weight and steeper angle of the primary drip tray, it's cooking more with convected (like a traditional offset smoker) than radiant heat. Whatever the actual contribution, the briskets I'm getting from my Woodridge are closer to traditional offset quality than I've ever had from a pellet smoker.

As far as anything negative to say. If you're planning to use this as much (or more) for grilling than smoking, this may not be the best choice for you. Not having any function for direct firepot access, you're limited to a max cook temp of about 500ºF. So you're not going to get that dark char that people are typically after. Not that you can't cook a decent steak or burger on it, but if I were looking to grill more than smoke, I'd probably be looking at another cooker.

Now I'm not ready to replace all my live-fire cookers with pellet smokers. But I did use it on customers' turkey cooks this holiday season (all of which turned out great!). And on the days I don't have the time, energy, or inclination to tend a fire, and just want some great food, the Woodridge has changed my thinking about pellet smokers, and has certainly earned its place in my lineup.