Traeger Woodridge Assessment

I don’t love grilling. I all the time really feel extra comfy in entrance of a stovetop than a grill, so except I’m testing Webers for work, I do my cooking indoors, the place there’s no guesswork about temperatures and cooking zones. No less than, that was my routine till earlier this yr, after I obtained a Traeger Woodridge. Now, I prepare dinner on it so typically, it will get extra play than my oven. 

The Traeger Woodridge, like all Traegers, is a pellet grill. In contrast to fuel or charcoal grills, pellet grills use wooden pellets which are mechanically fed into the grill from a hopper. To make use of a pellet grill, you simply have to set your goal temperature, load it up with pellets, and get cooking. The grill will preserve the temperature for you. It capabilities loads like an indoor oven, and that’s why I’ve turn into a convert.

Traeger has an awesome repute relating to pellet grills (typically referred to as pellet people who smoke, as a result of they’re actually good at low-and-slow grilling). And after cooking on mine for 3 months, I do know why: It’s lifeless easy to make use of, and it constantly seems wonderful grilled fish, rooster, and greens. The Woodridge is a brand new providing from Traeger, and it is proof of how far pellet grills have are available the previous few years. The Woodridge has a digital touchscreen and a useful app, and its warmth retention capabilities are wonderful. Belief me: I grilled on this factor all through a bitterly chilly Vermont February and was impressed with how properly it held my goal temperature each time.

This sounds wild from an avid prepare dinner and kitchen gear tester, however I not often use my oven anymore. My roomy Traeger Woodridge has greater than sufficient house for a few rooster breasts, a pan of candy potatoes, and a few zucchini, and all of it comes off the grill with a kissed-by-smoke taste. Cleanup is straightforward, too. (I hold a bottle of this grease-cutting cleaner close by.) The one factor I want the Traeger Woodridge did higher was sear: It doesn’t get scorching sufficient for an awesome Maillard response, but when that’s vital to you, you might wish to try the Traeger Ironwood 885, which is healthier at attaining that attractive crust.

However that’s a quibble. I can’t think about cooking with out the Woodridge. I don’t want any grilling abilities to make use of it, however recently I’ve been looking extra difficult recipes on the app, like these gochujang-marinated ribs and this salt-encrusted prime rib. Now that I’m assured within the fundamentals, I’m excited to see what the Traeger can actually do.

Why We’re the Consultants

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Severe Eats.
• Beforehand, she labored at Bon Appétit and Cooking Mild magazines. Earlier than that, she was a baker and a line prepare dinner.
• At Severe Eats, we’ve reviewed virtually each Traeger grill you should buy, and often replace our evaluations with new findings.