Grills and Smokers
Traeger Pro 34 Review: What Happens After 18 Months of Real Backyard Use
I burned my share of briskets before this grill. Here is what 18 months of real weekend cooking taught me about the Traeger Pro 34.
I had burned exactly one brisket too many. Here is what I switched to and why the Fourth of July finally went the way I always wanted it to.
I burned my share of briskets before this grill. Here is what 18 months of real weekend cooking taught me about the Traeger Pro 34.
Both grills promise set-it-and-forget-it smoke flavor, but they make very different trade-offs. Here is what actually matters when you are cooking brisket, ribs, and weeknight chicken for your family every weekend.
You've been cooking on gas long enough to know its limits. Here's why a pellet grill fixes every one of them.
I had burned exactly one brisket too many. Here is what I switched to and why the Fourth of July finally went the way I always wanted it to.
Brisket has a reputation for being hard. This guide breaks down the process into five steps any backyard cook can follow, including how to handle the stall without panicking.
Most Traeger reviews read like the grill wrote them. This one does not. Here is what the marketing glosses over, what surprises new owners in the first month, and the honest math on whether the Pro 34 is the right call for your backyard.
After burning a few briskets and throwing out a rusted big-box kettle, I switched to the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch. Two years later, here is exactly what I think.
Both look nearly identical on paper. Here is how they actually perform across a full grilling season.
Gas is convenient, but charcoal wins on flavor. Here are 10 reasons serious backyard cooks still reach for charcoal, and the grill that makes it easy.
I avoided charcoal grilling for years. Then one grill changed everything about how I cook outdoors.
Your chicken is charred on the outside and raw at the bone. Your steak flares up and burns before the inside reaches temperature. Here is the fix.
Before you click add to cart on the most popular charcoal grill in America, read this. There are a few things the product page, the YouTube tutorials, and the Amazon star rating do not prepare you for.
I bought this thermometer a year ago after destroying one too many chicken thighs by trusting my gut. Here is what 365 days of daily backyard use actually looks like.
One is budget-friendly. The other costs roughly three times as much. After testing both on steaks, chicken, and pork shoulder, here is what actually matters for a backyard cook.
The Alpha Grillers instant read thermometer costs less than a bag of charcoal. Here is why 89,000 backyard cooks swear by it.
I was sixty seconds from pulling an undercooked bird out of the oven when the Alpha Grillers thermometer told me the truth. Here is what happened that November afternoon, and why I will never cook a big bird without one again.
Stop poking, pressing, and guessing. One instant-read thermometer and five steps are all that stand between you and medium-rare every single time.
I ran it through ice water, boiling water, and a Sunday afternoon of chicken thighs, pork chops, and a thick ribeye. Here is what 89,000 reviewers mostly got right, plus the two things they glossed over.
After burning through two cheap tool sets in three years, I switched to the Alpha Grillers set. Here's what two full seasons of weekend grilling taught me about whether it's worth it.
You are tired of spatulas that bend mid-flip and tongs that drop a chicken thigh back onto the grate. Here is the side-by-side that tells you exactly which set to buy before your next cookout.
Thin spatulas, bendy tongs, and brushes that shed bristles are not just annoying. They are actively ruining the food you worked hard to cook.
I cooked on the same flimsy starter tools for five years. When I finally switched to something that actually worked, the difference wasn't subtle.
Dirty grill grates are behind more ruined meals than bad seasoning or wrong temps. Here is the right method, using the right tools, so food releases clean and flavors stay honest.
I put these tools through gas, charcoal, and pellet grills across two summers. Here is my honest take on what holds up, what bends, and who this set is actually right for.
After months of weekly cooks on a 4-burner gas grill, here is what I learned about using the Weber Premium Smoker Box on everything from ribs to salmon.
You already have the grill. Now you want the smoke. These two boxes promise the same thing, but only one consistently delivers it.
Gas grills are fast and convenient, but smoke flavor has always been the missing piece. A smoker box fixes that for around forty dollars. Here is exactly what changes.
I had a perfectly good gas grill and a craving for real BBQ. The missing piece was a small stainless steel box that cost less than forty dollars.
Your gas grill can absolutely produce real BBQ smoke flavor. Here is exactly how to do it, step by step.
I ran the Weber Premium Smoker Box through five specific tests on a 4-burner gas grill, using three wood types and four proteins. Here is what actually happened, and what the product page will not tell you.
I burned my share of briskets before this grill. Here is what 18 months of real weekend cooking taught me about the Traeger Pro 34.
Most Traeger reviews read like the grill wrote them. This one does not. Here is what the marketing glosses over, what surprises new owners in the first month, and the honest math on whether the Pro 34 is the right call for your backyard.
After burning a few briskets and throwing out a rusted big-box kettle, I switched to the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch. Two years later, here is exactly what I think.
Before you click add to cart on the most popular charcoal grill in America, read this. There are a few things the product page, the YouTube tutorials, and the Amazon star rating do not prepare you for.
I bought this thermometer a year ago after destroying one too many chicken thighs by trusting my gut. Here is what 365 days of daily backyard use actually looks like.
I ran it through ice water, boiling water, and a Sunday afternoon of chicken thighs, pork chops, and a thick ribeye. Here is what 89,000 reviewers mostly got right, plus the two things they glossed over.
After burning through two cheap tool sets in three years, I switched to the Alpha Grillers set. Here's what two full seasons of weekend grilling taught me about whether it's worth it.
I put these tools through gas, charcoal, and pellet grills across two summers. Here is my honest take on what holds up, what bends, and who this set is actually right for.
After months of weekly cooks on a 4-burner gas grill, here is what I learned about using the Weber Premium Smoker Box on everything from ribs to salmon.
I ran the Weber Premium Smoker Box through five specific tests on a 4-burner gas grill, using three wood types and four proteins. Here is what actually happened, and what the product page will not tell you.