# Rec Tec Owners Feedback



## JamesAggie (Jun 28, 2012)

Hi all, 

I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a Rec Tec, but I would like some real world 2Cool feedback. Does it grill and smoke equally well? How does it do with steaks? How accurate is the temperature on both sides of the grill? Do you get plenty of smoke? Good bark on your smoked meats? Do you use rec tec pellets or other? Do you use any of the accessories, if so how do they perform? What issues have you had, if any? If you could buy again, would you?

Thanks for the feedback!!

James


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## NaClH2O (May 25, 2004)

I'm not a Rec Tec owner, but I do have a Traeger pellet cooker and can offer my views from using it. Also, the reviews I have read about the Rec Tec are outstanding. It rates very high with users. If I could have found one locally, I would have bought the Rec Tec instead of the Traeger. From what I have read, it has a vastly superior controller to the Traeger, so it stays closer to the set temp.

As for pellet cookers, here are my thoughts. They work great as smokers and ovens. Here are my favorite things to cook on it - pork butt (for pulled pork), ribs, chicken (I cook at 350 to crisp the skin) and bacon. Yes, bacon. It's the best you'll ever have. Cooking at 350 it takes about an hour. Basically anything that is best cooked over indirect heat is excellent on a pellet cooker. Well, except for brisket. I haven't been able to cook a really good brisket yet. I think it may have to do with it being a dry smoke. If prices will ever come down, I'd like to try adding a water pan or two in the corners to help produce the moisture in the cooking chamber to see how it changes the outcome. However, in my opinion, a pellet cooker will not replace a grill (direct heat) for cooking things like steaks and burgers. Even though my Traeger will get up to about 450 degrees (the Rec Tec will go about 100 degrees higher I think), it doesn't provide that sear that I like when cooking a steak. Others say they cook great steaks once you understand how it cooks, but it just doesn't do it for me. Other than that, pellet cookers are fantastic.

I haven't used any of the Rec Tec pellets, but I've read they are good. I was using Traeger pellets in the beginning, but I moved to the pellets found at Academy. They're cheaper and most people say they're very high quality. They are primarily oak pellets with a small amount of 'flavor' pellets mixed in. It will say on the bag. I've seen hickory and mesquite. They are $10 for a 20 pound bag versus $15 for same size Traeger pellets. Over time, that's a significant cost savings. For pellet usage, my Traeger uses about a pound an hour for cooks at 250 degrees and will go up from there.

I say get the Rec Tec. I think you'll enjoy it.


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## JamesAggie (Jun 28, 2012)

Brisket is concerning. That is one of my favorites!!


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## NaClH2O (May 25, 2004)

JamesAggie said:


> Brisket is concerning. That is one of my favorites!!


Since brisket prices have been so high the last year or so, I've only cooked two since I bought the Traeger. The flat has been pretty good, but the point has been tough. I've noticed that I have had to take them to 205 versus 190 on my friends' trailered stick burner. I'm cooking at similar temps, too, so that can't be what it is. I think it's that there isn't enough moisture to penetrate that point since it is so thick. I still need to do some more testing to see if it helps, but I'm not paying $25 or more for a brisket for it to turn out less than ideal. Once I have it down, I'll consider it. If I can find another $0.99/lb sale, I'll stock up and keep trying until I get it right.

One other piece of advice on a pellet cooker, be sure to clean out the fire pot and the ashes in the bottom of the pit each time you use it. If you don't, it will smoke like crazy if there is a bunch of ash and half-burnt pellets in the fire pot. I didn't do this and had neighbors checking on me to see if there was a fire somewhere. I use a shop vac and it only takes a couple minutes.


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## Grandmaster (Apr 15, 2009)

I went back and forth between the rec tec and the Yoder ys640. I ended up going with the Yoder because most of the comparisons I found tended to favor the yoder as the better smoker and closest to a stick burner. This is my first Pellet pooper but so far I am pretty happy with it. It has taken a little getting used to, but it is really turning out to be a great cooker. 

It took about 5 cooks for the pit to season and settle in and temps to even out, but now my temps are within 10 degrees all the way across. First couple of cooks the temps were up to 50 degree different.

To get good smoke, my experience so far anyway, is you need to start your cook off at lower temps. 225 or below produces a good thin blue smoke pretty much continuously. Start bumping up the temps and it still smokes but it is not constant. Get much over 300 and the pellets start burning so clean that about the only smoke you get is from grease vaporizing.

I have the grill grates(rec tec has them too) and to my surprise the pellet grill works great for high temp grilling. Crank the temp up to max and you have a nice fire to grill over. Grills great.

The rec tec gets pretty good reviews as well so I don't think you can go wrong with the rec tec.


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## JamesAggie (Jun 28, 2012)

Grandmaster said:


> I went back and forth between the rec tec and the Yoder ys640. I ended up going with the Yoder because most of the comparisons I found tended to favor the yoder as the better smoker and closest to a stick burner. This is my first Pellet pooper but so far I am pretty happy with it. It has taken a little getting used to, but it is really turning out to be a great cooker.
> 
> It took about 5 cooks for the pit to season and settle in and temps to even out, but now my temps are within 10 degrees all the way across. First couple of cooks the temps were up to 50 degree different.
> 
> ...


Rec Tec offers the smoke tubes with the smoker that are supposed to add smoke. Reviews are positive, but hoping a 2cooler and give me real direction. The Yoders are amazing, just out of my price range.


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## fishnfriends (Dec 10, 2012)

*rec tec*

I have owed the rec tec for about 5 months now and love it. I'm not much of a cook but this thing makes it so easy. I have cooked pork butt, ribs, brisket wings and pizza. All came out great even the pizza considering it was a frozen one.(just had to try it) Have not grilled on it yet. I chose this one because the financing made it so easy I think it up to two years same as cash. I got it for one, And the customer support is the best. Called them on a Sunday with a temperature issue and they walked me through some steps and was able to fix it right then. (saved my Sunday family fun day) and to top it off they sent me a free temp probe free of charge. I'm still working on the same pellets that I purchased through them but they said you can use any pellets and it will not void the warranty. I like the fact that it has a 40 lb. hopper on it and it is split down the middle. My cousin has a traeger and with the smaller one sided hopper he said sometimes you have to watch the hopper due to pellets not falling and fire goes out. Temps are really accurate compared to an external temp probe, love the remote temperature probe. Hot days in Houston make it to were you don't even have to walk outside while cooking a butt or brisket great smoke ring and flavor. Lower temps. produce the most smoke. For the price and convenience you cant go wrong. Accessories, remote tem. probes great, grill mats food will not stick to these things, grill crates, I have but have not used. Grill cover very good quality. Buy with confidence, you will be getting a god quality smoker with excellent customer support. Hope this helps.


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## En Fuego (Jul 26, 2006)

I've had a rec tec for close to a year - did a ton of homework on the various brands before i pulled the trigger - could not be happier - absolutely love it.


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## fattrout (Jun 19, 2013)

i have a Mak but i hear great things about the rec tec also...and they do a fine job on briskets.


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## seadriftbayrat (Mar 19, 2006)

*rec tec*

Ive had my rec tec for over a year. Also did a lot of research before I bought it. Rec-tec was at the top of the list along with yoder. Ive cooked brisket, ribs, steaks, chicken and everything has come out great. Briskets have had great smoke rings. I know its hard to believe but its really hard to mess up anything on this pellet grill with the precise temp controller it uses. Slap a brisket on using a maverick et-732 smoke till internal is 150-160 wrap till internal of 195-205 and they come out perfect everytime. Babybacks at 275 for 3 hrs and st Louis style at 275 for 4 hrs. One of the main reasons I bought a pellet grill was that I enjoyed bbq but really didn't have the patience to babysit a charcoal pit for long cooks. Major plus is its so easy to use my wife can throw on some ribs while im out fishing and we'll have em for dinner/lunch when I get in.


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## JamesAggie (Jun 28, 2012)

How do you guys feel about the rec tec pellets? Gonna put in my order soon and am thinking of getting the platinum package along with it.


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## cabolew (Aug 12, 2005)

Might want to check texaspellets.com They are in Conroe. I got a great deal from them on like a dozen bags of pellets. You can go and pick them up to save cost of shipping. Great selection of pellets and rubs. I use them in my PG500 from cookshack.


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## bvpurvis (Feb 24, 2014)

i just ordered a rec tec! ant wait to try it out!


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