The world of pellet grills is dominated by two giant brands: Weber and Traeger. Traeger is the original inventor of the pellet grill, but Weber is the biggest and best grill brand in America, regularly topping lists of the best grills. However, two of their most popular smokers - the Traeger Ironwood 650 and the Weber Smokefire EPX6 - look so similar that it's hard to tell which one you should buy.
We've tested both grills, so we know exactly which grill is best at which job. It's been a while since we tested the Traeger - so long ago the review isn't online - so I've also scoured the internet for other users' reviews.
The result? The Traeger wins on two out of four categories, whereas the Weber only takes one, so Traeger is probably the better choice. However, there are some big caveats to this, so it's well worth considering the Weber.
Head to head
Before I get into the detail, here's a direct comparison of the two grills to help you see the difference.
Cook surface: 650 sq-in
Dimensions: 46 x 27 x 47 in
Fuel type: Wood pellets and electric outlet
Pellet capacity: 20lbs
Temperature range: 165-500°F
Cook surface: 1008 sq-in
Dimensions: 47 x 55 x 33 in
Fuel type: Wood pellets and electric outlet
Pellet capacity: 20lbs
Temperature range: 200-600°F
Which makes the best food?
The annoying answer to this question is that it depends. Both grills are very similar, so the difference ultimately comes down to their temperature range.
If you love smoking, the Traeger is probably the better choice. It can go as low as 165°F, which means you can smoke salmon or other delicate ingredients like cream cheese. This lower temperature range makes it slightly more versatile for smoking than the Weber.
Conversely, the Weber has a higher top temperature, so it's better for grilling burgers and steaks. This higher temperature means you can achieve a better sear on meats, and it also makes the grill a little faster.
Which makes the most food?
Winner: Weber
This one is pretty straightforward - the Weber can make a lot more food than the Traeger. It has more than one and a half times more surface area than the Traeger. It's an almost ridiculous amount of space.
The image above is from our test of the Weber Smokefire. You can see that a whole shoulder of lamb barely takes up an eighth of the grill; You could comfortably fit four more in that half of the grill and you'd still have room left over. That would make enough food to feed at least 30 people, so you can start to get a sense of just how large it is. It's actually larger than our favorite large grill, the Weber Genesis SPX-435, which has enough space for 40 burgers.
Of course, this is only a positive if you have a large family and a lot of outdoor space. If you have a little lot and a family of four, the Traeger is the better choice because it's more compact.
Which is easiest to use?
Winner: Traeger
Traeger wins this one. While both grills have smart connectivity, we found some issues with Weber's app. On top of that, the Weber was pretty tricky to assemble. The instructions were clear and helpful, and assembly went as fast as it could, but the Smokefire is so big that assembly took two hours. On top of that, the included probe in the Weber broke while we were testing it, so we had to order a replacement from Weber.
The Traeger was much easier to assemble and we found it much easier to the app. I've seen lots of other reviews online that say that the Traeger grill has an excellent app that takes a lot of the guesswork out of smoking, though a handful found the side table a little finicky. However, the Traeger grill has a pellet sensor that monitors how many pellets you have, which should stop you from running out.
Which is best value?
Winner: Traeger
Traeger is better value. Not only is its list price a little lower ($1299.99 to $1499.99), but the Ironwood 650 is often on sale, so it tends to be at least $400 less expensive than the Weber smoker. Pellets are the same price for both grills (at the time of writing, a 20lb bag of hickory pellets is $19.99 at both brands).
However, in sales periods, the large Weber might be a better option Last Black Friday the Weber smoker was cheaper than the Ironwood, which is much better value for the simple reason that the Weber is larger, so you get a lot more grill for your money. On top of that, Weber has a longer warranty than Traeger, so you're protected for longer.
FAQs
Are Weber and Traeger made in the USA?
Traeger grills are no longer made in the USA and instead are manufactured in Vietnam and China. The Weber Smokefire is assembled in the USA, but some of the parts are sourced from around the world.
Can Weber or Traeger grill cold smoke?
Both of these grills can cold smoke (smoke at under 90°F) but you need to buy adaptors to do so.
Both of these brands are great, but they're not the only game in town when it comes to grilling, and both use a lot of jargon in their marketing. For more help with buying grills, take a look at our guide to how to buy a grill.
