Traeger has brought a wood-fire revolution to thousands of kitchens. Their grills are famous for their versatility, consistency, and most importantly taste.
Their grills come in different shapes and sizes. If you are looking for reviews of the best small Traeger grills, you have come to the right place.
Below are 5 options for compact grill’s lovers:
Best small Traeger free-standing grills
- Traeger Pellet Grills BBQ155.01 19.5K BTU Pellet Grill – Best for RV camping
- Traeger Grills TFB38TCA Renegade Elite Wood Pellet Grill – User-friendliest
- Traeger TFB42LZBC Grills Lil Tex Elite 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker – Best for winter cooking
Best small Traeger tabletop grills
- 15″ PTG+ Portable Electric Grill – Most portable
- Traeger TFT18PLDO Scout Wood Smoker Grill – User-friendly
Best small Traeger free-standing grills
Traeger Pellet Grills BBQ155.01 19.5K BTU Pellet Grill – Best for RV camping
- Convenient shutdown cycle
- Best smoke flavor
- Portability
- Even heat
- The power requirements are quite high.
It comes with a side table, providing extra space for prep work. The lid with an attractive bronze finish looks sleek and fancy. This grill adopts an electric ignition system, which makes grilling hassle-free. However, the power requirements during start-up is a bit high.
This pellet grill has a state-of-art digital control, which shows when the auger asks for extra pellets. What I love about BBQ155.01 is the automatic auger. Once you set the desired temperature using the controller, this auger will carry out exactly, brings pellets to the firepot without external interference.
The BBQ 155.01 offers a large pellet hopper and efficient grease drain system too. You can carry this small size grill almost everywhere thanks to its small size.
Product Specifications
| Grilling area (square inches) | 292 |
| Assembled dimensions | 21 x 23 x 23 inches |
| Weight | 70 lbs |
| Hopper Capacity | 10 lbs |
| Power | 110v |
| Highlight Features | Bronze lid finish, fully automatic auger, electronic auto start, digital control. |
Traeger Pellet Grills BBQ155.01 19.5K BTU Pellet Grill is for not only backyard grill lovers but also RV campers who love a compact and sleek-designed grill.
Traeger Grills TFB38TCA Renegade Elite Wood Pellet Grill – User-friendliest
- Easy to clean
- 6-in-1 versatility.
- Accurate temperature
- A well-made grill
- Affordable price
- Easy to assemble
- Quite bulky
Renegade Elite is a versatile model, including 6-in-1 options for users, not only grill but also bake, roast, braise, smoke and so on. This model allows you to use smoke setting flexible, to cook either low or slow.
It features an easy-to-use digital controller that keeps the temperature within the safe reach. The heat is consistent and even so that your steaks and chicken taste juicy and delicious. The highest temperature it can get is 450 degrees.
The auto-start ignition reduces your workload to start the grill. You just need to flip the switch on, the Renegade is ready to grill.
Other highlights from the Renegade are tool rack and wire front prep rack. Both offer space for you to hang your utensils, sauces as well as prepare and rest your food.
If you don’t like cleaning, this grill is just for you. By using a wet cloth, you bring back the spotless grill grates even after grilling steaks or smoking a rack of ribs. Compared to other small grills, this Traeger model is a bit bulky.
Product Specifications
| Grilling area (square inches) | 380 |
| Assembled dimensions | 42.2 x 23.5 x 9.8 inches |
| Weight | 120 lbs |
| Hopper Capacity | 18 lbs |
| Power | 110v |
| Highlight Features | Tool caddy racks, wire front prep racks, porcelain grill grates. |
Easy to assemble. Super versatile. The Traeger Grills TFB38TCA Renegade Elite Wood Pellet Grill is undoubtedly the user-friendliest model to deliver top-notch smoke favor and juicy taste.
Traeger TFB42LZBC Grills Lil Tex Elite 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker – Best for winter cooking
- Versatility
- Perfect insulation
- Cost efficiency (doesn’t consume much of the wood pellets)
- Large cooking space
- Sturdy construction
- Many people complain about the grill cover.
There are a few reasons why Lil Tex Elite 22 is a perfect choice for winter grilling. This grill is made of heavy-duty steel and topped with durable powder coat finish. You can rest assured that this grill will stay good for years.
The grill is well insulated so that it doesn’t lose heat when the weather condition is unfavorable (windy or cold). That makes the Lil Tex Elite 22 a cost-efficient option since it doesn’t consume wood pellets as much as its counterparts.
The grilling area is large, which can accommodate up to 16 burgers, 4 whole chicken, 5 racks, and 20 hot dogs. You can certainly feed a big party with this grill. Plus, it is compact, so you don’t have a hard time finding space to fit it in.
When it comes to cleaning, you don’t have to waste too much time on the non-stick porcelain grill grates.
The drawback here has nothing to do with the grill. But if you want to leave the grill outside, think twice before buying the grill cover because it doesn’t work very effectively.
Product Specifications
| Grilling area (square inches) | 418 |
| Assembled dimensions | 42 x 22 x 49 inches |
| Weight | 98 lbs |
| Hopper Capacity | 18 lbs |
| Power | 110v |
| Highlight Features | Electronic auto-start ignition, easy to clean porcelain grill grates, 6-in-1 versatility
|
Traeger TFB42LZBC Grills Lil Tex Elite 22 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, the best option for winter BBQ gathering, is versatile, cost-effective and user-friendly.
Best small Traeger tabletop grills
Traeger 15″ PTG+ Portable Electric Grill – Most portable
- 6-in-1 versatility
- Energy efficient
- Easy to use
- Compact and lightweight
- Quite small to work well as a smoker.
Small but powerful, this grill is highly versatile. Whether you want to grill, bake, BBQ or toast, it can handle them all. However, due to the small size, this grill can’t function very well when it comes to smoking. If you don’t use the smoke setting often, that won’t be a problem.
This small grill features a digital controller with LCD screen and 11 knobs to control the temperature. This way, you know the internal temperature inside the grill, so that you can adjust the heat accordingly. The temperature range of this model is from 180 to 450 degree.
The grease management system is simple. Grease will come out of the panel and drain into the bucket. No worry about the cleanup because the tinfoil bucket is easy to clean.
This grill adopts household outlet. It is simple and energy efficient.
Since it is a small grill, the cooking area isn’t ideal. However, 173 square inches of the cooking surface can hold up to 8 burgers, a chicken and a rib.
Product Specifications
| Grilling area (square inches) | 173 |
| Assembled dimensions | 12 x15 x 13 inches |
| Weight | 40 lbs |
| Power | 110v |
| Highlight Features | 6-in-1 versatility, table top design, easy and predictable, Integrated Digital Elite Controller
|
If you are looking for a compact grill for your next picnic or camping trip, 15″ PTG+ Portable Electric Grill is certainly an option to consider.
Traeger TFT18PLDO Scout Wood Smoker Grill – User-friendly
- Well made
- Lightweight and compact
- Preassemble
- Latching lid for extra safety
- The cord is quite short.
It also features a latching lid for safety. The grill weighs only 45 lbs, which doesn’t make you sweat moving it around. In order to get this much compactness, Traeger has placed the hopper inside the grill.
Traeger is famous for well-made products, and the TFT18PLDO Scout Wood grill isn’t an exception. The heavy-duty steel with black finish promise years of use. Porcelain-coated grates are durable and easy to clean.
This small grill doesn’t require much setup. You only need to fill the auger with pellets and then heat the grill up for 45 minutes to clean (don’t worry, you only have to do it one time when you unbox the grill).
Small but advanced, the grill comes with a high-end digital controller. Thanks to the built-in thermometer, you can easily adjust the temperature accordingly.
Anything to complain about this grill? The cord is actually quite short. It will depend on how far the outlet is from your grill, and sometimes, you need to adjust the place so you can grill in peace.
Product Specifications
| Grilling area (square inches) | 184 |
| Assembled dimensions | 21 x 13 x 20 inches |
| Weight | 45 lbs |
| Hopper Capacity | 4 lbs |
| Power | 110 V |
| Highlight Features | Digital Pro Controller, Meat Probe, Lid Latches, Porcelain-coated grill grate |
Traeger TFT18PLDO Scout Wood Smoker Grill is a small, friendly wood-pellet grill. It offers great grilling experience for a small group of people on camping or tailgating trips.
How to choose a good Traeger grill (buying guide)
With over 30 years in business, Traeger has developed and presented many wood-pellet grills of different shapes and sizes. This manufacturer is a safe place to invest your money on; however, it is still unclear how to choose the best small Traeger grill.
Below are a few elements you should keep in mind when shopping for a small wood-pellet grill from Traeger.
Size
Yes, you want to buy a small Traeger grill, but how small? Some people think that there is a universal definition of small size, but when it comes to grills, you have to make up your mind.
Do you think 300 square inches of cooking space is small enough for your family? Your neighbor might not think the same. So the key of the most suitable portable Traeger grill is to find the right size.
Not only the cooking space but also the actual dimension of the grill. Do you want a compact grill that is easy to store? Or you love a grill with extra space for preparation? Keep that in mind when looking for a product.
Grill stand or tabletop
Traeger offers two types of portable grills: grill stand or tabletop. Tabletops generally have smaller grill capacity with a cooking surface of less than 200 square inches. They are suitable for a small group of people who love to grill outdoors. Tabletops are also a great choice for camping and tailgating.
Grill stands, on the other hand, have larger grill capacity with the maximum cooking surface of 300 square inches. The design is bulkier than tabletops, thus requiring a larger space to store. Grill stands are more suitable for large parties in the backyard.
Features
Each Traeger grill offers different features. Some of which you don’t really need, but some are quite important.
Below are some features you might want to have:
- Wi-Fi capacity: This is a handy feature to connect you and your grill. You don’t have to babysit your grill as you often have to do with gas models. Via a tablet, phone or computer, you can easily manage the monitor and control meat temperatures.
- Direct grilling option: If you don’t want to spend extra for a smoker, direct grilling option is a must-have feature.
- Secondary cooking racks: If you want to optimize cooking space, you should look for grills with secondary cooking racks. Remember to check if the second rack is included or not.
FAQs
What temperature is high on a Traeger grill?
The medium temperature a Traeger grill can get is from 250 to 300 °F. A Traeger grill can reach as high as 400-450°F. If your grill can’t get above 400°F, you need to check the pellets you use or airflow in the grill.
How long does a Traeger grill take to heat up?
A Traeger grill doesn’t take long to heat up. After switching it on, the grill will take from 5 to 10 minutes to heat up. The is no specific number since it depends on the outside temperatures as well.
Can you cook on the smoke setting on a Traeger grill?
The temperatures for smoke range from 160 to 200°F. For most Traeger grills, you can cook on the smoke setting. This is a good technique to get more smoke flavor. You can turn up the temperature afterward to cook your food after the smoke setting.
How many pellets does a Traeger grill use?
This is a tricky question because the pellet consumption will largely depend on the temperature setting. The higher temperature you use the more likely pellets will be used up.
Weather conditions also play a role in pellet consumption. When it is windy or cold, you use more pellets.
When temperature setting and weather conditions are under normal circumstances, a Traeger grill will use up to a ½ pound of pellets within an hour (smoke setting) and roughly 2 ½ pounds per hour (high setting).
That being said, 20 lbs of pellets is enough for several grills.
Can you grill steaks on a Traeger?
Yes, you can definitely grill steaks on a Traeger. Some people say that A Traeger can’t sear, but this isn’t true.
How do you clean a Traeger smoker?
Follow these steps to keep your Traeger smoker clean and clear.
- Clean your grill grates using a non-metallic brush right after use. You should clean when the grates are still warm.
- After that, remove the grate, drop pan and heat baffle. You can use a piece of aluminum foil and clean the grids with it. Or you can put the grids inside the dishwasher and let it do the job.
- You should clean the drip pan, U-shaped firepot, and the grill each month to clean the pellet ash inside out. You can use a utility vacuum to clean them.
- Once in a while, give the outside a clean over, using rag with soapy water.
The bottom line
Traeger grills are always on my top favorite of durable and user-friendly products. While Traeger offers many different wood-pellet models, these 5 items I selected above are the best options for those who want to find a small grill.
Follow my blog for my review and advice on grilling!
Related reviews
Best Pellet Grills For The Money
Best Small George Foreman Grills For Backyard BBQs
I’m James J. Decker, a hobbyist and DIYs and also a big of home improvement and gardening tools. I immensely enjoy how these amazing products improve productivity and efficiency, and allow me to do jobs for which I would’ve otherwise needed professional help.
Loading...