Traeger Grills TFT18KLD Ranger, Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker – Electric Tabletop Pellet Smoker with Digital Arc Controller, Cast Iron Griddle, For Tailgating and Outdoor Cooking

I got this for my brother and the first time firing up it tasted just like the high-end large versions. Great value for what you get. Super simple setup. I just had to screw in the lift handle and base supports and it was ready to smoke. Has the digital keypad but not the Wi-fire connection, which was fine cause we don’t really use it on our other Traegers anyway. Could get a Bluetooth thermometer if you want to track digitally, but keep that in mind with what you’re budgeting.

I've had this for a month now, and have cooked burgers, dogs, steaks and chicken breasts. I have also done two long smokes using the temperature probe, a corned beef brisket and a pork shoulder. The convenience of this unit is excellent, and the flavor is unsurpassed! I'm using Bear Mountain hickory pellets, which add a great smoked flavor. I chose Bear Mountain because I wanted 100% hardwood without added flavors. For burgers and dogs, this unit wins over my natural gas grill for convenience and flavor. It's more forgiving, as well. It's not going to char anything if you forget it for a few minutes. For chicken breast, the Ranger does fine, but it can't produce the hard sear of a natural gas grill which can attain much higher temperatures. This wasn't an issue for me with steak, but was for chicken. I tried searing on the gas grill and finishing on the Ranger, which worked well but was less convenient. Other minor downsides: It's extremely heavy. It's OK for transferring to a vehicle, but you're not going to be carrying it a long distance. You don't get to play with fire as much as with conventional grills. My fire lust is satiated by my pizza oven, though. Finally, I did not have the electronics problem that several other reviews mention, but I did notice that it takes an extremely short press to move from function to function. If there is even a tiny delay between press and release the display will not change to the next function. This was frustrating until I figured it out, because it seemed like it was working inconsistently. Overall the Ranger is a great performer. It's complex technology crammed into a small space and subjected to extreme temperatures, but performs flawlessly and seems engineered to last. I will be testing it thoroughly!

We are 6 weeks into use... Ok, simple word description... amazing! The only complaint is the cheap, falling off rubber feet covers... seriously could have done better. We travel 10 months a year in an rv. We have tried several camp chefs and the grill that came with rv. We are done shopping. So far, we have cooked steaks, roasts, meatloaf, pancakes, chicken, full breakfast( eggs, toast, bacon), poppers, several dump cakes, canned biscuits, grilled veggies, grilled potatoes and sausage, baked potatoes, quesdillas, burritos, NACHOS, some of these several times. The results have been shocking. When smoking (just meaning low temp) totally perfect. Every bit as good as my huge smoker at home. When grilling on higher temps, 325 to 450, minimal smoke, no smoke flavor on food, perfectly even surface temps. It is a bit heavy, remove griddle, prob 45lbs. Fits perfectly in our rv slideout. The case for this seems to be out of stock. The case for my Camp Chef Oven fits nicely. The day cover works well once set up. The additionsl metal drain tray cover is just foil, way over priced, just use foil. The griddle is cast iron, wonderful quality. So, to say we are pleased is an understatement. If smoking, pellet use is about 1lb per hour. When using more like an oven, fraction of that. We have used everyday for nearly 6 weeks, some days more than once, used about 45lbs of pellets. Just use Traeger pellets, burn evenly and completely. We are looking at the bigger model for home. A serious 5 star review! Here is your first recipe... RIBEYES (at least 1") Meat tenderizer for several hours, room temp., dry meat (blot) well prior to placingon grill Set grill 200-225 Cook until internal temp between 117&120 (produce medium rare) Remove and let rest for at least 30 minutes. Set grill to high, 450 degrees... Cook on grates about 2 minutes per side... There just aren't words..... This is sincerely a great product. I paid full price on Amazon, no connection with Traeger!

This is a serious smoker for those who travel and want to take it all with them. It has a hopper and burn box equivalent to large free standing models, and will get to and maintain smoke temperatures. The probe seems clumsy and is designed for a larger payload, and temperatures vary when setting absolute temperatures, it all leaves you wanting wireless options which could have been added easily and are conspicuously absent. I am new to both pellet smokers and to Traegers , but consistently overcook meats in this thing to the point of doubting either the thermostat, prove or the recipes I’ve chosen. Most recipes, even for traegers involve much larger pieces of meat and only mention per pound equivalents as an afterthought, but their may be some advice that will give me a generality of some kind for smoking in this unit that will even out results. I will continue to reinvent the wheel until I get Ranger specific recipes and hopefully more consistent results. This thing works as advertised and has a ton of potential. I’ve purchased grillgrates and will attempt smoking and reverse searing steak as this is my specialty and we’ll see if I can toss my little Weber Q this week. Slick gadget, but prepare to have your heart broken with tough brisket and beef roasts until you get more experience with this little rocket.

I really love this grill. I used to have a full size Traeger, and I found that even with the cover, it was hard to keep it dry enough to not run into issues. And since I don't have space in my garage for a larger one, I set my sights on the portable Ranger. It has not disappointed me, and I've lost about 10 pounds in the month since I got it. i love using it so much, that I regularly grill chicken, shrimp, elk, bison, etc. No more frozen pizzas and sandwiches for dinner. It is pretty heavy, but I don't mind carrying it in and out of the garage. I run an extension cord out into my driveway, which also has convenient doors right from the kitchen, so it works well. It's the perfect grill for any situation where you're going to be out and about. Camping, tailgating...as long as you have the right power source setup, this thing will get the job done. I find that it's extremely simple to use this grill. You could not engineer a more simple electronic grilling device. It is easy to clean, the pellets burn at a reasonably slow rate, and the flavors are just epic. I highly recommend pairing this grill with the traeger brand seasonings. I love them. I also recommend the drip pan liners, as they are a lot easier to clean up than aluminum foil, which tends to burn at high temperatures in this grill. I haven't had any issues whatsoever, and I find keeping it stored in the garage, and carrying outside when needed is a really convenient arrangement for me. I would not recommend keeping it inside your house, unless you want the house to smell like barbecue all the time. Just remember to let the grill to go through its cool down cycle before powering down, and always give yourself plenty of time to let the grill cool off before you pick it up and carry it.

More improved than my last one. Well worth the price.

My second one and I'm just as happy as the first one. Cooks way more meat than I originally thought it would. I've had pretty big briskets on it and tons of fajitas as well as many many tri tips. This thing makes a quick smoke/cook so easy. I'm not much of a gas grill guy, so this fills the gap of quick evening cooks and we still get great smoke flavor, plus I use it for hours long cooks and it is so reliable. I used to make fun of electric pellet grills...

This portable pellet grill is perfect for a small space or if you want to take it on the go. It maintains heat very well. Recommend using Traeger pellets, which come in a variety wood types. Haven't been disappointed in the smoke or grill products.