The smoker who made me sell my Traeger

I purchased a Traeger Ironwood 885 in 2021 to replace my offset smoker and charcoal grill. It smoked epic BBQ, but I was disappointed with the grilling. It just couldn’t get hot enough to sear burgers, steaks, and chicken properly.

Earlier this year, Recteq released their DualFire, which promised a maximum temperature of 700 degrees and had indirect and direct heat options. I was given one to test out and have been cooking on the high and low settings for two months now. Here’s why it replaced my Traeger.

• Temperature range: 180 to 700 degrees
• Power Source: 110 Volt AC GFCI Outlet
• Fuel Source: Hardwood Pellets
• Weight: 251 pounds
• Direct heat cooking surface: 300 square inches
• Indirect cooking space: 900 square inches of cooking space on
• Hopper Capacity: 70 lbs
• Includes four meat probes
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Six year warranty

Double cooking zones

There are two cooking chambers. I measured the smaller, direct-heat side at 19 by 13 inches and the huge, low-and-slow side at 19 by 26.5 inches. The direct-heat chamber reaches a temperature of 700 degrees and the indirect side reaches a temperature of 500 degrees.

Temperature regulation

Both rooms are controlled by independent buttons and on/off buttons on the control panel. And yes, you can run both rooms at the same time.

Large funnel

The DualFire holds 70 pounds of pellets feeding both chambers. I have been cooking weekly on the DualFire for two months now and I finally need to add more pellets.

Edit

I assembled the DualFire solo in two hours. Recteq has a good Youtube video who guides you through the process.

read more: Best Pellet Smokers

Testing the Recteq DualFire 1200

I was most excited about the DualFire’s grilling capabilities, so I tested it out with fish, steak, chicken, and vegetables. The first thing I cooked was jerk chicken at 450 degrees. The grill cooked it perfectly and gave the meat a nice smoky flavor. However, I avoided disaster when I adjusted the temperature halfway through cooking (425 to 450 degrees). That temperature increase created a huge plume of white smoke as the pellet grill worked to stoke the fire. If I was cooking fish or made a larger adjustment, the meat could have gotten too much smoke. From that point on, I didn’t adjust the temperature again once it was set.

Next I grilled a whole red snapper at 600 degrees. I got really nice grill marks, crispy skin and a wood fire flavor. A big plus is how consistently the DualFire held at 600 degrees. I went on to grill steaks and carne asada at the max temperature. This is when the direct heat side really showed its metal as the beef sizzled and seared perfectly. It produced clear grill marks, all Maillard reaction you could wish for, and that charcoal grill flavor.

The grill works incredibly well and is very convenient. I timed how long it took the DualFire to go from a cold start to the maximum temperature of 700 degrees. After three different cooking sessions it took an average of 13 minutes. That convenience has led me to use the grill more often and it is handy for quick meals during the week.

My primary low-and-slow test was a lean brisket I bought at Costco. It didn’t have great fat or marbling, but I was determined to make BBQ out of it. I rubbed it with salt and black pepper. Then, at 6 a.m., I put it on the smoker at 250 degrees. The DualFire stayed within 5 degrees of my set point as the cool morning temps turned into a hot afternoon. After five hours, I wrapped the brisket in butcher paper and it already had the first signs of a nice crust. After another five hours, the brisket felt loose and ready to rest. The result was a good brisket—not one that’s going to win a contest, but a solid BBQ that made for a great meal. The biggest drawback was that the bark was a bit too developed. But it had a great smoke ring and easily passed the pull test.

read more: Best grills

What the Recteq DualFire 1200 does best

This is a very versatile smoker and grill. You get the convenience and high heat of a propane grill with wood smoke flavor. The smoker side works great with clean smoke and consistent temperatures. There are also a bunch of great add-on accessories for the DualFire, like a folding table and a cold smoke attachment.

Where the Recteq DualFire 1200 can improve

While I love the direct heat side of the pellet smoker, I do wish it had more space. There is certainly enough space to cook a meal for your family, but if you are having a BBQ, you will want more space.

Although the grill side is small, the DualFire takes up a lot of space. The total surface area is 27 by 70 inches. So keep that in mind if you have a small patio or deck.

The grill’s LCD screen isn’t in the most conveniently placed: it’s recessed, with a shelf above it hanging over the screen. Both of these design features help protect the screen from glare and rain, but I had to step back to see it. At 6-foot-6, I’m fairly tall, but I imagine even an average-sized cook would have trouble seeing the LCD screen.

Final Thoughts on the Recteq DualFire 1200

I love grilling and smoking all kinds of foods, and there’s no substitute for the flavor that wood smoke adds to meats and vegetables. But who has time to build a perfect bed of coals or watch a smoker for 12 hours? You might lose 5 percent of the flavor and a few points off your chef’s score, but a pellet smoker makes that wood-smoke flavor a lot easier to achieve. If you want an all-in-one pellet smoker, I don’t think there’s a better option than the DualFire. It grills and smokes well, and retains all the conveniences of a modern pellet grill.