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[Bentley]

The questions is are you going by the differences the controller shows or with a thermometer in the unit? My Traegers would only show about a 10° swing on the controller.  I am years past worrying about temperature swings.  For so many years I chased it and it make zero difference in BBQ.  Baking is a different story, but the Memphis Pro is as accurate if not more so then the Jensen oven so, I do not have to worry about that!

[rdsbucks]

The questions is are you going by the differences the controller shows or with a thermometer in the unit? My Traegers would only show about a 10° swing on the controller.  I am years past worrying about temperature swings.  For so many years I chased it and it make zero difference in BBQ.  Baking is a different story, but the Memphis Pro is as accurate if not more so then the Jensen oven so, I do not have to worry about that!

Exactly...I think guys worry way more than they should about temperature swings.

[BigDave83]

So I guess my old Traeger wasn't that bad after all, but the RT590 stays pretty much on temp +/- 1 degree. 

And you're certain that the ±1° is accurate?  Do you have an accurate device to check it—like a Maverick, Thermoworks, FireBoard or such?

Almost all of the RT owners will tell you this. Their cooker temp never varies more than 2° at most, but then they will turn around and tell you how they have to re-calibrate their meat probes every other time they use them.

I calibrated the meat probes once. One was right on and the other 2+ degrees. So I have not worried about it since and am quite satisfied at the degree of doneness. I wonder if a Brisket that is finished to 203* is any different from one done to 205* or 201*I ? Or one that you thought was 203* that is really 198* and seems perfect? I think the "poke" test at the end is more important.

If yours were that close you are one of the few from what I have read, as far back as i can remember when they switched to this controller and the 2 probes. Apparently there are better probes on Amazon that people buy when they get tired of replacing the RT ones.

[okie smokie]

Only rechecked mine once since the first time, and only one or two degrees different as I recall and that might have been technique. Used crushed ice, and boiling water. 

[GatorDave]

A better option for you might be a Masterbuilt gravity smoker.  It has the same ease of use as a pellet grill but uses charcoal rather than pellets. 

[reubenray]

A better option for you might be a Masterbuilt gravity smoker.  It has the same ease of use as a pellet grill but uses charcoal rather than pellets.

I am seriously looking at getting one of these after I move.  The 560 and 1050 have rotisserie options.  No one has confirmed if the 800 does, but it has a griddle.

[4given]

You might want to try one of these on your Traeger.  Looks like you can dial up however much smoke you want.

https://smokedaddyinc.com/product/big-kahuna-cold-smoke-generator/

[ylr]

You might want to try one of these on your Traeger.  Looks like you can dial up however much smoke you want.

https://smokedaddyinc.com/product/big-kahuna-cold-smoke-generator/

Didn't Bentley try one of these out on the old site a while back?

[Bar-B-Lew]

I've heard good and bad about them.  I have read that they can be very hard to control the smoke burn and creosote.

[Bentley]

Larry did, he was always getting stuff ready and never had the time to actually follow through with posting the results.  He told me he had like 4 or 5 different ones, we will never know!

[SeattleSteve]

Want to report back on the first real "test" of my RT590.  My wife made ribs for Christmas Eve dinner using the Traeger 3-2-1 formula: smoke at 180 for 3 hours, cook wrapped in foil at 225 for 2 hours and unwrap and cook at 225.  We used Lumberjack pellets for the first time (100% Hickory).   The ribs came out great, my wife says she could see the smoke ring and definitely taste more smoke flavor than our old Traeger.  And my son-in-law who is not a fan of pellet smokers (he prefers stick burners) said the ribs had more smoke flavor than any other pellet smokers he has tried, so that's a big plus. You probably notice that I didn't make comments about what I thought about the meat ... that's because my wife is the cook and "foodie" in the family.  I like my meat burnt to a crisp and "tasteless" as my wife would say, so my opinion is irrelevant.    I was searching for a smoker that would give my wife more smoke flavor in her Barbeque and so far mission accomplished!  The RT590 smoked continuously during the 3 hour smoke period, whereas the old Traeger continually varied from smoke / no smoke during the "smoke" phase.   So far, very pleased with the results.  And we love the Wifi control that allows us to turn the smoker on and  monitor the temperature from anywhere we can get Internet coverage.

[BigDave83]

Want to report back on the first real "test" of my RT590.  My wife made ribs for Christmas Eve dinner using the Traeger 3-2-1 formula: smoke at 180 for 3 hours, cook wrapped in foil at 225 for 2 hours and unwrap and cook at 225.  We used Lumberjack pellets for the first time (100% Hickory).   The ribs came out great, my wife says she could see the smoke ring and definitely taste more smoke flavor than our old Traeger.  And my son-in-law who is not a fan of pellet smokers (he prefers stick burners) said the ribs had more smoke flavor than any other pellet smokers he has tried, so that's a big plus. You probably notice that I didn't make comments about what I thought about the meat ... that's because my wife is the cook and "foodie" in the family.  I like my meat burnt to a crisp and "tasteless" as my wife would say, so my opinion is irrelevant.    I was searching for a smoker that would give my wife more smoke flavor in her Barbeque and so far mission accomplished!  The RT590 smoked continuously during the 3 hour smoke period, whereas the old Traeger continually varied from smoke / no smoke during the "smoke" phase.   So far, very pleased with the results.  And we love the Wifi control that allows us to turn the smoker on and  monitor the temperature from anywhere we can get Internet coverage.

Great you found one that is giving you what you want. I can understand the burnt to a crisp thing. I know a lot of people like that, they are easy to cook for because you can't over cook it, me I am the opposite end, closer to raw the better. Enjoy the new tool and push the wife out of the way and show her how it is done at times.

[okie smokie]

Thanks for the report. I feel the same about my 590 in general.  Keep it going for you.