Traeger is among the greatest names in yard grilling. The firm’s line of pellet grills affords WiFi connectivity and different helpful options throughout the board beginning at $900. After churning out new sensible fashions in each 2018 and 2019, the corporate hasn’t debuted a brand new grill in about three years. Instead, it centered on redesigning its app to incorporate recipe steerage and video suggestions together with an Apple Watch model and just lately launched Traeger Provisions meal (learn: feast) equipment service. For grilling season 2022, although, Traeger has fully redesigned its premium mannequin, the Timberline.

And a whole lot of these upgrades relate to the tech. First, Traeger touts “an entirely new level of performance” due to a brand new sensible combustion system. With added sensors, the grill displays the cooking space to stop pesky flare-ups for constant outcomes. The firm has additionally swapped out the previous black and white show for a full-color touchscreen unit. Not solely does it supply a extra fashionable look, however the display can present a guided setup along with monitoring time and temperature. What’s extra, Traeger has in-built a upkeep examine the place the grill can self-diagnose points and information you to customer support or alternative elements through a singular QR code.

You will not have to fret concerning the Timberline pulling cooking energy for that show both. Traeger says twin controllers deal with the cooking and the display individually, and the show has its personal devoted graphics processor. The new controller routinely detects Meater’s wi-fi meals probes and the brand new Timberline comes with two of these equipment (you should utilize as much as 4 at a time). In case you missed it, Traeger acquired Meater final summer season, so this integration was inevitable. The solely caveat is it’s a must to use the probes designed for the brand new Timberline grills. Previous variations from Meater aren’t the identical so they will not work right here. If you favor wired probes, you possibly can nonetheless use these on these new fashions. 

To assist with sauces, frying, searing and different duties, the brand new Timberline grills have a facet burner. Sure, a whole lot of grills have that additional burner, however they don’t seem to be widespread on pellet fashions. More particularly, Traeger says this Timberline options the primary outdoor-rated induction burner for each precision and energy. It ought to particularly be helpful for followers of the reverse sear as it should warmth up a lot sooner than making an attempt to get your complete grill as much as 500 levels Fahrenheit or increased after a fast smoke. 

Plenty of grills supply lighting that will help you see at evening, with Weber being one of many greatest names to take action. Until now, Traeger hadn’t included built-in illumination, however the brand new Timberline has it. The firm’s vp of product Michael Colston defined that Traeger spent a whole lot of time researching the place one of the best location for the lights needs to be in order that smoke would not intervene with visibility. Instead of placing lights contained in the smoke chamber, it positioned them on the surface, so it may be activated by a lid sensor and it will not get smoked up whereas lighting your complete cooking floor.

“We’ve thought about where that light needs to be placed,” he informed Engadget. “It also signals to the controller that the door is open and barely keeps the smoke going.” So when the lid is up, the grill is not working to supply the identical degree of smoke as when it is closed. It’s additionally not making an attempt to recuperate from the drop in ambient temperature earlier than you are prepared for it to take action. 

Inside, a brand new grease and ash assortment system sends the entire waste out of the underside as an alternative of rolling grease to a small pan on the facet. Colston described the Timberline as “nearly self-cleaning” since a brand new FreeFlow firepot ejects the ash over to what Traeger calls the EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg. New plates channel grease to the identical receptacle the place gravity carries over wooden pellet ash and particles. Besides placing all of the waste in a single spot, this new setup additionally means you will not have to interrupt out the store vac as continuously to scrub up. Colston defined he is been utilizing a brand new Timberline for months and doubtless may’ve gone longer with out vacuuming out the within. If the outline is correct, this may alleviate a key headache with pellet grills. 

Instead of a four-post assist for the brand new Timberline, Traeger opted for a cart stand such as you usually see with gasoline grills. This affords extra storage through a cupboard and small cabinets beneath the pellet hopper. The firm additionally designed what it calls the Pop-And-Lock (P.A.L.) rail system for equipment — issues like an adjustable roll holder (paper towels, foil or butcher paper), software hooks and a basket for rubs/sauces. The rails wrap across the entrance and sides of the grill, however not the again, so you’ve some room to maneuver issues as wanted. Traeger relocated the pellet hopper cleanout chute to proper beneath the hopper, so it is accessible from the entrance. The cart was designed so you possibly can simply slide in a storage container and empty pellets between cooks. So not solely can you preserve your gas recent, however you may also be extra probably to make use of several types of wooden as an alternative of sticking to your go-to selection (learn: purchase extra pellets).

The new Timberline also needs to supply extra constant efficiency in chilly climate due to full stainless-steel insulation and a multi-level warmth supply system that wraps the cooking space in radiant heat. Traeger says all of this creates hotter temperatures on the grates for higher searing and improved total warmth regulation.

Traeger designed the brand new Timberline so it may be put in in an outside kitchen’s countertop setup. A trim equipment might be bought for a completed look and you’ll set up the induction facet burner off to the facet of the grill as properly. Lots of Traeger customers have constructed outside setups with counters and greater carts by eradicating the legs that include the grills, so the corporate is catering to these people by designing its newest mannequin in order that this course of is comparatively simple. 

Even if you don’t need a full kitchen in your patio, the corporate has extra equipment so as to add different culinary capabilities to the Timberline. With ModiFire merchandise, you should purchase a chrome steel fish/veggie tray or a griddle for the induction prepare dinner prime. The firm says a two-sided griddle to be used contained in the grill is coming this fall alongside pizza stone and canopy system that has its personal sensors and cooking algorithm. 

Despite the entire new stuff, some previous favorites are nonetheless right here. The Timberline continues to be powered by Traeger’s D2 platform and WiFire wi-fi connectivity. The firm’s app nonetheless gives step-by-step steerage, video tutorials and a wealth of recipes, along with supplying you with management over each grill setting aside from urgent the ignite button to get issues going. And sure, you should utilize it to manage that new facet burner with the app too. The firm has swapped out the WiFi antenna for a 360-degree part is says is extra highly effective that what was on earlier fashions. Super Smoke mode can be again for low-and-slow cooking, however Traeger says it is able to much more taste with that new firepot that may churn out extra smoke.

The new Timberline and the bigger Timberline XL will sit on the pinnacle of Traeger’s product lineup. Both fashions might be accessible this spring for $3,499 and $3,799, respectively. For comparability, the previous-gen Timberline 850 and 1300 are $2,100 and $2,300, so you will need to pay fairly the premium for the entire upgrades the corporate has added to it is high-end fashions.