Advice

[wyomingcowboy]

Hi group - newbie here. I currently don't have a traeger but an thinking about a pro 575 or 780 from Cabelas as I have a ton of points to use there. I mainly cook for my family of 5 (3 littles that don't eat much at all), but occasionally I'll cook for larger groups. I was wondering how a full packer brisket and a pork butt would fit on a 575?
Also wondering if anyone knew when Traeger has their special sales. We were real close to getting one last Thanksgiving when they had screaming deals, but we didn't. Is thanksgiving usually a yearly deal? What about Labor day? I continue to watch when I think about it and right now I know that the Pro 575 is on sale for $800

 

[RayClem]

Unless the price difference between the Pro 575 and the 780 is a show-stopper for your budget, I would recommend the larger grill. Hopefully, the device will last for many years and by the time the grill reaches EOL, your kids will be older and consuming much more. They may also want to invite friends to dinner.

I have the Ironwood 885 to cook for my wife and I. I like doing cooks on the top rack only. About the only time I use the bottom rack is when I need to remove the top rack to cook the Thanksgiving turkey (absolutely delicious). If you have a freezer, cook multiple meals at one time and freeze the leftovers. I use a Sous Vide circulator to reheat the leftovers and find the meal just as good a few months later as the original.

If the Pro 575 is the best you can affords at this time, it will still cook quite a lot of food, but you might need to use both racks. Many members here use that grill. A packer brisket or a couple of pork butts can easily be cooked, but I do not know if you would have room for a brisket and a pork butt at the same time. Not to worry....cook the pork butt ahead of time and just reheat the pulled pork right before the big event. Pulled pork is one of the easiest things to reheat.

 

[CMTiger]

Right now on the website the 575 is $800 and the 780 is $1000. I own the 575 and absolutely love it, but there’s no question I’ve had moments where I wish it had been bigger. It was a gift so I’m certainly grateful for it, but it can fill up pretty quickly. Personally I think the extra size and the 4 wheels on the 780 (575 comes with just two and can be a bit cumbersome to move if that’s something you’ll need to do) make the 780 worth the extra $200, but it’s not my money to spend.

 

[CMTiger]

I feel like Labor Day has had sales in the past. Same with Thanksgiving and I believe Fathers Day.

 

[wyomingcowboy]

OK! I'm waiting for a sale and getting the bigger one.
Thanks for the responses

 

[MidwestSmoker]

I purchased the the Pro 575 in 2020, but really wish I had paid the extra $200 for the Pro 780. It is a big investment so the hesitation is natural reaction, but you will be glad you did later on. Welcome to the forum!

 

[JPSBBQ]

The smaller units always perform better IMO. They also use less fuel. That said if you need the room, you cannot make more. Of course if it’s in your budget, the best solution is ether two small ones or a large and a small one. Have fun either way.

 

[CMTiger]

The smaller units always perform better IMO. They also use less fuel. That said if you need the room, you cannot make more. Of course if it’s in your budget, the best solution is ether two small ones or a large and a small one. Have fun either way.

Yes….optimally you just have multiple. But that’s not doable for everyone either budget or space wise.

 

[JPSBBQ]

Yes….optimally you just have multiple. But that’s not doable for everyone either budget or space wise.

Yep, that’s why I said “ if it’s in your budget”, didn’t bring up space though, so my apologies.

 

[Shedd]

I purchased the the Pro 575 in 2020, but really wish I had paid the extra $200 for the Pro 780. It is a big investment so the hesitation is natural reaction, but you will be glad you did later on. Welcome to the forum!

I’ve got a 780 and I use a aftermarket grate I suspend in the middle between main grate and the half size top grate. It add a lot more cooking space and cost about $30.

 

[Timmy]

OK! I'm waiting for a sale and getting the bigger one.
Thanks for the responses

Good choice. I too was considering the 575, but my wife talked me into getting the 780. And I’m glad she did. I cook for 5 to 20 ppl and the 780 almost got to small. I picked up a Bronson 20 for camping but use it at home a lot. As @Shedd stated you can add a rack to the top or middle, I opted to go with pimpmygrills slide out 3 rack system. It doubled the cooking space but I lost a little height wise. Bottom line, learn the grill and have fun doing it!

Here is a photo of my setup. It was a little spendy but a very good option for me and my budget. As I didn’t want to purchase another big grill.