Traeger Timberline XL Is The Ultimate Outdoor Kitchen

I’ve spent the previous few months getting accustomed to the Traeger Timberline XL. Is it for everybody? Do you want it? All of it depends upon how devoted you might be to outside cooking.

The Supply

In contrast to my Traeger-worshiping supply particular person of a few years ago, the gentleman shoving the 300 lb. pallet up my driveway was unimpressed by the truth that I used to be getting a brand new Traeger (supplied by the corporate for my sincere opinion).

“Y’know, I used to grill. Grilled a bunch. Had a giant smoker.” He shook his head. “Now I’ve simply acquired somewhat charcoal grill. Does me simply superb.” At this level he broke off and stared pointedly at me.

Was he issuing a silent warning to not tie my value and masculinity to a chunk of grilling tools? Was he leveraging disapproval for what he thought of blatant extra? Was he possibly, once more, simply letting me know he was irritated that this whole sweaty endeavor may have been prevented if I’d simply, y’know, caught with a small charcoal grill.

Unboxing the Timberline XL for the primary time, I form of noticed his level.

This can be a huge piece of apparatus. Meant for devouring whole sides of pork, with loads of room for a couple of chickens and briskets. I labored my method across the pallet, peeling off layers of cardboard round a field that was virtually as massive as my Chevy Bolt. I considered my typical grilling night, which consists of a handful of burgers and buns. The phrase “overkill” instantly sprung to thoughts.

However then I began fascinated by the probabilities. I may bake sides as I roasted the principle dish, plus have one other aspect or sauce simmering on the induction burner. I may roast a complete aspect of pork. Or a number of racks of ribs, once more with loads of actual property to repair further dishes.

Sure, the Traeger Timberline XL is overkill in the event you take a look at it as only a grill as an alternative of what it truly is.

An on the spot outside kitchen in a field.

Meeting

Do not child your self, you are going to wish to put aside a night and make use of the assistance of a pal or two as you step by the meeting course of. Particularly in the event you’ve gotten a couple of equipment, simply unpacking the bins as a way to kind out all of the items takes a considerable period of time.

Whereas I used to be in a position to assemble and arise my previous Ironwood 650 by myself, with the Timberline XL my first actual hurdle got here after I might screwed within the wheels on the underside. At 238 lbs., with no locking mechanism for the lid, it is almost unimaginable for one particular person to get the best leverage to raise and place the grill on its wheels. I used to be lastly in a position to get it there, however solely by present process a maneuver the place I risked snapping off the wheels I’d simply put in (fortunately they held).

After that nervous starting, I used to be in a position to wheel the Timberline XL inside to get began on the remainder of the meeting, together with the induction burner and different equipment. As with different Traeger merchandise, the meeting directions are clear, concise, and straightforward to comply with. I want everybody who made gear would examine them out and be taught some classes.

I additionally actually recognize that Traeger’s conscious of the ponderous quantity of cardboard required to ship the Timberline XL. To that finish, they’ve printed a complete saloon playset on the within, full with a wished poster, swinging doorways, and a desk for checkers. Why simply recycle when you’ll be able to have some enjoyable? In spite of everything, it is not typically you get an enormous field to play with.

When you assemble your grill, it is time to wheel it exterior, refill the hopper (which might devour a complete 20 lb. bag of pellets), and begin the setup course of.

Setup

Plug within the Timberline XL and the very first thing you may discover is the brand new and improved management heart. The Timberline sequence ditches the monotone show of earlier grills for a full-color touchscreen. It’s also possible to scroll by menu decisions (and dial in your temperature) with a big, easy-to-use dial.

The grill walks you thru all the things you might want to do, together with getting on-line. Sure, the Timberline XL is unapologetically an internet machine. It is wanted for connecting to the app (for issues like importing recipes and remotely controlling settings) and OTA software program updates. The latter is vital. I discovered that I wanted a few updates to shake out a couple of operational errors I encountered in my early testing.

As soon as all the things’s up to date, the grill walks you thru the curing course of. You may load up some pellets and it will prime the grill and burn off any leftover manufacturing unit gunk.

Whereas it is doing that, it is the proper time to poke round and get accustomed to what makes the Timberline sequence such an vital evolution within the Traeger line.

Enhancements and Equipment

Whereas the brand new management heart is the obvious enchancment within the Timberline line, there are many different options that really feel like vital evolutionary upgrades.

First off, the pellet hopper (with its handy wood chopping board lid) has a chute on the underside as a way to simply clear all of the pellets out with the pull of a deal with. The house beneath which you could fill with wood cabinets may accommodate one among Traeger’s pellet storage containers. So now it is significantly simpler (and fewer messy) to change out pellets if you desire a sure taste wooden for the dish you are cooking.

As soon as the pellets are sorted, you’ll be able to head over to the under-grill cupboard. Behind the doorways right here, there’s loads of room for storage, in addition to the EZ-Clear Grease and Ash keg. This is among the issues I used to be most excited for. Beforehand, to scrub your Traeger, you needed to vacuum out ashes from the fireplace pot and keep watch over a grease bucket precariously hanging off the aspect. All of that is modified with the brand new system that channels grease and ash right into a central effectively and collects all of it in a bucket that snaps in beneath. You do nonetheless should do some scraping down of the pan beneath the grill grates, however it’s a significantly higher system total.

One other large improve is the mixing of wi-fi MEATER thermometers. The Traeger Timberline XL comes with two and you may independently set the temperatures for every utilizing the grill itself or the app. Helpful when you might want to cook dinner totally different proteins (or simply need totally different temps to your burgers). The probes include a charging station that is magnetic, so you’ll be able to pop it anyplace that is handy.

Talking of pop—the brand new P.A.L. Pop-And-Lock system provides you main choices on the subject of accessorizing your grill. There are some apparent must-haves, like a storage cubby for sauces and seasonings and hooks to your grill instruments. There’s additionally a nice-to-have roll rack for a roll of butcher paper (or paper towels in the event you’re like me). There’s additionally a pop-and-lock folding shelf accessible and it is so good, I feel it ought to truly be commonplace tools. Not having to stability a pan on the lip of the grill or drip marinade throughout my deck as I switch protein to the grill grates is extremely useful. To not point out, generally you simply want somewhat house in entrance of the grill to work. It folds out of the best way when it is not in use.

One different notable enchancment is the LED gentle that illuminates if you raise the heavy, dual-insulated lid.

First Prepare dinner

So what’s it like if you raise that lid and begin truly utilizing the Timberline XL? When you’ve cooked on any Traeger grill previously few years, you may know the expertise effectively. Dial in your temp, then let the Traeger work out get there. Or, in the event you’re cooking from a recipe, pull it up within the Traeger app and ship it on to the grill after it has been began and the grill units the temperatures for you (plus any temp modifications alongside the best way).

None of that has actually modified with the Timberline XL besides the quantity of house it’s important to play with. I made a decision to do a full BBQ Hen dinner with cornbread muffins and mac & cheese, all on the grill.

I acquired the Timberline to 400, then inserted a MEATER probe into the thickest rooster breast and set the specified temp. Whereas these had been working, I boiled some water for macaroni on the induction burner. Then I popped a pan of corn muffins subsequent to my rooster.

My additional substances for the mac and cheese had been simply accessible and, actually, the one time I needed to go away the Timberline was after I needed to pressure the pasta. That is after I realized that the Timberline XL just isn’t merely a grill/smoker with a burner, it is a complete outside kitchen in a single (comparatively) compact package deal.

That is why, when you’ve got the room, I might advocate incorporating the Timberline XL as a built-in into your outside patio house. Traeger sells a trim package that takes away the rolling casters (which could not be a nasty thought anyway, extra on that in a sec) and provides a kickplate to cowl the hole between the underside of the grill and the ground. Then it is only a matter of creating an area for the induction burner in your countertop (it connects to the Traeger with a plug for energy and makes use of Bluetooth connectivity to speak, it is not truly hardwired into the grill).

So far as my “whole meal on the grill” experiment? It labored out completely and with far much less problem than I’ve ever skilled cooking outside. The Timberline XL involves temperature should sooner than my previous Ironwood 650 and is healthier at holding a steady temp. It is excellent for baking and makes for dependable grilling. Even in the event you’re not making a complete additional aspect, the induction burner is ideal for lowering sauces and having them on the prepared.

And with the app integration, you do not even have to face there, consistently poking on the grill. The Timberline XL is wise sufficient to regulate gasoline circulation to keep up your chosen temperature. Which might be good since, when you’ve got Tremendous Smoke on, you may find yourself smelling like a campfire in the event you stand exterior subsequent to it.

Any Downsides?

Once I began my first recipe on the Timberline XL, I used to be met with rows of “Placeholder” textual content. And whereas that concern’s been cleared up with subsequent over the air software program updates, I’ve since been chasing down an intermittent drawback with the lid sensor sensor (vital for letting the Traeger resolve if it’s cooling off as a result of the lid is up or if it needs to be dumping further gasoline within the fireplace pot). Lengthy story brief, extra expertise means extra factors of failure. If one thing does go mistaken, I do know that Traeger’s glorious customer support will clear it up immediately. However in the event you’re searching for a easy “scorching canines on the grill” form of expertise (like my beleaguered supply particular person), then chances are you’ll discover it sometimes irritating.

Additionally, as I discussed within the meeting part, the Timberline XL is heavy. Ridiculously heavy. Whereas it does have caster wheels, you might want to be sure that none of them are locked earlier than you begin transferring it. The Timberline XL’s weight is principally within the entrance of the unit and it’ll undoubtedly tip that method if given the possibility. Then you definitely’ve acquired an roughly 250 lb. hunk of metallic that wants at the least two to 3 folks to get it again on its wheels. When transferring it to prepare for Hurricane Ian, I managed to tip it on its entrance and there it stayed until after the storm handed. Once more, a built-in set up might be one of the simplest ways to go.

So, primarily, know what you are moving into if you purchase the Timberline XL. Whereas it could actually do all the things that your commonplace non-connected, grill/smoker can, there’s rather more to it than meets the attention.

The place Can I Get It?

You possibly can seize the Timberline XL for $3,799 and the, barely smaller, 880 sq. ft Timberline for $3,499 on the Traeger site. As we head into the autumn and soccer grilling is at its peak, there’s actually no higher time.

Plus, you then have an excuse to splurge on issues like Traeger’s unbelievable new Whistlepig whiskey sauces and whiskey barrel pellets (I nonetheless cannot recover from the precise whiskey they collaborated on).

Traeger’s persevering with to innovate and is not performed with the Timberline sequence but. There is a pizza oven that was teased throughout the unique announcement that we’ll hopefully see someday this 12 months. Relaxation assured, when it comes out, I will be giving it a whirl.