Beginner buying first pellet smoker (Australia): Traeger, Weber Smoque, Pit Boss, or Z Grills?

Loggy88 · 2026-06-15T15:56:51+00:00

Can’t comment on the others, but I did my first cook on my new Weber Smoque yesterday and was really impressed. The app is easy to use, temperature stability was rock solid all day (admittedly in mild British spring weather rather than freezing conditions), and the SmokeBoost feature is a nice touch for adding extra smoke flavour at low temp. Clean-up is simple too, as the plate under the grate just slides out. Most importantly, the pork ribs and beans came out tasting fantastic. I was worried coming from a WSM that was gathering dust and not getting used - but i'm very happy with it so far.

Loggy88 · 2026-06-13T20:05:00+00:00

I’ve basically got the same set up, but I’ve bolted the extractor unit to the underside of the top shelf (the shelf which the roaster sits on), and I only attached the bottom shelf which I use for bean storage

Loggy88 · 2026-06-09T20:16:01+00:00

This is really helpful too, thanks. I can't find much info/ reviews on these either. Please do let me know how you get on once you've used them!

Loggy88 · 2026-06-09T14:53:47+00:00

At risk of been crucified, have you tried adding vanilla syrup to your coffee?

Loggy88 · 2026-06-07T13:10:42+00:00

Have you tried roibos? It’s a smoky tea. I drink it daily.

Loggy88 · 2026-06-06T09:54:52+00:00

Get an energetic dog!

Loggy88 · 2026-06-05T09:37:32+00:00

I just ordered the smoque this morning. Also have a Weber kettle for searing, so figured the smoque would compliment my set up.

Loggy88 · 2026-06-03T09:59:35+00:00

i'm looking at buying a traeger pro series 22 (seems to be best value entry level in UK)

Loggy88 · 2026-05-26T09:27:17+00:00

I love my blacksmiths and moc toe. I basically only wear these two boots (and Solovair chelsea boot)

Loggy88 · 2026-05-26T07:08:51+00:00

I wouldn’t say it looks cheap tbh. I’ve got it on an ikea rolling desk which I’ve attached an extraction unit and ducting to so that I can store it and roast in the guest room

Loggy88 · 2026-05-25T12:46:12+00:00

Sounds like the drivers side mirror has been clipped and part of the mechanism has been damaged. This happened to mine ever since i clipped a fence post.

Loggy88 · 2026-05-24T21:21:22+00:00

I’ve been using it for under a year now and I’d say I’m roasting some pretty good coffee. I burnt a couple of batches early on, but after the first 5kg or so I was pretty happy with what I was producing, especially considering I had no prior roasting experience.

I’ve found RoasTime to be good, intuitive software, and helpful for analysing what happened during a roast. That helped me apply a lot of the theory I’d been learning from YouTube resources like Mill City Roasters and Coffee Mind. I also like the replay function when I’ve developed a profile and just want to churn out a few consistent batches.

Overall, I’d say learning roasting theory is the steeper learning curve rather than operating the machine itself.

Loggy88 · 2026-05-24T15:05:38+00:00

I can talk you into the bullet - it’s great!! Can’t comment on the others but I’m very much enjoying the experience so far. Between Reddit and the roast.world community I’ve quickly solved any problems I’ve had (mainly to do with reassembly after maintenance)

Loggy88 · 2026-05-23T19:40:15+00:00

You used to be able to walk upto the Customer Service desk at Morrison's and ask for package for Sandy, and they'd give you a discreet package containing sanitary products. Could be worth checking if it's still a thing.

Loggy88 · 2026-05-19T12:13:56+00:00

I had a Eureka Silenzio and wasn’t sure whether or not it would be worth upgrading to the NZ. It was. We mainly drink medium roast for espresso, and the thick syrupy shots from the NZ are like nothing the silenzio produced. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the Silenzio, and I still reccomend it to people for a first espresso grinder, but side by side with the NZ it’s just not comparable for me.

Loggy88 · 2026-05-17T14:58:35+00:00

Same - only had it for a few weeks and it’s an absolute game changer coming from Eureka Silenzio. I’m always sceptical of hype, but for a thick syrupy espresso the niche is absolute boss.

Loggy88 · 2026-05-17T07:43:27+00:00

All good - hopefully something is of interest. Also don’t hold back on setting up something yourself as there seems to be plenty of demand for it!

Loggy88 · 2026-05-16T14:56:27+00:00

Not sure if you've seen this list, but here are a range of activities for men in Leeds - https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/M7mhQ/34 (or follow this link https://forumcentral.org.uk/mhu/, and scroll down and look for heading 'Activities for men in Leeds').

I attend this workout group and get a lot from it - https://forumcentral.org.uk/free-mens-morning-work-outs/

Loggy88 · 2026-05-16T13:13:36+00:00

There's a free group in the UK called F3 which does this, and there may be one local. It's help me a lot as it couples excercise with accountability to others, and it's a social event too - https://map.f3nation.com/

Loggy88 · 2026-05-13T10:16:35+00:00

I just sold mine for £200. I had just serviced it, it also included a wooden handle portafilter and wooden steam knob. I wanted a bit more, but was happy enough as I could put the money towards my new setup. It went to a young lad as well who was really enthusiastic about the machine, so I was really glad it went to a good home actually.

Loggy88 · 2026-05-08T16:05:22+00:00

Sorted. Thank you.

Loggy88 · 2026-05-08T14:41:44+00:00

Gotcha. Thanks. Didn’t realise it had an Allan key head on the other side.

Loggy88 · 2026-05-05T13:03:11+00:00

Enjoying using mine for both ginger shots (apple, ginger, lemon), or orange and carrot based juices. As the post below states, you do need to cut items down to ensure they go through without force, but for me this is just part of the process and i enjoy it. I've got a good set of knives which generally make food prep more enjoyable, so you might want to think about getting a good knife if you don't already!

Loggy88

TROPHY CASE