What we love: In its price range, Westwood produced the best-tasting ribs of the bunch, and grilled chicken nicely when it was cranked up to the max (450℉). And that could have been the whole story right there, but it scored well on all the objective tests too. During a 3-hour smoke at 250℉, it held temperatures very steady. The several times I cracked the lid to check the temperature it was within about 10 degrees of the set temperature. It was not perfectly even across the cooking area (it was hotter on the end away from the firepot because of the way air circulates and vents), but pretty close.
It was, however, very even on its highest setting, with temperature readings within 5 degrees of each other. That makes it a good versatile choice—it’s good for burgers and chicken breasts as well as longer, cooler smoking sessions.
The Westwood used its pellets efficiently: In order to put a meaningful dent in the pellet pile in the hopper, I had to run at the max temp for more than an hour.
I’ve also come around on the idea of WiFi technology for pellet grills. As I’ve used them more, relying on the ability to check and control them without walking out of the house and across the yard (even being able to control them while I’m out running errands) has come in handy. And the Westwood was the most affordable grill I’ve used with a WiFi connection.
Finally, choosing Traeger opens you up to a world of convenient accessories. The PAL rail system Traeger uses for all its new grills and griddles gives you access to as many hooks as you need for your tools, a basket to keep condiments nearby, and a paper towel holder for any particular saucy cooking you do on it. As I’ve become more and more enamored of cooking outside, I can’t overstate how nice it is to have a place to keep everything you need near the grill.
What we’d leave: Like the Weber, the interface isn’t as clear as it might be. In order to start the grill, you have to hold down a button that triggers a 3-2-1 countdown. A minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless.
And, while I’m picking this as a budget choice, it is $100 more expensive than the previous budget winner from Pit Boss. Ultimately, though, to be able to get Traeger quality at a price that’s within shouting distance of less expensive brands put this over the top for me.
Good to know: I think the 424 square inches in the main cooking area of the standard Westwood is enough for anything besides a huge cookout, but there is an XL version of the Westwood that gives you space for another couple racks of ribs.
