Portable grills are a favorite in the Traegerhood. Let's make the most of your portable grill experience by helping you understand how temperatures and cooking may differ from your larger grills.
PORTABLE GRILL MODELS
Traeger portable grills include the Scout, Ranger and Trailhead.
DIFFICULTY GETTING UP TO TEMPERATURE
These grills take a little longer to "settle" on set temperatures than our larger grills, and they typically fluctuate around 25°F above and below your set temperature during their cook.
Proper maintenance is extra important due to the grill's small size and the proximity of the grease tray to the flame. Failure to follow proper startup/shutdown procedures can cause increased temperature issues with your next cook.
RUNNING TOO HOT
Due to the smaller size of the grill, portable grills heat up quickly and typically run hotter than what you may set the grill temperature to due to the smaller size of the grill. This is important to note as it may affect your cook.
SCOUT STARTUP TIPS TO AVOID OVERHEATING
- On startup, leave the lid open until the temperature on the smoke peaks.
- Peak means it slows down and stalls on a temperature and stays there; however, this temperature will vary based on the outside temperature.
- When the grill hits the peak stall point, shut the lid and leave on smoke for another 10 minutes to make sure it goes up to 200°F (remember, overshooting is normal). Then back down to 160°F (settles) and repeats.
- If the grill still overheats past 200°F, open the lid again to let out some heat and let the temperature drop to 150°F. Shut the lid again and watch to see if the temperature regulates.
FOOD PLACEMENT
Do not place food too close to the temperature gauge (RTD). Due to the small size of the grill, placing food too close to the RTD may cause the RTD to pick up on the temperature of the food, and you may think your grill has a lower temperature than it does. Additionally, this can result in an unnecessary amount of pellets being fed to the firepot.
If you have any questions, please contact our Customer Support.