Camp Chef vs Traeger {Woodwind WiFi 24 vs Pro 575)

Buying a pellet grill is a serious investment, both in terms of the money it will cost and the time you will spend learning to use the grill. Since this is a major investment I want to help you get to a decision that you are comfortable with.

When you are shopping for a pellet grill is is pretty natural to start by looking at the Traeger grills and then comparing them to other brands. No one wants to spend their hard-earned cash on a grill that can’t live up to expectations, and it can feel risky to take a chance on a smaller brand name when Traeger has such an excellent reputation.

Of course, there are so many models of grills and so many brands that it can quickly get overwhelming.

Today I want to walk you through the details that matter when you are doing the Traeger vs Camp Chef comparison.  There are two great comparisons to be made for these brands and we are going to look at:

• Traeger Pro 575 vs Camp Chef Woodwind 24
• Trager Generation 1 Pro 22 vs Camp Chef DLX 24

Lets start with a quick overview of the brands and then dive into the details of the different models.

Traeger and Camp Chef

In general, Traeger is a company solely focused on pellet grills while Camp Chef is focused on outdoor cooking in general.  Both of these are nice companies that make solid products and offer great customer service.

Traeger Overview

Let’s start our comparison with Traeger, who is known for creating the first wood pellet grill.  Traeger was founded in 1985 by Joe Traeger, an Oregonian who wanted to create a grill that burned wood pellets.

Over the years, Traeger has tweaked the original design by adding new technologies such as upgraded controls and WiFire Technology. The result is an easy-to-use pellet grill that has always been the market leader.

Traeger has an extensive line of wood pellet grills and are known for producing consistent, reliable results.  The grills vary in price depending on size and the specific product line but, in general, you can expect to pay between $899.99 to $2,200, which is not cheap.

Camp Chef Overview

Alternatively, Camp Chef is a quality brand that has been manufacturing grills and related products for decades.  Camp Chef came on the scene in 1990 with their Pro60 grill, a simple, portable gas grill designed for camping. They were founded by Ty Measom in response to his struggle to find a quality outdoor camping grill.

The focus of Camp Chef products is cooking for the outdoors and they produce an extensive product list which includes griddles, outdoor ovens, grill boxes, propane grills, wood pellet grills, and others.

In general, there are nine wood pellet grills available from Camp Chef, with variations in color and accessory bundles from model to model. They range from $449 for smaller models and top out at around $1,500.

Traeger Pro 575 vs Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24

I think that these are the two most important grills to compare to help you understand the differences between Camp Chef and Traeger.

These grills have a lot of the same basic features in common including the following:

When you just go by the basic figures these grills look pretty equivalent.

You could argue about whether Traeger’s D2 control system is better than the PID on the Camp Chef or about which WiFi system has better features but that is really just a matter of splitting hairs.

Differences that Matter

The Camp Chef Woodwind offers four key features that are not available with the Traeger Pro 575:

• Smoke Settings
• Side Table
• Easy Ash Cleanout
• Slide and Grill

First and foremost, the Woodwind offers “Smart Smoke Technology: Adjustable Smoke Settings From 1-10” that lets you dial in exactly how much, or how little smoke production you want from your grill.

The Traeger Pro 575 does not have any type of smoke setting.  In order to get the Traeger smoke setting on their WiFire grills, known as SuperSmoke Mode, you have to spend a minimum of $1,400 and upgrade to the Ironwood Series.

In a similar manner, the Woodwind has a side table which comes in incredibly handy when you need a place to put a tray of ribs, etc.  The Pro 575 does not have a side table and to buy a Traeger that does have a side table you again have to spend a minimum of $1,400 and upgrade to the Ironwood Series.

The Woodwind comes with a patented ash cleanout system which makes cleaning out the firepot as easy as twisting off a cap and dumping the ash.  Performing the same clean out task on a Traeger requires using a shop-vac.

Lastly, the Woodwind has a Slide and Grill feature that lets you perform direct flame grilling over the fire pot.  There is no direct flame grilling option on the Traeger Pro 575.

My Pick

Both the Pro 575 and Woodwind Wifi 24 are fine pellet grills that will make great barbecue.

However, the Camp Chef offers you features that you can only get from a Traeger if you spend an extra $500.

I would pick the Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24 grill over the Traeger Pro 575 any day of the week.  If the Woodwind has your attention then make sure you also check out the Grilla Grills Silverbac.

Traeger Generation 1 Pro 22 vs Camp Chef DLX 24

If you do not care about WiFi connectivity and being able to run your grill from an app then you can save some serious money and downgrade to a basic pellet grill.

The two grills that are most equivalent in this class form the two companies are the Traeger Gen 1 Pro 22 and the camp Chef DLX 24.

Here is the basic comparison between the two grills.

Both of these are fine, basic pellet grills like a Z Grills but with the Camp Chef you simply get more features for less money.

Which Grill Should You Buy?

My feelings are that you get more bang for your buck when you buy a Camp Chef which makes it an excellent Traeger alternative.

The Traeger grills look great and make great barbecue but I have a hard time defending their value proposition.

The one big selling point for Traeger is that have an excellent community of fans that are always sharing lots of knowledge, recipes and community love.  The Traeger Nation is pretty cool.