Traeger is the largest manufacturer of pellet grills which use burning wood pellets to smoke and cook foods. They act as a grill, oven, braiser, and smoker all in one. In addition, they’re ideal for heating foods to specific temperatures because of their precise convection cooking method.
Traeger makes many different sizes of pellet grills and has two models that are portable, the Scout and Ranger. Let’s take a closer look at these two portable pellet grills to see which one is better.
How Do Pellet Grills Work?
Pellet grills consist of four main parts:
- A pellet hopper is where the wood pellets are placed.
- A firepot, which creates heat for cooking.
- The auger transfers pellets from the hopper to the firepot.
- A fan that spreads heat evenly through the grill.
When you ignite the wood pellets and turn the smoker on, the auger transfers them from the pellet hopper to the fire pot, which is beneath the cooking surface. The fan system disperses heat throughout the smoker, providing even cooking and a rich, smoky flavor.
Why Choose a Pellet Grill?
Pellet smokers offer a versatility that you simply don’t find in traditional grills or smokers. You can cook low and slow, just as you would with an offset smoker. Or you can cook high and fast like you would with a traditional grill. The lack of direct heat and open flame also means you won’t have to worry about flare-ups, which can be a safety hazard if you plan to cook in a small area.
Traeger Scout vs Ranger: Reviews
It’s time to compare Traeger Scout vs Ranger. Both models are made by Traeger, which specializes in wood pellet grills. Both grills are nearly identical in cooking space and dimensions, but the Ranger has a larger hopper and a few other features that differentiate it from the Scout.
Traeger Scout Pellet Grill
The Scout has all of the basic features you could want in a pellet grill, including compact size, good build quality, and solid performance.
- Size: 21″ W x 13″ H x 20″ D
- Weight: 45 pounds
- Material: Powder-coated steel/porcelain-coated steel
- Heat Range: 180°F – 450°F
- Cooking capacity: 184 sq. in.
- Hopper Size: 4 pounds
- Price: $299.99
The main differences between the Scout and the Ranger are the hopper size, which directly contributes to the weight.
The Scout’s 4-pounds capacity hopper decreases the grill’s overall weight, making it more convenient if you plan to travel with it. Although 45 pounds is still a bit hefty for a grill to take on the go, if you don’t need the added hopper capacity, it’s the better choice if you want to cut down on cargo weight.
And, since it offers the same cooking space as the Ranger, choosing the smaller hopper won’t cut back on the amount of food you can cook at once.
The main thing to consider when choosing your grill is how long you’ll need to smoke your food. A 4-pound hopper will offer about 4 hours of smoking time, so if you need to smoke your food longer than that, you’ll need to have extra pellets on hand to refuel.
Another big difference is the temperature controller. Because the Scout is an older model, it maintains Traeger’s first-generation Pro Digital Controller. Although it retains consistent heat, you can only adjust it in 25-degree increments. The Ranger has now been replaced by the Traeger Trailhead.
The Ranger also offers a few added features that the Scout doesn’t have, which will be discussed below.
Traeger Ranger Pellet Grill
- Size: 21″ W x 13″ H x 20″ D
- Weight: 60 pounds
- Material: Powder-coated steel/porcelain-coated steel
- Heat Range: 180°F – 450°F
- Cooking space: 184 sq. in.
- Hopper Size: 8 pounds
- Price: $429.99
The Ranger is the newer of the two grills, so it has some added features that aren’t present on the Scout.
The 8-pound hopper capacity allows for a longer smoke time per round of pellets, which is good if you don’t want to have to pause and refill your hopper mid-smoke. However, the larger capacity causes it to weigh 15 pounds more than the Scout.
The temperature controller is one aspect where the Ranger has a leg up on the Scout. The Ranger has Traeger’s new Digital Arc Controller, which lets you choose any temperature using 5-degree increments instead of 25.
The Ranger also offers a warming mode that keeps your food warm but doesn’t continue to cook it past a specific time.
Verdict
Which grill you choose will boil down to your needs and expectations. If you want to set your grill to smoking and step away for 7-8 hours, the Ranger will be your best bet.
However, if you’re content to refuel every few hours to have a lighter grill, the Scout will be more than sufficient.