The Smoker That Made Me Sell My Traeger

I bought a Traeger Ironwood 885 back in 2021 to replace my offset smoker and charcoal grill. It smoked some epic BBQ, but left me disappointed when it came to grilling. It just couldn’t get hot enough to adequately sear burgers, steaks, and chicken. 

Earlier this year, Recteq released their DualFire which promised to hit a max temp of 700 degrees and had indirect and direct heat options. I got one to test out and I’ve been cooking with its high and low settings for two months. Here’s why it replaced my Traeger.

• Temperature range: 180 to 700 degrees 
• Power source: 110 Volt AC GFCI Outlet
• Fuel source: Hardwood pellets
• Weight: 251 pounds
• Direct heat cooking space: 300 square inches
• Indirect heat cooking space: 900 square inches of cooking space on
• Hopper capacity: 70 pounds 
• Includes four meat probes
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• Six-year warranty

Dual Cooking Zones

There are two cooking chambers. I measured the smaller, direct-heat side at 19 by 13 inches and the massive, low-and-slow side at 19 by 26.5 inches. The direct-heat chamber gets up to 700 degrees and the indirect side gets as high as 500 degrees.

Temperature Control

Both chambers are controlled by independent knobs and power buttons on the control panel. And yes, you can run both chambers simultaneously.

Large Hopper 

The DualFire holds 70 pounds of pellets that feed both chambers. I’ve been cooking on the DualFire weekly for two months and I finally need to add more pellets.

Assembly 

I put together the DualFire solo in two hours. Recteq has a good YouTube video that walks you through the process. 

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Testing the Recteq DualFire 1200

I was most excited about the DualFire’s grilling prowess, so I put it to the test with fish, steak, chicken, and vegetables. The first thing I cooked was jerk chicken at 450 degrees. The grill cooked it perfectly and lent a nice smoke flavor to the meat. I skirted disaster though when I adjusted the temperature mid cook (425 to 450 degrees). That increase in temperature caused a huge plume of white smoke as the pellet grill worked to stoke the fire. If I was cooking fish or if I made a larger adjustment, it could have put too much smoke into the meat. From then on, I didn’t adjust the temp once it was set. 

Next I grilled a whole red snapper at 600 degrees. I got really nice grill marks, crispy skin, and wood fire flavor. A big plus is how consistently the DualFire held right at 600 degrees. I went on to grill steaks and carne asada at the max temp. This is when the direct-heat side really showed its metal as it sizzled and seared the beef to perfection. It produced distinct grill marks, all the Maillard reaction you can ask for, and that charcoal grill flavor. 

The grill works incredibly well and is very convenient. I timed how long it took the DualFire to go from a cold start to its max temp of 700 degrees. Over three different cooks it took an average of 13 minutes. That convenience has led me to use the grill more often and it’s handy for quick weeknight meals. 

My main low-and-slow test was a lean brisket I picked up from Costco. It didn’t have a great fat cap or marbling, but I was determined to turn it into BBQ. I rubbed it with salt and black pepper. Then put it on the smoker at 250 degrees at 6 a.m. The DualFire held within 5 degrees of my set point as the cool morning temps turned into a hot afternoon. At five hours, I wrapped the brisket in butcher paper and it already had the beginnings of a nice bark. After another five hours the brisket felt loose and was ready to rest. The result was a good brisket — not one that is going to win any competition, but solid BBQ that made for a great meal. The main negative was the bark was over developed. But it had a great smoke ring and easily passed the pull test. 

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What the Recteq DualFire 1200 Does Best

This is a highly versatile smoker and grill. You get the convenience and high heat of a propane grill with wood smoke flavor. The smoker side works perfectly with clean smoke and consistent temperatures. There are also a ton of great added accessories for the DualFire like a folding table and a cold smoking attachment. 

Where the Recteq DualFire 1200 Can Improve

As much as I loved the direct heat side of the pellet smoker, I wish it had more real estate. There’s definitely enough room to cook a meal for your family, but if you’re having a cookout, you’ll want more space. 

Even though the grill side is small, the DualFire takes up a lot of space. The total footprint measures 27 by 70 inches. So keep that in mind if you have a small patio or deck. 

The grill’s LCD screen is not the most conveniently placed: it’s inset and the shelf above it overhangs the screen. Both of those design features help protect the screen against glare and rain, but I had to step back to see it. At 6 feet 6 inches I’m pretty tall, but I think even a cook of average height will have trouble seeing the LCD screen.

Final Thoughts on the Recteq DualFire 1200

I love all sorts of grilled and smoked foods, and there’s no substitute for the flavor wood smoke adds to meat and vegetables. But who has time to build a perfect bed of coals or monitor a smoker for 12 hours? Maybe you lose 5 percent of the flavor and a few points off your chef score, but a pellet smoker makes that wood smoke flavor a lot easier to achieve. If you want an all-in-one pellet smoker, I don’t think there’s a better option than the DualFire. It grills and smokes well while keeping all the convenience of a modern pellet grill.