As with other Traeger models, the controls are installed in the pellet tank, which also doubles as a small side shelf. At Woodridge, the funnel has a 24 pound capacity, more than enough for most low. Slow smoking sessions. These new grills also feature Traeger’s Pop-And-Lock (PAL) rail system on the outside. This allows you to customize your grill with items such as shelves, paper towel holders. Spice racks. There is also plenty of storage built into the shelf, with room for the longer top shelf. Smaller bottom shelves.
The Woodridge is the simplest of the new grills. Has no shelves. Cabinets underneath. Instead, there is only an X-shaped support that keeps your feet steady. Secure. There are two rubber wheels on the side of the container. Two feet on the other side. There is no handle to lift. Move the grill,. It is necessary to use the PAL side guide. At the bottom is the. -called EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg from Traeger, which collects all residues from the cooking chamber. Can be easily removed.
Woodridge’s lid. Cooking pot have also received a new shape. The lid is flatter. Looks more like a gas grill than the oval lids in the Timberline, Ironwood. Pro series. Inside, there are still two grill levels covering an 860-square-inch cooking surface,. There’s less vertical space for stacking food. Traeger has also redesigned the range’s components, adding handles to the drip tray for easy removal. A lid for the grease container. The path to the grease is now more closed,. Bad carbon particles should be less of a problem.
Overall, I’m impressed with the build quality of Woodridge’s base model. It would have been easy for Traeger to use cheap materials to keep costs down,. The grill is durable. Should last for years. The legs are solid. Everything feels solid. Stable, which is a pleasant surprise compared to other budget options.
Cooking with Woodridge
If you are looking for a simple. Efficient pellet grill, the Woodridge is an excellent option. It’s not packed with features you might not use,. It offers everything from low-temperature slow roasting to high-temperature browning with a temperature range of 180 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. I typically use pellet grills for smoking,. Most of my testing focused on this,. I can attest to the Woodridge’s ability to hold temperatures of 500 (. Slightly higher).
The Woodridge doesn’t have Traeger’s signature Super Smoke mode,. The grill still adds plenty of smoke to the food. This holiday season, I especially enjoyed the layered flavor of a double smoked glazed ham. The convective airflow in the cooking chamber moves the smoke. Envelops the food with the nuances of wood pellets. Even at higher “smoking temperatures” of 300 degrees. More, the grill still produced significant amounts of smoke.
One of the key features of the Woodridge is Traeger’s WiFire technology.
This Wi-Fi connection sends important cooking statistics to the company’s app on your phone,. You can monitor the process from anywhere. For Woodridge, that means you can view data from wired. Wireless food probes, adjust grill temperature, set timers, activate keep-warm mode. Turn off the grill, all from your phone. As always, the Traeger app has tons of recipes if you need inspiration, complete with beginner-friendly instructions. The app is one of the best tools on Traeger grills,. It’s good to see what basic software features are available on this base model.
More Woodridge selections
The regular Woodridge is the base model in the new trio, followed by Woodridge Pro. Woodridge Elite. The Pro has 970 square inches of cooking space, a Super Smoke mode, a collapsible side shelf. A bottom shelf. It also offers improved control with a pellet monitoring sensor in the hopper. These upgrades cost $200,. The Woodridge Pro costs $1,000.
With the Woodridge Elite you get some of the best aspects of Traeger’s most expensive grills: Timberline. Timberline XL. These features include insulated construction for better heat retention, an 1100-watt infrared side burner,. An enclosed cabinet base. The additions add to the Woodridge Pro’s 970 square inches of cooking space. Other key specifications. However, you will pay a lot more for this grill. The Elite costs $1,600, making it much less attractive than other Woodridge options.
The Woodridge, Woodridge Pro. Woodridge Elite were just announced,. The first two are now available on Traeger’s website. At retailers in the US. Canada.
Final thoughts on Woodridge
After Traeger went even more premium with the 2023 Ironwood redesign, the company noticed a significant gap between the cheapest. Most expensive models. The original Ironwood was a good bridge between the Pro series. The Timberline,. All these improvements have destroyed that value proposition. The new Woodridge range takes back some of that ground.
Even the basic finish gives you everything you’d expect from a basic pellet grill. I’d actually say it goes further. The Woodridge. Woodridge Pro are big improvements over the Pro 575. Pro 780.
Every time I use the Woodridge I am amazed at the solid build quality that Traeger offers. The low cost. The new look is certainly different from the company’s other grills. Will therefore take some getting used to.
But if you use it, it doesn’t matter. I prefer the new, simplified controls over Traeger’s preference for a touchscreen,. The Woodridge has worked well every time I’ve cooked with it. If you find most Traeger products too expensive. The Pro series has been around too long to invest in such a product, then the Woodridge may be for you.
