Traeger Ironwood vs Traeger Timberline- The better Grill?

Traeger grills come with so much firepower and technology. Just like the Traeger Ironwood and the Traeger Timberline, you will find most of the grills as the best ones.

Wood pellets fuel all Traeger grills, so that means that these two do not differ in that category.

There are a lot of similarities between these two grills, but they also have their unique features.

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Both grills are smart, meaning they are advanced grills that incorporate technology to ease use.

The only thing that might hold you back is the price, but this post is here to convince you that both of these grills are worth investing in to enjoy grilling in your backyard.

These grills remove the hassle of standing right in front of a piping hot grill by allowing you to control them even if you are far away from the grill itself.

There are many accessories that you can add to these grills.

Traeger is not the initiator of WiFi-controlled grills. However, they have added innovations that certainly put them on top of the list of great grills.

So if you are looking to buy one of Traeger’s grills, you might want to check out these two amazing grills and see which one is better for you.

This post will let you know all the important details that you need to take a look at.

The similarities between them, as well as the differences that both make these grills amazing.

 

Let’s start with the setup.

Since these two require almost the same features that need to be connected, we have gathered general information on how to properly assemble and set up the grills.

I would recommend that you seek expert help on assembling the grills’ parts when they come right out of the box. Though, this is not a tough task.

The grills are properly labeled and using the guide, you will see that they assemble easily, and the manuals are pretty straightforward.

Since both grills weigh hundreds of pounds, you will need an extra hand to set them up properly, especially if you need to lift the grill.

You need to take note of the sockets that you have outside your house.

That is the area where the grills need assembling since they both require electricity.

Usually, if you do not have an outdoor socket, you can use an extension cord to plug the grill and for the WiFi feature and the ignition to function properly.

Another part of the setup is, of course, the WiFi and app connection.

You will need to connect the grills to your WiFi and then download the app that comes with it.

Once you have done this, the next time you plug the grills, they will automatically connect with your WiFi, so the hard part is only initially.

 

Features and Design

Both of the grills are powered with wood pellets. Wood pellets are more efficient than wood or charcoal when it comes to cooking.

The pellet hopper feeds on the compressed wood pellets that sit right beside the grills.

Both grills use an auger mechanism to feed the pellets into the grill.

The main difference between the two is the capacity of their pellet hoppers.

The Ironwood can handle around 20 pounds of pellets, while the Timberline goes for up to 24 pounds.

Both of the grills also require electricity for them to ignite. See, unlike most grills, you do not need an external fire to start these grills up.

The grills’ body contains a hot rod that ignites the pellets fed into them. It goes up to a high temperature to create embers with the pellets.

Depending on the temperature you dial in, the Timberline pellets will be automatically controlled and are limited in entering the grill if you have low temperatures.

The Ironwood Grills do not have this automatic feature, so you will need to look if your grill has enough pellets as there are no sensors that will let you know if the pellet hopper is running low.

The Timberline has a TRU convection system that allows the whole chamber to heat up through heat radiation instead of direct heat and flame contact.

It controls the temperature inside and gives the meat in the grill a soft finish that falls right out of the bone.

The Ironwood has a new innovative design that includes Traeger’s D2 Drive, a controlled fanning system inside the grill included in the Timberline.

The D2 Drive of the grills controls the fans in the chamber to create more heat or lessen the airflow inside. The fan varies from 0 to 100 rotations per minute.

The fans also help in igniting the fire faster.

It comes with the Traeger’s TurboTemp feature, where it uses multi-speed fans plus the software enhancement to quickly get to the desired temperature.

Both of the grills have a WiFire feature which is an app that lets you control the grill from afar with the help of any mobile device.

It allows you to take care of the grills’ temperatures and guide multiple recipes that you can cook on the grill.

Both grills also have their pellet hoppers placed on the right side, and they include LCDs that let you know the exact temperature of the grill when you are near.

The Timberline also has this amazing magnetic bamboo cutting board installed right on top of the pellet hopper.

You use it to cut vegetables or to simply let your food rest on it.

There are buttons beside the LCD that include the Timer, Ignition, and other menus that you can access manually or without using the app on your phone.

The grills also have this amazing SuperSmoke feature that allows the grills to give off more smoke and let the food soak it in.

It makes ribs and steaks even more delicious and tastier. The SuperSmoke feature works best at temperatures between 165 and 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Powering the Grills

Since wood pellets fuel both grills, they are both very efficient and can get up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing them to cook different recipes faster.

With a fully-loaded pellet hopper, both grills can last up to a day of cooking and smoking without too much attention needed.

Except, of course, for the Ironwood. It needs a little bit of your time compared to the Timberline since the Ironwood does not have the pellet sensor feature.

If you are cooking something that requires long periods, you will need to keep an eye on the ironwood’s pellet hopper to see if it is full.

The Timberline notifies you when the pellets are running low, so you only attend to it once in a while. This is perfect to have more time with your guests while your food is cooking.

The Ironwood also took a long time to heat up.

After about thirty minutes, the temperature inside the Ironwood was still at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Timberline temperature after 15 minutes was 225 degrees Fahrenheit, which was well beyond the Ironwood.

When you open up the lids of the grills, they lose some of the heat.

However, with the help of D2 Drive, the heat recovers fast after you have placed the lid back down.

Both grills have the same pill-shaped design to let the smoke and the heat radiate around your food and cook them evenly. 

The convection in these two grills also helps in making them clean. The grease from the food does not drip directly to the fire, so it does not have sizzles, therefore, leaving little to no mess at all.

 

Cooking Space

The Ironwood line has two variations or models as well as the Timberline series of grills.

All of the models are pretty big, so you can be sure that you can cook many recipes in them.

For the Ironwood, we have the Ironwood 650 pellet grill with a total of 650 square inches.

It stands at 47 inches, 46 inches wide, and a depth of 27 inches, so you can fit at least eight chickens at a time.

The next model in this series is the Ironwood 885 pellet grill, which has 885 square inches of cooking. You can fit ten chickens or seven rib racks at a time in this grill.

As for the Timberline, we have the Timberline 850 with 850 square inches of cooking area, which means it can handle nine chickens at the same time or six pork butts.

The biggest of all the models is the Timberline 1300, which has 1300 square inches of cooking space and can fit an astounding amount of food with 12 chickens, 15 rib racks, or 12 pork butts a time.

At first glance, you will see that there is not much difference between the Timberline and the Ironwood series sizes, but the inside is what separates the two.

See, the Ironwood series of grills have two-tiered racks where you can cook so many foods as both racks use convection heat.

When you close the grill’s lid, the heat on the top and bottom racks are pretty much the same.

You can observe the same function in the Timberline series of grills.

The only thing that makes the Timberlines’ capacity larger is the amazing three-tiered racks that can all be heated via Traeger’s TRU convection.

Therefore, you might not see the difference on the outside, but the cooking areas are inside, and that is where you will see that the Timberlands can handle more foods than the Ironwoods.

 

Cooking in the Grills

Cooking with grills has never been easier.

With the innovative mobile app’s help, you can control the grills from far away, so you do not have to stand beside the heat.

You can take whatever recipe you want and then cook them in the grills and let your phone notify you when the food is done.

You can control the temperature of the grill with your phone.

Changing the temperature will take some time, but eventually, the grills will get to that temperature with just a screen touch.

Another great thing about the app is that it helps you control the time and temperature and cook.

The app contains recipes and guides for various dishes.

 All you need to do is select one, and it will automatically program the grills to cook the selected recipe.

You can crank the grills’ volume up so you can hear the notifications and see whether the grill has something wrong or when your food cooks.

It eases the job of a pitmaster.

The steaks can cook at the maximum temperature to get that amazing sear and crust on the meat.

Burgers and vegetables, foods that do not require so much time, are perfectly cooked in the grills.

You can track the cooking session with your phone while you are having some drinks on your patio.

 

Conclusion

The Traeger Ironwood and the Traeger Timberline are two of the best grills out there in the market right now. 

You can control it even when you are sitting in your living room, as long as it is connected to the WiFi.

Cooking has been made easier and easier for us. These two grills are examples of cooking equipment that both beginners and professional cooks can use.

==> Check out the Traeger Timberline Grill!

The amazing firepower that comes with technologically advanced equipment is very impressive and, to be honest, hard to find.

So take a look at the features and other components of the grills above, and start investing in the grill that suits you best.

See the grills on Traeger’s website and get a 3-year warranty on any product that you purchase.

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