The Smoker Who Made Me Sell My Traeger

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

Earlier this year, Recteq released its DualFire, which promised to reach a maximum temperature of 700 degrees and offered indirect and direct heat options. I bought one to test it out and have been cooking on its high and low settings for the past two months. Here’s why it replaced my Traeger.

• Temperature range: 180 to 700 degrees
• Power Source: 110V 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 lbs.
• 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 x 13 inches and the massive, low-temperature, slow-cooking side at 19 x 26.5 inches. The direct heat chamber reaches up to 700 degrees and the indirect side reaches up to 500 degrees.

Temperature control

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

Large hopper

The DualFire holds 70 pounds of pellets that feed both chambers. I have been cooking on the DualFire every week for the past two months and finally need to add more pellets.

Assembly

I assembled the DualFire Solo in two hours. Recteq has a good YouTube video that walks you through the process.

Read more: Best Pellet Smokers

Recteq DualFire 1200 Review

I was particularly 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 imparted a nice smoky flavor to the meat. I did, however, have a near disaster when I adjusted the temperature halfway through cooking (425 to 450 degrees). This increase in temperature caused a huge plume of white smoke as the pellet grill worked to stoke the fire. If I were cooking fish or had made a higher setting, it could have put too much smoke into the meat. From that point on, I didn’t adjust the temperature again once it was set.

Next, I grilled a whole red snapper at 600 degrees. I got really nice grill marks, crispy skin, and a wood-fired flavor. A big plus was how consistently the DualFire held at 600 degrees. I then grilled steaks and carne asada at the highest temperature. This is when the direct heat side really showed its metal, sizzling and searing the beef to perfection. It produced distinct grill marks, all the Maillard reaction you could ask for, and that charcoal-grilled 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 maximum temperature of 700 degrees. Over three different cooks, it took an average of 13 minutes. This convenience has led me to use the grill more often and it comes in handy for quick weeknight meals.

My main low-heat, slow-burn test was a lean beef brisket I bought at Costco. It didn’t have a good layer of fat or marbling, but I was determined to turn it into barbecue. I rubbed it with salt and black pepper. Then I put it in the smoker at 250 degrees at 6 a.m. The DualFire kept the temperature within 5 degrees of my set point as the cool morning temperatures turned into a warm afternoon. After 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 was loose and ready to rest. The result was a good brisket—not the kind that’s going to win a competition, but a solid barbecue that made a great meal. The main drawback was that the bark was overdeveloped. But it had a great smoke ring and easily passed the pull test.

Read more: The best grills

What the Recteq DualFire 1200 does best

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

Where the Recteq DualFire 1200 can improve

While I really liked the direct heat aspect of the pellet smoker, I wish it had more space. There’s certainly enough room to cook a meal for your family, but if you’re hosting a barbecue, you’ll need 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 isn’t the best location: It’s recessed, and the shelf above it overhangs the screen. Both of these design features help protect the screen from glare and rain, but I had to step back to see it. At 6’11”, I’m fairly tall, but I suspect even an average-sized cook will have trouble seeing the LCD screen.

Final thoughts on the Recteq DualFire 1200

I love all kinds of grilled and smoked foods, and there’s no substitute for the flavor that wood smoke adds to meats and vegetables. But who has time to build a perfect bed of coals or watch a smoker for 12 hours? You may lose 5% of the flavor and a few points on 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 maintaining all the convenience of a modern pellet grill.