Green Mountain Grills has become one of the most popular pellet grill brands on the market thanks to attractive packages that include desirable features and a WiFi option. But does the inclusion of extras and WiFi capability mean that Green Mountain Grills are worth the purchase?
Last update on 2024-10-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Bells and whistles are nice. Included accessories are great. However, a quality pellet grill is much more than the sum of its features. Since even an inexpensive pellet grill represents an investment of several hundred dollars, construction and performance should be the primary considerations. (read 6 Tips for Choosing the Best Pellet Grill). A well-built pellet grill with an excellent controller is a better investment than an average pellet grill with a long list of included accessories, for the simple reason that it will be last longer, cook better, and require less maintenance over its lifetime. The cost of paying a little more up front is far less than what you’ll pay in replacing igniters, probes, rusted parts, or the entire grill in a few years time.
So how does Green Mountain stack up when you factor in the total package—construction, performance, accessories, and price—and how does it compare to competing pellet grills of a similar size and price (particularly Traeger, Louisiana Grills, and the Pellet-Q450)?
Green Mountain Grills vs Traeger (2019 Comparison)
Since they started selling in 2008, Green Mountain Grills have gained a loyal following thanks to their high tech, well-constructed pellet grills.
In this guide, we will run through the main differences between pellet grills from Green Mountain Grills and Traeger.
We’ll also look at some of the top grills from each company to help you decide which pellet grill is right for you.
This is another part of a series of articles we are doing to see how Traeger grills compare with the competition. You may also want to check out our guide to Pit Boss vs Traeger.
Green Mountain Grills vs Traeger Pellet Grills – Head to head
Comparing grills from different companies is hard.
Price point and features rarely line up, so it’s very hard to make fair comparisons.
To find out which company makes the best grill for your needs, it’s better to start by understanding which features are most important to you.
With that disclaimer in mind, here are some of the general differences between the two brands to help you decide which grill to buy:
- Until the latest Traeger models were released in 2019, Green Mountain Grills had the edge in technology. All their grills are available with Wifi.
- Although Traeger recently added Wifi to their Pro, Ironwood and Timberline grills, the Davy Crockett from Green Mountain Grills is the only portable grill to come with WiFi.
- Green Mountain Grills are significantly cheaper than their equivalent Traeger model.
- Traeger offers a wider choice of grills in different sizes and configurations
- Traeger has much larger grills, the Jim Bowie has 658 square inches of cooking space while the largest Traeger gives you 1300.
- All Traeger models are available to buy online whereas GMC favors their dealer network.
- While it’s not a big difference GMC beats Traeger on maximum temperature with their grills maxing out at 550°F compared to 450 – 500°F (depending on model) for the Traeger.
- Both companies offer a 3-year warranty
- If you look through the barbecue forums and Facebook groups you’ll find plenty of fans of both companies.
- The general consensus does seem to favor Green Mountain Grills though.
- We are especially big fans of the Davy Crockett, which we included on our round-up of thebest pellet grills.
Brand History
Overview of Green Mountain Grills
Green Mountain Grills (GMG for short) have been in business since 2008, but it wasn’t until they lowered their prices in 2014 that they became a true contender.
GMG is at least partially responsible for the widespread adaption of WiFi capability in pellet grills.
While Traeger now includes WiFi on all their new 2019 grills, GMG has always given you the option on their three main grills.
GMG has decided to focus on its dealer network, and so they are not very easy to find for sale online.
Overview of Traeger
Traeger was the original inventor of the pellet grill concept.
The company was formed in the 1980s when Joe Traeger developed the concept from his experience with pellet burning stoves.
The new company quickly patented their invention, which gave them a monopoly market for the next twenty years.
Throughout that time Traeger remained a small family company. When their patent ended in 2006 a rush of new competitors entered the market and started putting pressure on the company.
The brand really exploded in popularity when a private equity group bought the company.
Today Traeger is the largest manufacturer of pellet grills by far, selling over $300 million worth of grills every year.
Top Green Mountain Grill Models
Unlike a lot of manufacturers, Green Mountain Grills have a very simple and easy to understand line-up of grills.
They sell three models of pellet grill intended for general use. They also offer a commercial-sized trailer.
On the larger Daniel Boone and Jim Bowie you can choose between black or stainless steel for a slightly increased cost.
You can also get the non-WiFi version for a bit of a discount.
I would recommend buying the WiFi models even if you don’t think you’ll use that feature. The technology allows GMGs to release updates to the firmware on the grill to make it run better over time.
And you can always impress guests when you pull out your phone to control your grill!
1. Davy Crockett WiFi Pellet Grill
If you want a portable pellet grill there simply aren’t a lot of great options on the market.
The Davy Crockett is definitely one of the best though. The manufactures market this as a grill for tailgaters, campers and people with RVs who want to cook anywhere.
The legs fold up to form a carry handle. One person could carry the grill if they had to, but ideally, you would use two people.
The build quality is excellent and the materials are heavy and made to last.
The grill ships with a few accessories to help you power the grill from a variety of sources.
The portable features are great, but the Davy Crockett can stand on its own as a decent small sized grill even if you never plan to travel with it.
You get excellent temperature control thanks to a digital thermostatic controller which lets you dial in the temperature in 5°F increments.
The combination of features and build quality at a highly competitive price led us to pick the Davy Crockett for the title best portable pellet grill in our round-up of the best pellet grills.
The Davy Crockett is the only Green Mountain Grill you can buy online.
Get the latest price on Amazon.
2. Daniel Boone
The Daniel Boone sits in the middle of the GMG lineup and is their best selling model.
You get 458 square inches of cooking space all on one large grill rack. The manufacturer claims this is enough to fit 7 racks of ribs.
The peaked lid design gives you 13.5 inches of headroom which is plenty of space to stand up a chicken or cook a turkey.
The pellet hopper capacity is 18 pounds and there’s even a pellet alarm to let you know when you are close to running out. This feature is only available on the most expensive Traeger Timberline models.
The digital controller is fairly standard and allows you to set the temperature anywhere between 150° – 550°F.
Find your nearest dealer on the GMG website.
3. Jim Bowie
The Jim Bowie is the big daddy of the Green Mountain Grill family (not counting their commercial trailer).
It has a lot in common with the Daniel Boone, only the cooking space is increased to 658 square inches.
This doesn’t make it a huge grill by any standards. To give you some perspective the most expensive Traeger Timberline comes with 1300 square inches of cooking space (for a much higher price).
Other than grilling size there really isn’t a lot of differences between the Jim Bowie and Daniel Boone. They both share the same 17-pound hopper.
Find your nearest dealer on the GMG website.
Top Traeger Grills
Compared to Green Mountain Grills, the Traeger lineup is much more varied with grills at many different sizes and price points.
This comparison will only skim the surface, so if you want to learn more about the various models of Traeger, I suggest checking out our post on Traeger Grill Reviews.
One thing to watch out for when comparing grills, Traeger updated their lineup in 2019 and slightly changed how they name their grills.
For all the 2019 models, the product name includes a number that tells you the cooking surface.
For example the Pro 780 has 780 square inches of cooking surface.
On older grills, the number refers to the size of the main grilling rack. E.g. the Pro Series 34 has a 34″ x 19″ grilling rack.
This should help you know if you’re looking at a 2019 model or one of the older ones.
Traeger sells four main models, with the Bronson, Renegade Elite and the portable Tailgater rounding out the family.
The Traeger Pellet Grill Family Lineup:
- Traeger Tailgater – Traegers portable grill competes directly with the Davy Crockett, with 300 sq inches and a lot less tech. We prefer the Davy Crockett for the price.
- Traeger Pro series – The “base” model of Traeger’s main grill lineup comes in two sizes and now includes WiFi connectivity. Depending on size, the Pro sits between the Daniel Boone and Jim Bowie in price.
- Traeger Ironwood Series – The Ironwood offers larger sizes along with new features such as DownDraft Exhaust and TRU convection. You also get Super Smoke mode, the option to push a button and ramp up the smoke produced. Even the smallest Ironwood will set you back more than the Jim Bowie.
- Traeger Timberline series – The largest and most expensive option comes with all the features of the Ironwood plus futuristic pellet sensing technology that lets you monitor your pellet levels on the app.
The 2019 models do close the gap with Green Mountain Grills when it comes to technology.
But GMG offers comparable tech at a much lower price point.
Other brands to consider
If you still haven’t decided between a Traeger or Green Mountain Grills, you might find one of the many other manufacturers more suitable.
Let’s quickly go through
Newcomer budget brand – Z Grills
If you want the best value for money Z Grills is a tempting option.
They haven’t been selling grills to the public for long, but they’ve actually been around for a long time producing grills for other companies.
We’ve even heard rumours they used to manufacturer grills for Traeger!
The most popular model they sell is the Z Grills 7002which was updated in 2019 to improve the temperature controller.
Another mid-range option – Camp Chef
I would say Camp Chef and Green Mountain Grills are at a similar level in terms of price and build quality.
I’m a big fan of the popular PG 24 Deluxe.
You give up a bit of tech that you would get with a GMG as there’s no WiFi connectivity.
The Camp Chef has the best solution for searing that we’ve seen on a pellet grill.
Instead of gimmicky adjustable plates, they just give you the option to add on an optional sear box.
They also sell the larger WoodWind classic which always gets excellent reviews.
Wrapping it up
I hope this article has helped you decide between a Traeger and a Green Mountain Grill.
If you don’t want to stretch your budget, GMG offers some excellent technology and features for a lower price point.
They also are a pretty clear winner in the portable grill category.
Green Mountain Grills vs Traeger (2017 Comparison)
There are two certainties when researching pellet grills: Traeger and Green Mountain. If you’ve started to dig into pellet grills, you’ve undoubtedly come across both names. Not only are they the two best selling brands on the market, but they’re usually ranked 1 and 2 in Google search results. It’s only natural, then, that they’d draw side-by-side comparisons. (Read our Pellet Grill FAQ.)
As the originators, Traeger gets the lion’s share of attention (they’re also in the midst of a huge marketing campaign that has single-handedly introduced pellet grills to millions of people), while Green Mountain gets comparatively less fanfare. Often, people come to Green Mountain through Traeger after researching pellet grills and discovering there are other brands. What they quickly learn is that, while Traeger is the biggest name, Green Mountain offers an attractive combination of price and package. Inevitably, that leads to questions, especially among first-time pellet grill customers, about which is the better buy?
In terms of quality, both Traeger and Green Mountain fall in the middle of the pack—they’re better than the cheap models flooding the market, but aren’t as highly regarded as more advanced models. They both also make pellet grills that are roughly the same size and—the Traeger Pro Series 22 and the Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone WiFi—which makes for a fairly simple comparison.
NOTE: We chose the Pro Series 22 over the Lil Tex Elite because it better represents Traeger’s current direction. We opted for the Daniel Boone WiFi (it comes in non-WiFi, as well) because it’s the more popular choice and WiFi is perhaps the most compelling reason to buying a GMG.
Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone WiFi
There’s little dispute: the Daniel Boone WiFi offers a lot at a competitive price. Green Mountain is one of the few brands with a WiFi option, and the ability to control your cook remotely is its biggest selling point. Green Mountain also includes several accessories with the Daniel Boone, offering a little more bang for your buck. Here’s a breakdown of the key specs and features:
- WiFi can be set up for point-to-point connecting (directly to your grill) or through your home network. The downloadable app offers remote temperature control, recipes, alarms, and the ability to program step-by-step processes.
- 27×16” primary grate offers 432 square inches.
- One-touch digital controller allows you to set temps in 5°F increments from 150-500°F.
- Integrated meat probe gives you the ability to monitor food temps on the LCD display. A must-have.
- Stainless steel grates resist rust and corrosion.
- Peaked lid provides more vertical cooking space for large roasts or cooking chicken upright, beer can-style.
- Convenience tray—in terms of side shelves, it’s fairly small and flimsy. A good place for your tools or to (carefully) rest your beer, but don’t lean on it.
- Sense Mate ambient air sensor – Green Mountain says this will put your pellet grill in “Turbo Mode” when it’s cold outside, helping it heat up faster. An interesting feature, but not one you see customers discussing, or even mentioning.
Construction: The painted steel body is standard for pellet grills and is a risk to rust if/when the paint chips. Green Mountain does offer a stainless steel upgrade for the lid, but not the fire pot or diffuser, which will corrode in time. Pellet grills don’t need to have heavy-duty bodies, so long as they have a good controller to hold the temperature. The Daniel Boone has neither. The legs are somewhat thin, which over time could be problematic if you move it around.
Performance: The one-touch controller can be set in 5°F increments, giving a sense of precise temperature control. However, that’s just the set temperature, the grill itself maintains about +/- 25-30°F in perfect weather, with bigger swings when it’s cold or windy. The Sense Mate feature is nice, and sounds great, but it just helps you heat up faster in cold weather, not tighten temperature control.
The features that matter: Of all that’s included, you should care about the WiFi, meat probe, and stainless steel grates. While some reviews claim the WiFi is unreliable, Green Mountain is ahead of the game in offering it and has developed a nice app with good functionality. WiFi capability is what makes the Daniel Boone more than a run-of-the-mill pellet grill. At this point, an integrated meat probe should be standard with every pellet grill (they’re not). The stainless steel grates are a great addition. Durable and easy to maintain, they add longevity to a part that often has to be replaced.
What’s Missing: In a word, quality. Green Mountain is attempting to simultaneously compete with inexpensive brands like Camp Chef and Pit Boss, as well as next-tier brands like Traeger. To do so, they’ve had to carefully balance price, package, and quality. However, while straddling two markets at once allows them to appeal to more customers, it might be better to charge more (or include less) and offer an upgraded controller or better construction.
The Bottom Line: The Green Mountain Daniel Boone WiFi offers a lot at a good price. That makes it a solid choice for a first-time pellet grill customer. The WiFi option can’t be overlooked or downplayed—it has forced every other brand to start developing WiFi for their own grills. However, grills are still about cooking first and construction second. Bells and whistles are a distant third. So while WiFi capability and standard accessories are great, it begs the question of whether their inclusion comes at the expense of a more sophisticated controller and a sturdier build.
Check latest price of Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone WiFi on Amazon!
Traeger Pro Series 22
With the Pro Series 22, Traeger upped its game, graduating to a better controller, sturdier construction, and included features—without significantly adding to the price. Rather than targeting the entry-level market, they aimed to compete with the likes of Louisiana Grills, a brand known for offering high-quality construction, performance, and features for at a reasonable price.
- 22×19” grid 418 square inches
- Pro Series Controller with Traeger’s traditional knob control that can be set in 25°F increments 180-425°F. Traeger, too, claims you can sear, but searing takes place at about 550°F+
- Advanced Grilling Logic allows for better temperature control, modifying the pellet feed if the grill is running too far below or above the set temperature.
- 2 Meat Probes allow you to monitor cooking temps on the LCD display. One probe is a must-have. Two is a fantastic luxury.
- Sawhorse chassis gives the Pro Series thicker legs, a sturdier frame, and a more robust construction. The design also makes it easier to move around the yard.
- Upper rack (22×7”) increases cooking area to 572 square inches.
- Pellet hopper Cleanout allows you to quickly and easily empty the hopper or change pellet flavors. An underappreciated feature…until you want to change pellets.
- Blue or bronze lid. Completely cosmetic, though choice is never a bad thing.
Construction: The Pro Series 22 is also made of painted steel, which is vulnerable to corrosion. The grill grates are enameled steel, but you can upgrade to cast iron. You can also upgrade the fire pot, drip pan, and diffuser to stainless steel. The grill doesn’t have a heavy-duty build, but the upgraded controller helps counter heat loss. The sawhorse chassis is a big improvement. A couple of years ago, Traeger Grills had legs similar to those on the Daniel Boone. Beefing up the build makes it more durable and allows the Pro Series 22 to be moved around more easily, as do the all-terrain wheels and side-mounted handle.
Performance: On the surface, you’d think the Daniel Boone’s one-touch controller had better temperature control. In reality, the Pro Series with its Advanced Grilling Logic (AGL) performs better, maintaining +/-15°F. It’s not PID controller, but the AGL can modify the pellet feed when it over- or undershoots the set temperature. However, it’s still not a grill that will perform well in cold weather without the aid of an insulation blanket. As for being able to set the temperature in 25°F vs 5°F increment, it has no bearing on whether the grill can actually maintain that temperature.
The Features that Matter: Most of what Traeger added has real value, particularly the Advanced Grilling Logic, which improved temperature control. Having dual meat probes is also a great luxury when you’re cooking multiple pieces of meat. Don’t overlook the new sawhorse chassis, which adds needed stability and durability (not mention mobility) over the life of the grill.
What’s Missing: WiFi. Traeger is reportedly working on cloud-based WiFi on par with Memphis Grills. Right now, though, it’s the biggest thing the Daniel Boone has in its favor.
The Bottom Line: With the Pro Series, Traeger took a step forward in quality and performance while also including desirable accessories like the dual meat probes and upper cooking rack. Could they drop the price a little lower? Probably, given that the Traeger name, like Weber, adds a few extra dollars to the bottom line. However, the Pro Series 22 creates clear separation between Traeger and many of the entry-level pellet grills people encounter at big box stores.
Check latest price of Traeger Pro Series 22 on Amazon!
Green Mountain or Traeger?
The WiFi factor makes this a closer call, but the Traeger Pro Series 22 is the better overall grill. Ultimately, pellet grills are as good as their controller and their construction. Added features are nice, especially WiFi, but it’s an investment anytime you spend this amount of money, so the grill should perform well from day one and continue to do so for years to come. In terms of the quality of its controller and its durability, the Traeger Pro Series gets the edge.
The Pro Series 22 came out in 2016. Rather than developing a new model, Traeger certainly had the option of simply including more features on the Lil Tex or dropping its price to target the bargain consumer. Instead they chose to upgrade with an eye toward the customer willing to pay for quality. Being pellet grill people, we agree with the decision.
Other Pellet Grills, Similar Price, Better Options
Traeger and Green Mountain might be the two biggest names in pellet grills, but they’re far from the only ones. And, honestly, there are some brands that, though they lack the Traeger or GMG name, offer better quality and performance at a similar price. If you’re looking at the Daniel Boone or Pro Series 22, two other options are the Louisiana Grills LG700 and FireCraft Pellet-Q450.
Louisiana Grills LG700: Exceptional Quality at a Great Price
Louisiana Grills has been making pellet grills as long as anyone except Traeger. Like all of their grills, the LG700 includes PID temperature control, which maintains the grill’s temperature within a few degrees even in cold weather. It also features a robust construction—each lid is rolled from the same steel as the body to ensure a better fit—and includes some great features neither Traeger nor Green Mountain can offer.
- Primary grill grate is 26×19” for 497 square inches.
- Constructed from 14 gauge steel
- One-touch PID Controller gives you the ability to set temperatures in 5°F increments from 180-600°F
- Programmable Meat probe allows you to monitor food temperatures and program the grill to lower the heat when it’s done cooking.
- Adjustable Flame Broiler allows you to cook over an open flame for high-heat grilling and true searing.
- Included upper rack (210 sq in) increases total cooking area to 770 square inches.
In terms of packages that combine performance, features, and price, the LG700. is hard to beat. No, it doesn’t have WiFi, but you’re better off with the more advanced controller and added capability. The ability to maintain precise temperature, no matter the weather, and grill over an open flame is worth more than WiFi, which is likely to become standard on most grills and may become a simple and inexpensive add-on in the near future.
Check latest price of Louisiana Grills LG700 on Amazon!
The Pellet-Q450: A Stainless Steel Pellet Grill at the Right Price (Currently unavailable.)
No matter what pellet grill you buy, it represents a significant investment that should be expected to last. That makes a stainless steel pellet grill incredibly desirable. There aren’t many stainless steel pellet grills available, and even fewer under $1500, but the FireCraft Pellet-Q450 retails for $899. Constructed with stainless steel from top-to-bottom, inside and out (except the cooking grate), it’s durable, rust-resistant, and has the look many people like. It also features a PID controller for precision temperature control and an open-flame grilling option. So, even though you get fewer included accessories, you’re getting what matters most—quality construction and exceptional performance.
- One-touch PID Controller gives you the ability to set temperatures in 5°F increments from 180-500°F
- Programmable Meat Probe allows you to monitor food temperatures on the LCD display and program the grill to lower the eat when it’s done cooking.
- Direct grilling option gives you the ability to cook over an open flame for high-heat grilling and true searing (requires optional Sear Station)
- Primary grill grate of 24×19” for 450 square inches
- Pellet Exchange allows you to quickly and easily empty pellets or change flavors on the fly.
Although the list of included accessories might be shorter, you’re getting a more durable pellet grill with an advanced PID controller. This is a clear case of it being better to pay for better construction and performance than add-ons.
Check latest price of Pellet-Q450 on Amazon!
Last Updated on June 1, 2020 by Judith Fertig
Rod Hier says
A very comprehensive report on pellet grills. Do you have an opinion on rec tec grills?