5 Reasons to Buy a Traeger BBQ Smoker for Dad

A Traeger electric BBQ smoker may sound like just another toy that will get tucked away in some forgotten corner of the garage – like that exercise machine Dad swore he’d use. A Traeger grill is different, though. My wife bought me one a couple of years ago, and I still use it regularly, whether I’m cooking a family dinner or entertaining. Read my review and these five reasons to get a Traeger electric smoker for Dad for Father’s Day or any time of year.

Dad grilling vegetables with son
Create memories with family barbecues (Photo credit: AlexLipa, Depositphotos.com)

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1. Any man will be proud to cook with a Traeger electric smoker.

The Traeger smoker operates like a slow cooker but makes meals that any dad would be proud to serve. Seriously, no man is going to boast about anything that came out of a slow cooker.

There’s nothing manly about tossing a bunch of ingredients into a pot, turning it on, and letting it set all day. Where’s the sweat and workmanship in that? There isn’t any.

Besides, most of what slow cookers produce are casseroles. And most of us men equate those to quiche… just saying. Instead, a Traeger produces smoked meat!

Traeger Pro Series 34-Inch (Gen 1) Wood Pellet Grill
Traeger Pro Series 34-Inch (Gen 1) Wood Pellet Grill (Photo credit: Traeger Grills)

2. A Traeger smoker produces restaurant quality BBQ at home for a fraction of the cost.

Whether you’re Texas proud and claim beef brisket as the official meat of barbecue, Alabama faithful and prefer smoked chicken with a white sauce, or Carolina smart and know true BBQ comes from a pig, a Traeger doesn’t BBQ discriminate.

A tasty beef brisket smoking on my Traeger
A tasty beef brisket smoking on my Traeger (Photo credit: Bryan Richards)

From brisket and pork to chicken and even seafood, I’ve cooked it all on my Traeger electric smoker. And, to my credit, most people don’t need to put sauce on my smoked meat. It comes off the grill moist, tender, and with just the right amount of smoke.

Barbecue a variety of foods on your Traeger electric smoker
Barbecue a variety of foods on your Traeger electric smoker (Photo credit: Traeger Grills)

3. A Traeger pellet grill is easy to use.

I will admit that some may claim a Traeger smoker is not real BBQ because it’s electric and uses pellets instead of wood. They call it cheating. To a point, they are correct.

But who has the time to sit around and monitor a real smoker all day? You’d need to monitor temperatures and add more wood as necessary constantly.

With a Traeger, you pretty much set it and forget it. Simply add more pellets occasionally – maybe two or three times for an eight-hour cooking cycle. The cooking system maintains a steady temperature while you tend to other things.

Also, since it is electric, a Traeger smoker is safe to use almost anywhere, from traditional backyards to townhouses where space is limited. Traeger even makes a Tailgater grill to take with you on college or NFL game days.

Beer can chicken made on a Traeger electric smoker
A beer can chicken hot off the Traeger! (Photo credit: Bryan Richards)

4. Grill dinner outside while doing other things.

I store my Traeger electric smoker in the back of the garage. When it’s time to use it, I pull it around to the driveway where it safely smokes my meat outside. Then, I do other chores like waxing the car, trimming the hedges, or picking weeds.

Every couple of hours, I check to see if it needs more wood pellets. Or I spray the meat with cider if I’m cooking something that tends to dry out.

For example, last weekend I smoked a beer can chicken for 1.5 hours while I cleaned out the garage. To prepare the chicken, I opened a can of beer and drank a third of it (because why be wasteful).

I filled the freshly emptied portion with barbecue sauce and sat a chicken on top of the can. Then I doused the chicken with a BBQ rub and let it sit on the medium setting. I also sliced up three potatoes and an onion, wrapped them in foil with olive, salt, and pepper, and smoked a side of potatoes.

Treager smokers are for more than just meat, they also make great side dishes like these smoked potatoes!
Traeger smokers are for more than just meat — they also make great side dishes like these smoked potatoes! (Photo credit: Bryan Richards)

5. A Traeger electric smoker is great for entertaining!

Football game watch parties are all the more delicious now that I have a Traeger. In fact, I take pride in waking up early, pouring a strong cup of coffee, and firing up my smoker to slow cook a pork shoulder for eight hours before the Panthers’ kick-off.

I usually pull the meat off as our guests arrive. There’s a showmanship of pulling apart the pork in front of your buddies and snacking on the bark before adding the meat to the buffet. Oh, and the five-pound brisket I smoked last Father’s Day? There weren’t any leftovers.

As you can see, a Traeger electric smoker is not only a gift for Dad, but it’s also a gift for the entire family.

Backyard family barbecue
A Traeger electric smoker is a gift for the whole family (Photo credit: ArturVerkhovetskiy, Depositphotos.com)

Buy now!

Read reviews and view the array of Traeger grills and products of all different price points on BBQGuys.com, where shipping is free for any purchase over $49! Or, buy direct from Traeger.

Learn more!

Getting hungry? Take a look at my tips for hosting a backyard barbecue party and read my tips for creating a delicious tailgate burger bar.

Not sure how a smoker differs from a regular grill? Learn the difference between smoking vs. barbecuing vs. grilling.

Traeger Electric Smoker Grill Review - Great Gift for Dads!

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What meal will your family enjoy most on a Traeger electric smoker? Leave a comment below!

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42 Comments

  1. If we had a Traeger Smoker, I won’t be seeing my husband until right before winter comes around. LOL. Oh he will love this. I am sure my sons would love it too. They may want to use it to cook food for when their friends come over. Yay. Less work for me. They can prepare their own food!

  2. I would love to have this smoker. I would be giddy with happiness grilling my favorite fish or other seafood. Pork belly and/or beef brisket is my second favorite to grill or cook in that smoker. I’m checking this out.

  3. My husband would LOVE one of those. He loves to grill out. If it were up to him every meal would made outdoors.

  4. I like that it’s not as bulky as most grills and it would be a lovely gift for dad! I sure love that it’s convenient to use and it has all the features that you want your grill to have too.

  5. How neat. i don’t think we’ve ever considered a smoker. I think my husband would really enjoy it as he loves to grill and entertain..