Grill business are taking a various method in 2025. Rather than refining costs clever pellet designs and including a lot more functions, they’re intending to supply a strong outside food preparation experience for much less cash than typical. Weber did so with the Smoque previously today and currently Traeger is doing the same. With the Woodridge series, Traeger uses a brand new appearance and streamlined controls, and also one of the most inexpensive choice is outfitted with Wi-Fi connection. And also, you can update them all with added devices.
The normal Woodridge is the most affordable choice of the brand-new triad. At $800, it coincides rate as the tiniest Pro collection design, the Pro 575, and $1,000 much less than the mid-range Ironwood grill. The whole Woodridge collection has an unique style that varies from the costlier Timberline and Ironwood grills, and Traeger dropped the touchscreen for a streamlined configuration. Yet do not allow the rate fool you, the firm really did not reduce numerous edges to maintain prices down. The Woodridge is a workhorse, and somehow it’s far better to prepare on than Traeger’s much more pricey grills.
Style
The initial point I discovered regarding the Woodridge is that Traeger eliminated the touchscreen controls. I do not question that element was pricey, and in my point of view it was unneeded. Rather, there’s a straightforward collection of switches for timers, food probes, ignition and food selection. Beside them is a multi-color screen with multitudes that make temperature level, time and various other statistics simple to see, also from a range. On the much right of the panel, a solitary handle enables you to scroll via and readjust temperature level setups and even more.
Like various other Traeger designs, the controller is mounted on the pellet receptacle, which functions as a tiny side rack. On the Woodridge, the receptacle has a 24 extra pound capability, ample for many low-and-slow smoke sessions. These brand-new grills additionally have Traeger’s Pop-And-Lock (BUDDY) rail system around the exterior. These enable you to personalize your grills with points like racks, paper towel owners and spice baskets. There’s additionally sufficient shelf storage space constructed in, with places to save both the much longer leading shelf and the smaller sized lower ones, also.
The Woodridge is one of the most fundamental of the brand-new grills, and it does not have any kind of type of rack or closet beneath. Rather, there’s simply an X-shaped brace that maintains the legs tight and limited. On the receptacle end, there are 2 wheels with rubber walk and 2 legs on the various other. There’s no take care of to raise the grill to relocate, so you need to make use of the side-mounted buddy rail. On the underbelly, you’ll obtain Traeger’s supposed EZ-Clean Oil & & Ash Keg that gathers all the waste from the chef chamber for simple elimination.
Also the cover and chef box on the Woodridge have a brand-new form. The cover is flatter and looks much more like a barbecue grill than the oblong tops of the Timberline, Ironwood and Pro collection. You still obtain 2 degrees of grates inside covering 860 square inches of cooking location, yet there’s much less upright area to pile food. Traeger revamped the elements under the food preparation surface area also, mounting deals with on the drip tray for simple elimination and a cover for the oil keg. The course for oil is currently much more encased, so wayward coal must be much less of a problem.
Generally, I’m satisfied with the develop high quality on the entry-level Woodridge. It would certainly’ve been simple for Traeger to make use of economical products to decrease expense, yet the grill is tough and must last for many years. The legs are unfailing and every little thing really feels large and solid, which is a welcome shock contrasted to various other spending plan pleasant alternatives.
Food Preparation with the Woodridge
If you’re seeking a simple pellet grill that does the job, the Woodridge is a wonderful choice. It isn’t filled down with functions you could not make use of, yet does every little thing from low-and-slow bbq to high-heat scorching with a temperature level series of 180-500 levels Fahrenheit. I normally make use of pellet grills for cigarette smoking, so a lot of my screening concentrated on that, yet I can attest the Woodridge’s capacity to keep temperature levels of 500 (and a little over).
The Woodridge does not have Traeger’s trademark Super Smoke setting, yet the grill still conveys great deals of smoke right into your food. I especially took pleasure in the split taste on a double-smoked, glazed pork over the vacations. The convection air circulation inside the food preparation chamber relocates smoke around to bury your food with the subtlety of the timber pellets. Also at greater “cigarette smoking” temperature levels of 300 levels and above, the grill was still creating considerable quantities of smoke.
A large attribute on the Woodridge is Traeger’s WiFire technology. This Wi-Fi connection sends out crucial food preparation statistics to the firm’s application on your phone, enabling you to maintain tabs on the procedure from anywhere. For the Woodridge, this suggests you can see information from wired or cordless food probes, readjust grill temperature level, established timers, turn on Maintain Cozy setting and closed down the grill on your phone. As constantly, the Traeger application has a wide range of dishes when you require some motivation, total with support for novices. The application is among the most effective devices on Traeger’s grills, so it behaves to see the core includes from the software application are readily available on this base design.
Various other Woodridge alternatives
The normal Woodridge is the base design in the brand-new triad with the Woodridge Pro and the Woodridge Elite over it. The Pro has 970 square inches of cooking area, Super Smoke setting, a folding side rack and a lower storage space rack. It additionally uses an updated controller with a pellet-monitoring sensing unit inside the receptacle. Those upgrades set you back $200, as the Woodridge Pro is $1,000.
On the Woodridge Elite, you obtain several of the most effective elements of Traeger’s most pricey grills– the Timberline and Timberline XL. Those comforts consist of protected building and construction for far better warmth retention, a 1,100-watt infrared side heater and a confined closet base. The enhancements begin top of the 970-square-inch food preparation location and various other vital specifications from the Woodridge Pro. You’ll pay a whole lot much more for this grill, however, as the Elite is $1,600. So, it’s a lot less appealing than the various other Woodridge alternatives.
The Woodridge, Woodridge Pro and Woodridge Elite were simply revealed today, yet the initial 2 are readily available currently at Traeger’s internet site or from stores in the United States and Canada.
Last ideas on the Woodridge
After Traeger went a lot more superior with its Ironwood makeover in 2023, the firm had a huge space in between its most inexpensive designs and its much more pricey ones. The initial Ironwood was a great bridge in between the Pro collection and the Timberline, yet every one of those upgrades eliminated that worth proposal. The brand-new Woodridge collection recovers several of that region, and also the base trim provides you every little thing you would certainly desire in a standard pellet grill. Actually, I would certainly say it exceeds that. The Woodridge and Woodridge Pro are huge upgrades contrasted to the Pro 575 and Pro 780.
Whenever I make use of the Woodridge I’m impressed by the tough develop high quality Traeger supplied while maintaining the expense down. The makeover is definitely a separation from the firm’s various other grills, so it’ll take some obtaining made use of to. Yet, when you’re utilizing it, that does not matter. I like the brand-new streamlined controls to Traeger’s fondness for a touchscreen and the Woodridge did well every single time I prepared on it. If you assume a lot of Traeger’s schedule is also pricey, which the Pro collection has actually been about also lengthy to buy one, the Woodridge may be ideal for you.