Traeger Grills TFB85WLE Timberline Series 850 Pellet Grill Review
The Traeger Grills Timberline 850 is one of the larger wood pellet grills in the Traeger line. It’s also infused with a lot of Traeger’s newest innovations.
This includes things like their D2 controller and D2 auger drive system which carefully delivers a consistent stream of wood pellets to the firepot. It also has superior torque to prevent jams in the auger system. It represents the next level in auger technology for the wood pellet grill niche.
The hopper itself can hold up to 24 pounds of wood pellets at a time to accommodate very long smoking sessions. There’s also a hopper purge feature that lets you take out unused wood pellets after you are done grilling.
The Traeger Grills TFB85WLE Timberline 850 has a digital control center that lets you precisely dial in the heat you want. It also can be wirelessly connected via Traeger’s proprietary WiFire app. This lets you control and monitor what’s going on inside the primary cooking chamber, without having to open it up, which changes the heat dynamics. The app itself has drawn a little criticism when it comes to the control aspect, but it’s a great tool for monitoring your smoking or grilling session.
The primary cooking chamber of the Traeger Grills Timberline 850 is very large and features double-walled construction. This helps retain heat, while also maximizing smoke saturation. This particular model comes with three stainless steel grill grates, which provide you with an impressive 850 square inches of grilling space.
The dynamics of the primary chamber also help to redistribute heat evenly. This means all three racks are truly cooking spaces and not just warming racks as you might find in a traditional charcoal or gas grill. This translates into an impressive amount of food that you can cook at one time. Traeger states that with proper placement you can get up to 9 chickens, 8 racks of ribs, or three Boston butt pork shoulders in a single session.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Like nearly all of Traeger’s lines the Timberline 850 features robust construction throughout. Thick gauge steel, durable heat resistant black powder coat, and commercial grade stainless steel appear in nearly every facet of the Traeger Grills Timberline 850. It even has a double-walled primary cooking chamber to help hold in the heat. Not only does this mean you will use fewer wood pellets per session, but that the grill is more likely to hold a consistent temperature during cold weather.
The D2 auger is the next natural step up in auger technology. It has superior torque to prevent wood pellet jams. It works in tandem with the controller for superior temperature accuracy.
Assembly can be a little bit of a chore with the Traeger Grills Timberline 850. It weighs in excess of 200-pounds. So, you will definitely need another pair of hands, if not two other people to get everything assembled safely and correctly. With all hands on board and the tools you likely already have laying around the house, you should be able to get the Traeger Grills Timberline 850 fully put together in around two hours.
Grilling Performance
The Traeger Grills Timberline 850 was designed to do everything you expect a high-quality wood pellet grill to do. It has the versatility to grill meats that prefer high temperatures like steaks and chops. At these temperatures, ranging up to 500 degrees, there is naturally a little less smoke. Properly preheating the chamber and the stainless steel grill grates will help mark the meat.
When you start adjusting the temperature down into the 250-degree range, you get a rich amount of smoke. This is great for making competition barbecue, and a lot of it, thanks to the giant smoking chamber.
You can also dial the temperature down as low as 165-degrees, which approaches the range of “Cold Smoking.” Though it is still best for doing things like smoking skin-on wild-caught salmon fillets.
The double-walled construction of the primary smoking chamber means that the Traeger Grills Timberline 850 holds in heat and smoke better during cold times of the year. This makes it a great option for people who like to smoke their own game sausages, cured pork bellies, and hams during the fall or spring.
Grilling Areas
The Traeger Grills TFB85WLE Timberline 850 has three racks made from commercial grade stainless steel. You can install just the primary grill grate, two or all three. At maximum capacity, it provides you up to 850 square inches of grilling or smoking space.
Special Features
The double-walled primary smoking chamber isn’t just a sign of superior build quality. It also adds to the thermal efficiency as well as superior heat retention when you smoke meat during cold times of the year.
The WiFire app gives you wireless control and lets you monitor what’s going on inside the smoking chamber. It’s really handy for times when you might be hosting a cookout and you want to walk away from the grill to entertain guests.
Ease to Clean
For the most part, the Traeger Grills Timberline 850 is very easy to clean. It has a tastefully concealed grease tray, as well as a hopper release to conveniently empty out unused wood pellets.
When it comes to the grill grates, you need to properly maintain the stainless steel. If you use a wire brush or steel wool to scrape them down, you could scuff the surface, or leave little bits of steel behind in the scratches. This could cause corrosion problems and lead to sticky foods in the future. To keep this from happening, you should consider investing in a nylon bristle grill brush.
Warranty
The Traeger Grills Timberline TFB85WLE 850 comes with a three-year warranty. Most of the competition offer between 3 to 5 years of coverage, so it’s right in the ballpark. Though it would have been nice to see 5 years of protection.
Conclusion
The Traeger Grills Timberline TFB85WLE 850 is a heavy-duty wood pellet grill that’s sure to show a hearty return on your investment. The large double-walled smoking chamber also makes it a true three-season wood pellet grill for smoking game meats, fresh sausages, and hams.
