Traeger Pro 575 Wood Pellet Grill TFB57GLE Review
Traeger is arguably the first pioneer in the wood pellet grill niche. As such they have developed a commanding presence and a strong, well-deserved loyal customer base. You see this ring through in the Traeger Pro 575 wood pellet grill.
In the past, Traeger was criticized a little for sticking to their original design and brand presence, without embracing some of the creative innovations being offered by their competitors. This was due in part to the fact that some of the competitor’s creative twists didn’t have the longevity or inherent build quality that Traeger prides themselves on.
Like a veteran boxer, Traeger chose their moment to come out swinging with proverbial bricks in their gloves with the Traeger Pro 575. It certainly has Traeger’s telltale material build quality and durable engineering, as well as innovations that stand over the competitors.
This starts with Traeger’s new D2 drive train. It produces more torque and operates astonishingly smooth to prevent jams in the auger that delivers wood pellets to the internal firepot.
Though where Traeger really steps up with the Traeger Pro 575 is in the WiFire App. There are more than a handful of competitor wood pellet grill manufacturers that offer wireless apps and monitoring systems. Unfortunately most of them work about as well as using a handheld GPS system to find a way through the New York City sewer system.
Traeger hits hard with the seamless integration of the WiFire app and the built-in digital control system. Not only does it let you monitor the wood pellet grill and the meat being smoked, it also lets you set up alerts. Then the Traeger Pro 575’s WiFire app goes a step further, as it can be set up to also work with Amazon’s Alexa as part of an integrated “Smart Home.”
Construction & Ease of Assembly
As you would expect the Traeger Pro 575 has all the material build quality you want to see from this industry titan. The steel is all thick-gauge and all the welds and fasteners are heavy duty. The updated D2 drive train is truly impressive. It produces a robust amount of torque and runs smoothly to prevent wood pellet jams.
When it comes to assembly, like pretty much all wood pellet grills, you just have to accept that putting it together will take a lot more time than slapping together a pig iron charcoal grill. Thankfully Traeger took the time to make sure the instructions were easy to read.
The Traeger Pro 575 wood pellet grill is on the heavy side. So, it’s wise to recruit a friend or two to help put it together. With another pair of hands, you should be able to get this sturdy wood pellet grill assembled in around two hours.
Grilling Performance
Traeger always puts performance first in the wood pellet grills throughout their line. This is especially true of the Traeger Pro 575 and it’s WiFire app. Not only does it let you monitor the temperature inside the primary cooking chamber, but it also lets you monitor the progress of the meat inside. All without having to open the lid, which ultimately alters the temperature and smoke density.
One great example of the WiFire app in action would be the succulently humble Boston butt pork shoulder. Throughout the typically long smoking session, a pork shoulder can be prone to plateauing in temperature as it cooks. When this happens, you might want to turn up the temperature to keep it on schedule with when you plan to serve. Pork shoulder also gets increasingly tender at certain temperatures before falling apart at 210 to 220 degrees.
With the WiFire App, you can set up specific alerts for specific temperatures. Like 160-degrees, where pork shoulder tends to plateau. Then another at 180, where it starts to turn tender on it’s way to an easy to shred 190. Setting up these alters sends a message to your smartphone, letting you mingle with guests, rather than feeling like you’re chained to the wood pellet grill all day.
Grilling Areas
As the name implies the Traeger Pro 575 has 575 square inches of grill grate space inside the primary cooking chamber. Without strategic placement, you should be able to get up to 4 chickens or even 5-portion cut racks of pork spare ribs at a time.
Special Features
The D2 drive train truly does a great job of delivering the wood pellets smoothly from the hopper to the Traeger Pro 575’s internal fire pot without any of the jams you get with the competitor wood pellet grills. Its especially handy if you have a bad habit of leaving the wood pellets in the hopper after a smoking session.
Though the Traeger Pro 575’s WiFire app is the truly impressive feature of this wood pellet grill. It makes it incredibly easy to monitor what’s going on inside the smoking chamber while setting up key alarms at specific temperatures.
Ease to Clean
The Traeger Pro 575 is very easy to clean. The grates are easy to scrape down and the lower part of the smoking chamber was designed to drain away rendered grease and other drippings to make cleanup a breeze.
Warranty
The Traeger Pro 575 has a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty on parts and material defects. This is arguably a little bit sparse when you consider that the shoulder-to-shoulder competitors offer 5 year or multi-tiered warranty coverage. Still, Traeger’s reputation for superior material build quality comes with a built-in level of confidence.
Conclusion
The Traeger Pro 575 is a truly impressive wood pellet grill. It has the material quality and engineering you expect from this wood pellet grill industry leader. The D2 drive train is one of those special features you will subtly appreciate, though it’s the WiFire app, with Alexa compatibility that is truly impressive.
