Traeger Timberline 1300 TFB01WLE Pellet Grill Review
Wood pellet grills represent the ultimate peak of convenience and versatility. They use specially prepared wood pellets made from the byproducts of processing hardwood trees to produce a consistent and easy to control heat.
Traeger was a true pioneer in bringing wood pellet grills to the masses. They have an extensive lineup to fit the grilling and smoking needs of just about any size crowd. Catering to a family that needs to feed a big group of people or someone who simply loves to host massive cookouts is the Traeger Timberline 1300.
As the name implies the primary cooking chamber offers a staggering 1,300 square inches of cooking space divided over three tiers. This is more than enough to cater to the hungry mouths of a neighborhood block part or to make your house the place to be for the next big family reunion. Yet it’s not too large for a family of four to enjoy a nice supper of smoky grilled steaks or the occasional barbecue chicken.
The Traeger Timberline 1300 features an upgraded D2 auger system. This gives superior power for preventing occasional wood pellet jams, while also ensuring smooth consistent delivery of wood pellets to the internal firepot that heats the wood pellet grill & smoker.
The hopper is also impressively huge to match the primary cooking chamber. When loaded to maximum capacity it can hold up to 24-pounds of wood pellets at a time. This is more than enough to support an all-day smoking session.
Another key feature of the Traeger Timberline 1300 is the temperature range. A lot of wood pellet grills struggle to consistently maintain temperatures below 180 to 200 degrees. Though the Traeger Timberline 1300’s digital control center can get as low as 160 to 165-degrees and hold it there. Yet it can also get as hot as 500-degrees and maintain thermal efficiency.
This impressive temperature range is thanks in part to the double-walled lid. Made from commercial-grade 304 stainless steel, it does a great job of holding in heat, without letting the exterior temperatures influence what is going on inside the primary cooking chamber.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Just like the vast majority of the Traeger line, the Traeger Timberline 1300 has been engineered with the robust material build quality. It has the heavy-duty steel you want to see in an investment this large. The double-walled 304 stainless steel lid makes for superior heat retention, and the cart base is rock solid.
Though there are a few minor flaws. The cutting board side shelf is a little too small to do something like bread down a standard broiler-fryer chicken at the grill side. The front rail of a shelf is also a little too narrow to confidently hold a prep or serving platter, to leave both of your hands-free.
The two front casters are also too small for a grill this big and heavy. The two wheels are also a little too smooth to rolls confidently across anything but the most level of patios. Though these are only minor complaints, as realistically, this giant wood pellet grill was meant to be assembled in one place and left there for years.
When it comes to the assembly phase. This is truly a time where many hands make for light work. As you can imagine the Traeger Timberline 1300 is very heavy. It tips the scales at 226 pounds and measures in at nearly 58-inches wide. So, you will need three if not four friends to help you put it together safely.
Grilling Performance
With wood pellet grills, versatility is king, and you see that in spades with the Traeger Timberline 1300. Its low-end temperature range of 160 to 165-degrees means that you can truly cold smoke things like fresh sausages, jerky, seafood, and even cheese. Yet you can just as easily dial it up to as high as 500-degrees for doing things like baking wood-fired, fresh dough pizzas, and tantalizingly smoky oatmeal cookies.
This is thanks in large part to the digital control system as well as the double-walled 304 stainless steel lid’s thermal efficiency.
With the Traeger Timberline 1300 the question isn’t “What Can You Cook On it?” The question is “What Can’t You Cook On It?” Though there is one unfortunate answer, in that as large as it is, you still can’t smoke a whole hog on the Traeger Timberline 1300, as the 1,300 square inches of cooking space are divided amongst three tiers, rather than across one large open grill grate.
Grilling Areas
While you can’t grill a whole hog on the Traeger Timberline 1300’s 1,300 square inch grill grates, the three-tiered system inside the primary cooking chamber can still make a staggering amount of food.
Special Features
The D2 auger system is one of those underappreciated things. If you’ve ever had a lesser wood pellet grill jam up on you, in the middle of a cooking session, then you will truly appreciate the D2 auger’s ability to avert disaster!
Ease to Clean
The Traeger Timberline 1300 is very large and as such, you are going to have to put some extra elbow grease into cleaning it. Especially when you give it the necessary bi-monthly deep clean that it often needs. Still, Traeger did their best to make the cleaning process as hassle-free as possible.
Warranty
The Traeger Timberline 1300 comes with a standard 3-year warranty. This is a little sparse, compared to some of the competitors of the same size that offer 5-year warranties and a few that offer 10-years of multi-tiered support.
Conclusion
If you want your house to be the host of the next big family cookout or the center of the action for the next neighborhood block party, then you need to give the Traeger Timberline 1300 a good hard look. It certainly has the capacity to feed the masses. Though it is pretty heavy to assemble and nearly impossible to move on your own.
