Traeger Ranger Portable Tabletop Wood Pellet Grill - TFT18KLD

I bought my Ranger 2 months ago. The controller will not hold the correct temperature. It will go over about 20 to 40 degrees. Also will not recognize the meat probe. Controls are not user friendly. I called the customer service line 2 times already and still have not received my parts. I have one clip that is very lose on my grill also. So you have to be careful picking it up so it does not open. For the cost it is a terrible design. I would not reccomend!

I became a Traeger enthusiast about a year ago when I bought my Pro series 22. I purchased the Ranger a few months back and have used it only a few times. The grilling aspect is great. Gets to temp fast and cooks pretty evenly. The issue is temp control at lower/smoking temps. I have smoke steaks and wings on it and was disappointed. It would heat to 20 degrees over the set temp and then cool down to 20 degrees below the set temp before it would stop falling and start to reheat. It gets the job done but with a 40 degree Fahrenheit temperature swing, it doesn't work as well as expected. I don't think the performance supports the price.

5 users found this review helpful

Sear, sear, sear! Music to my ears. Portable, versatile, compact and definitely brings the heat! If you love steaks as much as we do, you need to get you a Ranger and pair it up with that reverse sear method! Perfect steaks every time!

I have been cooking on a Ranger nearly since its release last year. This mighty little grill is used so often in our family. Having owned from a Junior, to Lil Tex, to Gen 1 Pro Series, a Select Pro and Pro 575, we found we were using this little Traeger for so much. The included griddle is so amazing for searing and we never miss using it for bacon and eggs. We literally used it today to cook breakfast for lunch. Buy It! You will be amazed at its portability. We have a portable power station and we even cook on our 18' fishing boat.

Just bought this today, seasoned it and cooked a couple great steaks. Still need to figure out the probe, didn't seem to be working. Regardless, steaks came out great! Only thing that could have made it better was an even better steak cut. Great sear on the porcelain grate, I might look at an iron one if there is one but honestly it works just fine as is. I've seen some of the other reviews, you have to remember this is a GRILL, not a smoker. Still imparts a great flavor. Can't wait to try the griddle!!

I bought this grill knowing that I was buying the smallest Traeger. After receiving this grill I found that it was simple to operate it it was the size I was expecting and it was heavy. I'll start with the benefits; it is compact enough to travel with it is very fuel efficient the digital temperature control is great for narrowing your temperature down to 5 degrees accuracy and it holds enough food for two people. I have also found that the temperature hold fairly accurate and the meat probe works well. The negatives; it is heavy and awkwardly heavy at that. The handle provided with the grill does little else than open and close the lid of the grill- it is not to be used to carry or lift the grill. Second the latches on the grill are not meant to do anything else than keep the lid closed during travel. More importantly there is no dedicated smoke setting on this digital display. There is a keep warm setting at 165 however it does not seem to double as a dedicated smoke setting. This is a problem if you follow many of the Traeger recipes which call for a smoke time on the meat. Lastly I have found that the digital display takes multiple attempts to cycle between the timer and the meat probe setting via the center push button on the display. I have to push it over and over finally getting it just right to actually change it. Overall this grill does a great job with flavor temperature control and fuel consumption. It lets me down on its portability ease of use and ability to smoke meat for extended times.

Space saver on a patio (because of no legs). Fits perfect on top an outdoor refrigerator or counter top. Price is great value. Cooking surface big enough for three couples. Grate fits flat in sink to soak to clean.

I've been wary of pellet grills for a bit hearing a lot of their ease of use and flavors better than traditional propane or charcoal grills. No more. I've had my Ranger for about a month now and I use it nearly daily now. The size is perfect for 2-4 people and roomier than I expected as I was able to smoke a 12 lb beef brisket in it and it came out amazing for a first go on the Ranger. I've done all sorts of cooking on it since including pork and beef ribs steaks and burgers using the cast iron griddle included chicken turkey corn you name it this thing does it and does it well! 20 lb pellets lasts for a considerable time and with almost daily usage I've gone through less than 40 lbs (Hickory are my favorite pellets so far). The heat control is always great /- 10 degrees. The included cast iron griddle is really handy for doing a nice sear not the best due to the 450 max but it gets the job done well once you get the hang of it. If you're an outdoors-on-the-go person too it fits great in the back of a truck camper just remember to snag an inverter before you go. This thing is a game changer for the simple home griller who wants something easy to use setup and clean. Makes a mediocre griller like me look great.

Virtually no temperature control at low temps (100 degree plus). So not reliable for smoking food. High heat works fine. Disappointed.

6 users found this review helpful

Finally got my Ranger. A friend had one this summer and I just knew I had to have one. I could not find one and then there was a recall but they were now in stock online so I ordered it. Delivery was on time and I unpacked it with my mouth drooling. After seasoning the grill I let it cool one more time. I prepped three large T-Bone steaks and set them on to smoke at 200. I plugged the meat probe into the thickest steak and tried to get an initial reading. Nothing. Tried several attempts at trouble shooting the probe but nothing seemed to work. Called 1-800-TRAEGER to see what it might be. No luck there so the rep ordered me a replacement probe. Got out a trusty old non electric probe and proceeded to watch the smoke roll. When the old meat probe said 120 I removed the steaks and proceeded to up the temp to 450. I seared the steaks on each side for about 2 minutes and plopped a generous dollop of butter on each. The smell of those smoking T-Bones was more than I could stand so I sliced into one and wow. Perfectly done and bursting with flavor. Now my only regret is that I paid $100 more and waited six months when I could have bought the scout and got the same results.

11 of 16 found this review helpful