Traeger Renegade Elite vs Pro Series 22

by Joost Nusselder | Last Updated:  June 25, 2021

Always the latest smoking tips & tricks?

Subscribe to THE ESSENTIAL newsletter for aspiring pitmasters

We'll only use your email address for our newsletter and respect your privacy

I love creating free content full of tips for my readers, you. I don't accept paid sponsorships, my opinion is my own, but if you find my recommendations helpful and you end up buying something you like through one of my links, I could earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more

Some people just don’t find the need to own a grill. But picture this – you’re lounging in your yard enjoying the good weather.

Perhaps, you’re right beside the pool reading a good book. Then you’re suddenly feeling hungry but you don’t want to miss the chance of enjoying the good weather by going inside your house to cook!

That’s when you realize the importance of having a grill. You must should never miss this Traeger Renegade Elite vs Pro Series 22

Traeger-Renegade-Elite-vs-Pro-Series-22

When it comes to buying a grill, you should only go for the most reputable brand, such as the Traeger Renegade. With a Traeger Renegade pellet grill, you can cook delicious food outdoors while enjoying the good weather. In fact, it saves you a lot of time from having to clean up your kitchen after. You can simply stay outdoors, continue what you’re reading, and enjoy the weather while the grill is preparing your delicious food!

If you love to invite friends over, then the Traeger Renegade Pro can best serve you! Even if you’re no expert in grilling, it can cook delicious food for you, something that your friends will surely love. And since you can have the grill outdoors, you can entertain your friends while your food is being cooked.

Traeger Renegade is known for its excellent quality products and two of this line’s best products are the Traeger Renegade Elite and the Pro Series. But which of these two models should you buy?

To help you make the best decision, here’s our take on Traeger Renegade Elite vs Pro Series 22.

Traeger Renegade Pro Wood Pellet Grill

traeger renegade pro wood pellet grill

For most people, design plays an important role when buying a new product. If you’re one of them, then you’ll surely love the Traeger Renegade Pro. If you take the time to read the Traeger Renegade Pro review, you’ll notice that most customers love the product because of its design. It features a black and orange color that looks really stylish. There’s no doubt that this grill will be admired by your guests and can make for a great accessory in your yard. Plus, the overall construction is pretty solid, which is made from high-quality steel with a powder coat finish.

How much is the Traeger Renegade Pro? Doesn’t matter in this comparison because even if the Traeger Renegade Pro price is a bit expensive, it really is worth it!

Another great feature about the device is its side lift bar. This feature offers an even weight distribution. At the bottom, the grill has four wheels allowing for the easy movement of the grill even in hard terrains.

The Traeger Renegade Pro grill is extremely versatile. It can be used to grill, smoke, roast, barbecue, and braise different kinds of meat. When you use the grill for a barbecue, it can provide you with a juicy and flavorful result. Furthermore, it’s equipped with a digital pro controller, which keeps the temperature within +/- 15 °F, which is the most ideal temperature for grilling. It also makes use of an electronic auto start ignition that will not create any hassle when the unit starts to operate. This model makes use of wood pellets for fuel and is capable of powering the grill for up to 20 hours of grilling!

When set on the high mode, the Traeger Renegade Pro grill can operate up to six hours straight! Given the specifications, the unit has a grilling area of about 380 square inches, which is the ideal size for most users. The grill can cook meat to a maximum temperature of 450 degrees.

Pros

  • It comes with the Digital Pro Controller w/ AGL feature
  • It’s equipped with dual meat temperature probes
  • Made of solid steel

Cons

  • Its average size makes it not suitable for grilling a large amount of meat

Traeger Renegade Elite Wood Pellet Grill – Discontinued

traeger renegade elite wood pellet grill

The Traeger Renegade Elite grill comes with excellent features that make it stand out from the other grills in the market. This grill is highly versatile and comes with a tool caddy rack, which is where you can keep sauces and other condiments! When you read the Traeger Renegade Elite review, you’ll find that people appreciate the grill for its convenience. The caddy rack allows for easy and convenient grilling. Plus, the device is equipped with a prep rack that allows for the easy loading and unloading of the meat. Instead of having to place a shelf beside the grill, you can simply rely on this rack to prep and taste your grilled meat.

So if you want to cook a lot of meat, then the Traeger Renegade Elite grill is highly recommended! Just like with the other grills from Traeger Renegade, this grill also comes with great features, such as auto-start ignition, digital elite controller, porcelain grill grates, and more. It also has two large wheels allowing you to move it easily from one place to another. The thing about this grill, however, is that it’s a bit small in size, with a grilling space of only 380 square inches. This is probably one of the reasons why this particular model was already discontinued although you can still purchase it from several online stores.

How much is the Traeger Renegade Elite? The Traeger Renegade Elite price is a bit expensive than the Pro series, but it comes with more features.

Traeger Renegade Elite Price

Traeger grills that are consumer level are those types of pellet grills that belong to the mid-range level of pellet grills. They are perfect for those who are first time users of pellet grills. On the other hand, the Traeger Renegade Elite could cost you several hundred dollars, but it’s worth investing in since it’s capable of grilling up to 16 burgers in one use.

Pros

  • Comes equipped with a Digital Elite Controller
  • Has a Hopper Clean-out Door
  • Equipped with EZ-drain grease mechanism
  • Comes with a tool caddy rack and a wire rack

Cons

  • It has a smaller space for grilling and is not ideal for preparing food for a large group of people

Benefits of Traeger Grills

Traeger grills are among the most in-demand grill nowadays, as shown by the numerous Traeger Renegade reviews online. When the first model of Traeger grill was released in the 1980s, barbecue enthusiasts flocked to get one. Since then, the brand has grown in popularity, thanks to its excellent quality products that come with great features!

Today, you’ll find numerous models of Traeger grills in the market and they also have accessories to go with the grill. The latest models are equipped with high-tech features such as electronic ignitions and switches.

Easy to Use

If you happen to read some of the Traeger Renegade reviews online, you’ll notice that people love the brand because of its ease of use. With these grills, cooking meat to perfection has never been easier! You can use the device to smoke turkey, slow cook pork ribs, or sear a steak! They are highly versatile and allow you to easily cook different recipes for the entire family! Simply fill the hopper, turn on the switch, and you’re good to go!

Versatile

You can do a lot of things with the Traeger Renegade grills! They are ideal for almost any type of cooking application. You can set it to low temperature for slow smoking meats and you can also use it to roast beef or pork. The juices will stay in the meat, resulting in a juicy, tender, and absolutely delicious roast! But you’re not only limited to meat because you can also use the grill for preparing desserts and pastries, such as fruit pies. You can also smoke a long list of vegetables on the grill, which you can use as siding to your grilled meat.

Better Taste

The Traeger grills make use of wood pellets for cooking food, which is why the result tastes so much better. In fact, the grill is known for its signature flavor. You can use different kinds of wood to power up the grill. Some of the best examples are maple, cherry, apple, mesquite, hickory, oak, pecan etc.

Depending on the meat that you’re cooking and the flavor that you want to achieve, you can use different wood pellets for your Traeger grill. With these grills, there’s no longer a need to use charcoal or gas. You can perhaps go with oak for roasting your beef, apple for grilling your pork, and pecan for poultry and vegetables!

Traeger Digital Pro Controller Review

When looking for Traeger grills, you’ll find that there are several different kinds of models that you can choose from. But each of them differs from one another in terms of accessories, construction, size, and features. One of the most significant differences among them is the type of digital controller that it uses.

If you’ve noticed, some of the Traeger grills are labeled as “Elite”, while others are “Pro.” These labels actually suggest the differences between the grills, in terms of design and the control board that they use. Elite and Pro basically refer to the type of controllers and your choice should be based on how well the grill can hold the temperature and the features that it should include.

There are two different versions of the Traeger Pro Series Controllers. It was in 2014 when the brand initially introduced its Pro controllers. They marketed it as an upgraded version of the Elite Controllers. Just like its predecessor, the Pro controller temperature can be set in increments of 25°, which is between 155°F to 425°F. The Pro also comes with a Shutdown Cycle feature and two meat probes, which allows you to closely monitor the meat’s temperature through a digital display.

But after two years, Traeger released the Traeger Pro Series 34 and Traeger Pro Series 22 grills. They initially call it the 2016 Pro Series, in order to differentiate them from the other Pro models. These new Pro Series Grills come with a new controller and feature a sleek design along with a sawhorse chassis. But even though the design was changed, this upgraded version of the controller is truly great news.

So far, the 2016 Pro Series Controller is the most advanced temperature control board that Traeger has ever released. Similar to its predecessor, this new series comes with two meat probes and a Shutdown Cycle. However, it’s also equipped with the AGL or the Advanced Grilling Logic feature.

With two different Pro controllers, Traeger’s grills can sometimes be confusing for the customers. So to simplify things, they have decided to discontinue the original Pro version. In exchange, they released the newer version but removed the “2016” from it. Although you’ll still find some of the older Pro Grills in the market, when the customer says “Traeger Pro”, they are most likely referring to the more advanced and newer version of the Pro Series.

Where Can You Find It

The new Pro Series Controller that comes with the Advanced Grilling Logic is now included on the Pro Series 34 and Pro Series 22, however, it can also be availed as an upgrade that can be installed in other Traeger grill models.

Maintaining Your Traeger Grill

Burning wood pellets can lead to the build-up of creosote in your grill, which is why it’s important that you know how to maintain and clean the grill properly. If you don’t clean the grill enough, it could possibly trigger a fire! So for your safety, make sure you clean the grill, including the important parts, such as the grease pain, drain, and bucket at least once every six months. Any build up must be removed immediately to avoid fire. Use a non-scratch tool, such as a piece of wood, to remove the build-up.

Also, it’s much easier to clean the grill while still warm. But make sure that it’s unplugged and leave it to cool down before you start cleaning up!

Conclusion

Both the Elite and Pro Series are great products so it’s pretty hard to decide which model to choose between the Traeger Renegade Elite vs Pro Series 22. In terms of the price, the [amazon link=”B07FX3DN6S” title=”Pro Series” /] is cheaper, yet it doesn’t have as many features as the Elite. Nevertheless, the Pro Series can still provide you with excellent results, so if you want to save money, you should choose this model. Besides, the Elite model has already been discontinued by the manufacturer so you can only find a few of them being sold by reputable sellers online.

Joost Nusselder, the founder of Lakeside Smokers is a content marketer, dad and loves trying out new food with BBQ Smoking (& Japanese food!) at the heart of his passion, and together with his team he's been creating in-depth blog articles since 2016 to help loyal readers with recipes and cooking tips.