Pellet grills are becoming a bigger deal every passing year – more and more companies are making them and creating new designs for units that don’t use gas or charcoal. The Camp Chef PG24 has its own design, and today we'll look at its layout.
We'll take a look at the price, unique features, customer reviews, comparisons to other grills, and more.
It is also important to keep in mind how many people this product can feed and the amount of food you can cook at once. Therefore, we'll discuss the cooking space as well.
What is the Camp Chef PG24 and How Does it Work?
The Camp Chef PG24 is a grill and smoker that provides consistent results every time you use it. The unit has a practical digital temperature readout, and a simple temperature setting system.
Because it uses wood pellets to fuel the heat rather than charcoal or gas, your food comes out with a hardwood, smoky flavor every time.
The product has a cooking area of 429 square inches, a second cooking rack with an extra 141 square inches, and a hopper capacity of 18 pounds. You can cook between 160 and 500 degrees, which is about one hundred degrees higher than a lot of competitor grills like Traeger.
Their system also includes ash cleanout for the pellet hopper, pellet purge system, grease management system, an electronic auto ignition, and a shutdown mode. We will get more into those individual features in the next section of the review.
What Makes the Camp Chef PG24 Unique?
Here are some of the key features that Camp Chef offers for this particular grill.
- Camp Chef SmokePro DLX PG24 (Full-Length Cover, $55 Value)
- Best Value Full-Feature Pellet Grill and Smoker in the Industry 2017
- Patented Ash Clean-out System, Pellet Purge, and Grease Management System
Ash Cleanout System
The first aspect of this model is the Ash Cleanout system. It allows you to pull a lever to empty all of the ash from the fire box instead of having to vacuum out the grill every time you cook on it.
This is a fantastic feature to have –it is a common complaint of grill owners that their grills are incredibly difficult to clean out after using them.
Automatic Pellet Auger and Electronic Auto Start Ignition
Grilling is a much more pleasant experience when you don’t have to continually light up the unit or refill the fuel throughout the process. The company added an automatic pellet auger that fuels the fire pot with pellets automatically when needed. They also included an autostart ignition, which sets fire to the pellets when necessary. The temperature control unit directs the entire process – when more heat is needed, the automatic auger pushes more pellets into the fire pot, and the auto-ignition continuously lights them.
Large Capacity Pellet Hopper
Having a larger pellet hopper is a good idea, simply because it stops you from having to refill it multiple times while grilling or smoking.
The Camp Chef PG24 offers a massive pellet storage space in the big hopper. Once you have it loaded, you won't have to do it again for at least another session of cooking on the grill.
Digital Control System and Dual LED Temperature Readout
The design of this grill gives you effective control over the temperature. You can set the perfect temperature no matter what you are grilling, and walk away for it to cook on its own. There's also the dual LED readout for the temperature that will help you monitor the temperature accurately. This is great if you want to keep the lid closed for a long period of time.
Durable Meat Probe
This unit also comes with a convenient, nicely built-in meat probe for you to check the temperature inside the meat. When you stick the probe into the meat, the other end of it goes into an input socket. This allows you to check the digital LED output monitor to see the temperature inside to make sure it is cooked properly.
Portability
Camp Chef also made this design extremely durable, making it easier to transport than some of its competitors. The product has two sturdy castors for added firmness – which makes the smoker more stable and less prone to breaking if it is moved around.
Pricing
This grill is fairly affordable, and one of the best options for a pellet grill.
Some retailers offer similar products that will cost you a lot more, even by hundreds of dollars. REC TEC has a comparable model, and it costs $1598.00 brand new on their site. A lot of Traeger’s models are also more than the Camp Chef PG24.
Public Perception (Other Camp Chef PG24 Reviews)
Let’s take a look at what other customers thought of this product. We will divide the positive reviews and the negative ones in order to see all the pros and cons of owning this pellet grill and smoker.
Positive
The first aspect we noticed in the customer reviews online was how pleased they were with the temperature control. A lot of the comments specifically mentioned how wonderful it was to be able to set the temperature, place the meat in the smoker, and have the ability to walk away for several hours without worrying about how the food will turn out.
Another quality that buyers really enjoyed was Camp Chef’s customer service. If there were any issues with shipping, products, or anything else, the company went out of their way to fix the problems and make them happy.
The price was also a huge upside for reviewers. Having such a high-quality product that provides the buyer with so many different features at such a low price is rare, and an exciting aspect for the customer. Those who mentioned trying bigger, more well-known brands said that they spent a lot more and got a lot less than when they tried the Camp Chef PG24.
Something else that customers raved about was how easy the product was to clean. As we talked about before, this grill offers Camp Chef’s Ash Cleanout System, which makes sure all the ash and other debris is blown out after every grilling or smoking session. Not having to bend over and scrub out the grill or use a vacuum is a huge plus.
Another positive mentioned is how efficiently it uses pellets. Buying wood con for your grill—while not as expensive as gas or charcoal— will add up and cost you a decent amount over time. However, using a grill that burns them carefully will save you money and time in the long run. Customers really liked how they bought pellets less frequently with this product.
Lastly, users really loved the fact that the design came with its own very easy to use meat probe. This allowed them to easily, quickly, and safely take the temperature of the meat to make sure it is being cooked correctly.
Negative
While the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, there were a few negative things that customers noticed that we will point out.
The first downside is the warranty. A lot of designs offer a 2 year, 3-year, or longer warranty for their products. However, for this particular grill, it only lasts one year. Many customers complained that this simply wasn’t long enough, especially by the industry standards. It also did not allow for any issues that occurred over a longer period.
Another negative mentioned was the way the grills were shipped if ordered online. Whether customers ordered them from the company website or other online merchants, a decent amount of them complained that the products were handled badly and arrived damaged. Not all of them had serious issues, but often there was enough damage to warrant a call to customer service or a complete return altogether.
While a lot of the buyers did love the fact that Camp Chef provides a meat probe to safely measure the temperature of the meat, there were a few reviews that mentioned a need to return it after just a few months of use. Luckily, as long as it was replaced within a year, it was covered under the warranty. However, it is still an inconvenience and should be kept in mind if you plan on purchasing a grill from them.
There were also a few complaints of the grill shutting off randomly in the middle of a cooking. While there wasn’t an overwhelming amount of complaints that mentioned this, it is an important aspect to remember while buying a grill.
How it Compares
This design definitely has a lot of fantastic qualities going for it.
When it comes to getting the grill clean after a cooking session, we did not see a model that could beat the Camp Chef PG 24. Having a whole system that cleans out the ash and debris for you is a huge advantage.
Quality | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|
$$$ |
Pricing is definitely a big upside as well. Getting so many fantastic features within the grill for such a reasonable price cannot be overstated. If you are on a budget and looking for a high-quality smoker, this is definitely one worth considering.
One aspect that doesn’t hold up when compared to other models is definitely the warranty. Like we discussed before, having only a one-year warranty for a grill like this is below the standard for the grill industry and does not allow for any long-term issues that may occur with the smoker.
The only other thing we would advise you look out for if you are considering purchasing one of these grills is having it shipped to your house. Because there were some complaints of parts coming in completely broken or bent, it is important to note if you are shopping online for this grill.
The Best Food To Put On A Pellet Grill
Sometimes you have to give dinner a little more flair. If your meals have become mundane, check out these food ideas:
Pulled Pork
There are so many ways you can turn pulled pork into a delicious meal. Place it in between two buns with a dollop of coleslaw, or put it over some chips for bbq nachos—both are crowd pleasers!
Smoked Salmon
You can never go wrong with putting salmon in the grill. You can top it with mango salsa or slather it with bbq sauce. No matter which version you choose, it’ll be delicious.
Beer Can Chicken
This is a fun recipe that’s perfect for cookouts and tailgating. It goes great with loaded baked potatoes and grilled veggies. It’s yummy.
Flatbread Pizza
You don’t generally think of pizza when you think of grilling, but smokers make awesome pizza. This option is perfect for people who aren’t big meat eaters and want to try something different. Throw on your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Final Thoughts On The Camp Chef PG24
This product and company is definitely worth your time and money. It’s affordable, a fantastic design, and has wonderful customer service to back it up if any problems arise.
If you have bought this particular grill before, what are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree with the review?