Traeger has long built up a name as the go-to solution for wood pellet grills, but its most recent grills take things a step further. Announced earlier this year, the Traeger Timberline and Timberline XL take the wood pellet concept and modernize it a little, giving the grills an all-new design, support for a host of new accessories, and a ton of high-tech features like Wi-Fi connectivity and even an induction cooker. Basically, they’re all-in-one outdoor kitchens.
But while these are the most high-tech wood pellet grills out there right now, they’re far from cheap. The base model Timberline starts at $3,499.99, and if you go for the larger Timeberline XL, you’re looking at an eye-watering base price of $3,799.99. That’s before adding accessories, mind you.
Is paying that kind of price worth it? I checked out the Traeger Timberline XL to find out.
Pros
- Smart features
- Cleaning system
- Expandable
- Comes with induction cooker
Cons
- Very expensive
Traeger Timberline XL design
The Traeger Timberline XL is a beast of a grill, and it’ll take at least a few people to unbox and set up if you get it delivered to your home. It weighs a massive 289lbs too, so you’ll want to be very careful when setting it up to avoid any injury or damage to your grill.
Once it is set up, you’ll be impressed with how much space there is. The Timberline XL boasts 1,320 square inches of cooking space, which is quite a bit more than the 880 square inches on offer by the smaller Timberline. According to Traeger, this is the only real difference between the two — they share the same features, connectivity, and support for accessories.
Overall, the design of the Timberline XL is similar to other wood pellet grills. You’ll get inside by opening the big, rounded lid, and inside you’ll find an oven-like setup with three levels for cooking. Two of those are adjustable, or if wanted, removable.
Of course the additions to this grill have little to do with the cooking space, though that is nice. They have more to do with the smart systems. On the outside, you’ll find a full-color touch display that can control a number of different functions, along with a big round dial to adjust the temperature.
Also on the outside is a new Pop-and-Lock connection system that lets you attach accessories to the outside of the grill. It’s sturdy and allows for some level of customization, which is always nice.
Using the Traeger Timberline XL
Actually using the grill is very simple, though likely more simple for those who don’t mind learning how to use the interface. It’s worth taking some time to get acquainted with the grill and how it works, but once you learn how to use it, you’ll easily get into a workflow.
One of my favorite things about the grill is the fact that it makes the cleaning process a whole lot easier. That’s largely thanks to the new EZ-Clean system that collects the ash and grease into a single keg that can be quickly and easily emptied. It doesn’t completely eliminate the need to spend some time cleaning after each cook, but it does streamline the process, which is helpful.
Perhaps one of the coolest features about the grill is that it can be used wirelessly. Now, of course, standing at a grill is part of the whole vibe, but the ability to set the temperature and start the timer from your phone means that you can pre-heat the grill at the perfect time. Notifications about how full your pellet hopper is helps too.
The best thing about the Timberline XL is how versatile it is. It cooks evenly, and can easily handle everything from burgers, to chicken, to fish, to pretty much everything else. I also loved the addition of the induction cooker — which meant that I could cook onions or other things with the meat in the grill.
Conclusions
The Traeger Timberline XL has all the bells and whistles that you would want on a pellet grill in 2022 — but that doesn’t mean it’s the right grill for everyone. After all, it’s incredibly expensive. If you like the idea of getting all the smart features and expandability, then the Timberline XL is definitely worth buying — but if you don’t need everything on offer here, it’s worth looking at Traeger’s still-excellent but slightly-less-smart other options.
