7 Must Have Traeger Accessories For Beginners

Hey Smokers and welcome to my post where we will run through my 7 must have Traeger accessories for beginners. As you may or may not know, this site is all about cooking on my brand new Traeger Pro 22 Pellet Smoker and seeing where we can take things. And today, it is all about the things I needed when lighting my grill as a beginner.

Now as you may already know, BBQing is pretty much like any other hobby where if you wish, you can spend an small fortune buying absolutely everything you can get your hands on for no other reason that is in the shop at the time you are there. And we all know that if we don’t buy it, then someone else will and they will end up with something that we don’t have.

I mean, it’s almost the law. Today however, I am going to tighten the purse strings just a little as I run through the 7 things that I think are must haves as you start to wind up your good ole pellet grill.

Must Have Traeger Accessories For Beginners

Ok, so continuing on from above, there are a lot of accessories for a pellet grill that are really worthwhile having such as pizza plates, special brisket cutting boards and of course, black gloves. However, although these are great, you can absolutely cook without them.

Hence here I have decided to have a look at the 5 things I have found that I really really do need to be able to get my cook done. Let’s check them out:

1. Quality Pellets

So, even though this one probably goes without saying, but as a newbie in a BBQ shop, or looking online, there are always cheaper options for pellets. For me, I chose Traeger Pellets as they were what was recommended -and I was new to it so didn’t want to rock the boat either. In my research and countless hours of BBQ video watching since however, I have seen that there are plenty of other options out there offering different mixes and flavors as well.

So, if you are looking to branch out, it is important to know what you are looking for as obviously, good pellets = Good cooks via constant temperatures. High-quality pellets then are typically made from 100% natural hardwood without any fillers, binders or additives. The purity of the wood ensures a clean, consistent burn and produces minimal ash, which is crucial for maintaining the smoker’s efficiency and ease of maintenance.

In contrast, lower-quality pellets may contain fillers or binders that can affect the burn rate, produce more ash, and potentially introduce unwanted flavors to your food.

Determining the quality of your smoker pellets involves assessing several key factors including:

• Manufacture – As above, look for pellets that are made from 100% natural hardwood without any fillers, binders, or artificial additives
• Size and shape – High-quality pellets should have a uniform size and shape, which ensures consistent burning and temperature control.
• Dust in the bag – The lack of excessive dust or small fragments in the bag is another indicator of good quality, as excessive dust can lead to combustion problems and affect the smoker’s efficiency.
• Moisture in the bag – the moisture content of the pellets should be low, ideally between 6-10%, to ensure they burn cleanly and efficiently – make sure there are no water drops in the bag.
• Aroma – Once you have the pellets, the aroma can also be a good indicator as they should smell like the wood they are made from, providing a hint of the flavor they will impart to your food.

Finally, reputable brands often have a track record of producing high-quality pellets, so looking for products from well-known companies with positive reviews can also guide you towards making a quality choice.

Check out these: 7 Traeger Pellet Smoker Tips For Beginners

2. Pellet Storage Containers

Above we discussed the importance of using good pellets in your grill. Once you have got the good stuff however, your attention should not look at the care of them as well. We are currently coming to the end of summer here as I write this which generally includes unsettled, humid and rainy weather. And it was during a recent storm that I noticed a condensation build up on the inside of the plastic bag that my pellets came in.

So, in my opinion, the first must have is good quality pellets and the second, an airtight pellet container to keep them in. Airtight storage containers can not only help protect them, but also assist in preserving the quality of your pellets as well.

3. Vacuum for the Ashes

When I bought my smoker, I knew that I would need pellets and meat of course, but something I didn’t even think or know about was a vacuum for the ashes. This would be because I didn’t actually understand at the time how the pellets into fire pit thing worked at all to be honest.

So, for the uninitiated amongst us, when a pellet smoker is used and pellets burn, ashes form in the burn pit. After the cook, vacuuming the ashes from a pellet smoker is a crucial maintenance step that directly impacts the performance, safety and longevity of the smoker. Furthermore, accumulated ash poses a fire risk, as it can ignite from hot embers, leading to dangerous flare-ups.

This means that a vacuum is needed to clean it out. Now, you can go out and get yourself a specialized ash vacuum, which is a specialized vacuum cleaner designed specifically for cleaning out cold ashes from fireplaces, wood stoves, pellet stoves and BBQ grills, including pellet smokers.

Unlike regular vacuum cleaners, ash vacuums are built to handle the fine particles of ash without clogging or damaging the filter and motor. I use a simple bagless vacuum that I use for cleaning the car, so I guess I will see how it handles ashes moving forward.

4. Wireless Meat Probes/Thermometers

Ok, so if your pellet smoker comes with wireless probe and smart phone app capabilities, then you can promptly ignore this section and move to the next. However, if your smoker is like mine where the probe readings are on the pellet box unit only, then I highly recommend purchasing some separate wireless options as well.

This is not to say that the devices that come with the smokers won’t allow you to accurately monitor the internal temperature of your meats, its just that a wireless option can keep you on top of things whilst you do everything else rather having to go to the smoker all the time.

I mean if I am being honest, this is one option that in the list that you could really do without, however in my humble opinion, the advantages you get from being able to check temperatures on your phone away from your pellet grill make it almost a must have.

Check out my: Inkbird Wireless BBQ Thermometer Review

5. Aluminum Trays

We all know how important aluminum foil is to smoking and I think we can agree that its inclusion here is a given. However it is aluminum trays that I wanted to talk about here as well.

Now, you can of course use proper oven tray and plates etc. here but in my opinion, aluminum trays are absolute must haves when it comes to smokers. I have found that using aluminum trays offers a blend of convenience, efficiency and versatility that simplifies the grilling process by serving multiple roles such as:

• Marinating meats before the cook
• Drip pans placed beneath food to catch grease and juices, reducing flare-ups and keeping the grill cleaner
• Cooking delicate items like vegetables, fish, or smaller cuts of meat directly within the tray to prevent them from falling through the grates or sticking to the grill.
• Sitting meats in for their covered cook after the initial smoking process

The thing I like about them too is the fact that they are pliable, allowing for the tray to be molded to fit different meats and BBQ sizes as well. And of course after the BBQ, the convenience of using aluminum trays really shines through—there’s no need for extensive cleanup or scrubbing of grill grates as these trays can simply be recycled or discarded as needed.

6. Grill liners/mats

Grill mats have become a game-changing accessory for traditional barbecue grillers as they offer a smooth, non-stick surface that can be placed directly on the grill grates. These mats are typically made from heavy-duty PTFE (Teflon) fabric which is both heat-resistant, durable and capable of withstanding high temperatures while preventing food from sticking.

When it comes to smokers however, I don’t personally like to use them on the grill as they can stop the smoke from coming up underneath the meat. What I do use them for however is to place on the drip plate under the grill whilst the meat on top cooks.

I learned this from another video and trust me when I tell you that it has made cleaning up so easy that I have made these a must have as well.

7. BBQ Tools

And last, but not least, you will need some weapons including tongs, BBQ spatula and a knife. Now of course you can definitely use tongs and an egg flip from the kitchen, however in my experience, these are not quite long enough meaning you will have your delicate little fingers too close to the heat source.

And of course, if you are trying to lift a big pork butt or brisket, then you will absolutely need BBQ sized tools.

Check out these: Best BBQ Tool Kits for Your Pellet Smoker

My Smoker

For all my pellet style BBQ Cooking, I use the Traeger Pro Series 22 Electric Pellet Grill and Smoker as below:

Check out my: Traeger Pro Series 22 Electric Pellet Grill Review

Conclusion

So there you have it, 5 Traeger pellet smoker tips For beginners. I hope it has been of assistance but as usual, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out by commenting below. I would also love to hear of your own experiences, learnings or suggestions here as well.

Are there any other products you have been looking at but want to know more about? If so, please comment below and I will do my best to get some details for you.

Until next time

Have fun and get smoking!

Paul