No one can deny the fact that the meat cooked on a Traeger grill is way better than the one made using gas and a pan.
The flavor and satisfaction your Traeger grill can provide is unimaginable and unbeatable.
In earlier times, grilling was a bit time-consuming and had some issues.
But today, the scenario is completely different.
The newer models of Traeger have managed to mix the latest WiFire technology and Super Smoke technology along with the traditional grilling techniques.
The modern Traeger grills still come with the traditional wood pellet burning method to grill the meat.
In this article, I am actually going to talk about the time it requires a Traeger grill to ignite and start the cooking process.
The grilling with Traeger involves fire with wood pellets, and hence it accounts for ignition period.
The short answer to this question is around 4 to 5 minutes.
Traditional Traeger grills do take more time than the modern WiFire technology Traeger grills to ignite and start.
There is usually a difference of just 2-3 minutes in between the old and new models of Traeger grills when it comes to ignition time.
If you want to know more details about the Traeger grill ignition and other related information, then kindly do read this article till the end.
How Long Actually Does It Take to Start a Traeger Grill?
Before we jump directly into the answer, you must check whether you have done the preliminary preps before igniting your Traeger grill.
First, you need to make sure that you have assembled the grill perfectly and it’s connected to a power source properly.
Then place the right quantity of Traeger wood pellets inside the Traeger auger properly.
Once that’s done, simply open the lid and start preheating it by switching on the power and setting it to “Smoke” mode.
Now, the answer to your main question is about 4-5 minutes.
Yes, your Traeger Grill should take around 4-5 minutes to preheat properly.
If you’ve bought a WiFire technology model then, then it might take 2 minutes only to properly start the grill.
You should add those 2-3 minutes to be on the safer side.
The reason is, your Traeger auger will require more wood pellets and hence, it will form a cycle that’ll run smoothly.
Now place your meat or steak inside the grill and start the grilling process.
(Source: Wikihow.com)
Should You Start Traeger with Lid Open or Closed?
The short and straight answer is “Yes”.
Yes, you should start your Traeger grill with the lid open and not closed.
The long answer comprises certain method you need to follow which is known as the “Open Lid Process”.
Firstly, you’ll need to ensure all the components are at their respective places.
Components like trays, baffles, and plates, etc. must be at the right place inside the grill to start the grill function properly.
First, you will hear a fan running when you set your Traeger Grill on a “Smoke” mode.
Then the fire will ignite in about 4-5 minutes.
After that, you will start hearing the sound of the flame rising.
At this time, do not close the lid as preheating process has begun.
It needs an air supply to speed up the ignition process and in about 10-15 minutes the grill will be ready.
Then, you can add your food or meat and start grilling with your Traeger grill.
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Learn The Best Way to Adjust Smoke Setting on Your Traeger Grill
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5 Main Reasons that Cause Traeger Pellet Box to Smoke Too Much
Can You Ignite Traeger Grill from the Mobile Traeger App?
The straight answer is “No”.
The Traeger ignition function has safety issues involved.
If anyone can start this ignition from a mobile app, then it may cause fire hazard situation in future.
Therefore, as this is a safety feature, it does not allow you to ignite your grill from the mobile Traeger app.
You’ll have to do this manually only.
Another function the Traeger application cannot do for you is to provide you with a shutdown cycle countdown.
But let us take a look at the bright side.
There are many new exciting the things you can do with the Traeger app.
You get access to over 1500 recipes in this app.
You can control other important functions such as changing the grill temperature, meat probe goal, changing the timer and real-time temperature, etc.
Not only this, you can set and edit those functions from the comfort of your mobile phone app.
If you’ve used certain settings or want to use certain settings then, they are available on the app too.
You can add a customizable slot and use it for later purposes.
And also, you can visit the website via the app to shop for several accessories such as Traeger wood pellets.
How Do I Know if My Traeger Grill is Igniting?
To confirm whether your Traeger grill is igniting, you will have to check the heating rod.
For that, you have to remove the grill grate, drip tray, and heat baffle.
Now once you remove all these parts, you will see the hot rod.
Then, you simply put your hand over the hot rod and keep some distance.
If you’re feeling the heat then, consider that everything is working fine.
Remember to keep a safe distance to prevent burning or any accident.
If you don’t feel the heat, then you will have to take out the hot rod and inspect it if it has gone bad.
Most probably, it’s the wiring malfunction that creates the problem.
Don’t worry though.
There are mainly two ways to fix this issue.
First solution is you can call the Traeger customer support to fix this issue from their engineers.
Secondly, you can simply order a new replacement Traeger hot rod and replace it yourself.
To learn how to replace old Traeger grill hot rod with the new one, you can watch the following video.
Why Does Traeger Grill Take So Long to Ignite?
There are mainly two reasons that can lead to a longer ignition period in a Traeger grill.
Before solving the problem, you need to know the possible cause or a reason behind it.
For instance, you can check the power cord.
If it is not connected to the power source then how you can expect your grill to ignite.
If it is properly connected to the power then check if the wire is tripped.
If not then, check whether the wood pellets are in adequate quantity.
If the wood pellets are not sufficient then you need to add them in larger quantity to get quick ignition.
However, the primary reason for longer ignition period in a Traeger grill is the extreme cold weather.
If you’re experiencing chilly winds or quite cold weather, then the winds can affect the Traeger grill ignition.
In this situation, you may have to wait a bit longer to ignite your grill and to get it hotter gradually.
You can also add more wood pellets to ignite your Traeger quickly and to get it to higher temperature.
The second reason would be the set temperature.
If the set temperature is low, then your Traeger grill will take some time to ignite properly.
Therefore, you need to reset the temperature setting to a higher one during cold weather conditions.
How to Properly Ignite My Traeger Grill?
If you are a new Traeger grill user, then don’t worry.
It may feel intimidating at first to start or ignite your Traeger grill, but you’ll get used to it after some practice.
Here is the short procedure to appropriately ignite your Traeger grill.
1. First, open the lid and ensure that your Traeger hopper has enough wood pellets.
If you think they are low, feel free to add more to it.
2. Before you switch the grill “On”, set the knob to “Smoke” mode.
Once you start it, the auger and fan will get to the work and start feeding the pellets in and heating them.
3. Now, wait for about 4-5 minutes.
You’ll start seeing the smoke coming out of the grill.
Then, close the lid and set the right temperature you want to cook your food ay.
Once done, the smoke will come out of the small chimney of the grill.
It should take around 5 minutes to get to the desired temperature.
To check that, you can see the display above the knob.
Once reached, you can start putting your meal on the grill.
The good thing about Traeger Grill is that it doesn’t use direct heat.
Direct heat can cause burn your hands when putting the food on the grill grate.
To learn the whole Traeger ignition procedure, you can also watch the following short video tutorial.
References:
https://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Traeger-Grill
