Founded in 1985 by Joe Traeger, the Traeger Pellet Grill LLC is now one of the most well-known manufacturers of pellet grills in the United States. Their models provide consistency, versatility, and the best, naturally-enhanced flavor that you can get by grilling meat.
Besides the pellet grills, the company’s array of products includes various accessories, such as the folding shelves and grill covers. One of such accessories is their insulation blanket, which is a thermal-insulated, heat-resistant surface whose purpose is to act as a buffer between the grill and the elements. It comes at a relatively affordable price and is held in high regard by many grilling enthusiasts all over the country.
Now you might be wondering – why would I want to buy this thing? Well, it’s an accessory that can come in very handy when you want to have an outdoor meat-grilling session in the middle of winter.
This blanket will safeguard the grill’s metal from the elements and, in that way, significantly reduce the amount of burned fuel due to the low outdoor temperature.
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about this convenient product and determine if it’s the right accessory for your needs.
Info
This is a Traeger pellet grill accessory manufactured by the Traeger Pellet Grill LLC (Utah).
Features:
- Maintains temperature in cold weather
- Decreases the amount of burned fuel
- Easy to install
- Sturdy heavy-duty fabric
- Protects the grill from rain and dust
- Perfect fit
- Compatible with the folding shelf
The purpose of this accessory is to keep the pellet grill warm and reduce the amount of burned fuel when it’s used outside during cold weather.
Why Get It?
One of the best ways to describe this product would be as the Traeger’s attempt to “conquer” the winter grilling season. If you’re a serious grilling enthusiast, you simply can’t let a whole season go by without grilling some meat with your pellet grill. Fortunately, there’s a solution for those not living in places such as Florida or Arizona, and its name is the insulation blanket.
This innovative product allows the user to wrap his smoker and cook outdoors all year round. Using a thermal insulation blanket while cooking keeps the smoker warm, preserves the pellets, and prevents the heat from escaping. Pretty impressive, wouldn’t you say?
The insulated, heat-resistant material of this blanket acts as a sort of buffer between the smoker and the elements. This, in turn, allows the user to maintain a consistent temperature without having to burn any extra pellets. All that one has to do here is to simply slide the blanket over the grill and attach it underneath the contraption with the included straps.
When the exterior part of your grill gets cold, its insides aren’t exactly thrilled. Although it’s true that metal absorbs heat, it also absorbs cold. Unfortunately, it’s much easier for it to hold on to the cold, which causes lower cooking temperatures when trying to smoke some meat during the winter.
When you’re cooking out in the open during the winter, you have to open the lid to check on the meal. This lets the cold air into the grill’s inner-workings, which, in turn, causes the digital thermostat to put more wood into the firepot in order to keep the fire going.
As you can already guess, this effort to raise the grill temperature to the required cooking temperature will cause more pellets to be burned than usual.
This is precisely where the insulated blanket comes in. It assists in counterbalancing the pellet consumption in low temperatures and keeps the heat needed for making a quality barbecue meal. It’s a simple, yet ingenious solution.
Quality
The build quality of this product is excellent – the heavy-duty fabric is very sturdy, durable, and easily withstands all kinds of wear and tear. It fits on all 22 Series Traeger grills like a glove and is very easy to attach.
It is also compatible with the folding shelf accessory manufactured by the same company. The durability of its material brings an additional benefit – the blanket does a great job with protecting your grill from rain and dust.
Pros & Cons
PROS
- Snug fit
- Durable heavy-duty fabric
- Maintains the temperature
- Reduces the amount of burned pellets
- Easy to attach
- Protects the smoker from the elements
- Compatible with Traeger folding shelf
- Overall 85%
CONS
- Flimsy zipper
- Material prone to fading
Testimonials
“This insulation blanket is one of the best investments I made this year. I managed to smoke racks of pork ribs on a 40-degree windy day without any problems. It’s an excellent accessory and something that allows year-round grilling”
The blanket indeed does a very good job when it comes to maintaining the temperature – its good insulation and sturdy fabric take care of that. It’s essential to highlight that it also reduces the amount of pellets you’ll have to burn when cooking outdoors during winter months.
What to Watch Out For
Flimsy zipper
Unfortunately, the zipper found on this insulation blanket is not of the greatest quality. Handle it slowly and carefully to avoid breaking.
Material prone to fading
Although heavy-duty and very durable, the fabric is quite prone to fading. After a couple of months of outdoor use, it changes its color to dark gray. Try to avoid leaving it outside in sunny weather.
Somewhat expensive
This blanket is significantly more expensive than most of the other products of this type currently on the market. Its ease of use and the overall build quality make up for the price, however.
A Piece of Advice
You can try to position the smoker in the side yard, corner of your patio, or in an alcove to keep the heat in. However, never cook under an enclosed patio, as the smoker grill needs ventilation.
Verdict
With this insulation blanket, you’ll be able to smoke and grill chicken, dove poppers, briskets, rack of ribs, and many more during the winter months – it holds the temperature very well. The fact that it also preserves pellets is an additional benefit, and yet another reason why investing in it would be the right decision.
