It’s a big week for Dead Meat Society members…

National Steak Day is Friday, and National Prime Rib Day is Saturday. (No pressure.)

But if you've been sitting on the fence about getting a pellet grill to do either of them justice, Traeger just ran through your excuses.

Traeger released the Westwood and Westwood XL this week. Their most affordable connected grills yet. Starting at $699.

Let’s consider the context… we all know that pellet grills have had an image problem that has nothing to do with how well they cook. The entry price to get into a properly connected pellet setup has stayed stubbornly high for years.

So far, pellets have kept their reputation as a premium category, even as more people want in. Traeger moving their floor down to $699 with the full connected experience is a real shift.

WHY PELLET GRILLS STAYED EXPENSIVE FOR SO LONG…

The connected pellet experience has always carried a premium because three things had to work together perfectly:

  • Temperature control: a pellet grill that swings 50 degrees is just an expensive outdoor oven. Reliable control costs money to do right.

  • WiFi and apps that work: not every brand nailed this. The ones that did charged for it.

  • Build quality that holds up: hoppers, augers, fire pots, and other parts that take abuse. Nobody wants to babysit a grill that's supposed to babysit itself.

That's why the budget end of the pellet market developed a bad reputation. You either paid up or you paid twice.

WHAT TRAEGER CUT AND WHAT THEY KEPT

The Westwood may not be a premium smoker, but it sure looks like a capable one. Here's where the tradeoffs landed:

  • What you get: WiFi connectivity, full Traeger app control, 18-pound hopper, 180 to 450°F range, P.A.L. front-rail accessory compatibility, and wireless probe support

  • What got cut: no Super Smoke mode, no Keep Warm, a simplified button controller instead of a knob, and one wired probe standard

  • What it replaces: the Pro Series, Traeger's previous entry point, which cost more and delivered less differentiation

SO DO I NEED ONE?

Well, that’s up to you… but it sure was a smart move on Traeger’s part to make it tempting.

Traeger has been losing ground as the pellet category has become more competitive. This move is less about one grill and more about a strategy. Push the price floor down, get more people into the ecosystem, and let the app and accessories do the rest.

So if you've been waiting for a real reason to finally make the pellet move, Traeger just handed you one…

What do we think, Dead Meat Society?