Gas vs Pellet Grill
Weber Genesis E-335 vs Traeger Ironwood 885
We tested both grills over a full season. Here's the honest breakdown of which one belongs in your backyard.
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| Grill | Best For | Price Range | Rating | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weber Genesis E-335 Gas Grill |
Steaks, burgers, quick high-heat grilling | $899 – $1,099 | ★★★★★ 4.7 | See on Amazon |
| Traeger Ironwood 885 Pellet Grill |
Brisket, ribs, pulled pork, low-and-slow smoking | $1,299 – $1,499 | ★★★★½ 4.6 | See on Amazon |
These two grills aren't really competing with each other. They cook differently and appeal to different backyard cooks. The Weber Genesis E-335 wins for anyone who grills at high heat, wants quick weeknight meals, and values a 10-year warranty on a gas grill built to last. The Traeger Ironwood 885 wins for anyone who wants real wood smoke flavor and is willing to plan cooks around a 15-minute preheat and multi-hour smoking sessions.
If you grill steaks and burgers most weekends, buy the Weber. If weekend briskets and pulled pork are your goal, buy the Traeger. If you can afford and have room for both, get both.
Three main burners, a dedicated sear burner, and a side burner. Gas-powered, 669 sq. in. primary cooking area, 10-year warranty on burners and grates. iGrill 3 compatible for wireless temperature monitoring.
Read our full Weber Genesis E-335 review
Wood pellet grill with 885 sq. in. total cooking area, WiFIRE app control, Super Smoke mode, and downdraft exhaust. D2 Direct Drive auger for consistent pellet feeding and precise temperature control.
Read our full Traeger Ironwood 885 review| Feature | Weber Genesis E-335 | Traeger Ironwood 885 |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Propane gas | Wood pellets |
| Max Temperature | 700°F+ (sear burner) Wins | 500°F |
| Primary Cooking Area | 669 sq. in. | 616 sq. in. (885 sq. in. total) Wins |
| Smoke Flavor | Minimal (gas) | Excellent (wood pellets) Wins |
| WiFi/App | iGrill compatible (sold separately) | Built-in WiFIRE Wins |
| Preheat Time | 10 minutes Wins | 15 minutes |
| Temperature Control | Manual burner knobs | Digital (±5°F accuracy) Wins |
| Best For | Burgers, steaks, searing, quick cooks | Brisket, ribs, pulled pork, low-and-slow |
| Warranty | 10 years (burners/grates) Wins | 3 years |
| Weight | 178 lbs | 168 lbs |
| Price Range | $899 – $1,099 Wins | $1,299 – $1,499 |
This isn't close. The Weber Genesis E-335 reaches 700°F and above on its dedicated sear burner. At that temperature, you get the Maillard reaction that creates a real crust on steaks and chops. The Traeger tops out at 500°F, which is warm but not genuinely hot enough for deep searing. We cooked ribeyes on both. The Weber crust was noticeably better, formed in 60 seconds per side at sear burner temperature. The Traeger result was adequate but different in character, more like a hot oven finish than a true sear.
If crust quality on steaks matters to you, the Weber wins this category decisively.
Wood pellets produce genuine smoke flavor. The Ironwood 885 with Super Smoke mode running at 225°F delivered a proper smoke ring on pork shoulder after 8 hours and a flavor profile you simply can't replicate on a gas grill. We tested the Weber with a smoker box full of soaked hickory chips for comparison. The smoke contribution was mild at best and burned off quickly. Gas grills aren't designed to retain smoke around the food, and the engineering shows.
If smoke flavor is why you're buying a grill, the Traeger is the only answer here.
Manual gas knobs give you rough control zones: low, medium, high. Experienced gas grillers can manage cooking temperatures well with practice, but it's not precise. The Traeger's digital controller holds temperature within plus or minus 5°F of your set point for hours. Set 225°F and it holds 225°F. That kind of consistency is critical for long low-and-slow cooks where a 50°F swing can mean the difference between properly rendered collagen and dried-out meat.
For short cooks, manual gas control is fine. For anything over an hour, the Traeger's precision is a genuine advantage.
The Weber is simpler for quick cooks. Turn the knobs, light the grill, cook in 10 minutes. No app required, no pellet management, no startup procedure. A weeknight burger takes about 15 minutes from start to plate. The Traeger requires a 15-minute startup cycle, pellet management, and app setup for full functionality. Those steps are worth it for a long smoke, but they're not something you want to deal with on a Tuesday evening for chicken thighs.
The Traeger is actually easier for complex, long cooks once it's running. The guided cook programs in the app remove most of the decision-making from an 8-hour brisket. The Weber gives you full manual control for quick sessions, which experienced grillers will prefer.
At $899 to $1,099, the Weber is $300 to $500 cheaper than the Traeger. It also carries a 10-year warranty on its most critical components versus 3 years on the Traeger. The ongoing fuel cost difference matters too. Propane costs vary, but a standard tank lasts many cooks. Traeger pellets run $20 to $25 per major cook, which adds up over a season of weekend smokes.
If budget is the deciding factor and you grill more than you smoke, the Weber delivers more value per dollar over time.
Buy the Weber Genesis E-335 if you grill steaks, burgers, and chicken regularly, value quick weeknight meals, want a grill that will last 10-plus years with a strong warranty, and aren't primarily after smoke flavor.
Buy the Traeger Ironwood 885 if you want real wood-smoked brisket, ribs, and pulled pork, are comfortable with a 15-minute preheat and planning cooks in advance, have reliable outdoor WiFi for the app features, and can absorb the ongoing pellet fuel cost.
Both are excellent at what they're designed to do. Neither is the wrong answer. They're just different tools for different cooking styles.
Buy the Weber Genesis E-335 if you primarily grill steaks, burgers, chicken, and vegetables at high heat, cook on weeknights when speed matters, and want a grill that lasts 10+ years with a strong warranty. Buy the Traeger Ironwood 885 if you want real wood smoke flavor, plan to do brisket, ribs, or pulled pork on weekends, and are comfortable with a 15-minute preheat and pellet fuel costs.
You can use a smoker box filled with soaked wood chips on the Weber Genesis E-335, but the smoke flavor is mild compared to a dedicated pellet grill or offset smoker. Gas grills aren't designed for smoke cooking, and the chips burn quickly. If smoke flavor is important to you, the Traeger is the better choice.
For quick cooks (steaks, burgers, chicken), the Weber is easier. Light it, adjust three knobs, cook in 10 minutes. For longer cooks, the Traeger is easier. Set a temperature digitally, connect to the app, and walk away. The Traeger's guided cook programs also make it more beginner-friendly for complex cooks like brisket.
It depends on how you cook. If you want smoked meats with real wood flavor, the Traeger justifies its price premium. If you primarily grill quickly at high heat, paying $400 more for smoke capabilities you won't use doesn't make sense. The Weber's 10-year warranty on burners also changes the long-term value calculation compared to the Traeger's 3-year coverage.
Absolutely, and many serious outdoor cooks do. Weber handles weeknight steaks and burgers while the Traeger handles weekend smoking sessions. If your budget and outdoor space allow for both, they complement each other rather than compete. The combined cost runs around $2,400 to $2,600 new, but each grill does its job better than any single grill trying to do both.
Last tested: March 2026. See also: Weber Genesis E-335 Review | Traeger Ironwood 885 Review | Best Outdoor Grills 2026