Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. If you buy a product through an affiliate link, we may receive a commission at no cost to you.
When Porsche started releasing higher performance models of the Cayman, it got to a point where it would be hard to pick the more expensive 911 for my make-believe garage. The Cayman is less money and can arguably put up better track times out of the box.
I’ve been anxiously awaiting the release of the Traeger Woodridge, and today they finally released it in all it’s glory. They made huge performance jumps over their previous entry level model, the Pro 575, and even managed to keep the price the same. It leaves me with the same conundrum as Porsche, with how much the Woodridge can do, it would be hard to pick the Ironwood or even the Timberline over the Woodridge.
Now I’m going to quietly step away from the Porsche analogy before I get too much hate mail from 911 fans. Anyways, Traeger didn’t just release the Woodridge today, they also released the Woodridge Pro and Woodridge Elite. The biggest surprise was the Elite model has an infrared burner on the side, making it quite possible the best Traeger grill.
Features and Specs
- Retail price of $799 for the Woodridge (check price at Traeger – check price at Ace Hardware)
- Retail price of $999 for the Woodridge Pro (check price at Traeger – check price at Ace Hardware)
- Retail price of $1,599 for the Woodridge Elite (check price at Traeger)
- 860 square inches of cooking area, the Pro and Elite models are even bigger at 970 square inches
- Temperature range of 180 – 500 degrees F
- Compatible with some Bluetooth wireless meat thermometers
- Pop-And-Lock accessory rail system so you can add shelves and other accessories
- EZ-Clean Grease & Ash Keg keeps cleaning easy without the need for a shop vac
- Of course it has wireless connectivity to use with your Traeger app to cook from anywhere
For those keeping the score at home, Traeger kept the price on the Woodridge the same that I paid for my Pro 575 four years ago, gave it almost 300 square inches more cooking area, upgraded the display to a touchscreen, made cleaning easier, and gave it some more convenience features. The result is I think we’re going to see a rush of Pro Series Traeger’s hitting Facebook Marketplace in the coming months.
Pro and Elite Models
With all those features, what more do you get with the Pro and Elite models? Starting with the Pro, you get 110 square inches more cooking area, 4 wheels instead of two, a pellet sensor to know when you’re hopper is low, and Super Smoke mode for more smoke from your grill. The 860 square inches on the base model is already plenty, in my opinion, and while I’d miss Super Smoke, it would be hard for me to pick the Pro over the base model.
Where it gets interesting is with the Woodridge Elite. On that model, you get everything on the Pro, a grill cabinet instead of a cart, added insulation for more efficiency, and a 1100-watt infrared side burner. It’s twice the cost of the base model, but you get quite a bit more grill.
Woodridge vs. Ironwood
This is where it gets tricky. The release of the Woodridge makes the Ironwood a much harder sell. It’s not like comparing the original Pro Series (Pro 575 and Pro 780), where the Ironwood was clearly better.
Compared to the Woodridge base, the Ironwood gets extra insulation, 4 wheels instead of two, a pellet sensor, and Super Smoke mode. It also arguable has a better looking display if you prefer it over the big LED look on the Woodridge. The Ironwood is also 354 square inches smaller, holds 2 pounds less pellets, and costs $1,000 more.
See what I mean? It’s a little more refined, has a few more features, but also has shortcomings and is significantly more money.
If when I listed the differences between the base and the Ironwood, you said “aren’t those most of the differences too between the Woodridge and Woodridge Pro?”, then that is my thinking exactly. The Ironwood only beats the Pro model with a little more refinement and extra insulation, but is much smaller and costs quite a bit more.
I don’t know why you’d buy the Ironwood over the Woodridge Elite. The Ironwood is $200 more, it’s much smaller, no cabinet, and biggest of all, no side burner.
It even get down to a much harder value equation when you compare the Elite to the big dog Timberline. The Timberline is better with overall fit and finish, it has an induction side burner that is better than an infrared burner, but it’s not that much more grill for costing more than double.