recteq E-Series Built-In 1300 Wood Pellet Grill - RT-1300

Pros:

• recteq offers the top grilling app on the market.
• Industry-leading 6-year warranty.
• Front-accessible hopper makes it easy to add or remove pellets.

Cons:

• Stylized bull horn handle design removes convenience of center handle.
• No easy automatic pellet release function. Pellets must be scooped out manually.
• Has a smaller cooking area than recteq’s freestanding Flagship XL 1400.

The Skinny:

• PID algorithm ensures precise temperature control for repeatable results every time.
• Durable, high-quality stainless steel construction is built to last.
• High temperature range of 180–700°F lets you cook a variety of foods.
• 27 lb hopper capacity gives you up to 27 hours of non-stop cooking.
• 1,300 square inches of cooking area provides plenty of space for large cuts or quantities of food.

By BBQGuys Staff

Quality
This grill is constructed of more stainless steel than any other pellet cooker in its class.

• Sleek design, durable stainless steel construction, and a high temperature range are all stand-out qualities of the recteq E-Series 1300. Not only that, but the recteq grilling app is one of the best I’ve seen. It can set temperature alarms, create personalized notes, save your favorite recipes and sort them based on diet, and adjust the serving size to perfect every cook. You can even use it to start a competition with friends and access Master Chef insights. Plus, you can turn off your grill remotely.

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All over, this grill features more stainless steel construction than any other grill in its class including the grill grates, fire pot, drip pan, bull horn handles, and front-folding shelf and hopper. It also has a heavy-duty cast-iron heat deflector, so you can clearly see and feel the quality of this grill. And this built-in grill couldn’t be easier to install. With the slot-in design, just slide the grill into place, plug it in, and you can get grilling in as little as 5 minutes.

Performance
Stellar performance combined with elevated design creates the ultimate showpiece.

• Leading the industry with a 6-year warranty, it reliably produced fantastic results with every test run. In terms of max temperature, the E-series sits comfortably at 700°F, which is more than Traeger’s built-in Timberline model and is a range I’ve only seen on luxury brands such as Memphis and Twin Eagles. The 27-pound hopper capacity is recteq’s smallest but is larger than other Premium class pellet grills. The HotFlash Ceramic Ignition system is rated at over 100,000 lighting cycles so your grill will light up and last for years.

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Inside the grill you’ll find a 1,300 square inch standard cooking surface and a sliding second grate. Additionally, there’s another 618 square inch bottom grate cooking area when the second grate is removed, so I found there’s plenty of grilling space to cook everything I need.

Features
Designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind.

As recteq’s only built-in model, it has several premium features that set it apart. First, the front-loading hopper makes adding pellets easy and with the hopper lid closed it provides a generous surface. The only downside to this is there is no release that empties the pellets automatically, so you have to scoop them out manually. This isn’t uncommon, but it is something I would like to see utilized in more pellet grills, especially recteq. For comparison, Traeger’s built-in model has a pellet release and also falls into the Premium class.

• The E-Series 1300 has two slide out grease catches on the front, which is a lot more convenient than the hanging metal bucket typically found on several freestanding pellet grills. All recteq grills come with micro-polished bull horn handles, which sets them apart visually from their competitors, but I think sacrifices function in favor of style since there’s no center handle to grab onto.

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Overall, this is an excellent offering from recteq with a lot of great features that make it stand out. The stainless steel construction is solid and the slide-in design is convenient.