smoke flavor when doing a hot cook (300*). I used to do all my BBQ at 225-250, but got sick of waiting 15 hours for my brisket to be done. After chatting with some competition cooks I'm friends with I made the switch to cooking hotter. The results are the same and now I can have a brisket rested and ready to eat in an 8 hour window.

So my issue with the traegers of the world is that the way the pellets combust they don't give off enough smoke at higher temperatures. Maybe they've changed that, as it's been a few years since I did a cook on one. That said, the smoker is just a tool. The person running the pit, and their knowledge of the cooking process is what makes great food.