Hi Everybody,
This post has been a long time coming and I’m covering several different things, some of which I’ve found in common with other owners via posts on this forum. Here is the abbreviated version:
I purchased RecTeq at a premium with the expectation of superior quality and customer service. I have experienced issues with temp spikes, the drip pan, and workmanship that I will describe further below. In addition I have found that unfavorable reviews of their products are disregarded, which I find to be deceptive and unbecoming the brand. I hate the idea of having to overinvest my time to troubleshoot what I expected to be a Cadillac, not a fixer-upper.
To begin, I was in the market for a new unit as my gasser was on it’s last legs. A couple of friends highly recommended RecTeq and so I started on my journey down the reviews and YouTube rabbit hole to research my options. While RecTeq was higher in price than competing models I considered, I justified this given the all-stainless drum, superior PID, reputation for service, that it would serve as an all-in-one (sold my electric smoker to offset cost), and of course because they look really cool. I was able to negotiate a slight discount beyond what was already published to the site, and I was on my way.
When my unit arrived last October, I assembled and had my first test runs. Even at low temps, the first couple of runs saw slight spikes over the set point. I’m talking… set at 225 or 250, it would jump 5-10 above, then settle-in after 5-10 minutes. Not a huge deal, and I attributed this to the computer learning and it would probably self-resolve.
When I did my burn-in cook a day or two later, sticking to the guidance of chicken thighs, things got worse. I set a temperature of 425 degrees, and let them go. The grill jumped to at least 477, and coupled with my drip pan issue (described later), created a grease fire. Now I made it through this cook, then continued testing the grill at higher temps without any food. The spikes continued but were not as dramatic, ranging anywhere from 10-20 degrees above set point, all eventually settling back.
I contacted ReqTeq with this information, spent a few days emailing results from the app, etc… with what eventually resulted in the Tech attributing all of this to remnant grease. Probably burnt through a good 20 lbs pellets on tests in the process. While remnant grease may have been somewhat logical, I felt it was a cop out, that they were only interested in identifying something quick and easy to make me go away. As I continue to have the issue, I think my gut was correct.
I’m now ~ 5 months in and continue to experience similar results whenever cooking at higher temps (400 and above). The situation would be more manageable if not for the fact that when tending to the food mid-cook, I need to lift the lid. This results of course in some temp loss, and when it tries to re-establish the set-point, I get another spike. Rinse and repeat.
Moving on to the drip pan issues… I have my RT-590 placed on a level surface, an outside deck. The tilt of the drip pan I assumed would be enough to carry any grease into the disposal without further assistance but this has not been the case for me. Per above, I’ve had issues with grease fires, resulting from the grease simply not making it off of the pan (in combination with temp spikes). I started off lining with foil, and ensured it was as flat and smooth as possible on the pan. I later moved on to elevating the hopper-side of the grill to ensure sufficient tilt. I also tried the overpriced RecTeq custom drip pan liner, which failed after the 1st cook, due to another grease fire. The curious thing to me, is the portion of the pan directly above the pot gets so hot, that at times there is a visible outline in the foil. I’ve even had the foil crumble and disintegrate in a ring shape (matching the shape of the pot) after one use. The damn thing gets so hot that any grease which makes contact, it seems like it just collects there and either sticks creating a mess, or eventually catches fire.
A couple more issues… I noticed on initial assembly one of the screws that fastens the drum to the legs was poorly installed (angled, not flush), leaving a slight air gap from the drum to the exterior. Some heat escapes and has created an anodized look on the stainless portion of the front of my grill. Not huge, but another detractor. Also, the orange-red high temp sealant which was applied across the seams of the drum has all but crumbled away and burnt off. Don’t know if this is something I should be concerned with?
Yet another frustration regarding performance is that I expected the smoke to be significantly more at the low setting, similar to my electric smoker. I have been able to compensate for the most part using a smoke tube, but that was another learning curve.
Regarding the product reviews… I left a deserved 2-star review for the custom drip pan liner over 2 weeks ago. Immediately after I received the automated email reply, stating the contribution would be reviewed. Well… seems like pooey to me. There has been no follow-up, and I am of the impression it will be ignored. Shame on you RecTeq.
Other information… I have used various reputable pellets and am currently running Bear Mountain. Different pellets have made no difference. I regularly remove ash after every 3rd/4th cook. I have not adjusted the feed rate to this point, but appears this may be a logical next step.
So, to summarize:
- Purchased for superior quality despite higher cost point.
- Over-temp issues combined with drip-pan issues = grease fires.
- Unsure if issue with the screw and sealant are of concern.
- My otherwise beautiful looking grill has to sit on ugly lifters to allow grease to flow, and I am only comfortable using at temps below 400.
- Believe that RecTeq ignores unfavorable reviews.
In fairness, I have not yet invested the necessary time to register my issues with RecTeq Customer Service, as have been languishing the idea of weeks of back and forth as has been reported in other threads. As mentioned above, I was not happy the first time around with Service and don’t want to go through it again. Probably no other choice unless the forum saves me.
I know I’m throwing a lot of complaints here. I really do want this thing to work, but I’m already soured on the experience thus far. It’s frustrating to think it is going to require extensive effort on my part, which is NOT what I expected.
I guess what I’m looking for are any suggestions, consolations, whatever you got. I do not plan on cooking much as I’m currently in the middle of an Ohio winter, about 23 degrees right now. So I appreciate any help but may be a little slow to try suggestions that involve, sending pics, etc.
Thanks gang!
