Rec Tec RT 700 Pellet Grill Review

If you love the taste of smoked meat, you won’t go far wrong in choosing a wood pellet grill. They are easy to use and you don’t have to stand over your grill for hours on end making sure that the temperature remains stable. To put it simply, you put your wood pellets in a hopper, an auger automatically moves them to the firebox, and then heat and smoke are created. Many of the modern grills can connect to your cell phone through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth so you can check on the temperature of your food sitting comfortably indoors or chatting with your friends.

Today we’re going to take a look at the Rec Tec RT 700 pellet grill. It is one of their top models and offers a lot of features that will enhance your grilling experience.

Overview of the Rec Tec RT 700

The Rec Tec is nicknamed the King of the Mountain and it certainly lives up to the name in more ways than one. It is a solid grill and is made from heavy-duty stainless steel which stands up to all the elements, rain, snow, and extreme heat. It has polished bull horn handles which are also made from durable stainless steel. It is easy to assemble and you should be able to do this in around half an hour. An advantage is that if you have a broken part, you don’t need to take the whole grill apart. You can just remove the part and put in the new one.

It has a massive 702 square inch cooking area on which you could fit at least 6 large racks of ribs. It doesn’t come with a second shelf, but there is an option to buy one. With the extra shelf, you will have 1,054 square inches of cooking space, giving you room to cook burgers and sausages. In fact, you could cook for the whole neighborhood on this grill.

Both of the grates are made from ¼” 304 stainless steel which is a sturdy and durable material. They are removable so are easy to clean with warm soapy water.

The hopper is also large. It takes 40 pounds of wood pellets which will last you approximately 40 hours. You won’t have to worry about getting up to add more pellets too often. What’s great is that you can get wood pellets in all different flavors, for example, mesquite, oak, hickory, cherry, and apple. You could just use one flavor, or you could mix and match to produce your own personal taste. You don’t get this with a gas grill.

The grill comes with 2 meat probes that plug into the grill controller. If you want to use an additional probe, there is a probe porthole. This means that you won’t have to close the lid over the probe wires which could shorten their life. The probes are durable as they are also made from stainless steel.

The controller allows you to connect to your cell phone through your home Wi-Fi system. You just download the app, which is free, and you will be able to set the temperature and keep a check on it from the comfort of an easy chair or while socializing with friends.

The grill has an automatic ignition button that quickly lights the wood pellets. You don’t need to worry about matches or fire starters. One press of the button and the grill starts working.

The temperature range of the Rec Tec is 200F – 500F and you can set the temperature in 5-degree increments. It also has a low setting which quickly drops the temperature to 200F and keeps it there. Also, there is a full setting which keeps the temperature at 500F. 

There is a stainless steel drip pan and ash bucket which makes cleaning easy. All you have to do is empty the bucket in your bin. The juices in the drip pan can be used again for frying or to make a delicious gravy which is especially good if you are cooking a chicken or a turkey.

The grill has a smoke tray and a deflector, both of which are made from heavy-duty stainless steel. Integrated air vents keep the heat away from delicate parts of the grill. The vents have rubber grommets which protect them from being damaged.

Other benefits of the Rec Tec are wheels on two of the legs so you can move it around your yard to the best position. The other two legs are stationary and keep the grill stable when you have found a suitable place for it to sit.

There is a large storage rack on the bottom of the grill. Here you can keep utensils, plates, and food waiting to be cooked.

If you buy this grill direct from Rec Tec, you will get a special bundle with it. This includes several bags of wood pellets which will last for quite a lot of cookouts. You get a cover which keeps your grill safe from the elements. Yes, it is made from stainless steel, which is strong and durable, but there’s nothing wrong with giving it added protection. Finally, you get two mesh mats for the cooking surface. They ensure that nothing gets stuck to the grill. There’s nothing worse than losing part of your food to the grill grates.

Is Rec Tec a Good Company to Buy From?

Rec Tec opened its doors in 2009. They prefer to sell from their own warehouse and Amazon, so you won’t be likely to get a Rec Tec grill from a high street dealer. However, if you do buy direct from them, you get a good package. It is worth noting that they don’t do deals and the price you see is the price you have to pay. They are expensive, but you get what you pay for. If you are a committed griller, their grills are perfect for you.

Customer service is excellent, and you get a person when you contact them, not a recorded message. They make good use of social media and they even run a 1-week BBQ course in Georgia. They put the needs of their customers first.

Pros of the Rec Tec RT 700 Pellet Grill

1. It connects to other devices like your cell phone or tablet through your Wi-Fi system and a free app. This is advantageous as you don’t have to keep getting up to check the temperature of the grill. The app is available for both Android cell phones and the iPhone.
2. The technology will keep the temperature you set for hours which will give you peace of mind. You won’t have to be worried that your food is being either over or undercooked.
3. It has an auto-ignition switch, so you don’t have to light the wood with matches or other devices. It is quick and easy to light.
4. It has a wide temperature range from 200F – 500F in 5-degree increments. You can smoke, roast, bake, braise, and grill on this unit. However, the temperature isn’t quite high enough to sear a steak, although some people do beg to differ on this.
5. It has two meat probes so you can test the temperature of two parts of your meat or two different types of meat at the same time. The additional probe hole allows you to put in another probe. Perhaps with this, you can measure the air temperature in the grill.
6. The grill works on a standard 110V power source. If you want to transport it in your RV, it will work on your car battery.
7. Not only can you cook 6 racks of ribs on this grill, but you could easily smoke two turkeys. That’s Thanksgiving Day sorted!
8. Because the firepot is made from stainless steel, it will last for years. It will probably outlive the grill as a whole. The stainless steel cooking chamber is also durable and is resistant to the effects of heat and moisture.
9. The grill has a piano hinge which means that you will be able to open and close the lid numerous times without any fear of it breaking.
10. It has an interior light that will help when you are cooking after the sun has set. 
11. There is a built-in towel ring so you can keep a towel on hand if you need to clean.
12. It is designed to operate with 100% natural wood pellets, and it burns these pellets efficiently to the extent that it produces a lot less ash than many other grills in the same price bracket.
13. It has a 6-year warranty, which is longer than many companies give.

Cons

1. The cell phone app is basic. You can set the temperature with it and check on the temperature, but you can’t program in the type of meat you are cooking. If you were smoking a turkey it would be useful if you could program it to cook a turkey. In addition, it doesn’t save the temperature graphs nor does it have alarms that tell you when your food is cooked or if the temperature has gone up or down.
2. The bundle package, including the wood pellets, cover, and mesh mats are only available from Rec Tec itself.
3. The legs can be a little wobbly. It’s not a major issue, but it’s best to be aware of it and not be too forceful with it when either cooking or cleaning.
4. Rec Tec does occasionally ship grills that have become rusty or sometimes you will find that there are missing parts. However, customer service is good so if you do have a problem, it will be sorted out quickly.
5. It is expensive, but if you want a large cooking area and want to be able to connect to the grill with your cell phone it is well worth the extra money. 

Comparison to Other Grills

Traeger is another successful company that produces wood pellet grills. Their Traeger Ironwood 650 is the grill that could be considered competition for the Rec Tec RT 700. However, it doesn’t have quite as much cooking space as the Rec Tec. The Ironwood has a cooking area of 650 square inches, compared to the 702 square inches which the Rec Tec has. Still, it is large, and you can cook almost as much food on the Ironwood as on the Rec Tec.

The Ironwood has a 20-pound hopper compared to 40 pounds on the Rec Tec so you will have to refill the Ironwood more frequently. Still, it contains enough pellets to cook for 20 hours, which is more than sufficient in most cases. Even if you’re smoking a large pork butt, it’s unlikely that you would be cooking it for more than 20 hours.

The Ironwood has a 3-year warranty compared to Rec Tec’s 6-year warranty. A 6-year warranty is quite special as not many grill companies offer this length of time.

The Ironwood has a slightly bigger temperature range than the Rec Tec, from 165F – 500F. 

Both units use Wi-Fi technology, but the Ironwood has one up on the Rec Tec as it is Alexa enabled.

Both grills are made of heavy-duty stainless steel so are made to last. The Ironwood has grill grates that are made of porcelain which is easy to clean.

Final Thoughts

We hope that you have found this article informative and that it has helped you to decide whether or not to buy this grill. We do recommend the Rec Tec RT 700. It has masses of cooking space and a large hopper. It is made from stainless steel both on the exterior and inside so is durable and should last a long time. It can connect to your cell phone via Wi-Fi, so it allows you to do other things instead of standing over it while the food cooks. The 6-year warranty is a bonus. We hope that you have a great time this summer smoking and grilling.