Traeger Ironwood vs Pro | What’ll Worthy For You

Jessica Wiest
Last updated: February 21, 2024

A perfect grill is a token to enjoying juicy, smoky, and mouthwatering meats, beef, briskets, chicken, or turkey. But, when you find similar looking two series of grills, such as Traeger Ironwood and Pro, you are confused about what to choose.

Don’t fret! Here we are with our Traeger Ironwood vs Pro comparison guide. This post is designed to let you know everything in detail (cooking space, versatility, temperature range, durability, portability, etc.) about the pellet grills to pick the right one that fits your needs, preference, and budget. So keep reading

What You will Know show

Comparison Table Between Traeger Ironwood vs pro series pellet grills

In most cases, your confusion arises from model to model. But this time, you are in a dilemma between series to series. So first, let’s see a clear-cut comparison between these two series of grills.

Features	Traeger Ironwood 650	Traeger Ironwood 885	Traeger Pro 575	Traeger Pro 780

Cooking space	1. 418 square inches main rack 2. 231 square inches top rack 3. 650 square inches total space	1. 570 square inches main rack 2. 315 square inches top rack 3. 885 square inches total space	1. 418 square inches main rack 2. 154 square inches top rack 3. 575 square inches total space	1. 570 square inches main rack 2. 210 square inches top rack 3. 780 square inches total space
Power source	Wood pellet, and charcoal	Wood Pellet	Wood Pellet	Wood Pellet
Cooking versatility	Grill, Smoke, Bake, Braise, Roast, and BBQ	Grill, Smoke, Bake, Braise, Roast, and BBQ	Grill, Smoke, Bake, Braise, Roast, and BBQ	Grill, Smoke, Bake, Braise, Roast, and BBQ
Temperature range	Max 500°F or 260°C Min 180° F or 82° C	Max 500°F or 260°C Min 180° F or 82° C	Max 500°F or 260°C Min 180° F or 82° C	Max 500°F or 260°C Min 180° F or 82° C
Hopper capacity	20 pounds	20 pounds	18 pounds	18 pounds
Dymension	47x46x27 inches	47x54x27 inches	27 x 41 x 53 inches	55x49x27 inches
Weight	149 Pounds	175 Pounds	124 Pounds	173 Pounds
WiFIRE technology	Included	Included	Included	Included
Controlling system	WiFIRE Controller	WiFIRE Controller	WiFIRE Controller	WiFIRE Controller
Barrel Size	22 inches	30 inches	22 inches	22 inches
Wood smoke	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Portability	Average Portable	Least Portable	Most Portable	Least Portable
Foods that fits & Feeding people	8 chickens or 5 rib racks pr 6 beef butts Average 15-20	10 chickens or 7 rib racks or 9 beef butts Average 25-30	4 chickens or 5 rib racks or 24 burgers Average 10-15	6 chickens or 6 rib racks or 34 burger or Average 20-25
Meat Probe	Single	Single	Single	Single
Grates	Adjustable two-tier	Adjustable two-tier	Adjustable two-tier	Adjustable two-tier
D2 Direct Drive	Included	Included	Included	Included
TRU Convection	Included	Included	Included	Included
Price	Relatively cheap	Most Expensive	Most Pocket friendly	Relatively affordable
Price on Amazon	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price
Price on Website	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price	Check Price

This table only just informs you about the technical parts and key features in digits. But, knowing the features in numbers isn’t enough to invest a huge amount for having a pellet grill as it involves more than digits and amount than the taste of your tongue and the emotion you feel.

For your convenience, we have divided our detailed discussion about the grills into two sections. In the first section, we’ll talk about the points that the Ironwood and Pro series differ, and in the second section, we will gather the points that match. So, you can easily figure out which grill is the best match to fine-tune your signature dish.

The Difference Between Traeger Ironwood vs Pro

When you are caught up between two grills, knowing the differential points will be great for defining their head-to-head difference.

1. Cooking space and capacity

The first and foremost difference between these two series of grills is their cooking space and capacity. The Ironwood series grill cooking space ranges from 885 square inches to 650 square inches. At the same time, the pro series offers 780 to 575 square inches.

The cooking space differs on two sides: the main cooking chamber and the upper cooking grates. Mostly, you can use the main cooking chamber for meats and food that requires high heat. On the other hand, the additional racks help to cook food that requires low heat or warmth before serving.

2. Serving capability

The higher the cooking space, the more significant food you can cook and the large group of people you can feed. And vice versa.

The Ironwood series grills can accommodate 6-9 beef butts or 8-10 chickens, or 5-7 rib racks. You can serve approximately 15-30 adults or 25-35 adults and kids with the food.

Alternatively, you can chase 4-6 chickens, 5-6 rib racks, or 24-34 burgers with Pro Series pellet grills. With this food, you can successfully feed approximately 10-25 adults as a main meal or up to 35 people as a side meal.

3. Hopper capacity

The more fuel the hopper can accommodate, the longer cooking time it can offer you with no fuel reloading hassle.

In this case, the Ironwood series grills are most convenient with their 20 pounds fuel capacity. So if you love to taste slow cooking smoky flavored salmon, brisket, meat, ribs, or other food items, Ironwood 650 or 885 will be best for you.

On the other hand, the Pro 575 or 780 grills come with a bit smaller hopper capacity. These can load up to 18 pounds of wood pellets. But, according to their cooking space and food capability, these are good enough to increase fuel economy.

4. Twin-Wall construction

Basically, twin wall construction means that it sounds like two layers of sheets are used to make the cooking chamber. Even in some cases, insulation is placed between the steel layers. So, the twin wall construction will give you a more stable temperature in the cooking chamber with less wood cost.

Here, the traeger Ironwood 885 and 650 grills come with twin-wall construction. But the pro version of the Traeger won’t have this feature.

If you live in a cold temperature region and want to use the grill all year round to taste spicy and delicious grilled foods. In this case, you should consider the Ironwood series to get a high heat retention and stable temperature to cook food.

If you live in a hot weather area, where the outer temperature won’t impact the grills’ inner temperature, you won’t need to prioritize the twin-wall construction. So, the pro series is a good fit for you.

5. Portability

Grills are mainly used for outdoor cooking. So here, the grills’ ultimate portability is another considerable difference between Traeger Ironwood and Pro series pellet grills.

We mainly focus on three specific aspects (weight, dimensions, and movability) to determine the grills’ portability.

Weight

If you want to get the lightest grills among the four, then the pro 575 is the best, as it is only 124 Pounds. In comparison, the heaviest one is the Ironwood 885 with 175 Pounds of weight. The other two grills are 149 Pounds for the second lightweight and 173 Pounds for the second heavyweight.

Dimensions

The overall dimensions of a grill play a vital role in fitting it in a vehicle to roam it from place to place for camping, tailgating, etc. The more precise the dimensions, the more effortlessly you can lift it on your car or jeep to carry it. Not only that, but you should also keep the grill’s dimensions in mind to set it in a place for outdoor cooking.

If you consider the dimensions, the smallest grill is the pro 575, which is only 53 inches high, 41 inches wide, and 27 inches deep. The other three grills are relatively more prolonged, more comprehensive, and need much more space to fit on a vehicle or for outdoor cooking space.

Movability

Here, all four grills are head to head, and one can’t beat the other because all of them come with thick, rotational all-terrain wheels and side handles. So, you can walk the grill on a flat road with the wheels and pull it with the side handle to take it from one space to another.

6. Downdraft exhaust pipe

The downdraft exhaust pipe, also known as a chimney, differs from Ironwood and pro series. It seems to you that the chimney size isn’t as important as other features to choose a pellet grill.

But, ‘smoke vortex’ or ‘smoke science’ of the grills makes a difference between even cooked smoky food and uneven/raw or overcooked/burned food.

How?

The right exhaust pipe size ensures proper heat and smoke distribution to all the cooking chambers, including the upper rack. So you get a more stable and consistent temp that helps you to cook delicious food.

The Ironwood series grills have upgraded downdraft exhaust to offer maximum smoke flavor. But the Pro series grills come with a small but standard chimney stack so that the smoke may go up and out over the food. So you won’t enjoy as much smoky flavor meat as you desire with the pro grills.

7. Side Shelf

Managing a convenient place to keep the cooking ingredients and accessories at your arm’s reach is really tough for outdoor grilling. That is great if the grill comes with a side shelf to keep the tongs, brushes, and other utensils.

The Traeger Ironwood 885 and 650 grills come with a side shelf with built-in loops to make your cooking experience more accessible, simpler, and enjoyable. So, you can easily hand on the tong, brush with the loops, and store the other accessories on the shelf.

But, the Pro series grills won’t have any side shelf like Ironwood. This is why you have to arrange a side table to store the grilling utensils.

8. Price

The last difference is the cost of owning the grill. Yes, the Traeger Ironwood and Pro are both budget-friendly grills if you consider the other branded grills available on the market.

However, the Pro 575 is the most affordable option if you are on a tight budget. On the other hand, the ironwood 885 is excellent for a premium size and premium price.

Similarities Between Traeger Ironwood vs Pro

The Ironwood and Pro series of Traeger pellet grills also have similar features. Knowing only the differences isn’t enough to choose one. Now, let’s have a keen look at the similarities of these grills.

1. Materials and durability

The Traeger Ironwood and Pro series grills are made with heavy-duty stainless steel. The grates of these grills are Porcelain-coated so that they won’t get much sticky while cooking meats, beef, turkey, etc.

However, they are efficiently welded for plain and smooth joints. So you won’t find any sharp edges that may cut your fingers while handling the grills to cook.

In addition, the four grills from the two series are equally durable and long-lasting, which is worth your investment. The outlook of grills will look as shiny as new even after using them for many years.

2. Design and accessories

The designs of the Ironwood and Pro series grills are relatively the same. Basically, the engineers of these grills designed them by keeping in mind that easy to use feature for both pro and novice cooks.

They all come with a primary cooking chamber, an upper rack, a drip catch bucket, a hopper, a chimney, and four cluster wheels.

So people without previous experience using a pellet grill can effortlessly use them to show their cooking art in front of guests and applaud with appreciation.

3. Types of Fuel

All grills require wood pellets as their power source to get a wood-fired taste in your foods. Though, the fuel loading capacity differs from series to series. But the fuel cost and cooking time are not that notable.

4. Cooking versatility

These grills offer you six different types of cooking BBQ, braise, grill, bake, smoke, and roast. That means one Traeger grill is enough to cook different styles of food based on occasion and meal time to change your tongue’s taste.

5. TurboTemp technology and temperature ranges

Both features are related to reaching desired temperature and temperature maintenance.

Sounds harsh! Let’s make it clear.

In most cases, initially, you’ll need high heat to cook meat. But, most pellet grills take more time to reach your desired heat than propane grills. Here, the TurboTemp feature of these grills will cut your waiting time to meet your needed temp.

These grills can offer a maximum 500°f and a minimum 180°f temperature. So you can cook hot dogs, beef burgers, Ribeye steak, Flank steak, Short ribs, and other recipes that need high temperature for fast cooking.

Conversely, these grills are also compatible with recipes like Carolina Smoked Chicken, Chef Mark’s Smoked Brisket, Texas-Style Beef Short Ribs, and Grill-Smoked Chicken, which need low heat.

6. Wifi smart home technology

The Traeger Ironwood and Pro series grills are indexed with smart home technology to connect with your wifi. So you can control them from far away without always attending to the grill.

Actually, it’s a blessing to cook food that requires more than 12 hours of slow heat to gradually tender the meat and make it juicy and smoky.

On top-notch, the Alexa technology of these grills will allow you to control them with your voice with the app. So there is no barrier to using the grill how you feel comfortable.

7. Easy installation

No grills among the four won’t come pre-installed. But, these come with everything and the simple installation guide to do the job alone with little DIY skill. As per the size of the grills, the pro series may take approximately 20-25 minutes to assemble the grill. The Ironwood series may need 25-30 minutes to do the job.

8. Easy cleaning

The grills will get messy after hours of cooking, and you feel lazy to clean the grill after enjoying a delicious meal. But, there is no way to keep the grill unclean. So easier and faster cleaning is the solution.

Traeger can understand your pain and all the grills from Ironwood and pro series are easy to clean because the drip catch bucket holds the drippings and oil debris that comes from the meat to prevent getting the grill from being too messy and sticky. The wood ash will remain in the hopper even after burning the wood.

Since the cooking racks are removable, you can easily get them out from the grill and clean them with soapy water. Once you wipe the grill’s outer surface with a damp cloth or sponge that will shine brightly. That means, overall the cleaning process of the grills is easier and faster.

What To Choose Between Traeger Ironwood vs Pro

Well, it’s up to your requirements, preference, and budget to find your right grill among the four. However, the most fundamental differences are the cooking capacity, heat retention, and price between the Traeger Ironwood vs. the Pro series.

So we recommend grabbing the Pro 575 grills if you have budget issues. On the other hand, pick one of the Ironwood models for low and slow cooking that you find enough to feed your family and friends at a party or outdoor activities for cold and humid weather conditions.

But, still confused between ironwood 885 and 650. No tension; we also separately cover the grills on our other post. You can check it to get more precise information about them.