Rec Tec RT 700 Review

With summer fast approaching, the hunt for the best grills is on. And what better way to grill than with the best pellet smoker, which not only grills but smokes, braises, and more. Atop many reviewers’ lists is the Rec-Tec RT 700, otherwise known as the Rec Tec Bull, and it’s easy to see why. Although it is on the pricier side, this pellet smoker is loaded with features that blow the competition out of the water; Rec Tec throws in extras like two meat probes, a 200 lb Rec Tec pellet bag, two mesh non-stick grill mats, and a protective cover. Plus, this Rec Tec pellet grill is backed by an unprecedented six-year warranty.

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Why We Like It – Rec-Tec RT 700

The Rec-Tec RT 700, otherwise known as “the Bull,” is an outstanding pellet smoker demonstrating incredible quality and attention to detail. This huge grill can house an abundance of food, so users should get ready for guests.

Power/Heating

Although Rec-Tec is still a newer brand, it has amassed quite the cult following. Fans of this grill praise the RT 700 for the accurate and helpful temperature controller. This PID controller allows users to set the temperature anywhere from 200-500 degrees in 5-degree increments, and it ensures the set temperature is held throughout the cooking process. Like the much smaller Green Mountain Grills Davy Crocket, the RT 700 is also wifi enabled, so you can control the temperature without even having to check on the grill itself. One complaint that some reviewers have for this smoker is that the cooking chamber can take a relatively long time to reach the set temperature, so users will want to factor this into their cooking time.

Size/Versatility

There’s a reason this grill is named the Rec Tec Bull: it’s massive! With over 1000 square inches of cooking space, you can easily cook for any number of guests. Not only is the cooking space huge, but the hopper can also hold an astounding 40 pounds of wood pellets, far more than similar pellet grills like the Camp Chef SmokePro 36 SGX. This doesn’t come without a potential negative; however: the Rec-Tec RT 700 doesn’t have a pellet chute for purging unused pellets, so swapping out different flavors or even emptying the chute is more of a hassle than on some other brands.

Durability

Any pellet grill review can tell you that the grill is great out of the box, but how does it hold up after extended use? Thanks to the high-quality build of the Rec-Tec RT 700, it’s poised to last for years to come. Rec Tec stands by this claim by including a six-year warranty with the RT 700; that’s twice as long as the warranty for the Traeger Pro 575. Reviewers that have had issues claim Rec Tec’s customer service is top-notch, but thanks to the fantastic quality of this grill, you hopefully won’t have to. This pellet smoker feels as solid and heavy-duty as it looks, and the stainless steel grates are far easier to maintain than those on several other pellet smokers.

Ease of Use

Smoking meat is hard, but pellet grills are specifically designed to make it easy. The original goal of the Rec-Tec brand is to make smoking easy for professionals and newcomers alike, and several reviewers find this to be the case with the RT 700. It’s an easy machine to set and leave alone, and monitoring and adjusting the temperature can be completed via the handy Rec-Tec app or on the easy-to-use LED display. Reviewers also praise how easy it is to clean the RT 700, though prepared to get out a shop vac to clean out any remaining ashes. If you don’t want the hassle of cooking over an open fire on your next camping trip, the Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett may be the right choice for you. Although, if the Davy Crockett is too heavy, you might like the Pit Boss 700GB, which is much lighter.

That said, if portable is what you’re looking for, you’ll want to read our Weber Smokey Joe review. It’s portable, durable, and affordable.

Value

The Rec-Tec RT 700 is on the pricier side of the pellet smoker spectrum, coming in at $1200. That being said, there are several extras included with this grill that could make other options add up to a similar price. These include the two meat probes, one premium protective cover, two grill mats, and a 200 lb bag of wood pellets. The construction is solid, and the grill itself works fantastically, plus it offers a huge amount of cooking space. Plus, the stainless steel grates with this pellet smoker should last a lot longer than the standard grates that accompany pellet smokers if appropriately maintained. Value also comes in the form of Rec Tec’s six-year warranty and stellar customer service: while you may pay less initially for a cheaper smoker, its lifespan also could be far shorter.

Rec Tec RT 700 Wrap Up

Pellet grill fanatics love the Rec-Tec RT 700, and it’s not very hard to see why. This is an excellently crafted machine designed with an obvious love for the craft of smoking and grilling. Some minor issues reviewers tend to point out with this grill are the lack of a pellet chute and the tendency of the grill to take 20-30 minutes to reach the set temperature. But, with a bit of planning, users are treated to a stellar cooking experience that requires very little work. The stainless steel grates are durable and easy to clean. The cooking space and hopper capacity are enormous, and the WiFi-enabled PID controller makes using this machine a breeze. If you have space and the money, this could very well become your next favorite grill.