Man and Grill, A Love Story

My-oh-my, how time has flown!  Memorial Day has come and gone and, once again, the wearing of white is an approved wardrobe choice.  It’s hard to believe it’s been five months since Santa made his annual rounds—leaving a very large box (read: new toy) for my all-grown-up "little boy.”

Yes, I’m talking about the man himself—my hubby. And given the sheer size of this gift, he was clearly on the big guy’s “nice” list.

Long before his letter to Santa was sent, this particular plaything had been thoroughly researched. There was so much to consider—size, capacity, and, naturally, internet compatibility.

No, I’m not talking about yet another massive wide-screen TV.  This was even bigger. We’re talking a monster smoker grill.

Because what good is having the biggest, baddest, latest outdoor appliance if you can’t control it remotely from anywhere on the planet? In fact, hubby was so confident this was the grill of his dreams, he didn’t just request it from Santa —he bought stock in Traeger, listed under the appropriately cheeky ticker symbol “COOK.”

But I digress.

The colossal box containing this newest obsession arrived via FedEx just days before Christmas. Hubby’s excitement was palpable. One by one, each piece of the brand-spanking-new Traeger Pro 780 Wood Pellet WiFi Grill (complete with bronze lid and trim) was carefully unpacked and moved into the garage—a freshly cleared staging area awaiting assembly.

The six inches of fluffy white snow blanketing the patio? Mere background décor. He was determined that his latest toy—ahem, smoker grill—would be assembled and ready long before the first crocuses poked their sleepy heads toward the warm spring sunshine.

Building such a beast was a serious undertaking. But between his craving for juicy, flavorful brisket and the dream of achieving true grill mastery with minimal hassle, there was no turning back.

A few quiet days passed… until his voice boomed through the house:

"Hon, come and see! It’s finished! Isn’t it just the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?"

His eyes were wide with excitement—the same awe-struck expression Harry Potter had when he unwrapped his shiny new Nimbus 2000 Quidditch broom.

"Come on, let me show you what it does!"

And, without skipping a beat—or pausing to check if I had anything else on my agenda—he launched into a full-scale demonstration of his shiny new smoker’s many bells and whistles.

According to the official Traeger website (yes, he quoted directly), this marvel featured a D2 drivetrain for faster heating and advanced grilling logic (yup, grilling “logic”).

It also boasted locking all-terrain caster wheels, porcelain-coated grill grates for easy cleanup, and “TurboTemp,” a feature designed to take the guesswork out of outdoor cooking.

Even more astounding? Traeger claims that smoked apple pie (yes, really) has never been easier, thanks to their signature "set it and forget it" feature.

I was impressed. I mean, who wouldn’t be?

But wait—there’s more. Much more.

The pièce de résistance was the WiFire-enabled controller and Traeger App, which officially catapulted this smoker into the “this will make your friends green with envy” category of grills.

Hubby was in heaven.

Now, with a flick of a finger—from the comfort of his recliner or even the ninth hole tee box—he could check the internal temperature of whatever he was smoking, raise or lower the heat, and fine-tune the flavors of his latest masterpiece.

And now that the snow had finally melted, it was time to take this bad boy for a test drive.

Hours of research went into selecting the perfect brisket recipe. Hubby carefully chose the ideal point cut, perfected the seasonings, and monitored every alert from the Traeger App like a seasoned pitmaster.

Our debut barbecue gathering was a smashing success—hubby earned rave reviews all around.

Hubby might not be quite ready for a guest spot on Barbecue Showdown just yet.  But, in the meantime, playing with his new toy is going to keep him very, very happy.

Which, of course, means I’m happy too.

© 2025  Annie Sokoloff