RECTEQ vs Camp Chef – Pellet Grill Comparisons

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Outside of Traeger and Pit Boss, RECTEQ (formally REC TEC) and Camp Chef are some of the most popular pellet grill/smoker focused brands (here’s proof). RECTEQ and Camp Chef have a couple of pellet grills which retail at similar price points. Therefore its worth seeing how the different offerings from these two brands compare. I believe each brand is offering wood pellet grills with different strengths and standout features which I’ll discuss below.

RECTEQ vs Camp Chef Pellet Grills/Smokers
So how does the RECTEQ RT-700 compare against Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 36 with Sear Box/SideKick?

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As you will learn below, a particular strength of RECTEQ wood pellets grills is their extensive use of stainless steel which provides a series of benefits.

RECTEQ have also always been on top of the latest technical innovations as well, such as using PID/WiFi control panels.

Camp Chef, on the other hand, does not currently feature such extensive use of stainless steel (except on the Woodwind Pro) compared to that found in RECTEQ grills.

However, their PID/WiFi control panels are equally, if not more impressive, than those fitted on RECTEQ grills. There are also a few other differences between these two pellet grill brands.

Introduction To RECTEQ vs Camp Chef Pellet Grills

This article is focused on comparing two specific models from each brand. You can read more detailed articles on all the models produced by each brand in my RECTEQ article and my Camp Chef SmokePro and Woodwind articles.

In this comparison, I wanted to compare a model from each brand which I think best represents the strengths of each brand and is priced comparably.

Therefore, this article will focus on the RECTEQ RT-700 and the Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 36 with either a Sear Box/SideKick. Both of these pellet grills retail for $1,200.

If you are interested in a more affordable product from either brand, please check out the links to the articles above.

Who’s Pellet Grill Provides The Largest Cooking Area?

I never recommend choosing a pellet grill purely on its provided cooking area. However, it is part of the decision-making process when it comes to choosing a grill which will meet your needs the best.

So how do these two pellet grills from RECTEQ and Camp Chef compare?

Well, the RECTEQ RT-700 provides just over 700 square inches on the main grate, which they claim is sufficient for six large racks of ribs which sounds about right.

However, an optional upper cooking rack can also be added, which will bump the cooking area up to just over 1,000 square inches.

RECTEQ RT-700 Cooking Area
The RECTEQ RT-700 provides enough cooking area for most families’ needs, and enough height to cook a beer can chicken

The Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 36, on the other hand, provides 663 square inches on the main cooking grate, so slightly down on the RECTEQ.

However, it comes with an upper cooking rack with an area of 573 square inches for a total cooking area of just over 1,230 square inches.

Though this doesnt factor in either the propane Sear Box or SideKick included with the pellet grill for this price point. That will add an additional 231 square inches of high-temperature cooking surface.

Therefore, once that’s factored in, the available cooking area on the Camp Chef for grilling/searing is actually more than that found on the RECTEQ.

Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 36 Cooking Area
Either the Sear Box or SideKick adds a useful amount of grilling/searing cooking surface area to the Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 36

Temperature Control and WiFi Functionality

So the good news is that both of these pellet grills feature a PID temperature controller.

Which from this point forward, really, unless you have a really tight budget, I think everyone should look for on their next/first pellet grill purchase.

A PID controller provides tighter temperature control to within 5 degrees of the set temperature and it is also able to adapt to changes in ambient weather conditions, such as fluctuating wind conditions in cold/winter weather.

In terms of temperature settings, the RECTEQ RT-700 can be set between 200 – 500 degrees. However, it does also come with a ‘FULL’ temperature setting which will exceed 500 degrees, closer to 600 degrees.

RECTEQ PID/WiFi Control Panel
The PID/WiFi control panel featured on the RECTEQ RT-700

The Camp Chef Woodwind, on the other hand, has a temperature range of 160 – 500 degrees, so it can be set up to 40 degrees below the lowest setting of the RECTEQ.

However, the Camp Chef does not feature a ‘FULL’ temperature setting for over 500 degrees, hence grilling/searing temperatures.

However, the Camp Chef has two tricks up its sleeve for grilling/searing. First, the Camp Chef does provide direct-flame access with their Slide ‘N Grill feature, which can take the cooking grate up to 650 degrees.

The propane Sear Box/SideKick fitted to the side of the pellet grill will provide a cooking surface temperature of up to 900 degrees.

Camp Chef Woodwind Control Panel
The Camp Chef Woodwind features a full-colour display on the control panel

Both of these pellet grills are also WiFi-enabled, and while I’m familiar with the feature set of Camp Chef Connect, I’m not really sure about the features of the RECTEQ app.

While both control panels on both pellet grills are fairly evenly matched, there is a couple of areas where I feel the Camp Chef is superior.

For instance, the Camp Chef provides four meat probe ports, whereas the RECTEQ provides only two. But more than that, its the screen which I think gives the Camp Chef the edge.

Its full-colour, whereas the RECTEQ is monochrome. The Camp Chef screen is also larger. Therefore I think it will make it easier to read and therefore adjust settings etc.

What Materials Are These Pellet Grills Made From?

The Camp Chef is predominately manufactured from painted carbon steel. The lid is made from stainless steel, and so is the propane Sear Box/SideKick.

As is standard with pellet grill warranties, rust/corrosion is not covered under warranty conditions. Therefore, ideally, you wouldn’t want to leave the pellet grill outside as it will accelerate rust/corrosion.

The RECTEQ, while not a full stainless steel pellet grill, it does feature many more stainless steel components over the Camp Chef.

The RECTEQ features a stainless steel cooking chamber and internals. Hence, many areas of the RECTEQ are not going to suffer from rust/corrosion.

RECTEQ Stainless Steel
The extensive use of stainless steel is one of the best features of RECTEQ pellet grills

Conclusion On RECTEQ vs Camp Chef Pellet Grills

So what are my final thoughts? Well, on the temperature control and WiFi functionality, both RECTEQ and Camp Chef are very even, though I give the Camp Chef the edge due to the large full-colour screen.

I also give the Camp Chef the edge with regards to the cooking area and grilling/searing performance due to the direct-flame access and propane Sear Box/SideKick.

However, the extensive use of stainless steel on the RECTEQ should not be ignored. As a result, it will likely have a longer useful life because of that stainless steel.

Therefore, personally, I would probably recommend going for the RECTEQ if your grill has got to live outside over the wetter months of the year.

However, if you can store the grill in a shed/garage and out of the wet weather, I would probably go with the Camp Chef for the reasons stated above.

Though I come to a different conclusion in favour of the RECTEQ in my Weber vs RECTEQ article.

That’s it! I hope you found this comparison of RECTEQ vs Camp Chef interesting/informative. These are just two brands on the market, and I have lots of other comparison articles, such as Pit Boss vs Camp Chef and Camp Chef vs Weber.

You can also check many of my other articles in my Wood Pellet Grill/Smoker Guide. 🙂

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