Thanks for checking out this Camp Chef Woodwind SG Pellet Grill review. If you’re here, it’s likely you’re considering buying the product, or – at the very least, you’re looking at a handful of pellet grills in an effort to determine which might be best for you.
In this review of the Camp Chef Woodwind pellet grill, I’m going to outline some reasons why the grill might be a good fit for you. We’ll cover some of the features Camp Chef has thoughtfully put into this model some successes I’ve had using it.
Full disclosure: I received this Woodwind SG pellet grill from Camp Chef with no cost incurred by me for either the grill or shipping. All opinions issued in this pellet grill review are as forthright and candid as you’ve come to expect.
Camp Chef Woodwind SG Pellet Grill Review: Product Overview
The Camp Chef Woodwind SG pellet grill offers you 811 square inches of cooking space split between a lower and upper rack system.
It boasts a 20 lb capacity pellet hopper, a very handy ash cleanout system (which actually saved me on one particular “operator error” cook), and their Slide and Grill Technology – allowing for the heat deflector that sits over the grill’s burn pot to be moved to the side – each of these last two features are operated with just the pull and slide of their respective knobs.
Why I love the Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill’s Ash Dump System
So, I was about an hour or so into cooking these ribs when the power from the house cut out. This happens in Florida during the summers, so I thought “No big deal.”
I just restarted the Camp Chef at the same setting it was on. Thing is the burn pot fire had gone out. When this happens, it can fool a pellet grill into thinking it needs to auger in more pellets than it really does.
The beeper on my Thermapen Smoke unit was going crazy, so I went outside to check it out. Turns out, the heating rod caught the full pot of pellets alight, and there was quite a lot of smoke and added heat in the chamber.
With other pellet grills, I would have to get on some heat resistant gloves, take out the pork, the grates, and the heat deflector and deal with the burnt up, overflowing pellet mess.
Luckily, I was cooking on my trusty Camp Chef Woodwind SG Pellet grill, equipped with Camp Chef’s ash dump cleanout system!
I pulled the knob that slides open the trap door at the bottom of the burn pot, and voila! The ash and mess dropped right into the cup below, which – using a heat resistant glove (because it gets a bit hot during cooks), removed the cup and dumped out the mess!
All in all, the best practice to avoid these issues is to ensure that you start by cleaning out the burn pot ash dump (which Camp Chef makes very simple) prior to each cook.
Camp Chef also employs a “Bypass Startup” option will get your fire going back again without overloading your burn pot, should you have an issue like the one I faced.
Camp Chef Woodwind SG Pellet Grill Review: Propane Powered Sidekick Unit
My Camp Chef Woodwind SG pellet grill has the optional propane-powered Sidekick unit attached to the right side. This thing is awesome.
With the ability to set any number of great attachments on top of the Sidekick’s burners, you can get a ton of utility out of this grill!
Camp Chef Sidekick Unit – Searing Steaks
Camp Chef Sidekick Unit – Making Sides
I have the grill box accessory, the griddle plate accessory, and the pizza oven accessory that all fit squarely and securely on top of the Camp Chef Sidekick unit.
Check out this meal of double cut, bone-in pork chops with loaded, plank roasted mashed potatoes I was able to cook up on this bad boy! The grill box accessory on top of the Sidekick unit put some great looking grill marks on those chops! (Scroll through the pics to see!)
Camp Chef Woodwind SG Pellet Grill Review: Final Thoughts
There’s a lot to like about this pellet grill from Camp Chef. The build quality is excellent, with sturdy construction and solid materials. Having wheels on all four legs makes it easy to move the Woodwind SG to where it needs to be, as well.
This grill puts out a decent amount of smoke on the lower smoke settings, and I was able to get it up as high as the mid 400s Fahrenheit with the deflector slid all the way open. (Not quite up to 500 hundred as advertised, but that’s still pretty darned hot.)
NOTE: I live in Florida. As such, I’m always battling moisture in terms of pellet storage. I’ve moved to using air-tight rubber tubs now, which should improve this issue, allowing my overall temps to rate higher.
Having the Sidekick unit installed solves any higher searing heat issues, however. Powered by a 30,000 BTU cast-aluminum burner, yeah – I think you’re good there.
Dual meat probes are a nice feature. I typically use one to monitor the ambient temperature in the grill chamber and one for the meat.
There’s a quick dump system in the back of the pellet hopper that allows you to void the entire hopper in no time at all. Every pellet grill made should have this feature.
Certified Angus Beef Burgers on the Camp Chef Woodwind SG Pellet Grill
I told you the story above about my flame-out smoke and ash dump situation. Again, I am attributing that instance to the power blip and operator error on my part. However, this is something I do continue to monitor, as the meat could have been ruined all the same.
I do have the optional high-quality pellet grill cover for this unit. It fits on the grill with the Sidekick still attached… but just barely. I’d like it to have more coverage capacity so as to fit over the grill and Sidekick a little less “snugly.”
A word on price and customer care…
The Camp Chef Woodwind SG pellet grill with the Sidekick unit prices out at $899.00. This is a great value. You can also get the Sear Box instead of the Sidekick for the same price. However, I think you set yourself up for much more versatility with the Sidekick, given that the other 14 inch accessories (Like the Grill Box and Pizza Oven) fit on it as well.
Camp Chef is also winning on the customer care front. Their agents answer readily with the knowledge required to address customer concerns.
In the end, I definitely recommend you consider buying the Camp Chef Woodwind SG Pellet Grill with Sidekick. It’s become one of my favorite cookers (and I own many). It also comes with a 3-year hassle-free extended warranty. So you have that going for you… which is awesome!
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