Traeger Pro 22 Review

Who this is for

Someone who wants a Traeger specifically — for the build, the accessory range, the resale value or the badge — and whose budget stops short of the Westwood. 572 square inches handles 24 burgers, 5 rib racks or 4 chickens by Traeger’s own count.

The value problem

At the Pro 22’s price a Z Grills 7002C gives you:

• 125 more square inches (697 vs 572)
• A 28 lb hopper instead of 18 lb
• A PID 3.0 controller instead of a timed-feed digital board
• Two meat probes instead of one
• A rain cover, a grease bucket and gloves in the box

That is a lot to give up for build finish and a badge. We say so plainly because this is a value-focused site and the Pro 22 is the hardest Traeger to defend on those terms.

What the Pro 22 genuinely does well

• Published accuracy. Traeger quotes +/-15°F for the Digital Pro Controller, which is more transparency than Pit Boss offers on any model.
• Build and mobility. Powder-coated steel, porcelain grates, a sawhorse chassis, a side lift bar and large wheels. It moves more easily than its weight suggests.
• The accessory ecosystem. Covers, drip-tray liners, tools and grates all exist for it, properly fitted, which is not true of budget brands.
• Hopper clean-out door. Quick flavor swaps.
• Resale. You will sell it when you upgrade.

The +/-15°F figure, in context

Traeger quotes +/-15°F; Z Grills quotes +/-20°F for PID 3.0 on the 450E. On the numbers alone Traeger looks tighter — but the architectures differ, and a PID board’s error behaves differently from a timed-feed board’s.

We have not instrumented either grill, so we are not declaring a winner on temperature accuracy. What we will say is that both publish a figure, which is more than Pit Boss does, and both are adequate for barbecue.

Our call

If you want a Traeger, spend a little more and get the Westwood with WiFIRE. If you want the most grill for this money, buy the Z Grills. The Pro 22 sits in the one spot where neither argument favors it.