If you go with a pellet do not use the same pellets you use in your stove. Cooking pellets are more expensive as well. I use an old Weber kettle when using cooking with charcoal. I use a Yoder YS640 pellet smoker for low and slow. It has the option to grill as well. I’ve used it a bit for grilling but usually go with the Weber for basic grilling as charcoal is cheaper. If you go with a pellet I suggest you do some research. Lots of options out there.

My pellet smoker/grill has been one of the best purchases I ever made. Wife didn’t like the idea at first but has come around. It wasn’t so much about getting a pellet smoker it was more about price with her.

Yes on the reverse sear. You will be cooking at a lower temp then cranking the grill up to sear when it meets the desired internal temp. Mine takes a little while to heat up, but you got to remember you're cooking with a fire and the grilling chamber will take time to heat up. For smoking I give it 15 mins or so to get to 225-250 for smoking.

I agree with the posters above and I said it myself earlier in the thread. Pellet grill/smokers have come along way and range from $600 up to $2k+. I would say look at multiple ones within your budget, at least research online. The only one's I could look at local were the Traegers. From what I can gather from looking into buying one of these a few years ago is that they all will make good food once you get the hang of the cooker. Some just have more bells and whistles, or are made from better material. Is one made in the USA something you care about? A lot of the lower end models are made in China. Not saying they suck, but something to keep in mind. I went with the Yoder YS640. Plenty of cooking space and built like a tank. Thing weighs 350 lbs. This is my first smoker and likely my last unless I move to a different type of smoker. They are very versatile and I can cook anything I would want or need on it. The best feature I think on the YS640 is being able to adjust the temp in 5 degree increments. So I can cook at 180 degrees or upwards of 600 degrees. My grill is older, but they will make updates to the firmware if people complain. It's a pretty good smoker and I would recommend it. https://www.yodersmokers.com/ys640-pellet-grill.html

Don’t forget that smokers when using indirect heat are like outdoor ovens that allow you to add smoke flavor. They are very versatile and I love cooking roasts in them. We started doing rib roasts for Christmas a few years ago. I cook it at 250 until about 100 degrees internal then wrap and cook until desired temp. I think 125 is considered rare I usually shoot for 140 or so. I then move my deflector shield and crank up the temp and sear the outside over the open fire. Cooks up great with the temps and doneness being even. Only the outside is seared and the inside is pink and juicy as hell.

If anyone wants some ideas for recipes or tips this is a good place to look. https://www.atbbq.com/thesauce/