The Traeger Woodridge Elite is the most expensive grill in the Woodridge tier at $1,799.99 — a full $650 more than the Woodridge Pro this site already recommends as its “best overall” pick. Before paying that premium, it’s worth knowing exactly what the extra money buys, because it isn’t a bigger grill.
Quick Answer
The Traeger Woodridge Elite ($1,799.99) has the same 970 sq in cook space as the $1,149.99 Woodridge Pro, per Traeger’s own spec sheet — the extra $650 doesn’t buy more grill. It buys a 1,100-watt electric infrared side burner that hits roughly 650°F+ independently of the main smoking chamber, an insulated grill body for cold-weather cooking, and an enclosed storage cabinet. If you never need to sear a steak at the same time you’re smoking a brisket, the Pro delivers identical cooking capacity for less.
Traeger Woodridge Elite at a glance
| Spec | Traeger Woodridge Elite |
|---|---|
| Cook space | 970 sq in (585 primary + 385 secondary) |
| Temp range | 180-500°F (main chamber) |
| Side burner | 1,100W electric infrared, ~650°F+, independent zone |
| Body | Insulated, enclosed storage cabinet |
| Hopper | 24 lb, digital pellet sensor |
| Controller | WiFIRE app, Super Smoke Mode |
| Warranty | 10 years |
| Price | $1,799.99 |
What the Elite gets right
Traeger Woodridge Elite
- A dedicated 1,100-watt electric infrared side burner — about 20,000 BTU-equivalent, hot enough to bring a pan to 500°F in roughly 5 minutes, per Traeger and independent testing.
- The side burner runs on its own heating element, so it works at the same time the main chamber is holding a low-and-slow smoke — reverse-sear a steak without touching the brisket's temperature.
- Insulated grill body, Traeger's answer to cold-weather cooking, rated to hold temperature better than the Pro or base Woodridge in winter conditions.
- Keeps every Woodridge Pro feature — Super Smoke Mode, WiFIRE app, 24 lb hopper with pellet sensor, 10-year warranty — and adds an enclosed storage cabinet on top.
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The honest way to think about the Elite is as a parallel-cooking upgrade, not a capacity upgrade. Traeger didn’t add a single square inch of main-chamber cook space over the Pro — the 970 sq in figure is identical on both grills, per Traeger’s own listings. What the extra $650 buys is a second, independent heat source. On the Pro or base Woodridge, searing a steak means opening the main chamber and competing with whatever else is already smoking in there. On the Elite, the side burner handles the sear on its own 1,100-watt element while the main chamber keeps running its own program untouched.
Where it falls short
$1,799.99 is a steep price for a side burner and an insulated shell — it’s $650 more than the Pro and $400 more than the Pro+ ($1,399.99), which gets the same enclosed cabinet without the burner or insulation. The side burner’s ~650°F ceiling also doesn’t match a Recteq RT-700’s 700°F main-chamber sear zone or a Pit Boss Pro Series 850’s 500-1,000°F Flame Broiler, so buyers chasing the single hottest sear available should look at those instead. And the insulated body matters mainly to cold-climate owners who smoke through winter — for most backyard cooks in moderate climates, that feature alone won’t pay for itself.
Woodridge Elite vs. the rest of the lineup
| Grill | Cook space | Side burner | Insulated body | Warranty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traeger Woodridge Elite | 970 sq in | Yes, 1,100W independent | Yes | 10 years | $1,799.99 |
| Traeger Woodridge Pro+ | 970 sq in | No | No | 10 years | $1,399.99 |
| Traeger Woodridge Pro | 970 sq in | No | No | 10 years | $1,149.99 |
| Traeger Woodridge (base) | 860 sq in | No | No | 10 years | $899 |
Every tier above the base Woodridge shares the exact same 970 sq in cook area — the Pro+ and Elite only add storage and, on the Elite alone, the side burner and insulation. For the grill this site actually recommends as the best value in the lineup, see the full Traeger Woodridge Pro review. For the cheapest entry point, see the base Woodridge review. Comparing outside the Traeger lineup entirely? Our Recteq vs Traeger and Traeger vs Pit Boss guides cover the brands whose main-chamber sear zones actually run hotter than the Elite’s side burner.
Who should buy the Woodridge Elite
- Buy it if: you regularly want to sear or griddle something while a separate low-and-slow smoke is already running, or you smoke through cold winters and want the insulated body.
- Consider the Woodridge Pro+ instead if: you want the enclosed storage cabinet but don’t need a side burner or insulation — it’s $400 less for the same 970 sq in cook space.
- Consider the Woodridge Pro instead if: storage, the side burner and insulation don’t matter to you — it’s $650 less for identical main-chamber cook space.
- Skip it if: maximum single sear temperature is the priority — a Recteq RT-700 or Pit Boss Pro Series 850’s main-chamber sear zone runs hotter than the Elite’s 650°F side burner.
The verdict
The Traeger Woodridge Elite isn’t a bigger or more capable smoker than the Woodridge Pro — it’s the same 970 sq in grill with a genuinely useful add-on bolted to the side. That add-on, a 1,100-watt independent infrared burner, solves a real problem (searing without disturbing a smoke already in progress) that no other tier in the lineup addresses. Buyers who’ve specifically run into that problem will find the $650 premium justified; buyers who haven’t are better served putting that money toward the Pro and this site’s best wood pellets for smoking guide instead. For the full current Traeger range, see our best Traeger grill lineup guide.