I spent a year with the Recteq X-Fire Pro 825, and I don't know how I ever grilled without it

I'm a mediocre cook. My girlfriend is a tremendous cook. Together, we spent a year testing the Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 pellet grill and smoker to see whether it was the right tool for our outdoor cooking needs.

After more than 365 days of smoking, searing, rotisserie cooking and basic grilling, I can say with 100% confidence that this Recteq grill offers enough versatility to handle everything a seasoned grill master could throw at it, while still being easy enough for someone of my less-skilled nature to handle.

The versatility comes at a fairly high cost, but compared with other pellet-based grills from brands like Traeger and Weber, the price doesn't feel unreasonable.

Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 review: Price and availability

The X-Fire Pro 825 is available from a wide range of high-end grill retailers, including directly from Recteq's website. It's $1550, which may sound shocking compared with a basic propane grill from your local hardware store, but it's very competitive with other big brands like Traeger and Weber.

You can also get the grill as part of a bundle. Two bundles are available, and one includes the rotisserie, which I highly recommend to complete the cooking experience this grill offers. It also comes with lots of accessories, sauces, rubs and pellets to get you started.

However you buy it, I think the price is right around what it should be for a grill of this caliber.

Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 review: Design

The grill itself is built like a tank, so you don't need to worry about leaving it on your porch. And it's a good-looking grill, too.

Like many high-end grills on the market, this pellet model offers more precision and temperature control while delivering that smoky flavor. You can fit 20 pounds of pellets into the hopper, which is plenty to smoke those delicious meats for hours without needing to top off the grill.

The cast iron cooking surface is 840 square inches, so you can fit large items or a massive quantity of smaller grilled meats like chicken breasts, hot dogs or burgers.

The left side of the grill has basic controls and probe spots for tracking meat temperatures (it comes with two probes that also display the temperature in the app and alert you when your food reaches the target temperature).

Four knobs adorn the front of the grill (along with the cool horn-style handles)— there's the smoke and grill mode knob, the grill control options for the left and right burners, and the sear control knob, which opens up the fire to get that nice crust we all love on our grilled meats.

Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 review: Cooking performance

I can't find anything wrong with the grilling performance of the Recteq X-Fire Pro 825. We used it for low-and-slow smoking at 225 degrees for food like chicken wings, candied bacon, ribs and just about anything else you can think of. My girlfriend smoked a turkey breast for Thanksgiving, and it gave me a brand new respect for how good turkey can be.

Using the app and connected features makes smoking incredibly easy. All you need to do is set the grill to your desired temperature, set the probe temperature and then go about your business (assuming you're not cooking something that requires turning). As I've said over and over, I'm not a good cook, but even I was able to smoke some quality food with the Recteq X-Fire Pro 825.

We also did high-temperature grilling with burgers, hot dogs and more basic grill fare, and everything was consistent and delicious. Like any grill, you won't simply set it and forget it, as you will need to watch for over-searing and burning, but that's part of the fun of being the grillmaster.

The optional rotisserie really shouldn't be optional. You can make some absolutely mind-blowing dishes with it as long as you're patient and willing to let the process happen. I've always loved rotisserie chicken, and being able to throw a bird on and make one at home has been a game-changer.

Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 review: Living with it

So now we need to talk about what it's like to live with the X-Fire Pro 825 for a year. It's one thing to grill with it for a bit and then move on, but we've spent a full year with it as our only grill — we ditched our basic propane model in favor of this beast.

I learned a lot about grilling during this time; I still consider myself a poor chef, but the recipes in the Recteq app have helped tremendously. I feel comfortable making a variety of dishes, and my girlfriend can confidently make just about anything, though she doesn't follow the recipes as much.

Cleaning the grill isn't overly difficult, but it is a process that you need to do to keep the grill running at its best. Since you're burning pellets and not just running propane, there's some buildup that needs to be taken care of every so often. Most importantly, as I've learned through experience, is emptying the fire pots regularly. Recteq recommends cleaning the cooking surface with a brush after every cook, and I tried to stay on top of this, but there were definitely times I didn't, and it hasn't had any long-term negative effects yet.

Overall, it's been a great year. I really like the X-Fire Pro 825, and I'm proud to have it as my only grill (besides my Ooni pizza oven, but that's another story). We've had large gatherings with more than 50 people and had no issues with having enough space to keep everyone fed and happy.

I did have one instance where the grill ran out of pellets, and the temperature dropped. For whatever reason, I didn't get a notification that the grill's heat levels were dropping, which the app usually does. If this happened often, I'd be concerned, but since it only happened once, I have to assume there was some user error (maybe I missed the notification or accidentally turned on Do Not Disturb).

After that, I purposely let the grill run out of pellets to see whether it would alert me that the temperature was dropping, and it did so without issue.

Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 review: Verdict

I love almost everything about the X-Fire Pro 825. Recteq seems to have thought of everything before putting this grill out. The seamless smart features that let you track the grill and food temperature are easy to use, and they make cooking foods that take several hours much easier (smoking, as delicious as it is, tests one's patience).

While I wish I could see the temperature in grill mode (if for nothing else than to brag to my guests about my grill hitting 1,250 degrees, that gripe hardly keeps me from recommending this grill to anyone who will listen. I also wish Rectec sold a pizza accessory for this specific model (the company's pizza kit supports the Deck Boss, Backyard Beast, Flagship, Flagship XL, BFG, RT590, RT1070 and RT1250; the X-Fire Pro 825 isn't on the list), but that's a pretty minor gripe as this is meant to be a grill and not take the place of one of the best pizza ovens.

Simply put, if you want a flexible pellet grill that can smoke and cook at ultra-high temperatures (and why wouldn't you want that?), this is the one to buy. Sure, Recteq doesn't get as much hype as Traeger and the other premium brands, but the people who know about the quality the brand offers are fully on board, and I'm now happily among that crowd.