Oklahoma Joe’s, a name synonymous with robust, high-performance smokers and grills, recently made a significant entry into the competitive pellet grill market with the introduction of their innovative Oklahoma Joe’s Rider DLX pellet grill. Having spent several months putting this unit through its paces, cooking a diverse range of meals from low-and-slow classics to high-heat searing, I can confidently say it’s a game-changer for outdoor cooking enthusiasts. This comprehensive review will delve into the features, performance, and overall value of the new Rider DLX, helping you decide if this versatile machine is the right addition to your backyard arsenal.
Unmatched Cooking Capacity: A True Beast in the Backyard
The first thing that strikes you about the Rider DLX is its imposing size and incredible cooking capacity. This isn’t just a grill; it’s a culinary command center designed for serious BBQ. Boasting three expansive shelves, this pellet grill offers unparalleled versatility for preparing large quantities of food, whether you’re hosting a big family gathering, smoking for a party, or tackling an epic meal prep session.
The primary cooking grate at the bottom provides a generous 578 square inches of space, perfect for large cuts like briskets, pork shoulders, or multiple racks of ribs. Complementing this are two upper racks, each offering a substantial 328 square inches. What truly sets these upper racks apart is their robust construction and adjustable design. Unlike flimsy warming racks found on many other grills, these are strong enough to comfortably hold an entire full-packer brisket on each, allowing you to smoke three large briskets simultaneously – a feat few other pellet grills can match.
My own experience with the Rider DLX truly highlighted its expansive capabilities. During a cold smoking session, I managed to fit an astounding 42 eight-ounce blocks of cheese on the main grate with ample room to spare. This gives a tangible sense of the sheer volume this smoker can handle. Whether you’re smoking a multitude of sausages, dozens of chicken wings, or an array of vegetables, the Rider DLX provides the real estate you need. As the old adage goes, “You can always cook a small meal on a big grill, but never a big meal on a small grill.” This unit embodies that principle, offering flexibility for any culinary ambition.
You can always cook a small meal on a big grill but never a big meal on a small grill.
The tall body design of the cooking chamber is a thoughtful engineering choice, maximizing vertical space and promoting even heat distribution, which is crucial when utilizing all three racks. This ensures consistent cooking across different levels. Furthermore, Oklahoma Joe’s offers additional configuration options with separately available racks and accessories, allowing users to customize the internal layout to suit their specific cooking needs.
Beyond Smoking: A True Grill with Exceptional Searing Capabilities
While many pellet smokers excel at low-and-slow cooking, they often fall short when it comes to delivering an authentic grilling experience with high-heat searing. The Oklahoma Joe’s Rider DLX defies this common limitation, establishing itself as a truly versatile appliance capable of both exceptional smoking and powerful grilling. The secret lies in its remarkably large and intelligently designed sear plate.
Integrated into the cast iron bottom grate is an impressive 18-inch circular sear zone, clearly identifiable and highly functional. This dedicated area provides ample space to achieve beautiful, caramelized crusts on your food. I could comfortably sear 3-4 steaks simultaneously, each developing that coveted Maillard reaction that adds depth of flavor. The transition between smoking and searing modes is incredibly seamless: a simple slide of the smoke/sear handle unleashes an open flame, providing direct heat access for intense searing. This responsive mechanism allows for quick adjustments, which is invaluable when cooking.
This exceptional searing capability is a significant differentiator for the Rider DLX. Many pellet smokers offer a “sear plate” feature, but they are typically much smaller – often only accommodating one, or perhaps two, closely spaced steaks. The generous size of the Rider DLX’s sear zone ensures even heat distribution and allows you to cook for a crowd without sacrificing quality or efficiency. This feature truly transforms the unit from just a smoker into a legitimate two-in-one grill and smoker, offering the best of both worlds and potentially replacing multiple outdoor cooking appliances.
Monster-Sized Pellet Hopper with Innovative QuickDraw System
One of the most praised aspects of the Oklahoma Joe’s Rider DLX is its enormous QuickDraw pellet hopper. With a stated capacity of 20 lbs, I admit I was initially skeptical due to its streamlined design, where all four sides funnel into the auger, making it appear smaller than expected. However, my skepticism was quickly dispelled; it indeed holds a full 20-pound bag of pellets with a bit of room to spare, which is perfect for extended cooking sessions without the need for constant refilling.
The true genius of the QuickDraw hopper lies in its innovative funnel design. I found it to be exceptionally effective at continuously feeding pellets into the auger. This design virtually eliminates the air pockets or “bridging” issues that can plague other pellet grill hoppers, ensuring a consistent and reliable fuel supply for uninterrupted cooks. This reliability is paramount for long smoking sessions, especially overnight cooks where consistency is key.
Adding to its impressive functionality, the Rider DLX comes with a dedicated storage bucket designed specifically for emptying the hopper between uses. This thoughtful inclusion is another feature that truly shines, making it perhaps the easiest and fastest hopper emptying system I’ve ever encountered. The process is remarkably simple: you slide the storage bucket into position beneath the hopper, then effortlessly pull the hopper handle out to open the flaps at the bottom. Pellets cascade directly and cleanly into the bucket, and you’re done. I made it a practice to empty the hopper after every cook, and not once did I lose even a single pellet – a testament to the system’s impeccable design and efficiency. This not only keeps your pellets fresh and prevents moisture absorption but also allows for easy switching between different pellet flavors.
Other Standout Features Enhancing the User Experience
Beyond its core strengths, the Oklahoma Joe’s Rider DLX is packed with additional features that collectively contribute to an excellent user experience:
- Intuitive Control Board: The digital control board is exceptionally easy to read and operate. It includes dedicated ports for temperature probes, allowing you to monitor internal meat temperatures without constantly opening the lid, thus maintaining consistent cooking environments. Integrated timers are also a useful addition. The large, tactile temperature control knob makes precise adjustments simple and straightforward, even with gloved hands.
- Achieving High Temperatures: For those who crave intense heat, the Rider DLX delivers. When set to its high heat mode with the sear plate open for direct flame access, I consistently observed temperatures soaring over 725 degrees Fahrenheit. This blistering heat isn’t just for searing; it also makes the grill suitable for tasks like baking pizzas or achieving quick, high-temperature cooks, expanding its versatility beyond traditional smoking.
- Effortless Mobility: Despite its robust construction and substantial weight, moving the Rider DLX around your patio or into storage is surprisingly easy. It’s equipped with four wheels: two heavy-duty wagon-style wheels for stability and traversing uneven terrain, and two smooth-rolling casters for agile maneuverability. This combination allows for easy positioning, ensuring your grill is always where you need it to be.
Areas for Improvement: A Small Wish List
While the Rider DLX is an exceptional pellet grill, no product is perfect, and there are a couple of areas where improvements could further enhance the user experience. This is a remarkably short list, a testament to the grill’s overall excellence.
Firstly, the absence of a front shelf was a notable oversight. The grill does provide a convenient side shelf, and the top of the hopper can also serve as a small workspace. However, I didn’t fully appreciate the utility and convenience of having a shelf directly in front of the grill until it wasn’t there. A front shelf is invaluable for holding platters, utensils, rubs, sauces, or even a cold beverage while you’re tending to your cook. Its omission requires a bit more planning and movement, which can interrupt the grilling flow.
Secondly, the temperature control panel, while generally excellent, presents a minor gap in its functionality. It allows for precise low and slow cooking settings between 180-300 degrees Fahrenheit. Beyond this range, it switches to broader “low, medium, and high” settings for temperatures above 300 degrees. I observed that the “low” setting in this “BBQ mode” immediately jumped to 400+ degrees. This creates a fairly large temperature window – roughly between 300 and 400 degrees – that cannot be precisely controlled. This gap limits the ability to cook certain dishes, such as casseroles that require sustained temperatures in the mid-300s, or to slowly ramp up the heat after a long smoke. More granular control in this temperature range would greatly expand the grill’s cooking versatility.
Final Thoughts: A Versatile Powerhouse for Any Outdoor Chef
After thoroughly using the Oklahoma Joe’s Rider DLX and understanding its strengths, I have grown to truly love this unit. It stands out as an outstanding choice for outdoor cooking enthusiasts who appreciate versatility and performance.
This grill truly excels in two distinct modes of cooking: precise low-and-slow smoking (at 300 degrees or less) and powerful, high-heat grilling (ranging from 400-700+ degrees). If these cooking styles align with your preferences – whether you’re perfecting tender briskets and ribs or searing steaks to perfection – then I wholeheartedly recommend the Rider DLX. The ability to add various “flex accessories” to customize its configuration further enhances its appeal, allowing you to tailor the grill to your evolving culinary adventures.
The value proposition of the Rider DLX is further bolstered by the inclusion of both a storage pellet bucket and a grill cover. These essential accessories would typically cost an additional $50-$75 if purchased separately, making their inclusion a significant bonus. More importantly, every meal we cooked on the Rider DLX came out with exceptional flavor. I consistently found that it imparted a noticeably richer, more authentic “smokey” flavor into meats compared to many other pellet grills I’ve tested, which is a key factor for any serious smoker.
Priced at an attractive $599, the Oklahoma Joe’s Rider DLX offers an impressively large cooking capacity and the unique ability to genuinely serve as a versatile replacement for both a traditional propane grill and a dedicated smoker. This dual functionality is a massive advantage for anyone seeking a single, high-performance appliance that can do it all, saving space and money. My final rating for the Oklahoma Joe’s Rider DLX is a strong 3.5 out of 5 meat hooks, reflecting its robust performance and excellent value.
The Oklahoma Joe’s Rider DLX is available now on Amazon.
If you’re also considering a charcoal drum smoker for a different flavor profile, the Oklahoma Joe’s Bronco stands out as one of the best in its category.
