How it works. All natural wood pellets are poured into the hopper. When you push the "On" switch, the hot rod activates for about four minutes, igniting the pellets in the firepot where convection air is added, acting like a miniature forge. Heat and wood smoke surround the food, resulting in fantastic taste. Drippings are channeled out of the cooking chamber into an external bucket for easy disposal. Flipping the three-position switch to "High" allows you to grill. On "Medium" you can slow cook. The "Smoke" setting allows you to hot-smoke food. In the "Smoke" mode, the grill delivers an even smoke to your food without having to tend the fire. Traeger gives you the convenience of gas, the flavor of real wood!