Is It A Smoker Or A Grill
Manufacturers advertise this piece of equipment as both a smoker and a grill, but it’s best to think of it as a superb indirect-heat convection smoker, not a grill. Most models just don’t do as good a job of searing a steak as a charcoal grill or even a gas grill with a sear burner can. You’ll sear steaks better on a $20 hibachi than on most pellet smokers.
To solve this problem, several companies have come up with alternative ways to expose food to the flame by allowing you to use the small area directly above the fuel pot. It’s still not as good as a charcoal or sear burner, but better than the designs that are strictly indirect. Check out the Memphis Elite, Fast Eddy’s by Cookshack PG500, and the Yoder YS640 for this feature. Camp Chef also recently introduced its Woodwind pellet smoker, which has a super-hot gas-fueled sear box attached to the right side.
Another option is to put a griddle on the pellet smoker when it’s cranked to high heat, get it blistering-hot, add just a little oil to prevent sticking, and sear by conduction on the metal. It should take only two to three minutes per side. This is a good technique for reverse-seared meats: You start them indirect, low and slow on the cooking grate, with a little smoke, and then sear the surface with direct contact to the hot metal griddle to create a delicious brown crust. It’s not as good as searing directly over hot coals or gas, but it’s a good compromise.
Traeger Tailgater Pellet Grill And Smoker
If you are a fan of outdoor parties, then Traeger tailgater Pellet Grill and Smoker is best for you. Made to perform excellent results, it is an all-rounder unit in the market on which you can rely. This compact-sized and highly portable unit has several features.
Manufacturing
The unit durably builds efficient results. Made of stainless steel body, it is rust-resistant. The stainless-steel body enhances the working years of the unit, saving it from rust. Traeger tailgater Pellet Grill and Smoker is compact. You dont need to worry about the space if you are living in an apartment or flat. The Size is good and can get fit any place. The unit does not hold a large place.
Traegers Inverter is required to get you locked into the power source. The advantage is that you can charge your phone and hook up a mini sound system for some pre-game power tunes it is hardly an inconvenience.
Cooking Capacity
The cooking capacity is also good. It has sufficient room for smoking food for your loved ones. It is the best portable unit. You can take it outside with you if you are a party lover. The cooking capacity is 300 square inches with a hopper capacity of 8lbs. It means you can smoke food continuous eight hours without interruption.
Specification
Buying Guide For Best Pellet Grills
Who doesnt love a delicious rack of ribs or juicy burgers hot off the grill? Being able to barbecue every day is one of the best parts of summer, but cooking the food to perfection depends on having the right equipment. Even if youre not a pitmaster, you can cook and smoke consistently great meats and vegetables with a pellet grill.
But shopping for a pellet grill can be a challenge because there are so many different models to choose from. You have to figure out what size, temperature controls, and other factors will work best for your grilling routine.
If youre ready to buy a pellet grill, please consider our highlighted picks. But if you want some general advice on what to look for in a pellet grill, our shopping guide has all the details.
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Camp Chef Competition Blend Pellets
The last product from our best pellets for pellet grills review list is. The ultimate Camp Chef Competition blend pellets. They are one of the best you can find in the market or online and offers quality flavors like never before. People love it for its non-toxic nature and exquisite flavors they instill into any grilled food.
These pellets are food-grade, meaning they do not cause any damage to your health. They are made with 100 percent natural hardwood therefore, the ash production is very low, and these pellets burn clean. Camp Chef Competition Blend pellets are a mixture of maple, hickory, and Cherry wood, instilling premium taste in your food.
They are made with the most flavourful part of the wood hence their smoke and flavor are strong. Also, they are made under strict supervision to ensure you get the best quality product. In addition to that, these pellets are free from oils, additives, and other chemicals to ensure you stay healthy. Lastly, they are low on moisture, so the burning is extremely convenient, and there is no stoking required.
- Few people didnt like the smell of it
Overall, these are amazing pellets for your pellet grills that will make your day better. Camp Chef uses natural wood that undergoes specialized processes to bring the best pellets for you. These pellets are a blend of 3 flavors that infuses drool-worthy smoked wood taste in your grilled food.
Grilla Grills Wood Pellets
Based in Texas, Grilla Grills have a selection of mid-range pellet grills ranging from their portable Chimp up to their rather unique Grilla. To go along with their pellet grills Grilla Grills offer a range of hardwood blended pellet flavours including Hickory, Apple, Mesquite, Cherry, Pecan and their Competition blend.
Grilla Grills offer their own range of blended hardwood pellet flavours: Image GrillaGrills.com
- Pellet Flavours: Hickory, Apple, Mequite, Cherry, Pecan & Competition blend
- Bag Size: 20lbs
- Availability:GrillaGrills.com
Read Also: All Weber Grill Models
How To Maintain A Wood Pellet Grill
After cooking on your favorite pellet grill, you must clean them to increase their lifetime. Most often, food and grease get stuck on the grill grate and ruin the taste of the next dish. Hence, it is essential to wash them before or after you have cooked your meat.
To clean the grates before cooking, turn the temperature to around 200 to 300°F and wait for 10 minutes to melt the grease. After this, use a brush to remove any food particle left on the grates.
Next, take out the grates and clean the grease drip tray with a scrapper. Instead of cleaning it every time, you can place tin foil pans over the tray to catch all the grease next time. Use a long wooden stick to scrape and clean the grease shoot also.
For the chamber, use a vacuum to take out any leftover ash from the inside and the firepot. Wipe the chamber and the metal probes with a lightly damp cloth for the final finish. Some pellet grills might come with an ash-removal system for easier clean-up too. Just dispose of the ash from the bucket and replace it.
As for the chimney, you should clean it out every year with a brush and damp cloth. Along with this, make sure to wipe the exterior of the grill and use a polish to maintain the stainless steel surfaces.
What Is A Pellet Grill
A pellet grill is an outdoor electric grill fueled by wood pellets. But the pellets dont just fuel the grill they also provide a delicious smoky flavour to the meat and other foods you cook on the grill.
And the pellet grill is designed to be used in a variety of ways. You can grill, smoke, roast, bake, or braise your favourite foods all in the same appliance.
The other great thing about a pellet grill is how easy it is to use. Most have digital controls, which means you can set up the grill and relax knowing your food will be perfectly cooked every time.
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What Is The Difference Between Heating Pellets And Smoking Pellets
As the name suggests, heating pellets are used solely for heating purposes. They are used as fuel in some of the grills. Also, they are made with a combination of different hardwood and may contain resins. On the other hand, the smoking pellets are made from food-safe wood and used to smoke food solely. They add rich smoke wood flavor to your grilled food.
Oklahoma Joes Rider 900
Cooking surface: 906 total sq in. | Hopper capacity: 20 lb | Smoker temperature range: 200°F to 300°F | Grill temperature range: LowHigh | Recorded high: 640.5°F | Temperature probes: 1 provided, accepts 2| Sear zone: Yes | Wi-Fi/app compatibility: No
- Storage bucket under hopper catches pellets for quick pellet changes
- Comes with a front and side shelf
- Doesn’t use a PID controller
The Rider 900 has a three-piece, porcelain-coated, cast-iron grate that has plenty of mass and helps maintain a steady temperature. And unlike many other options, the Rider has smoke and grill settings in two different scales on the same dial, with temperature listed up to 300°F for smoking, then low, medium, and high above that for grilling. We smoked brisket in the lower range and grilled chicken in the low end of the grilling range. The unconventional control was odd but delivered delicious results.
BEST MID-SIZE PELLET GRILL
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Traeger Pel331 Signature Blend Grill
Introducing you to the best of all wood pellets manufactured by Traeger. As Traeger produces it, the quality is never compromised. It adds rich wood flavor to your meat, veggies, roast, bread, or anything you want to grill. It comes in 6 exquisite flavors to give you hints of different wood flavors in the food you want to grill.
Moreover, it has a signature blend version which consists of maple, cherry, and hickory hardwood that grant you the luxurious restaurant-styled smoked flavors in food. You will be happy to know that these wood pellets burn clean, meaning they are environmentally friendly. Besides its appealing flavors, its nontoxic feature is something we have loved about it the most.
Moreover, these pellets contain the right amount of moisture that ensures the burn to smoke ratio remains perfect and is maintained throughout. You can literally use these pellets to smoke everything. From beef to seafood to chicken to veggies, these pellets will infuse their flavor in all. Last but not least, there are no fillers added you get all-natural and clean wood.
- Some people didnt like the applewood flavor
Overall, these wood pellets take your BBQ night to another level, with the rich smoke flavor filling the food and ambiance. They are made with natural wood with no fillers added, as the company claims. They burn easily and cleanly without giving off any toxic fumes. Lastly, they come in 6 different flavors, which is incredible.
Traeger Tfb57gleo Pro Series 575
The Trager Pro 575 can be categorized as the best pellet grill of 2021 when it comes to cooking capacity. Hence, it is not just beneficial for smoking but surpasses every potential with its slow cooking and barbecue. Thereby, with a variety of brilliant food options, this Pro 575 is the perfect master of all traits.
Moreover, it has the best quality temperature control with minute nuances and electrical control that adjusts even the higher temperature intensity. Similarly, with its brilliant LCD interface, the user has the ability to work outdoors with ease in the grilling process. Hence, it can control the temperature ranging from 200 degrees Celcius to further high intensity.
Lastly, with its enhanced usage of smart app control, it stands tall among others. Therefore, it has the best smartphone controller that sends the notification to the phone so that the user can control the grill from a distant setting. Also, the user can select a recipe from the app, making it versatile.
- Needs regular maintenance
- Lack portability
In essence, if you are in dire need of a smart pellet grill that can assist the whole cooking process, this Traeger Pro 575 is an ideal choice for you. Hence, it offers excellent temperature control and the grilling potential with various choices. Also, the Smart control makes it even more worthy of the money.
Read Also: How To Clean Traeger Grill
How Does A Pellet Grill Work
Pellet grills operate a little bit differently than a gas- or charcoal-powered grill. These grills have a “hopper” that you fill up with hardwood pellets, and when you turn the grill on, the pellets are automatically fed into a cooking chamber by an auger. The pellets are burned in the cooking chamber, and heat and smoke are dispersed throughout the grill, cooking food with indirect heat instead of open flames. One of the main differences between pellet grills and other fuel types is that they maintain their own temperature. Similar to an oven, you set the temperature you want to cook at using the grill’s control panel, and the unit holds the temperature on its own, adding more pellets when needed. This saves you from having to monitor the grill constantly.
Best Pellet Smoker Under $500 Camp Chef Smokepro Dlx Pellet Grill
The Camp Chef DLX Pellet Grill is another Camp Chef product that is widely popular for its multiple features. To start, the grill is available in stainless steel, black, and even bronze lid covers for the customers.
Just like the other Camp Chef grills, this model also has a sturdy stainless steel body, making it durable as well as rust-resistant. The two caster wheels make it easy to move the 140-pound grill from your storage to the backyard too.
When it comes to the cooking surface, the grill offers a total of 570 square inches in a 3778 cubic inches chamber capacity. The grill contains a lower 429 square inches rack and an upper smoking area measuring 141 square inches.
Besides this, it features a stainless steel temperature probe, a dual LED temperature control, and an automatic auger to feed the wood pellets to the grill. Moreover, you even get a built-in sensor gauge to keep an eye out on the cooking temperature. All these features allow you to maintain the temperature of the grill between 160 to 500° F by choosing the desired settings.
The hopper can hold 18 pounds of wood pellets, which supports fewer refills and prolonged smoking. Along with this, the grill includes smart grease management and a lever system for cleaning out the ash and hopper. If all this was not enough, you get a side-shelf and an electronic ignition system for your convenience.
Pros
- Automatic auger for wood pellets
- Temperature probe
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Grate Materials And Overall Construction
In general, the more stainless steel used in the construction, the less chance for corrosion, but the higher the cost. Most manufacturers build using steel that has either been painted or a baked on powder-coated enamel-like coating.
Look for internal parts like the grill grates and fire pot made with stainless steel for the longest life. A porcelain-coated cast iron grate is the next best choice.
Weber Grills Smokefire Ex6 Wood Fired Pellet Grill Company: Weber Grills Now Available
- Company: Weber Grills
- Cooking Area: 1,008 square inches of dual grilling space
- Hopper Capacity: 20lbs
- Price: $$$
As this pellet grill was just recently released to the public, theres a lot of talk about it. The hype about this new pellet grill by Weber has been HUGE, so Im going to tell you a bit about it and if youre interested, you can click through and read more about it and check out any reviews that have started coming in by the time you read this.
Weber does some of the best gas grills around, hands down. They have several that made my best gas grills of 2021 list. And now with this EX6 they are starting in on pellet smoker grills, and if they are willing to put the Weber name on a product, you can bet that it has been designed by the best, and tested thoroughly to make sure the quality fits the brand.
Heres some info about it, gleaned from sources all over the web:
Weber consistently makes high quality grills, theres no contesting that. No doubt the SmokeFire EX6 and EX4 tows that line as well, giving good reason for the many excited pellet grillers out there to check it out.
Also Check: Pressure Wash Grill Grates
Louisiana Grills Pennsylvania Cherry
Another amazing pellet that will make your food taste akin to that of luxury hostels. The company specializes in creating some of the best pellets for pellet grills to take your grilling experience to the next level. They come in a huge 40 lbs bag that will last you many months. They burn clean and create less ash.
Adding to that, these wood pellets are a blend of cherry and maple wood. Therefore you are getting two different flavors in these pellets, which is incredible. They infuse sweetish tarty flavor to anything you grill, from all types of meat to bread and veggies. You will feel rich woody hints, not too overpowering, not too faint.
In addition to that, you can only use these pellets in pellet grills for better results. The company claims it to be made of 100 percent natural wood, and we couldnt agree less for the flavor it provides. These pellets are non-toxic and burn clean, which we love the most about them. Lastly, they are pretty affordable for the quantity they come in.
- Temperature fluctuations reported by one customer
If you are looking for good-quality cherry and maple blend pellets, then Louisiana Grill pellets are your way to go. They are made with 100 percent natural wood, as the company says. Moreover, they infuse slightly sweet and tart flavor to the grilled meat that will please your taste buds. Lastly, the pellets come in a huge pack that will last you long.
