What Is The Best Pellet Grill Out There

Stainless Steel Better Protection From Outside

Pellet Grill vs Gas Grill vs Kamado Grill – Best BBQ Buying Guide

exhaust port on the GMG Daniel Boone, pretty cool for easy cleaning of the fire pot.

The protection and design of the pellet grill are going to have a big effect of course. Some pellet grills powder coated, and some are a higher grade of stainless steel.

But at the end of the day, pellet grills were designed to be exposed to the sun and the rain, and I believe the minimal protection you want to do is at least to have a roof over your pellet grill to keep the sun and the rain to prevent the obvious damage that could occur.

I really make a big difference between other types of smokers like charcoal/wood kettle or drum barrel smokers. Offset smokers as well, because these are just metal areas where you have fire and smoke, without any accessories they dont really have any electrical technologies or for that matter moving parts. .

But when you think about the pellet grill, motherboards, moving parts and a fire pots for burning the pellets. These all areas of sensitivity when it comes to an outdoor environment.

And of course the old saying applies to any of these builds-

Good things arent cheap and cheap things are good

Neville a guy I use to work with

Sometimes its a bit sad we live in a throwaway society where people just feel they can just buy a new one, I tried consciously stay away from this kind of thinking as I got older.

Advice from the Campchef site:

Pit Boss 700fb Pellet Grill

;;;;;;;; 100% hardwood pellets

Another alternative to Treagers high-end pellet grills is Pit Bosss 700FB Pellet Grill. By going for this product, youre choosing for a same size grill in a relatively lesser amount.

For those who want latest technology pellet grills, we suggest you guys check out our other recommendations since the tech that this pellet grill comes with isnt as upgraded as the rest of the product but if that isnt an issue for you than carry on with the rest of the review.

Description: The Pit Bosss 700FB Pellet Grill comes with a sliding plate system that offers far more versatility when it comes to searing than any other model. It is amazing for searing and provides maximum efficiency when cooking.

The company has manufactured this grill with sturdy stainless steel which surprisingly makes it extremely durable given the price and size of the grill. It is an economical model that you should go for if you dont want to invest in something too expensive.

Bottom line: The Pit Bosss 700FB Pellet Grill features a durable stand with that will allow you to maneuver it conveniently. You can easily assemble this grill within minutes and take it anywhere you want because of the wheels.

Best Budget: Z Grills Zpg

Great value for its size

Some temperature control issues

At around $500, this grill may not scream budget-friendly, but considering its size , it’s actually a great bargain. This unit uses convection heat distribution technology , which provides a versatile environment for grilling, baking, roasting, and searing. However, this model also has a number of upgrades.

The 7002E is unique in that it is stainless steel built, meaning it is less susceptible to corrosion. Other upgrades include a more precise temperature control and a new and improved pellet feed system. This automated electric feed system maintains the temperature of your grill for you, ranging from 180 to 450 degrees.

In terms of space, it has a large, 513-square-inch grilling area and a 187-square-inch smoking/warming rack . This grill also has a whopping 20-pound hopper , an electronic auto-start ignition, and an LED temperature readout. Many users claim this grill is super easy to use and makes maintaining temperature a piece of cake. It also comes with two wheels to move it around easily, a grill cover, and a three-year warranty.

Weight: 112 lbs.| Grilling Area: 700 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 20 lbs. | Temperature Range: 180-450ºF | Dimensions: 48 x 22 x 51 inches

Don’t Miss: Do Traeger Grills Need Electricity

Pellet Consumption And Running Costs

Higher quality pellet grills made from thicker materials are more insulated, better sealed, and retain heat better than cheaper models made from thinner materials. This affects your ongoing running costs and often means spending more on a better grill in the first place, saves a lot of money over years of life.

So do take pellet consumption into account. Spending more on a grill that consumes fewer pellets can save a small fortune over time when it comes to pellet grilling.

Why Do Pellet Smokers Need Different Types Of Wood Pellets

Depending on what type of meat youre cooking, the flavor profiles will vary which is why many people want to switch out the standard one inch long wood pellets for something else with a stronger taste or spicier kick since it provides them more flexibility when trying out how does a pellet grill workin order to make dishes like ribs and beef brisket compared to burgers and steaks. As I mentioned above, there are several varieties available online depending on where you purchase your smoker from whether they be hickory, applewood, mesquite, maple, or alder. However, the main thing to remember here is that you should never rush out and buy any pellet smoker without doing your research beforehand since some can be picky when it comes to using certain types of pellets in order to get the best results possible while cooking up various dishes.

Read Also: How To Keep Rats Away From Grill

Pitt Boss Copperhead 5

Makes smoking very easy

Not as versatile as a grill/smoker

We pulled the best brisket of the test off the Copperhead 5-Series. Admittedly, as a dedicated cabinet smoker, this Pit Boss has an advantage when it comes to that particular cut. The glass door is a nice feature, allowing you to monitor things without opening it and losing heat. It is a double-edged sword, though, because we had to clean it after each use to see what was going on inside. The first meat we put in the smoker was that brisket, going for 9.5 hours at 225°F. As it fed in pellets, the unit produced visibly more smoke, something we found quite reassuring. Cleaning the resulting ash out the fire pot and smoke chamber afterward was a simple process and should take you just a few minutes with a shop vac.

BEST PORTABLE PELLET GRILL

How To Shop For The Best Pellet Grills

Basic pellet grill designs tend to be pretty similar, Lampe explained. Youll find a little fire pot down in the bottom of your cooker and a delivery system that sends the pellets in as required, he said. This is all controlled by a thermostat and a little fan to blow on the fire.

Although this may sound simple and it can be he noted that there are different features that can make it even easier.

Don’t Miss: Can I Sell My Gold Grill

Best Portable Pellet Smoker

Fits in the trunk of a car nicely
No step down in food quality from a standard-sized grill

No easy way to remove pellets for lighter transport

Small enough to fold up and throw in the backseat and powerful enough for a 12-hour brisket smoke. Traegers Ranger impressed when we reviewed it at launch in 2018, and it remains the standard bearer for portable pellet grilling. The drip tray and porcelain-coated grates are easy to clean, too. One thing to note: its small and portable, but not so small and portable to take much further than a car camping trip. Its still 60 pounds of metal.

Depends On The Climate

ð±ð¥ Best BBQ Pellets Revealed in this BBQ Pellet Review ð?ð¥

In the smoker community, they still say they dont get issues leaving the pellet grill outside without a cover, but they are probably more of an anomaly and these guys may have had a good run but eventually, the lack of care will catch up with them.

Hot and Humid Extra Care with Pellet Grills

Any extreme environment and pellets dont like it, too much sun and the residue that binds them can breakdown too.

Also Check: How To Grill Burgers On Propane Grill

How Does A Pellet Smoker Work

Load a pellet grill’s hopper with pellets , calibrate the onboard computer to your desired temperature and walk away for 15 or so minutes. The grill’s computer ignites the firepot at the center of the grill, and begins turning an auger which feeds pellets into it to generate heat and smoke. This process is typically helped along and regulated by a series of interior fans and temperature monitors. For the most part, fire pots are not directly exposed to the grill grates; they’re usually separated by an angled steel plate, which catches dripping grease and feeds it away from the fire pot and into a catch. This means the majority of pellet grills cook with indirect heat, which is why temperatures are lower than their gas and charcoal counterparts.

The Best Pellet Grill: Oklahoma Joe’s Rider 900 Pellet Grill

In the world of manly grilling, it can be seen as sacrilege to use pellets, says Lee. But the convenience is unmatched. Especially if you’re not someone who’s into the fire aspect, with this grill, you don’t even have to think about it. A step above gas in terms of flavor and smokinessbut with the same dial-turn-to-light easethis grill is a happy medium that still uses wood but takes the guesswork out of heat and temperature.

You May Like: How Do I Clean My Grill Grates

Wasp Nests In Pellet Grill Smoker

Its kind of funny but then its kind of sad when you hear now and then about selling getting smashed by a wasps nest after leaving their pellet grill out exposed under the elements for little bit too long.

Guess you could do a burn off to get those wasps moving, just depends on how much of a cowboy you want to be!

The other option is of course to get a decent cover and also keep pellet grill smoke away from the elements, your call.

Ive done a lot of research when it comes to pellet grill covers, and also winter blankets.

If youre going generic just remember to check whether the cover will fit your chimney design.

Where Did Pellet Smokers Come From

Amazon.com : Royal Gourmet PL2032 Wood Pellet Grill ...

In 1982, Oregon’s Traeger Heating introduced a home heating system that burned wood pellets made from compressed sawdust, a by-product of local lumber milling. Since demand for these furnaces and wood pellets dropped off after winter, Traeger came up with a grill that would burn pellets and keep the business afloat over the summer months.

They had the field to themselves for a few years, but the idea was too good to go un-imitated, and soon competitors began popping up. In the early days, most pellet smoker controllers had only three settingslow, medium, high and there was no temperature probe in the oven to create a feedback loop. So, whether you were smoking a few slabs of ribs on a scorching summer day or six pork butts during a blizzard, the controller only knew pellet-feed on and off times for its standard settings. It had no information on the actual temperature inside the cooking chamber.

Using accurate digital thermometers to monitor cooking and internal meat temperatures is essential to being all that you can be in the backyard. Unlike the caveman-era heat estimators built into the lids of most grills and smokers, modern pellet smoker LED displays will give you the real story of what’s happening in your smoker. Of course, if your smoker doesn’t come with a dual-display system that monitors both cooking and meat temps, you’ll still need an accurate digital meat thermometer.

Don’t Miss: How To Grill Boneless Chicken Breast

Performance What Is Better Pellet Or Wood Grill

Food preparation on an Ironwood 885 is just around as simple as barbecuing gets. Reduce of usage is among the hallmarks of pellet grills and also the Ironwood collection does not disappoint in this regard. If anything, it further constructs on that benefit thanks to numerous crucial features.

Having very good equipment absolutely assists. We complied with numerous Traeger dishes word for word as well as wound up with flavorful pulled pork, ribs that diminished the bone, perfectly medium-rare brisket , tender pleasant corn, and also delicious pork tenderloin.

Runner Up Traeger Pro 575 Wood Pellet Grill

If you want the biggest brand with all the latest features, and your budget can stretch, the Traeger Pro is a great option.

While its become trendy to trash Traeger lately, they have made a bunch of improvements to the Pro models in 2019 that make it well worth considering

The Pro now comes with WiFi for remote control and monitoring of your grill.

The new Pro also addresses a few common issues with older Traegers. Namely poor heating speed and difficulty maintaining temperatures.

The new D2 direct drive uses a brushless DC motor to achieve higher torque at lower RPM. What does this actually mean? Basically, the motor can turn the pellet auger faster, which lets you get more fuel into the firepot for faster and hotter cooking.

These features used to only come with the top-of-the-range Timberline series, and they make the Pro a great buy in our opinion.

You can choose the Pro with either 575 or 780 square inches of cooking space.

The extra space will cost you an additional $200 so think about how many people you need to cook for and this could be an area where you can save some money.

You can also choose between black or bronze color schemes.

You get one temperature probe that lets you monitor your food temperature from the grill interface or via the Traeger app.

What we like:

What we dont like:

Crucial accessories cost extra Youll have to fork out an extra $149.98 for the grill cover & folding shelf .

The new models use the entire cooking surface area in the name.

Recommended Reading: Why Are Evo Grills So Expensive

Recipes That Will Make You A Pellet Grill Master

For those of you unfamiliar with pellet grills, they are designed and developed to use wood pellets as its main fuel source and they have become a force to reckon with in the world of outdoor cooking. Wood pellets offer both supreme flavor AND easy temp control, which puts them head and shoulders above gas and charcoal options.

To that end, we have compiled a list of 25 core recipes for grilling, smoking, and baking on your pellet grill. Mastering these recipes;will not only help make you a master of your grill, but a backyard champion among friends and family.

Were big fans of pellet grills in general , but its important to note that all these recipes wont work on every pellet grill out there. Memphis Wood Fire Grills are designed to hold precise temperatures and you also have the ability to sear over direct flame . Happy cooking!

How Do I Maintain My Pellet Smoker

Best Pellet Grills Under $500: The Ultimate Review

You should always make sure to empty the ash pan every time youre finished cooking which usually sits right under your burn pot at the bottom of where it is attached to your unit and never use water straight out of a hose or faucet when cleaning since that can damage its internal components like electric heating elements, fans, circuit boards, etc. Instead, just use some dry paper towels in order to wipe down any leftover grease on top with soap and warm water afterwards before letting it all air dry completely for several hours until no trace remains unless rust starts forming underneath due mainly to moisture exposure so remember next time not to leave anything behind!

Also Check: What Is The Best Gas Grille

Oklahoma Joes Charcoal/lp Gas/smoker Combo: Best Gas And Charcoal Grill

Why choose between gas and charcoal grills when you can have the best of both worlds. The Oklahoma Joes Longhorn Combo Charcoal Gas Smoker & Grill is equipped with separate charcoal and gas cooking chambers and an attached offset firebox for smoking, charcoal grilling or gas grilling.

Durable, porcelain-coated cast-iron grates and heavy-gauge steel construction make this ingenious hybrid grill the perfect choice for all alfresco grilling scenarios.;

Best for: Texas-style barbecuing.

BBQ fuel: Charcoal and gasGrill surface: 6,839 cm2 Weight: 93 kg Dimensions: 80 x 188 x 128.5 cmCooking grates: Porcelain-coated cast iron grates

Q: What Does The Traeger Ler Error Code Mean

A:;LEr stands for Low Error Reading and means the temperature in the grill dropped below 125 degrees for more than 10 minutes and caused the grill to shut off.

The most common way to fix the LEr error code is to vacuum out the firepot if it is full of ash or pellets. Remember to fill the hopper with pellets and allow the auger to feed pellets into the firepot before firing up the traeger again.

Recommended Reading: How Do I Grill Chicken

Specs For The Fast Eddy’s Pg500 Pellet Grill And Smoker

Barbecue material: 100% unpainted stainless steel

Grate material: Stainless steel rod grate in direct cooking areas, nickel plated grill in indirect

Cooking capacity: 180 sq. in. direct cooking, 324 sq. in. indirect cooking, 280 sq. in. top rack, 247 sq. in. warming draw

Pellet hopper capacity: 22lbs

Best High End Pellet Grill:

Camp Chef Pg24mzg Smokepro Slide Smoker

Good things are cooking @ Woodard Mercantile!

;;;;;;;; Front shelf foldable

As we are almost done with the product for best pellet grills and only one to go, the second last product that we would like to add to this list is another grill from Camp Chef.

The brand is no doubt one of the first that comes to our minds when we think about getting grills or stoves.

Features: The Camp Chef PG24MZG SmokePro Slide Smoker comes with a stainless-steel body that not only makes it durable but also extremely sturdy. The body looks really elegant and classy with its chrome finish and the rust-resistant body ensures that the grill lasts you for a very long time.

It is among the most versatile grills that you can ever find. It comes with a slide and grill that allows the user to roast, grill, smoke, and braise meat or chicken conveniently. The Camp Chef PG24MZG SmokePro Slide Smoker also comes with castor wheels that makes it easy to maneuver and weigh around 148lbs which may make it heavier but also sturdier.

Bottom line: The Camp Chef PG24MZG SmokePro Slide Smoker is another product we recommend for users who are looking for an amazing long-lasting grill on an affordable price range. This is a versatile pellet grill that comes with a range of options and one that will ensure you have the best cooking experience.

Also Check: Do Weber Gas Grills Ever Go On Sale