What Pellet Grill To Buy

What Are The Advantages Of Cooking With A Pellet Grill

How to Choose a Pellet Grill Smoker | Buying Guide | BBQGuys

Since pellet grills can be fired up within minutes, they offer a convenience that charcoal-burning units lack. Unlike gas grills, however, they also imbue the food with authentic wood flavor. Best of all, you can customize the flavor with different types of wood pellets. Try apple or hickory for pulled pork, oak for steaks and other beef products, and milder woods like alder for grilled seafood.

These units allow you greater control over the temperature than their charcoal- or gas-burning counterparts. Theyre also more advanced on a technological level, which can be daunting to first-timers. However, once youve gotten the hang of pellet grilling, youre bound to be impressed by the overall ease of the process and the quality of your results.

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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Pit Boss Pit Boss Platinum Lockhart Grill

This wood pellet grill and smoker is both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled and according to Marks, its the most versatile pellet grill available. He appreciates the 2,137 square inches of cooking space with 719 square inches for grilling and smoking, plus an additional cabinet with 1,418 square inches of smoking space. It also comes with six sausage hooks and two meat probes with the ability to control up to four at one time.

I really love the pot access that allows you to brush out the pot and remove the ash that is a huge timesaver as well as a significant safety feature, he said. This pellet grill with all of the combined features, technology, sheer size, best in class warranty and a price tag of $750 make it my choice for best pellet grill overall.

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Cons Of Pellet Grills

Electricity is Mandatory

The Pellet grill needs electricity to operate. It doesnt need lots of electricity but still, electricity is mandatory for the seamless cooking session. You can use a pellet grill in the garden of your house but bringing it to outdoor is not a good option always. If you are planning to use car batteries for running your pellet grill then the size of the battery must be appropriate. Dont forget that you will need the battery to start your car.

Internal Components Breakdown

Electric items are always vulnerable to non-functional due to an electric component failure. The same thing is true with pellet grills. The pellet grills are electric and moving. If any parts breakdown then the whole grill will become non-functional. Some pellet grill parts are quite easy to replace.

Heating rods always need to be replaced in two to four years depending on usage. Here, brand reputation also matters a lot. A brand with a good reputation having hundreds of positive reviews from customers will always provide trusty worthy equipment. You can also do your research. Moreover, you can also check out the best pellet grills for cold weather here.

Expensive

Lack of Grill Marks

Pellet grills lack in pronouncing the richest grill marks. The reason is very simple. Because indirect heating is used here. If you really love pellet grills then you can invest some money in some accessories to help create that iconic grill marks.

Can You Sear On Pellet Grills

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Food is seared when it is exposed to direct intense heatthink of the sizzle a burger makes when it hits a hot frying pan or grill grate positioned over a charcoal or wood fire. There is no sudden, violent encounter with heat. Higher-end manufacturers have responded to customers suggestions by producing grills capable of higher temperatures that allow searing directly over the burn pot on a perforated plate.

Alternatively, you can preheat a cast iron skillet, griddle, or plancha directly on the grill grate and sear on them. GrillGrates or Stevens cast-iron Tuscan grill grate can also deliver killer grill marks when laid on top of the pellet grill grate.

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Take Your Grill Game Up A Notch

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Do you want to wow your friends and family with a perfectly smoked piece of meat at your next BBQ party, but aren’t necessarily a fan of the hassle that goes along with cooking it? Then a pellet grill might be for you. Pellet grills, also called pellet smokers, work by using a feeding system to push small wood pellets into a firebox under the grates and built-in technology to regulate the temperature.

Some pellet grills even have associated smartphone apps so you can get feeding and temperature data right into your phone. This technology has made pellet grills more popular, but also more expensive. But this doesn’t mean you can’t own one with top-notch features if you have a tight budget. Here, we’ve gathered a list of the best inexpensive pellet grills on the market.

How Much Does A Traeger Cost

  • Traeger Pro Series $600 to $1000
  • Traeger Ironwood Series $1200 to $1500
  • Traeger Timberline $1200 to $2000
  • Traeger Tailgaters $300 to $500

Obviously these are ballpark figures and prices will change constantly, so if you want more up-to-date prices, check the Traeger website traegergrills.com. The Traeger website makes the newer models more prominent, and I found I had to go searching for the cheaper first generation models. Also, for a better idea of current prices, browse large online stores like ACE Hardware and check out the the and do a price comparison.

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How To Select The Best Traeger Smoker

With several brands of Traeger, making the right choice can be difficult. I remembered feeling intimidated by the various Traeger lines.

However, to choose the best Traeger grill, you need to weigh your options. Here is a refactors that helped me when choosing a Traeger grill.

Size

If you notice, most of the Traeger pellet grills highlighted, start from 300-1300 square ft. Firstly make sure you sort out how much food you want to cook.

The larger the size, the higher the price. So have that in mind. If you are cooking for a large guest, then dont consider a small size.

However, you may waste more pellets or spend a lot of money if you go for a too-big brand. Also, you must consider the pellet hoppers size.

Large hoppers accommodate sufficient pellets, and you would only need to refill after prolonged use, if necessary. I recommend going for a grill that is a buy larger than your requirements.

Features

There are two categories of buyers those who prefer to have the grill stocked with the latest tech and those who never cared about the tech but prefer a grill with the excellent build quality.

What features would you prefer and which can you do without.

Here are some features you will find on pellet grills.

  • Wifi connectivity- Do you wish you can monitor and control your Traeger pellet smoker from anywhere?
  • Searing- Although most pellet grills do a great smoking job, some struggle with searing. Thats why most manufacturers added a searing feature as an attachment.

Price

Take The Guesswork Out Of Grilling And Smoking

What Kind of Pellet Smoker Grill Should I Buy in 2020 (Checklist)

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

If you’re searching for a grill that’s easy to use and extremely versatile, a wood pellet grill might be just the product for you. These grills are powered by wood pellets that you put into a hopper attached to the grill, and they’re automatically fed into the grill’s firebox as you cook. This results in extremely even heat and minimal smoke and flare-ups, and most pellet grills automatically regulate their own temperatures, taking a lot of the trial and error out of grilling.

That’s not all, either. Wood pellet grills are also extremely versatile and can be used for grilling, smoking, searing, and even baking. Some of today’s top models are even Wi-Fi enabled, allowing you to control the unit right from your phone.

Here, the best wood pellet grills to add to your grilling arsenal.

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What Is A Pellet Smoker

A pellet smoker is a grill-smoker that is fueled by tiny pellets of compressed wood. Generally, most pellet smokers operate between 150 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit, and as such are better used for low-and-slow barbecuing and grilled foods that aren’t as reliant on developing a fast sear . Pellet smokers are powered by electricity and much be placed near an outlet .

They’re known as both pellet grills and pellet smokers for the most part, the words are interchangeable, the only exception being pellet-fueled cabinet smokers and whatnot.

Some History Behind Pellet Smokers

From everything Ive been able to find online, Traeger Pellet Grills appear to be the very first pellet smokers to be offered on the market. Dating back to the early 1980s, Joe Traegers company first experimented with using wood pellets as fuel for a BBQ smoker as an offshoot of the home heating furnaces he was selling locally that used pellets. As time passed, a thermostat was added to the equation, and the production BBQ smokers fueled by pellets working in set it and forget it fashion was in full force. From this point, several manufacturers of pellet grills began to pop up, with a few key names like Yoder Smokers, Mak Grills, Green Mountain Grills, and Fast Eddys Cookshack grills being among the most notable.

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Timberline Vs Ironwood Differences

Fully Insulated

The Timberline is a step above the Ironwood and has superior insulation. The Ironwood only has double walled sides, but the Timberline has double walled sides, a double walled hood, and a double walled back. This allows the Timberline to retain heat and maintain stable temperatures.

Larger Cooking Area

The Timberline can hold meat on three levels, with adjustable racks. The enormous surface area can hold 12 chickens, or 15 rib racks, which is enormous.

Additional Timberline Features

There are also a few minor differences between the Timberline and the Ironwood such as a concealed grease pan, a stainless steel shelf, a magnetic bamboo cutting board. The grill grates on the Timberline are made of stainless steel, whereas the Pro Series and Ironwood have Porcelain coated steel grates.

Price Comparison

The Timberline 1300 is around five-hundred dollars more expensive than the Ironwood and about one-thousand dollars more than the Pro Series Traeger. Check here for the latest price comparison.

Which Smokers Are The Best

Z Grills Quality pellet Grills ZPG

The answer to this question really depends on how you like to use your smoker and your skill level as a grill master. Each type of smoker grill offers different functionality to complement your style and skill level.

Charcoal Smoker

A charcoal smoker is the most difficult to use as the controls for temperature are fully manual and their operation is messy. They are best suited to advanced users. They yield the best-tasting barbecue, full of classy smoky flavor.

Electric Smoker

An electric smoker is the easiest to use and well-suited to beginners. Unlike traditional smokers like charcoal or gas BBQs, electric cookers regulate the flow of electricity to a heating unit rather than the flow of air to a direct flame.

This quality means they are much more controllable and make safer cookers, perfect for beginners.

Gas Smokers

A gas grill offers convenience, size, and ease of use. Theyre a great choice for beginners, perfect for outdoor cooking, and are relatively pain-free, with excellent if you are going to cook with the set it and forget it method.

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When In Doubt Foil It Out

What do you do when you only have a strong-flavored pellet but dont want to over-flavor the meat? Solve it by the old Texas Crutch a.k.a. wrapping with aluminum foil. Many times Ive wrapped meat once I was happy with the color or to keep the meat from taking on more smoke than desired. Its a great technique.

Tips For Using A Pellet Smoker

Here are some tips on how to use your pellet smoker: dont put it on cement, but in a bag or on a shelf. Your grill should not be found open when not in use, otherwise, it wont last long. After use for a while, clean it. You should take good care of your pellet to add more years to its effectiveness.

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How Easy To Operate Compared To Other Grill Types

A pellet grill looks imposing, but its deceptively easy to use. As expressed so perfectly at Seriously Smoked,

As long as you can empty the bag of pellets into the hopper and touch a few buttons, you can use one of these grills.

Honestly, thats about right!

Unlike with most smokers, a pellet grill knows when to add more wood and how much. How?

A thermometer inside the cook chamber monitors the ambient temperature. When it drops below the target you preset on the digital controller, more pellets are delivered from the hopper to the firepot. There, they are automatically ignited and fanned to produce more heat and smoke.

Compared to a charcoal grill, you do not need to tend your fire by hand, adding more wood as needed. With charcoal grills, youll also spend time fiddling with dampers and vents to control the airflow and adjust the temperature up and down.

Even comparing a pellet grill to a gas grill, the pellet grill is easier. On a gas grill, the temperature control is manually set by adjusting the gas flow with a dial. And ambient air temperature and how much wind will affect where to set things day to day.

Its all part of the hobby, but its daunting for beginners, and even experienced pitmasters find it tedious sometimes. With a pellet smoker, its essentially set it and forget it.

Something else youll never worry about with a pellet grill is a flare-up.

No more burnt edges and no more singed arm hair.

Plan How Much Cooking Real Estate You Need

What to Know Before Buying A Pellet Smoker Grill – Tips From Owner

Before deciding how big your cooker needs to be, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions. How many people will I be cooking for? Do I plan on cooking large cuts or even a whole pig?

Remember that bigger doesnt always mean better. Purchasing a huge pellet cooker can really just mean wasted pellets.

A standout feature of pellet smokers is that the temperature is relatively even across the cooking area. As a result, there should be no temperature difference between the top rack and the bottom rack while cooking.

Bearing this in mind, lets discuss the difference between the primary cooking area and total cooking area. Primary cooking area refers to the area on the main cooking plate. Total cooking area takes into consideration secondary racks.

Therefore, a large cooker with a primary cooking area of 500 square inches, might actually be of less use to you than a smaller cooker with a total cooking area that includes a 450 square inch primary rack and a 125 square inch secondary rack. If you couldnt be bothered doing the math, thats 575 square inches of total cooking space.

The bottom line is this take stock of what you need, and dont be fooled into thinking that bigger is better.

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Most Trusted Pellet Smoker Brands

As I mentioned at the start of this post, there are a few pellet smokers that lead the pack in terms of name recognition. The ones featured here are those that come most highly recommended by friends of mine on the professional BBQ circuits with KCBS and FBA. As such, if you dont see one of your favorites listed here and would like to offer up a review please contact me via any of the social media links at the top of this blogs sidebar, and well see about getting a post up.

Yoder pellet smokers maintain a very strong reputation for quality and precision. Based out of Hutchinson, KS, the company prides itself on producing a 100 percent Made in America product that is one of the sturdiest and most reliable brands of smokers available. Check out this Yoder Smokers promo video to get an idea of how they are branding themselves.

Tell me thats not one of the most killer Made In America intro videos youve ever seen! Really speaks to the mindset Yoder has regarding quality and durability, not to mention the companys pride regarding operating from the heartland of Kansas in the good old USA.

One of the first things to consider when buying a pellet smoker is the thickness of metal used . The smaller the number, the thicker the metal.

Nothing in this world cooks better and more evenly than Heat Soaked Metal, folks. Nothing!

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