Who Makes The Best Pellet Grill Smoker

Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone

What Makes Traeger The Best Pellet Grill?
  • Surprisingly steady temperature regulation for a budget smoker
  • No Wi-Fi or app connectivity, if you’re into that

Straight up, shopping for a cheap pellet grill isnt wise. All the grills features are flaws when executed poorly or cheaply. Technology, moving parts and Wi-Fi connectivity create more avenues for problems to occur than any other kind of grill. That said, Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone line specifically the Choice line offers a lifeline. For $500 retail, you get a sturdy grill good guts, but no Wi-Fi, which, in this case, is a good thing. The more flashy features, the more potential problems. Its still run by an onboard computer and it still holds steady temperatures, you just have less to worry about breaking down mid-smoke. As with most pellet grills, the temperature range is 150 to 500, which is plenty of juice for a long smoke but not quite hot enough to sear a steak properly.

How To Smoke Ribs On A Pellet Smoker

Smoking ribs on a pellet smoker is also easier than it may seem at first glance. All you have to do is go through the normal pre-heating process and then set your temperature accordingly which in this case should be somewhere around 200°F so the meat cooks slowly for several hours.

The main difference is that you will want to use a recipe with lots of sauce since the lack of smoke will still allow enough direct contact between the meat and the sauce so as long as your ribs are marinated, everything else should work out beautifully.

Is It True That Pellet Smokers And Grills Are Healthier

Yes, it pretty much is true that pellet smokers and grills, in general, are a lot healthier than traditional charcoal and gas grills. Pellets do not contain any harmful substances which is the case with most cooking fuels while also being more efficient which means you wont be wasting all your energy cooking. This makes pellet smokers great for people who want to keep their house clean without worrying about all the black smoke they would get from a charcoal or gas grill.

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Traeger Grills Ironwood 650 Wood Pellet Grill And Smoker

This Ironwood 650 model from Trager Grill is famous for its sturdy construction and heavy-duty build quality. The top-notch construction of the device ensures users enjoy reliable and dependable functionality in the long run. It packs a highly efficient D2 drivetrain that is beneficial for users in many ways. Additionally, the device is easy to clean and maintain when compared to many others on the market.

Heavy-duty construction

When it comes to offering dependable build quality and top-notch construction for a seamless cooking adventure, no one seems to beat this beast from Trager Grills. You will notice heavy-duty construction throughout the device that translates into better functionality and dependable reliability in the long run. It features a dual insulation design on the exterior that enhances the devices functionality in cold weather besides increasing fuel efficiency.

D2 Drivetrain

Only a few high-end Traeger Grills model comes with a highly efficient D2 drivetrain that is beneficial for users in many ways. Many smoker grill users often complain about problems in starting the device. There could be several explanations for this inefficiency in those smokers.

However, the availability of a highly efficient D2 drivetrain on this grill prevents any such issues and translates into seamless functionality. It also facilitates quicker heat build-up and environmentally-friendly smoke production.

How Does A Pellet Smoker/grill Work

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A pellet grill or smoker works by using electricity to heat up a metal plate. The energy from the electrical heating element is then transferred into a device that controls how much air goes through it and also manages the flow of pellets being fed to the fire pot which in turn heats the metal plates near the food chamber where meats are placed.

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Durability & Construction Material

This thing is the most critical component of every single purchase we make in daily life. Due to cut-throat competition in the market, many manufacturers try to fool customers by portraying inferior quality products as superior ones. However, it would help if you were careful with this thing from the beginning of your purchase process.

Do not get fooled by the eye-catching exterior. Always look for the quality of grilling grates, fire pot, drip pan, automatic feeder, and other things that are not visible on the body.

A cooker with top-notch stainless steel quality will last longer than a cooker with an unimpressive powder coating. Always check the quality of the powder coating before you make a choice. If the manufacturer provides top-notch powder coating, you may go for that item without thinking much.

Other advantages of selecting the pellet smoker with exotic build quality are that the item will resist corrosion, rust, discoloration, and other such things that spoil the grills functionality in no time.

Ozark Grills The Razorback

Ozark Grills is a relatively unknown brand in the marketplace but their Razorback Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker is one of the best pellet smokers for lots of people because of its size.

A lot of the cookers weve looked at so far have generous amounts of cooking area. That works for some people but not for everybody. The Razorback is 35 x 37 x 19 in in dimensions which really isnt that big of a footprint at all. So if you are tight on space on your patio or an apartment dweller, this could very well be the one for you.

Despite the smaller profile, theres actually a pretty reasonable amount of cooking area with 305 square inches. That might not sound like a lot compared to some of the other units weve looked at so far, but its enough space to handle around 10 burgers at once.

It comes with all of the features youd expect from any quality pellet grill. It has an easy to use temperature dial and LED display for easy temperature management. The hopper fits 11 pounds of pellets which is on the smaller side, but proportional to this grill.

Things We Like:

  • Smaller footprint is ideal if youre tight on space or an apartment dweller
  • Easy to use temperature interface with intuitive dials and an LED display
  • 305 square inches of cooking area is a lot considering the profile of the cooker, and is enough to handle 10 burgers at once

Things We Dont:

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Best Pellet Grills In 2021 According To Experts

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When it comes to at-home grilling, youll typically come across three main options: pellet grills, charcoal grills and gas grills. All grills and smokers work with the same basic principles of thermodynamics, or heat and energy transfer, explained David Marks, head of business development for Operation BBQ Relief and the reigning national and world best wings on the planet champion. They all need fuel and oxygen to create a heat source, he said. A pellet grill uses wood pellets made of sawdust that are compressed into the form of a pellet as their fuel. Pellets are small and efficient. The pellets are made of various woods that allow you to add the smoke flavor of the specific wood that you like, he added.

Overview & First Impressions

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Yoder specializes in high-end, American-made, offset and pellet smokers. Designed with BBQ competition teams in mind, they have built a loyal following among professional and amateur pitmasters alike.

The YS640 is the middle child of the pellet grill range. There is also a smaller 480S and larger 1500S that share a similar design.

You get a lot of cooking real estate for a middle-sized grill though. There are 1070 square inches of cooking space from two cooking grates.

The build quality of the Yoder is the first thing that stands out. All edges are machined smooth and you cant help but admire the quality fit and finish on all components.

Yoder YS640s Specs:

Cooking space 1,070 square inches of cooking space from two 16 x 20 cooking grates in the main chamber and a 15.5 x 28 slide-out shelf on the second level.
Hopper size
USA

Yoder has partnered with FireBoard Labs, which manufactures the Fireboard 2 and Spark thermometers.

The Fireboard system is integrated into the Yoder, which means you can also use the Fireboard app.

The Yoder YS640S comes with a lot of options including different grate options, temperature gauges, and shelves. Ill get into what I included on mine further on in the review.

What I liked:

What I didnt like:

  • No door to dump the unused pellets I have not found this to be a problem because I run the pellet level down at the end of the cook and I can remove the few remaining pellets by hand.

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What Makes A Good Pellet Grill

Pellet grills are a no-brainer for cooks and certified carnivores, but because pellet smokers only became mainstream quite recently, many shoppers dont know where to start. To help out, weve rounded up some of the best pellet grills to help upgrade your backyard and your dinner table. Below are a few things to consider while shopping for the best pellet grills.

Cooking Space: How many people will you be feeding? If its just your family or a few friends, something with a cooking area of around 700 to 900 square inches is best. If you want to cook for larger parties, go with a pellet grill that has over 1,000 square inches of cooking area.

Materials: The build quality of a pellet smoker not only dictates how long it will last while sitting outside, but also how well it will cook. The best pellet grills have stainless steel throughout not just on the exterior.

Hopper: The size of a pellet grills hopper dictates how long the grill can cook. Generally speaking, more pellets equals longer cook times. Some grills burn pellets more efficiently than others, but most pellet grills burn a pound of pellets in about one to three hours, depending on the heat setting.

Cooking Options: As mentioned, most pellet grills can do more than just grill. The best pellet grills feature an array of cooking options such as baking, braising, BBQing and smoking.

Can You Leave A Pellet Grill/smoker Outside

Pellet smokers are a closed system so as long as you have the grill under some sort of cover it should be fine. If you leave it outside, rain might get into the smoker and damage the inside but as for temperature changes, if your grill isnt under direct sunlight or left in extreme weather conditions there should be no problem with it working properly.

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Where Did Pellet Smokers Come From

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.

Infuse Your Meat With Delicious Smoky Flavor

The Best Pellet Smokers for 2020

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Wood pellet grills, or pellet smokers, are known for imparting smoky, rich flavor onto whatever youre cooking, and they leave behind almost no waste, making them a breeze to clean up. Pellet grills can generally cook at temperatures between 150 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that you can smoke foods at low temperatures or sear foods at higher temperatures. Plus, because these machines are operated electronically, its much easier to control and maintain temperatures than if you were using a charcoal grill or traditional smoker.

To find the best pellet smokers available today, we purchased several top-rated models for our expert food writers to test at home. We looked at factors such as their setup process, heat control, heat retention, and size, using each grill to cook a wide range of foods and rating its performance accordingly. Thanks to our at-home testing, we also were able to experience the delivery process for each grill, which can be somewhat complicated due to their large size.

Whether you’re a novice griller who wants to try something new or a seasoned smoking enthusiast, here are the best pellet smokers, according to our testing data.

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Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill Review

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The Camp Chef Woodwind is one of the most highly recommended pellet grills on the market today.

You can pick one up for well under $1000, and because its been available for a few years there are no teething issues .

Camp Chef has continued to improve the grill with the release of the Gen 2 digital PID controller and a range of useful accessories and attachments.

In this review, Ill be sharing my experiences cooking on the Woodwind over the last few months.

Camp Chef sent me this grill for free in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

  • Should you buy the Camp Chef Woodwind?
  • How Good Is The Temp Accuracy & Consistency

    While smoking at low temperatures, the accuracy seems to be pretty close.

    But in my tests, the Woodwind appeared to be off quite a bit as the temps increase toward grilling temperatures. On the plus side, the grill was fairly consistent once it reached its set temperature.

    Ive included more detailed testing details in a section below.

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    Digital Controls And Wi

    Most modern pellet smokers come with programmable digital heat control. Some are Wi-Fi accessible and programmable with your smartphone.

    One newer innovation is PID controllers It calculates the variables in the grill and keeps the temperature within 5 degrees of the set point. These controllers make cookers as close as you can get to smoking meat on auto-pilot.

    Other older types of controllers, such as the three-position and multi-position controllers that have three temp settings or step-up in 5 or 10-degree increments, often suffer from 15-degree Fahrenheit swings either way.

    In addition to a temperature probe for the smoker, look for controllers with at least one meat probe to monitor the meats internal temperature for better results. Some other pellet grills can have up to three separate meat probes.

    Also See

    • The best smokers in a few other styles make sure youve considered all the options!
    • The best electric smokers As easy-to-use as a pellet smoker, though admittedly not as capable.

    Rd Contender: Louisiana Grills 300sl

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    Another member of the Danson LLC group is the Louisiana Grills brand. However, Danson market Louisiana Grills as a more premium brand than Country Smokers and Pit Boss. Hence, it shouldnt be too surprising that the Louisiana Grills 300SL is the more expensive option. If purchased through their website, its actually the most expensive option here, even priced above the Traeger Ranger.

    Currently the most expensive of the tabletop contenders, retailing at up to $425: Images Louisiana-grills.com

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    Q: What Are Some Disadvantages To Pellet Smokers

    Like gas and charcoal, pellet smokers have their own disadvantages. They require a bit more maintenance than a charcoal or gas model. As the pellets burn, the ash needs to be removed between uses to prevent build up. Some smokers have removable ash pots, making the task easy, but others require vacuuming out after they cool.

    Louisiana Grills Country Smoker Whole Hog

    Why youll love it:

    While some users might love a small, easy to transport smoker, others need all the space they can get. For those big family gatherings or community events, bigger is definitely better.

    The Louisiana Grills Country Whole Hog is a great model for those who need some serious space.

    What we liked

    What we didnt like

    • Price: The Whole Hog is fairly priced for what it is its the size of three grills and cost three times as much as a normal pellet smoker. This is fair enough, but may make most balk at the cost considering the vast majority of people have no use for quite this much huge space, and would be better off with a cheaper option.
    • Simplistic Pellet Feed: No augers or induction fans here just a simple chute and pellets sitting in the bottom of the smoker. This can make it cook more unevenly without careful tending, so youre less able to light it up and then forget about it for hours on end.

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