Pellet grills have gone from being an anomaly frequently scorned by the barbecue industry to the fastest-selling form of grill in the previous decade.
The ingenious choice to promote pellet grills as “set it and forget it” cookers has contributed to their explosive success.
Pellet grills are perfect for folks who want to prepare tasty cuisine without the trouble of using a charcoal or conventional stick burning smoker since they need very little upkeep or experience to operate.
Contents
- What is a pellet grill?
- How do pellet grills work?
- Wood pellets for smoking
- What wood pellet grills are best at
- The pellet grills we recommend
- Wrapping it up
- FAQs
- What is the point of a pellet grill?
- What are the disadvantages of pellet grills?
- What is the difference between a pellet grill and a regular grill?
- Is a pellet grill a smoker or a grill?
- Can you use a pellet grill as a regular grill?
- Does food taste better on a pellet grill?
- Are pellet grills worth it?
- Do pellet grills always smoke the meat?
- Do pellet grills smoke meat well?
- Can you cook burgers on pellet grill?
What is a pellet grill?
A wood pellet grill is a barbecue that runs on wood pellets. The pellets are burnt to heat the cooking chamber and to provide taste via smoke.
Wood pellets are tiny cylinders manufactured from compressed sawdust, bark, and other hardwood leftovers left behind after the timber industry harvests trees to make paper or fiberboard.
Joe Traeger created the initial pellet grill in the 1980s. Traeger’s early patent enabled them to dominate the pellet grill business, which they still do today.
Companies raced to the pellet grill market when the initial patent expired in 2006. As sales continue to rise, even conventional gas and charcoal grill manufacturers, such as Weber, have entered the fray with their SmokeFire grill.
How do pellet grills work?
Pellet grills are more sophisticated than a standard charcoal barbecue. The pellet hopper, auger and firebox, and main cooking chamber are the three primary parts of the grill.
When you turn on your pellet grill, a fan draws air into the firebox. An auger device then draws wood pellets from the hopper into the firebox. An electric igniter is used to light the pellets in the firebox.
The smoke and heat generated by the burning pellets then rise into the main cooking chamber, where the food is cooked.
Your meal is cooked at a steady temperature and is flavored with woodsmoke.
The wonderful thing about pellet grills is that you can set them to very low or high temperatures and they will maintain that temperature for as long as you want. For accurate temperature control, most models now have a PID temperature controller.
This makes them ideal for slow-cooking meats such as brisket or pork shoulder, as well as baking sweets.
The majority of pellet grills are enormous, hefty monsters, however there are an increasing number of portable models on the market.
We offer a 9-step tutorial to using a pellet grill.
Wood pellets for smoking
As previously stated, the majority of wood pellets are a byproduct of the forestry sector.
This means that you’re not only receiving a terrific product to cook with, but you’re also helping the environment.
There are many varieties of wood pellets available on the market, each of which burns somewhat differently and might impact the taste of your meal.
You can anticipate to burn one to three pounds of pellets every hour of cooking time.
Popular wood pellet species include hickory, cherry, and apple. There are also pecan, mesquite, and oak variants.
You can always combine flavors, and some firms offer their own mixes for certain taste characteristics.
If you want a more in-depth examination of the various tastes of wood, check out our evaluation of the finest wood pellets for smoking.
What wood pellet grills are best at
Wood pellet grills, like any barbecues, offer advantages and disadvantages.
Let’s take a look at some of the primary benefits and drawbacks of wood pellet grills over gas, charcoal, or electric models.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Provides consistent, mild smoke flavor that many people enjoy | Pellet grills can be expensive |
| Great for long cooks when you need to get things done around the house | Often struggle to hit high enough temperatures for searing |
| Feature-packed grills that often include meat probes and WiFi connectivity | The grill needs to be cleaned more often than other types of grills |
| Can use a variety of different woods for different flavors | More complex working parts increase the chance your grill will break and need replacement parts |
| Pellets are an environmentally-friendly byproduct of the timber industry |
Depending on your preferences, the taste of a pellet grill might be an advantage or a drawback. You may also attempt various ways to increase the smoke production on a pellet grill.
Pellets are also a green alternative since they are generated from a byproduct of the timber industry.
Pellet grills, on the other hand, might be more costly than other kinds of barbecues.
They also need a bit more preparation than charcoal or propane-powered barbecues. This is due to the fact that pellet smokers are powered by electricity. They must be plugged in to function, which means you can’t use them outside unless you have an extension cable, an outside outlet, or a generator handy.
Pellet smokers need more upkeep than other kinds of barbecues, such as gas or even classic charcoal grills.
Overall, pellet smokers are best suited to folks who desire the comfort and simplicity of an electric grill with all of the smokey tastes that come with utilizing real wood, even in pellet form, as fuel.
If you want to learn more about using a pellet grill, we have compiled a list of the 21 greatest pellet grill cooking tips.
The pellet grills we recommend
We did a very thorough assessment of the finest pellet grills on the market, but to summarize, we love the Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24 Pellet Grill.
Camp Chef Woodwind
The Camp Chef Woodwind boasts a plethora of features, including Bluetooth connection for remote control and an automated auger that feeds pellets into the firebox for steady heat.
It also has a helpful app that provides cooking recommendations and advice on how to utilize your barbecue.
Traeger Pro 575
We landed in second place with the Traeger Pro 575 Wood Pellet Grill.
It contains a superb digital thermostat and PID controller that allows you to precisely manage the temperature, as well as an automatic start so you can set it and forget it, managing the cook from the Traegers app.
Furthermore, the hopper holds up to 22 pounds of pellets, so you won’t have to reload it as often.
Z Grills 700D4E
If you want something smaller and less expensive, the Z GRILLS 700D4E Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker is a perfect choice. It’s compact and portable for a pellet grill, yet it can cook up to 20 pounds of food at a time.
Furthermore, the inbuilt digital thermostat allows you to set your grill to whatever temperature you choose and it will keep that temperature for hours.
Wrapping it up
Pellet grills are an excellent choice for anybody seeking the convenience of an automated grill while retaining the flavor and texture of food cooked over wood.
They are simple to operate, provide excellent temperature control, and automate many of the more tedious or arduous aspects of slow and low cooking.
So, if you’re looking for a new grill and want something really easy, try a pellet smoker like the Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24 Pellet Grill.
