The 8 Greatest Pellet Grills of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

Pellet grills take a great deal of guesswork out of grilling (and smoking): add pellets, flip it on, set the temperature, and in addition you’re capable of go. Many pellet grills even have appropriate apps, allowing you to observe the temp and pellet diploma remotely. 

Now, we’ve prolonged favored pellet grills, and it seems that evidently they’ve come of age—with producers like Traeger being a household establish and grilling massive Weber breaking onto the scene. To hunt out the easiest ones, we examined 22 of them. We checked out their effectivity, however moreover how simple that they had been to assemble, how intuitive their controls had been, and the best way straightforward that they had been to wash. After making 200 kilos of hen wings, 80 kilos of flank steak, and 9 bone-in pork shoulders, we narrowed it proper all the way down to our eight favorite pellet grills for any value vary. 

The Winners, at a Look

With an unlimited cooking ground, an easy-to-use interface and app, and exceptionally smoky, delicious outcomes, we had been impressed by the Ironwood XL. Extreme Eats editor Grace Kelly has been using this pellet grill for a few 12 months. “The large smoke function works extraordinarily successfully, and the smoked beef tenderloin I made for my husband’s birthday in February was large flavorful and had that coveted pink smoke ring on the within,” Grace says. “Whereas I on a regular basis thought finding out to smoke meat may very well be intimidating, the straightforward dial and show display on the Traeger made it simple, and I actually really feel like a budding pit boss correct throughout the comfort of my very personal yard.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, that’s principally a smaller mannequin of our excessive resolve, the Ironwood XL. Even for pellet grill newbies, this model is exceptionally simple to utilize and yields splendidly smokey, well-browned outcomes. Its pellet hopper is located on the side and simple to load and the grill goes by the use of pellets slowly and successfully. The Ironwood’s intuitive, digital administration panel and app make it clear why Traeger is a powerhouse throughout the pellet grill home.

With a digital administration panel and knob for toggling the temp and time, this grill was simple to utilize and imparted a mildly smoky style. It held its temp exceptionally successfully all through our longer smoke check out nonetheless was capable of reaching searing heat, too. 

Within the occasion you’re trying to find all of the bells and whistles (and have the cash), the Timberline floored us with its consistency, smoky style, and uber-easy-to-use administration panel. Its ash catcher is located beneath the grill and seems like a chimney starter, full with a grippy cope with that makes it simple to hold onto and empty. The Timberline moreover has an induction side burner, picket cupboards, and MEATER wi-fi cooking probes (which we individually useful in our evaluation of wi-fi grill thermometers).

If there’s one grill that earned the adoration of our testers (and editors), it’s the Yoder, resulting from its consistency and wonderful outcomes. It enables you to set the temperature in 5-degree increments and is Bluetooth-compatible. “I’ve in no way fallen so utterly head-over-heels in love with any grill like I did the Yoder Individuals who smoke YS640 Pellet Grill,” says Steven Schrimpf, avid griller and our procurement and inventory supervisor. “[And] I’ve cooked on every kind of grill kinds and kinds over the previous 25 years.”

“You acknowledge I’m head over heels in love with the Yoder if the price had been no object, nonetheless the model we examined that I prefer to advocate most constantly when my friends ask me is the Pit Boss,” Steven says. Its effectivity and price make it essentially the most value efficient full-size pellet grill we advocate. 

With good smoke style, a digital administration panel, and 4 wheels for simple transferring, the Skilled 780 delivers good effectivity for its price. It was moreover exceptionally simple to assemble.

Whether or not or not you have received a small yard or are trying to find a pellet grill to take to a campsite or tailgate, this Traeger has ample cooking home for about 12 burgers and is decrease than $500. With two wheels and foldable legs, this issue weighs merely 60 kilos. It isn’t the fanciest grill, however it really works successfully given its dimension and price.

The Assessments

• Assembly Check out: We assembled the grills and timed how prolonged it took to take motion.
• Hen Wings Check out: We made 5 kilos of hen wings on each pellet grill, recording the time frame it took the grill to realize 225°F using a separate wi-fi grill thermometer and cooking the wings for about two and a half hours.
• Baking Check out: We baked a frozen pizza on each grill at 425°F (timing how prolonged it took the grill to realize this purpose temperature).
• Searing and Grilling Check out: We grilled 4 8-ounce flank steaks on each model at 500°F, evaluating their functionality to hold out on the subsequent temperature and recording how scorching they obtained.
• Pork Shoulder Check out (Winners Solely): On each of our favorite grills, we smoked a 7-pound pork shoulder at 225°F, recording notes on the finished meat’s bark and smoke ring depth.
• Usability Assessments: All by means of testing, we evaluated how simple the pellet grill was to perform by the use of its administration panel and app. We moreover well-known how intuitive it was in order so as to add pellets and monitor gasoline ranges and the best way sometimes the pellets needed to be replenished.

What Is a Pellet Grill?

A pellet grill is thermostatically managed and makes use of a fan to blast heat spherical its cooking chamber, like a convection oven. As a result of this indirect heat provide, pellet grills can smoke meals, too, at lower and slower temps and events. Due to this pellet grills are generally known as pellet individuals who smoke. 

Regardless of the nomenclature, with the form of grill, you merely select a temperature, and the controller maintains it by feeding picket pellets from the hopper to the fireside pot using an auger. They’re ignited by what’s sometimes known as a Scorching Rod, the smoke and heat then wafting upwards into the cooking chamber. Of the grills and individuals who smoke in the marketplace, it’s basically essentially the most set-it-and-forget-it and options like an oven: Turning on and off to care for a set temperature. You may pretty really go to sleep understanding that your pellet grill might have an distinctive brisket prepared for you throughout the morning (everyone knows because of we’ve completed it).

Whereas it was that pellet grills had just a few heat settings (like excessive and low), the digital, thermostatic controllers now present in depth temperature ranges which will, sometimes, be set in 5-degree increments. Many grills even come outfitted with probes for displaying meals’s inside temperature on every the administration panel and of their apps (though we nonetheless desire to have a loyal wi-fi grill thermometer, which is normally further right).

It’s true that even basically essentially the most main pellet grills are pricier. As an illustration, essentially the most value efficient suggestion on our guidelines is about $400, whereas you presumably can snag our favorite charcoal grill for spherical $200. That acknowledged, just some of our excessive picks are $750 to $1000, which is what you’d spend on a feature-heavy gasoline grill or maybe a gasoline smoker, and in addition you’re really paying a premium for a pellet grill’s consolation.

A Short-term Historic previous of Pellet Grills

Traeger invented the first picket pellet grill in 1987 after that they had been a heating agency. “They’re located in Oregon and had been down the highway from a sawmill,” Steven says. “[They] requested them if they may have their sawdust fairly than merely remove it.” 

The company compressed that sawdust and made it into picket pellets to gasoline their furnaces. In the end, they wished to find a strategy to extend earnings within the summertime (when furnace use was nil) and created a grill that will use these pellets. Shortly ample, rivals took uncover and commenced producing comparable fashions.

What We Realized

What Are the Execs of Pellet Grills? 

We’ve touched on a number of of those above already, nonetheless listed beneath are 4 of our favorite points about pellet grills:

• Style: Pellet grills add smoky, wood-fired flavors with out the utilization of charcoal. Plus, there are a variety of pellets accessible (like pecan, cherry, and mesquite) that imbue completely totally different flavors into meals and burn hotter and sooner or cooler and slower. It’s worth experimenting to look out your pellet want.  
• Usability: A pellet grill really is as simple as together with pellets to the hopper, turning on the grill, and setting your temp and time. The grill regulates itself after that, robotically feeding pellets into the cooking chamber. They’re a lot much less finicky and additional hands-off than most any smoker—along with electrical ones—and their offset hopper enables you to merely add further pellets mid-cook. It’s moreover worth noting that the ash is way much less messy (and plentiful) than that of charcoal.
• Temp Range and Precise Administration: “Counting on the producer, many fashions can cope with any cooking session: from a low and sluggish 225ºF to a steak-searing 700ºF,” Steven says. Some pellet grills, similar to the Yoder, even help you to set the temp in 5-degree increments, offering distinctive administration.
• Eco-Friendliness: Picket pellets are constituted of compressed sawdust, which is a further sustainable gasoline provide than charcoal or gasoline. 

Do Pellet Grills Have Any Cons?

In any case, pellet grills aren’t all sunshine, pork butts, and rainbows. There are 4 cons we predict are worth noting: 

• Electrical vitality: All pellet grills require electrical vitality. You’ll should run an extension twine from the storage, out a window, and so forth, so resolve a helpful spot to your pellet grill the place you presumably can entry an outlet.
• Gasoline Various: In distinction to totally different individuals who smoke, which run the gamut of gasoline and flavoring selections—along with charcoal and picket chips—pellet grills solely take pellets. As aforementioned, you should buy numerous sorts of pellets, nonetheless you’re nonetheless caught with the one (sometimes pricier) gasoline provide. 
• Searing Expertise: Whereas gasoline grills normally max out at 500 to 550ºF, charcoal grills can get loads, loads hotter—best for searing meat. Pellet grills are further like gasoline grills, with many fashions maxing out at 500ºF. Nonetheless, resulting from their indirect heat, they nonetheless sear a lot much less successfully than a gasoline grill (further on this beneath).
• Worth: Compared with gasoline or charcoal, pellet grills are generally costlier.

Pellet vs. Gasoline vs. Charcoal Grills

A charcoal grill or a gasoline grill will do a higher job at searing and getting that fascinating Maillard response than a pellet grill. Due to this we ceaselessly take into account pellet grills further as individuals who smoke. Within the occasion you’re merely attempting to quickly grill up hen thighs on a weeknight, every gasoline and charcoal grills are more than likely larger selections.

Nonetheless, if you would like a grill which will smoke and sear decently and positively excels at imparting deliciously smoky style over an prolonged put together meal time, a pellet grill is an efficient choice. As talked about above, pellets are less complicated to utilize and work with than charcoal (no breaking out a chimney starter) and pellet grills are further intuitive than each their gasoline or charcoal cousins. Within the occasion you’ve used an oven, you’ll be succesful to effectively perform a pellet grill.

Do You Need a Good Pellet Grill? 

All nonetheless two of our excessive picks—the Pit Boss and Traeger Tailgater, essentially the most value efficient of our solutions—are WiFi- and Bluetooth-compatible. This allows you to acquire the pellet grill’s proprietary app and set the grill’s temp, monitor cooking progress, and take a look at on pellet ranges remotely. Whereas good choices will value you further, they do massively add to the pellet grill’s efficiency, significantly within the occasion you propose on using it for longer smoking intervals.

What Measurement Pellet Grill Must You Buy?

Most of our pellet grills (other than our compact resolve) present 640 to 880 sq. inches of cooking home, which is large ample to make hen wings to feed a crowd. Mainly, we’re saying go for the biggest grill your yard and value vary can cope with. A smaller grill can’t match further, nonetheless a a lot larger one can accommodate a lot much less.

Is a pellet grill (smoker) worth it?

Though they’re expensive even at entry-level, pellet grills/individuals who smoke are nicely definitely worth the funding for those who want to smoke your particular person meat and aren’t fearful about high-level grilling performance. That acknowledged, for ultimate versatility, a pellet grill is an effective alternative because of it can be used as a smoker, nonetheless you’ll also have a real-deal grill to work with.

The Requirements: What to Seek for in a Pellet Grill

Since pellet grills are simple to utilize and thermostatically managed, buy one which inserts your value vary and outdoors home. Within the occasion you’ll be able to swing it, go for one which has good choices, which might make it simple to handle and monitor the pellet grill remotely and is very helpful for longer smoking intervals. Within the occasion you’re all in favour of doing further grilling than smoking, go for a pellet grill that has the subsequent temperature fluctuate for deeper searing and browning.

Our Favorite Pellet Grills

What we favored: This mammoth of a pellet grill boasts 924 sq. inches of cooking home, making it superfluous within the occasion you rarely smoke meat, nonetheless a boon within the occasion you are constantly throwing meaty yard bashes. All through testing, we (and all of our lucky check out matters) swooned over the outcomes pumped out by this youngster: ribs, pork butt, and hen wings had been succulent and considerably (nonetheless not overwhelmingly) smoky. Whole, it’s a tremendous grill that produces barky, smoky outcomes every time (significantly within the occasion you utilize the Great Smoke setting) and means that you can set the temp in 5-degree increments. We’d advocate investing in a separate wi-fi grill thermometer, nonetheless we’d say that for any grill or smoker anyway. “After using the Traeger extensively ultimate summer season season (and when the craving for smoked meat hit throughout the fall and winter) I can say that its longevity has stood the check out of time—and tons of meat,” Grace says. “Whereas the internal ambient thermometer continues to be not the easiest, paired with a separate one, I can merely regulate the temperatures and preserve my smoked meat on observe to succulent, smoky glory.”

What we didn’t like: The most important draw again was the app and smoker interface had been glitchy when utilized in tandem, nonetheless within the occasion you set your cooking parameters manually on the smoker or just used the app, the whole thing turned out prime quality. In any case, $2,000 may also be pretty pricey.

Key Specs

• Cooking ground house: 924 sq. inches
• Dimensions: 34 x 70 x 40 inches
• Temperature fluctuate: 165 to 500°F
• Assure: 10-year restricted
• Additional choices: App appropriate; cooking probes; digital present
• Assembly: Simple

What we favored: This grill is exceptionally simple to utilize, with a digital administration panel, app, and spacious side tables. Its side-located pellet hopper has a big opening for simple loading and its app makes it simple to set and observe the grill’s inside temperature from afar. The Ironwood maintained fixed temperatures, and we found ourselves using it prolonged after testing was over. (Spice-rubbed hen thighs on this model are a dream.) Its pull-out ashtray conceals a disposable aluminum liner, which makes for simple cleanup.

What we didn’t like: In any case, the Ironwood is costly. Whereas we favored this grill’s smaller cooking ground for our grilling needs, these wanting to throw yard barbecue bashes may need one factor larger similar to the Ironwood XL.

Key Specs

• Cooking ground house: 616 sq. inches
• Dimensions: 34 x 59 x 40 inches
• Temperature fluctuate: 165 to 500°F
• Assure: 10-year restricted
• Additional choices: App appropriate; cooking probes; digital present
• Assembly: Simple

What we favored: The Weber establish has prolonged been synonymous with yard cooking, and the SmokeFire EX4 upholds the mannequin’s integrity. This grill smoked its strategy by the use of our checks with ease, delivering fixed outcomes and boasting a snazzy “smoke enhance” alternative. For this attribute, you’ll have to pick it at first of the put together meal time (or inside a number of hours of starting your smoke session) and it’ll allow pellets to burn lower, slower, and smokier.

The SmokeFire has the subsequent temperature fluctuate (200 to 600°F) and the hen wings and steak had good grill marks and charring. Compared with a number of of our totally different excessive picks, though, its smoky style was further delicate (we’ll title it medium). Nonetheless, a number of of our testers preferred this. All by means of a 10-hour smoke, it delivered right, fixed temps—on par with Yoder and Traeger fashions.

What we didn’t like: This isn’t the grill that’s going to wow you with over-the-top smoke style.

Key Specs

• Cooking house: 672 sq. inches
• Dimensions: 47 x 43 x 33 inches
• Temperature fluctuate: 200 to 600°F
• Assure: 10 years
• Additional choices: App appropriate; digital present; two cooking probes
• Assembly: Simple

What we favored: The testing notes of this Timberline describe it most interesting: “The administration panel on this grill appears as if it belongs on a spaceship on its strategy to find distant and smoky new worlds.” We found this grill to be simple to navigate and non-complicated to utilize, with a easy digital administration panel and intuitive app.

Nevertheless how does it perform once you’re strapped in and ready for liftoff? Very successfully. The Timberline delivered fixed temperatures whereas grilling or searing, yielding a common smoke style. Temperatures remained fixed between 200 to 225°F, and its smoke output meant that hen wings emerged with a sturdy—nonetheless not overpowering—smoky model. Following an 11-hour-long smoke session, pork shoulder had an evenly darkish bark with a smoke ring reaching 1 / 4 of an inch into the meat—outcomes paralleled solely by Ironwood XL. We moreover like this grill’s induction side burner and picket desk/cupboards, and that its assembly was seamless, with clear instructions and graphics. 

What we didn’t like: You’ll’t advocate a $3,500 grill with out mentioning its price. This model is undeniably pricey. It moreover has a lower temperature fluctuate.

Key Specs

• Cooking house: 880 sq. inches
• Dimensions: 35 x 59 x 25 inches
• Temperature fluctuate: 165 to 500°F
• Assure: 10 years
• Additional choices: Bluetooth probes; touchscreen present; induction cooktop; bamboo chopping board
• Assembly: Simple

What we favored: Yoder is known for heavy-duty rivals individuals who smoke and the 10-gauge-steel cooking chamber on this model offered unbelievable heat retention. It had the subsequent temp fluctuate (adjustable in 5-degree increments) and seared fantastically, too.

All through our grilling checks, the Yoder S640 produced a extreme amount of smoke. And prolonged smoke checks revealed a 3/8-inch smoke ring on our pork butt, with a relentless, medium-dark bark. “Like most hard-core grillers and individuals who smoke I do know of, I’ve plenty of grill varieties at residence and which one I benefit from for a given put together dinner session depends upon practically totally upon what I’m making and for the best way many people,” Steven says. “Not anymore. Whether or not or not I’m grilling burgers and scorching canine for my kids on a weeknight or collaborating in a BBQ rivals, the YS640 will do one thing and the whole thing I want it to with persistently wonderful style and actual outcomes like no totally different I’ve ever utilized in my life.”

What we didn’t like: As soon as extra, this grill is pricey, though arguably a higher price than the Traeger Timberline. Moreover, this issue is heavy (weighing a whopping 335 kilos). Thought-about one in every of our editors positioned it on their elevated deck, then wanted to switch down steps and onto a patio—no simple feat. 

Key Specs

• Cooking house: 640 sq. inches
• Dimensions: 55 x 61.3 x 36.1 inches
• Temperature fluctuate: 150 to 600ºF
• Assure: 10 years
• Additional choices: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity; two built-in cooking probes
• Assembly: Moderately simple (it’s heavy and would require two of us)

What we favored: “Part of our testing included a blind model check out and my personal rankings on a regular basis had been the similar: the Yoder YS640 and Traeger Timberline had been first or second in every class and in third was….Pit Boss??” Steven says. Definitely, the performance-meets-pricepoint of this pellet grill is worth raving about. Its searing panel obtained blisteringly scorching, yielding good browning no matter its lower temperature fluctuate. The Pit Boss moreover delivered a well-defined smoke style.

What we didn’t like: This pellet grill solely has two wheels, making transport extra sturdy. It moreover lacks the nice choices of the alternative grills. All through the prolonged smoke check out, the smaller hopper was noticeable and it needed refilling after merely two-and-a-half hours. It moreover ran hotter and fewer persistently than we’d like for smoking.

Key Specs

• Cooking house: 465 sq. inches
• Dimensions: 50.2 x 24 x 39.8 inches
• Temperature fluctuate: 180 to 500ºF
• Assure: 5 years
• Additional choices: N/A
• Assembly: Moderately simple (requires further devices)

What we favored: With a digital administration panel, an intuitive app, and fixed effectivity, we favored this Traeger model. Extreme-tech choices aside, the Skilled 780 performs like, uh, an expert. It had a fairly smokey style and delivered good grill marks. All through the prolonged smoke check out, it produced an enchanting 1/4-inch smoke ring on our pork butt. Like all of the Traegers we examined, this model was simple to assemble.

What we favored: Whole, this model yielded a lot much less smokey style than totally different pellet grills.

Key Specs

• Cooking house: 780 sq. inches
• Dimensions: 55 x 49 x 27 inches
• Temperature fluctuate: 165 to 500°F
• Assure: 3 years
• Additional choices: App appropriate; cooking probe
• Assembly: Simple

What we favored: It’s undoubtedly laborious to argue with this pellet grill’s portability, which is aided by a pair of smooth-rolling wheels and easy-to-fold legs. The Tailgater 20 is a possible crowd-pleaser because of the delicate smoke style it imparts all through every grilling and smoking—guaranteeing that even smoke flavor-averse guests will attain for yet another hen wing—and for those who want to use it for a protracted smoke, you utterly can. Whereas this more than likely isn’t a contest grill, it’s a tremendous candidate for anyone attempting to dabble in smoking, someone with a small yard, or if you would like a pellet grill to take to a tailgate.

What we didn’t like: Some thought that the Tailgater 20 produced a smoked pork butt with the second-least amount of smoke style.

Key Specs

• Cooking house: 300 sq. inches
• Dimensions: 36 x 37 x 18 inches
• Temperature fluctuate: 180 to 450°F
• Assure: 3 years
• Additional choices: Cooking probe
• Assembly: Simple

The Opponents

• Louisiana Grills Black Label: We found this grill had too many scorching spots to advocate.
• Rec-Tec 590: This grill was robust to assemble (it didn’t embrace a bodily instruction information for starters) and imparted no smoke style to the steak.
• Oklahoma Joe’s Rider 600 Pellet Grill: This grill imparted no smoke style to the steak, nonetheless, within the occasion you are proper right into a smoke-free grilling experience, it is doable you will like this grill.
• Traeger Ironwood 885: We preferred the effectivity of the Traeger Ironwood XL over this model—and have comparable favorites which will be cheaper. Nonetheless, that’s the pellet grill affiliate editorial director Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm owns and loves, so within the occasion you’re all in favour of it, you most likely obtained’t be dissatisfied. 
• Pit Boss 10537 Picket Pellet Grill: This grill lacked good choices and yielded a steak that tasted further baked than grilled.
• ZGrills Multitasker 11002B with Wifi: This grill was robust to assemble and carried out merely so-so.
• Camp Chef Woodwind: Moreover robust to assemble, we found the heat administration and retention lacking with this model.
• Traeger Ranger: For a conveyable, tabletop alternative, this isn’t unhealthy. Merely don’t anticipate the smoke or mega effectivity of standalone, full-sized grills, in any case.
• Traeger Grills Skilled Assortment 34: For the price, we anticipated larger outcomes and additional choices.
• ZGrills Enhance Picket Pellet Grill and Smoker: This grill was robust to assemble and its effectivity didn’t match its price.
• Inexperienced Mountain Davy Crockett Sense Mate Grill: This grill was moreover sturdy to assemble and yielded wings that tasted acrid. It match merely 4 kilos of wings.
• Char-Griller 9040 Picket Pellet Grill: A poor performer, this grill is now discontinued.
• Cookshack Fast Eddy’s Pellet Grill: We expert extreme factors with this grill’s fan, and are subsequently unable to advocate it.

FAQs

Which pellet grills are made throughout the USA?

Of this guidelines, the Yoder YS640 is the one one made within the USA. (It is usually one in every of many priciest pellet grills we examined.)

How do you smoke a turkey on a pellet grill?

When smoking a turkey, we desire to spatchcock it, since it would put together dinner up sooner (and additional evenly) than a whole one. We moreover advocate allowing the turkey some time to dry brine sooner than cooking, so the flavour soaks by the use of the pores and pores and skin; this prolonged brine time (with a rub that options baking soda) moreover helps draw moisture from the pores and pores and skin, leading to a crisper final product. For further solutions, do this textual content on how one can smoke a turkey that Kenji wrote.

Are pellet grills larger than gasoline grills?

First, let’s clear up some confusion: gasoline grills don’t smoke. Conversely, a pellet grill CAN grill, though most fashions really shine after they’re smoking. To sum it up: gasoline grills get hotter than a pellet grill and are larger at creating char, whereas pellet grills sometimes excel at smoking and battle to get a deep sear.

How loads does a pellet grill value?

Ah, successfully, as with many points, pellet grills can be found a ramification of prices and you may spend as loads as you want on one. Our most cost-effective suggestion is about $400 and our costliest is $3,300.

Why We’re the Consultants

• We examined 22 pellet grills and individuals who smoke—cooking higher than 200 kilos of hen wings, 80 kilos of steak, 9 pork shoulders, and 20 pizzas to land on our eight favorite grills.
• We now have continued to verify new pellet grills and individuals who smoke as they arrive out in order so as to add to and change this evaluation, along with this model from Traeger.
• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the affiliate editorial director at Extreme Eats. She’s been with the placement since 2021 and beforehand labored at America’s Check out Kitchen, Food52, and EatingWell. She’s written many opinions for this web site, along with Ooni ovens.
• Summer season Rylander is a contract creator and has written plenty of instruments opinions for Extreme Eats, along with pellet grills, Traeger grills, and gasoline grills. She’s been writing for Extreme Eats for about two years.