Pellet Smoker is the right solution for achieving convenient gas grilling and wood-smoked taste. Unlike other grilling methods, it doesn’t need any propane gas or natural gas. All you have to do is – plug it into an electric socket. Some of these appliances also come with App connectivity and control panel that let you regular the temperature. If have made your mind to invest in this machine, we recommend considering below factors to choose the right model that suits your requirements.
Cooking Area: One can determine their cooking area based on what type of food and for how many people they are cooking. The pellet smoker has a cooking area range of 300 – 1300 square inches. For instance, you need less cooking area when grilling steak or burger. While for brisket or beef ribs, you need a lot of cooking surface. So, choose accordingly. Hopper Capacity: A hopper is a container used for storing and feeding the pellets to the firepot through an auger. Its size is essential to determine how often one has to refill it and thereby to purchase more. So, choose a pellet smoker with proper hopper capacity, as per your cooking requirements. Temperature Range: Most of the pellet smokers come within temperature range of 180° – 500° Fahrenheit, which is perfect for baking, grilling, and smoking. If you want to sear or hot smoke your food, then ensure to choose a grill/smoker that reaches a temperature of 500° – 700°F.
Besides these factors, you should also consider other information like durability, capacity and warranty – which are clearly mentioned in the below “Buying Guide”. Using the same information, our team has shortlisted the Best Pellet Smokers available. Take a look below.
8 Best Pellet Smokers
8 Best Pellet Smokers Reviews
1. Cuisinart CPG-4000 Grill and Smoker
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Cuisinart is a well-known brand providing a wide range of kitchen appliances and outdoor cooking gear that includes grill and smokers as well. Their CPG-4000 has made to our list because of its amazing features and durability. Top Features:
This versatile appliance is suitable for grilling, smoking, baking, roasting, braising and barbeque. With two-tiered cooking grate, you can grill more food. It also has a folding which is handy for resting spices, serve ware and other essential tools. It has a unique portable design which makes it easy to transport it from garage to deck or any other pace easily. A handy grease bucket holder is provided where the hot grease can be collected. With precision temperature control, it can cook food slow, hot and fast as per your requirement. It comes with a thermostat feature which maintains the heat temperature. It also adds the wood pellets automatically based on the heat requirement. Unlike gas grills, this pellet grill doesn’t flare up causing a mess The outer surface or cover is wind and water resistant.
Warranty: Not provided Concerns:
Several people experienced issues with customer service
2. Z Grills Pellet Grill & Smoker
First on our list is a pellet smoker from the house of Z Grills. The Z Grills ZPG-7002B 2021 is an upgraded wood pellet grill and a smoker that comes in an 8 in one functionality. This rotisserie has a total of 8 features embedded into a single device. Top Features:
8 in one model that serves as a BBQ, wood fire pellet grill, smoking machine, baker, Roast, Braise, and more. Upgraded technology for better temperature management that will keep your meat hot to within 10 degrees of the preset temperature irrespective of the outside temperatures 20 pounds of wood pellets can serve to cook food up to a whole of 20 hours thus being effective than gas or electric smokers The single button-based operation makes it very easy to operate and use by basically anyone and everyone Upgraded digital control board allows for auto ignition and has temperature settings to change from 180 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. This upgrade also give you better pellet feed control systems as well. The automatic electric feed system will help you maintain the aforementioned stable temperature by optimizing the smoke output. LED screen for temperature readout and other data display as well Comes with a special waste oil collector that will allow you for easier and safe cleanup later The caster wheels allow for easier transportation from indoors to outdoors and beyond 700 square inches of large grilling area with a smoking rack of 6.9 inches x 27.5 inches. The hopper has a total of 20-pound storage capacity Made out of high-quality stainless steel material that has a polished finish and is heavily resistant against corrosion It also comes with a free cover that can be used to cover up the grill when you are out and not using it.
Warranty: Comes with a 3 years manufacturer’s warranty and also a 30 days return window as well Concerns:
None too specific to mention about
3. Traeger Pellet Grill and Smoker
Next up on our list is a pellet smoker with a very large smoking/cooking area. The Traeger Grills comes with an 884 square inches large cooking capacity. The Traeger TFB88PZBO Pro Series 34 is a bronze-colored pellet grill of a heavy-duty nature. Top Features:
6 in one mode of a smoking pellet grill. Can be used for grilling, cooking, baking, roasting, braising, BBQ and also for smoking as well Has a total cooking space of 884 square inches. To put things in perspective, it can accommodate up to 7 racks of ribs or maybe 8 chickens or maybe about 40 burgers. Comes with a precision temperature control option that will give you the ability to maintain the temperature and control it easily till a + or – 15 degrees Fahrenheit level. This enables you to grill perfectly The digital pro controller enables easier and simpler control of the smoker with functions such as “set and goes” etc., Made out of high quality and durable stainless steel metal. It is given a neat powder-coated finish that will make it easy to clean, maintain, and makes sure it does not rust away easily. Has a total of 34 wood pellet capacity in all and the Hopper has a total of 18 lbs capacity The porcelain grill grates enable for non-stick cooking and are very easy to clean post cooking
Warranty: Though there seems to be a warranty, there is no proper mention of it in the literature Concerns:
Warranty is not specified anywhere
4. Camp Chef SmokePro DLX Smoker
Camp Chef has been providing a wide range of smokers for the past 30 years. Their DLX pellet smoker has made to our list because of its features and efficiency. Top Features:
This smoker comes with a unique design and complete black finish which adds elegance to your outdoor area. It has come amazing features as well that include ash cleanout system which makes cleaning much easier compared to others. Because of temperature control system and auger work, it provides consistent and precise cooking experience. It comes with a temperature range between 160 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. You can set the precise temperature effortlessly using PID controller. The control system of this smoker is quite simple and easy to operate. Comes with 2 meat probes. It has cord management and grease management system. A side attachment called sidekick or sear box is provided along with the smoker.
Warranty: It is backed by 3-years of warranty duration which is actually upgraded from 1-year recently. This shows their confidence in the product. Concerns: A little bit difficult to remove excess pellets. Size is comparably small compared to other smokers in the market.
5. ASMOKE Pellet Grill and Smoker
ASMOKE is a trust-worthy brand that aims in providing with high-quality. Their grill and smoker models have excellent quality similar to premium brands. And this is the main reason why it has made a place in our list. Top Features:
This appliance can be used in 8 different ways that include searing, boiling, char-grill, roast, braise, bake and barbeque. It has large cooking area of 700 sq. inches which is ideal for large families and gathering. As it has 25.8LBS hopper capacity, it is capable of providing continuous smoking for long duration. It is designed with proprietary internal design and patented stainless-steel slide-plate. These features ensure even distribution of the heat. This smoker has UL certification for heavy-duty construction and FDA certification for quality.
Warranty: It comes with 5-years of limited warranty. Concerns:
People experienced issues with auger Temperature regulation is not present
6. Pit Boss Pellet Smoker
Pit Boss pellet smoker features a total cooking area of 849 square inches, and include more than 800 square inches of cooking space. It comes with a stainless steel side shelf, a built in spice rack and removable tray. Top Features
With the dial-in digital control, you can set the temperature for cooking the food to make it juicy. You can set a temperature between the range of 180 Fahrenheits and 500 Fahrenheits. The pellet smoker comes with a sliding plate. By sliding the plate, you can grill the food using a direct and indirect flame. There are vent holes present on the back of the smoker. The smoke is released through these holes. The pellet smoker comes with a fan that drives the smoke through the vent holes. The pellet smoker is made of premium stainless steel and a mahogany finish. The mahogany is coated with a high-temperature powder to resist the high temperature. The pellet smoker has multiple attachments that you can remove when not in use. You get a stainless steel thermometer, stainless steel bottle opener, bottom shelf, and removable side shelf that can be used as serving trays. The two large wheels help in transporting the smoker easily.
Warranty: Pit Boss backs this pellet smoker with a 5 years warranty Concerns
There have been numerous customer complaints of the temperature dial-in digital control becoming faulty after using for some time.
7. Oklahoma Joe’s Pellet Smoker
Oklahoma Joe’s pellet smoker has the largest cooking surface among the pellet smokers on our list with 1,060 square inches. Top Features
Cooking area is divided into 751 square inches of primary space and 309 square inches of secondary space. The reverse flow feature and the 4 baffles collect the smoke and deliver it through the main chamber. The pellet smoker is very durable and can last for a long time, thanks to the all-steel construction and porcelain-coated cooking grates. The firebox chamber comes with a large fuel basket made of stainless steel and a clean-out door to help you remove the ash easily. There are multiple dampers that help in controlling the smoke released during cooking. The heavy-duty 10 inches wheels can handle the weight of the pellet smoker and help in maneuvering it easily. You get two shelves along with the smoker, one at the front and one at the bottom for keeping your ingredients.
Warranty: Oklahoma Joe’s pellet smokers come with a 1-year warranty period from the date of purchase. Concerns
As the pellet smoker is made of steel, it can get rusted over time. The smoke leaks through the lids and clouds the cooking area with smoke.
8. Monument Grills Wood Pellet Outdoor Smoker
The next product from our list is from a famous brand called Monument Grills. Their chimney-less outdoor smoker is the perfect choice for people who love outside barbeques. Top Features:
This smoker has a unique octagonal column oven design which ensures heat insulation. It has 530 square inches of total cooking area. Two adjustable cooking racks are provided so you can smoke or cook more amount of food at once. Another two meat probes are provided along with it which can be used for food or BBQ. It comes with a precise temperature control and pellet feed control system. This ensures precise grilling experience. The lid comes with metal fibre sealing strip which ensures the smoke circulates within the device and doesn’t slip out. As it comes with sturdy and easy to move wheels, you can transport it easily from one place to another without any issues.
Warranty: The duration of warranty is not provided Concerns:
Some people experienced ERL error codes
How to Choose the Best Pellet Smoker or Grill?
A pellet smoker is the most popular food smoking machine and gives a certain flavor to the meat that is unparalleled with most types of smoking methods. Though there are various factors to take into consideration while purchasing this pellet smoker. Go through this guide to pick the best pellet smoker, as per your requirement.
1. Cooking Surface Area:
How much cooking surface area do we need? It is a quite common question that arises while buying a pellet smoker. However, it depends on the type of food you grill or smoke and the number of people you are cooking for. If you want to grill a steak or burger for an easy, quick and tasty dinner, then you won’t require a lot of cooking surface. While brisket or beef ribs (huge cuts of beef) is your favorite meats to smoke, then you need a lot of cooking space/chamber to accommodate and smoke it properly. In general, the pellet grills/smokers come with a cooking space of 300 – 1300 square inches. The larger the cooking space of a smoker is, the more quantity food it cooks and is expensive. So, pick the one, as per your cooking requirements. Also, use a secondary rack to increase the existing cooking space, which is widely available in the market.
2. Temperature Range:
Most pellet grills offer temperature ranges of 180° – 500° Fahrenheit, which is perfect for baking, grilling, and smoking. In case, if you want to smoke food slowly at a low temperature, then operate the pellet grills with a temperature range of 180°F – 400°F. If you want to sear or hot smoke your food, then ensure to choose a grill/smoker that reaches a temperature of 500° – 700°F.
3. Temperature Controls:
Pellet smokers with digital controllers are the best option to choose, why because they have complete control over temperature and thereby makes perfect grilling. Also, you can set and forget the grilling/smoking of food in this grill, as the allows you to stay away from the grill while smoke progresses. There are three main types of controllers available in the market. PID Controllers – This type of controller offers auto-pilot smoking. Here, complex algorithms are implemented to maintain the temperature within the specific ranges. Also, it features an LED read-out for warmth, temperature gauge and sensitive meat probes. Non-PID Controllers – They allow you to change the pellet smoker’s temperature to rise in 5 – 10°F temperature intervals. It features LED displays, meat probes and a one-touch button. 3-Position Controllers – This type of controller offers three different heat settings – high (425°F), medium (325°F) and low (225°F). It feeds pellets into the combustion chamber at fixed intervals, which means you have less control over the temperature. So, they are lower-priced models than the other two controllers. Most pellet smokers feature outputs to plug-in meat probes, which let you easily read the internal meat temperature on the grill’s LED display. So, check and set the right temperature for perfect grilling. For instance, a pellet smoker with a 40-pound hopper capacity provides around 40 hours of cooking time at standard smoking temperatures. It would be problematic while using a pellet grill with an 18-pound hopper to cook food that takes around 20-hours. Also, the climatic condition will affect the pellets consumption. If you are living in a cold climate, then the cooker will make use of more fuel to maintain temperature while cooking food. Purchase the hopper extensions that are available for the pellet grill/smoker. Ensure that this hopper extender is compatible with your pellet smoker (prefer to purchase both from the same manufacturer).
5. Durability and Construction Material:
The durability of a particular pellet smoker depends on its construction material. So, prefer to choose a smoker, which consists of a powder-coated stainless-steel body with sturdy construction. Thus, its quality ensures it can last longer with weather-proof and rust-resistant. The flame deflector, fire pot, grates, and drip pan are the main components of the pellet smoker that are considered the most. If all these components are made with marine-grade 304-stainless steel, then your smoker will last for a longer time (lifetime). Apart from this, a grill having tempered steel or heavy-duty cast-iron cooking grates will distribute heat evenly and quickly. If you want to use a powder-coated steel grill, then make sure it is of high-quality coating. Or else whenever its paint blisters or chips, the smoker starts to rust and thereby may deteriorate gradually. Also, the pellet smoker made with high-quality material will ensure efficient pellet consumption, retain heat, and maintain proper temperature (especially in cold weather). So, prefer to choose a high-quality smoker to perform better.
6. Pellet Delivery:
In general, the wood pellets get delivered into an auger tube and thereby to the combustion chamber to fire up the pellet smoker. So, the more pellets enter into the combustion chamber, the more heat it generates. Make sure that there is a safe distance from the tip of the electrical-powered auger tube to the combustion chamber to prevent catching any fire from unused pellets in storage. Also, choose a model with wide sized augers for free flow of wood pellets and to prevent them from getting jammed.
7. Additional Features and Capabilities:
Top-notch models offer excellent added features to enhance the grilling experience. Have a look at some of these features. Wi-Fi Connectivity: Almost all modern pellet smokers offer Wi-Fi connectivity. Download the app, which is compatible with your smoker (manufacturer suggested). When once your smartphone and smoker get connected via WiFi, you can easily get control over the pellet smoker, irrespective of your distance (near or not near to smoker). You can change the grilling time, temperature and any other settings you want to change for a perfect smoking effect and to have an enjoyable grilling experience. Meat Probe: This meat probe will let you easily check the temperature of meat, which you are cooking in a pellet smoker. Attach one end of the probe to the pellet smoker and the other end to the meat. When the meat starts cooking, its temperature will be displayed on the smoker’s LCD monitor. So, you know its temperature without opening the smoker’s cover and insert a thermometer to check manually. Sear Box: A few smoker models come with a sear box, which offers hot smoking and extra char-grilling capability. So, if you are looking for this feature, then check out whether your model possesses this feature or not before making its purchase. Grilling Options: Lack of grilling capability is the main drawback observed in the traditional pellet smokers/cookers. So, to overcome this problem, most manufacturers designed their pellet smokers with either a dedicated grilling area within the smoker (or) place the grilling plate by removing part of the diffuser plate. Choose the one that is convenient and comfortable for your grilling. Built-in Lighting: This feature is quite helpful in situations where you want to grill outdoors with low light conditions. Then this built-in lighting will let you cook food easily and quickly. Multiple Level Cooking Racks: These cooking racks offer differing heat levels on the smoker, which let you cook different types of food at a time. It is quite useful while having small get-togethers, or parties. Check for this option, if you want to cook different foods at a time. Other additional features for comfortable usage of pellet smokers include digital control buttons, tool hooks for storage, automatic start function and built-in shelves for preparation space. The hickory pellet is another most popularly used pellets while cooking some barbecues to provide a strong pleasantry smell to kick your meat. For cooking a few kinds of food, you can even mix some pellets to provide the perfect flavor and scent to your food.
9. Versatility:
Though we call it a pellet smoker, this doesn’t mean to use exclusively for smoking. Most products are designed to be versatile enough, which let you use them for grilling, roasting, and braising, other than smoking. Also, they offer wide temperature adjustments, which allow you to change the heat level, as per the requirement of a specific recipe/dish.
10. Size and Built:
One has to check the space availability in their area before placing this pellet smoker. However, we find them in various sizes and forms, in which you have to pick the one that fits perfectly in your area. For this, you can either select from vertical smokers or traditional looking grills.
11. Pellet Consumption:
Always check whether your pellet burner (or pellet hog) is consuming excessive pellets or not before you purchase a pellet smoker. Avoid purchasing a too thin or too thick pellet cooker. The reason is that if it is a too thin one, heat gets lost through the cooker body, while for too thick metal, its walls act as a heat sink. So, in both cases, they consume a lot of pellets to maintain the desired temperature in the cooking area. Also, the pellet consumption depends on the smoke/heat settings. Most experts suggest you choose a pellet smoker that uses a maximum of a pound per hour at smoking temperatures. So, check out how many pounds of pellets per hours your smoker burns while purchasing.
12. Portability:
Most grills offer various amazing features and one among them is portability. This lets you move the smoker from one place to another. So, look for a model that offers a locking caster, sturdy wheels, carrying handles, and foldable legs for easy transportation. A few models have only two wheels on their back, which makes it challenging to move around. Make sure to pick the pellet smoker that comes with four wheels attached to make it easy to maneuver around. While searching for a smoker for camping or traveling, then it should be lightweight, compact and easy to move.
13. Weight:
Usually, most pellet smokers are heavier than traditional grillers. With this heavyweight, it would be a bit difficult to carry it from one place to another. So, to know the exact weight of your pellet smoker, simply assemble it properly and fill up the hopper with pellets and then weigh it. Thus, you came to know if you can easily and quickly carry it around.
14. Clean-Up:
It would be quite frustrating to clean your grill/smoker after cooking, especially when not having the right features. So, to make your cleaning process easier, check out the smoker that has removable grease trays or a proper grease management system along with ash removal design and dishwasher safe adjustable grates. Also, make sure your pellet hoppers will allow you to replace the wood pellets with ease and to be cleaned easily.
15. Customer Support:
Having a good customer support team of a pellet smoker will definitely improve your experience and resolve your queries quickly. For this, you have to read all the rating, reviews and customer feedback for each brand. This will provide a clear idea on which one provides the best support and which one won’t provide. So, choose it wisely.
16. Price:
Based on the built construction and its features, pellet smokers have different price ranges. For a quality model, the price range will be $400 – $2000. With these huge price variations, you have to check out the essential features required by writing a checklist, and then choose a model that offers all these features within your price range.
17. Warranty:
The warranty period of a given pellet smoker is essential to consider while purchasing the pellet smoker. Pick the one that offers a lengthy/long warranty. The reason is that various small moving parts may break/crack with time, and thereby makes it unable to use properly. So, do some research to know the warranty length and the things covered within the warranty range. Thus, check out different brands and select the best one.
How does a pellet smoker work?
One has to understand the working of a pellet smoker, you have to learn all about its different components and their respective functionalities. Have a look at them.
Hopper – It is a container to store hardwood pellets. You have to refill the pellet as per your temperature requirement and cooking duration. FirePot – The main area of the smoker where the pellet burns to create fire. Here the auto-ignition starts and burns pellets when they reach this firepot. Auger – This long screw is used to carry pellets from hopper to firepot. The pellets delivering speed in the auger is directly proportional to the thermostat of the smoker. Rod – With this hot rod, the auto-ignition start the fire up and thereby burns the wood pellets inside the firepot. Fan – It is essential to keep the fire burning. With its constant flow of air, it preserves the fire burning in the firepot and thereby aids in proper smoking. Also, it effectively circulates the smoke and heat around the food while cooking.
Till now, you came to know about its essential components. Now let’s know all about its working process.
Initially, move the wood pellets from the hopper to the firepot with the help of an auger. Here the electric ignition burns a hot rod to start a fire up and add delicious flavor to the food. Then the fan circulates the heat and smoke for consistent, quick & even cooking. A drip tray will keep the flames off the food and thereby avoid flare-ups. Its controller will help to maintain the desired temperature throughout the smoking process. Thus, you spend less time on this cooking process.
Advantages and disadvantages of Pellet Smokers:
Pellet grills or smoker is undoubtedly a wonderful product that let you smoke or grill the food. Every product has its pros and cons based on various parameters. Here let’s know about the advantages and disadvantages of pellet smokers.
Pros of Pellet Smoker:
Automatic Feeds – You can set this pellet grill/smoker and forget about its smoking or grilling process, as it automatically feeds pellets to fuel up the fire till it completes the cooking process. Flavored with Wood Fire Smoke – Cooking your food with a wood fire will definitely add flavor to the food. Thus, you can enjoy delicious wood-fired smoke food. Easy to Reload the Hoppers – A pellet smoker won’t let you actively manage the fire. For this, you have to add more pellets to the hopper, whenever they get low. Less Ongoing Maintenance – Most pellet smokers allow you to quickly clean the cooking area after you are done with cooking. Won’t Produce a Lot of Ash – The pellet smoker doesn’t produce much ash while smoking. Also, it is easy to clean the ash pan after using it each time.
Cons of Pellet Smokers:
Hassle to Add More Pellets – In case, if you have a pellet smoker with a smaller hopper capacity, then it would be a hassle to add pellets to the hopper, especially while smoke or grill frequently. Rely on Electronics – We mostly rely on electronics and the cheaper models may prone to auger jams and thereby may break the electronics. Expensive – When compared with other types of smokers and grills, these pellet smokers are on a bit expensive side. Heavy – The pellet grills are heavy and hard to move around (not much portable). So, try to fix this pellet smoker in a place without moving it around.
Conclusion
Out of all the smoker grills mentioned in the list today, the Z Grills ZPG-7002B is the best pellet grill and smoker out there. This 8 in one machine can be used as both a grill, a smoker for BBQ for baking, for braising, roasting and much more. With a very large 700 square inches cooking area, it is perfect for all occasions and a lot of people gatherings. It also has a great and upgraded digital control, perfect temperature control and also, 3 years of warranty too. All of these, and the absolutely promising reviews and ratings make it the best pellet smoker machine to buy online. While that was our list, we want to see if you liked it. Or even if you have any questions for us. Feel free to write to us in the comments section below and our team will write back to you as soon as possible. Comment * Name * Email * Website
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