What are the Best Wood Pellet Grills?
When it comes to grilling or barbecuing, more and more backyard chefs are looking toward wood pellet grills for both ease of use and authentic flavor.
There are many wood pellet grills on the market today, but some backyard chefs get overwhelmed when it comes to finding the best wood pellet grill that is right for them and their needs. Because there are many types of wood pellet grills and many different options that come with each grill, it is easy to become confused or overwhelmed by the sheer amount of buying choices.
We’ve taken a look at some of the best wood pellet grills on the market for the fall of 2020 and have selected four examples that we believe represent the best wood pellet grills for the backyard chief for authentic flavor, ease of use, best features, and more.
Best Wood Pellet Grills On The Market
Last update on 2022-07-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best Wood Pellet Grills Best Wood Pellet Grills On The Market1. Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill Smoker - best pellet grill for searing2. Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker - wood pellet smoker3. Camp Chef PG24MZG SmokePro Slide Smoker - best smoer grills4. Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill with Sear Box - best pellet smoker grillBuying GuideConclusionWhat is the Best Wood Pellet Grills? Keep reading to find out!
1. Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill Smoker - best pellet grill for searing
- ULTIMATE 8-IN-1: Barbecue wood fire pellet grill: bbq✓bake✓roast✓braise✓smoke✓grill✓sear✓char-grill
- Pellet Grill Technology: There just isn’t an easier way to get the flavor of wood smoked food than with a pellet grill. Try it, you’ll taste the difference from a GAS or CARBON grill.
- Set the Temperature, Relax, and Enjoy: Z Grills pellet grills will do all the work for you once you set the temperature. No labor-intensive start-up. No babysitting the grill. Enjoy the cooking!
- 538 sq. in. Cooking Area: Two tiers of grill rack offer 538 sq. in. of total cooking area to feed 4 to 5 people. The removable upper rack gives the extra height for the main surface when removed.
- 8-in-1 Versatility: A wide temperature range from 180 to 450 °F allows you to bake, grill, smoke, BBQ, roast, braise, barbeque, and char-grill a seemingly unlimited amount of recipes.
Last update on 2022-07-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
From Z Grills comes one of the best smokers on the market today. This grill has some of the best technology and features that will make it work for any backyard chef, no matter your level of experience or what you want to grill.
Z Grill's Wood Pellet Smoker lets you:
- Grill
- Smoke
-
Bake
-
Roast
-
Braise
- Barbecue
Among the best smoker grills available, Z Grills' Wood Pellet Grill Smoker features Z Grills' patented Smart Grill Technology, allowing you to "set it and forget it," without worrying about your meat becoming burned or otherwise overcooked.
Fueled solely by the best wood pellets, Z Grills' Wood Pellet Smoker is made from high-quality carbon steel.
Further, it comes with a three-year warranty, among the best warranties in the grill industry.
This grill works well for:
- Backyard use at home
- Camping
- Tailgating
- Large Parties
- Poolside use
Among the smokers you can pick for your home, Z Grills' Wood Pellet Smoker comes with two large cooking areas. The first cooking areas is a whopping 513-square inches. The second area is 187-quare inches.
It can heat up to 25,000 BTUs per hour, and reach cooking temperatures of between 180 and 450 degrees.
Other key features include:
- 20lb Hopper Capacity
- Pellet Purging System
- Electronic Auto Ignition
- Shutdown recycling mode
- Internal temperature sensors
The best smokers will have internal temperature sensors similar to what Z Grills offers. This particular internal temperature sensor is very accurate, meaning you won't have to use your own thermometer or simply guess when the grill has reached optimum temperature for whatever your are cooking.
Weighing only 120 lbs, this grill can easily be transported to a tailgate, office party, or on camping trips with little to no difficulty. Its dimensions are such it will easily fit in the bed of a pickup truck, on a small trailer, or in the back of larger SUVs.
Although this smoker grill does require assembly, the instructions for assembly are clear and concise, and you can have the entire thing put together and ready to grill in less than an hour.
This grill also has an added bonus: it ships with a free heavy-duty grill cover that will keep your grill protected no matter what the weather when not in use.
Check Price On Amazon Read Our In-Depth Review2. Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker - wood pellet smoker
Sale- ULTIMATE 8-IN-1 WOOD PELLET GRILL & SMOKER - bbq✓bake✓roast✓braise✓smoke✓grill✓sear✓char-grill, you can do everything on here
- PELLET GRILL TECHNOLOGY - It’s the best and easiest way to get wood-smoked flavors. Anyone will instantly realize the taste is better than a gas or charcoal grill
- MAKES YOU A GOOD CHEF - One button starts up, this pellet grill will maintain the preset temperature within 10 degrees fluctuation and produce the optimal amount of smoke, easy and steady
- FOR FAMILIES AND PARTIES - Features 700 sq inches of wide cooking space that allows you to place all at once and cook efficiently, 180° to 450° F Adjustable temperature range gives you great flexibility for different food
- LESS PELLET FILLING, MORE SMOKING - The 20 lbs large-capacity pellet hopper offers a longer cooking time, eliminating the need to refill the hopper constantly
Last update on 2022-07-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Z Grills brings backyard chefs another of the best smokers available today for home use.
This unit allows you to be a versatile barbecue cook, in that it is suited for cooking things quickly over maximum heat, or slowly over low heat.
This smoker grill offers users the ability to:
- Grill
- Smoke
- Bake
- Roast
-
Braise
- Barbecue
- Sear
The patented Smart Digital Controller keeps cooking surface temperatures within 20 degrees of exactly what you are setting the grill temperature control dial at.
For a smaller model, this grill still has a serious amount of cooking area. It offers 324 square feet of cooking area on the main rack and 128 square feet of cooking area in the warming rack.
That translates to:
- Up to four whole chickens
- Up to five racks of ribs
- 24 standard size burgers
Among the best smoker grills for any chef, this comes with Z Grill's three-year warranty and 100 percent satisfaction guarantee--one of the leading warranties and guarantees in the industry.
Z Grills award-winning design makes this one of the best wood pellet grills on the market today, and allows you to get a natural, wood flavor.
Plus, it looks fantastic and you won't feel like you have to hide the grill from company.
Too, because this grill features electric ignition, you will have absolutely no gas taste in your food compared to other wood smokers that require propane to lite.
Those who have purchased this grill have raved about the value for the price, and the ease of use for all of the different things you can do on this grill.
Check Price On Amazon Read Our In-Depth Review3. Camp Chef PG24MZG SmokePro Slide Smoker - best smoer grills
- SLIDE AND GRILL- grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and barbecue with Premium wood-fired flavor on a single grill. Digital control, best of both Worlds, use the meat probe to check the internal temperature or toggle the grill temp with the push of a button
- NEW PID CONTROLLER- Gen 2 PID Controller 1-10 Smoke Setting (Not WIFI Compatible)
- EASY ASH CLEANOUT- cleaning between cooks is as easy as pulling a lever, thanks to the exclusive ash cleanout system You won’t find on any other grill. That means less time wrestling with the vacuum and more time enjoying heavenly food
- EASY ASSEMBLY and start up- check out the walk-through assembly video on camp chef site, so you can get cooking right away. In just a few minutes, you’ll be ready to load up the grill with whole chickens, Brisket, ribs, jerky, & more
- FOLDING FRONT SHELF- comes with full sized folding shelf PGFS24 $74 MSRP
Last update on 2022-07-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
A little more pricy than some models, coming in at around $649.00, Camp Chef's Smoke Pro Slide Smoker is far and away one of the best smoer grills on the market today for the home chef.
Its slide-and-grill system allows the backyard chef to:
- Grill
- Smoke
- Bake
- Roast
-
Braise
- Barbecue
- Sear
It offers digital controls as well as a special meat probe to allow you to check the internal temperature of the meat and then adjust the temperature of the grill itself with the simple push of a button.
Its industry-leading advanced digital control system and Smart Digital Temperature Control works hand and hand with the automatic auger to feed pellets directly in to the grill. Just make sure you are using the best wood pellets available, and you will be in good shape.
This system allows your food to receive just the right amount of smoke without the hassle of standing over the smoker constantly.
Camp Chef's patented ash cleanout system means you won't have to resort to the shop vac anymore to ensure your grill remains clean. The ash clean out system drops the ashes—ALL of the ashes—directly in to a reservoir below the grill.
This model also features a bonus dual upper shelf to nearly duble the overall cooking area. In total, it features 811 square inches of cooking surface!
This smoker grill’s easy set up and assembly will have you from out of the box to grilling in around 35 minutes.
Those who have used this grill to smoke fish have raved about its ability to maintain the constant 160 degree temperature required to handle the most delicate of sea foods.
Too, Camp Chef offers unparalleled customer service, and will make sure any problems you have are quickly addressed. Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill with Sear Box
Check Price On Amazon Read Our In-Depth Review4. Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill with Sear Box - best pellet smoker grill
- SMART SMOKE TECHNOLOGY- The digital temperature control and automatic auger feed pellets into the grill to maintain the heat for you and produce the optimal amount of smoke. Just set it and let it—no more babysitting.
- ENDLESS VERSATILITY- Grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and barbecue all your favorite foods with premium wood-fired flavor on a single grill. Cook how you want with a huge temperature range at your fingertips, from 160° F up to 500° F.
- HUGE COOKING AREA- 811 square inches of cooking surface area and a removable upper warming rack give you enough room to cook for the entire neighborhood. Load up the grill with whole chickens, brisket, jerky, and more.
- PATENTED ASH CLEANOUT- Cleaning between cooks is as easy as pulling a lever, thanks to the exclusive Ash Cleanout system you won’t find on any other grill. That means less time wrestling with the vacuum and more time enjoying heavenly food.
- PERFECT SEARED FINISH- The included Sear Box reaches temperatures up to 900° F for a crisp, caramelized sear. Smoke burgers, steaks, chicken, and more on the grill, then transfer to the propane-fueled Sear Box to finish.
Last update on 2022-07-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Although this is among the more pricy of the best smoker grills, coming in at around $117.99, Camp Chef's Woodwind Pellet Grill with Sar Box includes bells and whistles that any backyard chef would die for.
With this smoker, you can:
- Grill
- Smoke
- Bake
- Roast
-
Braise
- Barbecue
- Sear
Camp Chef's Smart Smoke Technology means that digital temperature control and the automatic pellet auger work hand in hand to produce the right amount of smoke by putting wood pellets in the fire to maintain just the right amount of smoke.
The temperature range runs from 160 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, one of the hottest cooking temperatures of any grill on this list.
With 811 inches of cooking space, you'll be able to many roast chickens, entire briskets, and multiple racks of ribs all at the same time!
This grill also has Camp Chef's patented ash cleanout system, meaning you won't have to worry about using a vacuum or other tools to clean out the grill after smoking.
If you are looking to sear your foods, Camp Chef's searing box is the best on the market. It reaches temperatures of up to 900 degrees, meaning you can sear your meats with just the right amount of crispy, caramelized exterior to suit your taste--while keeping the inside tender and juicy.
Although this model is more complicated to assemble, you'll be rewarded with great cooking even with an average two and a half hour assembly time that requires many tools.
The 22 gallon capacity of the pellet tank means you can use an entire 20 lb bag of the best wood pellets on the market without having to refill the tank.
Check Price On Amazon Read Our In-Depth ReviewBuying Guide
When considering which of the best smoker grills on the market today is the best one for your needs, there are a number of factors you should consider.
Paying careful attention to these factors will help you understand which of the best smokers is right for your needs
Minimum and Maximum Temperature
Minimum and maximum temperature are vitally important for the backyard chef. First and foremost, if you regularly cook a specific type of food and do so often, you will want to make sure that the minimum and maximum temperatures offered will work for what you are cooking.
If you frequently smoke fish, for example, the optimum heat is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. A grill that offers this as a minimum internal temperature without a side warming box with lower temperatures may prove to have too high of temperatures for fish. Fish cannot be smoked above 160 degrees, or it will stick to the grill, caramelize, and ultimately become blackened and disintegrate.
Too, if you regularly smoke chicken or turkey, you know that you need high temperatures—but not too high—in order to make sure that you get the poultry to the correct internal temperature but not so much so that the poultry becomes overly dried out.
Cooking Space
A variety of the best smoker grills on the market come with different amounts of cooking space.
Cooking space is typically measured in square inches, and the total cooking space of the grill will include the main grilling rack, any subsidiary grilling rack in the main pit, and any rack space in warmers or other accessory units.
While paying attention to the overall square inches of cooking space is important, it is even more important to pay attention to how that cooking space is divided up.
For example, if you want to be able to cook an entire rack of ribs or five whole chickens at once, you will want your main grilling rack to have at least several hundred square inches of grilling space.
If you need to sear, you need to make sure the sear box has enough space to sear what you regularly cook. If you are smoking a brisket and want to sear it first, making sure the sear box has enough square inches of space to sear that as opposed to just a steak is important, otherwise you will have to sear your meat on an oven broiler or in a skillet by hand.
Sear Boxes
Sear boxes are a popular, newer feature of the best smokers on the market today. A sear box does pretty much what it sounds like: it reaches maximum internal temperatures allowing you to sear your meat before putting it on the main smoker grill space.
Whether or not you really need to pay the extra expense for a sear box depends on how you cook. If you regularly already sear your meat inside on a cast iron skillet and enjoy doing that, you probably don’t need a sear box. But, if you have trouble searing briskets and roasts, you may want one.
Sear boxes are a great feature of some of the best smoker grills on the market, but they do add costly expense to the overall package. Thus, you will want to carefully evaluate whether or not a sear box is important to you and the manner in which you regularly grill.
Portability
Portability matters when grilling, even if you are just using your grill in the back yard. At a minimum, you will want to purchase one of the best smokers that rolls or is otherwise portable so you can move it to make sure you are downwind from party guests and away from open doors and windows of your home so the smoke odor does not permeate inside your home.
If you are looking to tailgate or take the grill camping, there are a number of other factors to consider.
If you have a pickup truck, simply making sure the grill is of sufficient measurements to fit inside the bed of the truck is pretty much all that matters—as long as you have help to heft the grill in to the truck.
If, however, you are looking to transport in a large SUV, you must consider two things:
- Will you transport the grill standing up
- Will you transport the grill lying flat
If you plan to support the grill standing up, you must make sure that the smoke pipe or chimney isn’t so tall that the entire thing won’t fit in the back of your SUV.
If you are looking to transport the grill laying flat, you must make sure that there is enough space right to left and back to front in the back of your SUV to facilitate the grill’s dimensions.
Doing this before you buy a grill—comparing the dimensions of the rear of your SUV to the grill’s dimensions—is key if you plan to transport it regularly. Failing to do this may mean you have a grill that you can’t fit in your SUV’s rear end without taking apart the grill—something you do not want to do after it has already been assembled.
- ULTIMATE 8-IN-1: Barbecue wood fire pellet grill: bbq✓bake✓roast✓braise✓smoke✓grill✓sear✓char-grill
- Pellet Grill Technology: There just isn’t an easier way to get the flavor of wood smoked food than with a pellet grill. Try it, you’ll taste the difference from a GAS or CARBON grill.
- Set the Temperature, Relax, and Enjoy: Z Grills pellet grills will do all the work for you once you set the temperature. No labor-intensive start-up. No babysitting the grill. Enjoy the cooking!
- 538 sq. in. Cooking Area: Two tiers of grill rack offer 538 sq. in. of total cooking area to feed 4 to 5 people. The removable upper rack gives the extra height for the main surface when removed.
- 8-in-1 Versatility: A wide temperature range from 180 to 450 °F allows you to bake, grill, smoke, BBQ, roast, braise, barbeque, and char-grill a seemingly unlimited amount of recipes.
Last update on 2022-07-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Ease of Assembly
Many people want something that is the easiest to assemble when it comes to the best smoker grills on the market today. However, ease of assembly should never be your primary concern.
Your primary concern should always be the functionality of the grill. After all, multiple services, for a fairly low price, can help you assemble your grill, as could a friend or family member if you find that you are out-of-your-depth when it comes to tools needed or following the instructions.
Picking the best wood pellets
A key factor in an enjoyable smoker grill experience is making sure you have the best quality wood pellets available.
There are different types of wood pellets on the market that will likely work differently depending on what grill you are using and what you are cooking.
Some wood pellets will offer a mesquite flavor, while others may offer hickory or pecan wood smoke flavor.
In addition to reading the manufacturer’s recommendations on what brands of wood pellets are best for the smoker, you will want to ensure that the flavor offered by the wood pellets is best for what you are trying to smoke. Some flavors work better for chicken, others better for beef.
Versatility
The best smoker grills will allow you to do many things, including:
- Grill
- Smoke
- Bake
- Roast
-
Braise
- Barbecue
- Sear
Because the best smokers are typically far more expensive than propane or charcoal grills, you must secure you are paying for a versatile product.
You don’t want a product that will only smoke, when you know you will be barbecuing or grilling on a regular basis. That just means you have to spend a lot more money on another piece of equipment. It is much better to purchase a smoker grill that will perform as many different functions as possible.
Temperature Control
Most of the best smokers will offer some type of temperature control system. The more expensive ones ($500 and above) will likely offer an auger or other system that will directly propel the wood pellets in to the fire.
This helps maintain a constant temperature.
However, you also want to look for a model that has some type of adjustable temperature control so you can easily set the temperature to what you want it to be so you will know you are maintaining a constant temperature.
Some models may also come with attached meat thermometers or similar devices to help you determine internal meat temperature as well as temperature inside the grill itself.
Ash Control
Ash control is an important factor when picking from the best smokers. You want a grill that will easily allow you to dispose of ashes.
Beware of grills with many online reviews where people mention that they take a Dustbuster or ShopVac to their grill to remove the ashes. That is a red flag that the ash disposal system does not work well.
The best ash disposal systems will have a simple release you can engage to drop all the ashes in to an attached bucket or other container for quick and easy disposal.
Wood Pellet Capacity
The serious backyard chef needs at wood smoker offering at least a 15 pound capacity for wood pellets in the reservoir. Anything less means you will be using wood pellets to refill the reservoir over and over again.
The higher capacity the reservoir, the more chips it will hold, which means the more grilling time you will have between refilling the reservoir. Backyard chefs who regularly smoke large turkeys, or briskets, will want to look for the largest capacity reservoirs available.
Warranty
Because wood pellet smoker grills are more expensive than other grills, it is imperative that you look for a product with a good warranty.
If the product you are considering does not have a warranty, determine if you can purchase a non-manufacturer warranty from the vendor, or if your credit card offers any warranty protection.
Try, however, to stay away from a product that doesn’t advertise at least a one year full warranty or parts and labor warranty at all costs.
Sale- ULTIMATE 8-IN-1 WOOD PELLET GRILL & SMOKER - bbq✓bake✓roast✓braise✓smoke✓grill✓sear✓char-grill, you can do everything on here
- PELLET GRILL TECHNOLOGY - It’s the best and easiest way to get wood-smoked flavors. Anyone will instantly realize the taste is better than a gas or charcoal grill
- MAKES YOU A GOOD CHEF - One button starts up, this pellet grill will maintain the preset temperature within 10 degrees fluctuation and produce the optimal amount of smoke, easy and steady
- FOR FAMILIES AND PARTIES - Features 700 sq inches of wide cooking space that allows you to place all at once and cook efficiently, 180° to 450° F Adjustable temperature range gives you great flexibility for different food
- LESS PELLET FILLING, MORE SMOKING - The 20 lbs large-capacity pellet hopper offers a longer cooking time, eliminating the need to refill the hopper constantly
Last update on 2022-07-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Conclusion
Selecting the best smoker grill for your household isn’t rocket science, but it does require some research.
Using this handy buying guide, and examining the features of the four best wood pellet grills for fall 2020 will mean you will be able to make an informed purchasing decision.
Whether you purchase one of these, or another model of the best smokers on the market, read the specifications, check the warranty, and make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck.