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Pellet grills have been around for decades, but they've hit the outdoor culinary world of the best grills in a big way with new adaptations like WiFi compatibility. The best pellet grills are dynamic and offer various forms of direct and indirect heat. All that, plus smoky flavor, without the fuss of charcoal? Sign us up.
From basic designs that work in mild climates to full cooking stations with side burners and gaskets to seal in smoke, we found the best pellet grills for every budget and demand. After extensive testing, our top pick is the Traeger Pro 575. It has thicker walls and better seals than most other grills in the price range, giving you better heat retention and temperature control. If you're on a tighter budget, the Z Grills Pioneer 450B doesn't have smart connectivity, but it regulates temperature well and has a smoke setting that we love for slow cooking.
Our top picks for the best pellet smokers
Best overall: Traeger Pro 575 — See at Ace Hardware
Best budget: Z Grills Pioneer 450B — See at The Home Depot
Best splurge: Traeger Timberline Pellet Grill — See at Traeger
Best versatile: Camp Chef Woodwind 24 — See at Dick's Sporting Goods
Best charcoal: Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 — See at Amazon
Best overall
This hands-off smoker runs on wood pellets and has a temperature dial, making it easier to use for wood-fired flavor than charcoal grills.
- Great temperature control
- Thicker steel than average
- Large wheels
- WiFi connectivity could be better
- LCD interface not as intuitive as others
- Not modular
If you want a hassle-free grill that can dazzle guests as much as yourself, the Traeger Pro 575 pellet grill is an appliance made for the ages. It's the heaviest-duty pellet grill we've found under a thousand dollars. (Find our favorite fuel in our best smoker pellets guide, with Traeger landing another top spot.)
Heat retention and moderation are the most important things when it comes to how the best pellet smokers function. While the Traeger doesn't have the quarter-inch steel we like to see on a grill, it's far thicker and seals much better than anything else we've tried in this price range. We've kept temperatures steady within five degrees of our target temps in all kinds of weather, something even an experienced griller would have a devil of a time doing with charcoal or wood.
The Pro's temps range from 180 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just right for low-and-slow cooking, up to 500, which won't get a sear, but will effectively braise. This is where the Traeger Pro series might fall short against more modular grills, but it still more than earned a spot in this guide.
But for the price, the Traeger Pro Series grills hold heat best and are built for the long haul, so if you're working with a moderate budget and primarily want to use the grill for barbecuing (or as an oven), you needn't look further.
Read our full Traeger 575 Pro pellet grill review here. And check out our guide to the best Traeger grills from all line-ups.
Best budget
Z Grills' Pioneer 450B does its job and keeps impressively steady temperatures compared with other entry-level pellet smokers.
- "Smoke" setting allows for slightly lower temperature than rating (170 degrees)
- Good build quality for price
- Comes with a cover
- Maintains steady temperatures
- Some backdraft and auger burn can happen (but corrects itself),
- Leaks some smoke
- No WiFi
We've been testing the best pellet grills for years, and while the shortcomings of budget options were quick to show, the Z Grill 450B didn't have the same trouble regulating temperature that we found elsewhere. This grill was also easier to assemble than other options within this price range and beyond. Temperatures range from 180 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, but the "smoke" setting lets you cheat temperatures down to 170, which we love for extra low-and-slow cooking.
Some people might wish for the WiFi in Traeger and Camp Chef grills, but if you're keeping with a budget, you don't need the extra electronics on your pellet smoker. Careful positioning of the grill near enough to read an LCD screen or run a Bluetooth- or WiFi-enabled temperature probe can stand in for built-in electronics.
The real downside of this grill is that it's not very well sealed, so smoke seeps out. The quick fix for that is to add your own gaskets (a good solution for most grills, frankly), and Lavalock is a great option. We checked with grilling experts who said that the smoke leak can happen, but the fire won't burn its way past the auger.
If you're looking to barbecue for a small group and don't want to spend too much or fuss with gadgetry or accessories, the Z Grills 450B is a great, simple, and affordable solution.
Best splurge
If you want hands-off barbecuing with immaculate Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, it doesn't get any better than the Traeger Timberline series.
- Strong WiFi connectivity
- Perfectly even cooking
- Great gasket and seal
- Induction side burner and storage
- Wish the steel was thicker for the price
- Accessorizing is expensive
If you want the most flawless barbecue with the least amount of effort, the Traeger Timberline series (go for the XL if you need the best pellet grill for large groups) is as good as it gets. It goes without saying that you'll pay dearly for it, but purchasing a cover and taking cursory care will keep this grill going for many years to come.
However, be forewarned that the Timberline is exceptionally heavy at over 250 pounds. To that point, this is a true outdoor cooking station, minus a sink — it's not something you'll want to cart around your backyard, but rather leave in place on a solid surface. Where a heavy-duty offset smoker with wagon wheels is your rough-and-ready all-terrain utility Jeep, the Timberline is more like a Cadillac.
Veteran grillers will find it hard to justify spending more than $3000 on a pellet grill, especially one with relatively thin metal. This grill isn't for them, but for anyone who wants as hands-off and foolproof an experience as possible.
While the grill does a good job of keeping a steady temperature and cooking evenly, the metal on the firebox is surprisingly thin, especially compared with the quarter-inch-thick stuff you'll find on charcoal or stick-burning pit grills around the same price. Accessorizing, starting with the $200 purchase of a grill cover, is almost prohibitively expensive. Still, this is the best upgrade pellet grill of nearly a dozen that I've tried, and it's built to last better than any other, too.
Read our full review of the Traeger Timberline series here.
Best versatile
As an adaptable outdoor kitchen, the Camp Chef Woodwind series grills have extensive accessories and modularity that reach far beyond any other brand.
- Brand offers many relatively affordable accessories
- Highly modular
- Easy to use and navigate interface
- Struggles to keep steady temperatures in a stiff breeze or cold temps
Camp Chef was one of the first pellet grill brands on the market. While we find other options more suitable for the aspiring griller, the Woodwind series's list of accessories and modularity surpasses any of the other best pellet smokers,
The Woodwind grill operates basically and efficiently, and the interface is easy to navigate and has a strong WiFi connection. It's the accessories, starting with the Blanket and up to the 28,000-btu, cast-aluminum Sidekick side burner, Flat Top, Sear box, and Pizza Oven (available with a single and double burner) that win us over. With this setup, there's little you can't do with this grill in your backyard — all at a reasonable price.
We have found that with a stiff breeze or in sub-zero weather, this grill is hard to keep steady, though you'll do just fine in mild weather or a subtropical climate. Even so, the Blanket helps solve for that impressively well, which is a great alternative to spending hundreds or even thousands more on a grill with thicker steel and a more robust seal.
Based on our testing and research over the past few years, if you want a one-stop grilling station in your backyard that you can customize for all intents and purposes but you don't want to break out thousands of dollars to do it, the best versatile pellet grill is your ticket.
Read our full review of the Camp Chef Woodwind review here.
Best charcoal
Masterbuilt's Gravity Series is actually a self-feeding charcoal grill that is just as easy to use as a pellet grill and provides a smokier flavor.
- Large cooking area for firebox size
- Charcoal imparts more flavor than wood pellets
- Heat can reach up to 700 degrees F
- Difficult to assemble
- Thin metal
- Only a 1-year warranty
Tending a charcoal fire is much easier said than done, and in almost every case of disappointing or failed grilling attempts, it is the cause of the downfall. Masterbuilt's towering Gravity Series is an imposing appliance with a large hopper and feeder that, thanks to WiFi connectivity, works just like a pellet smoker, but for charcoal.
Why go with charcoal over wood pellets? Many cooks argue that charcoal offers more flavor, but it's also a simple fact that charcoal burns much, much hotter than wood pellets. The Gravity Series ranges from about 150 degrees Fahrenheit (a great temperature for low-and-slow smoking) up to about 700 degrees, which is ideal for searing — something even the best pellet grills can't generally do.
Ultimately, it's a grill, griddle, and a (higher-temp) smoker all in one, earning the title of the best charcoal pellet grill. It also has two-sided cast-iron grates, with one thinner side dedicated to smoking and the thicker one for searing.
Monitoring the temperature with WiFi and Bluetooth was easy, and connectivity is about as steady as most grills we've tested — we couldn't go around the corner to the store, but we stayed connected around the house, adjusting temperature and even turning the grill off (though we recommend doing that in person).
The Masterbuilt Gravity Series grill has a few downsides like any other. Firstly, it's made of relatively lightweight metal, which isn't good for heat retention or longevity, and secondly, it took more than two hours to build. Expectedly, temperatures tend to fluctuate more than they do in a wood-pellet smoker, but that's charcoal for you (briquettes will burn more evenly than hardwood lump).
How to choose a pellet grill
Interface: An increasing number of grills offer state-of-the-art WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to monitor your brisket anywhere from your deck to miles away. However, some use simpler controls and don't require you to add another application to your phone. Tech gadgetry doesn't always correspond to better performance, so it's about your preference and cooking style.
Accessories: Many of the best pellet smokers we test don't offer a ton of extras, or the brands require you to purchase them separately. If you are looking for a one-stop outdoor kitchen (minus the sink), be prepared to spend more for a side burner and extra shelves. The Traeger Timberline and the Camp Chef Woodwind series have the most extra features of the grills we tested.
Size: Grills are best measured in cooking surface area, usually in square inches of space. Smaller models in the 450 to 575-square-inch range offer plenty of space for four to six people, and larger ones, above 800 square inches, can cook for roughly a dozen people or more. It all depends on what you're cooking. Brands show diagrams of their grill layouts, depicting how many pork shoulders, chicken wings, briskets, and/or hamburger patties they'll hold.
How we test pellet grills
We spent more than two years building and testing pellet grills and smokers, speaking with experts like veteran TV host and author Steven Raichlen, Hey Grill Hey! founder Susie Bulloch, and Chef Shola Olunloyo of Studio Kitchen to find out what makes a good pellet grill and for whom they're made. We evaluated grills by cooking chicken drumsticks and pork shoulders "low and slow" and grilling zucchini at a higher heat.
| Test | Ideal results | Our findings | |
| Temperature control | Set target temperature and measure variance | 5 degrees or less away from target temperature | The quality of heat retention generally increases with price |
| Smoking | Look for a smoke ring on bigger cuts of meat | Deep red rings and a noticeably smoky flavor | Charcoal grills or smokers will always produce smokier results |
Build quality: We considered the quality of materials as we built each grill, noting when metal was flimsier or more prone to denting. We also left each model out in the elements — some for more than two years on end. None of the grills or the electronics we've tested have failed. Installing quality gaskets on your own is a cheap and easy way to upgrade any grill.
Ease of use: From building and connectivity to operating and cleaning, we looked at the process of owning and maintaining these grills. We considered if it was easy for a beginner to operate the grill, if the controls were intuitive, and if the setup process was unnecessarily difficult.
Value: Many of the grills we tested came with limited accessories, some of them essential. While the budget-friendly pick on our list does come with a cover (that's survived two years outside), every other grill we tested required a cover be purchased separately. Add on shelves, hooks, and/or brackets that really should be included, and it gets expensive quickly. Still, build quality and warranty balanced out these pricier picks.
Pellet grill FAQs
What is the best pellet grill brand?
We hesitate to say one brand completely surpasses the rest, but Traeger grills and smokers routinely make the top of our lists. After testing grills from the Timberline, Ironwood, and Pro lines, we can confidently recommend almost any Traeger model.
What are the positives and negatives of pellet grills?
Do pellet grills, also known as pellet smokers, compare with the best barbecue smokers favored by pitmasters or even the best charcoal grills? We asked Steven Raichlen, one of our favorite grillmasters, and he came back with a resounding "No." However, he did say that pellet smokers are great for the layperson who wants wood-smoke flavor without the associated sweat equity.
Don't expect the same smokiness you'd find in your food that you would if you delicately fed furniture-grade, kiln-dried cooking wood to an immaculately glowing bed of coals for 12 hours — that's the kind of art that can only and will only ever be done by hand.
How do pellet grills work?
Pellet grills have a hopper that feeds an auger, which grinds compressed hardwood pellets into smaller chunks that fall into and ignite in a firebox, creating smoke.
What's the difference between a pellet grill and a pellet smoker?
Pellet grill and pellet smoker can be used interchangeably. Grills tend to work with direct heat, while smokers often use indirect heat. Modern pellet grills strike a balance between grills and smokers because they range between low-and-slow cooking temperatures (160-225 degrees Fahrenheit or so) and about 500 degrees, which is your average gas grill's highest heat.
What are the best pellets for smokers?
The pellet-grill brand you buy will likely direct you to its own line of pellets, but the most important thing to consider is the term "additive-free" pellets. Lower-grade pellets, especially those without this distinction, can encompass a lot of impurities (down to even plastics and industrial scraps) because pellets are often forged from sawdust in commercial spaces.
The type of wood you buy is something to give thought to as well, but it becomes highly subjective. Brands tend to recommend different blends or species of wood for different foods, though. Check out our full guide to the best smoker pellets for more recommendations.
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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.
