What Are Pellet Grills?
Pellet grills offer the capabilities of both a grill and a smoker. They’re fueled with wood pellets made of compressed hardwood sawdust, which allows them to heat quickly, burn hot and create clean smoke. Pellet grills are very user-friendly and provide consistent, even cooking for a variety of your favorite dishes.
How Does a Wood Pellet Grill Work?
To use a pellet grill or pellet smoker grill, start by pouring the cooking pellets into the storage container, known as a hopper, mounted on the grill. An electric motor powers an auger that moves the pellets from the hopper to the firebox. An ignition device lights the pellets, creating the combustion that cooks the food in the cook chamber. Intake fans bring in air to further feed the fire. The fans also circulate heat and smoke inside the cooking area, creating a convection cooking environment.
A digital controller regulates continued delivery of the pellets to the firebox to keep the grill at the designated temperature, usually between 180 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This controller gives you precise control of the cooking environment (similar to that of an oven), whether you want to cook slowly at a low temperature or more quickly with high heat. Most pellet grills include a meat probe that monitors the temperature of the meat you’re cooking and connects to the temperature control system.
The wood pellets provide the fuel for cooking, but the grill requires electricity to power the auger, controller and fan.
Pellet Grill Sizes
One of the most important considerations when shopping for a pellet grill is cooking capacity. The right size depends on how many people you typically cook for and whether you regularly entertain guests. Grill capacity is measured in square inches of cooking space, which includes the primary cooking grate and any upper warming or cooking racks.
For smaller households or everyday meals, a pellet grill with 400 to 600 square inches of cooking space is usually sufficient. If you frequently host cookouts, family gatherings or holiday celebrations, consider a larger model with 700 square inches or more. As a general guideline, plan for about 72 square inches of cooking space per person. Choosing a grill that fits your typical cooking needs will help ensure you have enough room for everything from burgers and steaks to large cuts of meat like briskets, pork shoulders and whole chickens.
Pellet Grill Temperature Ranges
The typical temperature range on a pellet grill is between 180 and 600 degrees. Here's a standard guideline for cooking at different temperatures:
- For long, slow cooking, the temperature is between 160 and 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
- For ribs and brisket, the temperature ranges between 225 and 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you're grilling or roasting chicken and vegetables, the temperature should be between 300 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- If you're using high heat to grill steaks and burgers, you'll need a temperature between 400 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pellet Grill Hopper Capacity
The hopper is the storage bin that holds the wood pellets used to fuel your grill. Hopper capacities typically range from about 10 to 30 pounds, with larger hoppers allowing for longer cooking times without needing a refill. If you frequently smoke briskets, pork shoulders or other foods that require hours of low-and-slow cooking, a larger hopper can provide added convenience and peace of mind. For occasional grilling or shorter cooking times, a smaller hopper may be sufficient while helping keep the grill's overall size and cost down.
Pellet Grills vs. Gas Grills vs. Charcoal Grills
The best grill for you depends on your cooking style, flavor preferences and how much hands-on involvement you want during the cooking process.
- Pellet grills use wood pellets and digital controls to maintain consistent temperatures for smoking, roasting, baking and grilling. They provide authentic wood-fired flavor with minimal monitoring, but they typically cost more and require electricity to operate.
- Gas grills are popular for their convenience, fast startup and easy temperature adjustments. They're ideal for everyday grilling and weeknight meals, but they don't produce the same smoky flavor as pellet or charcoal grills.
- Charcoal grills deliver the traditional barbecue experience with rich, smoky flavor and excellent searing capabilities. However, they take longer to heat up, require more attention during cooking and involve more cleanup afterward.
If you enjoy low-and-slow cooking and want versatile outdoor cooking capabilities, a pellet grill is a great choice. For quick, convenient grilling, consider a gas grill. If authentic barbecue flavor and high-heat searing are your priorities, a charcoal grill may be the best fit.
Do Pellet Grills Cook the Same as Other Grills?
Pellet grills cook with indirect heat, which doesn’t give you the heavy grill marks you get with a gas or charcoal grill.
However, some models can also cook with direct heat for grilling and searing, like a standard grill does.
Pellet grilling and smoking aren’t the only options. These grills provide even cooking with more precise and consistent temperature control than other grill types, and they also let you barbecue, roast and bake. Cook pork shoulders, ribs, briskets and other large cuts of meat in addition to burgers, sausages, hot dogs and whole chickens.
Pellet grills give you the option of cooking foods lower and slower than you could with a gas or charcoal grill, giving you more culinary options.
In addition, pellet grills:
- Have push-button starters and produce heat within an average of 10 to 15 minutes
- Give food a subtle, smoky flavor
- Let you enhance food flavors with different wood pellet types, including hickory, mesquite, apple, cherry and whiskey barrel
When grilling with direct heat, it’s important to monitor the grill and food during cooking. Don’t leave the grill unattended when using this option.
Wi-Fi-Enabled Pellet Grills and Smokers
Many modern pellet grills and smokers feature Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to monitor and control your grill remotely using a smartphone app. Depending on the model, you can adjust cooking temperatures, track pellet levels, receive notifications when the grill reaches the desired temperature and monitor food through connected meat probes. Smart pellet grills are especially useful for long smoking sessions, giving you greater flexibility and peace of mind without needing to stay by the grill throughout the entire cook.
Pellet Smokers
Wood pellet smokers perform the same function as traditional stand-alone smokers but require less monitoring. They're heated with wood pellets fed from a hopper, just like pellet grills, and have a temperature control for long, slow smoking. The best pellet smokers for entertaining have multiple racks with lots of surface area for accommodating large racks of ribs, chickens, turkeys, cold smoking cheese and side dishes.
Pellet Smoker Capacity
How big of a turkey can you cook? Will a rack of ribs fit in a pellet smoker? Can my smoker make enough food for a large group? These are the questions that are often asked when researching pellet smoker sizes and capacity.
Pellet smokers are available in smaller portable versions that can accommodate up to 256 square inches of cooking space. This pellet smoker size can feed a small family and it's good for everyday use. If you love to entertain, Lowe's sells pellet smokers that are almost 1100 square inches, which can feed up 18 people. It's also large enough to be used for the holidays as a turkey-sized smoker.
Pellet Smoker Temperature Range
The temperature range for a pellet smoker can vary from 180 degrees Fahrenheit to more than 420 degrees Fahrenheit. Select a grill with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. This allows the temperature probe on the smoker to sync to your phone for easy monitoring.
Using Wood Pellets
How long do the cooking pellets last when you’re using a pellet grill? Specific times vary, depending on how you’re using the grill and the type of pellets you’re using, but below are general guidelines:
- For slow, low-temperature smoking on a pellet grill, plan on using about 2 pounds of pellets per hour of cooking.
- For faster, high-temperature grilling, have about 4 pounds of pellets on hand for each hour you’ll be cooking.
While you can use these tips as a guide, it’s always a good idea to have plenty of pellets on hand so you don’t risk running out while you’re cooking.
Can you use any pellets in your grill or smoker? Pellets come in a variety of wood types — including blends of different woods — adding unique flavors to food. Pellets enhance the flavors of a variety of foods, from fall-off-the-bone ribs to sweet and crunchy corn on the cob.
Wood Pellet Flavors
Below are a few popular wood pellets and their flavor profiles:
- Competition blend includes maple, hickory and cherry woods that craft a sweet and smoky wood-fired flavor.
- Apple pellets have a light, sweet, fruity smoke flavor that pairs especially well with pork and chicken.
- Cherry has a mild flavor that gives food a subtle sweet and fruity flavor. It mixes well with other woods like oak, pecan or hickory, to bring complexity to the flavor while maintaining the mild, fruity flavor.
- Hickory provides a full-bodied smoky flavor, but it can make food taste bitter if over smoked.
- Maple adds a rich, maple smokiness layered with a hint of sweetness.
- Mesquite gives a bold, almost spicy, smoky flavor to foods, but it can easily overpower food.
- Oak adds a medium smoky flavor that pairs well with other woods.
- Pecan imparts a nutty, spicy flavor.
Follow the manufacturer’s safety specifications for whichever pellets you choose.
For more tips on outdoor cooking safety, see our grill and smoker guide.
Fuel your grill with food-grade pellets created specifically for pellet grills. Some wood pellets are designed for pellet stove heaters and shouldn’t be used for cooking food.
How Much Do Pellet Grills Cost?
The price of a pellet grill can vary greatly depending on the size and type of grill, as well as the included features. Also, freestanding grills are often less expensive than built-in grills. Entry-level grills may start at a few hundred dollars, while high-end models can cost over $1,000.