The Best Pellet Smokers Reviews for 2021 – Your Complete Guide

While some users might love a small, easy to transport smoker, others need all the space they can get. For those big family gatherings or community events, bigger is definitely better.

The Louisiana Grills Country Whole Hog is a great model for those who need some serious space. At seven feet long overall and with over 1700 square inches of cooking space, the Whole Hog really can handle the whole hog plus some.

It is really more like two products welded together. Both sides have their own large capacity wood pound hopper and separate burners, allowing users to operate both sides at different temperatures. The two sides can even be partitioned to really separate your cooking.

Temperatures can be adjusted from 180 to over degrees Fahrenheit. And, this pellet smoker can be ignited easily with an automatic, electric ignitor.

If you really need the right, the Memphis Grills Elite Wood Fire really delivers. While it doesn’t come cheap, the Memphis Grills Elite packs a set of world class grilling features into a durable stainless-steel package for long lasting durability.

With over 700 square inches of cooking space, it has plenty of room. A 24 pound wood pellet hopper provides above average capacity and up to 62 hours of smoking.

One great thing about this model is its temperature flexibility. Cooks can smoke, grill, or bake at temperatures ranging from 180 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit. An included ITC temperature meat probes lets you quickly track your food’s progress.

Users can also control the grill through Wi-Fi with an iOS or Android app.

Traeger has been putting together pellet fueled smokers for over 30 years. That’s longer than any other maker of this models

Which makes a lot of sense when you consider that Traeger Grills pioneered the use of wood in smoker and grills.

At the top of their lineup sits the Traeger Grills Texas Elite 34 Wood. From smoking to grilling and roasting, the Texas Elite can do just about everything a backyard barbeque might need with over 600 square inches of cooking area.

With Traeger’s familiar electronically controlled ignition and thermostat, it is easily maintains consistent temperatures from 180 to 500 degrees.

Another major player in the market is Green Mountain Grills. Green Mountain makes a range of grills at reasonable prices.

One of their most popular models is the Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett. And with good reason.

The Davy Crockett is a super portable model. With legs that fold up and compact form factor, this wood pellet grill smoker can go just about anywhere. On top of that, you can run this little model on both 110 and 12 volt power.

At nearly 70 pounds, it’s not exactly light, but can be managed by two people.

Pit Boss Grills makes a number of different grills. From electric to propane and charcoal, they make just about everything.

One of their most innovative models is the Pit Boss Grills 77350 Digital. It takes advantage of the vertical, electric smoker design, but gets the smoking done with wood pellets. Pellets feed in behind and electronic controls can be found on the front of the unit.

For easy food management, the front door is build quality of insulated glass. Temperatures can be adjusted from 150 to 450 degrees. Four porcelain coated grilling grates provide users with over 900 square inches of cooking space. See how this brand compared to other popular brand ZGrills.

Camp Chef has been making grills and outdoor cookware for over 20 years. These grills are just one of the many products produced by this company, compared to other brand it shows couple of advantages.

Beside Smoke Pro DLX the Camp Chef Woodwind is one of their best grills, offering outdoor cooks over 500 square inches of cooking space and the ability to cook at temperatures from 160 to 500 degrees. To really get things done right, the Woodwind includes a sear box that can reach temperatures up to 900 degrees, allowing you to really lock in the flavors.

The Woodwind operates with an electric starter and thermostat. An included meat thermometer can be used to more closely monitor cooking progress.  

If bold is your style, Rec Tec Grills are for you. From chrome bull horn handles to bold colors, these grills really grab your attention.

That bold style is part of what makes the Rec Tec Grills Bull RT-700 one of their great choice.

Whereas most smokers only allow temperatures to be set at 50 or 100 degree intervals. RT 700 has very flexible temperature controls, allowing users to cook at virtually any temperature between 200 and 500 degrees. Cooks can also use the integrated meat thermometers to track and monitor progress.

With over 700 square inches of cooking space, it has ample room for the largest of gatherings. The Bull doesn’t come cheap though, with a price point of nearly $2000, you must truly want the best choice if you want this wood pellet grill smoker.

While Louisiana Grills makes more than just pellet grills, they make some very high quality grill pellet fueled units. From huge 1700 square inch grills, to smaller, household size units, they make it all.

The Louisiana Grills 60800 Stainless Steel Wood is one of their best grills for the average user. With over 800 square inches of cooking space, this wood pellet grill smoker is large enough for a crowd.

The stainless steel construction ensures that it will last for years to come with proper care and maintenance. And flexible, digital controls make temperature adjustment simple.

If you’ve made it to this section and you’re still wondering what a pellet smoker is, you’re not alone. Pellet grills and smokers are not quite as ubiquitous as their traditionally powered cousins. After all, they haven’t been around nearly as long. While ceramic stoves have been around for a while, Traeger Grills did not introduce the first pellet smokers until the mid 1980s.

Rather than relying on charcoal, propane, or other fuel sources, pellet smokers burn wood pellets. The pellets are made of compressed saw dust and tend to burn longer than regular firewood.

Pellet burning smokers look pretty similar to other smokers and grills, the design and size are very similar. Unless you know what you’re looking for, you’d have a hard time telling the difference. We talked about it more here.

These model come in a few different shapes and sizes. But they all work—essentially–the same way. But, quality and features do vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

What to Look For—the Thermostat

Models that use wood pellets have a little more going on than your average pellet smoker. Since they use a thermostat and a mechanism to fee pellets into the fire, you’ve got a bit more to consider than size and BTUs.

The first thing you’ll want to consider is the thermostat. Many model fueled grills don’t reach very high heats—with around 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit being the max for many. That’s something you’ll want to consider if you plan to do any searing while cooking.

Don’t Forget About the Pellets

Another big consideration is how the pellets are fed into the grill and what different types of pellets can be used.

Many brands, like Traeger, recommend using only products made by them in their grills. While others may work, performance may not be the same.

Other Features

A lot of models also include other features, like a separate searing compartments or integrated meat thermometers. Other units have fold up legs, perfect for tailgating or camping.

Traditional models have a problem.

It’s not that they don’t make great food—you’ve probably had many a great brisket or side of ribs expertly smoked by a barbeque pro. It’s the skill and time involved in making great smoked brats or sausages and other food with propane smokers, traditional wood fired or charcoal smokers. Unless you’ve invested some serious practice time or learned from a seasoned barbeque cook, getting the temperature and timing right in your smoker is tough. This factor also applies to DIY pellet smoker kits.

Thankfully, if you want to make great food in a smoker, you’ve got options from SeriouslySmoked.

While electric smokers are one way to take the guesswork out of smoking, another—perhaps better—solution is this.