The Best Pellet Smokers Reviews for 2019 – Your Complete Guide

Pellet grills or smokers use an electronically controlled thermostat and feeding system to feed wood pellets into the smoker. This allows the smoker to keep an even, predictable heat by adding wood as needed.

Unlike pellet stoves, the wood pellets made for smokers are food safe and can be had in a variety of wood types and flavors to suit the foods being smoked or grilled.

If you’re looking for a high end, portable or set-it-and-forget-it smoker and grill that gives the rich and smoky flavor to your favorite meat then continue reading and check out our product reviews and see which one suits your needs.

Specs

• 418 sq. Inch total of cooking space
• Style: 6-in-1 Original Wood Grill
• Color: Bronze
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Dimensions: 42 x 22 x 49 inches
• Weight: 98 pounds

Pros

• Perfect size for small kitchen
• Comes with Insulating Blanket
• Stylish design

Cons

• Old style, might not be for everyone

Specs

• 46 sq. Inch of cooking space
• Style: Pellet Grill 6-in-1 Versatility
• Color: Brown
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Dimensions: 22 x 54 x 49 inches
• Weight: 150 pounds

Pros

• 6-in-1 grill
• Easy to set-up and Use
• Perfect Size for the At-Home Cook

Cons

• A little bit expensive

Specs

• Style: Gas TRU-Infrared
• Color: Black
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Dimensions: 32.1 x 16.5 x 20.9 inches
• Weight: 57.3 pounds

Pros

• Includes Sense-Mate for easy use and monitoring
• Easy to move and portable
• Good design

Cons

• Problem with hot spots if not use properly

Specs

• 589 sq. Inch total of cooking space
• Style: Original Wood-pellet Grill
• Color: Brown
• Material: Stainless Steel
• Dimensions: 57 x 25 x 46 inches
• Weight: 122 pounds

Pros

• Versatile grill
• Easy to use and move around
• Quality made material

Cons

• Quite heavy

Specs

• 570 sq. Inch total of cooking space
• Style: Hopper Pellet Grill
• Color: Bronze
• Material: Steel
• Dimensions: 41.5 x 25.5 x 22.5 inches
• Weight: 127 pounds

Pros

• Quick and easy to use
• Reasonable price
• Perfect for outdoor cooking

Cons

• The ash removal system is quite hard to open

Specs

• 784 sq. Inch total of cooking space
• Style: Style: 4-Zone cooking
• Color: Silver
• Material: Steel

Pros

• Perfect for smoking a massive quantity of meat
• Electronically controlled temperatures
• Highly built and easy to clean up

Cons

• The top shelf is quite small

Specs

• 1700 sq. Inch total of cooking space
• Style: Whole Hog Smoker
• Color: Black
• Material: Steel
• Dimensions: 84 x 21.5 x 44 inches
• Weight: 437 pounds

Pros

• Great for smoking large cut meats
• Affordable price
• True to its name

Cons

• Quite heavy
• Better smoker than it is a grill

Specs

• 844 sq. Inch total of cooking space
• Style: Freestanding wood pellet smoker grill
• Material: Stainless steel
• Dimensions: 47 x 29 x 69 inches
• Weight: 283 pounds

Pros

• Can be controlled via Wi-Fi controller
• Highly constructed
• Versatile and easy to assemble

Cons

• A little bit expensive

Specs

• 429 sq. Inch total of cooking space
• Material: Stainless steel
• Dimensions: 40.5 x 22 x 25.2 inches
• Weight: 113 pounds

Pros

• Perfect for Precision Cooking
• Easy to set up and clean-up
• Meat probe included

Cons

• Can’t keep temperature when place outdoor

There are many makers out there.

Some make great grills. And some not so much.

Here are some of the top brands in the marketplace.

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 space.

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 grill 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 made of insulated glass.

Temperatures can be adjusted from 150 to 450 degrees. Four porcelain grilling grates provide users with over 900 square inches of cooking space.

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.

The Camp Chef Woodwind is one of their top grills, offering outdoor cooks over 500 square inches of cook 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–The Bull 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 tag of nearly $2000, you must truly want the top choice if you want this grill.

While Louisiana Grills makes more than just pellet grills, they make some very high quality 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 top grills for the average user. With over 800 square inches of cooking space, this grill is large enough for a crowd.

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

At the end of the day, price is often the most important part of every buying decision. Unfortunately, pellet grills are not the most affordable grills on the market.

There are not many under $500, but they can be found. Here are a few that can be had for less than four figures.

For under $1000, the Traeger Grills Texas Elite 34 is tough to beat.

Made by the original pellet smoker maker, this grill packs a lot of features into a package that’s great for both a family meal or a large weekend gathering.

If you want to keep the price below $500, the Camp Chef Smokepro STX is a great pellet grill that doesn’t sacrifice on quality.

With this grill you get over 400 square inches of coking space and an easy to use digital temperature control. With heats ranging from 160 to 500 degrees, there’s plenty of room for both smoking and grilling.

There aren’t a lot of budget options out there in the market. But, if you want to save a few dollars, the Traeger Grills Junior Elite is a great buy that won’t break the bank.

With this pellet powered grill, users still get Traeger quality in a compact, affordable package.

If you’ve made it to this page 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 pellet stoves and heating 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 if you put a propane grill next to a pellet grill.

The biggest benefit of using a pellet smoker is the ease of use. Rather than trying to get charcoal up to a certain temperature and keep it there for hours, a using pellets gives you an even consistent heat that lasts for many hours.

While the same can be done with a traditional smoker, it takes a fair amount of skill and practice to keep the temperature and conditions consistent.

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 grill. Since they use athermostat 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 type 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 meats and other food with traditional wood fired or charcoal models. 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.

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

While electric models are one way to take the guess work out of smoking, another—perhaps better—solution is this, but you can also check out other top choices on the market.

Looking for something to cook in your backyard? Check out our recipes page!