Top 10 Best Pellet Smokers (Nov. 2022): Reviews & Buyers Guide

Warm summer nights call out for a get-together and there’s nothing quite like getting all the family together with the smell of your favorite BBQ lingering nearby. Here, at Grills Forever, we want to be the ones that help you to find the best pellet smokers in 2019 that will really make your summer. That’s not all! With some pellet smokers, you can even cook your food right into the long winter months if they come with the turbo-heating technology!

Wood pellet smokers are getting increasingly popular these days. With that comes the inevitable market influx of products. So, how do you know which ones are the best? We, at Grills Forever, have seared, smoked and grilled on grill after grill for the sole purpose of providing our readers with the most authentic review of the best pellet smoker grills on the market today.

Best Pellet Smoker Comparison Chart

Why Should You Trust Us?

I remember a time when I was going through some quad-bike reviews; it was all so confusing and I had no clue whom to believe and whom not to. Even when I eventually decided to put my faith in one of them, I kept having second thoughts regarding whether or not they would fail me. If you’re someone like me, let me give you four reasons our reviews won’t fail you:

First, we are unbiased: We are not affiliated with any certain brand of grills or smokers, nor we are getting any money from them. This means that our reviews are accurate, the best, and geared towards you: we’re only here to help you decide on what to buy.

Second, we’re the experts: We know what we’re talking about. Grills Forever is run by hardened grilling top enthusiasts and hobbyists. This means that we’re experts in this field and know what to look for and how to conduct a proper research.

Third, we’re experienced: We have burnt our foods and fingers; and while we were at it, we learned from our mistakes. In doing so, we’ve managed to become the best and mastered the art to perfection. So, we went through the same learning curves that you did or might do. So, we’re aware of the things that matter and we’re going to impart that knowledge with you, so that you don’t make the same mistakes as us.

Fourth, we’ve been around for some time now: We’ve been around and we’re here to stay. Our review website has been around for over 6 years now, still going strong. For 6 years, we have been loved and able to serve our readers diligently and we have no intention of stopping now.

Here, at Grills Forever, we independently promote only the best smokers out there so you, as a buyer, can make the perfect buying decision. If you’re looking for an objective and accurate top pellet smoker review out there, you’re at the right place.

What to Consider When Buying the Best Pellet Smoker?

When you think of a pellet smoker, what comes to mind is the rich taste of BBQ, better manipulation and convenience. To find out the best, among the many out there, you should think of various features. A burner that can give you control, comfort, long service, and great flavor in food is something a top rated pellet smoker should have. Let’s take a look at all the factors you should consider when making your purchase.

Price Factor:

Price is always an important factor. We all want affordable products, but buying a low-quality, cheap smoker could mean you have to spend more money in the future. A good-quality grill at a convenient price will be durable and be used more because you will be satisfied with your purchase.

Temperature Range:

Temperature range is an important factor. What you’ll need will depend on what kind of cooking you want to do. Top pellet grills can hit temperatures between 180 F to 425 F, enough for baking, smoking, roasting, and grilling. On the other hand, ioif you want to sear meat you need something that reaches the 500-550 F range. A functioning thermometer is a must. You’ll need a precise and accurate reading so you’ll know you’re cooking your meat at the right temperature.

3-Position Controller:

Consistency is the key to having the best results. If you want to make a tender brisket, your cooking temperature should be close to 250 F during the entire 12-hour cooking period. The control board is responsible for precision. There are three types of controllers – PID multi-position, non-PID one-touch, and 3-position. Check out the different types of controllers for the one that is right for you.

Cooking Area, Size and Portability:

Pellet grills come in various sizes from the portable types for tailgating to the extra-large units for commercial use. If you are someone who wants to be able to take your smoker on the go, be it camping, partying or any other event you’ll want something that’s easy to lift and has wheels to facilitate movement. If you have lots of parties and gatherings at home, then you might want something bigger. Its all up to what your needs are.

Features and Capabilities:

Some people think simple is best and some love a smoker grill that comes with all the bells and whistles on the market. If you are someone who likes to have all the latest features have a lookout for a smoker grill that has some of the extras below:

• Control boards with meat probe inputs
• Programmable meat probes
• Direct grilling options
• Ancillary cooking racks
• Wi-Fi capabilities

Should You Upgrade or Change Your Current Bbq Grill?

Normally you will get 1- 3 years of warranty for the top pellet smokers from different companies. Traeger will serve you with a 3-year warranty while Camp Chef will give you only 1 year of warranty. Considered this the safe period for your pellet grill, so take advantage. If you own a top quality smoker then you may need not to think of any replacement within 5 years of buying.

When you have owned your smoker grill for 5-6 years you start wondering if owning a new one would be the best idea. This might happen because you are facing problems with your machine and not getting the desired result. The first and primary advice in this situation remains to clean up your grill thoroughly. Open up each and every part then proceed to doing a thorough cleaning. Most of the problems like temperature inconsistency or jamming will get solved this way.

If you really want to replace your smoker grill then you should ask yourself these questions:

Will upgrading solve my problem?

If you have faced or currently face the problem with common things like pellet feed jamming or wear and tear of your smoker, then replacing the exact component will solve your problem. Thus, without changing your whole smoker you can continue with some $40 – $50 changes. It might seem complicated for you if you face a problem with your digital control system. Adding the element of professional knowledge will help tremendously. Solving problem with $150 is much better than spending $500, right?

Do I know how to perform this upgrade?

Like I said before, sometimes you will find it difficult to perform the upgrade yourself. Replacing the digital control system seems much more difficult than I thought when I did it. Your smoker manual will certainly help you in this regard. You should seek help from YouTube as you can see what exactly to do.

When is it the right time to change it completely and look for a better one?

Honestly, it solely depends on what type of upgrade you need. If you do not get the desired amount of smoke, you need then check your induction fan. Maybe it does not function properly and changing one will cost you around $30 – $40, problem solved.

If you have an older one and need a lot of physical maintenance like changing the hopper and the digital control, then changing those two parts may not help. These two changes may cost you $200 – $250 and with a rusty hopper, you will continuously lose the smoke you produce. This is not safe for your health, so in this situation, you should definitely opt to get a new pellet smoker.

How We Picked and Tested?

At Grills Forever, we work hard to bring you the best product reviews possible through an extensive online research process. We go through countless online reviews and browse through different brands, both known and unknown. We then go through their features and the value they can provide to the users. We shortlist the top products to do physical testing and then come up with a review. We do this on a regular basis to keep our list up-to-date.

That’s right! Every time we have a BBQ party, we are reviewing something. But it’s not all fun and games all the time. The process gets expensive pretty soon and these are the sacrifices we make to bring you the best value.

When reviewing these products, we’ve gone through over 1000 different user reviews to get an accurate understanding of how useful the products have been to them. With that primary data in hand, we did extensive online research on 65 products from 17 different brands popular brands. In fact, we even looked into three less known brands as well, but they failed to stand out. We left no stone unturned.

From these 65 products, we narrowed the list down to shortlist 18 of the best candidates. Then, we conducted a secondary research and compared their features against each other to find the best 10. Finally, we have compiled this review list of top 10 best-rated pellet smokers considering their features, reviews, ratings, review frequencies and how great they were when we tested them out during BBQ parties.

The Best All-Rounder : Camp Chef SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill

Since we are barbecuing experts, our top pick will definitely be the one that is appropriate for almost everyone looking for a pellet grill. Camp Chef SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill is built to help the outdoor cooking buffs take their backyard cooking venture to a whole new level.

Why Is It Our Top Pick?
You must have thoughts in your mind centered around the thousands of pellet smokers and why SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill by Camp Chef is our no 1 choice. Let me answer that first:

1. This grill has full automation from start to clean the ash off. If you want that type of automatic smoker, you need to increase your budget over 900$ – 1000$. PG24 by Camp Chef is special because of its comparatively low cost.
2. The auto pellet feed is great. Though you can see this feature represents 80% of the present-day smokers, we relied on the fame of camp chef. Three years have passed with no jamming at all.
3. What we loved most is that it has a trap door to allow burn pot cleaning after every cooking. It lessened our job of cleaning this pellet smoker by 60%. It is more than amazing because from our research we know that a feature like this will cost twice as much as the Camp Chef. Honestly, this has emerged as our key point when we selected this smoker to be the best in our review.
4. We also loved it because it has an auto shut down feature. That means you can even go to the office and enjoy delicious smoked ribs by dinner time. Only 30% – 35% of the existing smokers have got this feature.

Many other features, like its automatic control and built-in meat probe have made us select this one as the top one in our pellet smoker review. And the most amazing fact is the price (check price here). In the price range, we never thought that we could get all these features and benefits. We took all the top smokers into considerations, but this SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill by Camp Chef can beat all through its performance and affordability.

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Camp Chef SmokePro PG24DLX Pellet Grill Review

SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill by Camp Chef features tons of built-in features, designed to facilitate the cooking process. It is a smoker for cooks who are serious about getting the real taste of barbecues from their smoker grills. It’s worth your money believe me. Let’s look at its top features.

Temperature control

Controlling temperature is the best way to get the desired piece of cooked meat. This grill has a built-in thermostatic control and a digital thermometer, so that means you won’t have to do much guesswork during barbecue. If the sensors sense a fall in temperature, more wood pellets are added to the burner, which allows you to place the meat on grill and relax.

It also features an dual electric ignition switch plus LED dual temperature displaying the cooking temperature which is one of the top things that a user should look for.

Cooking area

This smoker has cooking area measuring 560 sq. inches, large enough to allow you to smoke food for your friends and family. This is also enough to give you the best grilling experience, as we’ve found after reviewing the top products from Camp Chef. It also has a useful rack where you can keep your smoked food hot while your waiting for your whole meal to come together or that one couple who always arrive late for the party.

Digital control

This Pellet Grill by Camp Chef Pellet Grill also brings along a digital controller which you could use to set your desired temperature and at one point the heat in the chamber will be automatically adjusted. It allows meat to be smoked for hours at a temperature of 150 degrees F. You could increase temperature to 500 degrees F for searing and grilling. With convection, the cold and hot areas of the grill can be replaced with even heat.

Meat Probe

With a temperature probe for the meat inside the chamber, this allows you to keep an eye on the temperature of your meat without opening the grill. Nothing ruins a brisket or roast faster than the griller who constantly fiddles with the meat on the grill. Opening the chamber lets the heat out and that can quickly make for some tough meat. This handy feature takes the guesswork out of how ready your meal is, helping you get the best outcome.

Convenience

It has a weight of 124 lb with a pellet hopper that has 20-pound capacity. That’s so large, you won’t need to worry of getting more before your meal is done. This approach allows you to have the ultimate cooking experience. When the temperature drops, one wood pellet is released. This convenience can’t be found in other grill types, like gas or charcoal.

This unit will not let even a single pellet go to waste. No need of worrying whether you’re out of pellets or not. You can carry pellets at a maximum of 20 pounds, with the digital thermostat ensuring the pellets are being used properly. This saves you loads of cash and gives you smoking food simultaneously without wasting time in refilling pellets.

Cleaning and maintenance

Now we come to the part no one likes and that’s cleaning. This smoker won’t clean itself but it does make the process a lot easier. Camp Chef SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill is created in a way that gives you easier access to the fire pot making cleaning out the ash effortless. It also has a trap door that allows you to clean the unit without scouring through grease and ash. Anyone who has ever had to clean a smoker grill knows how time-consuming and enormous the task can be. This trap door is only present in expensive units, but you’ll be glad you paid a little more when cleaning becomes effortless. You can have both the grill and the cover together for a little higher price.

Power outage bypass

This allows bypassing the relight feature in case of a power outage in your home. Power outages may not happen often but when it does, this feature can save the hot rod from any wear and tear. It proves that the manufacturers actually did a lot of homework when designing this unit.

Finally,
This wood pellet smoker is the best choice for any expert smoker. Its reasonable price and amazing features make it a good prolonged investment. It comes with lots of nifty features that facilitate, smoking, grilling and searing in your backyard. Also, most of its users are very satisfied after using it (check some of its reviews here). For all these reasons, in our pellet smoker review, we consider this smoker as the top choice for the serious BBQ buffs.

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Runner Up: Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill With Sear Box

Why We Chose This To Be The Runner Up?

This pellet grill is guaranteed to take your cooking game to a whole new level. It offers endless options for grilling, smoking, baking, roasting, braising, and barbequing anything your heart desires. It can reach temperatures anywhere from 160 F to 500 F! We gave it the 2nd spot on our list doesn’t mean it has less number of features than PG24 (INFACT IT HAS MORE). The main reason we chose it as our second pick to the Camp Chef PG24 is its price which is on the higher side.

1. The Woodwind grill contains “Smart Smoke” technology that guarantees the most accurate temperatures. This digital gauge will ensure you maintain constant heat at temperatures you want. No more burning food and awkward barbeques!

2. Cleaning up is a huge part of the grilling experience that no one likes to think about. Take comfort in knowing this product has a simple and easy clean out process. It contains a patented clean out container that simply requires you to twist and dump.

3. It offers one of the best sear boxes on the market. It can reach up to 900 degrees F giving your food a crisp and perfect sear. The 16,000 BTU stainless steel burner also contains a built-in ignition. The sear box offers grill masters another state of the art tool in their arsenal. While the sear box is an awesome feature, it bumps up the price compared to the PG24.

4. The versatility of this product allows you to prepare all of your favorite dishes to your specifications. The hardwood pellets bring out natural and juicy flavors of your food. Additionally, it uses convection heating that circulates the burning pellets throughout the grill. The combination of these techniques draws out the best flavors and gives your meat the perfect cook.

Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill Review

The Woodwind Pellet Grill offers an all-encompassing and powerful grill for a reasonable price. Its digital temperature control, large cooking area, ash cleanout system, and elite sear box give it an edge over the competition. The ease of use and diverse features allows the most novice cooks to use it as well. In addition, experienced and professional people also admire the beautiful aesthetic and dynamic features of the grill.

The Smart Smoke technology is one of the most convenient and easy to use features on the grill. It contains a dual LED temperature readout that keeps the heat at a constant temperature. This means you have more time for socializing and can sit back and relax. The temperature ranges from 160 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, it uses a pellet feeder system that burns slowly to add intense flavor to your food. It also uses an electric auto-start ignition that requires the grill be plugged into a standard 120v outlet.

With a temperature range of 160 degrees F to 500 degrees F, you can cook however you want. Braise, grill, roast, bake, smoke or barbecue your foods — that’s entirely up to you. This smoker is powerful enough to cook even the most demanding dishes.

The grill is plated with beautiful stainless steel that gives it a refined and impressive look. The huge cooking area includes 570 square inches of surface area. That’s enough to hold 20 burgers or 4 rib racks! It also contains a second warming rack and bottom shelf that provides it stability and extra storage. This version comes with a sear box that can reach a temperature of up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, which caramelizes your food. There’s a cheaper model of this wood pellet grill which comes without a sear box and costs around $200 less. Additionally, the legs are built with extreme thickness giving the grill a grounded base. The caster wheels add portability to the grill so you can find that perfect place in the backyard.

The cleanout for both the pellets and ash is a huge perk to the grill. The patented “Easy Ash Cleanout” does not require the user to take apart the grill. Instead, they simply have to twist and dump the container. The 18lb pellet hopper is similarly an easy cleanout. The stainless steel also makes it easier to clean it because of the steel’s properties.

Check Price on Amazon!

Finally, The Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill was chosen as our second choice because it lacks some capabilities of the PG24. The grill is rather heavy, at an overall weight of 146lbs. The contrasts with the PG24 which is 124lbs. The PG24 also contains a shutdown feature that gives the user more flexibility. This allows the grill to do more of the cooking for you. Lastly, the Woodwind pellet grill is more expensive than the PG24. The PG24 is overall a better bang for your buck.

The Best Budget Pellet Smoker: Pit Boss 71700FB Pellet Grill with Flame Broiler

What Made It To Grab our Budget Pick Spot?

Among all the low priced smoker grills we reviewed, this one is the most feature-rich smoker. Some of its features include 700 sq. inches of cooking space (32 burger capacity), sliding patented Flame Broiler Plate which allows for 8 in 1 cooking option with both direct and indirect heat, 180°F to 500°F temperature range, porcelain-coated cast-iron grids, heavy-duty 12-gauge steel construction, 21 LB Hopper capacity and easy to use Digital Control Board which makes it a Set it and forget it smoker.

Additionally, it comes with a 5 years limited warranty and it’s priced less than 400$ on Amazon. It also has a very good average customer rating on Amazon which speaks for its popularity. Considering all these, we chose it as our budget pick.

Pit Boss 71700FB Pellet Grill Review

With a massive 700 square inches of primary grilling space, this grill impressed us when compared to other Pit Boss grills we reviewed. Its size is large enough to cook for large groups of people. It features a Flame Broiler that uses slide-plates which allow for direct flame grilling, which means you get an even cast-iron cooking each time. If the 700 square inches isn’t enough, you can make use of the additional upper cooking rack space. The racks are made of porcelain-coated cast iron for optimum grilling as well as easier maintenance.

Pit Boss’s real wood cooking lets both beginners and pros cook and smoke everything from ribs to fish, bake biscuits to pizza, grill burgers to vegetables, sear and charbroil steaks and more. It’s an 8-in-1 beast that will spice up your kitchen.

The flame broiler uses a digitally controlled burn system. It’s Digital Control Center lets you set the temperature ranging from 170F to 600F with ease. The desired temperature is set and maintained through an electric auto-start and fan-forced air mechanism. These, in addition, give that flavorful smoky taste to all of your foods. The auger automatically feeds pellets into the smoker, so you can pretty much let it take care of everything.

Pit Boss takes pride in their top-of-the-line cooking process. The Pit Boss 71700FB uses a fan-forced air accelerate to maintain the flame, achieving that flavorful smoky taste. It’s flame broiler also has two cooking settings, direct and indirect, that elevate the food’s flavor while keeping excess grease away.

No gas, propane or charcoal used here. This smoker uses 100% natural cooking-grade wood pellets. You won’t have to worry — the wood pellets don’t contain any fillers, adders, scents or adhesives. This delivers that authentic smoky flavor without risking your health.

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The rest of the products we reviewed offered 6-in-1 features, but this one surprised us with its 8-in-1 cooking versatility. If an efficient smoker that can do multiple things is what you’re after, then this could just be your choice! On top of all this, it’s priced less than 400$ on Amazon which is pretty less when compared with the other smokers having similar features.

The Best Portable Pellet Grill: Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Pellet Grill

Why Is It The Best Portable Pellet Grill?

Some of the reasons include:

• This smoker is very portable and is small enough to fit in a car trunk while still offering a very decent sized grilling area that can accommodate a 6-8 person party.
• While this Davy Crockett smoker does not have a roller beneath it, it does have 2 foldable legs which can be converted into handles. And at only 69 lbs, it is very easy to take this grill with you on a road trip; you just fold the legs up, put it in your car boot and go!
• Wi-Fi enabled! With the download of an app, you can connect your iPhone or Android device to this little beast via Wi-Fi and control you cooking experience!
• This smoker is one of the only smokers that includes Sense-Mate, which is a thermal sensor system that continuously monitors the internal grilling temperature and keeps the internal temperature within 5ºF of the set temperature.
• You also have the option of running this grill on a 12V battery or a 110V battery. This gives you a lot of options when it comes to where you can use it: you can plug it into the cigarette lighter of your car, you can connect it the battery in the trunk of you car or you can use a standard plug.

On top of all these, it’s the lowest priced smoker grill in our list and has a decent average customer rating on Amazon. Considering all these, we made it our portable pick.

Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Review

The great part about this smoker is that it is fairly light-weight, weighing in at 69 lbs, and its legs double as handles: all you have to do is fold the legs up and carry the smoker wherever you need to! Furthermore, this smoker comes with a 12V connector that you can plug into the cigarette lighter of your car, and a 12-foot alligator clips that you can connect to your car’s battery if necessary. You can take this smoker anywhere!

The Davy Crockett Pellet Grill offers open flame technology which uses infrared radiation to cook your food. The peaked lid not only allows for you to cook tall slabs of meat, but it also helps the convection process within the grill, making sure that your meat is thoroughly and evenly cooked. This top-notch technology ensures that you get that consistent and authentic tasting BBQ every time you fire up the grill!

The Sense-Mate feature is another one of the best additions to this smoker: it is a thermal sensor system that monitors and reads the internal temperature of the grill within 5ºF of the actual temperature! Once you set your desired temperature using its digital controls, the Sense-Mate technology reads and monitors the temperature, while displaying it on the LCD display. Sense-Mate makes sure that heat is kept at a constant temperature, so whether you are cooking at 150ºF or 550ºF, you can rest assured that your meats will be evenly cooked.

We were surprised to see that the pellet grill was WiFi-compatible. Usually, grills come with basic remotes, but this one comes with a digital WiFi controller. It allows you to control and monitor your cooking through an app on your iOS or Android phone. We found this convenient since we didn’t have to get up to check on our grill every few minutes. This is probably why it’s one of the top pellet grills in the market.

In addition, the Davy Crockett Pellet Grill comes with multiple accessories. These include a meat probe, peaked lid (which is useful for large fowls and stand-up chickens), rib racks, a convenience tray as well as utensil hooks. This takes away the trouble of having to order additional parts for modification.

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While the Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Pellet Grill is compatible with most iOS and Android devices, I want to stress, check the compatibility of your device with the grill before purchasing because it would suck to buy this grill only to find out that this feature is not compatible. Also, if you do not plan on using the grill on some elevated surface, the legs are not tall so the grill sits close to the ground. Regardless, this is a GREAT smoker: your meat will come out tender and juicy with that authentic BBQ taste we all love! Neither of these cons affects the quality of your BBQ and both can be worked around.

The Most Advanced BBQ Grill: Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill

Why We Consider This Advanced?

1. The Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker comes with Smart Smoke Technology, which lets you set and forget your grilling. It accurately sets and maintains the desired temperature using an automated electric feed system, heating your unit from 180 degrees F to 450 degrees F. We’ve gotten used to smokers taking around 30-40 minutes to heat up, but with this unit, it took only 20 minutes for the temperature to settle in!
2. This unit costs almost half of what most high-end smokers cost, but it offers equal (or even better!) features. This 8-in-1 smoker and grill lets you enjoy the fun of grilling, smoking, baking, roasting, searing, braising, barbecuing and char-grilling!
3. With just one push of the button, this Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker uses its electric auto-ignition system to fire up your grill using authentic wood pellets. You got that right, it doesn’t use gas, propane or charcoal!

Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill Review

Complete with a variety of spectacular features, the Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker redefines the whole concept of smoking. At a reasonable price, this smoker gives you more than what you paid for. It offers top technology-rich features that ensure consistent smoking for that great smoky flavor. Plus, many customers – including ourselves – have attested to its durability. This smoker will serve you without failure for a very long time.

Every outdoor cooking enthusiast wants an affordable pellet smoker that has all of the key features that even a high-end unit would have. In most cases, this is just a dream and a result of false advertising, because most impressive smokers typically cost a hefty sum of money. The Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker claims to be a reasonably-priced smoker that offers top-of-the-line features, and many users have agreed with those claims. With this pellet smoker review of the Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, we’ll find out if it really does what it claims to do.

Some of the top features of this pellet smoker include:

Most traditional grills and smokers would have you struggling to reach the desired temperature, but with this unit, that problem is long gone. All you have to do is set your temperature using its digital controls, and press a button to get it heated up.

Once it reaches the ideal temperature, it uses an Internal Temperature Sensor to maintain it throughout the cooking process. Forget about checking on the status of your grilling every few minutes, this unit makes sure your food is cooked thoroughly and evenly — no babysitting needed here! This way, you can enjoy your time with your friends, which is what a BBQ party should be.

The Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker comes with a primary cooking surface of 513 square inches, plus a second cooking rack with 187 square inches. Its large cooking space makes it ideal for large events, letting you grill, smoke, bake, roast, sear, braise, barbecue and char-grill all sorts of food at once.

No gas, charcoal and propane solutions here. This grill uses only wood pellets, letting you serve that pro-like, rich smoky flavor that your guests will enjoy. Do you want to cook more recipes? The Z Grills website features dozens of recipes for your indulgence.

With a large cooking space and the most advanced cooking techniques, this is easily one of our favorite products among our top ten. While it lacks some of the features that the other grills and smokers in this review have (such as an ash and grease cleanup systems), it does deliver fine-dining quality foods, which is the ultimate goal of every grilling enthusiast. For its price, it offers some of the best features you can find in high-end products.

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5 Other Best Pellet Grills We Reviewed:

6. Traeger Grills Tailgater 20 Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

Main Features

• Easy to fold legs and versatile cooking options
• Less storage space than the Lil Tex Elite Model
• Digital temperature controls
• 85% of the features we were looking for in our pellet smoker reviews
• Durable build
• 6-in-1 features: grill, smoke, roast, bake, braise and BBQ!

Let’s have a look at its detailed review:

Traeger Grills Tailgater 20 BBQ Grill Review

Portable Grill

The Traeger grill and smoker is extremely easy to transport. It comes with EZ-fold legs which allow you to easily pack it up and throw it in your car trunk, ready to go. With a height of 38 inches, width of 35 inches, and weight of 76 pounds, this can quickly be transported to even the most rugged terrain.

Medium Cooking Space

Being portable doesn’t mean it has to be extra small. This smoker boasts an accommodating 300 square inches of grilling space. This is enough to cook around twelve burgers or three racks of ribs. Perfect for families going on camping!

Consistent Temperature Range

With its Integrated Digital Elite Controller, temperature is kept constant within + / – 20 degrees Fahrenheit. It also allows for low/slow and hot/fast smoking for up to 450 degrees. Checking up on your food’s temperature is also made easy with the LED display, which clearly shows the temperature even under bright daylight.

Authentic, Smoky Flavor

Using 100% hardwood pellets, this smoker gives you authentic, smoky flavored foods whatever you do with it, whether it’s smoking, grilling, baking, roasting, braising, or BBQing. You get the wood-fired taste all of your guests are looking forward to each time.

Overall, the Traeger Grills Tailgater is a top choice for outdoor trips with small families or groups. While it doesn’t deliver the most convenient and advanced cooking as compared to the other picks in this pellet smoker review, it does have the right degree of portability and functionality needed in any outdoor adventure.

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7. Traeger Lil Tex Elite BBQ Pellet Grill

This smoker offers a decent 418 square inches of grilling space. This is enough to cook around sixteen burgers or four whole chickens. If the grilling space isn’t enough, Traeger also offers a larger bbq grill that offers the same features at a higher price range. But the medium sized one is enough to cook for large groups of people already. Built to have a high capacity, this smoker allows for multiple cooking at the same time.

The cooking process is made a lot more convenient with this smoker. To start cooking, all you need to do is flip the Traeger on/off switch, and you’re good to go. Then, you can simply set your desired temperature through the digital controls. Enjoy your time and relax while you leave the unit to do everything else. With its efficient temperature control system and automated auger with an induction fan, heat remains constant throughout the cooking process. You’ll have evenly-cooked foods that have that mouth-watering smoky flavor in no time.

You aren’t limited to basic barbecuing. For us, what really stood out was its ability to deliver pro chef-level cooking even at home. This smoker lets you explore all there is about cooking, letting you braise, grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise and BBQ all kinds of food. Using only the best and the purest hardwood pellets, you’re sure to have the juiciest and tastiest meats and vegetables every time you host your outdoor parties. If you think you have to give up quality because of the quantity of foods it can cook, that’s not the case. Quality is maintained whatever it is you’re cooking.
This smoker comes with two cooking settings: hot and fast, and low and slow. Its Digital Elite Controller makes setting the temperature a breeze — all you have to do is turn the dial to your desired temperature, and you can leave it for the rest of the cooking process. This smoker can reach the temperature of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The digital display on top of the grill lets you monitor the heat conveniently.

Aside from coming with porcelain-coated grills that are non-stick in quality, the product comes with an ash cleanout system which makes it easy for you to simply dump the ash and get started on your next cooking.

This smoker offers a variety of useful functions that will allow you to smoke, grill, bake, braise, roast and BBQ anything and everything. It’s definitely worth your money because if you take care of it properly, it’s going to last you a long time.

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8. Camp Chef SmokePro SE Wood Pellet Grill

Another “set it and forget it” pellet grill, the Camp Chef allows you to set the temperature controls for up to a range of 500 degrees F, and leave it to do the regulating. With its efficient auto-dispensing pellet hopper and digital temperature controls, the pellet grill sets, maintains and adjusts the desired temperature for even cooking each time. With consistent and fuss-free temperature control, you’ll sure to have the most perfectly grilled foods.

This smoker offers a massive 560 cubic inches of grilling area with a large-capacity pellet hopper. Even though it’s the perfect starter grill, it’s still packed with plenty of extras that even the pro chefs will enjoy. If the grilling space isn’t enough, the removable upper racks can be turned into extra cooking space. The smokestack behind the unit can also be converted into a prep area.

In addition, the pellet hopper can hold a large amount of wood pellets. This means that you won’t need to frequently refill your hopper, which just adds to its convenience. It can hold up to 18 pounds of pellets. Its automatic mode allows it to disperse them throughout the cooking process as it maintains the desired temperature.

Although this would not work as a portable grill, it does come with built-in wheels for convenience. You can easily transfer your grill to any part of your backyard and it will stay secured in place (as long as it’s on an even surface, of course).

Cleaning up after grilling is every cook’s dreaded part of the process, but this pellet grill simplifies that. Its warming rack comes with a patented ash-catcher system, the Ash Can Cleanout System, that allows for an easier cleanup of the unit. Additionally, it also features a grease drip disposal system that comes with a bucket. You won’t have to waste precious time cleaning up afterward!

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For a large-sized smoker, the Camp Chef SmokePro SE delivers excellent, smoky-tasting flavor that even beginners can accomplish. This is largely due to its automatic temperature control features and grease management system, allowing you relax while it cooks for you. With minimal cons (only weight and pellet price), this is a definite hit among professionals and newbies. The SmokePro SE is an unquestionable bang for your buck kind of purchase.

9. Camp Chef PG24S Pellet Grill and Smoker Deluxe

The Camp Chef PG24S lets you set the smoker to your desired settings so you can leave it to relax while it does the rest for you. With an advanced digital temperature chip, it steadily monitors the temperature, achieving a constant cooking temperature at all times. Dual LED temperature displays allow you to easily check the temperature of the food kept inside your smoker without losing any heat. With an auto-dispensing pellet hopper that can hold around 18 pounds, your pellets are used efficiently. The grill can work in temperatures that range from 160F to 400F.

This heavy-duty top-notch grill and smoker has a total cooking area of 429 square inches, which is large enough for cooking around twenty burgers at once. If that’s not enough, it comes with a secondary rack of 144 square inches that you can use for smoking or warming. With a height of 32.5 inches, you can cook a variety of meats and foods to your heart’s desire.

With the Camp Chef PG24S, you won’t have to constantly refill your hopper. Your pellets will be used as efficiently as possible, as this product comes with a hopper that can hold up to 18 pounds of wood pellets. With the digital heat control system, it instantly feeds the pellets into the grill to maintain the ideal cooking temperature. This ensures that food is cooked most satisfyingly.

The Camp Chef PG24S uses three cleanup and maintenance systems. The Ash Cup Clean Out System collects leftover ash in a cup for easy cleanup. The Grease Management System instantly drains grease into a bucket for easy disposal. Finally, the Pellet Purge System helps you clean out pellets from your auger with ease. Cleaning up has never been so easy.

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The Camp Chef PG24S is one of the most high-capacity, heavy-duty smokers we’ve ever used. For its size, it’s fairly easy to operate and won’t require you much maintenance. Although it’s quite heavy, it definitely cooks large amounts of food for big groups. Overall, a great investment that will last you a long time.

10. Camp Chef SmokePro SG Wood Pellet Grill Smoker

The Camp Chef SmokePro utilizes its famous Smart Smoke Technology in using wood pellets efficiently. This makes sure that your foods are smoked to top quality. Because of this, you can “set it and forget it” so that you can sit back and relax.

Available in 24-inch and 36-inch units, the Camp Chef SmokePro is packed with great features for their size. It features a massive 811 square inch rack surface area, perfect for grilling multiple foods at once. Using an auto-dispensing pellet hopper that can hold 22 lbs of pellets, grilling is made convenient and efficient.

The Camp Chef SmokePro’s automatic features definitely set it apart and make it truly a “set it and forget it” kind of unit. It makes use of an electric auto-igniter system that lets you start grilling with just one button. The automatic auger instantly dispenses pellets to maintain the desired temperature and use your pellets the most efficient way.

This smoker uses dual meat probes to determine the temperature, and then displays the internal temperature through a convenient dual-LED temperature readout display. You don’t have to risk losing heat just to check on your food’s temperature every once in a while, making sure that you get tender and juicy food all the time.

Just like most Camp Chef products, this pellet grill smoker uses a patented ash cleanup system that takes away the trouble of vacuuming. Ash is immediately stored in an ash clean-out cup that’s easy to dump.

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Some products feature the wood-pellet fuel system as a bonus, but the Camp Chef SmokePro SG makes its wood-fired function the star of the show. Using 100% real hardwood pellets, recreating 5-star-cuisine level dishes on a large scale is now made convenient. Though it still has limited reviews, it wouldn’t be a surprise if this smoker quickly becomes a best-selling choice. It’s the kind of smoker that you need if you want hassle-free and fast cooking.

Honorable Mentions:

We have reviewed the best pellet smokers on the market today after doing our extensive comparative research. However, there were some hidden gems that could not make it to our top 10 product list because of one reason or another e.g. due to their high prices, unavailabilities in some regions, and other factors. Also, some just failed to get in our top 10 list only because it was a top 10 list and not a top 20 list. Regardless of the reasons, here are a few honorable mentions that failed to make it to this top 10 best pellet smoker review, but are still worthy in their own rights:

I : REC TEC Grills Bull | RT-700 Portable Wood Pellet Grill (WIFI Enabled)

• Insanely expensive
• Great Features including:
  • front-folding shelf
  • meat probe
  • Stainless Steel body
  • Wi-Fi controls with Red Tec’s propriety PID algorithm
  • 1000 sq. in. cooking area including option shelf
  • Six-year warranty

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II: Best Pellet Smoker Under $1000- Yoder YS480 BBQ Smoker Grill

• Best in terms of build quality
• Very High Price
• Hopper capacity is a little inadequate for its size
• Features including:
  • Second cooking shelf
  • Front and side shelves
  • Cooking area of 800 sq. in.
  • 20lb hopper capacity
  • Digital Controls (no Wi-Fi)
  • Lots of accessories available

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III: Grilla Grills Silverbac Wood Pellet Grill with Digital Controls

• Great puns, great products!
• Traditional barrel-shaped design and astounding colors
• Great heating technology with auto-ignition and set-and-forget controls.
• Temperature range of 180-500°F with auto-shutdown safety if it reaches 650°F.
• Good build quality – made from robust stainless steel and high-temperature powder coating.

IV: Louisiana Grills LG1100 Pellet Grill, 1061 Square Inch

• One of the first pellet smoker manufacturers after Traeger’s patent expired
• Advanced design – a shorter distance from hopper to firebox
• 1100 sq. in. cooking area including removable grid.
• Cast iron grids with porcelain coating
• Built from 14-gauge heavy-duty steel.
• In-line skate casters for maneuverability
• “Set-and-Forget” temperature controls with meat probe
• Flame broiler
• Auto start-up and cool-down
• LG’s proprietary exhaust mechanism
• Adjustable temperature from 170-600°F

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VI: GMG Daniel Boone: A Good Pellet Smoker Under $500

• Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone is a top seller but is more expensive
• Their motto is “think everything” – so you can cook pretty much anything on it!
• Stainless Steel body and steel lid with smooth black powder-coated finish
• Hard-rubber tires for maneuverability
• Sense-Mate technology
• Fan-Only mode to blow off ash and clean the grill

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Other Notable Pellet Smoker Grills

During our research, we left no stone unturned. We have gone through all the available brands out there and considered their best products before shortlisting the ones for more detailed research. Since we have gone through the trouble of researching them, we figured we’d share the names of the best products anyway.

Cookshack PG500 Pellet Smoker Grill:

Among the Cookshack products, the Fast Eddy’s PG 500 and PG 1000 stand out. But if we are to choose the best from these two, we’d rather suggest you go for PG500 since that will be the best product from Cookshack.

Z Grills ZPG – 7002 Wood Pellet Grill:

Priced around the $530 range, this product can go head to head with its already impressive counterpart – our advanced pick, Z Grills 7-in-1 wood pellet grill. However, with that product having even better features than this one for a relatively lower price, it failed to land a spot anywhere in our review.

Big Horn XL1093 Bbq Pellet Grill:

Big Horn’s largest available grill, the XL 1093 comes with a large cooking area of 1093 sq inches. With it’s low price tag of around $300 and a high cooking area, this product could have been a great choice for pellet smokers. However, we’d rather not suggest something that’s susceptible to rust and weather conditions to be kept outdoors at all times.

Cabela’s Pro Series 36” Elliptical Pellet Grill:

This is an expensive product compared to the ones in our review. However, its build quality and features are simply the best among the $800 price range it comes in. But when we looked at the users’ preferences, this product found a pretty low rating. If most of the users aren’t willing to buy it, we wouldn’t want to suggest it for you either.

Memphis Elite Pellet Grill – VG0002S:

Without a doubt, this is a grill suited for the grill master. But due to its $5000 price tag, we cannot, in good conscience, suggest it for home and personal use. Hence, this product came to this section instead of our top 10 list.

Outdoor Gourmet – Triton XL:

Outdoor Gourmet is one of the more obscure names in the grill industry. However, it does have a considerable fan base, leading us to investigate this product as well. During our research, this is a product we found worth mentioning in this article.

FireCraft® Pellet-Q450™:

FireCraft, after retailing many different brands of grills, chose to get into this game and released their own line of products. Among them, we believe that among their products, the Q450 stands out.

Wrapping It Up

Keep visiting this page because we will always be the first ones to bring you the newest and the best news about the innovations in grills and smokers as well as updating you on the best pellet smokers out there on the market today. We hope that we have answered all of your questions with our top ten pellet smoker reviews. If you’re still asking, “should I buy a pellet smoker?” then the answer is undoubtedly “yes!”. And you certainly won’t go wrong with our Top Pick, the Camp Chef SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill.