The Best Pellet Smoker/Grill Reviews 2021

3. REC TEC Wood Pellet Grill – Featuring Smart Grill Technology™

REC TEC Grill positions itself in the market as a high-end brand name. Parallel with the price is the high-class features of the products. It is beautiful outside and powerful inside. Thus, this pellet grill should be the choice for those who want a classy product.

Even though the REC TEC does not have the wireless capability or integrated meat probe, its controller can switch between the actual temperature and set temperature. Also, it comes with a cool-down function, which is undoubtedly more innovative than most of today’s brands.

You can smoke brisket, pork, chicken, ribs, etc. with ease. With the Extreme Smoke button, the REC TEC gives more smoke and makes the cooking more time-saving and effort-saving. The Extreme Smoke mode is used between 180 and 500 degrees. It makes the pellets to smolder more by directing the fan move back and forth.

REC TEC Wood Pellet Grill has 40-pound hopper capacity, which is a huge plus. It increases the efficiency in pellet transport while decreasing the stress on the auger motor. Also, the burning port in the center can improve the heat distribution, making it faster to grill, sear, and smoke the thick meat.

The big cooking area of 702 Square meters allows you to cook more foods at the same time to service for a considerable number of guests at a party.

When it comes to smoking, the worst thing is that smoke may escape from all the seams and joints. With REC TEC, its manufacturer minimizes this by welding and sealing, so smoke just comes out the top of the cover or the stack.

If you are looking for products of Traeger Renegade Elite, please read our review!

8. Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill with Sear Box

Are you looking for a smart pellet smoker? Or simply, you love the technological appliance, right? Well, it is difficult to ignore the Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill – a cooking tool with clever smoke technology.

Exactly, thanks to the temperature control with the digital design and the automatic system when you do not have to add the pellets, you can easily maintain the optimal heat and smoke. After setting, it will do itself – no babysitting.

Of course, the versatility does not likely lack. Not only the ability to grill and smoke are perfect, but you can still use it for other needs such as braising, roasting, baking, or barbecuing. Then, it has to mention to the taste – a natural wood-fired flavor.

To get that great taste, the temperature contributes no less. With the huge temp range ~ 160 degrees F – 500 degrees F, it allows you to cook the favorite foods comfortably.

Another advantage of cooking with this grill is the large cooking surface ~ 570.sq.in. It is quite ideal for families with many members. Furthermore, don’t make you difficult to grill many steaks or the whole chickens.

Finally, you will not also need to worry about cleaning. The convenient ash clean-out system helps you not to take more time to clean it. If you do not feel expensive, the Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill is a good sufficient option.

Top 10 Products Bought Together With Pellet Smokers

The introduction of pellet smokers into the market is seen as a game-changer to various users. They often come in different design, which is packaged with different features. However, various products enhance the work of the pellet smokers and therefore, need to be bought alongside it. Here is a list:

1. Firepots

A firepot is where cold air is converted to hot/warm air. This is the most important piece of a pellet smoker because it is where heat is created to be able to smoke your meat. However, because an extreme change in temperature can cause a lot of wear and tear, your firepot needs to be replaced regularly.

Make sure to clean your firepots so that air circulation is maximized regularly. This will prevent soot from building up and ruining your meat. As usual, we do not want our meat to be covered in soot when all we want for ourselves is some good steak.

2. Drip Pans

Drip pans catch all of the juices that fall off your meat during the smoking process. This eases the cleaning process by not having to scrape the dried juice off your brand new pellet smoker. However, the primary purpose is to keep the juice off the flame, which could cause flare-ups that could burn your meat or be hazardous.

As a bonus in your cooking ventures, you can keep the collected juices for use in sauces or a stock.

Expert tip: To reduce the heat and regulate the temperature in your smoker, you can add water to your drip pan. The water will absorb the heat from the fire below.

3. Heat Shields

It has long been debated on whether heat shields are entirely necessary or not. However, most agree that they are necessary to increase the lifespan of your burner and for safety reasons.

Heat shields protect your burner from meat drippings that can cause damage to the metal. They also prevent fires when cooking on a flammable foundation such as a wood deck.

These are becoming more popular than the alternative rock grates because bacteria do not stick with them, they are lighter, and they are easier to replace.

4. Rock Grates

Rock grates are placed directly above the burner with the same purpose as heat shields, to protect the burner from juice dripping from the meat. On these grates, the cook will place lava rock or ceramic briquettes, which protects the burner. While it does this, it also distributes the heat throughout the smoker, more evenly.

Whether you choose rock grates or a heat shield, it is entirely up to your preference.

5. Cooking Grates

Cooking grates are what you place the meat on to be cooked. The most crucial component in buying cooking grates is to make sure that they are heavy duty. The best thing about a smoker is that it can cook large pieces of meat all at one time. That’s a lot of weight to put on a grated shelf. Meaning you need to find cooking grates that can handle the job.

They must also be stainless steel, along with most of your other accessories to handle the heat. Some smokers already come with cooking grates, but make sure to check your owner’s manual for size specifications if you intend to purchase cooking grates.

6. Hopper Extensions

Hopper extensions are boxes that hold extra pellets. These boxes are attached to your pellet smoker. They increase the time it takes to burn through your pellets, which means you don’t have to keep feeding the smoker more pellets during the cooking time. What that means for you are less time checking the smoker and more sleep.

7. Pellet Savers

Pellet savers work in conjunction with your hopper extension. They are small pieces of steel that fit on the bottom of said extension to force the last few pellets out with every smoking.

When you’re trying to get through a long night of smoking meat, the last thing you want to do is reload an entire pound of pellets back into your smoker when it’s at the tail end of finishing. Sometimes all you need is a few pellets. Pellet savers will save you money by avoiding the addition of more pellets. Scrimp and save.

8. Thermostats And Thermometers

The toughest part about smoking meat is temperature control. During all those hours of loading more pellets and checking on the meat, a lot of factors can alter the temperature. The number of pellets you add-in, the exterior temperature, how long it’s been cooking, etc. That’s why every smoker needs a thermostat to monitor the constantly changing temperature.

Over time, you will come to learn the best ways to increase the temperature or bring it back down. But it takes a thermostat to get to know your smoker better and how it reacts to different circumstances.

Until you are a regular smoke master, you also will require a thermometer for the meat itself. Because temperature changes quickly and easily within a smoker, it’s difficult to tell when the meat is done, or close to being done.

A small thermometer kept next to your smoker will help with that. The temperature at which different meats are done can be found in a quick Google search. Simply place the thermometer in the meat for reading, and continue to check until it reads a temperature you are happy with.

9. Meat Hooks

For best results smoking hams, roasts, and sausages, meat hooks are a must. These are perhaps the simplest accessory bought for pellet smokers. All they are is stainless steel hooks that hang inside your smoker. Meat is then hung on them with smoking nets.

The purpose of meat hooks is to make sure the entire meat is smoked consistently on all sides. They are used for larger or whole meats like hams, whereas slices of meat can be laid on the grates.

10. Smoker Cover

A cover for your smoker is a necessity because the weather can take a great toll on how long your smoker lasts and how well it performs. A cover will prevent rain and snow from creating rust that wears down your smoker. Protection from outside heat will also help to keep the paint from chipping.

In a safety sense, it is also a good practice to cover your smoker to prevent any curious children from playing with it.

How do Pellet Smokers work?

If you are living in an area where smoking is common, then you might need to familiarize yourself with how pellet smokers work, so you don’t mess it up if you purchase one. In a nutshell, pellet smokers use pellets-squashed sawdust and wood chippings to produce heat that is responsible for smoking your favorite ribs, chicken, beef, and turkey.

These pellets are fed into the burning pot using an automatic electric auger mechanism. The auger, an elongated screw, is responsible for the delivery of pellets into the chimney, depending on the thermostat’s preset speeds.

After delivering the wood chips into the unit, the chimney is lit, and the pellets burn up to produce the necessary heat for cooking. Then, by convection, the steady heat ensures that a continued supply of warm air is maintained.

Also, a pellet smoker has an inbuilt heat exchanger that splits the smoke exhaust from the hot air, warming the surrounding without having to smoke everything around it.

Things to Keep in Mind before Purchasing Pellet Smokers

One thing you might not have known as far as pellet smokers are concerned is that they’ve two major concerns: taste and amount of fuel consumed. As stated above, these units produce very strong smoky flavors, regardless of the type of pellet is used.

Nevertheless, several brands with distinct flavors are now available on the market. Overall, pellet smokers are best when it comes to slow-cooking since they burn longer than conventional smokers.

A Pellet smoker is one of the most reliable, versatile, and efficient pieces of smoking equipment you can ever own. Fueled using one-hundred percent wood pellets, a typical smoker unit can be used in smoke-cooking, baking, and even roasting. Slow-cooking your ribs, pulled pork, and chicken can be done on a pellet unit.

They usually produce some of the most delicious foods; no wonder most competitions are won by foods cooked on pellet smokers. Think about how your hamburger will taste if you use this type of cooking!

Using sophisticated design and smart technology, pellet smokers will remove your barbecuing mess and worries, and allow you to have the best meat and have fun with your friends at the same time.

Therefore, if you’ve settled for a pellet smoker, you’ll have to learn how to buy the best.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Cooking on a pellet smoker can be very beneficial. You’ll love their versatility. You can smoke, bake, or even barbecue using pellet units because they have additional features that are rare in other smoker models.

You can also use then to cook a variety of foods: crispy chicken, turkey, and braised ribs. The following advantages will help you make an informed decision.

Advantages:

Versatility

Pellet smokers come with a grill. This means that you can do your barbecuing, smoking, roasting, grilling, as well as baking or braising using a single pellet unit. Most home chefs have used them to cook everything: crunchy chicken wings, turkey, braised ribs, and smoked beef.

Temperature Control

Several pellet smokers are specially designed in such a way that you can automatically control the temperatures in uniform increments, therefore enabling you to have complete control over your smoker’s cooking temperature.

An inbuilt thermostat located in the unit’s cooking chimney precisely relays signals to the control unit, which in turn regulates the delivery of pellets.

Even Cooking

Uniform cooking can only be achieved by carefully regulating your smoking temperature. And this is one area in which pellet smokers don’t disappoint. Also, they work in almost the same way as convection ovens.

You can comfortably load the cooking chamber without having to fear uneven cooking. This will ensure that you get the best out of your cooker, and your food is tender, sweet, and flavorful.

Diversified Flavors

Pellets can give you a range of flavors: hickory, the famous alder flavor, that special apple flavor, the great mesquite maple flavor, the little-known bourbon flavor, and the unique pecan flavor. You are at liberty to mix or change them in a matter of minutes.

A few pounds can provide several cooks, although the overall usage is dependent on the weather conditions as well as the temperature setting. In ordinary conditions, a typical unit will need a half two pounds of pellets in one hour to effectively produce the best smoking flame.

With pellet smokers, you will never overcook or undercook your meat. They produce a subtler flavor. These units come in different sizes. If you have a smaller space, you can choose a small one. Equally, if you intend to throw a relatively large party for your friends, it is wise to buy a larger unit.

Remember, you can get additional smoke flavors by positioning your wood chunks or wood chippings directly on your unit’s diffusing plate.

Disadvantages

Relatively Expensive

Pellet smokers are more expensive when compared to conventional smokers, and they usually retail from around $300 to $2000. Compare different models on the market to make a wise decision. Remember: do not base your decision on price alone.

Little Smoke Production

Pellet smokers are known to produce very high cooking temperatures. And, the higher the temperature, the lower the amount of smoke generated. A nice smoking flavor can be obtained at 250 degrees of cooking temperature, on average.

Things to Look for in Pellet Smokers

Choosing the right smoker for your outdoor and indoor cooking can be tricky. Don’t be deceived by the outward look and end up buying an inefficient pellet smoker.

The best smoker is all about quality, usability, durability, and space. Therefore, grab the following beneficial tips, and you’ll be good to go!

Size of the Hopper

This is the first thing you need to consider when finding a pellet smoker. But, to know the accurate size of the hopper, you ought to know the number of people invited for the meal.

For the large families, it prioritizes to choose the model with the big hopper capacity and vice versa. Of even, with organizing the outdoors parties frequently, you should also select a large hopper since it enables you to cook a great number of the foods.

Price

The budget should be your number one factor to consider when shopping around for a good smoker unit. These modern smoker units come in different sizes and types of accessories.

If you can afford to spend considerable amounts of money, then going for a unit with loads of bells, and whistles aren’t a bad idea either! But if you fall in the “average class,” you’re better off going for a fairly priced unit that can effectively serve your cooking needs.

Availability of the Pellet 

Depending on your place of residence, you might require loads of pellets, and this can prove difficult in some areas where pellets are scarce. The most convenient way to purchase pellets is by purchasing them in bulk or ordering them via the Internet.

It’s therefore important to ensure that you have enough pellets for your cooking. Otherwise, you will have a poorly cooked meat.

Space Concerns

Pellet smokers are normally larger than conventional smokers, so if you have limited cooking space for your unit, it can be very tricky. Always make sure that you familiarize yourself with your smoker’s size and weight. This will give you a rough idea of the mobility of the equipment. If you want to move your unit around regularly, you’re better off with a small-sized movable unit.

Conversely, if you prefer stationing your smoker at a specific spot, then buying a large-sized unit would be wise.

Quality and Durability

Quality influences durability. If you purchase a robust unit, it will serve you for a long time. Therefore, ensure that you settle for a reliable unit. Otherwise, you’ll be overwhelmed with costs associated with your unit’s maintenance.

You must purchase a unit from a reputable company. Doing this, you are more likely to have a quality smoker that will last for years to come.

Warranty

Coming with the affordable, you also need a product with a longer warranty. It would be best to be longer and better. As a whole, the pellet smokers provide the warranty time within 3-5 years.

With the quality-high products, they can have a lifetime warranty for the separate parts. Let’s check this one carefully before giving your decision.

The Differences of Pellet Smoker, Electric Smoker, Charcoal Smoker

In general, each type of smoker has its pros and cons so depending on you are a beginner or enthusiast, you should have the most appropriate choice. Know all features which can lead you to the right pick:

Charcoal smoker

Although charcoal smoker requires more effort on your end to work and maintain, it provides you the better taste, bark as well as smoke rings

As I mentioned, you need more time and effort to clean it after use. When cooking, pay attention to monitor your dishes more, but that’s also an excellent way to take the cooking experiences.

This choice is suitable for beginners. Apart from easy-to-use feature – press and wait, you can clean it quickly after using because there is no need charcoal to function which it doesn’t produce gas. The electric smoker is a budget-friendly model.

Sometimes, it’s hard to cook outdoor as you need a power source to use. Furthermore, compared to charcoal one, this produces fewer smoke rings.

Pellet Smoker

Its size is bigger than others, especially the large pellet hopper. Thanks to the temperature controller, what you need to do with this model is just to press the button and until there is an outcome. Moreover, its cooking area is also very big.

However, it’s more expensive than others, and it can’t make the smoke ring like what a charcoal model can do. If you see electric and charcoal smokers are not what you are looking for, go on reading to know what you will get if owning a pellet model.

What is the biggest problem with a pellet grill smoker?

Everything has benefits and certain problems while using a pellet grill, too. To avoid the risks to be able to occur, you necessarily know the problems that the pellet grills can have.

 Maintain Temperature

Perhaps, this is a common situation for most grills. Even though there has equipped the temp control, it is still hard to maintain the desired temperatures during cooking.

The temperature can be too low or high. It leads to the control that becomes more difficult. Suffering from this problem, this is the grills from Green Mountain, in particular, Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Pellet Grill.

 Built-in Material

The majority of the pellet grills are made of the stainless steel from the body to the parts. But, in fact, not all they are durable and solid. There are likely due to many objective reasons from you as well as the external factors such as maintenance, storage, or hard conditions.

It can rust as the case of the Pit Boss 71700FB Pellet Grill. Some of the others are broken parts after using for some time, the Camp Chef GP24DLX, for instance.

Ability to Run

When saying to the pellet grills, everyone immediately thinks of its versatility. The users can grill, roast, braise, bake, smoke, char-grill, or barbecue, depending on their recipes. This is an advantage and also a disadvantage.

It is hard to work well all in. Constantly, each of the models just operates effectively with a couple of the cooking method mentioned. Take a specific example; there is the Traeger Pellet Grills BBQ155.01 that smokes more effectively than grills.

Clean

The biggest problem of the pellet grills is to use the hardwood pellets for cooking. It is often difficult to clean if compared to the gas or propane models.

In spite of being equipped the exclusive ash clean-out system in some cases, the hassles of maintaining after each use still have. Even the pellet grills that do not include this system require regular cleaning to make sure the longer usage.

How to Clean and Maintain Your Pellet Smoker

A good pellet smoker provides your family with a steady source of tasty foods every day from freshly baked pizza to smoked brisket. Thus, it’s very important to maintain your investment careful by cleaning it after each use. In case you don’t do that regularly, it can lead to ash buildup influencing the airflow of your pellet smoker even ignitability, and maintenance of consistent temperature.

Below, I will provide you the useful ways to extend the lifespan and keep your model in the tip-top condition, free of ash on the fire pot, and grease, food residue, as well as any debris on the diffuser plates and grates:

Cleaning before and each use:

There is a wrong point of view that the soot and grease buildup can give your food more flavor, but in fact, it not only can’t make your foods more delicious but also harms your health in some cases.

Therefore, before anything else, make sure your model clean to maximize the performance and make the safe and healthy dishes by checking the grease pans and collector which can end up a fire if it is full and overflow. Do this quick cleanup without being too dramatic as follows:

• Empty the ash into a cup
• Wipe away all grease spots and food residue
• Use a spatula or a wire grill brush to scrape down the grill grates.

In spite of this simple, small guide, it can help you save much time and effort on the deeper cleaning.

Make a deep clean

When it comes to the deep cleans, do that every two days if you use regularly. In case you don’t use it often, it’s ok to clean your model every few months. Below is what you need to follow:

Note

o To ensure your pellet smoker is safe while cleaning, unplug it from the power source and wait until everything is in cool condition. Moreover, the pellet hopper should be empty to protect your model away from wet and to contact directly with cleaning substances.

o Read the instruction manual of the manufacturer. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, reading the specifics will provide you some significant benefits of cleaning and maintaining. For example, protect the smoker away from the hose pipe. Some products available on the market can’t touch to water directly due to a motorized auger, digital controllers, a fan as well as an igniter rod for the firepot. To deal with, you just can dry scrub without disassembling.

Clean exterior

o Spray stainless steel cleaner or use the mixture of hot water and soap (the low effect on the end) on the painted surfaces or stainless steel area. Don’t let it touch the plastic components. Wait around 30 seconds so that the cleaner has enough time for breaking down grease and smoking stains.

o Then, use a rag or a paper towel to wipe off the cleaner residue. Remember this rule applying the circular movements for painted surface and the grain for stainless steel areas.

o To remove the remaining grease and smoke completely, you should repeat this step at least once more. It’s important to rinse the mixture of soapy water thoroughly.

Clean interior

• Make sure the burn cup is free of ash.
• Remove all accessories from lid to cooking grate, drip tray, extra racks with a heat diffuser plate. Before doing that, you should make sure that you can reassemble all into their original positions
• The option of a wet or dry vacuum attached to a hose can help you get rid of loose ash as well as debris.
• Pay attention that grease may locate in somewhere inside the grill, and it requires you use a flat edge of pan scraper or paint stick for removing.
• Let you dip a rag into the mixture of hot water and soap to wash the interior.
• Repeat this process until your model is free of grease. >
• After rinsing, let it dry one day.

If you want the next cleaning times easier, try to cover drip tray and heat diffuser plate with aluminum. When using, you just need to throw away and replace a new one in place of dealing with grease.

Conclusion

View from different angles, I love a pellet smoker because it brings certain benefits during the use process (all are listed above). What about you? Why do you like using a pellet smoker?

If you are interested in the pros of the best pellet smoker/grill, the information is really useful for you. Aside from the quality products and what you should consider buying, you can make your decision based on the above information to choose the most suitable model.

I do hope my article has been helpful for you? I believe you will easily find the right smoker for your cooking pleasure. Have a delicious meal!!!