Smoking food on a wood pellet barbecue or smoker is a great way to add a smokey, deep taste to your food while also reducing the amount of trash you have to clean up. Food may be smoked or seared at temperatures as low as 150 degrees Fahrenheit on a pellet grill or as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, utilizing an electric grill or smoker allows you to better regulate and maintain temperature than you could with a typical charcoal grill or smoker.
Several top-rated pellet smokers were acquired for testing at home by our team of culinary writers in order to determine the finest models on the market today. Each grill was tested for its heat control, heat retention, and size, and we rated its performance according to the variety of meals we cooked on it. We were also able to get a feel for the delivery procedure for each grill, which may be a hassle owing to their big size, thanks to our in-home testing.
Whether you’re a first-time smoker or a seasoned griller, these are the finest pellet smokers based on our research.
1. Best Overall: Weber Smokefire EX4 Wood Fired Pellet Grill
This Weber model is a good choice for a high-performance pellet smoker with all the bells and whistles. Temperatures vary from 200 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it a good choice for both grilling as well as smoking, and it has Weber Connect technology that allows us to watch our cooking from afar. For huge chunks of meat or a lot of burgers, the Weber Pellet Grill offers about 700 square inches of cooking surface and our tester found it quick to start and handy because of the two included probes. Aside from adding flavor, the stainless steel flavorizer bars and grease tray make cleaning a breeze.
Long cooking times between refills are made possible by the enormous 20-pound pellet hopper. However, if you wish to try a new taste, you can simply open the grill’s bottom release door and empty the pellets. You can easily move the smoker from one usage to the next thanks to the locking wheels and porcelain-enameled top, as well as the side handles. You won’t find a barbecue with more features than this well-thought-out model.
What we like:
- It’s a simple procedure.
- There is a great deal of automation.
- Using this app is a breeze.
What we don’t like:
- Expensive
- Customization is not always possible in the app.
- Probes were limited to only two.
2. Best Splurge: Traeger Ironwood 885 WiFi Pellet Grill and Smoker
The high-end Traeger Ironwood 885 is a good investment for your house if you like grilling and smoking on the weekends. Using a complimentary unit, we tested the heavy-duty grill on a variety of items, from smoked pork to chocolate chip cookies, and found that the results were consistently good. For the price, you get a lot of features that make it easy to use and adaptable enough to take the place of all your other outdoor cooking equipment in the kitchen or on the grill.
The Ironwood grill’s hopper holds up to 20 pounds of wood pellets and features a trap door that makes it easy to swap out the pellet flavour. It has a total cooking area of 885 square inches over two racks. For additional taste, use the “Super Smoke” option to add more smoke. You may adjust the temperature from 165 to 500 degrees. Even with the lid open, the grill maintained a steady temperature, never moving more than 10 degrees from its specified setting. However, we’ve noticed that the heating process often takes between 10 and 15 minutes.
The grill’s Wi-Fi capabilities, which enabled us to watch and modify the grill and its temperature sensor from almost anywhere, are another another selling feature of this product. You can also set a timer for how long you want the app to cook for, and it will automatically change the temperature for you. That certainly qualifies as “fancy.”
What we like:
- Ability to cook on a grill, in a smoker, and in the oven
- Reliability and convenience are key features of Wi-Fi technology.
- Ensures a perfectly even cook every time.
- Pellet changeovers are made simple by the hopper cleanout door.
What we don’t like:
- Expensive
- Begins to warm up slowly.
3. Best Traeger: Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet Grill & Smoker
Traeger is known for its smokers and grills, but it also offers a wide variety of other outdoor cooking devices. Grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise or BBQ whatever you’re cooking with this specific grill and smoker. Having a cooking area of 572 square inches, you can cook four chickens, five racks of ribs, or 24 burgers at the same time. You can’t top the ease of cleaning provided by the hopper cleanout choices.
Because of the grill’s sturdy steel structure, you don’t have to be concerned about it being exposed to harsh weather or outside situations. Even though it lacks Wi-Fi connectivity, this specific model nevertheless provides accurate temperature readings.
What we like:
- Hopper cleaning is simple.
- 6 ways to make a meal
- A wide range of temperatures
What we don’t like:
- Wi-Fi is not supported.
4. Best Tabletop: Traeger Ranger Pellet Grill and Smoker in Black
This little pellet smoker is an excellent choice if you don’t want to use up all of your outside gathering area with one. Outside, you may put this on a table or carry it with you on your next outing. The 8-pound hopper is quite big for a grill of this size. Eggs, breakfast meats, and pancakes may all be cooked on the grill’s optional griddle. A pound of wood burns around an hour, so a full hopper should last you through the weekend of cooking.
The absence of a grease tray necessitates regular vacuuming and wiping of the surface to remove dust and oil. Despite the fact that it lacks some of the more advanced features and high-temperature capabilities of other grills, the portability of this model is unmatched.
What we like:
- Compact
- Lightweight
- It is easy to move.
- A griddle is also included with this package.
What we don’t like:
- Temperature cannot be controlled digitally.
- There isn’t a frying pan to be found
5. Best Budget: Green Mountain Davy Crockett WiFi Control Portable Wood Pellet Grill
The Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Grill and Smoker is a great option for a budget-friendly pellet smoker that can be used at home or on the road. With its portable Wi-Fi control capability, this grill allows you to control and monitor the temperature of your food from your smartphone.
With 210 square inches of cooking, the Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett smoker has plenty of space for big groups and entertaining, and its legs can open and close, making it super easy to transport in a compact and easy manner. For grilling while standing, we found the legs to be a bit short in our tests at home, so we recommend placing it on a countertop, truck bed, or other raised surface. The grill, on the other hand, is well-built and has a temperature control that is accurate to within 50 degrees of the set temperature.
Comparatively speaking, this grill is on the smaller side, but its “smart” capabilities make it easy to use and worthwhile addition to your outdoor cooking toys.
What we like:
- Compact and light in weight
- Well-built
- Portable power alternatives are included.
- Affordable
What we don’t like:
- Temperature interface learning curve
- There are a few design quirks.
6. Best for Smoking: Z Grills 450A Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
Z Grills ZPG-450A Wood Pellet Grill is a budget-friendly alternative for individuals who wish to prepare wonderful smoked cuisine. Although it offers a moderate temperature range of 180 to 450 degrees, our tests at home revealed that it does not reach hot enough to get a decent sear on hamburgers or steaks. However, when it came to low-temperature pig smoking, this pellet smoker really excelled, producing a rich, succulent pork.
Its 450-square-inch cooking surface makes it ideal for families and can easily be tucked away in a modest outdoor cooking area if space is at a premium. A cover is vital for preserving the hopper from the weather when it’s left outdoors, and this hopper can carry up to 15 pounds of wood pellets at a time. In our tests, the grill took up to 20 minutes to warm, but it was able to sustain a temperature of 15 degrees over its set point even in windy circumstances.
What we like:
- Inexpensive cost of living
- There’s a lot of taste in the food.
- Maintains a steady temperature
- It’s equipped with a rain hood.
What we don’t like:
- We need larger prep tables.
- Insufficient heat to sear.
7. Best for Entertaining: Oklahoma Joe’s Rider Deluxe Pellet Grill in Black
This grill features a lot of cooking surface area if that’s what you require. Oklahoma Joe’s Rider Deluxe can cook a lot of meals at once because to its large cooking surface area of more than 1,200 square inches. The porcelain-coated cast iron grates in the tall-body smoke chamber provide two cooking levels and a large cooking surface. If you’re planning to cook a lot of food at once, this smoker will be able to handle it all with ease.
Many more advantages are worth mentioning in addition to its enormous size and unmatched capacity. The pit control system allows you to cook intelligently and technologically while keeping track of the interior temperatures of the food you’re preparing in real time. Cleanup is made easier with removable ash cups and heat-resistant handles, which prevent you from inadvertently burning yourself. A towel rack and a shelf at the front of the kitchen provide additional storage and prep space. Roll the grill around on its wagon-style wheels if you need to, then lock it in position for usage.
What we like:
- cooking surface of 1,200 square inches or more
- A temperature range of 175°F to 650°F
- Wood pellets with a weight of 20 pounds
What we don’t like:
- Bluetooth capabilities are not available.
- There is no pellet purging system.
8. Best Vertical: Pit Boss Copper PBV3P1 Vertical Pellet Smoker
With vertical smokers, you get a lot of cooking space without having to use up all of your outside cooking surface area. This is a terrific choice if you don’t want to use your pellet grill for high-heat cooking and instead want to smoke your food. A probe and digital LED display on this smoker enable you to keep tabs on the temperature inside. Additionally, the 40-pound hopper provides more than 24 hours of cooking time, so you may cook overnight without fear of running out of wood pellets. If you’re a fan of slow-cooked meats, then this smoker is the best option for you.
From 150 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you can effortlessly accomplish all of your smoking and oven roasting temperatures with one device. Using the auto cutoff option, you can guarantee a safe and gradual cooling down of the machine. Additionally, the porcelain-coated cooking racks have a long lifespan and effectively distribute heat. It’s straightforward to build and operate, according to reviewers.
What we like:
- Monitors temperatures using a temperature probe.
- A large hopper that can cook for more than 24 hours.
- Vertical space is well used.
What we don’t like:
- There is no high-heat grilling capability.
