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Wood Pellet Grills & Smokers: Set-and-Forget, Wood-Fired Flavor
A wood pellet grill lets you dial in real wood-fired flavor without tending a fire. Our top brands include Coyote, Weber, Camp Chef, and Twin Eagles, and BBQGuys carries a full range of configurations, including freestanding pellet grills, built-in pellet grills, portable pellet grills, and dedicated pellet smokers for cooks who live for low and slow.
A pellet grill works by feeding hardwood pellets into a fire pot, where a digital controller regulates fan speed and pellet feed to hold your set temperature automatically. That's what makes a wood pellet grill so approachable: load the hopper, set your temperature, and let the controller take it from there. Most models are ready to cook in as little as 15 minutes, and many can grill, bake, roast, and smoke in the same unit, with some able to sear over an exposed flame as well.
Pellet Grilling vs. Traditional Smoking
Pellet grilling and traditional smoking aren't quite the same thing, though the line has blurred over the years. Both rely on genuine wood combustion, so the flavor a pellet grill produces is authentic wood-fired flavor, not an artificial substitute. The distinction worth knowing is between a pellet grill and a dedicated wood pellet smoker. A pellet grill is the more versatile of the two, capable of reaching 700°F or more on some models. A wood pellet smoker is purpose-built for low-and-slow cooking, generally topping out around 450°F, trading that extra range for a design focused entirely on smoking.
- Fewer Flare-Ups: A full-coverage heat baffle separates your food from the fire pot below, so grease drips rarely reach an open flame.
- Real Wood-Fired Flavor, Your Way: Hardwood pellets come in a variety of flavors, including hickory, apple, pecan, mesquite, oak, cherry, maple, and alder, so you can mix pellets to build your own custom flavor profile.
- Long, Unattended Cooks: A full hopper gives most pellet grills enough fuel for hours of hands-off cooking, so you can spend time with your guests instead of tending the fire.
Living With a Pellet Grill
Once you've settled on a model, a few ownership basics will keep it running well for years. Every wood pellet grill and smoker needs an electrical outlet to run the auger, fan, and controller, so plan your placement near a power source. Empty the hopper after each cook and store your pellets in an airtight container. Moisture is a pellet's biggest enemy: left in a humid hopper or an uncovered grill, pellets will break down and lose their ability to burn cleanly. A grill cover goes a long way toward protecting your investment between cooks, and winterizing your grill before the off-season keeps it ready to go when grilling season returns.
For help narrowing down the right pellet grill class, controller type, and feature set for your budget, read our pellet grill buying guide, compare top brands side-by-side in our pellet grill comparison chart, or browse our full Pellet Grills FAQ for answers to more specific questions. You can also check out our Pellet Grill Expert Reviews to see how individual models perform in real testing, or call one of our experts at 1-877-743-2269, available daily to help you find the right wood pellet grill or smoker for your backyard.
