The 6 Best Pellet Grills, According To Reviews
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Pellet grills come in all shapes and sizes. Loved for their simplicity, versatility, and incorporated tech, wood pellet grills allow you to essentially set it and forget it, making them a convenient option for most. If you are new to the wonderful world of pellet grills and not quite sure how they differ from your standard outdoor cookers, that's okay. Instead of utilizing charcoal or gas, these backyard appliances use wood pellets and a fanning system (pellets gradually go from an internal hopper to the grill's fire pot via an auger). This makes for an easy-to-control cooking temperature, simultaneously infusing food with a distinctive and mouth-watering flavor.
With such a grill at your disposal, you can consistently roast, smoke, bake, barbecue, and sear your favorites practically with the touch of a button in no time at all. Plus, these handy backyard cookers allow you to create virtually whatever smoke-based flavor profile you can dream up. If you are looking for a great way to grill or cook up some quality eats this spring and summer, you should absolutely invest in a pellet grill. To help, here are the best pellet grills on the market right now, according to reviews.
Best for Beginners: Traeger Tailgater
For people who are ready to try out pellet grills, the Traeger Grills TFB30KLF Tailgater is a nice option for beginners. Not only is this electric wood pellet grill portable and easy to use, but it is also extremely versatile thanks to its many cooking methods. Currently priced at $444.87, the Traeger Tailgater is perfect for grilling, baking, smoking, braising, roasting, and barbecuing. What's more, this particular pellet grill comes equipped with folding legs, has a sleek and compact design, and can cook up two whole chickens, multiple racks of ribs, and around a dozen or so flame-grilled burgers at the same time. This makes it an undeniably wonderful addition to any outing (tailgating or otherwise).
As a whole, verified purchasers of the Traeger Tailgater are happy with this entry-level portable cooker. With its quality construction, oven-like temperature control, added flavor, and overall functionality, people have no trouble at all popping this lightweight model into their trucks and camper vans so they can enjoy a tasty, hassle-free meal in the great outdoors. Customers also noted that product assembly was straightforward, their food cooked evenly every time, and that this grill's cool-down function was an added bonus. That said, the Traeger Tailgater does have a few minor drawbacks, as some people wished the folding legs were more user-friendly and that the grill timer was a little more reliable.
Best Portable: Z GRILLS 200A Portable Wood Pellet Grill
Not only is this one of the more affordable pellet grills on the market right now, but it is also one of the best portable options you can find. For under $250, the Z GRILLS 200A Portable Wood Pellet Grill is a lovely choice if you want to enjoy a wood-fired barbecue when you are out and about adventuring. Recognized for its convenience, lightweight construction, high-reaching temps, and fool-proof operation, this specific pellet grill makes a wonderful gift for the camper or explorer in your life.
With a decent number of glowing reviews, the Z GRILLS 200A Portable Wood Pellet Grill is noted as being ideal for the price, durable, and equipped with more than a few handy features. Clean-up is especially a cakewalk with this portable all-purpose grill. Moreover, verified purchasers highly recommend the Z GRILLS 200A Portable Wood Pellet Grill for beginners, pros, and everyone in between. In fact, there are only two caveats here. This outdoor cooker has a hard time achieving cooking temps over 450 F, so searing any food successfully is not likely, and the initial setup can be somewhat challenging.
Best Budget-Friendly: Pit Boss PB440D2
For a stationary pellet grill that is budget-friendly and top-rated, the Pit Boss PB440D2 Wood Pellet Grill 440 Series should be on your shortlist. Available for around $410, this outdoor cooker comes equipped with a decent-sized hopper, convection cooking, digital controls, a removable side shelf that doubles as a serving tray, and more. Not only can the Pit Boss PB440D2 help you cook up an amazing meal, but it can also sear and reach temps up to 1000 F.
Users of this budget-friendly Pit Boss pellet grill highlight its quality construction and how easy this model is to assemble. More than a few verified purchasers have also noted that the Pit Boss PB440D2 offers the most bang for your buck thanks to its smoker and grilling capabilities. Nevertheless, some customers were not thrilled with the included thermometer or the overall height of the actual grill. If you are a shorter grill master and have your own thermometer on hand, this will be a great addition to your cooking arsenal.
Best Mid-Level: Traeger Grills Pro 575
If you are somewhat of a seasoned griller but not quite ready for the big leagues yet, the Traeger Grills Pro 575 is a nice mid-range option when it comes to pellet grills. Available in black or bronze, Traeger's Pro 575 runs around $799. Beautifully constructed with alloy steel and equipped with all the essentials, including WiFIRE tech, this specific pellet grill is perfect for family dinners outdoors.
Verified purchasers of the Traeger Grills Pro 575 frequently praise this backyard cooker's overall operation, its multifaceted barbecuing capabilities (from grilling up pizzas to ribs and more), its user-friendly mobile app, and all-around value for the price. Many people gifted this particular Traeger model to the backyard cook-out lover in their life and have little to no complaints. That said, a few users had hope for better results when using the smoker function with this notably powerful pellet grill. However, most customers still raved that this mid-level cooker was a nice addition to their family gatherings all the same.
Best for Feature Lovers: Recteq Pellet Grill RT-B380X Bullseye Deluxe
Yet another top-notch wood-fire cooker on the market right now is the Recteq Pellet Grill RT-B380X. Here, you can have all the features — a larger cooktop, dial-in digital control steel-coated cooking grids, auto-start and -shut-off functions, an 18-plus pound hooper, WiFi capabilities, PIDM Algorithm precision cooking, a thermometer many seem to love, and more — for just $749.99. Noted as being quick to assemble, a great smoker, a phenomenal grill, and easy to clean, this Recteq model is a smart choice for grill masters who want impeccable wood-fired flavor along with all the bells and whistles.
The majority of reviews for the Recteq Pellet Grill RT-B380X point out how impressive this outdoor cooker is, how great it is for frequent use, and how well it grills, smokes, and sears. This particular pellet grill easily reaches temperatures of up to 1000 F and has some serious control when it comes to cooking flavorful eats. The one drawback with the Recteq Pellet Grill RT-B380X appears to be that its uniquely-shaped lid could be sturdier for some. Even so, this decked-out pellet grill still comes highly recommended.
Best Traditional: Traeger Grills Pro 780 Pellet Grill
Traeger Grills enthusiasts who are interested in quality construction, traditional wood-fire cooker capabilities, a decent size grilling area (that is slightly bigger than the 575 Series), and WiFIRE tech with smart app connectivity should consider the Traeger Grills Pro 780 Pellet Grill. Available for $999.99, this multi-purpose pellet grill can do it all, including roasting, braising, and baking. Not only is the Pro 780 by Traeger user-friendly, but it is also ideal for smaller patios and more intimate gatherings.
Those who purchased the Traeger Grills Pro 780 highly appreciated the more expansive cooktop while still being able to enjoy the many wood-fired grill features, such as being able to reach those low smoking and high searing temperatures that Traeger is known for. Unsurprisingly, the meat probe was noted as needing to be calibrated since it was off by several degrees. If this is not your first pellet grill, though, you already know the included thermometer is not always the best way to gauge readiness — you should opt for using a separate meat probe or thermometer.
Methodology
With help from the biggest names in wood-fire cookery and masters of the grill from far and wide, we were able to compile an in-depth list of the best pellet grills currently on the market. Each outdoor cooker extraordinaire mentioned above had a minimum of four stars on more than a few trusted retail sites. After spending time sifting through useful customer reviews and regular updates from verified purchasers, these are the top-rated wood pellet grills people would happily buy again and that you should definitely consider for your back patio, outdoor kitchen, RV/camper, or next adventure.