If you’ve ever had a perfectly smoked rack of ribs, I forgive you for never wanting to eat these beauties any other way. It’s like a roundhouse kick straight to the face of taste, zest, and earthy “goodness” that you just don’t get with other styles of cooking.
I don’t know how I went so long without a decent pellet smoker. Testing and cooking on a Camp Chef takes a humble family barbecue to a whole another level. You get deliciously grilled meat, cooked to perfection, with very little effort. Plus, being able to walk away from the grill, and actually join the party – makes this particular smoker, our preferred choice.
Our Best Choice
- Turns your pellet grill into a complete cook station with its sidekick
- Simple to assemble and easily installs in minutes
- The PID and Smoke number control is great.
- The ease of use and clean up makes anyone a great cook!
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Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24
BEST CHOICE
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Traeger Pro 575 Wood Pellet Grill
RUNNER UP
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Z GRILLS ZPG-7002E
VALUE CHOICE
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Pellet smokers (or pellet grills), are the best way to reliably cook any type of meat to perfection. The latest innovation in grill technology, you get all that smoky taste, with a simple turn-of-a-dial. It’s an upgrade to your outdoor cooking you simply have to make.
Imagine a classic smoker, but instead of the firebox there’s a hopper mounted on the side. This is for the fuel, because instead of charcoal or gas, you’re cooking with hardwood “pellets” that burn clean, the secret ingredient adding all of the wonderful taste.
But that’s not even the best part. Pellet bbq smokers run on your standard household current, feeding the pellets from the hopper into the fire pot automatically, with electronically controlled thermostats constantly adjusting to maintain the cooking temperatures you need.
Which means you get delicious barbecued meat, every time.
If you’re looking for the best pellet smoker for your needs, whether that’s something high-end, portable, or even a set-it-and-forget-it model, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to discover the differences in each of the models, and choose the best pellet grill that’s right for you.
Because you and your family, deserve to eat well.
Top 11 Best Pellet Grills (Smoking, Grilling, Searing)
1. Best Overall – Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24-Inch Pellet Grill
Why you’ll love this:
“Complete control over Your smoker”
WiFi connected pellet grills are the next big thing in grilling. The Camp Chef Woodwind is a good smoker if you are ready to have more freedom on grilling day so you can enjoy your family and guests.
Camp Chef is a well known name in grills, and cooking chamber for your home kitchen and camp. Their products have tons of great features, and the Woodwind is no exception. This pellet smoker has tons of great features, some of which you won’t find on other grills.
The Woodwind 24-inch pellet grill is capable of smoking, grilling, searing and everything in between. It’s the perfect, versatile grill for your backyard.
What We Liked
- Large Size Hopper: Most pellet grills, even those with large cooking areas can only hold around 10 to 15 pounds of pellets. The Woodwind is the exception to this rule. The pellet hopper holds up to 22 pounds of wood pellets. This means you can use an entire bag without having to figure out where to store the rest. If 22 pounds of pellets is more than you need, you can easily empty the hopper using the pellet purge function. This allows you to easily switch between wood types for different meats and flavors.
- Versatility: The wide temperature range of is nice. The low end at 160 degrees makes for a nice low and slow smoker. The upper end at 500 degrees is the ideal temperature consistency for searing meats to perfection.
- Quality Construction: The base of the Woodwind WiFi is powder coated steel for maximum durability. The lid and fire box are made from stainless steel that looks great and is also highly durable and made to last.
- Quick & Easy Cleaning: Between the pellet purge system and the ash clean out system this is the easiest grill on the market to clean and maintain.
What We Didn’t Like
- App Connectivity: Even though the WiFi connect grill is the newest thing, connectivity with the app seems to be a problem with all WiFi grills. The Woodwind is a bit better than some others but we struggled to get the app to connect and stay connected.
- No Cabinet Door: The one thing this grill is lacking is a nice, closed-in storage area. Yes, it has a storage shelf, but you can’t store your tools in this grill, because there’s no door to protect them from the weather.
- Some temperature accuracy issues: There is a bit of difference between the temperature setting on the fire box and what the actual temperature inside the grill is. You’ll want to have a good grill thermometer to confirm cooking temperature for best results.
The Woodwind WiFi pellet grill is a great option if you’re looking for a reliable grill that is easy to use and has tons of cooking space. This grill features a ton of cooking capacity, with 797 square inches of grilling space between the primary and secondary racks.
With 25,000 BTUs of heating power, you’ll enjoy a versatile temperature range for cooking and smoking all of your favorites.
The Woodwind comes with an automatic auger that feeds pellets into the grill automatically, so you never have to worry about adding more pellets.
2. Best Traeger Grill – Traeger Pro 575 Wi-Fi Controlled
Why you’ll love this:
“You can’t go wrong with a Traeger“
The worst part of traditional wood pellet grills is that they tend to need a lot of attention. This Traeger wood pellet grill comes with a great feature that allows you to walk away from your grill, and enjoy your friends, family and hanging in your backyard.
This magical feature is the WiFIRE controller that allows you to manage the consistency temperatures on your Traeger Pro 575 from the comfort of your lawn chair.
Download the smartphone app and effortlessly manage everything from grill temperature, food temperature, setting timers among other commands. Thanks to help from the Traeger WiFIRE controller the Pro 575 is the perfect grill for expert grill masters or grilling beginners.
What We Liked
- Large Versatile Cooking Space: The Traeger Pro 575 has a nice amount of cooking space, with 572 square inches over two racks. Under the cooking racks you’ll find it has 36,000 BTUs of cooking power and can perfectly smoke your favorites at a low 180 degrees, and then heat to a perfect searing temperature of 500 degrees.
- Large Size Hopper: The hopper on the Traeger 575 Pro holds 18 pounds of wood pellets. The hopper also allows for easy emptying of pellets so you can switch between wood types with ease.
- Useful Wi-Fi Option: The WiFIRE feature allows you to control your grill without needing to stand by and stoke the fire. This smartphone enabled app allows you to cook and entertain. It even works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
- Quality Construction: The Pro 575 comes in two color options, black and bronze. Both are made from durable powder coated steel, and have large wheels for easy moving. The bronze option comes with an attractive stamped bronze lid, which looks great on any patio.
- Easy Assembly and Extras: There is minimal assembly required for the Pro 575, so you’re grilling in no time. It comes with some great extras like storage hooks and an electronic meat thermometer.
What We Didn’t Like
- High Heat Lacking: Though the Pro 575 has 36,000 BTUs of power it just struggles to hit the high temperatures. It reaches 500 degrees, but that’s not as high as other pellet grills.
- Missing Features: Even though the name says “Pro”, this is really one of the more basic lines that Traeger offers. The Pro line really doesn’t offer the same features as the Ironwood or Timberline lines of pellet grills.
- The App: Until you get used to the app, it can be a challenge to use. The WiFi connectivity for the grill itself is also a bit sketchy. Make sure you place the grill in a location with a good WiFi signal or you’ll struggle with the WiFIRE.
Convection cooking is the key to great grilling with the Traeger Pro 575. Good natural airflow inside the grill allows you to perfectly smoke brisket, pork loin, ribs and yes, even pizza. This easy to use pellet grill is quite versatile and offers cooking temperatures that range from 180 degrees (perfect for smoking) to 500 degrees for that perfectly seared steak.
The pellet box is paired with the Traeger D2 direct drive motor. This set-up allows the grill to heat quickly and evenly, and it maintains a perfect temperature with little effort. Combine this with smartphone control and you’ll be grilling like the pros in no time.
The Traeger Pro 575 is the perfect grill for any griller. It’s easy to use, reliable and has enough grilling space to accommodate just about anything you can throw its way.
Camp Chef vs Traeger Grills: The Comparisons
You won’t go wrong with a Camp Chef or a Traeger grill, both of which offer options for quality, size, price point, and portability.
Each of these grills has a number of specific features and qualities, aimed at a particular purpose or style of grilling. You may want a certain number of burners or prefer a smoke flavor. These grills offer several options, and you can pick the one that’s more suitable for you based on your preferences.
Check out the link for full rundown on how each brand stacks up against the other.
3. Best For Budget – Z GRILLS ZPG-7002E Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
Why you’ll love this:
“A great small grill from one of the up and comers in the pellet grill world.“
While not the mightiest grill out there, this one has a lot to love in such a small package. Its compact size makes it great for any smaller back yard or patio, and it certainly doesn’t skimp on performance, with an easy to use temperature controller and a surprising amount of interior space given its slim profile.
If you’ve been thinking about getting into pellet grilling but weren’t willing to take the plunge on a more expensive model, Z grills has you covered with the perfect marriage of performance and price. This grill will help you in making delicious pa strami and grilling amazing steaks.
What We Liked
- Versatility: It roasts, braises, grills, smokes, bakes, and barbecues, leaving it a great option for any type of meal.
- Space: 700 square inches of cooking capacity is quite a lot for most people. It can cook meals for a whole family at once with ease.
- Warranty: A 3 year warranty is excellent for a grill this price.
- Price: For what this wood pellets grill provides the price is more than reasonable, about half of what I might normally expect for a pellet grill for around this size.
- Construction: The construction is a sound stainless steel design that can weather pretty much anything thrown at it.
What We Didn’t Like
- Quality Control: The greatest flaw with this wood pellets grill is widespread quality control issues. While many users report that the grill works fine for them, quite a few do not, all with very consistent complaints. The pellet smoking portion does not properly work, and will not feed pellets properly. This can result in poor temperature regulation, leaving food under or overcooked. At worst the pellets can all catch fire at once, both wasting them and damaging the grill.
- Customer Service: On top of the quality control, customer support is hostile towards users attempting to make use of the year warranty, often taking days to get back to you or bouncing you to multiple departments to get anything done.
On the cooking surface this grill is everything you could ask for. It’s a 8 in 1 barbecue: it roasts, braises, sears, smokes, grills, barbecues, char-grill and bakes.
The smoker section works as you’d expect for a high end smoker. It has an automatic pellet feeding system that should allow you to set it up and let it do the work unimpeded, pushing in new pellets as needed to keep the temperature regulated. Auto-start ignition and digital temperature control round out the smoking package.
It has a decent 700 square inches of cooking area to make use of. Good for most meals and single items, though struggles with cooking multiple kinds of things at once since it’s a wood pellets grill, and may be a bit too small for certain things (like especially large ribs).
The frame is solid, the wheels are good and roll well, and the overall construction seems reliable. It even looks nice. A 3 year warranty covers most parts to finish things out.
Unfortunately, a lot of what I’ve said is not necessarily accurate. There are severe quality control issues with this model, making it hit or miss. When it works, it works and it’s a great purchase (and very cheap for what it is). But many users report issues with the pellet feeding mechanism breaking down, and temperature regulation often seems to be completely shot, leaving the grill either far too cold or too hot to function as you want it.
4. Best Entry-Level – Camp Chef SmokePro DLX
Why you’ll love this:
“Set it and Forget it! Perfect for beginners”
With a ton of quality of life features (like the viewing port for easy monitoring of your remaining pellets), it makes smoking easier than ever. Even better, you get top level performance at an entry level price
While it may not look like much, it’s what’s on the inside that counts, and the classic, simple layout and easy to use temperature probes and meat probes control more than make up for any aesthetic shortcomings.
What We Liked
- Large Hopper Capacity: An 18 lb pellet hopper capacity give you freedom to only load this pellet grill once for an entire grilling or smoking day, making it an efficient use of your time and effort.
- Electronic Ignition: Easily ignite and keep aflame the pellets with the electronic heat rod ignition from just one twist of the knob. Other internal components keep the flame hot and pellets cycling through for long term, no hassle smoking and grilling.
- Convenient Side Table: Attached side table give you a place to sit your utensils and sauces without needing another table, though there is not enough space for full prep work to be done just on the grill’s attached table.
- Ash Catcher: Ash catcher is bottom mounted and slides out to easily empty and replace without getting in the way.
What We Didn’t Like
- Poor Smokestack Placement: The position of the smoke stack makes it likely for your lid to bump it when opened, reducing the range that the grill’s top can open. It also makes it more likely that even a slight wind could send your pellet grill top crashing back closed.
- High Temperature: Variance: Average temperature variance is between 15 and 30 degrees, making it less accurate than other smokers on the market. This increases the amount of monitoring you need to do to make sure your food doesn’t over or under cook or get scorched.
- Quality Control: Some users report problems with shipping and the grill arriving damaged or defective in other ways (such as faulty electronic ignition). While the pellet grill is under year warranty, it is still a hassle to ship back a product this large and heavy (140 lbs).
With nearly 600 square inches of cooking capacity in addition to a removable upper warming rack. It has plenty of room to cook for the whole family. A large capacity pellet hopper holds plenty of pellets.
It incorporates an easy to use automatic starter and a dual LED temperature meat probe readout that allows users to monitor both the temperature of the grill and the food being cooked.
Camp Chef also incorporates a unique ash removal system. Users simply pull a lever to remove old ashes.
5. Excellent for Smoking & Grilling – Traeger Pro Series 34-Inch
Why you’ll love this:
“Professional quality domestic price.“
Traeger grills are well known for two things: their performance, and their cost. This huge grill provides all of the former, but skips out on the latter, ensuring you get a maximum quality grill without needing to break the bank.
Including all the features Traeger grills are known for (the high quality feeding auger, accurate temperature controls, and extremely sturdy construction), this grill could easily take pride of place among your cooking appliances. Just make sure you have enough space to park it.
What We Liked
- Versatility: The Pro Series 34 is an all in one grilling machine, able to smoke, bake, roast, braise, barbecue, and (of course) grill to perfection. If you wanted you could use the Pro Series 34 as your only means of cooking and do just fine, which is what we like to see in a product.
- Electronic Ignition: The Pro Series 34 ignites pellets with a hot rod deep inside its mechanism, making the usually tedious task of lighting pellets as easy as flipping a switch.
- Huge Capacity: Both the grilling space (a whopping 844 square inches of cooking area; enough to cook eight whole chickens side by side) and pound hopper (18 lbs of pellets; about 36 hours of smoking and 7 hours of grilling before needing a refill) are huge, and make large batch grilling a breeze.
What We Didn’t Like
- No Included Accessories: The Series 34 is an advanced, well made grilling machine but lacks any additional pieces that could be considered standard for most grills. The lack of side tables and under cart storage in particular stand out, and make using the grill a slight annoyance without any built-in convenient place to put utensils or sauces.
- Primitive Grease Catcher: With how forward thinking and advanced the rest of the grill is, the grease catcher being a simple bucket hanging beside a hole is odd. Plenty of grills have cracked the tech of bottom mounted, screw on or slide in grease catchers that stay out of the way and are easy to remove and clean, without the danger of bumping them and sending hot grease flying everywhere.
Traeger Grills came up with the first models in the mid-1980s and the same innovation that led to the first products, has kept Traeger at the top of the game.
An automatic electric ignition allows for quick, simple starting. Traeger’s thermostat controls are operated with a simple to use dial that keeps grill temperatures within 20 degrees of the desired setting. The controls even have a ‘smoke’ setting, keeping temperatures low and slow for ideal smoking.
6. Best WiFi Grill – Traeger Timberline 1300
Why you’ll love this:
“A mammoth grill fit for even the biggest appetites.“
The Traeger 1300 straddles the line between an industrial grill and one for your home, in more ways than one. Its giant capacity and thick stainless steel construction is almost certainly overkill for the average person: but if you need high capacity and performance, this grill more than delivers on those promises.
All the performance of other Traeger grills is here, and then some. Just be willing to pay the price.
What We Liked
- Construction: Stainless steel construction is sturdy and built to stand the test of time.
- Temperature Controls: Digital temperature controls are easy to understand and use, and provide a consistent and easy grilling experience every single time.
- Drive Train: The D2 direct drive is an advanced drive train that makes the grill start up easy, heat up faster, and provide a more consistent temperature throughout even long cooking sessions with automatically controlled variable airflow.
- Capacity: An enormous 1300 square inch grill capacity provides enough grilling space for the largest meals. Perfect for light to medium commercial use and heavy personal use for large gatherings like neighborhood-wide barbecues and family reunions.
What We Didn’t Like
- Price: This is an extremely expensive grill. While well worth it for what it offers if you need the large capacity, if you don’t it’s insane overkill. In that case you’d be better off buying a smaller grill.
While many grills are large, this one puts pretty much any grill you could think of to shame, with an enormous 1300 square inches of cooking space to play around with. That’s enough for an almost mind boggling amount of food; 12 whole chickens, 15 racks of ribs, or 12 pork butts, simultaneously.
Enough food to feed the largest gatherings and then some, this is the perfect grill for someone who need to feed a lot of people often, whether for commercial reasons or personal ones. If you’re running a small business or are frequently roped into cooking food for your family reunion or something, you’re going to want a grill as large as this.
Read Full: Traeger Timberline 1300 Review
Z Grills vs Traeger Grills: The Throwdown
Traeger and Z Grills both have terrific company backgrounds. Considering their histories together, it’s very little wonder why both create high-quality products that folks love and recommend consistently to their friends and family who are looking to start grilling themselves.
Did you know?
“When Z Grill’s involvement with Traeger became common knowledge, folks flocked to stores to purchase Traeger-quality grills at the reduced price that Z Grill offered. Quickly, the Z Grill brand became one of the most popular wood pellet grills on the market.”
Other Products to Consider
7. Best Portable – Green Mountain Davy Crockett
Why you’ll love it:
“A unique, bold take on pellet grilling.“
For pellet grilling on the go, this is pretty much the only option out there. That alone makes the Green Mountain Davy Crockett appealing, but its performance says a lot more, with all the benefits in an incredibly compact package.
No corners cut here; everything is up to par in terms of performance and construction, with a total grilling area comparable (or better!) than most portable grills.The only rub here might be the price; premium quality demands premium cost, and this will run you a fair bit more than your average portable grill.
What we liked
- Small and Portable: The Davy Crocket weighs only 68 lbs, and is designed for tailgating, camping, and similar pursuits. This makes it a unique and interesting pellet grill that can really vary up your mobile grilling experience.
- Huge Pellet Hopper Capacity: The Davy Crocket holds 17 lbs of pellets, an enormous amount for its small size (only 1 lb less than the Traeger grills above, which are four times the size). This makes it easy to fill it once, throw whatever you want to smoke on, and relax to enjoy the game or whatever pursuits your campsite has to offer, freeing you a bit from the role the grill master usually plays where cooking detracts from you having fun with everyone else.
- Extremely Adjustable: The Davy Crocket has a temperature range of 150 to 550 degrees, and can be adjusted in 5 degree increments, making it an extraordinarily precise smoker.
- Convenient: This smoker can be controlled via a mobile app that gives you an accurate mobile readout of the internal temperature, and can be controlled via wifi connectivity!
What we didn’t like
- Grease Catcher: Its grease catcher is a simple bucket attached to a grease chute. This one fares even worse, as it is precariously perched on the clope of the chute and likely to slip once the bucket gets heavy enough.
Great smoked flavor doesn’t have to stay home.
Whether it’s tailgating or camping, grilling on the go is often part of the experience. This model is also one of the best pellet grills for searing.
8. Traeger Pro Series 22-Inch (Gen 1)
Why you’ll love it:
“Bigger isn’t always better.“
Many people just don’t have space for massive grill, or just don’t want one. Having a grill you can take along on your next tailgate or camping trip is a nice bonus.
Despite its small size, this Traeger still has 572 square inches of cooking area. That’s enough for two whole chickens or 12 hamburgers.
What we liked
- Pellet Hopper Capacity: While the grill itself is small, the Series 22 shares the same 18 pound hopper capacity as the Pro Series 34, giving it the same 7 hour grill capacity and 36 hours of smoking time as its larger brother.
- Electronic Ignition: The twist of a knob heats the electric heating rod inside the grill, safely and quickly igniting the pellets inside. As an added bonus the temperature of the grill interior can be adjusted with the knob to within 20 degrees of the ideal temperature, increasing your control over how the meal is cooked and ensuring it will never be over or under cooked.
- Versatile: The twist of a knob heats the electric heating rod inside the grill, safely and quickly igniting the pellets inside. As an added bonus the temperature of the grill interior can be adjusted with the knob to within 20 degrees of the ideal temperature, increasing your control over how the meal is cooked and ensuring it will never be over or under cooked.
What we didn’t like
- Price: The Pro Series 22 is about half as good as the Elite 34, at decidedly more than half the price. The price difference is small enough that serious consideration should be given to just going up to the Elite 34 if you feel you are ever (even if only rarely) going to be hosting barbecues with a large enough number of guests. The time and hassle saved in those situations with the almost double grill space is well worth the bump in the long term.
- Primitive Grease Bucket: Similarly to the Elite 22, the simple “bucket next to a chute” design is strange and unwelcome. Particularly if your grill is set in some high traffic area, the design could lead to a lot of frustration and unnecessary cleaning.
9. Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone Choice
Why you’ll love it:
“A Solid Mid-Size Pellet Smoker”
Green Mountain makes great grills at a more affordable price than other grill manufacturers. The Daniel Boone Choice pellet grill is a perfect starter grill for grillers who are new to the pellet grill. This easy-to-use grill has plenty of cooking space, is easy to use, and comes with the added convenience of WiFi connectivity.
The Daniel Boone Pellet Grill has been a standard of the Green Mountain Grill line for the last 11 years, so you know that this grill works, and has stood the test of time. Besides being a reliable product, the Daniel Boone Choice pellet grill comes with some great features that more expensive grills sell separately. This is a great grill for a great price.
What we liked
- Versatile Cooking Space: When you see that this pellet grill only has 458 square inches of cooking area, you might be disappointed. However, the peaked lid, adjustable racks, and stainless-steel cooking surface make for one of the most versatile pellet grills out there.
- Reasonable Sized Hopper: It’s not the largest capacity pellet hopper, but it’s not the smallest either. With 17 pounds of capacity, the pellet hopper on the Daniel Boone pellet grill, has enough capacity to handle most grilling jobs without needing to be refilled.
- Useful Side Shelf: Not all pellet grills come with an extra side shelf. The side shelf on the Daniel Boone is nice and sturdy, has plenty of space for spices, sauces and cooking tools. And, it folds down when you’re ready to store your pellet grill at the end of the day.
- Weather Monitor: Most pellet grills monitor the grill’s interior temperature. The Daniel Boone also monitors the temperature outside of the grill. This great feature allows the Daniel Boone to adjust the temperature in the grill based on the outside temperature, for more consistent cooking. This feature also allows for a quicker heat-up on cold days.
What we didn’t like
- Inadequate Rust Proofing: This is the biggest disappointment with this grill. Made from powder coated steel, not stainless-steel, the Daniel Boone pellet grill is not as resistant to rust. If you live in a humid climate, make sure to cover your grill, and try not to damage the powder coating which protects the metal.
- Temperature Control: The temperature control wasn’t as reliable as expected. There was a good 25 degrees of variance between the setting and the actual measured temperature. You’ll want to invest in a good grill thermometer for best grilling and smoking results.
- App Connectivity: There are lots of good things about this grill. The app connectivity is not one of them. By far the worst performing app and WiFi connectivity of all of the pellet grills we’ve tried. When it works, it’s great. It’s just terribly unreliable.
A handy pellet grill for the grill master that isn’t ready for a big dollar investment, the Daniel Boone Choice pellet grill from Green Mountain is a nice, affordable option.
The Daniel Boone features a versatile cooking area with adjustable racks and a peaked lid for more space than other grills. The venturi-style fire box creates cyclone combustion for efficient heating and burn.
The Daniel Boone pellet grill has a nice temperature range for smoking to searing, for all of your backyard cooking needs.
If you want a great pellet grill with nice features that is easy to use and cooks well, the Green Mountain Daniel Boone Choice pellet grill is a great option for any grill master.
10. Memphis Grills Elite Wood Fire
Why you’ll love it:
If you really need the right, the Memphis Grills Elite Wood Fire really delivers. While it doesn’t come cheap, the Memphis Grills Elite packs a set of world class grilling features into a durable stainless-steel package for long lasting durability.
What we liked
- Convenient Storage Cart: The Memphis Grills Elite has a lot of under grill storage space and can easily store your utensils, pellets, and other accoutrements when not in use. The added tables are sizable and convenient as well, adding a lot of utility to the grill.
- High Temperature Range: This grills burns up to 700 degrees, higher than many of its competitors, and burns as low as the standard 180 degrees. This high temperature range make sit excellent for any kind of grilling, being able to go low enough for perfectly slow smoked meats and high enough for even the most aggressive searing necessary. This temperature range is hard to match, much less beat.
- Wifi Enabled: This grill can have its temperature controlled via phone app and wifi connectivity, and can be adjusted quite accurately within it, with electronic ignition to boot.
- Huge Hopper Capacity: A 24 pound pellet hopper capacity puts other grills to shame, and offers up to 62 hours of smoking on a single load, or over 9 and a half hours of grilling.
- Good Grill Capacity: 658 square inches of cooking space make this grill more sizable than most, and makes it perfect for larger than average crowds.
What we didn’t like
- Price: While everything looks good on paper, for the asking price (6 times the price of our best choice) it is actually quite basic and unimpressive. Most of its features are shared by other, cheaper grills, and its raw stats both in capacity and storage space don’t justify such a baffling price, with the grilling space being far smaller than one that costs nearly half (and only a bit bigger than one which cost 6 times less) and the storage cart being reliable but nothing special.
- This grill is costed at roughly 3-4 times what it’s actually worth, which is a shame because otherwise it is a very high quality pellet smoker…just not for what Memphis Grills is asking you to pay for it.
FINAL VERDICT
The Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24-Inch Pellet Grill is a great grill for those looking for a good mix of value and features. With the Camp Chef name and features behind it, this a solid performer.
How to Choose the Best Smoker for your Needs
These model come in a few different shapes and sizes. But they all work—essentially–the same way. But, quality and features do vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
What to Look For—the Thermostat
Grills that use wood pellets have a little more going on than your average pellet smoker. Since they use a thermostat and a mechanism to fee pellets into the fire, you’ve got a bit more to consider than size and BTUs.
The first thing you’ll want to consider is the thermostat. Many model fueled grills don’t reach very high heats—with around 400 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit being the max for many. That’s something you’ll want to consider if you plan to do any searing while cooking.
Don’t Forget About the Pellets
Another big consideration is how the pellets are fed into the grill and what different types of pellets can be used.
Many brands, like Traeger, recommend using only products made by them in their grills. While others may work, performance may not be the same.
Other Features
A lot of models also include other features, like a separate searing compartments or integrated meat thermometers or smoker thermometers. Other units have fold up legs, perfect for tailgating or camping.
Traditional models have a problem.
It’s not that they don’t make great food—you’ve probably had many a great brisket or side of ribs expertly smoked by a barbeque pro. It’s the skill and time involved in smoking meat and other food with propane smokers and traditional offset smokers. Unless you’ve invested some serious practice time or learned from a seasoned barbeque cook, getting the temperature and timing right in your smoker is tough.
Thankfully, if you want to make great food in a smoker, you’ve got options from GrillBabyGrill.com. We also have best outdoor pizza oven reviews if you love making pizzas at home.
While electric smokers are one way to take the guesswork out of smoking, another—perhaps better—solution is this.
The Benefits of Smoking with Pellets
The biggest benefit of using a pellet smoker is the ease of use. Rather than trying to get charcoal up to a certain temperature and keep it there for hours, a using pellets gives you an even consistent heat that lasts for many hours.While the same can be done with a traditional smoker, it takes a fair amount of skill and practice to keep the temperature and conditions consistent.
Safety measures you should know about pellet
Pellet grills are incredibly safe. The key is to use a high-quality grill and fill the hopper with premium food-grade, all-natural wood pellets. While best charcoal grills and gas grills can be prone to flare-ups due to grease dripping into the flames, this is not a problem associated with pellet grills, providing a more reliable and predictable cooking experience.
What is a wood pellet? Are they toxic?
Wood pellets are typically composed of sawdust, wood chips, sticks, and lumber mill scrap. Manufacturers use a hammer mill to ensure the materials are approximately the same size. They then expose the sawdust to high pressure to bind the pieces together. After being in an oven at a temperature of approximately 225°F, the wood pellets are soft. A controlled cooling process allows the wood pellets to harden.
At no point in the process does the manufacturer require chemicals to create their product. Pressure, heat, and cooling do not add contaminants to wood pellets so they are free from toxic pollutants.
