Buying a pellet grill can be overwhelming, with dozens of models designed for various cooking styles. Some focus on low-and-slow smoking, while others prioritize grilling versatility. Higher-end grills add features that quickly drive up the price.
Our team has cooked on and reviewed more than 39 pellet grills, ranging from $299 to $3800. Below are our picks for the best pellet grills on the market in 2026.
UPDATED OCT 7, 2026: With the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro discontinued, we’ve replaced it with the hands-on tested Traeger Woodridge Pro.
The Best Pellet Grills You Can Buy in 2026 Reviewed
Unlike many other websites, our team has cooked on all of these pits. We’ve put them through rigorous tests to see how well they perform at smoking and grilling. We’ve considered size, features, and budget to help shortlist the best pellet smoker for people with different needs.
Also, make sure to check out our picks for the best portable pellet grills, and best budget pellet grills.
1. Best Overall – Weber Searwood 600
Read our full Weber Searwood 600 review.
The original Weber SmokeFire suffered from questionable design choices that led to pellet jams and grease fires.
The new Searwood is replacing the SmokeFire. It’s a complete redesign, and after putting this grill through months of rigorous testing, we can confidently say Weber has knocked it out of the park.
The new Searwood lineup includes the Searwood 600, which is the model we’ve tested. It has 648 square inches of grilling space, but if you need more room, the Searwood XL 600 gives you 972 square inches.
Unlike most pellet grills, you can grill over the entire cooking surface and get great sear marks. We’ve made a YouTube video that goes into a lot more detail.
You can also swap the grill grates for an entire flat top griddle surface or add a rotisserie. Both options are sold as optional accessories, so you can easily add that functionality down the road.
What we like:
- Edge-to-edge sear – While you do get some hotter and cooler zones, as long as you rotate your meat, you can use the entire surface for high heat grilling.
- Versatile add-on options – Add a rotisserie or swap out the grill grates for a griddle surface
- Great controller – This grill heats up quickly and gets back up to temperature faster after you open the lid. You can even run it with the lid open for grilling.
- Adjustable smoke setting – A standard feature on more expensive pellet grills, so it’s nice to see Weber include.
- Grease and ash clean up – Easy system for managing grease and ash so you don’t have to pull the grill apart to clean nearly as often
What we don’t like:
- Front and side shelves are sold separately – You don’t get much prep space without spending money on these accessories. Straight out of the Traeger playbook.
- Grill grate choice – I preferred the grates on my SmokeFire stealth for searing, although the Searwood still does OK.
If you like the sound of the Searwood but have a lower budget, or don’t think you’ll use it to grill, the Weber Smoque is a good alternative.
The Searwood is an easy recommendation for anyone with a budget of under $1,000, especially if you’re looking for a single option to replace your gas or charcoal grill.
2. Best Budget Pellet Grill – Pit Boss 850 DX
Read our full Pit Boss 850 DX review.
If the Weber Searwood is outside your budget, the Pit Boss 850 DX is the sensible step down.
It costs far less, but still delivers reliable low-and-slow performance without feeling cheap or frustrating.
This is a Lowe’s exclusive model explicitly designed for first-time and budget-conscious pellet grill buyers. If you need more space you can step up to the 1150 or go for the smaller 700 DX.
We tested middle sized 850 which gives you 840 square inches of cooking space and a 21-pound pellet hopper. It’s the sweet spot in the range, large enough for real barbecue cooks, including overnight briskets or pork shoulders. In testing, it handled long cooks without needing refills, which is not guaranteed at this price point.
The standout feature is the probe-controlled Keep Warm mode. Once food hits your target internal temperature, the grill automatically drops to around 180°F. That is a genuinely useful safety net for beginners and rare on budget pellet smokers.
The PID controller runs from 180°F to 500°F with WiFi and Bluetooth. The initial app setup took approximately 45 minutes, but after setup, performance was stable and easy to manage.
Build quality is solid for the category, with a powder-coated body that is easy to clean and sufficient weight to prevent it from feeling flimsy.
The 850 DX maintained steady temperatures during 8+ hour low-and-slow cooks, with sufficient smoke output for classic barbecue.
Watch my full hands-on video review of the Pit Boss 850 DX below, where I walk through setup and the results of my test cooks.
What we liked:
- Strong value for first-time pellet smokers You get real cooking space, a stable PID controller, and solid build quality at a much lower price than our top picks.
- Probe-triggered Keep Warm is genuinely useful Once food hits your target internal temp, the grill drops to about 180°F, which is helpful for overnight cooks and beginners.
- Large enough hopper for overnight cooks The 21 lb hopper handled 8 hour plus low-and-slow cooks without refills in testing.
What we didn’t like:
- Limited direct-flame grilling space – The flame broiler works, but the usable searing area is small.
- Slow, unpolished WiFi setup – Initial app setup took about 45 minutes, though performance was stable after that.
- Manual interior cleanup – Ash and firepot cleanup require removing parts and vacuuming.
Pit Boss 850 DX Pellet Grill
If you’re buying your first pellet smoker, and want something that cooks reliably without blowing your budget, the 850 DX is hard to beat. It’s not a do-it-all grill, but for low-and-slow barbecue under a tight budget, it punches above its weight.
CHECK LOWE'S PRICE
3. Best for Beginners – Traeger Woodridge Pro
Read our full Traeger Woodridge Pro review.
The Searwood and Pit Boss 850 DX are both easy pellet grills to learn on. The Woodridge Pro gets our beginner pick because everything is just a little bit more polished.
Traeger’s WiFIRE app is the benchmark we test against. It’s reliable, easy to navigate, and you can change temps or check your pellet level from the couch. One tip: connect it before your first cook. Our grill needed a firmware update straight out of the box.
Assembly is easy too. Each step comes in its own box labeled with an animal, and there’s an animated guide in the app. It took us about an hour. And if you have kids, the box makes a great fort.
We used the Woodridge Pro for three months, mostly smoking pork butts, hams, and armadillo eggs. It held steady on long cooks and burned about 1 lb of pellets an hour at 225°F. It’s also really quiet. With our exhaust fan running, we could barely tell it was on.
We also put the base Woodridge through its paces. It cooked well, but our ribs at 275°F came out a little light on smoke.
That’s where the Pro earns the small price jump. You get more cooking space (970 vs 860 sq in), a pellet sensor, a bottom shelf, and locking casters, but Super Smoke mode seals the deal. It adds a noticeable boost in flavor at lower temps, and the base model doesn’t have it.
The P.A.L. rail is what makes it a grill you can grow with. Start with the basics, then clip on a front shelf, tool hooks, or storage wherever you want them. There are also hooks around the body to hang your grates and drip tray during a deep clean, so they don’t end up on the deck.
Just don’t expect it to sear. On the base model we cranked it to 500°F, and our IR gun showed the grill grates were still under 300°F. The ribeye came off with no sear at all. If you want a grill that sears too, get the Searwood. If you’re ready for a heavier build and more smoke, look at the Yoder YS640S.
What we like:
- Best-in-class app: WiFIRE is more reliable and easier to use than any other grill app we’ve tested.
- Upgrade as you go: The P.A.L. rail lets you add accessories you’ll actually use, right where you want them.
- Quiet and efficient: You can barely hear it, and it burns about 1 lb of pellets an hour at 225°F.
- Super Smoke: A real flavor boost on low-and-slow cooks.
What we don’t like:
- Weak searing: The grill grates stayed under 300°F with the grill set to 500°F.
- Ash buildup: A good amount misses the ash keg, so plan on vacuuming out the chamber.
- No lid gasket: We saw some smoke leak on longer cooks.
4. Best High-End Pellet Smoker – Yoder Smokers YS640S Pellet Grill
Read our full Yoder YS640S review.
Once you get up to this price point you are spoiled for choice with a wealth of great options from the likes of recteq, and the Traeger Timberline.
But if you talk to any competition guy, the one brand that always comes up is Yoder.
So what does spending three times the cost of our top pick, the Weber Searwood get you?
For starters, this is the only pellet smoker on our list that is American-made (in Kansas).
This grill is built like a tank with 10-gauge steel construction for unparalleled insulation and temperature stability across 1070 square inches of cooking space.
You can also switch between indirect heat and direct, over the flame grilling to hit temperatures up to 700°F.
There is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity plus two integrated food probes for keeping an eye on your food while it smokes.
What we like
- American-made – Everyone says they want American-made, so here’s your chance to put your money where your mouth is.
- Extra headroom – The door design allows 12 inches of headroom, which is enough for extra tall items like beer-can chicken, or turkey.
- Customization options – Just like buying a car, you can option out your Yoder with various extras, including different types of cooking grates, griddle, temperature gauge, and shelves.
What we don’t like
- Price – You’re going to have to pay a lot for local construction and high-end build quality.
If you have the money to spare, the YS640s is an excellent investment. It’s far from the most expensive pellet grill, but anything above this, you start to get diminishing returns.
5. Best for feeding a crowd – Grilla Mammoth Vertical Pellet Smoker
Read our full Grilla Mammoth review.
With 1,660 square inches of cooking space (expandable up to 3,300 with the purchase of extra racks), the Mammoth from Grilla Grills offers more cooking capacity than any smoker we’ve tested.
And thanks to the vertical design, you get all that room from a 28″ wide by 28″ deep compact footprint.
We’ve always thought vertical smokers should be more popular, but until recently, they were all cheaply made without any of the fancy tech you find in other models.
The Mammoth shakes that up. You get double-wall insulation for super stable temperatures, and a heavy-duty front door and latch with no smoke leakage.
With the 40lb hopper, you can run this thing for up to 40 hours, making it great for long overnight cooks. I tested it out with a couple of no-wrap pork butts. The butts had amazing bark and smoke flavor, with a nice smoke ring.
Pulled pork on the Mammoth didn’t suffer from subtle smoke flavor you get on most pellet grills.
Grilla has included a lipped deflector so you can add wood chunks or chips to get even more smoke output. It’s similar to the FireBox Camp Chef has on the Woodwind Pro.
What we like:
- Excellent build quality – The double-wall insulation does a great job of maintaining stable temperatures.
- Adjustable – You get five stainless steel racks included, but there is room for up to 10 racks at once. This is great for smoking larger items like a whole turkey.
- Huge cooking space for the size – Way more cooking space than the Yoder, at less than half the price, in a smaller footprint.
What we don’t like:
- Runs loud – Not enough to get an angry call from the neighbors, but the fan does generate a bit of noise.
- No handle – Would make it a little easier to move around, although you do get 4 caster wheels.
Other pellet grills worth considering
These are the pellet grills that narrowly missed out on our main selections.
They are still worth checking out, and depending on your specific requirements, they might be the best option for you.
Feature-packed but expensive – Traeger Timberline
Read our full Traeger Timberline review.
The Traeger Timberline ticks many boxes because it’s well-built and packed with useful tech.
Traeger has the best app out of any pellet grill manufacturer, plus you get access to 1600+ recipes in the Traeger app.
The Timberline is a big step up in quality and features (and price) from the Pro. Besides the larger size, you get better-insulated construction, more prep and storage areas, a pellet sensor, super smoke mode, and an induction plate.
You can choose between Timberline and the Timberline XL, which come with 880 and 1320 square inches of cooking space. There are no significant differences besides the amount of grill space and a price hike.
What we like:
- Packed with tech – The market-leading app makes it easy to control your grill via your phone. The Pellet sensor gives you alerts when pellets are running low, so you don’t run the risk of running out mid-cook.
- Clever design – The Timberline is packed with quality-of-life features including ample prep areas, a hopper cleanout trapdoor that makes it easy to empty unused pellets after a cook.
What we don’t like:
- Small wheels for the size – For a grill of this size and price it would be nicer to have larger wheels with an easier-to-access locking mechanism.
- The price – A lot of folks will have trouble spending this much money on a Traeger, when there are American-made options for less
The Traeger Timberline is an investment, but you can’t go wrong if you are looking for a high-end pellet grill with the best tech and clever design.
If you can’t quite stomach that price, the Ironwood is a good alternative you just miss out on some of the outdoor kitchen options. Be sure to check out our list of Traeger alternatives.
‘Buy Once Cry Once” – Lone Star Grillz Pellet Grill
Read our full Lone Star Grillz Pellet Grill Review.
The Lone Star competes with our high-end pick, the Yoder YS640s. It’s. a little more expensive, but if you’re prepared to wait the 8-14 weeks for it to be built and shipped to you, it’s probably the ultimate ‘buy once, cry once’ pellet grill.
100% American-made by a family-owned business in Texas. The craftsmanship is outstanding with 3/16 inch thick steel main chamber and stainless steel cool-touch handles.
They also allow for plenty of customization, so you can get the exact grill you want.
A unique design with a small footprint – Grilla Grills Alpha Connect
Grilla have developed a cult following in recent years for producing reasonably priced grills with unique designs.
This is one of the most eye-catching grills we’ve tested, with the sliding door and the branded glass window to the fire pot which creates some nice ambiance at night.
This is a direct-to-consumer brand, so you won’t find these grills in the big box stores.
With 488 square inches of cooking space, this is one of the smallest grills we’ve tested, but the tall design makes it a great choice if you are limited for space.
What we like:
- Build Quality – Double-wall insulation for stable temps and everything feels heavy-duty.
- Smoke Flavor – We noticed a higher smoke output compared to other pellet grills.
- Small footprint – This grill can slot into spaces that other grills can’t.
What we don’t like:
- Side tray location – Difficult to use located towards the back of the grill
Another Budget Pellet Grill – Z GRILLS Backyard Warrior 7002C2E
When we first got our hands on a Z Grill, they were a fairly new brand on the scene. Now that they have been around for a while, we’ve seen their models undergo several upgrades and continue to improve.
You now get a PID temperature controller, which keeps your temperature a lot more stable. There’s also a larger screen, two probes included, and an easy pellet clean-out feature.
In 2024, they’ve also added WiFi so you can control the grill on your phone.
If you want to save even more, you could consider a smaller model like the 450B (reviewed here), or if you can stretch your budget the Z Grills 700D4E also comes with a better cart.
What we like:
- Value for money – Getting a pellet grill with this much cooking space for the price is already a good deal. Throw in solid stainless steel construction, a newly updated PID digital temperature and pellet control system and the Z-grill starts to look like a steal.
- Stable temperatures – In our tests, this grill barely swings by more than 5°F, far lower than many more expensive grills we have tested
- Pellet dump system – If you want to change pellet flavors or remove unused pellets after cooking, there is a handy door at the back of the hopper that makes clean out a breeze.
What we don’t like:
- Lid handle placement – You must be careful when closing the lid so that you don’t touch the hot surface. Might not be a problem for you, but at 5ft 10″, I had to be careful not to burn my hand.
Who pellet smokers are best suited for
It only takes two words to sum up the benefits of cooking with a pellet smoker.
“Convenience” and “versatility”.
Get used to throwing a brisket on the pellet grill, setting the temperature, and then just going about your day (or sleeping through the night) without a worry.
Our pellet grill brisket recipe proves a pellet grill is more than capable
Because pellet smokers run off electricity, they can also be a great choice if you live in a condo or are unlucky enough to have restrictions on burning charcoal or wood.
Check out our list of pellet grill recipes for more inspiration on what you can cook.
How pellet smokers work
As the name implies, pellet grills work by burning cylindrical wooden pellets. A typical setup will include a hopper on the side where you add the pellets.
Don’t be confused if you see the “pellet grill” and “pellet smoker” used interchangeably. They refer to the same thing.
When you plug the grill in and set the heat on a digital controller, the pellets start getting pushed through and turned into heat and smoke.
The controller is one of the most important parts of a pellet smoker. It’s the computer that regulates the temperature in your pellet cooker throughout the cook.
These days, most controllers are PID and utilize complex algorithms to maintain temperatures with accuracy to within a few degrees. The pellet feed is constantly adjusted to maintain the correct temperature.
The D2 controller you get with a Traeger Pro is a PID controller.
The level of technology inside a typical pellet smoker makes a gas or charcoal grill look primitive.
What to consider before buying a pellet grill
1. Plan how much cooking real estate you need
Ask yourself how many people you will be cooking for, and if you plan on cooking large cuts. If you think you would ever want to smoke a whole pig, you’ll need a pit that’s big enough.
Our top picks is available in standard and XL sizes, usually for quite a small price jump.
Bigger doesn’t always mean better though. A huge pellet smoker will burn more pellets per hour than a smaller model.
When looking at specs, make sure you check the primary and secondary cooking area. The primary cooking area refers to the area on the main cooking grate, while the total cooking area considers secondary racks, which aren’t always usable when you’re smoking taller items.
2. Decide which features are important
Wood pellet grills can come with a whole bunch of bells and whistles. Some features you should think about include:
- WiFi capability: With WiFi connectivity, you can monitor and control the temperature of your grill from just about anywhere, as long as you have an Internet connection.
- Meat probes: Models range from one to four meat probes so you can display the temperature on the screen of your cooker (or in the app).
- Grilling options: In the past, a drawback of pellet grills was their lack of grilling capability. Some manufacturers have made grilling possible by removing part of the diffuser plate or providing a dedicated grilling area within the cooker.
- Pellet removal: Most brands recommend removing pellets between cooks. Some models make this easy with a chute to remove unused pellets. Others you’ll need to vacuum out.
- Cart Design: Some pellet grills come with closed cart designs, which are helpful for storing pellets and accessories.
- Add-ons: Manufacturers often offer a variety of add-ons. Check what features come standard and what are add-ons at extra cost. Some add-ons are offered by companies independent of the manufacturer. If a feature is essential to you but not a standard feature of your particular cooker, make sure it is available as an add-on before buying it.
3. Durability and Construction Material
Don’t be fooled by an attractive pellet grill exterior. Even if there is plenty of stainless steel on the outside, the manufacturer may have cut corners and used cheap materials that will rust on the inside.
The components of your pellet grill that matter the most are the fire pot, flame deflector, drip pan, and grates. If these components are made of high grade stainless steel, you have a cooker that will last you a lifetime.
The Yoder YS640s shines when it comes to construction quality.
If you’re looking at a grill made with powder-coated steel, make sure that it is a very high-quality coating. As soon as the paint blisters and chips, your cooker will start to rust, and these components will deteriorate.
It is also worth noting that a pellet smoker made of high quality materials will perform better. High quality materials will retain heat, ensure more efficient pellet consumption, and maintain temperature better in the cold weather.
4. Ease of clean up
Pellet grills require regular cleanup as the ash from burnt pellets builds up around the burn pot and under the heat deflector.
Most models are fairly easy to clean with a shop vac. You’ll need to remove the grill grates and remove the deflector plate.
Some models, like the Weber Searwood, feature an easy way to clean out the ash from the burn pot without disassembling the entire grill.
You can pull a sliding rod that releases a catch pot for quick disposal. You’ll still need to take the grill apart to get rid of the ash from the sides, but you don’t have to do that nearly as often.
If you don’t clean out the burn pot every cook, you run the risk of ash buildup, causing problems with ignition in the future.
5. Size of the hopper
The hopper on your pellet cooker is a container that stores wood pellets ready for the auger to take to the fire pot. Therefore, the size of your hopper dictates how long your cooks run without you needing to refill.
As a guide, a pellet grill with a 40-pound hopper will give you around 40 hours of cooking time at standard smoking temperatures. Considering some cooks take around 20 hours, an 18 pound hopper, for example, is going to be problematic.
And remember, if you live in a colder climate, your cooker will use even more fuel to bring the smoker up to and maintain temperature.
It’s a good idea to always store a few bags of pellets spare in a cool dry place. A pellet bucket like this one from Oklahoma Joe’s is nice, and comes with a mesh filter to separate the wood dust from the pellets.
6. Pellet Consumption
If your pellet cooker is too thin, heat will be lost through its body. To maintain the temperature, it will use a lot of pellets.
If the metal is too thick, you will also use a lot of pellets. The walls of a thick-bodied smoker act as a “heat sink.” So, it will take a lot of pellets to get the cooking area up to the desired temperature.
Do some research and find out how many pounds of pellets per hour the smoker burns.
We did some testing on a few different pellet grill models and came up with these figures:
Average hourly pellet consumption
Give our guide on how long pellets last a read to learn more.
7. Length of warranty
Pellet smokers have some fairly high-tech components, such as the auger, and moving parts. This means that parts of your cooker may break, and you may not be able to fix them yourself.
Make sure you are clear about exactly how long your warranty is, what it will cover, what would void it, and where you would need to take your smoker for any repairs under warranty.
Warranties vary between manufacturers, so don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions.
8. Price
A cheap cooker may save you upfront, but if it starts to rust, components break down within a few short years, you don’t have a good warranty, and the customer service is not up to par, you will be spending more money in the long run.
On the other hand, if you purchase a cooker with all the bells and whistles but never use it, you will have wasted your hard-earned cash when a more basic cooker that costs less would likely have done the trick.
This comes down to your personal situation and budget. Some folks subscribe to the “buy once cry once” philosophy, while others are happy buying a new grill every three to four years.
Getting the most out of your new pellet grill
Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand a little bit more about the pros and cons of cooking with a pellet grill and helped you pick out the right model for your budget and needs.
Once you’ve pulled the trigger, check out our guide with 21 Pellet Grill Tips & Tricks to Help You Master Your Grill.
Happy smoking!
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