The Best Pellet Grills, According To Reviews

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Let's be honest: It's fine if you're cooking inside, but that just can't compare to backyard grilling, right? Choosing a grill that's right for you can be an almost overwhelming task. There are countless options out there with different sizes, features, price ranges ... it can all be a little too much.

That said, let's talk about pellet grills. Pellet grills are user-friendly, easy to light, and they're easier to control than charcoal grills. That means they're consistent, and they don't need an ever-watchful eye. Want to grill burgers while you chat and share a few beers with friends? This is the type of grill you'll want. The cleanup on a pellet grill is negligible, and the variety of pellets means that it's easy to experiment with adding different flavors. 

We'll talk more about some of the specific benefits as we set out on our deep dive into some of the best-reviewed pellet grills available today. We not only scoured tons of reviews on tons of grills, but we tried to pick out some in a variety of sizes with options to help you find the one that's going to fit your needs. When it comes to the best of the best, here's what we found.

There's a lot going for the Z Grills Pellet Grill Smoker 700D6, including a large, under-grill storage cabinet and a pellet hopper that can hold 20 pounds of pellets at once. Customer reviews include kudos for the fill-and-forget nature of this grill, with some noting that they fill the hopper, set the temperature, throw on a brisket, and from there, there's minimal work. Until, that is, it comes time to lift the perfectly-smoked brisket from the grill. The hardest part might be coming up with the best sides to serve with that brisket.

It's not only a smoker, though, and yes, you can opt for grilling, searing, and roasting with this model, too. If you're the type that loves hosting backyard picnics, you'll love that this has room for up to 29 burgers at a time (or five whole chickens) and that this particular model is an upgraded version of an earlier, similar model that has tons of favorable reviews for being easy to clean, incredibly efficient, and perhaps best of all, being easy to program.

Purchase the Z Grills Pellet Grill Smoker 700D6 on Amazon.

When we started getting into the nitty-gritty of rankings and reviews, we weren't surprised to find that Traeger Grills were a fan favorite. There are a lot of customers with a lot of thoughts on Traeger, so for simplicity's sake, we're putting the Traeger Grills Ironwood 885 and Traeger Pro 780 together. As of this writing, both have equally high ratings on Amazon, with hundreds of reviews. Both of these grills are heavy-duty steel grills that have wi-fi enabled for easy cooking, and one of the biggest differences is the size. The Ironwood has a larger cooking area, but both work with the same pellet system and hands-off temperature control system.

When it comes to customer reviews, both grills get high praise for similar reasons, including the fact that it's just an all-around amazing grill. That includes being easy to use and easy to clean, as well as the added bonus of being able to monitor it through the app, which also includes recipes and other types of guidance. Although these are pricey, they're worth it for anyone who wants to get serious about smoking.

Purchase the Traeger Grills Ironwood 885 or the Traeger Pro 780 on Amazon.

Become a fan of Pit Boss products, and you'll find it's a one-stop shop that also sells everything else you need for grilling and smoking. From pellets to sauces, they've got it all — and customers particularly like the nifty Pit Boss PB440FB1 Pellet Grill because it was designed with the goal of allowing anyone to wade into the world of smoking and be successful.

At a glance, this grill looks stocky and well-constructed, and according to customers, it is. With some customers loving this grill so much they've gone back to update their reviews over the course of several years, it's safe to say there are some serious fans out there — especially for the affordability. There are also multiple reviews that sing the praises of this grill for being easy to clean, incredibly efficient, and easy to assemble. Because it's on the smaller side (although there are larger versions for sale as well), it's easy to move and store. Many customers have also addressed doubts as to the quality of the build for the price and confirmed that it's simply a stellar and affordable grill.

Purchase the Pit Boss PB440FB1 Pellet Grill on Amazon.

Coleman is another brand name that's earned a serious reputation for outdoor equipment. (Fun fact: World War II soldiers often carried Coleman stoves.) Coleman has been around for well over a century, so it's not surprising to learn that the Coleman Cookout 700 Pellet Grill has a number of fans who love how easy this grill is to assemble, operate, and clean. Even though it seems as though it's on the smaller side, that's a compact design that doesn't compromise functionality. It still includes a pellet hopper that can hold 20 pounds of pellets at a time, and if you're planning on making something that's going to smoke for hours — like an apple cider smoked pork shoulder — you'll appreciate the high-capacity hopper.

And there's plenty of space, too, for as many as 34 burgers at a time. We love that, and so do countless customers. If you're going to be running a pellet grill for hours, you're going to want to load that bad boy up and get the most for your money, time, and effort.

Purchase the Coleman Cookout 700 Pellet Grill on Amazon.

At the time of this writing, the Z Grills ZPG-450A Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker has more than 6,000 reviews on Amazon, with plenty of customers agreeing that you're not going to go wrong with this grill. While it is a little smaller than some of the other options we're spotlighting, it's entirely possible that the small, manageable size is precisely what you're looking for. Add in the fact that it still has a hopper that can hold 20 pounds of wood pellets, and you've got a smoker that's estimated to be capable of running up to 20 hours without needing a refill. 

It's also given rave reviews for being easy to set up and easy to use, and in addition to the smoking function, this can also be used as a grill or roaster, and you can even bake in it. There's an easy-to-read LCD control panel that makes temperature control easy, and if there's anything we like more than a grill that's efficient, it's one that's easy.

Purchase the Z Grills ZPG-450A Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker on Amazon.

Traeger Grills are top-of-the-line, lauded for their versatility and dependability, and the fact that the company pioneered wood pellet technology certainly doesn't hurt. Traeger also tends toward the expensive side, but that isn't to say that there are no more affordable options out there. That's where the Traeger Grill Pro 22 comes in: a smaller, lighter version than the full-sized, heavy-duty Traegers. Although this grill has a smaller pellet hopper and cooking space, customer reviews suggest that the same quality you've come to expect from Traeger is still there.

Price point aside, this might be a much more manageable grill overall, as it's still perfectly capable of handling a full brisket or up to four whole chickens without taking up the space of a larger model. It also has six different cooking methods — including grilling and roasting — along with all the durability and ease of use that you expect to come with the Traeger name.

Purchase the Traeger Grill Pro 22 at Home Depot.

Love camping? Have little space in your home or apartment? That's no reason you can't grill, and no reason you have to compromise on grilling up, say, a delicious spicy beef fajita burger. Ninja has a highly-reviewed portable pellet grill that's perfect for apartment life, RVs, camping, or tailgating. The Ninja 7-in-1 Outdoor Electric Grill & Smoker is a nifty little grill that isn't just a grill and a smoker; it also has an air fryer function, uses just ½ a cup of pellets to impart that smoky flavor to whatever you're making, and customers absolutely love it.

It also has a removable grill plate that makes it easy to clean, which is a must if you're on the road. Some customers add that they also use this as a dehydrator for making jerky, and that it does just as well when tasked with steak, brisket, fish, and vegetables. It seems like this might be too good to be true, but according to those who have one, it's legit.

Purchase the Ninja 7-in-1 Outdoor Electric Grill & Smoker on Amazon.

Here's another entry from Pit Boss. There's one thing that makes the Pit Boss PB440D2 Wood Pellet Grill 400 Series stand out from the crowd: a 55-pound hopper capacity. If you're wondering how long to smoke your brisket for best results, the answer is that it could take up to 12 hours. That's a huge time commitment, and the hopper on this grill means that you're going to have one less thing to worry about keeping a close eye on. Add in a 465-square-inch cooking surface, and that means this grill is great for loading up and getting the most out of the time that it's working some serious magic.

Customers agree, with some noting that although this one might look intimidating to assemble and use, it's really not. It's lauded for its attractive styling and design, as well as versatile cooking methods that allow for searing over high heat or cooking over an indirect flame. Affordability is a bonus.

Purchase the Pit Boss PB440D2 Wood Pellet Grill 400 Series on Amazon.

Again, because Traeger has just so many stellar products out there, we're putting these two together. They have the same high rating on Amazon at the time of this writing, and they're very similar. As you might expect from a grill with the name "Tailgater" in the name, the Traeger TFB30KLF Tailgater has about half the cooking space that the Traeger Ironwood 650 (pictured) does, but both feature six cooking methods, and customers are saying similar things about them. They're lauded for performance and design as well as ease of use, but there are a few noteworthy differences.

The Ironwood 650 isn't quite as portable, but it comes with wi-fi capabilities and connects to the Traeger app. It also gets a bit hotter — 500 degrees Fahrenheit compared to the Tailgater's 450 degrees Fahrenheit — so which one you prefer comes down to the details. Rest assured, though, both get stellar reviews.

Purchase the Traeger TFB30KLF Tailgater and the Traeger Ironwood 650 on Amazon.

There are an almost overwhelming number of pellet grills on the market today, and in order to select some of the best, we looked at a few things. That, of course, started with customer reviews. We scoured countless listings to find the grills that got consistent praise for things like ease of use, temperature control, efficiency, construction, and just how well the finished product came out. We also looked at size in order to ensure that no matter what you're looking for and how much room you're working with, there's an option or two on our list that will suit your needs. Finally, we took price into consideration, too, with the goal of offering some options that ranged from affordable to expensive.