Pros and Cons of Pellet Grills

Pellet grills differ from most other grills, mostly in their fuel source and how they create heat. These units require an electronic heat source to burn wood pellets that create smoke and heat. These small pellets often have unique flavors and scents to add an extra essence to your food.

Pellet grills come in many shapes and sizes and are growing in popularity as a food preparation method for backyard cookouts. If you’re looking for pellet grill tips and tricks or buying information, this article may offer you some answers.

Grilling outside has many components to it, some of which may cause stress or take up a lot of time. Pellet grills can remove a lot of the hassle by streamlining the process. One thing that helps is a lack of fire that you have to tend by hand, which eliminates the need for a lot of grilling tools. The grill itself monitors the temperature with a built-in thermometer, ensuring it stays at the right level.

This type of grill also does the work of measuring the amount of fuel needed. The grill’s hopper and fan add more pellets as required, so you won't have to figure that part out.

Getting a pellet grill started is much less time consuming than traditional charcoal or gas grills. It heats automatically once you turn it on, so you spend less time tweaking and more time relaxing. The grill tells you when it's ready for cooking with lights, sounds or a display, depending on your model.

While pellet grills do offer even heating without lots of tweaking, that heat stays at a relatively low level. Most pellet grills have a maximum temperatures of 450 degrees Fahrenheit maximum, while traditional charcoal or gas grills can usually surpass this temperature. Lower temperatures mean that searing steak or getting crispy-skinned wings is a bit more difficult. You also won't achieve those nice-looking grill marks on your food that some grilling aficionados are so proud of.

There is a way to combat this issue, however. Some pellet grills have add-on attachments and grilling accessories you can buy, including ones for high-temperature cooking. It may cost a little more, but it does offer more cooking versatility.

When you cook with more traditional gas or charcoal grills, you generally only get a few flavors. While nice and sometimes smoky, these don't offer the variety of tastes and aromas available with pellet grills. The pellets that fuel the grill emit an aromatic smoke, infusing the food you cook with whatever flavor you select. You can even mix and match to create a unique flavor. Some of the pellet types available include:

• Alder - Mild with a hint of sweet
• Apple - Smoky, mild and sweet
• Cherry - A mix of sweet and tart
• Hickory - Rich, smoky, bacon like taste
• Maple - Sweet and mild
• Mesquite - Strong, spicy and tangy
• Oak - Stronger than apple or cherry but lighter than hickory
• Pecan - Nutty and a little spicy

You can also get attachments or use settings that allow you to use the grill as a smoker and preserve meats with hickory, mesquite, apple or other flavored smoke. With grill pellets selling at a lower price point than other fuel types, it won't cost a fortune to experiment with different preparation methods.

Those wondering if pellet grills are worth it should consider the initial costs. Prices for pellet cookers tend to be higher on average than charcoal grills, and some gas grills. Plus, they use electricity, which adds to your power bill. Due to the electric needs, if something breaks, you'll likely need to purchase replacement parts rather than trying to repair them yourself by hand. If you want to do different sorts of cooking like searing or smoking, you also need to buy grill accessories to make it work. Depending on what you want, a pellet grill can get quite pricey.

Grilling doesn't exactly sound like a clean and exact cooking method, but with pellet grills, it can be. Scraping things down and shaking ash out of holes isn't a factor because when you cook, the unit collects grease or ash for you in buckets and rays that can be dumped out when you finish. The design also contains the smoke inside the grill, which keeps nearby guests comfortable in your outdoor living space.

The preciseness of pellet grills makes the grilling experience simple and clean too. The fuel stores cleanly and loads in easily for no mess. It also automatically adjusts temperature and fuel, so you won't scramble trying to add more pellets or monitor the heat. You get evenly cooked food, and a grill with simple maintenance.

Charcoal grills have the benefit of being useable anywhere outdoors because they're often portable, making them ideal to take along camping or to picnics. Pellet grills, on the other hand, generally need an outlet to function, so they're not portable. Moving them a lot may cause damage to electrical parts, and they tend to be heavy. It's also worth noting that, because they use electricity, they're not meant for wet-weather use. This makes them less versatile than other outdoor grills if you live in a rainy climate.

You may wonder, are pellet grills healthier than gas or charcoal? When it comes to sustainable living, they absolutely are. Pellets come from renewable resources, so their production has a low impact on the environment. They often contain waste wood to repurpose materials. When burned, the pellets give off fewer emissions than charcoal and create less harmful smoke.See Disclosure ¹ Additionally, pellet grills and their fuel are one of the most environmentally-friendly types of grills on the market, helping minimize your carbon footprint.See Disclosure ²

Figuring out if this sort of grill is right for you and what is the best pellet grill to buy takes plenty of research. Pellet grills have pros and cons because of their unique features. They take little effort to work, offer environmental friendliness and have unique flavors, but the lack of portability and higher price point might be potential detractors. Consider your specific grilling style, then browse accessories, pellets and grills to ultimately come to an informed decision.

1. Jelonek, Zbigniew, Agnieszka Drobiniak, Maria Mastalerz and Iwona Jelonek. “Emissions during Grilling with Wood Pellets and Chips.” Atmospheric Environment: X. December 2021. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S259016212100040X?via%3Dihub.

2. Shipman, Matt. “Field Study Finds Pellet-Fed Stoves Cut Pollutant Emissions 90%, Nearing Gas-Stove Performance.” NC State University. April 30, 2019. https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/04/field-study-finds-pellet-fed-stoves-cut-pollutant-emissions-90-nearing-gas-stove-performance/.