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    Home » Tips & Tricks

    Top 5 Best Pellet Smokers - Ultimate Buyers Guide (2022)

    Published: Jul 9, 2021 · Modified: Dec 13, 2021 by Will · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.

    Looking for a new grill and decided to head to the dark side and get a pellet smoker? Well that's a damn good idea, because they are awesome and produce great tasting smoked meats and side dishes!

    Let's dive into the best pellet smokers currently on the market and which one will be the best in your backyard.

    Jump to:
    • Top 5 Pellet Smokers
    • Do you need a pellet smoker?
    • Types of Pellet Smokers
    • What should you look for in a pellet smoker?
    • Brands
    • How much do pellet smokers cost?
    • Delivery & assembly
    • Tips and tricks
    • FAQ
    • In Conclusion

    Top 5 Pellet Smokers

    Taking into account all the features and information I have mentioned above as well as in field testing, these are the top 5 best pellet grills currently offered.

    These smokers are ideal for a family of 4+ or someone that enjoys entertaining and cooking for friends. Find the right size smoker for you.

    I will leave you with a little bit of advice; I often hear people complain they bought too small of a pellet smoker, but barely hear anyone complain they purchased a smoker too large!

    1. Camp Chef 36 with Side Kick
    2. Traeger Ironwood 885
    3. RecTec 700
    4. Pit Boss Navigator 1150
    5. Pit Boss Navigator Pellet / Gas Combo
    6. Traeger Tailgater (BONUS Portable smoker)

    Let's look at these wood pellet grills in more detail.

    #1 - Camp Chef Woodwind 36 with Side Kick

    The SG 36 is our #1 pick when it comes to choosing a pellet smoker. This is a great smoker for a family of 4+ or someone that throws parties and likes to entertain guests. It's large with 1,236 sq inch cooking surface with the 2 racks, enough for a lot of meat!

    Camp chef 36 pellet smoker

    What I like:

    • Low and slow smoking or direct flame grilling ability
    • Adjustable smoke settings from 1-10
    • PID controller with Wifi and App
    • Pellet hopper cleanout access
    • Side kick propane burner with add on attachments

    What I don't like:

    • Small hopper for smoker size (22lb)
    • Direct flame is very small area for searing
    Button for amazon to check the best price of an item

    #2 - Traeger Ironwood 885

    You can't have a pellet smoker list without including Traeger. They were the pioneers of the pellet smoker and continue to be a leader in the industry. They have become a very large company, unfortunately their customer service has gone down because of this.

    traeger smoker on white background

    What I like:

    • Double side-wall insulation
    • Hopper cleanout for easy pellet swap
    • Heats up faster than other brands
    • Downdraft exhaust & super smoke mode

    What I don't like:

    • Small 20lb hopper
    • Poor customer service and warranty
    • Lower build quality
    Button for amazon to check the best price of an item

    #3 - RecTec 700

    The RecTec company puts out a very well built product and back it up with over the top customer service. The 700 has an industry leading 6 year warranty and is built out of stainless steel.

    Rec tec 700 smoker on white background

    What I like:

    • Well built - Stainless steel
    • Large 40lb pellet hopper
    • Controller - holds desired temperature with minimal change
    • Grilling app
    • Customer service

    What I don't like:

    • No pellet dump door (Need to vacuum out pellets if changing flavors)
    • Doesn't have open flame searing, need to purchase Grill Grates to sear
    • Grill cover can be a pain to put on and take off
    Button for amazon to check the best price of an item

    #4 - Pit Boss Navigator 1150

    Pit Boss has the most affordable smokers of the brands we reviewed. They are built well but do not have as many features because of this lower cost. If you are looking for a great priced smoker and don't care about wifi and a little more temp swings, Pit Boss Navigator is a great choice.

    pit boss smoker on white background

    What I like:

    • Low cost with 5 year warranty
    • Large 32lb hopper
    • Lever to allow open flame searing
    • Front and side shelving included
    • Custom fitted cover included

    What I don't like:

    • Does NOT come with wifi controller - aftermarket purchase
    • Does NOT have a PID controller, so expect more temperature swings of up to +-20°F
    • Cast iron grilling racks instead of stainless steel
    Button for amazon to check the best price of an item

    #5 - Pit Boss Navigator Pellet / Gas Combo

    The pellet smoker/gas grill combo is great for a grillmaster looking for a smoker and gas grill but not wanting to buy multiple grills. It's fantastic for someone that's not throwing huge parties where 4 pork butts are going to be needed, but just wants to smoke some burgers, ribs, and brisket for their family.

    Pit boss smoker gas combo grill on white background

    What I like:

    • Ability to cold smoke with smoke to gas damper
    • Able to grill burgers quickly with propane if needed. Versatility of 2 grills in one
    • Custom fitted cover included
    • 3 gas burners - Set up for propane but can be altered to run off natural gas
    • 5 year warranty

    What I don't like:

    • Does NOT come with wifi controller
    • Does NOT have a PID controller, so expect more temperature swings of up to +-20°F
    • Small grilling surface due to 2 separate chambers
    Button for amazon to check the best price of an item

    #6 - (Best Portable Smoker) - Traeger Tailgater

    There are many reasons why you need a portable pellet grill. Living in an RV on the road or want to have those great smoked meats while at the lake or big game on the weekend?

    This Traeger tailgater is the best portable pellet grill and will churn out great smoked dishes without the huge bulkiness and weight of a backyard pellet smoker.

    Portable traeger pellet grill in black with side grease can

    What I like:

    • Low weight of 62lbs
    • Stainless steel
    • Scissor legs extend for raised cooking or retract for easy storage
    • 300 square inch cooking capacity

    What I don't Like:

    • 450°F max temperature - a little low for great grilling
    • No Wifi
    Button for amazon to check the best price of an item

    Do you need a pellet smoker?

    If you want to barbecue, roast & smoke great tasting meat but not spend all of your time babysitting a firebox, a pellet smoker is for you.

    The ease & convenience of setting a dial to a temperature and being able to maintain that temp for hours without having to keep loading wood into the firebox and adjusting vents is what pellet smokers are all about.

    Looking for a smoker that can also grill burgers or steaks like a traditional grill? Pellet smokers will go as high as 500°F and can sear burgers and steaks to perfection as well.

    Types of Pellet Smokers

    There are three main types of pellet smoker on the market today.

    Three types of pellet smokers

    Vertical smoker

    These pellet smokers resemble a traditional stand up smoker with multiple racks for large volume smoking. Grill racks can be moved in height or taken out to fit perfectly whatever you want to smoke, whether it's ribs or brisket.

    Many have a glass front where viewing the meat without opening the door is a plus. I find these smokers great for low profile meat like ribs or jerky as well as hanging meat like sausage.

    Grill style smoker

    Grill style smokers resemble a BBQ grill where the lid opens upward revealing a large grilling grate. The firepot is underneath the grill rack and heat deflector which evenly distributes heat throughout the smoker.

    These smoker are great for doubling as a grill for grilling burgers and steaks. Some even have heat deflectors that can be opened to give the grilling surface an open flame for searing.

    Combo smokers

    Not ready to go FULL pellet smoker yet? A combo unit might be for you. These smokers are one side pellet smoker and one side gas grill. Often there is a pass through between chambers that allows smoke to pass from the smoker side to the propane side.

    This allows you to add smoke flavor to grilled food or use the grill side as a cold smoker by using indirect heat. It's the best of both worlds.

    What should you look for in a pellet smoker?

    Build material

    Stainless steel is the best material the smoker can be made from and will ensure the grill lasts many years of smoking. These are high quality grills and will cost more than a smoker made from inferior material.

    Painted interiors or exteriors can crack and peel, best to stay away from those. The better option is high temperature powder coating which will maintain a great look as well as cleaning with ease.

    Size and capacity

    Decide what sized cooking chamber will work best for your household. Smokers will come in all different sizes, so decide whether you are going to be cooking for 2 or 20, then choosing accordingly.

    - Small Grill -- 300 - 500 square inch cooking area

    • Good for 1-3 person family
    • Fits 3 racks of ribs or 1 turkey or 2 chickens
    • Will have small hoppers which could require refilling while cooking

    - Medium Grill -- 500 - 700 square inch cooking area

    • Good for 3-5 person family
    • Fits 5 racks of ribs or 2 turkeys or chickens
    • Hopper size will support long cooks without refilling

    - Large Grill -- 700 - 1,200 square inch cooking area

    • Good for 5-9 person family
    • Fits 7-10 racks of ribs or multiple turkeys or chickens
    • Often has several racks for more cooking area of ribs or removed for turkeys

    - Huge Grill -- 1,200 - 2,500 square inches of cooking space

    • Normally purchased for professional cooking
    • Fits a ton of food - 20+ racks of ribs
    • Will have extremely large hoppers for long cooks

    Pellet hopper

    The hopper is the part of the smoker that holds the wood pellets. Smokers will come with a hopper capacity of anywhere from 10lb to 60lbs of hardwood pellets.

    Pellet hopper extension box

    The two main things you want to look at when it comes to hoppers is size and ease of pellet change.

    - Hopper size

    Hopper size will most likely depend on the size of the smoker, smaller smokers have smaller hoppers and larger smoker have larger hoppers. Doing a lot of overnight briskets where you will need long cooking times, then a bigger hopper might be for you.

    - Ease of pellet change

    Pellet change is something you wouldn't think too much about. But keep this in mind if you are going to change your pellets out between cooks. You might want a hickory wood for burgers but apple wood for salmon.

    pellet hopper being cleaned out by flowing into bucket

    Does the hopper have a dump door where you can dump the current pellets out and change to a different wood? If not, you might have to scoop them out with a cup or vacuum. Some manufacturers do not include dump doors because it's a possible moisture entry point that could damage the pellets.

    Temperature controller

    The controller is what tells the pellet auger how fast to feed wood pellets into the firebox. This directly controls the rate of wood burn and the temperature of the smoker.

    Expect a wood pellet grills internal temperature range to be maintained between 180 degrees F on low to 500 degrees F at it's highest setting.

    Rectec grill controller with readouts of temperatures

    There are two different temperature controllers found on pellet smokers. The first is a time based controller and the second being a PID controller (Proportional Integral Derivative).

    Let's take a look at the two different types of controllers and how they work.

    - Time Based Controllers

    These controllers are found on lower quality or older pellet smokers. This controller turns the auger at a certain speed as well as the fan on periodically when set to a temperature setting to try and achieve that temperature. They do NOT monitor the temperature inside the smoker and do NOT adjust the auger speed accordingly.

    Because of this, expect larger temperature swings of up to 20°F when smoking. This is especially true when smoking in different ambient temperatures. The smoker will not heat to the same temp in the winter as it does in the summer.

    - PID Controller

    The newer technology and controller that is found on more higher end smokers is the PID controller unit. This digital controller constantly monitors the smokers temperature and will speed up and down the pellet auger to maintain a set temperature.

    This results in a more accurate and consistent temperature inside the smoker. It is not crazy to only expect a 1-2°F temperature swing during smoking with a PID controlled smoker.

    Decide how important precise temperature is to you and whether you can deal with 15-20°F temperature swings in your smoker.

    Wifi

    Most top of the line pellet smokers will have a mobile app and wi-fi control ability. This comes in VERY handy when keeping track of your cook. Having alerts sent to your smartphone when the meat reaches a certain temperature.

    smoker digital display and phone displaying same temperature numbers

    Alerts telling you that your grill is finished pre-heating or cooling down. Maybe you forgot to fill the hopper, you will know right away instead of several hours later when you decide to check on the brisket.

    Thermometers (built in)

    Top of the line smokers will usually have 2 built in temperature probes that plug into the smoker. The temperatures from these meat probes will be displayed on the smokers display and their app.

    Two chickens on grill with meat probes inserted into breast

    Knowing your meats temperature is EXTREMELY important when smoking. Built in thermometers is a huge advantage when perfecting your cook.

    Shelves

    You would think this wouldn't even be a deciding factor, but some smokers do not come with much shelf space to place cutting boards and grilling accessories. Make sure the smoker you decide comes with a side shelf and front shelf.

    Many brands will sell shelves separately from the smoker itself. Take this into account when deciding whether a grill is in your budget.

    Traeger grill with custom front shelf made of wood

    Aftermarket custom shelves like the one seen above are often made by grill enthusiasts and can be found online on sites like Etsy or in facebook groups for that specific brand of smoker.

    These not only are fantastic for placing down trays of meat or utensils but they also look AMAZING!

    Brands

    There are many great brands that make smokers, many you have most likely heard of. Traeger is the biggest brand and has the highest sales when it comes to pellet smokers. This does NOT mean they are the best though.

    Make sure to find a smoker that fits your needs and wants, don't buy on name brand alone. Just because a brand is well known and sold everywhere does not mean it's the best smoker for you.

    Warranty

    Having a good warranty is an important feature of your next smoker. Pellet smokers are expensive and should come with a multi year warranty that will give you some peace of mind to the longevity of your purchase.

    A good quality smoker should last a decade, but having a warranty is nice in case a controller stops operating or your thermometer decides to quit.

    Make sure to check your specific smokers warranty when buying. But let's check out some of the warranties offered by the top brands on their featured smokers. Warranties on their smaller more inexpensive smokers might be shorter.

    • Traeger - 3 years
    • RecTec - 6 years
    • Pitboss - 5 years
    • Camp Chef - 3 years
    • Z Grills - 3 years
    • Weber - 3 years (Plus a 100 day 100% Money Back Guarantee)

    Customer service

    Having a warranty is great, but good customer service from the company and being able to cash in on that warranty is more important. There is one company that stands out above the rest when it comes to customer service.

    Man on phone behind several computer monitors

    - Rec Tec

    By far, RecTec has the best customer service and support. They include a 24 hour phone number to call if having problems with your smoker. You will be connected with an actual employee from their Georgia office no matter what the time. They realize that sometimes shit happens at 1am and will be there to help you figure it out.

    How much do pellet smokers cost?

    Prices vary drastically from low end to high end smokers. These vary on the build quality, size, and features.

    Several different sized US money bills on table

    Higher end

    • Grill Style - Expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 and up for a large capacity well built grill style pellet smoker. These will have most of the features mentioned above and will be made of stainless steel.
    • Vertical - $500 and up is the average price for a higher end vertical pellet smoker.

    Lower end

    • Grill Style - Expect to pay $400 to $800 for a lower end large capacity smoker. These smokers will have some of the features mentioned above and wont be built as well as the higher end. Don't expect all stainless steel parts or top of the line technology.
    • Vertical - $200 - $400 is the price range for a lower end vertical pellet smoker.

    Delivery & assembly

    Make sure to check when purchasing your smoker on whether there are delivery charges. Most pellet smoker companies offer free shipping on their pellet smokers and try to make it an easy and simple process.

    How it ships

    When ordering a pellet smoker online the normal procedure is that the smoker is shipped by semi truck to a local shipper in your area. Once it arrives there, the local shipper will contact you and set up a time and date for when they will deliver your smoker on a pallet to your driveway.

    Pellet grill on pallet when delivered

    Set up a delivery time when you can be home and they will give you a time delivery window of a couple hours on that day. The shipper will unload the smoker on a pallet with a pallet jack and either leave it at the end of your driveway or wheel it into your garage. Easy and simple!

    Assembly of smoker

    Companies have made assembly of their pellet smokers as easy as possible. They do not want their customers having problems putting together their product, so good instructions and normally online assembly videos are available to assist when putting your smoker together.

    Pellet smoker ready for assembly after being delivered

    On average, the assembly of your new pellet smoker will take about 1-2 hours and can be done by one person. Most tools will be included with the product, but a pair of wrenches might be required.

    Tips and tricks

    • Reverse sear meats to impart more of a smoke flavor at the beginning of smoking and then searing at the end of cooking.
    • Purchasing grill grates is a great way to sear meat as well as achieve those great grill marks on your food.
    • Join smoker Facebook groups to find artists and carpenters that make amazing after market shelves and wraps to design and outfit your smoker.
    • When filling your hopper, don't dump the final bit of pellets without sifting out the pellet dust. Try to keep the dust to a minimum when filling your hopper.
    • Purchase a small shop vac as your ash cleanout system to vacuum the inside of the smoker every 5 or so cooks to keep pellet dust to a minimum.
    • If your smoker has a drip pan, cover it with grill aluminum foil (the wider foil) for easier clean up.
    • Smoked a lot of greasy meats on low and about to cook something where your smoker will get up to 400°F? Probably a good time to change the aluminum foil on your drip pan. Old food oil and fat on a drip pan can catch fire when you turn the smoker temperature up high.

    FAQ

    Are pellet smoker worth it?

    If you are looking for an easy way to smoke meats, Yes they are worth it.

    Are most pellet smokers made in china?

    Most brands have their products made in china, including Pitboss, Traeger, and Rectec.

    Do pellet smokers require electricity?

    Yes. You will need to have the smoker plugged into an outlet the entire time the smoker is running.

    Do pellet smokers smoke a lot?

    Yes. Pellet smoker will put out a good amount of smoke that will flavor food perfectly. Top of the line smokers will also have a smoke level you can choose when operating to supply either more or less smoke during your cook.

    Is it okay to leave a pellet smoker outside?

    Yes. Many owners leave smokers outside plugged in all the time. However, use common sense and make sure the plug in not on the ground in water. Most companies offer fitted covers for their smokers, a good investment in prolonging the smokers life.

    Is cooking on a pellet smoker healthy?

    There is no evidence that it is any different than grilling on charcoal or gas. Grilling in general is a healthy way of cooking due to the lack of oil and fats needed to coat the cooking surface.

    In Conclusion

    Purchasing a pellet smoker can elevate your grilling game and food you serve your family and friends. Smoking delicious meats has never been so easy, using pellets and setting a temperature sure beats babysitting a firebox throughout a long cook.

    When choosing which smoker is right for you, make sure to take into account the following decisions and topics.

    • Is a pellet smoker right for you?
    • Type of smoker
    • Features
    • Size
    • Cost
    • Warranty

    I'm sure you will decide wisely and choose the best pellet smoker for you! Enjoy your new purchase and make sure to share that great tasting food with your friends and family!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. john says

      January 04, 2023 at 5:39 pm

      Will you share your opinion on a Webber Smoker?

      Any suggestions for smoking a Pork Belly?

      I just finished reading this article, and have really enjoyed it. I will continue
      to visit your sight for further Info.
      Thank you,
      John form Swansboro, NC

      Reply
      • Will says

        January 06, 2023 at 8:37 am

        I don't have any personal experience with the Webber smoker, but it's definitely a solid brand when it comes to grills. Pork belly is best done smoked until an internal temp of 165°F and then wrapped in foil until it hits 198-202°F. Smoke it at 225°F.

        Reply

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