The 11 Best Pellet Grills of 2023

Jul 17, 2023

Our winner is the Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill

Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her 6+ years of experience as a product tester, she's reviewed hundreds of items firsthand, and her work appears in publications such as PEOPLE, The Spruce, Homes & Gardens, and more. Camryn is also the proud owner of a small homestead in Rhode Island, where she spends her spare time gardening, tending her many animals, and working through a never-ending list of home improvement projects.

Madison Yauger is commerce writer at PEOPLE.

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People / Will Dickey

If you enjoy grilling and smoking meat, a pellet grill is a worthwhile addition to your patio. These grills burn wood pellets to infuse your food with lots of smoky flavor, and they’re a favorite among grilling enthusiasts thanks to their versatility and easy operation.

"Pellet grills are great for low and slow cooking of heavier meat like beef, brisket, pork shoulder or pork butt, hams, turkeys, and even ribs or large roast," says Bill Hazel, chef and owner of BBQ food truck Bill's Grill. "They allow you to season your meat, then set it and forget it until the cook time is over."

To find the best pellet grills available today, the PEOPLE Tested team reviewed 21 models from top brands, using the grills to cook steak, chicken wings, pizza, and more. After hours of rigorous testing, we found a batch of winners that brought the richest flavors, with the easiest setup, and best features.

If you’re ready to take your grilling to the next level, these are the best pellet grills that PEOPLE tested.

All Things Barbecue

Heats up to its maximum temperature in just 10 minutes

Excellent heat retention; it returns quickly to the set temperature upon adding food

Delivered distinct char marks and a rich, smoky flavor

Has a 10-year warranty

Includes Wi-Fi connectivity to monitor temperature from your phone

Hot spot is directly over searing grate, so food can cook too quickly

Weighs over 300 pounds and is quite heavy to move

If you’re looking for a pellet grill that can do it all, the Yoder Smokers YS640 is worth its high price tag. During testing, we fell in love with this high-end grill and its highly adjustable temperature range, spacious interior, and Wi-Fi connectivity. This grill is made from heavy-duty 14-gauge steel for unbeatable durability, and it boasts a 640-square-inch main cooking grate with an optional second shelf that brings the total cooking area up to 1,070 square inches.

The Yoder Smokers YS640 heats up extremely quickly, reaching its max temperature in a little over 10 minutes, and it passed all of our tests with flying colors, delivering beautiful char marks and rich, smoky flavors. The grill was also a top performer when it came to traditional long smoking. It was basically the Goldilocks choice for pellet grills in the long-smoke test: not too much or too little smoke flavor, but just right all around. We thought the pork had a very clean flavor that wasn't muddled by astringent flavors commonly associated with foods that are over-smoked. In terms of performance, the only downside we could find is that there is a hot spot directly over the grill's searing grate, so you may need to position food accordingly to avoid it cooking too quickly.

In addition to its stellar grilling and smoking abilities, this pellet grill is stacked with useful features, including Wi-Fi connectivity that allows you to monitor its temperature right from your smartphone and two integrated food probes. It's mounted on heavy-duty wheels that make it easy to move around, but keep in mind that this large grill weighs over 300 pounds—we highly recommend having two people available for assembly.

Price at time of publish: $2,399

Dimensions: 61.3 x 55 x 36.1 inches | Weight: 335 pounds | Cooking Space: 1,070 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 20 pounds | Temperature Range: 150–600°F

People / Russell Kilgore

Amazon

Great value given the affordable price and effective cooking abilities

Well-defined smoky flavors when cooking steak and chicken

Heats up to maximum temperature in 15 minutes

Small hopper that can only hold five pounds of wood pellets at a time

Inconsistent temperature during long smoking sessions; fluctuated over 10 hours of testing

For those just getting into smoking, the Pit Boss BP440D2 is a compact and budget-friendly model that's ideal for beginners. This grill outperforms many larger, more expensive models, heating up quickly and delivering well-defined smoky flavors when cooking steak, chicken wings, and more. The grill is on the smaller side at less than 100 pounds, and it has a modest cooking space of 465 square inches — big enough to accommodate several pounds of chicken wings, but potentially not enough space for those who like to entertain large crowds.

This Pit Boss grill punched well above its weight, particularly on the searing and smoking tests. It was able to reach its max temperature in around 15 minutes, and food cooked on the grill had an intense smoky flavor. The grill did experience some temperature fluctuations during the 10-hour smoking session, but overall, it performed impressively considering its budget-friendly price.

However, the biggest downside of this grill has to be its small hopper. The hopper can only hold five pounds of wood pellets at a time, and in our testing, it needed to be refilled every two hours or so. This is definitely something to keep in mind if you’re planning long smoking sessions, as the grill will need regular maintenance.

Price at time of publish: $284.99 (orig. $449.99)

Dimensions: 50.2 x 24.02 x 39.8 inches | Weight: 96 pounds | Cooking Space: 465 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 5 pounds | Temperature Range: 180–500°F

People / Russell Kilgore

Traeger

Sleek design with many features including Wi-Fi connectivity, bluetooth, and an induction cooktop

Extremely consistent performance; earned perfect scores in every single test

Large pellet hopper, so it operates longer without maintenance

Cooked meats evenly creating a juicy and flavorful result

Has a 10-year warranty

Took about 30 minutes to reach its maximum temperature

It's out of reach for some budgets, but we think it's worth the cost of investment

If you’re an experienced pitmaster looking for a top-of-the-line pellet grill, the Traeger Timberline is a worthwhile investment. Not only does this high-end grill have a sleek design that's packed with useful features, but it was also the most consistent performer, excelling at every task we threw at it — the meats were evenly cooked and extremely juicy and flavorful, and there were no hot spots to speak of. It was the most consistent across the board, even lending a smoke flavor to a frozen pizza.

The Timberline has three racks for a total cooking area of 880 square inches, and it has a large 22-pound hopper that lets it operate for longer without any maintenance. In addition to its main cooking chamber, this grill also boasts an induction cooktop, Wi-Fi connectivity, Bluetooth meat probes, built-in lights, and ample storage room, making it an all-in-one outdoor cooking station for your summertime parties. Our only complaint about this high-end grill is that it sometimes takes quite a while to reach its maximum temperature — even as long as 30 minutes. However, our team agrees that its stellar performance is worth the wait.

Price at time of publish: $3,299.99

Dimensions: 59 x 25 x 51 inches | Weight: 238 pounds | Cooking Space: 880 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 22 pounds | Temperature Range: 165–500°F

People / Russell Kilgore

Amazon

Fold-up legs for simple and swift transport via vehicle

Only 60 pounds and easy to move around

Heats up quickly and maintains a consistent temperature throughout cooking

Uses pellets efficiently and regulates fuel so you can cook for longer before refiling

Low maximum temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit so it doesn't thoroughly sear steaks

Doesn't produce the strongest smoky flavor

You can smoke meat on the go with the Traeger Tailgater 20, the best portable pellet grill we tested. It weighs just over 60 pounds, making it easy to move around, and according to our team, the collapsible, fold-up legs make moving from ground level to a truck bed fast and easy. This grill offers 300 square inches of cooking space, which we found was enough to cook for four people at a time, and its eight-pound pellet hopper does a good job regulating the grill's fuel, allowing you to cook for longer before needing to refill it.

This grill performed well in our tests, reaching its target temperature quickly and maintaining a fairly consistent temperature throughout cooking. However, because its maximum temperature is only 450 degrees Fahrenheit, it doesn't deliver the best sear marks when grilling. We also found that food cooked on this grill didn't have the strongest smoky flavor, but overall, the design is convenient and efficient for grilling on the go.

Price at time of publish: $529.95

Dimensions: 37 x 18 x 36 inches | Weight: 62 pounds | Cooking Space: 300 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 8 pounds | Temperature Range: 180–450°F

People / Will Dickey

Amazon

Spacious interior of 672 square inches of cooking space

Superior heat regulation with a temperature range up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit

Large hopper with a capacity of 22 pounds of fuel at a time

Wi-Fi connectivity to monitor and adjust temperature from your phone

Not the best searing; char marks were faint and meat had a pan-seared appearance

If you regularly cook for a crowd, the Weber SmokeFire EX4 has a spacious interior with 672 square inches of cooking space across two racks. In addition to its large grilling area, the Weber also has a uniquely designed pellet hopper that spans the back of the grill and can hold up to 22 pounds of fuel at a time, allowing you to go longer between refills. It even offers Wi-Fi connectivity, which means you can monitor and adjust the grill's temperature right from your phone — ideal for when you’re entertaining.

As you might expect from this well-known brand, the Weber SmokeFire EX4 delivered top-tier results in our tests. The grill produced a very smoky-flavored pork butt that was right on par with the Yoder and Traeger Timberline models. The pork has a lovely aroma and a long finish without being overpowering. The only area where it fell flat was searing — the char marks were surprisingly faint and the meat had a pan-seared look, despite the fact that the grill goes up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

Price at time of publish: $1,099

Dimensions: 47 x 43 x 33 inches | Weight: 178 pounds | Cooking Space: 672 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 22 pounds | Temperature Range: 200–600°F

People / Russell Kilgore

Reached its maximum temperature quickly and held that temp throughout the tests

Direct flame aided with the sear test, creating a delicious caramelized edge on the steaks

Spacious hopper doesn't need to be refilled with pellets as often

Wi-Fi and bluetooth connectivity for temperature control on your phone

Assembly is not for the faint of heart, so a more experienced griller might have better luck with this option

Direct flame hindered the pizza bake, charring the crust which cooked more quickly than the toppings

While this grill certainly required some assembly (definitely a project for a handy DIY-er), it reached its maximum temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit quickly and retained that heat throughout our grilling session. The direct flame exposure really aided our grill test, beautifully searing the steaks and evenly cooking the pizza and wings. The spacious 811-square inch surface provided a ton of cooking space and is great for larger groups. The hopper can also hold 22 pounds of pellets; we didn't have to refill it throughout our three tests.

In terms of features, this pellet grill offers Wi-Fi and bluetooth connectivity so you can control your grill's temperature from wherever you are. Overall, the performance was stellar; the only hiccup was during our baking test, the pizza crust cooked faster than the toppings, so it became a bit charred. Once you’re finished grilling, the grates are easy to scrape clean.

The newest version of this grill, the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24 is double the price, but it has a smoke box on the front of the grill that ensures a delicious smoked flavor and a special ventilation design to deliver even heating for your cookouts.

Price at time of publish: $592.99

Dimensions: 49 x 56 x 24.5 inches | Weight: 148 pounds | Cooking Space: 811 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 22 pounds | Temperature Range: 80–500°F

People / Will Dickey

People / Will Dickey

recteq

High maximum temperature of 700 degrees Fahrenheit

Consistent heat retention thanks to five-degree increments of heat control

Extra-large hopper with room for 30 pounds of fuel

Includes Wi-Fi connectivity to control the temperature from your smartphone

No upper rack for warming food

Hot spot near hopper which could lead to overcooking some food

For a well-priced pellet grill that has all the features you could ever need while smoking or grilling, you can't go wrong with the Rec-Tec 590. It has a single 590-square-inch cooking grate and an impressive temperature range of 180 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit, and it offers five-degree increments for more granular control. Plus, this grill has an extra-large 30-pound pellet hopper — the largest of all the grills we tested.

The Rec-Tec 590 did a great job grilling and smoking meat in our testing. Although it had a hot spot near the hopper, the grill is very consistent as far as temperature and overall heat retention. It also offers Wi-Fi connectivity so you can control it from your smartphone, as well as two meat probes to monitor the temperature of your food as it cooks.

Price at time of publish: $764.15 (orig. $899)

Dimensions: 44 x 24 x 43.5 inches | Weight: 150 pounds | Cooking Space: 590 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 30 pounds | Temperature Range: 180–700°F

People / Russell Kilgore

Amazon

Performed well when grilling, searing, and baking, and had a rich flavor after smoking

Includes every feature you could want, like Wi-Fi connectivity and a user-friendly control panel

Individual parts are removable for easy cleaning

Has a top rack for warming

Took 20 minutes to reach the maximum temp and had trouble with heat retention when food was added; lost 90 degrees Fahrenheit in process

Removing the heat shield when it's covered in grease made that part of cleaning difficult

If you’re new to the art of the grill, we suggest starting with the Traeger Pro 780 pellet grill while you learn the ropes. It's a highly user-friendly model with lots of bells and whistles that make grilling a breeze. Between the Wi-Fi connectivity and user-friendly control panel, it's simple to control the temperature, whether you’re standing at the grill or checking your phone while entertaining guests. We appreciated the large cooking space of 780 square inches — perfect for a large family gathering.

It took about 20 minutes to reach the maximum temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit and there was one small hot spot over the burner, but in general, it seared, baked, and grilled the food we tested without issue. It created a perfectly baked pizza and juicy steaks, and the only major concern was the loss of heat when we added the food; it lost about 90 degrees and had a hard time returning to the original set temperature. During the smoke test, there wasn't any visible smoke, but the smoky flavor produced was surprisingly present in the food. And when you’re finished grilling, the individual components can be removed from the grill for easy cleaning, though the heat shield is tricky to remove when greasy. However, we think this is a fantastic grill and a great price point for beginner grilling enthusiasts.

Price at time of publish: $999.99

Dimensions: 55 x 49 x 27 inches | Weight: 150 pounds | Cooking Space: 780 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 18 pounds | Temperature Range: 78–500°F

People / Will Dickey

People / Will Dickey

Amazon

Large cooking space of 617 square inches

No distinguishable hot spots

Control panel is intuitive and guides the user through each setting

Spacious hopper, so you don't have to frequently refill the pellets; plus a quick-empty system for the pellets

Cumbersome to move; only has two wheels and they don't rotate

Assembly proved difficult because the hardware easily stripped and the smoke stack cover broke

Struggled to sear steaks, so would be better for grilling and baking

If you prefer a nice baked chicken over seared steak, this is the grill for you. While the assembly was a challenge — brittle hardware that stripped easily and a smoke stack cover that broke away — we loved the intuitive control panel that guided the user through multiple options. It took around 15 minutes to reach the maximum temperature of 517 degrees Fahrenheit and retained a temperature just under the set amount. We thought it unique that instead of a control with specific temperature settings, this model operates with three settings: low, medium, and high.

During our tests, the pellet grill created a light amount of smoke and faint grill marks on the steaks whereas it evenly baked a pizza with a faint smoky flavor, which is why we would recommend it for baking versus searing. It also grilled wings well, creating possibly the best-tasting wings we tried all day. This model has two wheels that don't rotate and considering its 150-pound weight, it's not super portable. It does have a large hopper, so you don't have to refill wood pellets as often (it was essentially still full by the end of our test), and there's a storage box for storing extra pellets. Plus, it has a quick-empty system for the pellets.

Price at time of publish: $704.48

Dimensions: 35.5 x 47.9 x 38.9 inches | Weight: 149.9 pounds | Cooking Space: 617 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 20 pounds | Temperature Range: 89–517°F

People / Will Dickey

People / Will Dickey

BBQ Guys

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capable to monitor and adjust the temperature from afar

Large capacity; 1,028 square-feet of grilling area

Good searing thanks to a high maximum temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit

Hot spot on left side of grill which can lead to uneven cooking

Many of today's best pellet grills offer Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity, and our top recommendation for a smart pellet grill is the Louisiana Grills Black Label. Not only does this grill have a spacious 1,028-square-foot grilling area, but its smart features enhance the overall ease of use, making the grilling experience essentially hands free. You can connect the grill to your phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and the app allows you to monitor and adjust the grill's temperature remotely.

During our testing, the Louisiana Grills Black Label delivered smoky flavor when we cooked chicken wings and yielded a well-seared steak, thanks to its high maximum temperature. The pork butt also came out with a lovely aroma and moderate smoky flavor. However, we did find that the left side of the grill is often noticeably hotter than the right side, which can lead to uneven cooking if you’re not careful about where you place your food.

Price at time of publish: $1,099

Dimensions: 50 x 33.5 x 45.9 inches | Weight: 186 pounds | Cooking Space: 1,028 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 18 pounds | Temperature Range: 180–600°F

People / Russell Kilgore

Amazon

Easy assembly thanks to clear instructions and minimal components

Consistent temperature and heat retention, which made it perform well with searing and baking

Extensive and user-friendly control settings

Huge cooking space of 885 square inches; good for larger groups

Large hopper with 20-pellet capacity that sends smartphone notifications when it needs a refill

Not the best value since it's pricey but yielded a lighter smoke flavor than other grills we tested

Traeger is one of the top brands when it comes to pellet grills, so it should come as no surprise that they have assembly down to a T. Despite its large size, the Traeger Ironwood 885 was extremely simple to set up, thanks to its clear instructions and minimal components. This grill is ideal for those who like cooking large amounts of food, as it offers 885 square inches of cooking space and a 20-pound pellet hopper that sends smartphone notifications when it's running low.

The Ironwood 885 performed well when searing and baking, providing even, consistent heat across the whole cooking area. However, we noted that the grill performed just average in the smoking test even though it contained a ‘super smoke’ setting — a bit disappointing considering its high price point. The good news, though, is this grill offers granular control over a variety of settings, including the auger speed, built-in temperature probes, and more.

Price at time of publish: $1,499.95 (orig. $1,599.99)

Dimensions: 53 x 27 x 47 inches | Weight: 175 pounds | Cooking Space: 885 sq. in. | Hopper Capacity: 20 pounds | Temperature Range: 165–500°F

People / Russell Kilgore

As you shop for a pellet grill, it's important to look at its cooking area, which is listed in square inches. The larger this number, the more food you’ll be able to cook on the grill at one time. In general, 400 to 500 square inches is ideal for an average household, but if you frequently host large parties, you may want a grill with 800 square inches of cooking space or more.

As you look at these numbers, you’ll want to note whether the cooking area is one main grate or multiple racks. If it's the latter, keep in mind that raised racks aren't exposed to the same heat as the main grate, so they’re not ideal for high-heat cooking.

Pellet grills operate similarly to ovens: You set your desired cooking temperature, then the grill automatically maintains it by adding pellets to the firepot. For this reason, you’ll see that pellet grills have a listed temperature range. If you plan to do lots of low-and-slow smoking, you’ll likely want a grill that goes down to at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit (if not lower), and for searing meat, look for a model with a maximum temperature over 500 degrees, such as the Yoder Smokers YS640 Pellet Grill.

It's also beneficial to look at the temperature increments that the grill offers. Some grills, such as the Rec-Tec 590, allow you to change the temperature in 5-degree increments, while others jump 25 degrees or more between settings, giving you less control over your grill.

All pellet grills have a hopper that feeds wood pellets into the grill to be burned. However, hoppers can vary in size — models like the Pit Boss BP440D2 hold just 5 pounds of pellets at a time, while the Rec-Tec 590 can hold a whopping 30 pounds of wood pellets. When a grill has a larger hopper, it won't need to be refilled with pellets for a longer period of time. This is useful if you’re planning long smoking sessions, such as cooking brisket.

Grills are a seasonal product, getting the most use during the summer, and if you want to get the best deal, wait until the off-season to start your shopping. Many retailers will mark down grills after Labor Day — as grilling season is winding down, they often want to clear out inventory to make room for next year's models, allowing you to score great deals.

People / Russell Kilgore

The PEOPLE Tested team did a whole lot of grilling, smoking, and baking to find the best pellet grills for your backyard. We conducted firsthand testing on a total of 21 different grills, putting each model through the paces to evaluate its ease of use, consistency, features, and more.

On each grill, we smoked five pounds of chicken wings, baked a frozen pepperoni pizza, and grilled four 8-ounce flank steaks. For the top-performing models, we also conducted a long smoking test, cooking a pork butt on the grill for upwards of 10 hours. There was a lot of taste testing involved, and we noted how evenly the food was cooked, whether it had a smoky flavor, and how many pellets were used in the cooking process.

Once our testing was complete, we rated each product on its ease of assembly and use, temperature range and heat control, capacity, features, ease of cleaning, and overall value. In the end, the winner was the Yoder Smokers YS640, which earned 4.6 out of 5 stars. The Traeger Timberline actually earned a perfect score of 5 out of 5, but given its sky-high price tag, we opted to list it as an investment-worthy pick.

Pellet grills can range significantly in price, with small, basic models retailing for as low as $300 and high-end options costing $3,000 or more. However, in general, a good quality pellet grill with a decent temperature range and feature set will likely cost between $800 to $1,000.

While there are many benefits to cooking on a pellet grill, there are a few downsides, as well. One of the biggest cons of pellet grills is that they require electricity to operate their augers and fans, which means you need to have an electrical outlet nearby. Further, the wood pellets used to fuel these grills need to be kept dry — if they get wet, the pellets can expand and clog up the auger and hopper. This means you’ll likely need to invest in a cover for your grill if you plan to keep it in an uncovered outdoor area.

When cooking with a pellet grill, you can use various types of wood pellets to impart different flavors into your food. Some of the most popular options include apple, which is ideal for pork and poultry, and hickory, which is a go-to for barbecue. However, other wood pellet flavors include cherry, mesquite, maple, and pecan.

Madison Yauger is a senior commerce writer for PEOPLE who's tested hundreds of lifestyle products across all categories. With a background in news and lifestyle journalism, she has a wide network of expert sources and a penchant for accuracy. Camryn Rabideau has been a professional product tester since 2016, and she's written extensively about all types of home appliances, including grills. To determine the best pellet grills of 2023, they used firsthand insights from PEOPLE lab tests while writing this piece, and also spoke with chef and owner of BBQ food truck Bill's Grill Bill Hazel.

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