Pellet smokers are smoking machines that use a heating element to turn wood pellets into smoke. They allow you to cook food at low temperatures and for long periods without the need for any other fuel source. However, selecting one of the best wood pellet smokers requires an analysis of many factors before making any choice.
Pellet smokers outperform many of their competitors in terms of convenience, versatility, and control over the quality of their smoked foods. Best Wood Pellet Smokers can be used as a grill or an oven, so they’re just as functional in the backyard as they are on your deck or patio!
In the last few years, pellet smokers have become a popular choice for BBQ enthusiasts. A top-notch pellet smoker uses a digital controller to regulate temperature and smoke output, so you can cook your food perfectly every time.
Best Wood Pellet Smokers 2024
We’ve put together a list of the best wood pellet smokers, so you can get cooking. These are our favorite models based on price, build quality, and ease of use. We’ll also give you some tips on how to choose one in the later part of this blog post!
Have a look at the comparison table first for a quick overview.
| Image | Product | Feature | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
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Top Pick
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Traeger Grills Pro Series 575
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Premium features, Double-insulated construction, Traeger Downdraft Exhaust System for excellent ventilation | Check Price |
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Camp Chef PG24MZG SmokePro
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Excellent temperature range, The total cooking surface of 811 sq inches, Highly reliable 2 meat probes included | Check Price |
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Camp Chef 24 in. WIFI Grill & Smoker
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Highly durable stainless steel construction, Premium attachments, Massive 22 lbs hopper capacity | Check Price |
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Traeger Grills Pro Series 22
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Reliable build, All-terrain wheels support easy mobility, Energy Efficiency | Check Price |
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Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill Smoker
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Uses convection technology, Highly efficient electronic feed system, Consistency of taste | Check Price |
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Traeger Grills Tailgater 20
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Portable grill with a cooking space of 300 sq inches, Intelligent pellet feeding saves energy usage. | Check Price |
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Weber 22510201 SmokeFire EX4 (2nd Gen)
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Easy to operate, Automated operation, Looks attractive | Check Price |
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PIT BOSS 10537 PB0820SP
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Enhanced temperature range, Cooking space of 849 sq inches, Easy assembly | Check Price |
Without further ado, let’s begin with reviews!
1. Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 – Top Pick
No one seems to beat the Traeger Pro series when it comes to combining the ultimate efficiency with a justified price tag. The 575 model from the Best Traeger Grills is the pinnacle of grilling efficiency and dependability. The overall cooking space on this grill is 575 sq inches with a total hopper capacity of 18 pounds.
It provides all the features of Ironwood for $400 less than the price of Ironwood. It features a highly efficient double-wall insulation build that enhances the reliability and operational efficiency of the device in extreme cooking pursuits. Additionally, with its Super Smoke mode, you will love the consistency and infusion of real wood-fired taste after cooking on this machine.
Highly Advanced D2 Drivetrain
Traeger 575 pro series also features the latest D2 Drivetrain that optimizes the performance of the machine in many ways. The new drivetrain mechanism features a brushless variable speed motor, variable auger speed control, and variable speed fans.
As a result of variable speed fans and auger speed control, users can now easily adjust the temperature in accordance with their needs. Due to the improvements in the design, the auger motor also has a longer lifecycle. Additionally, you will also notice an increase in the temperature range of the device, compared to the ones earlier sold by the company.
Highly Reliable PID Controller
Unlike many others on the market, this 575 model from Traeger outperforms its competitors when it comes to utilizing a high-end PID controller.
Accommodating Up to 20 Burgers
Traeger claims the overall cooking space will allow users to accommodate at least 25 burgers in a single go. However, we believe the estimates are more optimistic, given the overall size and dimensions of the machine.
After analyzing the overall space and cooking capacity of the main and upper grates, we can say it is still capable of handling 20 burgers in a given time without any risk of burning. In terms of ribs, the machine can handle anywhere between 3-5 racks without compromising the quality of the output.
Read Also: Traeger Smoke Settings: Everything you need to know!
In our opinion, the Traeger pro series 575 is the overall best wood pellet smoker on the market. It provides all the features of premium models at a very reduced price tag. With 575 square inches of grilling space, you can handle the BBQ needs of friends at a small weekend gathering.
2. Camp Chef PG24MZG SmokePro
With a total cooking area of 811 sq inches, Camp Chef PG24 is the runner-up in our list of the best wood pellet smokers in 2024. The smoker features an upper rack of 382 sq inches while the lower rack has space of 429 sq inches to accommodate large pieces of meat.
The most important aspect of this device is that it utilizes Slide and Grill technology that is perfect for high-heat searing. The temperature can go up to 650 degrees without involving any hassle. However, like many traditional smokers, the temperature range on this device is also between 160 degrees to 500 degrees.
Top-Notch Functionality
This is one of the Best Camp Chef Smokers which is a fully-featured machine for all of your smoking needs, which includes both roasting and grilling options. Unlike other models on the market, it offers an ash cleanout system that makes cleaning quick and easy while also reducing smoke residue left behind after use.
It’s equipped with a Gen 2 PID controller to offer 1 – 10 settings as well; making this model perfect if you like variety in cooking styles!
Auto Star Ignition
The Camp Chef PG24 is a complete package with features that make grilling easy, like the automatic pellet auger which chucks wood pellets into your fire pot for you. The auto-start ignition will automatically ignite the pellets without any intervention from you, and there’s even an option to control them through temperature levels on the unit itself.
Read Also: How Does a Wood Pellet Grill Work?
In our opinion, with Camp Chef PG24 Grilling doesn’t have to be a tedious process. With it, you can whip up delicious meals and desserts without spending hours prepping ahead, and you won’t have to worry about having to watch your grill while it cooks.
3. Camp Chef 24 in. WIFI Grill & Smoker
The next one on our list makes the best choice for people looking for a premium build. The device uses an excellent combination of technology and sturdy construction to meet the diversified expectations of people. The hopper holds 22 lbs, which should be just enough to meet the needs of most families without worrying about continuous refilling.
Woodwind WiFi 24 will keep you cooking well into your grilling years. With a total cooking area of 811 sq inches at 150 lbs weight, it is a wise investment. If you want more time in the party pit, wifi let’s rock off at any distance from your hotspot!
Impressive Performance
With Camp Chef 24 you will find yourself spending more time outside than ever. It allows you to cook anything from wings to pizzas, all while using the same system! It’s great fun cooking a whole meal at once, and it makes entertaining guests so easy–they never have to leave hungry or unsatisfied because you don’t want them going anywhere else.
Highly Efficient Sidekick
The Sidekick is Camp Chef’s newest innovation that brings the Woodwind WiFi 24 into the realm of infinite possibilities. It comes with a griddle attachment that has been specifically engineered to be used with other cooking surfaces, and allows for flexibility in what types of dishes you can prepare on your pellet grill; even going as far as accommodating works!
Also Reviewed: 9 Best Offset Smokers in 2024
In our opinion, Camp Chef 24 makes the best wood pellet smoker for people looking for a premium build. This is an investment that will last for a long time and requires little maintenance because of its many attachments.
4. Traeger Grills Pro Series 22
Traeger Pro Series 22 is the little brother of Pro Series 575 and makes the perfect choice for people looking for high value for money. With a total cooking space of 572 sq inches and 18 lbs hopper capacity, this barbecue grill smoker is certainly worth considering. With a range of cooking options, you can cook anything from chicken to steaks to vegetables and more.
Turn your Traeger into a smoker and grill with the Pro Series 22. The Pro Series 22 features three separate cooking racks that can be used independently or together to create a custom grilling experience at any time.
Ideal for intermediate grillers
Do you have an outdoor cooking experience that is lacking? The Traeger Pro 22 grill has the features to help your grilling game rise from an amateur level quickly. You can enjoy perfect ribs and a better brisket because of the new logic in it for temperature control, and food flavor without old grease marks since porcelain grill plates are easy to clean up after use too!
Sturdy Build
The Traeger Grill Pro series 22 is a high-end outdoor barbecue that has been making waves in the market since it was first introduced. Made of steel, this durable item will hold heat, and with its powder coating paint job looks great for years to come.
Not only does this sturdy unit have wheels, but you can easily roll it around like furniture. But, they are made from solid rubber “all-terrain” tires designed not just for grass or pavement but also for sand too — allowing versatility never before seen in backyard cooking.
Read Also: How to clean a Traeger Grill?
In our opinion, the Traeger Pro Series 22 makes the best wood pellet grill in terms of value. The heart of any good grilling system lies within the digital control panel. It allows you to set up your temperature digitally as well as manually through augers on either side. Due to their sawhorse design undercarriage, you never have to leave your seat!
5. Z Grills Wood Pellet Grill Smoker
The next on our list is the top-notch item from Z Grill that outperforms many of its competitors. With a total cooking space of 700 sq inches and a massive 20 lb hopper capacity, it makes it one of the ideal choices for people looking for bigger cookouts. Moreover, this model from Z Grill can hold a consistent temperature of 180 degrees F for hours at a time, perfect for those long, slow smoking sessions that give your food that special smoky flavor.
Z Grills Pellet Grill and Smoker is one of the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it appliances. With smart smoke technology, this grill automatically maintains its desired temperature using an automated electric feed system, heating up to 450 degrees F.
Check out the complete list of the 6 Best Z Grills & Smokers.
Versatility
Z Grill provides you with a better experience of brazing, smoking, roasting, baking, and searing your recipes that are not limited by this grill. With its portability and no limitations in cooking techniques, it can also unveil more recipe ideas when used properly
It is heated by hot air rotating inside at high temperatures between 180° F-400 °F making this smoker one versatile machine that can cook your brisket or bake pizza!
Efficiency
Wood Pellet Grill Smoker is a name to be reckoned with in the market, earning people’s hearts and proving its talent through efficiency. It works like most other smokers where you load wood pellets into the hopper (with 20 pounds capacity). However, once activated an internal auger moves them into the firebox for cooking delicious juices of the food.
Read Also: How To Make Snack Sticks in a Smoker?
In our opinion, this model from Z Grill makes the perfect choice for people looking for a highly versatile product. When choosing this combo, most models come with two or four cooking methods, but it gives you eight ways of serving dishes! The pellets used on its grill produce the heat required to fully cook foods and add a hint of smokiness.
6. Traeger Grills Tailgater 20
Traeger Tailgater 20 provides an excellent combination of features that makes it a top-notch portable wood pellet smoker. With a total cooking space of 300 sq inches and a hopper capacity of nearly 8 pounds, it is undoubtedly a champ for portable grilling and smoking.
The Tailgater 20 is the ultimate outdoor cooking tool. With its collapsible, EZ folding legs and temperature control unit with a range of 180 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, this grill will cook your meal just right on any occasion outside of your home!
Portability
The tailgater grill is a lightweight and portable model that comes with short legs for easy transportation. In line with this theme, the smokestack has been omitted as it would add bulk to an already relatively heavy product when transported by car or table.
The two vent holes are located on each side of the lid to provide adequate airflow inside which prevents flare-ups and helps cook faster!
Easy Control
Control your food’s cooking with precision and ease. Using this grill will give you the perfect party for any occasion as it allows users to set the temperature precisely. It maintains a temperature 20 degrees higher or lower than what they want their meat cooked at.
The device has an integrated fan system that pushes hot smoke across all foods equally, as well as pushing them close to where the flames are. Additionally, it can reduce grilling time with its smart cooking mechanisms.
Also Reviewed: 8 Best 3-Burner Gas Grills for 2024
In our opinion, Tailgater 20 makes the perfect choice for people looking for a lightweight device. The Traeger Tailgater 20 is a portable grill that can be transported easily and in style. This lightweight steel construction allows it to be carried with ease, while the wheels on the bottom of each leg make moving from point A to B easy-peasy.
7. Weber 22510201 SmokeFire EX4 (2nd Gen)
The next on our list is a high-end wood pellet smoker from the Best Weber Grills that offers a total cooking space of 672 sq inches. The hopper capacity on this unit is nearly 20 pounds, which is sufficient to meet the grilling needs of an average family without frequent refilling.
Unlike the 1st generation, this 2nd Gen unit from Weber brings lots of improvements and innovative features. For instance, the control panel connectivity has improved to a large extent besides the elimination of pellet chute issues faced by customers on the 1st Gen.
Highly Efficient Open Design
This grill has an open design that allows the heat deflector plate to cover a small area and gives space for four flavoring bars. With this, you can use it at low temperatures of 200 F or as high as 600 F because it’s both a smoker and griller in one! The grill is designed to allow users the ability to smoke ribs at a low temperature of 200ºF or sear steaks and burgers up to 600ºF.
Impressive Auger Design
Inexpensive grills often fail to deliver pellets, which can stop the grill session short. The SmokeFire’s auger is designed with a quick heat-up time and prevents pellet jams. You can test it dozens of times at both low and high temperatures without experiencing any problems or issues (pellets running out). The 10-15 minute shutdown sequence protects from burn back by pulling the pellets far away from the firepot, so they don’t get caught up in there again.
Also Reviewed: 7 Best Reverse Flow Smokers
In our opinion, this EX4 from Weber makes the perfect wood pellet smoker for Weber fans. It has brought lots of improvements compared to its previous 1st Gen model. Overall, it is definitely an option worth considering.
8. PIT BOSS 10537 PB0820SP
The last on our list is one of the best Pit Boss Pellet Smokers that offers a total cooking space of 849 sq inches. The Pit Boss 10537 features a large 21 lb. hopper capacity that allows you to cook more food at once without having to refill it as often. The temperature range of 180 °F to 500 °F makes this grill perfect for grilling meat, fish, vegetables, and more!
All-Rounder
Pit Boss 10537 offers a great solution for any outdoor cooking enthusiast. This grill can be used in the backyard, on camping trips, or even at the beach. This grill can be used to cook meat, fish, or vegetables in the backyard or on camping trips. Additionally, enhanced cooking space also complements its performance as a machine that can handle loads of work.
Read Also: PIT BOSS Austin XL Review 2024
In our opinion, this one from Pit Boss makes the best wood pellet smoker for individuals seeking an all-around performance. You can use it for slow cooking, smoking, and grilling. Its temperature range is 180 °F to 500 °F which allows it to be used during all seasons and weather conditions.
What to Consider When Choosing a Wood Pellet Smoker?
What does it take to find the best smoker for your needs? Whether you are a seasoned BBQ pro or just getting started in this culinary hobby, there are many factors to consider when choosing the right type of smoker.
Wood pellet smokers have become popular in recent years due to their affordability and ease of use. With so many models out there on the market, how do you know which one is best suited for your needs?
Read on below as we discuss some of the things that you should be considering before making your purchase decision!
1. Durability and Construction Material
The first thing that you should consider when buying a smoker is the durability and construction material. The worst thing about smoking meat is not being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor because you misplaced or broke your smoker.
The best wood pellet smokers are made from strong and durable materials that won’t rust or warp over time. You should also be looking for models that have an easy-to-clean surface as this will make your life so much easier in the long run.
In this regard, stainless steel construction with porcelain-coated cooking grates also seems to be a popular choice among smokers due to the durability of the material as well.
If you are on a tight budget, don’t worry. There are still plenty of high-quality wood pellet smokers on the market that will last a long time with proper care and maintenance.
2. Size of the Pellet Smoker
The best way to know what size of a smoker you need is by measuring your cooking space. Try and imagine how much room for food preparation you will have in the kitchen where this device will be situated before buying it.
Bigger is not always better when it comes to determining what model of wood smoker you should purchase.
The goal should be to find the right balance between size and function. You want a device that is small enough to fit in your kitchen but large enough for you to cook as much food as you want.
3. PID Controller Vs Non-PID Controllers
Some wood pellet smokers are controlled with a PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controller, while others use less advanced control systems. PID controllers are more sophisticated than standard thermostats and will typically provide a better cooking experience for you and your guests.
A PID controller will allow you to more finely control the temperature of your smoker and regulate how much heat is applied, making it possible for you to achieve a more consistent end result.
They also help to regulate the smoker’s air intake, which is important for regulating the temperature of the smoker as well.
Non-PID controllers, on the other hand, typically offer less control over your cooking process and may not be suited for those of you who want to achieve consistent results.
If you are looking for a smoker that offers more control over your cooking process, then we would recommend a PID controller. If not, then a non-PID smoker should be just fine for your needs.
4. Size of the Hopper
Many smokers on the market today come with a hopper that can hold up to 18-20 pounds of wood pellets. If you are using your smoker as a means of cooking for large crowds, you may want to look for one with an even larger hopper. Some models can hold up to 100 pounds of pellets, which is perfect for a restaurant or other commercial purposes.
Hopper size also affects the amount of time that you have to wait before refilling the hopper. Smaller hoppers need to be refilled more often, while larger models can go for days before you have to refill them.
However, keep in mind that the larger models are more expensive and take up a lot of space.
As with any purchase decision, it is important to weigh your specific needs with the pros and cons of different models.
Who Should Use Pellet Smokers?
Wood pellet smokers are a great choice for anyone who is interested in smoking meat, fish, and vegetables. Wood pellet smokers offer enhanced convenience and extra versatility when it comes to smoking and grilling.
They offer easy temperature control with the help of an electric or digital controller. The PID controller these days can offer precision control to a degree, allowing you to grill or smoke your food with ease.
Pellet smokers are also a good choice for anyone who wants to enjoy outdoor cooking but doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of tending a charcoal or gas grill.
Wrap Up
We have reviewed the 8 best wood pellet smokers in this guide besides discussing the factors
that are important to consider before making a choice. After reading the entire blog post, I think you must have figured out what makes the best choice for you.
However, you can check the following conclusive remarks about our top pick if you are still undecided.
Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 is the winner on our list of the best wood pellet smokers in 2024. It comes in an attractive shape and has 575 square inches of cooking space. The new D2 Drivetrain allows the temperature to be regulated, allowing for higher or lower temperatures depending on what you need at any given time.
Wi-Fire technology can also help make things easier when using this beast as it provides wireless control from your smartphone. In other words, it means you don’t have to worry about being stuck near the smoker if something goes wrong while having fun with friends outside!
All one needs to do is download their app onto your phone before starting up whatever one wants to be cooked. Once activated through WiFIRE, everyone will enjoy cooking, even the least tech-savvy.
FAQs
How long will a pellet smoker last?
Pellet smokers are very tough and durable. They were designed to be used for smokers, grills, and ovens. They can last you many years if you take care of them properly.
If you are not careful, unneeded parts can break. For example, a drain plug will need to be replaced every few years due to the wear and tear it takes. You will also need to replace the wood pellet hopper every few years because of wear and tear.
The good news is that these parts are affordable and easy to replace. You can also use a smoker cover when winterizing your grill, or if you have a smoker in the garage. A cover will protect your grill from all outside elements and ensure that it lasts you longer than if it were uncovered.
How long can pellets stay in the hopper?
Wood pellets can stay in the Hopper for a maximum of two and a half months. Keeping them in the hopper longer than this can cause them to lose their flavor and make the food taste like ash. That is why it is important to use the pellets before they get stale.
How often do you add pellets to smokers?
The best pellet smokers all have user-friendly features, like digital readouts and push-button ignition. But aside from these easy conveniences, you will also want to stay on top of wood pellets.
Some smoker models recommend adding a few every hour or two to keep your desired temperature steady. Others use an auger system that automatically feeds the firebox dry wood shavings whenever needed.
You’ll also find variable heat control on most units, so owners can dial up or down the temperature for their specific needs. The best pellets rely heavily on what type of food you are cooking and at what internal temperature. It must be served to dictate how often you add fresh pellets during each smoking session.