Best Pellet Smoker/Grill for the Money (Top 10 Picks)

Are you looking for the best pellet smoker for the money? We tried many pellet smokers from different brands, but only a couple of them had the value of money.

Here are the top ten products based on our experience for making your decision easier.

Best Pellet Smoker for the Money (Our Top Choices):

Model

Power Source

Dimensions

Price

Pit Boss Classic 700 sq. inch Wood Fired Pellet Grill & Smoker, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise, and BBQ

Wood

40.75 x 25.59 x 43.9 inches

PIT BOSS PB1150G PG1150G Wood Pellet Grill w/Cover and Folding Front Shelf Included, Black

Wood Pellet

63.86 x 37.01 x 47.05 inches

Z GRILLS ZPG-450A 2021 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control, 450 Sq in Bronze

Wood Pellet

  45 x 28 x 49 inches

Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, Bronze

Cordic Electric

41 x 27 x 49 inches

Traeger Grills Ranger Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, Black Small

Wood Pellet

20 x 21 x 13 inches

Broil King 496051 Regal 500 Pellet Grill, 865 sq. in, Black

Wood Pellet

20 x 21 x 13 inches

PIT BOSS 10532 PB0500SP Wood Pellet Grill, Black

Wood Pellet

48.75 x 22.5 x 30.75 inches

Masterbuilt MB20250618 MWS 330B Pellet Smoker, 30", Black

Cordic Electric

23.58 x 31.3 x 42.99 inches

Z GRILLS ZPG-7002F 2021 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker

Wood Pellet

48 x 26 x 51 inches

Broil King 494051 Crown 500 Pellet Grill, 800 sq. in, Black

Cordic Electric

 58.75 x 25.5 x 43.5 inches

1. Pit Boss Classic 700 sq. inch Wood Fired Pellet Grill & Smoker, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise, and BBQ.

The trusted home-appliances brand Pit Boss offers this incredible stainless steel pellet smoker with the following salient features:

  • Power source: wood.
  • Colors: black and brown.
  • High-temperature powder-coated steel.
  • Digital control board with an LED readout.
  • Cooking temperature range: 180-500 F.
  • Innovative flame broiler for direct flame cooking.
  • Porcelain-coated wire cooking grids.
  • Manufacturer: Walmart.

What I loved about this pellet grill were its versatility and practicality. The 700 square inches is the perfect size for a cookout of a group of 4-6 people.

All 700 square inches are porcelain-coated to prevent burns and ensure safety.

If you’re trying to be more sustainable, this should be the choice for you, as it requires no propane of natural gas connection; it cooks slowly by burning hardwood pellets.

The temperature range is also quite good, allowing for greater control over the heat. In my experience, the LED digital control board made the smoker very convenient to use for me. The digital display indicates the heat settings for convenience.

The only potential issue with this pellet smoker could be the cleaning process, which must be thorough to prevent hazardous incidents due to wood pellets that might get stuck in the feeder.

Pros

  • Porcelain-coated cooking area
  • Perfect for 5-6 people
  • No propane or natural gas is required
  • It runs on hardwood pellets
  • Reasonable temperature range
  • LED digital control board for heat settings

Cons

  • Difficult cleaning process
  • Wood pellets might get stuck in the feeder if not cleaned properly and can be hazardous.

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon 

Also Read: Best Small Gas Grills

2. PIT BOSS PB1150G PG1150G Wood Pellet Grill w/Cover and Folding Front Shelf Included, Black

Another impressive pellet smoker by Pit Boss that has some exciting features mentioned below:

  • Colour: Black.
  • Item Weight: 185.19 pounds.
  • Fuel Type: Wood.
  • One thousand one hundred fifty-eight square inches of cooking surface.
  • Dial-in digital control board with LED readout,
  • Temperature Range: 180 – 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Grill cover and folding front shelf included.
  • 32-Pound hopper capacity with pellet door cleanout.
  • Porcelain-coated cast iron cooking grids.
  • Two had meat probes.

I cannot stop raving about the incredible cooking capacity of this pellet smoker!

A whole 1,158 square inches of the cooking surface is perfect for cooking at festivals and big dinners. If you love hosting, this is the smoker for you.

The built-in tool hooks are also a clean little addition. I found them very helpful when I used the smoker because they can come in handy when you don’t have any other surface to leave the tools on safely.

The pellet door cleanout is also helpful in cleaning out the grill. This feature is beneficial because pellet smokers can become hard to clean from top to bottom if you’re short on time.

This way, you do not get bogged down with cleaning every time you have to cook in your smoker.

However, this substantial sleek grill is quite pricey. So, if you’re looking for something more compact (to fit in tighter home spaces) and easier on the pocket, this might not be the one for you. 

Pros

  • Almost 1200 sq. inches of cooking area
  • Dial-in digital control board with LED readout
  • Perfect for big dinners
  • Built-in tool hooks are very handy
  • Pellet door cleanout system

Cons

  • Quite expensive
  • It takes up a lot of space

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon 

3. Z GRILLS ZPG-450A 2021 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control, 450 Sq in Bronze

The Z Grills ZPG series’ new 2021 upgrade, the ZPG-450A, has the following salient properties:

  • Fuel Type: Wood, Charcoal.
  • Colour: Bronze.
  • Pellet grill technology; to ensure wood-smoked flavor.
  • No labor-intensive start-up.
  • PID technology to ensure consistent heat for consistent cooking.
  • Four hundred fifty-two square inches of cooking space.
  • Sturdy steel construction with a high-temperature powder coating finish.
  • Temperature range: 180-450 degrees Fahrenheit.

This smoker stood out to me mainly because of its unmatched versatility!

It is an 8-in-1 barbecue wood fire pellet grill that can make bbq, bake, roast, braise, smoke, grill, sear, and char-grill. It truly gives you a whole range of cooking options to get that wood-smoke flavor.

In my experience, this smoker was cost-effective. Pellet smokers cost less than comparable size gas grills.

While a bag of pellets (20 pounds) will cost about 25 dollars and burn for about 50 hours, a propane gas tank will cost about 30 dollars and last for 20 hours even when cooking on low heat.

The large-capacity pellet hopper (15 lbs) sealed the deal for me. You don’t have to keep refilling the hopper and get a longer cooking time.

I found this very useful when preparing a meal on an already busy day.

The smoker offers good cooking space, but if you have an enormous backyard and like to barbecue for over five people, it might not be the ideal choice for you.

Pros

  • Equipped with PID technology which aids in a consistent heating system
  • 452 sq. inches of cooking area
  • Most versatile grill with eight different options for cooking
  • Cost-effective
  • Large-capacity pellet hopper
  • Longer cooking time

Cons

Not ideal for an enormous backyard

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon 

Also Read: Best Small Propane Grill

4. Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, Bronze

This Traeger pellet smoker combines grill technology with smoker technology to offer the following features:

  • Model Name: Pro Series 22 (Bronze).
  • Power Source: Cordic Electric.
  • Colour: Bronze.
  • Item Weight: 46.49 Kilograms.
  • Item Dimensions: 41 x 27 x 49 inches (L x W x H)
  • Fuel Type: Wood, Charcoal.
  • Grill Dimensions: 27 x 41 x 49 inches (L x W x H) | Weight – 103 lbs
  • Cooking Capacity: 572 Sq. Inch.
  • Hopper Capacity: 18 lbs.

In my experience, this level of versatility at such high quality is a rare find. This pellet grill cooks both hot and fast and slow and low.

It offers you 6-in-1 options for cooking as well: baking, roasting, smoking, braising, and BBQ to juicy perfection.

The precise temperature control is managed through the Digital Pro Controller with advanced grilling logic to adjust temperatures in 15-degree Fahrenheit intervals, allowing for precise temperature control.

I also loved the dual meat probes that enabled me to cook multiple meat cuts simultaneously without pulling double batches.

This feature of the grill is beneficial if you prepare a meal for a big group that I frequently had to deal with.

The Hopper capacity, while impressive, can be improved given the size of the grill so that cleaning might be a little more time-consuming than a smaller grill.

And, if you don’t have an electrical output for the smoker, that’d be an issue too.

Pros

  • Combines grill and smoker technology
  • Electric power source
  • Very versatile, i.e., cooks hot and fast as well as low and slow
  • six cooking options
  • Precise temperature control
  • Dual meat probes to cook multiple slices of meat
  • Great for large gatherings

Cons

  • Hopper capacity is inadequate
  • Cleaning is very time-consuming

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon

5. Traeger Grills Ranger Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, Black Small

The trusted brand of Traeger brings a compact and portable pellet grill and smoker with these salient features:

  • Model Name: Ranger Grill.
  • Colour: Black.
  • Item Weight: 60 pounds.
  • Powe Source: Wood Pellet.
  • Item Dimensions: (L x W x H) 20 x 21 x 13 inches.
  • Fuel Type: Wood.
  • Cooking area: 184 square inches.
  • Pellet hopper capacity: 8 lbs.
  • Max Temperature: 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Voltage: 120V
  • Advanced grilling logic for precise temperature performance.

This pellet grill is an incredible find and proved golden for my last camping trip. If you’re an outdoors person who enjoys the occasional camping trip or frequent traveling, this is the smoker for you!

Its size is perfect to fit in your RV or the back of your car and can easily be operated at the campsite.

The porcelain-coated grill grates are also easy to clean, so you don’t get bogged down in the cleaning process when you’re traveling. These grates make the grill convenient to use.

Another impressive feature of this pellet smoker is the cook timer that lets you know that the food is ready so you can check up in case it slips your mind.

I found this feature very helpful because this ensured that the meat was never overdone.

But this is a particular grill, and if it doesn’t match your needs, it will be a bummer to use, especially in your backyard for bigger, more occasional cookouts.

Pros

  • Perfect size to fit in an RV
  • Great for carrying on camping trips
  • Porcelain-coated grill grates
  • It comes with a cooking timer

Cons

  • Not suitable for larger gatherings

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon

6. Broil King 496051 Regal 500 Pellet Grill, 865 sq. in, Black

This sleek pellet grill from Broil King is quite the catch, and its properties listed below tell us why that is.

  • Power Source: Wood Pellet.
  • Colour: Black.
  • Fuel Type: Wood.
  • Can operate at both low-and-slow and high heat cooking modes.
  • Temperature control through digital display.
  • Pellet hopper capacity: 22 lbs.
  • Robust structure.
  • Grill guarantee: 5 years.

The best feature of this grill is the incredible range of temperatures. I have very rarely come across such variety in pellet smoker temperatures: it smokes at 225 degrees F, roasts at 350 degrees F, and sears stakes at 600 degrees F! All controllable through a digital display.

One other handy feature is that the pellet grill is equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth!

This fun feature enables you to digitally control the temperature from your smartphone from anywhere in the house, which saves you a lot of trips from the kitchen to the grill if they’re far.

The pellet hopper holds up to 22 lbs. This property is incredible hopper capacity, making the grill super easy to run and easy to clean.

It also features a clear-out chute to quickly empty the pellets and a hidden grease tar and ash collector to keep the grill tidy.

This is one of the priciest pellet grills we have on the list, and despite its enormous price, its grill space is not that large (which would be a better fit for bigger yards). There’s a lot of space it requires just to be set up, which I found a little inconvenient.

Pros

  • High range of temperatures
  • Controllable through a digital display
  • Hopper capacity is incredible
  • Hidden grease tar and ash collector

Cons

  • Exceptionally high in price as compared to other smokers with the same grill size
  • Requires a lot of space just to be set up

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon

7. PIT BOSS 10532 PB0500SP Wood Pellet Grill, Black

Here’s another pellet smoker model from the acclaimed Pit Boss. Let’s take a look at some salient properties:

  • Model Name: PB0500SP
  • Power Source: Wood Pellet.
  • Colour: Black.
  • Item Weight: 121.47 pounds.
  • Sportsman 500SP Wood Pellet Grill.
  • Temperature Range: 180 – 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

I love the cooking capacity of about 542 sq. feet. This cooking capacity is quite a big grill, perfect for preparing a big meal for a big party at home.

I found this cooking space useful during the holiday seasons when I had to host many people at one time.

My favorite thing about this is the versatility of the pellet grill. It offers an 8-in-1 cooking range to grill, smoke, roast, bake, braise, barbecue, char-grill, and sear. We are giving you plenty of cooking options! 

The 15 lb hopper capacity helps for longer cooking times without constantly worrying about refilling the feeder and also makes the grill easier to use as you can easily clean out the wood pellets. 

This is a huge smoker and requires a great deal of space and effort to be assembled.

It can only work for people with huge yards who do not want to opt for frequent changes or moves.

Pros

  • The cooking capacity of 542 sq. feet
  • Perfect for large gatherings
  • 8-1 cooking range
  • Easy cleaning
  • Hopper capacity is quite good hence longer cooking times.

Cons

  • It will take up a lot of space in the yard
  • Only feasible for people with huge yards

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon

8. Masterbuilt MB20250618 MWS 330B Pellet Smoker, 30″, Black

This interesting Masterbuillt Pellet Smoker is truly a rare find. Let’sLet’s take a look at its salient properties:

  • Model Name: MWS 330B Pellet Smoker.
  • Power Source: Corded Electric.
  • Colour: Black.
  • Item Weight: 83.37 pounds.
  • Item Dimensions: 23.58 x 31.3 x 42.99 inches (L x W x H).
  • Fuel Type: Wood Pellets.
  • 4 chrome-coated smoking racks.
  • Pellet hopper capacity: 8 lbs.
  • Temperature Range: 180-350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Digital panel controls temperature, cook, and smoke time.

In my experience, some pellet smokers fail to cook meat with constant heat leaving patches of underdone and overdone meat.

This grill includes a heat diffuser for even heat distribution and an air damper for moisture and smoke control, making for perfect smoking and grilling experience.

Another thing I loved was the meat probe thermometers to check the exact temperature of your meat for that consistent juicy barbecue every time. Without the probe thermometers,

I found it hard to get the meat cooked just right every time by simply eye-balling. But, using them made my cooking skills better and ensured the heart each time.

A neat little addition to the grill is the grease tray for side access for quick cleanup and the pellet ashtray for easy ash removal. Keep your grill tidy with little effort.

However, the pellet hopper capacity is relatively minimal, so the feeder needs to be refilled more often for longer cook times.

Pros

  • Perfect for cooking meat
  • It has a heat diffuser which aids in the even distribution of heat
  • Air damper for moisture
  • Meat probe thermometers to check the temperature of your meat
  • Cleaning is effortless with handy features such as a side grease tray
  • Ashtray for easy ash removal

Cons

  • The pellet hopper capacity is not enough
  • The feeder needs to be refilled quite very often

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon

9. Z GRILLS ZPG-7002F 2021 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker

Another gorgeous pellet smoker by Z Grills made it to this list. These are some prominent features:

  • Model Name: 2021 Upgrade.
  • Power Source: wood pellet.
  • Colour: Natural Bronze.
  • Item weight: 84 pounds.
  • Item Dimensions: 48 x 26 x 51 inches (L x W x H)
  • Digital temperature control.
  • Warranty: 3 years.

My favorite feature was the ultra-large pellet hopper (24 lbs. capacity) with a window view! This enabled me to check precisely when my smoker needed refilling, thus giving me preparation time.

I didn’t have to deal with the hassle of lifting the lid; a glance from afar would give me my answer.

In addition, the hopper was very easy to clean because of the cleanout feature. All I had to do was twist open the door located on the back of the hopper and release it all in one go.

The wood-smoke flavor of this grill is unrivaled; using fan-forced convection cooking and 100% all-natural hardwood fuel, the 7002F makes for the most delicious flavor.

It is a huge pellet grill and not suitable for people looking for more compact grills for everyday use.

Pros

  • Large hopper capacity with a window view
  • Easier to check when the refilling is needed
  • One-step cleaning process
  • The unrivaled wood smoke flavor

Cons

  • Huge grill size
  • Not a compact structure
  • Not convenient for everyday use

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon

10. Broil King 494051 Crown 500 Pellet Grill, 800 sq. in, Black

Let’s take a look at the prominent properties of this product:

  • Power Source: Corded Electric.
  • Colour: Black.
  • Item Weight: 18 pounds.
  • Item Dimensions: 58.75 x 25.5 x 43.5 inches (L x W x H)
  • Fuel Type: Wood Pellets.
  • Cooks from low to high heat.
  • Pellet capacity: 18 lbs.
  • Temperature Range: 225 – 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • WiFi and Bluetooth-enabled temperature control system.

I loved the ease provided by the smart-touch temperature buttons on the digital display with three preset temperatures to set the grill to the optimum temperature quickly: Smoke = 225°F, Roast = 350°F, grill = 600°F.

The burn pot agitator was very helpful in my experience. It helped sift out the ash of the burn-pot and into the ashtray.

The best part is there is no need to take the grill apart to vacuum excess ash out of the burn pot; it is deposited in the easily removable ashtray.

All Regal Pellet grill models include a premium rotisserie kit, including stainless steel spit rod and forks with an electric motor.

The grill comes at quite a high price with many fancy features that an average smoker might not traditionally require.

Pros

  • Digital display with bright touch temperature buttons
  • Burn pot agitator for cleaning
  • Rotisserie kit

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Premium features which might not be of use to a regular smoker

Check Current Price and Rating on Amazon

Buying guide for Best Pellet Smoker

A pellet smoker is one of the newest kinds of grills available on the market. Pellet smokers are pretty common since they are simple to use and can perform the functions of both a grill and a smoker.

By regulating the heat and automatically feeding wood to the fire, wood pellet smokers and grills provide the most efficient method to smoke foods. You can keep filling the hopper as required. Both horizontal and vertical pellet smokers are nearly “set it and forget it” simple.

When it comes to making your first purchase of a smoker, you could have a lot of questions running through your mind. Because this is unquestionably a product that will represent a long-term investment for you, so the amount of consideration you put into a variety of factors before making your initial purchase should be high.

In this section, I will make an effort to identify the considerations that, in my opinion, are essential to bear in mind.

Size of the smoker

This is a fairly straightforward factor, and you probably already know everything there is to know about it. On the other hand, I feel it is necessary for me to share one of my personal experiences with regard to this topic.

I was amazed by the ample cooking space of 1200 square inches that the pit boss PG1150G smoker offers, and I also had a large party coming up, so I decided to get one. However, after some time, I concluded that I do not require such a large grill for regular usage.

When I had to move to a new house, where the backyard was far smaller than the previous one, I ran into the same difficulty with the space size. The first obstacle I had was putting it back together because when it’s disassembled, the equipment takes up a significant amount of storage space.

Ergo, it is acceptable for you to purchase the grill solely to host large parties. However, bear in mind that you will be responsible for maintaining this grill for a very long time, which could be a significant inconvenience if you do not have a large amount of space.

Material considerations and long-term use

If you wish for your smoker to last for many years, you should look for one crafted from a strong material. If you buy a smoker of poor quality, you would have to make trips to the shop to have it fixed. It would help if you also looked for a smoker that is simple to clean and maintain.

If maintaining it is going to be too much of a burden for you, either you don’t want it, or you run the danger of not being able to keep it in excellent form. Consider choosing one that is composed of stainless steel instead. These have a very long lifespan.

After purchasing the Masterbuilt MB20250618 MWS 330B Pellet Smoker, I realized that even seemingly insignificant details might have a massive effect. It was a great convenience to have the side grease tray that came with the product.

It used to take me hours to clean the oil residue left behind by the other grills, but with this one, all I had to do was tilt it slightly, and all the grease drained out. It consisted of one simple step in cleaning. It was at this time that I had the epiphany that this minuscule aspect is the one that makes up for the real value that I received.

In the circumstances like this, having an ashtray is also an extremely useful tool. The ash is gathered, and all that’s left to do is dispose of it. I would still be scraping ash off my grills if it weren’t for my ashtray.

Smoker’s impact on the amount of energy used

If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on electricity, look for a smoker that doesn’t use up a lot of it. You will be helping out both the environment and your wallet by doing this. It will also aid your smoker by reducing the amount of materials required to remain active while cooking, which will save you money.

Temperature Control System

A decent smoker will come with an intuitive temperature control that makes it possible for all of your visitors to make use of the appliance.

Traeger grills often offer multiple meat probes, which means you can check the temperature of your meat slices individually. This makes cooking a lot easier. Also, it would result in the perfect tenderization of meat.

I would have considered this feature more of a luxury than an absolute must if we lived in earlier times. It is a very boring job to determine whether or not your steak has been thoroughly cooked using the measure of time, which is why your next smoker needs to have a temperature control system.

Versatile

This is not exactly a feature; it refers to how dynamic your product is. Currently, most products in the market are often called 8-1 or 6-1. What do they mean by that?

Well, it means that the cooking area supports all forms of items to be cooked, i.e. burgers, sandwiches, hotdogs, steaks etc.

Many smokers often have an air damper for moisture control. A see-through window to check if the hopper is getting empty so that you don’t have to pull the lid up whenever you want to check.

Since various types of pellets provide a distinct flavor to the food cooked on a barbecue, you should vary the pellets you use from time to time to achieve the best results. If you choose not to use the burn pot agitator for cleaning, this procedure has the potential to take a significant amount of time.

FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)

Is it preferable to use a pellet smoker rather than an ordinary smoker?

The versatility of pellet grills significantly exceeds that of electric smokers due to the former’s more comprehensive temperature range. More affordable versions often top out at 450°F, but more expensive ones may go far higher. You can still make delicious grilled foods on a pellet grill, but the experience might not be the same as with a traditional gas or charcoal barbecue.

What are the advantages of using a pellet grill?

You won’t need to deal with charcoal or constantly refill propane tanks if you have a nice pellet grill since it allows you to adjust the temperatures at which you cook effortlessly. Pellet burners produce relatively little ash. Thus, you aren’t confronted with as much cleanup to perform as you would with charcoal, and they give more flavor than gas grills do to the food they cook.

How long do pellet grills typically remain functional?

The answer is, “You can anticipate a pellet grill to last for a minimum of five years if you care for it properly, clean it often, and maintain it.” If broken parts are replaced promptly, a pellet grill should have no problem lasting between 10 and 15 years.

Negative aspects of using a pellet grill?

You are limited in the places you may utilize them.

Pellet grills cannot work without being plugged into an electrical outlet; therefore, they are not portable. Moving them around frequently can cause wear and tear on the electrical components, and they are typically heavy. It is also important to note that they are powered by electricity and are not designed to be used in moist environments.

Is the smoke from wood pellets harmful?

Pellets can release Carbon Monoxide. Undetected, dangerous quantities of carbon monoxide may rapidly accumulate in an enclosed space. Every location at which wood pellets are shipped or stored will have some level of carbon monoxide in the air. The considerable risk and risks of carbon monoxide inhalation connected with Wood Pellets must be communicated to the workers in the facility.

Which is more cost-effective, burn pellets or wood?

Pellets have a yearly cost that is somewhat greater than wood, even though they burn for a more extended period. As per the United States Department of Energy, you may anticipate spending roughly $190 for wood or pellets, whichever option you choose.

Final thoughts

Keep in mind that perfecting your cooking skills is similar to perfecting any other skill: the more you practice it, the better you will get. When you first begin using your pellet grill, exercise some patience. When you finally figure it out, you might start to question why you waited so long to get one!

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