Best Pellet Grill for the Money by Cooking Area and Heat

Plan on about 24 sq in per burger, based on Traeger rating its 572 sq in Pro 22 for 24 burgers. A family of four does fine with 450 to 550 sq in, while hosting 10 or more people points to 700 sq in or more, like the 747 sq in Pit Boss 700 FB2.

Roughly 1 to 3 lb per hour, the range pellet grill makers publish, with low smoking temperatures at the bottom of that range and high-heat grilling at the top. Wind and cold weather push usage up. A grill with a 21 lb hopper can run a long low smoke without a refill.

About 7 to 20 hours of cooking. That comes from dividing 20 lb by a burn rate of 1 to 3 lb per hour. Low-and-slow smoking at 225 F sits near the long end; searing at 450 F and up uses pellets fastest.

Some can. Most controllers top out at 450 to 500 F, which grills but does not sear hard. The Pit Boss FB2 grills have a flame broiler lever for direct-flame searing the maker rates up to 1,000 F, and the recteq Patio Legend 600 reaches 700 F.

Yes. The controller, auger, fan and igniter run on a standard 120V outlet; Traeger's Tailgater listing states 120V AC. Off grid, a portable power station can run one, and our power station sizer estimates the battery size you need.

A PID controller adjusts pellet feed and airflow continuously to hold a set temperature, instead of cycling on fixed timings. The Z GRILLS ZPG-450A and recteq Patio Legend 600 list PID controllers, and Traeger states its Pro 22 holds within 15 F of the set point.

By listed specs, the Pit Boss 700 FB2 gives more for the money: 747 sq in, a 21 lb hopper, a 500 F top setting plus a flame broiler, and a 5-year warranty. The Traeger Pro 22 has 572 sq in, an 18 lb hopper and a 450 F top temperature. Check the live prices on each card.

Yes if you want smoked food without tending a fire. You set a temperature from 180 F up and the controller holds it, so a 10 to 14 hour brisket needs a pellet top-up rather than constant attention. If you mostly grill burgers and steaks fast, a gas grill heats quicker and burns hotter.

Generally yes, as long as they are food-grade hardwood cooking pellets. Never use wood stove heating pellets, which are not made for cooking food. Store pellets dry, because damp pellets swell and can jam the auger.

The warranty is the best published marker: Pit Boss backs the 500 FB2 and 700 FB2 for 5 years, and recteq rates its grills for over 100,000 ignition cycles. Keeping it covered, emptying the firepot ash and storing pellets dry protect the parts that wear out most.