Are you confused about whether a pellet grill is a right option to invest in for getting rich smoky flavour to your food? Its always better to research before investing your valuable money in anything. In this article, we have a detailed unbiased discussion on the pros and cons of the pellet grill.
By the end, you will be going to have a very clear concept about the pellet grill, and are they the right choice for you? You just need to invest you next ten minutes to this informative guide to not miss any important informed. So let’s begin with what is a pellet grill and how does a pellet grill work?
Table of Contents
What is a Pellet Grill?
A pellet grill uses electricity to power the grill and also uses the wood pellets as a fuel source. Therefore, a generator or an outlet is also required for the flow of electricity. Most of the pellet grills can be used for the smoke, roast, grill, and bake. Usually, pellet grills are mostly used for smoking foods.
So, how does a pellet grill work? Basically, pellet grills have a storage area where wood pellets are loaded. This area is called the hopper. The hopper loads pellets into the auger then the wood pellets get moved from the hopper into the firepot or ignition chamber.
Now, a hot rod component ignites pellets that are in the ignition chamber creating smoke and heat. Pellet grills also have a fan that stokes the fire and circulates smoke and heat throughout the grill. Therefore, a pellet grill provides indirect heat for cooking food in a controlled smoky environment.
What are the Pros and Cons of Pellet Grills
Each entity available in the market has its own pros and cons. Pellet grills also have their pros and cons. This is an unbiased discussion so let’s discuss each pros and cons of pellet grills in detail.
Pros of Pellet Grills
Fast to Start and Easy to Use
Pellet grills are one of the easiest grills to deal with. Starting the grill is the same as easier as handing the grill while cooking. The pellet grill starting procedure starts by filling the hopper with wood pellets. Use the type of wood pellets accordingly for the desired flavour. Now, you just have to push the start button and turn it to the desired temperature. Come back to the grill after ten to fifteen minutes and you. Actually, it starts with a startup cycle for preheating then you can use it for the cooking session.
Also, using pellet grills is easy peasy. You don’t need to lift up the lid. You can easily monitor the internal cooking temperature right on your phone and on the grill display as well.
As obvious turning the pellet grill off is also a little piece of second. It will simply burn all the pellet grills in the firepot and you have to wait for the things to cool down.
Apart from that, there are some advanced pellet grills also available from reputable brands like Traeger, Green Mountain Grills, and RecTec. By paying a bit more, you can get wireless control of the smoker feature. Basically, you can connect your smartphone to the grill via an app. Now, you can control your grill by adjusting the temperature and you know exactly what the temperature is under the hood. You will this feature in Wi-Fi pellet grills.
The Davy Crockett WiFi control portable wood pellet grill comes with a sense mate feature. This thermal sensor that allows users to monitor the grill temperature constantly. It also comes with adapters for three power options. The digital WiFi controller is compatible with a dedicated app installed on your Android or iOS device.
Low and Slow Smoking
When it comes to low and slow cooking, pellet grills perform very well. These outdoor cookers are electrically controlled. You can easily regulate the temperature according to your requirements. You just need to load the pellets in a hopper then plug in it. A hot rod component will ignite the pellet grills and you will be ready for the smoke.
You don’t need to constantly check the temperature or move around the food. The pellet grill will use the fan component to circulate heat and smoke evenly to the food. Hence, you can place the food on the grill, set the temperature, and walk away. This set and forget user-friendly environment cannot be achieved with a charcoal grill. It is most likely using a thermostat-controlled oven. You just have to wait until it achieves the internal temperature you have set for vegetables or meat.
Pellet grills from most of the reputable brands can easily maintain a temperature of 200 degrees Fahrenheit to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for hours. Simultaneously, they will produce premium quality wood-fired smoked vegetables and meat. The smallest pellet grill with a 10-pound hopper can easily provide nine to ten hours of low-temperature smoking.
The Traeger pro series 22 pellet grill and smoker features a digital pro controller. You can set the dial to your desired temperature and forget it. These easy to use control system from Traeger provides the easiest and most efficient wood-fired grilling experience. The advanced grilling logic of this cooking equipment will keep the temperature within +/-15 degrees Fahrenheit for precision cooking.
Environment Friendly
As compared to any other form of barbecuing and grilling, pellet grills are more eco-friendly. It is not 100% clean but much environment friendly than using a charcoal grill. Burning charcoal leads to carbon and is not good about extraction and digging it up. In the case of wood pellets, waste wood is used for wood pellets.
Clean Wood Burning Smoke Flavor
One of the best advantages of using a pellet grill is the clean-burning wood smoky flavour. The smoke is quite clean and not harmful to your health and your food as well. Actually, wood combustion cleanly means a transparent clean burning smoke not a white cloud of puffy smoke. The smoke is invisible to the human eye but you will be going to taste it.
Usually, some hardwoods will produce different coloured smoke like yellow. The type of wood pellets you will use will be going to give your flavour accordingly. For example, apple and peach always give a softer some say sweeter flavour. If you want that classic smoky flavour that you were getting from the charcoal grill then you can simply use charcoal pellets in your pellet grill. You can also try different flavours with different wood pellet types.
No Messy Fuels
A Pellet grill uses wood pellets as a fuel. These are very clean fuel. How does a wood pellet form? Basically, the process including heating it up. The natural resin glues the pellet into a uniform pellet. When the pellet gets cooled down, it gets its correct form. As compared to other fuels, wood pellets are quite cleaner. You just need to store them in a dry and clean place. Make sure the area is sealed and there must be no moisture at all.
You can also store your wood pellets cleanly in the garage. There is no need to haul those gas tanks around anymore. It is always a good option to buy wood pellets in bulk so that you will not be going to low on fuel. Also, make sure to not leave wood pellets in the hopper even if it is closed. There are some chances of moisture inside and this will lead to lowering the performance of your wood pellet grill.
Low Maintenance
When you complete your pellet grill session, you will end up with just a small pile of ash. Pellet grills require little clean-up but you will not be going to frustrate or wasting your lots of time in clean-up. As we all know that wood pellets burn clearly. Even after complete eight hours of the low and slow cooking session, only half a cup of ash will be there.
The best and most convenient solution is a grease bucket. You just need to line up the grease bucket. This will collect all the grease and fat that dribbles down the grease tray. So, you have to simply chuck the grease bucket in the dustbin and place a new one for the next cooking session. Most of the pellet grills also come with a built-in drip pan under the grates. Therefore, dripping grease will collect in it and you will not be going to face any flare-ups at all. In case of any gas or charcoal grill, there is always a chance of flare-ups.
Make sure to always just flip over your grill after the end of the hot grilling session. Basically, it will burn off any leftover residue. Our other tip is to never leave wood pellets in the hopper for over a month.
Cons of Pellet Grills
Electricity is Mandatory
The Pellet grill needs electricity to operate. It doesn’t need lots of electricity but still, electricity is mandatory for the seamless cooking session. You can use a pellet grill in the garden of your house but bringing it to outdoor is not a good option always. If you are planning to use car batteries for running your pellet grill then the size of the battery must be appropriate. Don’t forget that you will need the battery to start your car.
Internal Components Breakdown
Electric items are always vulnerable to non-functional due to an electric component failure. The same thing is true with pellet grills. The pellet grills are electric and moving. If any parts breakdown then the whole grill will become non-functional. Some pellet grill parts are quite easy to replace.
Heating rods always need to be replaced in two to four years depending on usage. Here, brand reputation also matters a lot. A brand with a good reputation having hundreds of positive reviews from customers will always provide trusty worthy equipment. You can also do your research. Moreover, you can also check out the best pellet grills for cold weather here.
Expensive
Pellet grills are among the most expensive grills you will find in the market. These grills are fast to start, easy to use, easy to clean, and comes with lots of advanced and useful functions. As always things with more feature costs extra money. Our advice is that if you are really interested to invest in an expensive pellet grill then make sure to check more models from different brands. You will not be going to hesitate to spend a little extra for more premium quality.
Lack of Grill Marks
Pellet grills lack in pronouncing the richest grill marks. The reason is very simple. Because indirect heating is used here. If you really love pellet grills then you can invest some money in some accessories to help create that iconic grill marks.
Apart from that, you cannot use a pellet grill outside when it is raining. Moreover, wood pellets can also get Detroit if they get wet. Always make sure to keep your pellet grill and wood pellets dry.
Conclusion
So, above we have a detailed discussion on the pros and cons of pellet grills. Pellet grills are very easy to start and use. You can also use a pellet grill to roast, bake, grill, and smoke. The wood pellets are clean fuel and using different pellets will give you different smoky flavour.
On the same side, there are some disadvantages as well. The electric component failure or electricity is mandatory limits the accessibility of the pellet grill. You just need to make a decision with a cool and fresh mind and you are ready to go. Comment below your valuable thoughts. Stay tuned for the latest updates.
