7 BEST PELLET GRILLS, ACCORDING TO OUR TESTS
[product-summary-view] stripped
Experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test a lot of grills, from gas grills to indoor grills. But pellet grills come out on top as our favorite. Not only do they cook delicious BBQ side dishes, but they do so to perfection with minimal effort on your end. Just add pellets to the hopper, plug in your grill, select a cooking temperature and press "start." From there, the pellet grill will maintain the chosen temp and gently cook your food as the heat source is covered.
While operating a pellet grill may be easy, finding the right model for your needs can be tricky. That's why we tested more than 40 outdoor grills, including eight pellet grills. To evaluate performance, we cooked steak, chicken and ribs and assessed how evenly the grill cooked, how juicy and tender the food turned out, how smoky it tasted and whether it developed a smoke ring (a key factor pros look for to see how well the smoke penetrated the food). Read more about our testing process at the end of this article, and check out our guides to best grilling accessories — including grill baskets, grill tongs and grill brushes — after you find the right pellet grill for your needs.
How we test the best pellet grills
[image] stripped
When we test pellet grills at the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab, we use many of the same rigorous testing methods as we do when evaluating other types of grills like charcoal grills or charcoal and gas combo grills. However, we also test three types of meat with cooking methods that bring out the best in pellet grills.
- Strip steak: We reverse sear a piece of strip steak by slow-cooking it for an hour, monitoring its temperature and then evaluating how well it can sear once the timer dings.
- Bone-in chicken thighs: We grill four chicken thighs per grill to see how golden brown they can get during a 30-minute window. This helps our pros evaluate the grill's baking capabilities.
- Baby back ribs: When it comes to those baby back ribs, we use the tried-and-true 3-2-1 method to see how the grill fairs with a longer smoke session. This involves smoking the ribs uncovered for 3 hours at a low temp, then for 2 hours while covered and finally for 1 hour uncovered but with BBQ sauce this time.
Our Lab experts monitor how long it takes the meat to come to the right temperature and assess each piece of meat for doneness, juiciness and tenderness. We also compare the smoke rings on the food (how much the smoke penetrated the food) and the level of smokey flavor.
In addition to performance, we score each grill for ease of use by testing how sturdy it is, how easy it is to move around, how clear the control panel is to read, how intuitive the grill is to use, and whether it has storage space, probes or smart features. We then take all of this into account and tabulate hundreds of data points to give each pellet grill a final score. It's also worth noting that we continue to road-test these models in our own homes and with consumer testers to gather feedback on longevity.
What to look for when shopping for the best pellet grill
✔️ Cooking capacity: Many pellet grills have two racks that increase the cooking area and depending on how many people you plan on cooking for on average, you might need that second rack. Most will fit your typical barbecue staples like ribs and steaks, but if you want to smoke a large cut (like a brisket) or cook multiple things at once, a large grill is probably what you’re looking for.
✔️ Hopper size: Basically, the bigger the hopper, the longer you can leave the pellet grill unattended and how often you’ll need to refill and buy more pellets. The amount of pellets used per hour varies based on the pellet and grill and desired cooking temperature. More pellets are burned off at higher temperatures, but a lower temperature means a longer cooking time, which also means more pellets.
✔️ Searing ability: Pellet grills aren't known for their searing ability as the best searing takes place over and open flame. Some pellet grills claim they can get hot enough to provide a sear and some allow you to expose the flame. If a good sear is important to you, make sure to look for this feature.
✔️ WiFi capability: Nowadays, you can find more and more grills (of all kinds) equipped with smart features and WiFi capability. This can allow you to control the pellet grill from you phone and if the grill comes with probes, you can keep track of the internal temperature of whatever you're cooking too.
✔️ Extra features: Some pellet grills come absolutely packed with extra features like extra shelves, wheels, holders for tools, induction burners on the side, built-in temperature probes, lights and storage. Accessories depend heavily on what you want to use your pellet grill for, so keep that in mind when looking at extra features.
How does a pellet grill work?
Pellet grills use hardwood pellets as fuel. Simply load the pellets into the hopper, turn on the grill, set the temperature and wait for the grill to heat up. The pellets make their way from the hopper to a fire pot beneath the grill via a motorized auger, and a hot rod is used to ignite the pellets to create a fire while a fan stokes the flames, creating convection.
What are the pros and cons of a pellet grill?
Pellet grills offer a great deal of versatility as they can be used for smoking, grilling, roasting, baking and more to cook food low and slow and impart a smoky taste. If you like wood-smoked food, pellet grills make it easier to achieve that taste profile than burning wood on a grill or smoker. Unlike charcoal grills, pellet grills require no effort to start and little maintenance other than ensuring that there are pellets in the hopper. Pellet grills don't require any propane or gas, and pellets are easier to have delivered and to store than propane tanks or charcoal. They also preheat quickly, like a gas grill, in about 10 minutes. They're easy to use, and they're known to maintain a steady temperature.
But take note that pellet grills need to be plugged in, so the area you plan to use must include access to an outlet. It can also be hard to sear foods since pellet grills don't achieve the high temperatures needed to acquire a good sear or grill marks. Pellet grills are often a bit of a splurge too: Pellets can be expensive, and the grills themselves are usually pricey.
What’s the difference between a pellet grill, gas grill and charcoal grill?
Pellet grills can be compared to outdoor ovens that cook with smoke. They use indirect heat to cook, which means the heat source is covered and food is not exposed to direct heat as it is with a gas grill or over coals. They’re best for smoking but can also bake and some can sear by either reaching really high temperatures or by exposing the heat source. They use pellets to operate, and they need to be plugged in to an electrical outlet.
Gas grills use propane or natural gas to cook. They’re quick to heat up and great for getting good sear marks on food. They can be used on low or high heat.
Charcoal grills use charcoal to cook. They can be used similarly to a gas grill but require lighting and heating the coals beforehand and some mastery of how to disperse the coals, maintain the coals and dispose of the ash. Many people like them because they offer a back-to-basics way of cooking and a smokier flavor. They can also be used to smoke.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen all testing and related content since 2019. She has tested more than 40 grills since she started working at the Good Housekeeping Institute, and she loves using her pellet grill to make wings, brisket and pulled pork.
2024-04-16T20:41:10Z dg43tfdfdgfd