The 7 Best Wood Pellet Grills, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Yoder Smokers YS640S Pellet Grill

$2,399 at Atbbq.com View on Thebbqhq.com

Wood pellet grills offer convenience and versatility, and they can do almost all of the work for you. And that's especially true with the Yoder Smokers YS640S. The impressive pellet grill's 1,040 square inches of cooking space and 20-pound hopper are behind its outstanding performance that dazzled us. After all was said and done, this cooked up some of the best-tasting steaks and chicken wings.

Once you look beyond the physical specifications, like the 10-gauge steel chamber and ceramic ignition, you'll enjoy its other features like two integrated food probes and amazing temperature control. That temperature control is thanks to the grill's ACS, or adaptive control system, which is able to respond to fluctuations via its microprocessor. It also makes the grill able to connect to your Wi-Fi and be controlled via Yoder's proprietary app.

After a 2-person assembly, it was easy to begin using the YS640S. Navigating the plethora of features was nearly effortless and the one-button startup lets you quickly start smoking. It reached its maximum temperature (600 degrees) in less than 12 minutes, and that heat circulated consistently during cooking, even when smoking 10 pounds of chicken wings. It also outperformed when cooking a low-and-slow pork shoulder.

When it comes to searing, there's an adjustable heat shield for when you want direct heat, plus an easy-to-use heat diffuser that circulate heat directly over the sear plate. During our steak tests, this produced dark grill marks and a moderately smokey flavor. It is the grill's searing abilities that brings about a downside though—when you're first learning the grill, the searing grate creates a hotspot. Another downside will be cleaning as all the internal components need to be removed.

Weight: 335 pounds | Grilling Area: 1,070 square inches | Hopper Capacity: 20 pounds | Temperature Range: 150-600 degrees Fahrenheit | Dimensions: 61.3 x 36.1 x 55 inches

Runner-Up, Best Overall

Camp Chef SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill

View on Amazon $580 at Walmart View on Publiclands.com

While there is a wide range of grills to choose from, we found that none compare to the Camp Chef SmokePro DLX Pellet Grill. This model comes with a number of extra features, such as its included meat probes, adjustable smoke settings, large-capacity hopper, and side table for holding utensils, that make it stand out from the competition.

Incredibly easy to assemble, this grill offers a lower rack measuring 429 square inches and an upper smoking area of 141 square inches. One standout feature is the PID controller, a top-of-the-line feature that allows the user to adjust grill temperature more accurately (to within a few degrees). We specifically tried this out by measuring the grill's surface, and it mostly stayed within 10 degrees of the set temperature. It also gives users the ability to choose between a low smoke and high smoke setting, while also having the ability to reach up to 500 degrees.

While the automated auger worked well when full, we did notice some issues when the 18-pound hopper was low, including it giving the user an error message. That was one of the few design flaws though. But we were won over by the little details, like a magnetic latch on the hopper lid, the secondary steel shelf, and the ash clean-out system.

Weight: 140 pounds | Grilling Area: 570 square inches | Hopper Capacity: 18 pounds | Temperature Range: 160-500 degrees Fahrenheit | Dimensions: 45 x 21 x 51 inches

Best Splurge

Traeger Timberline Pellet Grill

View on Walmart $3,300 at Home Depot View on Bbqguys.com

BBQ experts place a great deal of trust in the Traeger brand. If you need a pellet grill that can feed a crowd, then the Traeger Timberline is the best version on the market today. “While it's not cheap, it's the ultimate in performance and convenience. It has fully-insulated construction for efficiency and year-round use, and it features easy cleanout that doesn't require a Shop Vac,” says Wes Wright, the founder and CEO of CookOut News, a news site that covers the BBQ industry. “Also, it comes with an induction cooktop that works great for searing or for cooking sides and sauces.”

The Wi-Fi capabilities of the Traeger Timberline increase the user-friendliness of this model. “It comes Wi-Fi enabled so I can monitor my cooking temperature and food temperature remotely from a smart device,” says Paul Sidoriak, a writer/grill expert of GrillingMontana. “This is convenient when I’m cooking large slabs of meat like brisket or pork shoulder (not to mention, it keeps me under the covers longer when I’m doing an overnight cook).” If you’re new to pellet grilling (or just don’t want to constantly monitor your grill’s pellet content), the Timberline comes with a pellet sensor that informs you when the pellet compartment needs refilling, and you’ll get those notifications on your smart device.

Experts aren't the only ones who love this great, but pricey, grill. It outperformed every other grill when we tested it. It maintained an even heat across the grill surface, with the sometimes-heavy smoke enhancing the flavor of both chicken wings and pepperoni pizza. When we used it to long smoke a pork butt, it had a few issues reaching our desired temperature of 225 degrees. Regardless, it produced the juiciest meat with a beautiful smoke ring.

Add to all of this a shockingly easy set-up and clean-up, plus intuitive controls, and our testers agreed that this is one of the best. If you need more space, this also comes in an extra-large version with 1,320 square inches of cooking space.

Weight: 238 pounds | Grilling Area: 880 square inches | Hopper Capacity: 22 pounds  | Temperature Range: 165-500 degrees Fahrenheit | Dimensions: 59 x 25 x 51 inches

Best for Beginners

Weber Smokefire EX4 Pellet Grill

$767 at Amazon $1,099 at Walmart View on Weber.com

The first-generation Weber SmokeFire Pellet Grill—a highly anticipated product from the trusted brand—was plagued with issues, including hopper jamming and poor grease damage. However, Weber has since addressed these problems and released the second-generation SmokeFire EX4, which performs notably better than its predecessor. This pellet grill offers 672 square inches of cooking space across its upper and lower grates, and it can be programmed anywhere between 200 and 600 degrees, allowing you to smoke, sear, and more.

We found the Weber Smokefire EX4 easy to set up, so easy it can be assembled by just one person. The Smokefire features built-in Weber Connect, a handy grilling assistant that will walk you step-by-step through the cooking process—ideal for those who are just learning their way around the grill. Weber Connect even provided clear and actionable instructions for seasoning the grill, which set our home tester up for success right from the start. The app can be used to monitor the temperature of the grill itself and to keep an eye on the temperature of the meat (using the included meat probes).

We appreciated that this produced an evenly crisp pizza crust, with a nice, light smokiness. When we used it for a low-and-slow pork roast, we could control the smoke level independent of the temperature. With a medium smoke level, we cooked up a delicious, subtly smoky pork butt with a slightly too-deep smoke ring.

All in all, the Weber Smokefire EX4 is a pellet grill that takes much of the guesswork out of the cooking process, that can be monitored and adjusted using Wi-Fi technology, and that manages to be both efficient and visually appealing on your patio.

Weight: 160 pounds | Grilling Area: 672 square inches | Hopper Capacity: 20 pounds | Temperature Range: 200-600 degrees Fahrenheit | Dimensions: 47 x 43 x 33 inches

Best Portable

Traeger Tailgater Pellet Grill

$480 at Amazon View on Walmart $480 at Williams-Sonoma

By default, portable grills have a few limitations, but a really great portable grill can be key to a successful tailgating party or weekend camping trip. The Traeger Tailgater 20 Pellet Grill does have a few things to overlook, but given its size, it exceeded expectations when we tested it.

First, don't be fooled by its 3-foot-high size. We were able to get four 8-ounce steaks on the grill's 300 square inches, and it could hold up to five pounds of chicken wings at a time. It also has an intuitive control panel that rivaled those on more expensive models. The fold-out legs make it easy to setup, though we recommend having a second set of hands for getting it into position.

We consistently experienced reliable control with a few temperature swings to watch out for. Limit how often you open the hood to help mitigate the swings, and it can lose heat through the exhaust ports. The swings didn't prevent us from smoking a pork shoulder or grilling up chicken drumsticks, but it's best to keep an eye on the internal temperature. When it's time to head home, cleaning this was a breeze with all the pieces easily removable.

Weight: 62 pounds | Grilling Area: 300 square inches | Hopper Capacity: 8 pounds | Temperature Range: 175-450 degrees Fahrenheit | Dimensions: 37 x 18 x 36 inches

Best for Pizza

Ooni Fyra 12 Pizza Oven

$349 at Amazon $350 at Williams-Sonoma View on Ooni.com

If you’re looking for something smaller that still maintains high temperatures, this wood-pellet-fueled pizza oven is incredibly powerful and petite. Reaching temperatures up to 932 degrees, this compact, lightweight unit heats up in only 15 minutes. And the removable chimney and hinged legs make it easy to take along to a party or store away in your garage.

We loved that this produced multiple gorgeous pizzas with a good char and bubbly cheese. The only limitations are from its fuel source. Being a wood-pellet pizza oven means few more steps in assembly, and a little less heat control during the pizza-making so they'll take you a few extra minutes. But afterward, you have a pizza with that slight campfire-scent that only wood-fired ovens can create. With a 12-inch cooking surface, it does come with a durable stone baking board. Also, the oven can be used for other foods besides pizza as well. This model also comes with a 3-year warranty when registered on the manufacturer’s site. 

Weight: 22 pounds | Temperature Range: Up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit | Pizza Size: 12 inches | Dimensions: 29 x 16.25 x 28.75 inches

Best Electric

Traeger Pro 575 Wood Pellet Grill

$800 at Amazon $912 at Walmart $800 at Home Depot

All wood pellet grills are dependent on electricity, but not all grills have an electric starter and temperature control. As the brand behind the first wood-pellet grill, Traeger has upgraded the original with bells and whistles such as an auto-ignition to fire up the grill quickly as well as an automatic auger system that feeds the pellets and controls the heat to your desired temperature.

Reviewers rave about the “set it and forget it” temperature control because it makes grilling so much simpler. Simply turn the dial to your desired temperature, push ignite, and the grill does the rest of the work. The total cooking space measures 575 square inches and includes an 18-pound hopper capacity. It supports temperatures of 165 to 500 degrees. This grill is also versatile in that it can smoke, bake, braise, and barbeque.

This unit is also equipped with Wi-Fi technology, allowing users to monitor and adjust their grill’s temperature from their phones.

Weight: 124 pounds | Grilling Area: 575 square inches | Hopper Capacity: 18 pounds | Temperature Range: 165-500 degrees Fahrenheit | Dimensions: 41 x 53 x 27 inches