Best Electric Pellet Smokers & Grill For 2022 | Review & Comparison
Pellet smokers and grill have been hailed as the holy trinity of outdoor cooking. Taking the best elements from charcoal smokers, kitchen ovens, and gas grills, you can sear, smoke, and even bake almost anything with little fuss.
The pellets upgrade the flavor in such a unique way, that traditional grills just can’t match.
With the summer period now in full swing, camping trips and barbeques are coming back in full force. If you are looking forward to these summer activities then you are likely looking for a new grill.
Electric pellet smokers are a perfect choice for 2021 because they are some of the newest grills available on the market. They do the same job as a wood pellet smoker, but with less work required from you.
You simply plug in the electric smoker and the auger motor kicks in to feed small, hardwood pellets into the bottom of the cooking chamber. These grills are much more convenient to operate.
With this modern take on the classic wood smoker, you can better control how your food is cooked and enjoy your summer activities without having to have your focus constantly on the cooker.
And the best part is that there are plenty of these efficient smokers on the market, so you can choose between different brands and styles depending on your preferences.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Product Name | Hopper | Cooking Surface | Control | Weight | Amazon Link |
Camp Chef Pellet Grill & Smoker | 22 lbs | 1236 sq in | WiFi | 193 lbs | |
Traeger Pro Pellet Smokers & Grill | 18 lbs | 780 sq in | WiFi | 146 lbs | |
Z GRILLS ZPG-1000D Pellet Smokers | 20 lbs | 1060 sq in | Digital | 145 lbs | |
Grilla Grills Silverbac Alpha Bundle | 20 lbs | 900 sq in | Dual | 155 lbs | |
Traeger Ranger Pellet Smokers & Grill | 8 lbs | 184 sq in | Digital | 20 lbs | |
Weber SmokeFire EX6 Pellet Smokers | 20 lbs | 1008 sq in | WiFi | 204 lbs | |
ASMOKE Electric Pellet Smokers & Grill | 11 lbs | 465 sq in | Digital | 83 lbs |
7 Best Electric Pellet Grill & Smokers Reviewed
1 ) Camp Chef 36 in. WiFi Pellet Grill & Smoker
First up is the Camp Chef 36 in. WiFi Pellet Grill & Smoker. It is a large capacity, WiFi enabled electric smoker. With 663 square inches of primary cooking space and a 22-pound pellet hopper, this smoker is lightweight, which means that you’ll need to keep it covered and dry to ensure its durability.
It is perfect for any type of cooking because you can keep the temperature as low as 160 degrees Fahrenheit or crank it all the way up to nearly 500 degrees.
The large cooking capacity makes it the perfect choice for casual meetups or larger gatherings. The porcelain coated steel cooking grates and stainless-steel lid insulate the grill and give it a clean, attractive finish.
To use the WiFi Pellet Grill & Smoker, simply download the app and follow the instructions to connect it to your Wi-Fi. This makes the smoker innovative and easy to operate.
The upkeep is also fairly simple as ashes from the grill’s firepot fall into a collector underneath to be emptied out.
A little window in the hopper allows you to check on the pellets inside the smoker, so you can always be sure that you don’t run out. Furthermore, swapping the pellets out for new ones will change the smoke flavors, so you can plan ahead for how you want your food to taste.
The food can be cooked right over the pellet fire because this model has a sliding deflector plate to make things more secure. Ultimately, if you want a flexible, innovative pellet smoker, this is the one for you.
Camp Chef 36 in. WiFi Pellet Grill & Smoker: Check Its Price on Amazon!
2 ) Traeger Pro Wood Pellet Smokers & Grill
Another app-compatible electric smoker is the Traeger Pro Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker. Like the Camp Chef model, this one can also reach high temperatures and is able to be cranked up to a maximum of approximately 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
With a cooking space of 780 square inches, the Traeger model is also perfect for any occasion. The Traeger app even contains a grill guide to assist you.
This grill has a solid and durable weight of 13.5kg, though you’ll have to do the necessary preservative care, as with the Camp Chef 36 in. WiFi Pellet Grill & Smoker.
The powder coated steel material gives the cooker a nice, clean finish. Another great reason to choose the Traeger Pro electric smoker is the wide range of pellet types that it works perfectly with.
It is a specifically great match with alder, apple, maple, cherry, hickory, oak, pecan, and mesquite pellets, all of which you can also purchase from Traeger.
Simply match your pellet choice with the food that you are grilling and the Traeger Pro Wood Pellet Smokers & Grill will do all the cooking work for you.
Take full advantage of the two-tier grill system and its adjustable lower grate for smoking and searing specifically.
Other notable features that really make this model stand out are its terrain wheels for easy movement, a sawhorse stand for stability, and an external bucket grease trap to help keep things clean.
Traeger Pro Wood Pellet Smokers & Grill: Check Price on Amazon!
3 ) Z GRILLS ZPG-1000D Pellet Smokers & Grill
Perhaps the sturdiest model so far, the ZPG-1000D Pellet Smokers & Grill by Z GRILLS will also ensure the ultimate grilling experience for you.
The build is heavy-duty yet still modern and stylish, with a 1056 square inch, three-tier porcelain-coated grill system that has the capacity to hold up to 43 burgers, 9 rib racks and 7 chickens.
Quite likely the best choice for larger gatherings, the ZPG-1000D will never let you down.
In addition to this three-tier system, the smoker has an ash cleanout system, a double-door storage cabinet below the grill, built-in tool hooks and a high-temperature powder coat finish.
The 20-pound pellet hopper gives you 33 hours of unassisted smoking and 10 hours of grilling at the High heat.
This innovative electric pellet smoker is also incredibly efficient and versatile. It offers eight in one cooking because it has the ability to sear, bake, grill, smoke, barbeque, chargrill, roast and braise your food. Whatever you choose, you can do it with the ZPG-1000D.
Reachable temperatures range from 180 degrees Fahrenheit to 450 degrees, and the grill has built-in fan-forced convection cooking, which is what makes this model so versatile.
And the best part is that when you are done cooking, you should still have plenty of pellets left in the smoker for your next use.
Z GRILLS ZPG-1000D Pellet Smokers & Grill: Check Its Price on Amazon! or Buy Direct From ZGRILLS.com
4 ) Grilla Grills Silverbac Alpha Model Bundle
Similar to the ZPG-1000D Pellet Smokers & Grill by Z GRILLS, the Silverbac Alpha Model Bundle by Grilla Grills is also a sturdy, durable smoker with multiple extra features and almost unrivalled grilling performance.
Its Set and Forget digital control system means that, as with the Camp Chef 36 in.
WiFi Pellet Smokers & Grill, the Silverbac Alpha is a convenient, hassle-free model to use, especially for busy gatherings. Temperatures for this smoker range from 180 degrees Fahrenheit to 500 degrees, with a digital electric control panel with meat probe so that you can easily monitor the food’s progress.
Pellets are continuously fed into the smoker through the stainless steel firepot for your convenience.
The rugged exterior of the Silverbac Alpha smoker is comprised of a 20-pound hopper, a grease can, four pivot casters for ease of movement, and a high-temperature powder coat.
The interior has a total of 692 square inches of cooking space with stainless steel internal components and a two-tier grill system. The Silverbac Alpha is an all-round high-quality smoker.
This model is powered by a standard household three-prong outlet of 120 volts 50/60hz. And to top it off, the Silverbac Alpha even protects itself from easy damage.
The blower fan provides convection-style cooking to prevent any flare-ups and the smoker also has high-temperature safety shutdown (if the unit exceeds 615 degrees Fahrenheit) and low-temperature safety shutdown (if the unit gets lower than 110 degrees Fahrenheit).
Grilla Grills Silverbac Alpha Model Bundle: Check Price on Amazon!
5 ) Traeger Grills Ranger Wood Pellet Smokers and Grill
For grilling on the go, the Traeger Grills Ranger is ideal. It has a cooking surface of 184 square inches, which is enough for a camping family, wherever you go.
This is designed for portability and durability, with a latched lid for safe transport.
The temperature is controlled easily with a ‘Digital Arc Controller’, which boasts consistent temperature precision, and a mode to keep your food warm until you’re ready to eat.
The extended capacity hopper, which can hold 8lb of pellets, ensures the perfect wood-smoked flavor to your food.
In addition to an integrated meat probe to check the temperature of your meat safely, it is also sustainably sourced and manufactured 100% in the United States.
Traeger Grills Ranger Wood Pellet Smokers and Grill: Check Its Price on Amazon!
6 ) Weber SmokeFire EX6 (2nd Gen) Wood Pellet Smokers
The Weber SmokeFire is your best friend for summer socials and neighborhood BBQs. With a huge cooking surface of 1,008 square inches and asleek exterior, there is nothing to not love about this beautifully designed masterpiece.
The design allows the whole grill to reach the same temperature, ensuring wonderful, evenly cooked food.
The Weber SmokeFire can reach a huge range of temperatures, whether you prefer a ‘low and slow’ approach, or whether you want to sear at 600 degrees, you are promised perfection every time.
Cleaning is made super simple, with the ash and grease falling into a removable tray, there is not tricky scrubbing to prepare for your next grilling session.
The favorite feature that makes this grill outstanding, is the ‘Weber Connect’ which is a smart grilling assistant that gives you notifications when it is time to flip and serve your food, making cooking simpler than ever before.
Weber SmokeFire EX6 (2nd Gen) Wood Pellet Smokers: Check Price on Amazon!
7 ) ASMOKE Electric Outdoor Pellet Smokers & Grill
The ASMOKE is a wonderful grill for smaller families. It has a 325 square inch cooking surface, plus a 140 square inch insulating rack, and a massive 10.8 lbs hopper capacity, for hours of smoking with no need to refill.
The easy assembly makes this ideal for beginners and comes with all of the tools you will need to start smoking.
While it boasts an auto pellet feed system and easily controlled precision temperatures, some users have found that the temperature does seem to be a little higher or lower by a few degrees, and although overall didn’t cause a problem in most instances, is something to be aware of.
The ASMOKE has patented technology to make sure there are no flare-ups, meaning the grill is evenly heated, and ensures safety when cooking.
The manufacturers offer a 5-year warranty on this product, giving you peace of mind.
ASMOKE Electric Outdoor Pellet Smokers & Grill: Check Its Price on Amazon!
How To Choose Best Pellet Smokers & Grill
Cooking Surface Area
Not only can you cook more, but you can also cater to a variety of food preferences, which is particularly helpful for larger parties! Choosing the size of your grill will depend on how many people you will be feeding.
300-500 square inches will feed your family and a few friends. However, if you need it to cater to bigger groups, you will need to look for a grill with over 900 square inches of cooking space.
Portability & Ease of Use
Ease of use is a must, especially for beginners. The other huge thing to consider is how easy the grill is to empty and clean. Not only for hygiene and good food safety but cleaning after each use is also fundamental to making sure the grill lasts a long time.
Look for removable ash pans to make this as simple as possible. Being able to move the grill to a favorable position can be done easily if there are wheels on at least one side.
If you’re cooking outside it is nice to have the option to move should the conditions change! If you want to take the grill on the go, to take camping, for example, look for a lightweight version that’s easy to transport.
Temperature Control
Any grilling veteran will tell you that temperature control; is the key to the perfect summer cookout. Depending on your needs, you might want a larger range of temperatures so you can both grill quickly, and smoke slowly.
Having a reliable grill with dependable temperature control that you can trust is important to take the stress out of your BBQ.
Some grills will have analog thermostats, connected to a digital reader. However, these tend to be less accurate than the more modern technology on newer grills.
These grills will continually change how hard they are working in order to get a close as possible to your set temperature.
Hopper Size
Larger hopper capacities give hours of cooking without having to worry about a refill. This means you can concentrate on the fun of grilling without needing to re-fuel very regularly.
The type of pellets you will use will affect this decision, as some pellets will burn quicker than others.
If you use a slower burning pellet, in theory, you could use a smaller hopper. Again, this is all depending on how long you will need to cook.
Extra Features Over
How a grill is designed and which materials it is made from is paramount when looking for a pellet grill. Stainless steel is recommended as it does not rust or damage easily.
Stainless steel will also retain heat better for more easily controlled temperatures, and treated well, will last for years of summer grilling.
An integrated meat probe allows you to check the temperature of the meat to ensure food safety when cooking.
Wifi connection and remote temperature control- More recent models allow the temperature to be controlled remotely from your smartphone.
This not only gives you the accuracy for perfectly cooked meat but also the flexibility to enjoy the company and the weather without slaving over a hot grill!
Warranty and Customer Support
Choosing a grill with a longer warranty will certainly ease your mind if you have any niggling doubts.
Not only does a longer warranty period mean you have peace of mind, but also that the manufacturer has enough faith in their product to promise returns and replacement for a longer period of time.
How Electric Pellet Smokers Work?
An electric pellet smoker uses electricity to heat your food as well as power the smoker. To control the electricity in an electric smoker, your unit will have a thermostat.
The heat from the thermostat heats up a coil inside the smoker, which then gets the pellets hot enough to cook your food.
The smoke that flavours the food comes from the type of pellets that you choose. And when you run out of pellets, you simply add more to the hopper.
Due to the lack of combustion in an electric smoker, you will not need to do much maintenance to keep the smoker in good condition.
Most of the cleaning will just be to clear any food residue off the grill, though you can also wipe down the sides of the smoker as well to keep the material looking good.
Then, simply store the unit away for when you next need to plug in and use it.
How To Use Wood Pellet Smokers?
A wood pellet smoker is similarly designed to an electric model with a hopper for the pellets, but it works by feeding the pellets into a burn pot by a rotating auger that is powered by electricity.
The pellets in the burn pot then ignite and the flame cooks the food. You can increase the size of the flame by feeding more pellets into the burn pot, and the feed is controlled by use of the temperature controller.
The higher the setting, the quicker the pellets are deposited. Intake fans bring air inside to help fan the flame and move smoke throughout the smoker to flavour the food.
The actual cooking process of a wood pellet smoker is not too dissimilar to the electric model, but using an electric smoker means that electricity does all the work that the burn pot, auger and intake fans do in the wood pellet unit.
As a result of the flame, you will have to pay greater attention to this type of smoker during the cooking process and also a bit more time cleaning it to deal with the residue left by both the food and the flame.
Benefits of Using A Pellet Smoker
In pellet smokers, there is no open flame used in the cooking process, and so these are considered the safest among all types of smokers around.
Lowering the risk of flare-ups and grease fires is incredibly important for keeping your smoker/grill in the best condition, as well as allowing you to be more relaxed around your smoker without having to watch it constantly.
Furthermore, you can control the temperature of a pellet grill yourself because there is no open flame, so it is the perfect choice for more precise cooking temperatures and flavours.
All you need to do to cook your food is fill the hopper with pellets, get the grill up and running and then control the temperature at which your food is cooked.
The process is much quicker and easier than using a grill with a flame.
Being able to choose between pellet flavours is one of the biggest benefits of using pellet smokers because you can influence how your food tastes and easily change out one type of pellet for a different kind on your next use.
The pellets should not run out quickly either, so your smoker will stay in top working condition until you need to change or replace the pellets.
You can cook a wide variety of things on a pellet grill and the smoker will allow you to do even more than just grill. Of course, it depends on the model that you buy, but most have different options for you to sear, chargrill, bake, and many more. You’ll avoid cooking things separately at a gathering by using the pellet grill for all of it.
Which Wood Pellet Smoker Should You Use?
Despite the rise in electric smokers, there are still plenty of great wood pellet smokers available on the market.
The Traeger Pro Series 575 Grill is a fantastic choice because Traeger makes very high-quality products and this grill works from 165 degrees Fahrenheit to 500 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to grill, smoke, bake, roast and braise. It also has almost 600 square inches of cooking space.
Another great choice is the Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, which is less expensive than the Traeger model, yet still works from 180 degrees to 450 degrees Fahrenheit with a cooking capacity of 504 square inches.
If you are a beginner at using these smokers, then the Pit Boss 700 FB Pellet Grill is perfect. It has 700 square inches of cooking space and its slide-plate frame broiler allows you to cook easily over a direct flame on the two-tier grill.
Conclusion
Electric pellet smokers are quickly becoming very popular and sought after. Almost every company that specialises in wood smokers now offers electric models too, so you will not struggle to find one.
The electric smokers are more expensive due to the quick and efficient cooking process, so it is worth checking out as many options as possible to find the right model for you.
And once you have, your barbequing experience will be completely transformed by these modern, convenient grilling units.
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