For years, charcoal and gas grills have ruled the grill market, with gas grills delivering convenience due to instant start-up and heat control; and charcoal providing you more control over the heat as you can produce fire to your desired size, adding a smoky flavor.
But, what if there was a more convenient way of grilling that easily outperformed gas grills—and didn’t require any of the old-fashioned fussiness that comes with cooking meats for hours over a fire? That’s what pellet grills are all about! To find out more about wood pellet grills, read the pellet grill buying guides.
What Exactly Is a Wood Pellet Grill?
Pellet grills were first introduced a few decades ago and could only be bought from specialty retailers. However, as the popularity of grilling has increased in recent years, they’ve finally found their way into mainstream markets.
Their features, availability, and their efficient wood-pellet burning attributes have made many more consumers choose these grills over the standard gas grill.
Pellet grills are similar to gas grills and have one major difference: they burn wood pellets made from hardwood found in cherry, oak, hickory, and pecan to create subtle differences in flavor. This flavor gives the food a smoky taste that’s perfect for more meaty dishes such as ribs, brisket, chicken wings, or even bananas!
Modern pellet grills offer an electronic thermostat. This lets you precisely control the cooking temperature. When the hopper is loaded with pellets, it automatically feeds them into the burner, and the grill will adjust how fast they’re burning to maintain the temperature you set. This means no more over-smoked foods as a result of sudden flare-ups! Not to mention, no more babysitting your food while it’s being grilled.
Why Are They Worth Your Bucks?
Easy to Use
Many griller enthusiasts find that pellet grills offer the convenience and cleanliness of gas grills with the unique flavor and aroma of grilling over wood. All you need is a power button to start grilling.
Your grill’s digital controller will supply pellets into the burner when prompted, and the igniter will set off heat—all within minutes. Then choose the desired temperature, and you’re ready to grill!
Versatile
What’s not to like about combining a grill with a smoker? It’s a cost-effective solution for all grillers. Pellet grills can cook food at temperatures ranging from 180 to 500 degrees with extreme precision. This enables you to cook everything, including searing steak, slow-smoking brisket, burgers, seafood, and veggies! You might be surprised by the range of foods you can prepare—even sweets are an option!
Also, when it comes to versatility, the flavor doesn’t come last. If you’re looking to add that delicious wood-smoked flavor to your food the natural way, then a pellet grill is just what you need. You may discover your preferred hint of smoke by mixing and matching wood pellets in your burner.
Hardly Requires Attention
Pellet grills don’t require any more attention than your average griller since they emit an indirect heat that is convection-like. Simply set it and leave it, thanks to their straightforward digital controls. You will only have to open your pellet grill once while cooking, and that’s when you take the cooked food.
Pellet grills allow you to cook flavorful wings while also enjoying the best moments of football. If you’ve ever wanted a nice rack of ribs but have been hesitant to stand outside and maintain the fire on Independence Day (because you don’t think it sounds like a holiday in the slightest)…you’re in luck! Pellet grilling is perfect if you want amazing food without all the work.
Healthier Than Other Grills
Some argue that pellet grills are healthier than most grills, citing carcinogens as the cause. Carcinogens are substances that are released from food when it is cooked at extremely high temperatures. This also applies to charred or scorched markings on food.
It is believed that the charred areas as well as the ash that adheres to your food, contain hazardous substances, such as carcinogens, that may cause serious health issues to individuals who consume it.
Some people even believe that these toxins can increase the risk of cancer. While there is no scientific research to support these assertions, many people feel that pellet grills are the safer and healthier option since they do not emit carcinogens.
The Takeaway
Pellet grills are extremely simple to use and provide unrivaled temperature control. They are great for cooking vegetables, pork ribs and chops, chicken breasts and wings, and anything else that would be dull without a hint of smoke. Pellet grills enable you to roast, smoke, grill, and bake all in one appliance – you won’t regret buying one!
While they may not have the same temperature range as a kamado grill, it’s easy to understand why a pellet grill is a good choice for an ambitious pitmaster or even a simple backyard cook next door who just loves to grill!