Just ensure you use enough water to fully cover the chicken and you’re good to go. Brining is a common way to prepare turkey for roasting and pit boss flat top it can be done for chicken as well. Buying from a larger, established company means there is likely to be a dedicated customer service team.
The RT-590 Wood Pellet Grill scored well in the smoking and grilling areas, with good heat control and retention. It didn’t fare as well in baking, and it ships with just a QR code for assembly instructions. The controls, app, and larger capacity cooking area and hopper make this an excellent grill for those who want to rely mainly on the former areas. For our first test, we loaded each grill with chicken wings and covered them for smoking, noting the amount of smoke the grills produced. For our second test, we placed a frozen pizza at the center of each grill grate, baking according to package instructions. We limited our fourth test, long smoking pork shoulder, to the nine grills that had performed best in our tests.
If that sounds like you, do yourself a favor and look into a charcoal or wood burning smoker. It all depends on your budget, how many people you need to cook for, and if you want to be able to grill. The reason we selected the Camp Chef Woodwind as the best option is because it ticks the most boxes while coming in at well under $1,000. The combined surface area of 811 square inches is the perfect sweet spot for most people. Even an entry-level pellet smoker will set you back more than a charcoal grill or gas grill.
With over 1,000 square inches of cooking surface, the Pit Boss Austin XL is one of the largest smokers available at the sub-$500 price point. Along with offering a vast surface for grilling and smoking, the grill also boasts a massive 30-pound hopper that houses enough pellets for a full day of smoking without needing a refill. While you won’t find smart features on pellet grills at the sub-$500 price point, many still come with useful accessories that make them easier to use. Most pellet grills have controllers with meat probe ports that allow you to monitor food temperatures without opening the hood. Pellet grills under $500 also have features that make them easier to clean once the grilling is done, including removable ash pans and grease catchers. Other common features include side tables for food prep, cabinets and hooks for grill tool storage, and built-in bottle openers.
The 440’s 5-pound hopper is notably smaller than other models, so you should expect to refill pellets more often. Other notable features on the Pit Boss 440 include a removable side shelf that doubles as a serving tray, a built-in bottle opener, and two large wheels for maneuvering it around a deck or patio. All parts were secured to prevent damage and we liked the colorful graphics on the hopper and under the hood that explained how a pellet smoker works for a first time user. When the 820 was almost fully assembled, we noticed an unused bag of washers that were not mentioned in the assembly instructions except in the parts list. After being on hold with customer service for ten minutes, we were advised to unscrew everything and refasten all parts adding the washers to the screw and lock nut assemblies.
We put 19 pellet grills through several common cooking scenarios, assessing them in categories from assembly to heat recovery. With 697 square inches of cooking surface (split between 504” main rack and 193” elevated grate) and a 20lb pellet hopper capacity, you get a capable pellet grill without a load of fancy features. The solid build quality, smoke box, and ability to add on functionality like dedicated searing with the SideKick is enough to push the Woodwind Pro to the top of our list of best wood pellet grills.
Doing this will provide you with a much better idea if Blackstone is more affordable or Pit Boss. However, when it comes to the most expensive models of both brands, Blackstone wins in terms of affordability. Through Bread Pay™, we offer easy and affordable financing options so you can pay for your purchase over time. I was most comfortable purchasing from bbqgrills.com for one reason…follow up.
A typical set up will include a hopper on the side where you add the pellets. There’s also the 10-gauge steel construction for unparalleled insulation and temperature stability across 1070 square inches of cooking space. For years we’ve complained about pellet grills lacking the depth of wood flavor you get from more authentic smokers so it’s great to see manufacturers starting to innovate. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more high-quality low-priced pellet grill than the Camp Chef DLX.