The 7 Best Pellet Grills and Smokers of 2023, Expert Tested

This solid Traeger grill brings most of the functionality of larger models to a mobile form. With digital controls and app connectivity, it reaches set points quickly (hitting its maximum temperature of 450°F less than 14 minutes) and retains heat moderately well. Despite its travel-friendly size, the Tailgater holds 12 burgers, two chickens, or three racks of ribs. While it doesn’t need as much fuel as larger grills to maintain its temperature, its 8-pound hopper will need refilling during longer smokes simply due to its smaller capacity.

While it lacks built-in connectivity, an add-on device is available for purchase. Pit Boss customer service was excellent when it came to helping me with this. They are open 7 days a weeks and emailed me detailed instructions on how to unjam the auger. The wood chips would only smoke for about minutes. It was also extremely difficult to clean as many of the components were permanently mounted in the smoker and it was difficult to clean in all the crevices. This unit utilizes one large simple display for relaying the smoker internal temperature and the meat probe temperature right next to the temperature control knob.

Recteq offers some of the most competitive warranties in the industry and if you encounter a problem, we’re going to make it right. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s another reason recteq is a cut above the rest. Trust us, the research always leads you back to recteq! Our heavy-duty stainless-steel, precision control, pit boss electric smoker and US-based customer care are just a little taste of why recteq is the best option on the market. When you read through the negative reviews for the Masterbuilt smokers you will see that both brands get very similar complaints. That really isn’t surprising given how similar the designs are between the brands.

Smoked chili reheats very well also, so it can be made in advance. Last, but not least, is our secret ingredient, dark chocolate. Dark chocolate brings earthy richness and complexity to push this recipe over the edge.

These smokers are powered by a 1650 watt heating element that lets these cookers operate between 100F and 325F. There are two versions of the Blue Blazing analog electric smoker, the 2 Series and the 3 Series. Pellet grills can come with all sorts of features, from electric starters to WiFi connectivity to a seamless switch from pit boss flat top direct flame grilling to offset smoking. More basic are features like a grease management system, an ash collector, and a hopper that opens to release pellets. Setup doesn’t get much easier than this Louisiana Grills model. It offers a large cooking capacity of 1028 square inches with two rows of racks for two-zone cooking.

With such incredibly delicious flavor, this is a bucket list recipe. This smoked pulled pork recipe is worthy of your favorite barbecue restaurant, but it’s easy enough to make at home. Combining the 58% 5 Star reviews with the 18% 4 Star reviews indicates that 72% of buyers were happy with this smoker and 28% were not.

I see the swings as being the same as what you would see on a manual wood smoker. I found the meat probe that came with this smoker to be around 12°F off. This is extremely common with probes that ship with smokers, so I tend to just use my Thermoworks Smoke to monitor temps instead. You can fit a lot more cooking space into a smaller footprint. This makes the Pit Boss a great option if you need to fit it into a small space on your patio.