Grilling with pellets has become a major trend in the grill industry, and it’s easy to see why.
When you want to smoke, roast, or grill food but don’t have the space for an entire smoker rack then pellet grills are perfect. You can barbecue, smoke, and braise on some models as well. Their convenient set-it-and-forget routine is sure to make you a fan of these devices.
Imagine a world where you can smoke food with the same ease and precision that your favorite chef does. The offset smoker or gas grill has been replaced by an innovative hopper, which feeds wood pellets made from compressed hardwood sawdust into its chamber for combustion—and voila! You now have access to some of today’s best meaty flavors. As soon as you turn on your grill, pellets will start to fall from the hopper and into a fire chamber. The rods glow red hot for several minutes, igniting the pellets and creating an intense flame. With the blower fan and metal plates, heat from burning pellets is diffused throughout your grill.
The best thing about pellet grills is that they can operate at a wide temperature range. You’ll be able to cook food at different types of temperatures on one grill, which means you won’t have any trouble smoking or roasting various items as needed. You can cook food at lower temperatures (200°F-250 ° F) like in the smoker mode. When the temperature reaches higher levels, they work more like outdoor ovens.
Advantages:
- Pellet grills are the perfect alternative to gas-powered outdoor cooking devices. They typically take around 15 minutes of preheating time and can reach needed temperatures. With five-degree increments, you can regulate the temperature to your liking.
- The design of this grill discourages flare-ups and because it works like a convection oven, you can load up the cook chamber without fear that your food will be unevenly cooked.
- With a pellet grill, you can easily smoke food without overdoing it. The subtlety of the smoke flavor will make your dishes taste much better than if they were cooked in other ways.
- There’s a grill for every size, from small models that can fit in your own backyard to commercial-size units perfect if you’re planning on cooking whole hogs.
Drawbacks:
- The smoke flavor generated by a pellet grill is not as intense or complex, but it can still make for an enjoyable experience. You’ll get the most taste at temperatures below 250°F which means that if you want to achieve those rich flavors then look no further than this great little machine.
- When you use a pellet grill, it’s important that the area around your house has access to electricity.
- The grill plates on most pellet grills are made of metal, which makes it difficult to get good sear or grill marks. A few brands have removable metal plates over the firebox for you to direct the grill and get those grill marks; these include Memphis Wood Fire Grill, etc.
- The grill is essentially a complex machine with many moving parts. This means that any component, such as the heating element or electrical system can break down.
Tips:
- Pellets are the perfect way to add a wood-fired flavor and smoky scent without having to wait for hours until your next cooking session. With different flavors available (pecan, mesquite, hickory, apple, bourbon, bourbon, maple, etc), you can mix up how much smoke is going into whatever dish or drink needs it most.
- A pellet grill typically burns about ½ pound per hour on the smoke setting and 2+ pounds at higher temperatures—more in cold or rainy weather.
- It’s important to keep your pellets dry and away from moisture. If you live in a humid climate, store them preferably indoors in airtight containers.
- Whether you want more of that smoky flavor or are looking for an easy way to add some ambiance, place hardwood chunks and soaked wood chips on top of the heat diffuser plate.
- Make sure to cover the drip tray/diffuser plate with heavy-duty aluminum foil so you can clean up easily.
- If you want to smoke your favorite food, then there are certain smoker products that will work best for it. For example, the Traeger grill offers a great way of smoking cheese and Nova Scotia salmon — a cold-smoker.
How do pellet grills work:
The pellets are all set to go in the grill.
The pellets fall into their place, one by one.
The pellets burning in the burn chamber produce both heat and smoke.
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