Are pellet grills worth it?

What a pellet grill does well

The big advantage is steady temperature with little effort. A controller feeds pellets from a hopper to a firepot to hold the temperature you set, so a pork shoulder or a rack of ribs can cook for hours while you get on with the day. For people who want smoked food without learning to manage a charcoal fire, that is the main reason to buy.

Pellet grills also roast and bake well, like an outdoor oven with wood smoke. Many owners cook whole chickens, joints, salmon and even pizza on them. Models with a meat probe, such as the Traeger Ranger and the Onlyfire GS313 in our guide, show the food temperature on the controller.

What a pellet grill needs

Every pellet grill needs electricity to run the auger, fan and controller, so you need a mains socket near where it stands, ideally a weatherproof outdoor socket. Some listings are for grills built for other markets with different voltages; for a UK home, choose a model sold for 230 V with a UK plug.

Pellets must stay dry. In a damp British climate that means sealed containers, and not leaving pellets in the hopper for weeks. The grill also needs regular ash cleaning from the firepot, and the proper shutdown routine at the end of each cook.

• An outdoor socket within reach, as the manual allows.
• Dry, sealed storage for pellets.
• A cover for the grill and controller.
• A few minutes every few cooks to vacuum ash.

Where pellet grills fall short

Searing is the common weak point. Most pellet grills cook with the fire under a baffle, so they brown food well but do not give the fierce direct heat of gas or charcoal for steaks. Some models add a slide plate for direct flame, such as the Pit Boss tabletop in our guide, or a sear setting.

Smoke flavour is real but often milder than a charcoal and wood fire. Heat-up is slower than gas, and in cold wind they burn more pellets. They also have more parts that can fail, such as the igniter, auger motor, fan and controller, so UK parts support matters.

Who gets the most value

A pellet grill suits you if you cook smoked and slow food most weekends, value convenience over managing a fire yourself, and have power and storage sorted. It also suits busy households where one cook wants to set a temperature and walk away.

If you mostly grill quick food, a gas grill is simpler; see best gas BBQs for UK gardens and our pellet grill vs gas BBQ comparison. If you want the deepest smoke and no electricity, a charcoal smoker suits better; see pellet grill vs charcoal smoker and best charcoal smokers.

Note:Use pellet grills outdoors only, never in a garage or enclosed space. Keep the lead and socket dry, follow the shutdown routine and let the grill cool before cleaning.

Choosing a pellet grill

Look at cooking area against the food you cook, hopper size for long cooks, the temperature range, whether a meat probe is included, and weight, since heavier bodies hold heat better in wind. Tabletop models suit small patios; barrel grills suit families. Check the plug and voltage on the listing before ordering.

Our best pellet grills for UK gardens guide compares full-size and tabletop models by these points, using each listing's figures.

Compare pellet grills →

Frequently asked questions

Are pellet grills good for beginners? Yes for smoking, because the controller holds the temperature. They are less suited to people who mainly want fast, high-heat grilling.

Do pellet grills use a lot of electricity? The auger, fan and controller use little once running; the igniter draws more for a few minutes at start-up. Check the manual for figures.

Can you leave a pellet grill unattended? It holds temperature on its own, but never leave any lit grill completely unattended for long, and check pellets and food regularly.

How long do pellets last? It depends on the grill, temperature and weather; low smoking uses far fewer pellets per hour than high-heat roasting.