Topic
Smokers and pellet grills
Low and slow cooking needs steady, low heat for hours. Pellet grills do it with a fan and an auger, gravity-fed and offset smokers with charcoal and wood.
- Typical smoking range
- 100 to 135 °C
A pellet grill feeds wood pellets from a hopper into a firepot with an auger; a controller and fan hold the set temperature. It needs mains power, so check where your outdoor socket is.
A gravity-fed smoker drops charcoal from a tall hopper as it burns, and an offset smoker burns wood or charcoal in a side firebox so the smoke passes over the food.
Whatever the smoker, a good probe thermometer tells you when food is done. Our core-temperature table gives the Food Standards Agency figures.
Guides on this topic
- Pellet grill vs charcoal smokerPellet grill vs charcoal smoker compared on how much tending each needs, smoke depth, fuel, power and how each copes with wind and rain on a long British cook.Comparison
- Pellet grill vs gas BBQPellet grill vs gas BBQ compared on smoke flavour, searing, heat-up time, power needs, fuel storage and British weather, with two example grills side by side.Comparison
- Pellet grill not getting hot: causes and fixesPellet grill not getting hot? Check for swollen pellets, an auger jam, a full firepot, a dirty temperature probe and wind chill, in order, with the fix for each.Fix
- How to use a pellet grill for the first timeHow to use a pellet grill for the first time: the burn-in, priming the auger, pellet storage in damp UK weather and the shutdown so the firepot does not jam.How-to
- Are pellet grills worth it?Are pellet grills worth it? Who gets real value: they need mains power, dry pellet storage and patience, and reward you with steady, easy low and slow cooking.Guide
Buying guides on this topic
- Best charcoal smokers for low and slowSix charcoal smokers compared: a bullet smoker, offset smokers and smoking-ready kettles, by cooking area, weight, air control and the extras each listing names.Buying guide
- Best pellet grills for UK gardensSix wood pellet grills compared by temperature range, hopper size, cooking area, weight and controller, with notes on mains power and UK weather.Buying guide