Summer is winding down, but late summer and early fall are excellent times to enjoy the outdoors and cook outside. If you’ve got the time, smoking is a fun alternative to barbecuing, and cooking meats slowly over low heat can provide a more flavorful meal when all is said and done.
But which pellet grills provide the best slow-cook process for smoky, tender beef, pork, and chicken?
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Here are some top brands to pick from, based on rankings of pellet grills by Consumer Reports.
What are pellet grills? How do pellet grills work?
Pellet grills slowly burn wooden pellets, and an electric fan circulates the resultant heat and smokes the meat inside the grill unit. While other methods of smoking are common as well, smoking with pellet grills has grown increasingly popular in recent years.
How long does it take to smoke meat on a grill?
Smoking meat is a lengthy affair, usually taking more than an hour to a few hours, 12 hours, or even an entire day. The heat inside the grill — usually around 200 to 250 degrees — isn’t particularly high relative to charcoal or gas grills, but the slow and long process helps break down the fibers within the meat so that it comes out succulent and falls off the bone.
Related: The best gas grills under $250, ranked by Consumer Reports data
Are pellet grills the best way to smoke meat?
There are several different methods of smoking meat, but pellet grills can be among the most efficient. Other smokers use wood and charcoal, while some are powered electronically but also use pellets for a smoky flavor.
Which grill/smoker type is best depends on the user’s goals and personal preferences, but many outdoor cooking enthusiasts find that pellet grills offer the most versatility. Some pellet grills have programmable features that make it easy to cook hassle-free without constantly monitoring the status of the smoker’s contents.
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What are the best brands of pellet grills?
The higher-priced pellet grills tend to rank at the top, and some of these grills offer a wider range of cooking space and advanced features such as electronic controls for temperature, time, and pellet release onto the hopper. Some manufacturers offer Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity that can be controlled through their app on a phone as part of their selling points for advanced cooking features.
Consumer Reports last updated its pellet grill rankings in January 2025. Since then, however, prices for most grills have risen significantly, and some models have been discontinued while others have been upgraded.
According to Consumer Reports’ ranking system, the best pellet grills tend to do well in terms of indirect cooking (which roughly means that an open flame isn’t cooking the meat directly) and evenness of performance (which means that the meat is cooked to the same level throughout). Pellet grills can be found for sale on the brand’s websites and at retailers such as The Home Depot (HD) and Lowe’s (LOW) .
Here are five brands that are among the highest ranked in Consumer Reports’ list of pellet grills. The brands are based on the models that appeared at the top of Consumer Reports’ rankings. The grills mentioned here aren’t necessarily included in the rankings.
Traeger
Traeger provides a wide range of cooking options, and its offerings retail from as low as around $730 to as much as $4,000. The company claims on its website that its “6-in-1 ability means you can grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and bbq.”
According to Consumer Reports data, the Traeger Ironwood 650 TFB65BLE is the top-ranked pellet grill. Its upgraded equivalent is the Ironwood 885, which has a suggested retail price of $1,399.99. The Ironwood 885 has 885 square inches of cooking area, compared to 650 square inches for the Ironwood 650.
Camp Chef
Camp Chef sells stock systems, pellet grills, flat-top grills, vertical smokers, and portable cooking ware. Consumer Reports’ January 2025 rankings listed the Camp Chef Woodwind PG24CL, which is discontinued. Its current equivalent is the Woodwind 24 Sidekick Flat Top, which is listed on Camp Chef’s website for $1,599.99.
Weber
Weber is well-known for grills that traditionally use charcoal, wood, and gas. The brand also makes a high-end pellet grill called the Searwood XL 600, which has a listed price of $1,299.99 and claims a top temperature of 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Z Grills
Z Grills specializes in pellet grills. Its 700D3 model sells for $777 on its website. The grill can operate for 28 hours continuously and boasts 697 square inches of cooking space.
Broil King
Broil King has been in business for more than 40 years, and it offers a range of smokers. Its Regal Pellet 500 Pro, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, is listed for $1,699 on its website.
Broil King plans to roll out a hybrid grill that combines the features of a pellet grill with those of a high-heat grill powered by charcoal, in the egg-shaped Kamado grill, according to CookOut News, a publication focused on outdoor cooking.
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