“I’m a decent human being, I pay my taxes, I deserve a new way to cook dinner in my backyard.” 

And maybe you’re thinking about a pellet grill. 

You’ve seen the cheap ones at USA Boxco. 

You’ve seen the ginormous ones on the cooking channel.

And the guy at work who never shuts up about anything...

...is now really not shutting up about his new pellet grill.

If you’re wondering if you should get a pellet grill – here’s what us folks at Barbecues Galore think you should know:

These machines have an electronic element about the size of a cigar in the bottom of the cooking area.  When electrical current is delivered to this element –

it gets hot enough to ignite combustible materials. 

Compressed sawdust pellets from the storage area (the “hopper”) are delivered to the element via an auger where they burn.  The more pellets you burn, the hotter the barbecue gets.  Most pellet grills can hold a low temperature of 200 degrees on the low side and some of them can get near to 600 degrees on the high side (if conditions are favourable – more on that below).

Pros of a pellet grill.

They’re easy.  Amazingly easy.  You fill up the hopper with pellets, tell the machine what temperature you’re desirous of reaching and … that’s it.  Just wait until your machine gets to where you want it to go.  That, my lazy friend, is a pretty appealing way to start cooking. 

Even better – the pellet grill will hold your desired temperature throughout the cooking process.  Even if the ambient temperature drops fifteen degrees Celsius in a few hours (Hello Calgary!), the controller in the pellet grill will adjust and maintain a consistent temperature.

Because most of the current pellet grills are controlled with a circuit board, they have lots of nerdtastic technology infused into them.  Legions of brisket loving propeller heads have developed Bluetooth controllers, wifi connectivity and impressive temperature monitors that help you level-up your grilling game.  Want to know - via Bluetooth without leaving the tv room - when your pork shoulder hits 165 degrees?  No problem.  Want to start your pellet grill from the airplane via wifi?  Easy.

Most pellet grills have built in temperature probes that monitor your food.  They will alert you when the food reaches a certain temperature of your choosing.  No more guessing.  No more constantly checking if your dinner is ready to eat.  That means, you can spend more time flipping channels and less time flipping burgers.

Cons of a pellet grill.

They don’t get that hot.  In North America, any standard electrical appliance is limited to the power coming out of a typical household outlet.  It’s just not that much juice.  So, pellet grills powered by this standard outlet, can only generate so much heat.  This isn’t really a problem if you’re using a low-and-slow method (250 degrees Fahrenheit) to cook a brisket overnight during the summer.  But, try to sear a steak over your hair dryer in the middle of a Canadian winter and you’ll have some idea of the limitations these units are facing.

Versatility is low.  Because of the limited temperature range, the number of foods you can cook is limited.  Any items that require high heat (steak, pizza, seared tuna, chicken skewers) can be a frustrating experience on many pellet grills.  This is particularly true as the ambient temperature drops and you’re fighting mother nature for every unit of heat.

The operating costs are higher than other barbecues.  Costs get particularly high when you ask your pellet grill to reach higher temperatures.  We’ve done the math here at Barbecues Galore – pellet grills cost about twice as much to operate as a kamado style charcoal grill.   They cost a LOT more than a natural gas or propane barbecue to operate.  Be aware.

You need to be extra vigilant about moisture.  The hoppers of most decent pellet grills are sealed to help prevent moisture from getting into the wood pellets.  But, if you leave the lid open or rain/snow goes sideways and forces its way into the pellets – you can quickly end up with a sticky, cement-like lump of compressed wood shavings.  And THAT, is not a fun thing to clean up.

Pellet grills are more complicated than gas grills or traditional charcoal grills.  Their performance relies on electronic control modules and moving parts that have to contend with heat and grease.  All while living outside.  In Canada.  All year. Did we mention ‘outside’? 

Conclusion

Whether or not a pellet grill is a good fit for you depends on what type of person you are.  Do you generally prefer ‘easy’ over ‘versatile’?  Would you prefer a more traditional, proven system or a newer, high-tech, connected method?

If you’d like some help figuring things out, we’d love to chat with you in one of our five stores.  Some people like talking about sports, or wine, or whether the original Star Trek will ever have a serious rival in any of the subsequent series.  Us, we like to talk about barbecues and cooking outside.  So, if you’re in the Calgary area or the Greater Toronto Area – come and see us.