Compare pellet grills with every other grilling option, and it will emerge as the winner every time. Read on to learn the answers to questions like "what is a pellet grill?" and "how do pellet grills work?"

What Is a Pellet Grill?

A pellet grill is the ultimate outdoor cooking machine. It combines the best features from other cookers so that you can grill, smoke, bake, and barbecue with precision and ease.

How Do Pellet Grills Work?

How do pellet grills actually work? First, the wood pellets are poured into the box on the side of the grill known as the hopper. An electrically powered auger motor filters the proper amount of pellets into the cooking chamber. There, they are lit by the igniter and heat the chamber. While this occurs, fans circulate air in the chamber to create convection and a smoky, delicious cloud of flavor. The motor will stop the input of pellets once the inside of the chamber has reached the correct temperature.

Pellet Grill Advantages

Wood pellet grills come with many advantages that elevate your outdoor cooking experience as well as take your barbecued meal to the next level. Discover the benefits of using a pellet grill, below:

• User-Friendly Convenience: Pellet grills are generally very user-friendly. Once you prep the grill (by plugging it in, loading the hopper with two to four pounds of pellets, and setting the temperature for the kind of meat you plan to cook), all you have to do is let it preheat, then add the meat and close the lid to wait for the timer to go off — no need to stand over the hot grill and flip burgers. Newer pellet grill models have temperature sensors that automatically feed in more pellets when the temperature goes down, so you don't even need to do it yourself.

• Smoky Flavors: Wood pellets create the smokey rich flavor that makes home barbecues all the more enjoyable. Some wood pellet packs come pre-infused with flavors like apple, cherry, hickory, or pecan so you can further elevate the taste of meats at your next barbecue with no effort or experience required.

• Versatile Cooking Methods: Pellet grills also give you multiple cooking methods all-in-one. This means you can use a pellet grill as a smoker one day and a grill the next – and even use it as a convection-type oven to bake, roast, or braise meats, vegetables, or pizza.

• Versatile Temperature Settings: Because pellet grills can perform so many different cooking functions, they usually have a range of temperature settings from 200°F to 500°F or higher, making your cooking options equally versatile.

Pellet Grill Glossary

Fuel Source: Pellet grills require electricity and wood pellets as a dual fuel source. The electricity keeps the motor, fan, auger, and igniter functioning properly with the press of a button. Make sure your grill can be safely plugged in to an electrical outlet. Meanwhile, a measured amount of wood chips is burned to heat the cooking chamber and provide flavor. Wood pellets are often praised as the easiest fuel to use, as they produce an extremely low amount of ash, making cleanup easy and environmentally friendly.

Taste: Amazing. The wood pellets create a really smoky flavor that is comparable to charcoal smokers. Wood pellets can also be flavored (e.g. hickory, maple, and mesquite).

Temperature Regulation: Unlike smokers, temperature is relatively precise with a pellet grill, usually plus or minus 10°. Typically, they can reach a heat range of 180° – 500° F. It only takes about 15 minutes for the grill to heat up.

Cook Types: Cook types include grilling, smoking, roasting, braising, and baking, and both direct and indirect heat are possible. While baking might seem unusual on a grill, the combustion fan creates a cooking environment like a convection oven, so baking is fast and easy! For smoking, temperature regulation is easier, following the "set-and-forget" method that allows you to set the temperature and leave the meat to smoke. With a smoker, much more attention is required to ensure the temperature does not fluctuate. Note that you may have difficulty searing, as the proper searing temperature is usually 600° – 700° F, well above the common temperature range of a pellet grill.

Grease Cleanup: Grease residue will be collected in the grease bucket, a compact bucket that is easy to remove and empty out.

How to Use a Pellet Grill

Step 1: Fill the hopper with wood pellets. Try 2 lbs. of wood pellets per hour if smoking (low heat and slow cook time), and 4 lbs. per hour if grilling (high heat and fast cook time).

Step 2: Push the button to start the electricity.

Step 3: Set the desired cooking temperature. Wait for the grill to heat up (roughly 15 minutes).

Step 4: Add your food and leave it for the proper cook time. That's all!

Things to Consider With Wood Pellet Grills

Before you start browsing, here are a few considerations to keep in mind to help you in your search:

• Placement: Make sure you map out a spot near an outdoor outlet where you can fit a pellet grill and plug it in with ease. Electrical power is an important factor to help heat up the grill, monitor interior temperatures, and feed-in more pellets through mechanical mechanisms. Look on product pages for specific cord measurements to figure out if you need an extension cord.

• Pellet Storage: Be sure to stock up on bags of wood pellets so you have them ready when your grill arrives. For the best results, place wood pellets in air-tight storage containers once you've opened the bag. This prevents moisture or pests from ruining the pellets. Store pellet bins in cool, dry areas like an air-conditioned garage or well-insulated shed to ensure you get the most use out of them.

• Cleaning Requirements: You will most likely need barbecue-degreasing fluid and a grill brush to clean your pellet grill after each use. This ensures quality performance and long-term use as grease build-up can affect the efficiency of your pellet grill and the longevity of your grilling surface. You can find degreasing fluid at most home improvement stores.