Compare pellet grills
Two grills, one table, and a straight answer for each kind of buyer. If you are down to two, this is the page that breaks the tie.
Brand vs brand
TraegerVSPit Boss
Pit Boss wins on value. About $500 buys a Pro Series II 850 with the same grate area as a $899.99 Traeger Woodridge, plus a PID controller and a flame sear plate. Pay the Traeger premium if a 10-year warranty, the steadier app and Super Smoke matter more to you than $400.
Our pick: Pit Boss
TraegerVSrecteq
recteq gives you more grill for the same money, with a stainless barrel, 700°F, a 40 lb hopper on the Flagship and a 6-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, with owners reporting tighter temperature control. Traeger is the pick if you want the more polished app, Super Smoke, and a grill you can see in a store and service at the hardware counter.
Our pick: recteq
Traeger IronwoodVSTraeger Woodridge
The $1,149.99 Woodridge Pro has 970 sq in, Super Smoke, a 24 lb hopper and the same 10-year warranty as the Ironwood, which costs $650 more for 616 sq in. Pay for the Ironwood only if you need double-wall insulation for winter cooking, or you want its touchscreen and pellet sensor enough to pay for them.
Our pick: Traeger Woodridge
Weber SearwoodVSTraeger
The $999 Searwood 600 runs to 600°F, has a manual mode for lid-open cooking, and uses a controller owners say recovers in minutes after the lid opens, all for $800 less than a Traeger Ironwood. Traeger wins on warranty, app, Super Smoke and store support, and the $899.99 Woodridge is the better buy if you never cook above 400°F.
Our pick: Weber Searwood
Pellet grill vs other grills
Electric smokerVSPellet smoker
Buy the pellet smoker if you can spend about $500. It burns wood for the whole cook, reaches 500°F so it can roast and grill too, and holds temperature in weather that stalls an electric cabinet. The electric smoker is the smarter buy under $350, on a balcony that bans flame, or for a cook who wants jerky and fish more than brisket.
Our pick: Pellet smoker
Pellet grillVSGas grill
If you can own only one, buy the pellet grill. It smokes, roasts and bakes, and the models with a sear plate or a 600°F ceiling close most of the searing gap. Gas is faster, cheaper to run and simpler, so it's the better buy if you grill burgers twice a week and never plan to smoke anything.
Our pick: Pellet grill
Pellet grillVSOffset smoker
A pellet grill makes brisket most people can't tell from offset brisket, and it does it while you sleep, so it's the one I'd buy. An offset smoker makes deeper smoke and better bark, but only if you feed the fire every 30 to 45 minutes for 12 hours, and a cheap offset makes worse food than a cheap pellet grill.
Our pick: Pellet grill