Pellet grill

A pellet grill burns compressed hardwood pellets that are fed automatically from a hopper into a firepot by an auger, with a fan circulating hot air and light smoke around the cooking chamber the same way a convection oven circulates heat. A digital controller reads the internal temperature and adjusts pellet feed and fan speed to hold a set point, which is why pellet grills are often described as the most hands-off way to smoke food.

That convenience comes from giving up some of the direct control a charcoal or wood cook offers. Pellet grills typically produce a lighter smoke flavor than an offset smoker running on split logs, and they depend on electricity to run the auger and controller, so a power outage or a hopper that runs dry mid-cook can stall the whole session. Pellet quality and moisture also affect how consistently the auger feeds.

When shopping, hopper capacity determines how long a grill can run unattended on a long cook, and a wider usable temperature range matters if the same grill is expected to both sear and smoke. A common mistake is running a pellet grill on old, humid pellets that have absorbed moisture, since they can clog the auger or smolder poorly instead of burning cleanly.