Best Pellet Grills: 8 Models Compared Side by Side

The best pellet grill for most backyards can run low enough for a pork shoulder, get hot enough to put a crust on a steak, and hold enough pellets that you are not refilling the hopper halfway through dinner. Of the eight pellet grills we compared from Traeger, Pit Boss, and Z Grills, the Traeger Ironwood 885 covers the most of that ground on paper. Traeger lists a 165°F to 500°F range, a bottom grate that drops into a sear position, Super Smoke, WiFIRE app control, a pellet level sensor, and an insulated dual-wall body. Traeger files the 885 under its Legacy Grills menu without calling it discontinued, so availability may change; if you would rather buy from a current lineup, the Traeger Woodridge is the closest alternative below.

This is our general buying guide to pellet grills, so it weighs each grill on the points that settle most purchases: grate area, hopper size, the low and high ends of the temperature range, how the grill sears, app control, weight, and how much the maker documents. If you already know you need something narrower, such as a grill that rides in a car trunk, app control from the couch, or a simple first pellet grill, the buying section shows which of these eight fit. Specs come from each grill’s Amazon listing or, where we name the maker, from the maker’s product page or owner’s manual. When the two disagree, we say which number we used.

This guide is general product information, not repair or electrical safety advice. Follow the safety instructions in your product’s manual, supervise children, and contact the manufacturer or an authorized service center if a product sparks, overheats, or has a damaged cord.

Propane and charcoal grills are for outdoor use only (NFPA), and no grill should be used inside a home, garage or camper because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning (CDC); for pellet and wood-fired models, follow your manual.

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Best Pellet Grills: Our Picks

• Best Overall: Traeger Ironwood 885. Super Smoke, WiFIRE, a pellet sensor, an insulated body, and a sear position for the bottom grate, with 165°F as the lowest starting temperature of the eight, per Traeger.
• Most Cooking Space: Pit Boss 850 Navigator. 932 sq in, the most of the eight, and a 30 lb hopper, the largest among the grills with a published hopper size, per Pit Boss.
• Best for Searing on a Small Patio: Pit Boss 500 FB2. A Flame Broiler Lever for direct-flame searing up to 1,000°F in a grill its manual lists at 39.3 x 23.6 x 45.2 in and 90.3 lb, smaller and lighter than the other model whose maker documents that feature.
• Best for Easy Cleanup: Traeger Woodridge. The only grill here whose maker describes a single keg for both grease and pellet ash, with a 24 lb hopper and WiFIRE, per Traeger.
• Best Without an App: Traeger Pro 22. An 18 lb hopper, the largest among the models without app control that publish a hopper size, and 572 sq in on two grates, per Traeger.
• Best Portable Pick: Z Grills ZPG-200APro. The only tabletop design here and the lowest published weight of the eight at 40 lb, according to the Amazon listing.

Two grills carry no title. The Pit Boss 440 Mahogany has a Flame Broiler Lever by its listing, but we found no page for it on Pit Boss’s US site, so none of its specs could be confirmed with the maker. The Z Grills ZPG-550B2 lists 553 sq in and a PID controller but no temperature range or hopper size, and a search of the Z Grills site turned up only accessories for it.

Pellet Grill Comparison Table

“Not listed” means neither the maker nor the listing gives that detail for that grill.

How We Chose

We searched Amazon US for pellet grills, wood pellet grills, and pellet grill smokers, and for pellet grills from Traeger, Pit Boss, Camp Chef, and Z Grills. We then removed covers, pellets, and other accessories, every used or renewed listing, and anything that is not a pellet-fired grill. The survivors then needed a new-condition offer on Amazon US, and a minimum of 30 owner ratings averaging 4.0 out of 5 or better. We also kept no more than three grills from any one brand, which left eight on the final list.

Every grill here plugs into household current, and none of the listings mentions 220 to 240 volts or a foreign plug. Where a maker publishes a voltage, it is 120V AC (Traeger’s pages) or 110 to 120V (the Pit Boss and Z Grills manuals); the Woodridge and ZPG-550B2 have none published.

We also searched the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall database by brand and by model name. None of the eight matched a recall. The two Traeger recalls on file cover other products: the Scout and Ranger portable pellet grills, recalled over grease leaking from the drip tray according to CPSC, and the Flatrock flat top propane grills. We found no recall under the Pit Boss, Dansons, or Z Grills names.

Next we read each maker’s product page and owner’s manual where one exists; they are linked in each grill’s section below. We found no maker product page for the 440 Mahogany, the ZPG-550B2, or the ZPG-200APro, so the rest of their specs come from the Amazon listings.

Best Overall has to be a pellet grill that averages at least 4.2 out of 5, clears our owner-rating threshold, and still appears on its maker’s site. Neither the Traeger Pro 22 nor the Pit Boss 440 Mahogany could take the title: the Pro 22 is already Best Overall in a different PelletSmokeLab guide, and a model can hold that title in one guide at a time, while the 440 has no page we could find on Pit Boss’s US site. Among the eligible grills, the Ironwood 885 comes first under our rules, and it is the only one of the eight whose maker describes an insulated body alongside a smoke-boost mode, a sear position, and app control. The other seven follow our research order.

Each card also carries a PelletSmokeLab Score, worked out with the method published on our How We Review page; it plays no part in this order. The Navigator 850 and 500 FB2 scores are each 0.2 lower because their listings disagree with Pit Boss on included probes and on weight.

The Eight Pellet Grills in Detail

Traeger Ironwood 885: one grill for smoke and sear

The Ironwood 885 fits a household that smokes ribs on Saturday and grills chicken thighs on a Tuesday, and wants one machine for both. Traeger’s product page lists a 165°F to 500°F range, 885 sq in on two porcelain-coated grates, a 20 lb hopper, a D2 controller, WiFIRE, and a pellet sensor that reports the fuel level to the Traeger app. The detail that sets it apart in a general guide is the bottom grate: Traeger’s page describes two positions, closer to the fire for searing at high heat and farther away for slow smoking. Its owner’s manual is plain that Traeger grills cook with indirect heat, so the sear position brings food nearer the heat rather than over open flame. Super Smoke adds smoke at the push of a button, and the manual limits it to grill temperatures from 165°F to 225°F.

The trade-offs are bulk and lineup status. Traeger lists 175 lb (the listing says 170.2 lb, and we use Traeger’s figure), and the manual asks for at least 18 in between the grill and anything combustible. The 885 page opens with “Our original Ironwood grills” and sits in the Legacy Grills menu; nothing on it says discontinued, but availability may change. Skip it if you want a model from Traeger’s current menus, if the grill has to be carried up steps, or if the patio has no 2.4 GHz WiFi signal and you want the app features.

Traeger Pro 22: no app, fewer decisions

The Pro 22 suits a cook who would rather turn a dial than pair a phone. On Traeger’s page it runs from a low Smoke setting to 450°F, spreads 572 sq in over two tiers, holds 18 lb of pellets with a hopper clean-out, comes with one meat probe, and draws 250 watts at 120V AC; Traeger also states that it has no WiFIRE. The Amazon listing fills in the low end at 180°F and claims the Digital Pro Controller stays within 15 degrees of the set point either way. Traeger’s product-page FAQ says effective searing happens between 350°F and 500°F, so the Pro 22’s 450°F ceiling sits inside that band, 50°F below the grills here that reach 500°F.

Like the Ironwood 885, it sits in Traeger’s Legacy Grills menu. Traeger describes it as “the original Pro Series (Gen 1)” with the line “Only available at your local retailer,” so availability may change. Its strengths are a mid-size grate, an 18 lb hopper, and nothing to configure. Its drawbacks are no app, no smoke-boost mode, and no sear feature beyond turning up the dial. Skip it if you want to watch a long cook from indoors or want more heat for steaks.

Pit Boss 440 Mahogany: compact, listing specs only

Everything we know about the 440 Mahogany (PB440D2) comes from its Amazon listing: 518 sq in of cooking space, a 5 lb hopper, a dial-in digital control board covering 180°F to 500°F, and a Flame Broiler Lever that switches between direct and indirect heat. On paper that is a compact grill that can both smoke and sear. The listing gives no dimensions, weight, probe count, or warranty term, and searching Pit Boss’s US site for PB440D2 brings up only a replacement probe, so the maker could not confirm whether the grill is still in production. Skip it if you want maker-confirmed specs, an all-day hopper, or app control.

Traeger Woodridge: current lineup, simple cleanup

The base Woodridge is the pick for a family that wants app control on a model from Traeger’s current menus. Traeger presents it as “the all-new Traeger Woodridge grill.” The spec table on the Woodridge page gives 860 sq in (a 520 sq in lower rack and a 340 sq in upper rack), 24 lb of hopper capacity, a top temperature of 500°F, and 138 lb, and the feature list adds WiFIRE, a wired probe, compatibility with Traeger’s Bluetooth meat thermometers, and a 10-year limited warranty. Its EZ-Clean Grease and Ash Keg collects drippings and pellet ash in one container for disposal. For searing, the owner’s manual recommends the lower grate for high-heat cooking and the upper grate for low and slow cooking.

Next to the Ironwood 885, it lacks Super Smoke (Traeger lists that for the Woodridge Pro), and Traeger’s Woodridge page lists no pellet sensor or insulated body. The manual also says the grill connects only to a 2.4 GHz network, not 5 GHz. The listing gives the low end as 180°F. Skip it if a smoke-boost button or cold-weather insulation matters more to you than cleanup and warranty length.

Pit Boss 500 FB2: compact with open-flame searing

The 500 FB2 is for a small patio and a cook who sears often. Its headline feature, per Pit Boss, is the Flame Broiler Lever, which opens the grill to direct flame for searing at up to 1,000°F. Around it you get 518 sq in across two tiers, 5°F adjustment between 180°F and 500°F, a 5 lb hopper, two probe ports with one probe supplied, and 5 years of warranty coverage. Its owner’s manual adds AC 110 to 120V power, a P Setting for the Smoke mode, and an overall size of 39.3 x 23.6 x 45.2 in at 90.3 lb. The Amazon listing gives 136.6 lb; we use the Pit Boss figure.

According to the Pit Boss FAQ, the Flame Broiler also serves as the grease drip tray. It stays shut for ordinary lid-down cooking; sliding its top plate open exposes the fire, and Pit Boss says the main lid must stay open whenever it is open. That is a different kind of searing from the Traeger grills here, which bring food closer to indirect heat. Fuel is the constraint, since 5 lb of pellets will need topping up on long cooks. Skip it if you plan overnight smokes or regularly cook for more than one family.

Z Grills ZPG-200APro: a pellet grill for the tailgate

The ZPG-200APro is the one to consider if the grill travels. Its Amazon listing describes a tabletop unit of 25 x 20 x 13 in and 40 lb with 202 sq in of grate, digital control from 180°F up to 375°F “and higher,” and a 3-year warranty. Z Grills’ manual for the ZPG-200A has you light it on SMOKE with the lid open and run it from a grounded 110 Volt AC outlet. That outlet requirement is the catch for camping: a portable pellet grill still needs power at the site.

Its 202 sq in is about a third of the Pro 22’s grate, and the listing itself pitches it at small families, campers, RVers, and solo grillers rather than at hosts. The listing gives no hopper capacity, and we found no ZPG-200APro page on the Z Grills site. Skip it if you cook for a crowd, need a published hopper size, or want a grill that reaches 500°F.

Z Grills ZPG-550B2: mid-size, thin documentation

According to the Amazon listing, the ZPG-550B2 has 553 sq in of cooking space, a Gen V2.1 PID controller with an LCD screen, a meat probe, a hopper clean-out, a pellet view window, a cover for the control board, a weight of 77 lb, and a 3-year warranty. That makes it a mid-size grill for someone who mostly smokes and roasts. The gaps are large for a grill this size: the listing gives no temperature range, no hopper capacity, and no direct-flame feature, and searching the Z Grills site for 550B2 turns up only accessories, so the maker could not fill those gaps. Skip it if you want to know the hopper size and top temperature before you buy.

Pit Boss 850 Navigator: biggest grate, biggest hopper

The Navigator 850 suits a household that hosts most weekends. Pit Boss’s product page lists 932 sq in, a 30 lb hopper, a digital control from 180°F to 500°F in 5°F steps with a P Setting, fan-forced convection, WiFi and Bluetooth, and the same Flame Broiler Lever as the 500 FB2, rated for direct-flame searing up to 1,000°F. The owner’s manual breaks that total down as 581.9 sq in on the main grate plus 350.4 sq in on the upper rack; the main grate by itself beats the 500 FB2’s entire 518 sq in. The listing describes a viewing window on the hopper for checking fuel.

Everything about it is large: the manual lists 58.7 x 34.1 x 46.7 in and 174.2 lb. Its Amazon listing promises two meat probes in the box; Pit Boss’s page says one probe and two ports, and that is the figure we use. Skip it if your deck is narrow, if you usually cook for two, or if the grill has to move often.

How to Choose the Best Pellet Grill

Every grill here burns hardwood pellets fed by an auger, fan, igniter, and controller, so the differences that matter are size, fuel, heat range, searing method, connectivity, and how well the maker supports the grill after you buy it. Work through them in this order.

Size the grate to your usual cook, not your biggest party

Most makers quote a total that adds an upper rack to the main grate, and large cuts such as a brisket or pork shoulder sit on the main grate. Where makers split the figure, the main grate is 581.9 sq in on the Navigator (manual), 520 sq in on the Woodridge (Traeger), and 372.5 sq in on the 500 FB2 (manual). Capacity claims help translate square inches into food: the Pro 22 listing says its 572 sq in fits 5 racks of ribs or 4 whole chickens, Traeger rates the 860 sq in Woodridge at 8 rib racks or 6 chickens, and Traeger rates the 885 sq in Ironwood at 7 rib racks or 10 chickens. A couple who grills a few nights a week rarely needs the 900 sq in class; a family of five that hosts holiday cookouts will use it.

Match the hopper to your longest cook

Hopper sizes are in the table above. None of the makers publishes a burn time for these grills on the pages we read, so compare capacity, not hours. If your longest cook is a weekday dinner, a small hopper is fine. If you plan overnight pork shoulders, a larger hopper means fewer trips outside, and a pellet sensor (Ironwood 885) or a hopper window (Navigator, by its listing; ZPG-550B2, by its listing) helps you check fuel without lifting the lid. Store the pellets dry, too: Pit Boss’s FAQ says water makes them swell, disintegrate, and later harden into an auger jam.

Check both ends of the temperature range

The bottom of the range decides how gently a grill can smoke, and the top decides how well it roasts and sears. Six of these grills list 180°F as the low end; the Ironwood 885 starts at 165°F, and the ZPG-550B2 listing gives no range. At the top, most reach 500°F, the Pro 22 tops out at 450°F, and the ZPG-200APro listing says 375°F “and higher.” Pit Boss’s FAQ notes that lower cooking temperatures produce more smoke, and that a grill holding temperature by switching the auger on and off will drift about 25 degrees above and below the set point, which Pit Boss calls normal. Treat a grill’s set temperature as a target, not a fixed number.

Decide how you want to sear

Pellet grills handle searing in three different ways: Pit Boss’s Flame Broiler opens to direct flame, the Ironwood 885 lowers its bottom grate nearer the heat while still cooking with indirect heat, and the Woodridge manual points you to the lower grate (details for each model above). If thick steaks and chops are a weekly meal, put a documented direct-flame grill at the top of your list; if you mostly smoke and roast, the sear method matters less than size and hopper.

App control and your WiFi

Three grills have app control built in: the Ironwood 885 and Woodridge through Traeger’s WiFIRE, and the Navigator 850 through WiFi and Bluetooth. The app is most useful on long cooks, when you want to check the probe or nudge the temperature from inside. Before you pay for it, check the signal where the grill will sit: the Woodridge manual says the grill works only with a 2.4 GHz network and cannot recognize 5 GHz. Traeger’s Woodridge FAQ also answers yes to using the grill without an internet connection, so the app is an extra, not a requirement. If you never plan to use an app, the Pro 22 and 500 FB2 keep the controls on the grill.

Portable or permanent

Only the ZPG-200APro is a tabletop design; every other grill with a published weight is 77 lb or more. If the grill lives in a garage and comes out for each cook, the ZPG-550B2 (77 lb by its listing) and 500 FB2 (90.3 lb) are the lighter full-size options, and the path should have no steps.

Power, clearance, and placement

Every pellet grill needs an outlet. The Ironwood 885 and Woodridge manuals call for GFCI protection, and the Woodridge manual says any extension cord should be rated for outdoor use, marked “W-A” or “W” on the jacket. The makers also ask for space around the grill: at least 18 in from combustibles in the Ironwood 885 manual, 20 in in the Woodridge manual, and 36 in at the sides and back in the Pit Boss manuals for the Navigator 850 and 500 FB2. Add that clearance to the grill’s width before you decide it fits a small deck. Pit Boss’s FAQ adds that its grills can be used in light rain, but as electronic appliances their connections must be kept out of the rain.

Favor grills the maker still documents

A current product page and a downloadable manual make setup, troubleshooting, and replacement parts easier. Five of these eight have a maker product page we could open: the three Traegers and two of the Pit Boss models. For the 440 Mahogany, ZPG-550B2, and ZPG-200APro, you are relying on the listing for specs.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

• There is no outlet near where the grill would sit. None of these eight cooks without household power, so a charcoal or propane grill may suit that spot better.
• Thick, visible smoke is what you are after. Pit Boss’s FAQ describes pellet smoke as thin, bluish, and nearly invisible because the pellets burn so cleanly. Cooks who judge a smoker by its plume may find pellet-grilled food milder than they expect.
• You mostly cook fast weeknight meals. A pellet grill runs a start-up step before you set the cooking temperature; the ZPG-200A manual, for example, has you run the SMOKE setting with the lid open for five minutes first, and that time adds up on a busy weeknight.
• You want a vertical cabinet smoker. All eight are barrel-style grills; this guide does not cover vertical pellet smokers.

FAQ

What is the best pellet grill on the market?

No single grill fits every patio. Of the eight we compared, the Traeger Ironwood 885 is our Best Overall for its mix of a 165°F to 500°F range, a sear position for the bottom grate, Super Smoke, WiFIRE, and an insulated body, per Traeger. Traeger lists it under Legacy Grills, so availability may change. For the most space, the Pit Boss 850 Navigator; for open-flame searing in a smaller grill, the Pit Boss 500 FB2; for a current Traeger with simple cleanup, the Woodridge.

Can a pellet grill sear a steak?

Yes, though the method varies. Pit Boss’s Flame Broiler cooks the steak over direct flame, up to 1,000°F per Pit Boss, with the main lid open; Traeger grills cook with indirect heat, per the Ironwood 885 manual, and Traeger’s Pro 22 FAQ puts effective searing between 350°F and 500°F.

How much cooking space do I need on a pellet grill?

Start from the main grate, because large cuts sit there. The makers’ own capacity claims are a useful yardstick: Z Grills pitches its 202 sq in tabletop model at small families and solo grillers, the Pro 22 listing fits 4 whole chickens on 572 sq in, and Traeger rates the 885 sq in Ironwood at 10 chickens. If you host often or smoke two large cuts at once, look at the grills above 800 sq in and check the main grate figure in the manual.

Do I need WiFi on a pellet grill?

Not to cook. WiFi helps most on long smokes, when you want to watch the probe or adjust the temperature from inside. If you want it, confirm your router has a 2.4 GHz band that reaches the grill; Traeger’s Woodridge manual says the grill cannot use 5 GHz. If you grill mostly in short sessions, a model without an app, such as the Pro 22, is simpler.

What should a pellet grill comparison include?

Compare the main grate area, hopper capacity, both ends of the temperature range, searing method, app control, weight, and maker documentation. Then check the listing against the maker’s numbers: here they disagreed on the 500 FB2’s weight and the Navigator’s included probes.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a pellet grill comes down to how you cook most weeks, not to the top temperature on the box. Start with grate size and hopper, decide how you want to sear, and favor a grill the maker still documents. Our picks by need:

• Best Overall: Traeger Ironwood 885. For one grill that smokes low, sears on a lowered grate, and reports to your phone.
• Most Cooking Space: Pit Boss 850 Navigator. For crowds and long cooks on 932 sq in with a 30 lb hopper.
• Best for Searing on a Small Patio: Pit Boss 500 FB2. For direct-flame steaks from a 90.3 lb grill.
• Best for Easy Cleanup: Traeger Woodridge. For a current Traeger with WiFIRE and one keg for grease and ash.
• Best Without an App: Traeger Pro 22. For dial-and-go cooking with an 18 lb hopper.
• Best Portable Pick: Z Grills ZPG-200APro. For tailgates and campsites with power, at 40 lb.

Whichever grill you buy, read its owner’s manual before the first fire and follow the start-up steps it gives.

Related Picks

• Best Traeger Grills: 6 Models Compared
• What Is a Pellet Grill and How Does It Work?

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