Don’t you have plenty of experience to use a complicated pellet smoker that requires you to manually adjust and control? If so, you need an easy-to-use model with automatic features and functions that can still result in a moist and tender outcome. The best pellet smoker for beginners from the list below can offer what you want:
Here are the best pellet smokers for beginners you can buy in 2024:
- Best For Chicken: Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
- Best For Brisket: Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
- Budget Option: PIT BOSS PB440FB1 Pellet Grill
- Best Vertical Pellet Smoker: PIT BOSS Grills 77550 5.5 Pellet Smoker
- Best For Small Batches: recteq RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Smoker Grill
- Best For Pork Spare Ribs: Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker
| 6 Best Pellet Smokers For Beginners | ||
|---|---|---|
Best For Chicken | Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker | |
Best For Brisket | Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker | |
Budget Option | PIT BOSS PB440FB1 Pellet Grill | |
Best Vertical Pellet Smoker | PIT BOSS Grills 77550 5.5 Pellet Smoker | |
Best For Small Batches | recteq RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Smoker Grill | |
Best For Pork Spare Ribs | Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker | |
Best For Chicken: Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
- Holds an accurate temperature
- Smokey and moist outcome
- Well-made
- Easy to use and clean
- Straightforward to install
- Bad and difficult-to-understand instruction
If you are a fan of cooking dishes from chicken, you will love using the Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker. Its temperature range is from 180° to 450° F, which allows you to slowly smoke your chicken or grill it at a higher temperature for achieving a crispy skin.
Although the cooking space of this model is just 452 sq. in that is large enough for a small family, the inside is high enough for accommodating a whole chicken.
The size of a whole chicken is big, so it requires a long cooking time (about 3-4 hours). The capacity of this product’s pellet hopper is large (15 lbs) enough to hold a lot of pellets at a time, so you can set your mind at rest to smoke your whole chicken for a long time without refilling pellets constantly.
| Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 45 x 28 x 49 inches |
Cooking Size | 450 sq |
Hopper Capacity | 15 lbs |
Temperature Range | 180° to 450° F |
Highlight Features | 8-in-1 model Pellet grill technology PID technology High-temperature powder coating finish |
No matter how you want to cook your chicken, the Z GRILLS Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker can deal with it.
Best For Brisket: Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
- Clean
- Efficient
- Foolproof
- Easy to install and use
- Sturdy
- Heavy
The standard size of a brisket is big, about 10-12 pounds, but the Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 Wood Pellet can provide your big cut of meat with a large cooking area to accommodate it comfortably.
Smoking brisket requires low and slow cooking at a consistent temperature. Thus, if you don't have a lot of free time for waiting, choose this product that has WiFIRE technology. You can connect the model with the Traeger app to control it from anywhere. Moreover, this unit comes with a digital temperature controller which allows you to adjust the precise temperature easily and consistently.
| Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 27 x 41 x 53 inches |
Cooking Size | 575 sq |
Hopper Capacity | 18 lbs |
Temperature Range | 500 °F maximum temperature |
Highlight Features | WiFIRE technology 6-in-1 versatility |
The Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker can automatically smoke your brisket thanks to its convenience features and functions.
Budget Option: PIT BOSS PB440FB1 Pellet Grill
- Well-written instructions
- Easy assembly
- Straightforward to use
- Well-built
- Heavy
- Small size
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money for the first try, consider the PIT BOSS PB440FB1 Pellet Grill. Although this product is cheap, it is very functional for beginners.
Like other products, this model also has dial-in digital control with LCD screen so that you can easily control and adjust the temperature and time as desired. The 180-500 degree temperature range allows you to cook your meat in different ways, especially low and slow cooking. In particular, it automatically starts and cools down, so beginners with no experience can easily use this unit.
| PIT BOSS PB440FB1 Pellet Grill Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 40 x 24 x 45 inches |
Cooking Size | 482 Square Inches |
Hopper Capacity | 5 pounds |
Temperature Range | 180-500 Degree |
Highlight Features | Dial-in digital control and LCD screen Porcelain coated steel grids High temperature matte black powder coat Solid bottom shelf Automatic start and cool down |
If you are looking for an inexpensive product with many functional features, just choose the PIT BOSS PB440FB1 Pellet Grill.
Best Vertical Pellet Smoker: PIT BOSS Grills 77550 5.5 Pellet Smoker
- Easy to clean and use
- Effortless to put together
- Great assembly instructions
- Well-built
- Clean smoke
- Too thick viewing glass
Why should you choose a vertical pellet smoker?
The fire of a horizontal pellet smoker is on the side, so the smoke can’t spread evenly. If your main purpose is smoking, the PIT BOSS Grills 77550 5.5 Pellet Smoker can perform better than another. All foods are kept on racks above the flame directly so that the great smoke circulation can go through all layers evenly.
Vertical pellet smokers work well for small and limited space because their tall designs have a smaller footprint. However, its cooking surface is up to 1548 sq, so you can cook a lot of food at a time.
| PIT BOSS Grills 77550 5.5 Pellet Smoker Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 28 x 29 x 53 inches |
Cooking Size | 850 sq inch |
Hopper Capacity | Over 40 lbs |
Temperature Range | 150 - 450 |
Highlight Features | Digital LED readout and meat probe Five porcelain coated cooking grids Automatic start and shut off |
The PIT BOSS Grills 77550 5.5 Pellet Smoker allows you to smoke your meat more effectively than a horizontal model.
Best For Small Batches: recteq RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Smoker Grill
- Easy to assemble and use
- Very exact temperature control
- Possible to access to your food inside 100% because the lid opens fully
- Good price
- Too large ventilation ports
- Can't drain off excess grease and oil
- Awful assembly instructions
If you just need to serve a small group of people, there is no need to invest in a large pellet smoker that wastes your space. The cooking surface of the rected RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Smoker Grill is compact, so it works well for a limited outdoor space and small batches.
How small is it?
Despite a small size, its internal cooking space is up to 380 inches, smoking 50 wings, 20 burgers, 4 ribs, or 2 butts at the same time.
| recteq RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Smoker Grill Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 40 x 22.5 x 36 inches |
Cooking Size | 380 square inches |
Hopper Capacity | 15 lbs |
Temperature Range | 40 lbs |
Highlight Features | Easy start-up with the push of a button |
Despite a small footprint, the recteq RT-B380 Bullseye Wood Pellet Smoker Grill can hold enough food for 2-4 people at the same time.
Best For Pork Spare Ribs: Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker
- Well-made
- Sturdy
- Easy to clean
- Competitive price
- Heavy
If you are looking for a product that has actual experience of users on smoking pork spare ribs, here is it. The excellent performance of the Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker on cooking this kind of meat is proven by customers.
They said that this unit plays an important role in their successful BBQ because it can smoke many racks of ribs at the same time perfectly. Each of them was tender and moist leaving no under done part.
| Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker Specifications | |
|---|---|
Dimension | 30 x 42 x 49 inches |
Cooking Size | 811 sq in |
Hopper Capacity | 22 lbs |
Temperature Range | 160 F to 500 F |
Highlight Features | WIFI & Bluetooth PID controller Dial |
Customers have proven that the Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker can result in an excellent performance on pork spare ribs.
How To Choose The Best Pellet Smoker For Beginners?
What Are Easy-To-Use Features?
The best pellet smoker for beginners should be easy to use and result in a consistent outcome because first-time users don’t have a lot of experience adjusting, controlling and cooking manually.
For example, the combination of digital control, intuitive interface, and easy-to-read displays allows you to set it and forget it, but you can still reach your purposes: consistent and delicious results all the time. In particular, it can get accurate temperature, no matter what your cooking needs are.
What Are The Pellet Smoker Accessories For Beginners?
Some pellet smokers come with useful accessories that help beginners use their machine more conveniently without requiring a lot of experience.
Pellet Hopper Extension
If you don’t want the pellets to run out while smoking, this accessory can increase your model’s pellet capacity to offer a continuous fuel supply.
Drip Pan Liners
For the best performance, a pellet smoker needs drip pan liners to prevent the buildup of grease, so you can manage grease and maintain the machine easily.
Meat Probe Thermometer
Beginners rarely have a lot of experience to determine when it is the time to achieve the ideal temperature. You should invest in a meat probe thermometer that lets you know when your meat is smoked perfectly because it can monitor your meat’s internal temperature exactly. Although you are not a pro, this accessory can help you result in a juicy and tender outcome.
Pellet Blend Assortment
If you want to try different smoky flavors of meat, choose a model with pellet blend assortment that allows you to try various wood pellet flavors.
Grill Cover
The pellet smoker is an outdoor model, so its grill cover plays an important role in keeping the entire unit from the elements such as dust, dirt, and harsh weather.
Cleaning Brush Set
No matter how careful you use your pellet smoker, it will be dirty over time. Thus, you need a cleaning brush set to keep it clean for the best performance. This set has different brush types that are designed for each part such as grates and drip pans.
Pellet Scoop
This accessory is used to scoop pellets into your hopper without causing a mess.
Which Brands Make The Best Pellet Smoker For Beginners?
Blaz’n Grill Works
This is a small pellet smoker manufacturer in South Nebraska, US. Their products are made from American steel in the US, applying gauge steel for the cooking chamber and 12 gauge steel for the lids.
FAQs
What should I try first on a pellet smoker?
If you are new on a pellet smoker, it’s better to try easy-to-cook dishes first:
Smoked Chicken And Turkey
No matter which seasoning you use, you can easily smoke a genuinely delicious chicken. Apart from chicken thighs and chicken breasts, a pellet grill is even large enough to handle a whole chicken. It only takes about an hour to cook small chicken breasts and thighs, but you need to spend hours to smoke a whole chicken.
Burgers
Using a pellet grill can add a smoky flavor into your burger to bring a unique taste, especially, its searing feature will create attractive sear marks on your burger. For example, grilling a cheeseburger on a pellet grill can give you an obvious difference.
Pulled Pork
Although it’s very easy to start a pellet grill with a pulled pork, a pork shoulder takes you about 8-10 hours to cook low and slow.
Ribs
Smoking a rib with a pellet smoker at home can give you a restaurant-quality outcome - a tender and flavorful taste because of the pellet smoker’s low and slow smoking.
Brisket
Rubbing your brisket with seasoning, then putting it in a pellet grill helps you get a cut of delicious and tender meat.
Pie
The pellet smoker can cook pie and other desserts because its grill will turn this device into an outdoor oven.
Vegetables
The pellet grill allows you to roast vegetables. This way is simple to prepare and quick to cook, but it can keep a deep and natural flavor.
Salmon
This is one of the perfect fishes to cook on a pellet grill since it can hold up well to the slow and low smoke approach.
Are pellet smokers worth it?
Although pellet smokers are more pricey than traditional smokers, they are worth it for beginners. With this kind of smoker, it’s easier for first-time users to get a good outcome without wasting expensive cuts of meat on the first try. All you need to do is pour water into the drip pan, empty the ash pail, inpour wood pellets into the hopper, then press some buttons to adjust temperature, timer, choose grilling or smoking mode, the machine will do the remaining part.
I strongly recommend the pellet smokers for people who love an intense smoke flavor and roasting, smoking foods because it works based on wood pellets. In particular, using different bags of wood pellets will bring different flavor combinations.
This model helps you save more money because it won’t require too much fuel.
Food cooked with wood pellet grills is healthier than others since they don’t contain carcinogens that are produced at a high temperature.
What is the difference between a smoker and a pellet smoker?
The biggest difference is that pellet grills have more cooking options than smokers. While the latter just smoke food, the former can grill, smoke, roast, and bake.
Pellet grills work on pure hardwood pellets while another runs on electricity, wood pellets, charcoal, and firewood, or the combination of these.
Can you set and forget a pellet smoker?
The pellet smoker is completely automatic, so you can set it and forget it.
How long can pellets stay in a smoker?
If you burn pellets, the answer depends on many elements, including the temperature that you are cooking at, the size and efficiency of your grill, the weather conditions such as wind speed, humidity, and temperature. For example, 0.5-1 pound of pellets can last in a smoker within an hour at 225°F while 3 pounds of pellets can last in this machine within an hour at a higher temperature.
When not in use, keep this thing in mind. Most of the manufacturers don't recommend you to leave pellets in the hopper too long because they will be clogged and the auger is gummed up. However, if your area is too hot to not reach a low humidity, it's okay to leave your pellets in the hopper for a few weeks, even 6-12 months.
It's better to store your unused pellets in a cool and dry place like a shed or garage without exposing direct sunlight and humidity.
Conclusion
Is the best pellet smoker for beginners useful for experienced people? Yes. It brings many benefits for both first-time and experienced people. For example, this kind of machine can save your time when applying low and slow cooking methods. It will automatically adjust and control while you are doing other tasks.
