Shopping for a new barbeque but can’t decide whether to get a pellet smoker or pellet grill?
The main difference is convenience. The pellet smoker will offer more of it, but the pellet grill might be relatively easier for some people to use.
What’s a Pellet Grill
A pellet grill is a barbeque that uses small cylindrical-shaped pellets made of compressed sawdust and other various ingredients to cook and smoke food.
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The pellets burn hotter than regular wood, allowing you to get a great searing on your meat.
Pellets also don’t smolder like charcoal, so you won’t have to sit around and wait for your meal to finish cooking.
What’s a Pellet Smoker?
A upright pellet smoker uses actual pellets to heat and smoke the food. They burn just like a regular wood barbeque would.
The pellets are made of compressed sawdust and other ingredients, and this is what you’ll be using to cook your food with.
They work much like a regular smoker, only that they lack the convenience of a pellet grill.
They struggle to get above 400 degrees Fahrenheit, so the searing process isn’t very efficient. You also have to wait a long time for your meat to finish cooking since they don’t get nearly as hot as pellet grills.
So, is a pellet grill better than a smoker? More on that later. For now, let’s try to compare and contrast the two
How the two Compare
As you can see with both, they are very similar.
They’re both designed to cook and smoke meat, but there are a few differences.
The Biggest Difference is Convenience
A pellet grill can reach very high temperatures, which allows for efficient searing of the meat. That will give you those nice crispy crusts on your barbeque as opposed to a soft smoky taste from a traditional smoker.
A pellet grill doesn’t need to be monitored as closely as a Pellet Smoker
You don’t need to refill the wood chips. Your meat is also less likely to dry out since it is exposed to less smoke.
Pellet Grill Lack the Traditional Smoking Taste
The main drawback of a pellet grill is that it lacks the traditional smoking taste you can get from other barbeques.
They also can’t be used in all types of weather, which might be an issue if you want to cook outdoors year-round.
Pellet Smokers Need to be Monitored Closely
Pellet smokers are more difficult to use since they need to be monitored closely and refilled with wood chips every now and then.
That is not a problem if you’re used to smoking bars with regular smokers, but it can make the process cumbersome for some people.
You’ll also need to keep an eye on the weather if you want to use your pellet smoker vertical year-round.
How they Cook Food
A pellet grill cooks food much like a barbeque with wood chips, but it does it at higher temperatures. The searing process is incredibly efficient, allowing you to sear the outside of your meat and lock in the juices.
Pellet smokers don’t get as hot, and they burn actual wood chips to produce smoke. Consequently, you’ll end up with a softer smoky taste on your barbeque.
The lack of higher temperatures also makes the searing process much less efficient, leading to some dried-out meat if you aren’t careful.
So, is a pellet grill better than a smoker
The truth of the matter is that both barbeques have their own strengths and weaknesses, so it really depends on your personal preference.
If you want a traditional smoking taste and don’t mind waiting longer for your food to cook, then a pellet smoker might be right for you.
If you want to sear the outside of your food and have a convenient cooking experience, then a pellet grill might be better.
The easiest way to figure out which one is best for you is by trying out each. You can usually rent them from local stores, so even if they’re slightly more expensive than a regular smoker, you won’t be stuck with it if you aren’t happy.
Pick the one with the features you desire and give each one a try before spending your money on either of them.
Let’s Wrap it Up
To answer the question, “is a pellet grill better than a smoker?” we might say slightly in one’s favor over the other, but it all depends on what you’re looking for in a pellet barbeque.
