Pellet grills made their debut in the mid-1980s when Joe Traeger developed and patented the grilling tech. It has taken a few years for the grilling method to catch on, but here we are in 2020 discussing the best pellet smoker.
With the patent expiring in 2006, a lot of contenders starting popping up using similar designs. Finally, legal issues came to a head in 2019 and into 2020 over various issues in the industry segment.
Despite those growing pains, people around the world are beginning to take notice of smoking technology. Bringing the promise of tasty grilled, smoked, flavors without the same old charcoal fuel, who wouldn’t want to try it out?
We’ve got five tips, for beginners or even the advanced griller, to get your mouth watering.
- Step Away From the Grill
One of the best advantages of a vertical pellet smoker is that you don’t have to be chained to the grill.
Mingle during the backyard BBQ afternoon, get some chores done, watch the game — it doesn’t matter because you don’t have to stand there with tongs in your hand. You won’t have temperature dips and spikes with a modern pellet smoker.
Some even have WiFi connectivity so you can grill-by-phone while you’re sharing a brew on game day.
- Some Models Let You Grill and Smoke
While you don’t have to stand and watch a vertical pellet smoker, maybe you do want to grill, too. Pellet smoker grills allow you to do that by allowing low-and-slow cooking temperatures, but also the higher searing temps of 600°F or higher.
Some are even gas and pellet combos. It’s important to know ahead of time if you want to have two specialized cooking machines or one versatile one. That being said, specialized machines are going to excel at their given task
- Wood Pellet Grills Are Only as Good as Your PID
Not every wood pellet smoker is created equal. Older models don’t have PID or PID-Plus controls. A PID controller could be a temperature dial, touchscreen, or even a smartphone app capable.
Old non-PID controlled systems are very simple and only rely on the feed speed of pellets to estimate cooking temps and times.
- Pellet Smokers Work During Cold Weather
Pellet smokers do work in cold weather. You may need an insulated grill blanket to conserve fuel, though. Colder temperatures mean burning through more pellets to keep heat regulated.
It isn’t mandatory to use a grill blanket in cold weather, but your wallet will thank you if you plan to do pellet smoking more than a couple of times during winter.
- Use Only Cooking Pellets
Cooking pellets are made and marketed for a reason. While pellet smokers were invented as an offshoot of heating pellet designs for homes and offices, they aren’t intended for cooking.
Heating pellets contain toxic chemicals that can make you sick when inhaled or consumed.
The Best Pellet Smoker on the Block
Being the best pellet smoker on the block isn’t easy. Neither is finding great websites like Eat With Me to show you the way! A little tip goes a long way to being a great cook, and we’re here to give you the best tips on the net.
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