Pellet Grills 101: How Do Pellet Grills Work?

The art of grilling knows no physical or cultural boundaries. Grills come in a broad variety of designs, with each type having unique pros and cons. Ranging from charcoal to gas, there are varying sources of fuel used to heat food on the grill. An exciting advancement on the barbecuing scene is the pellet grill.

Since they double up as smokers and grills, these hybrid cookers have become increasingly popular among backyard chefs and outdoor cooking enthusiasts. Are you new to pellet grilling and thinking to yourself, how does a pellet grill work? Read on to find out and learn about the benefits of using them.

If you love the smoky taste of slow-cooked meats but lack the time to babysit a charcoal smoker, then consider a pellet grill as an addition to your collection of grills and outdoor kitchen appliances. Commonly referred to as smokers, pellet grills are convenient cookers that run on electricity and use 100% natural hardwood pellets as a fuel source.

Are pellets grills worth it? Absolutely! Their hybrid designs merge the benefits of traditional wood-fired grills with the convenience of gas grills, smokers and ovens.

Pellet grills offer effortless ignition through the simple touch of a button. With straightforward digital controls, most are easy to use. Plug them into an electrical outlet and set grill temperatures for hassle-free cooking. These grills provide even heat and have well-sealed lids to support use as ovens or smokers. Some have wireless Bluetooth capabilities and Wi-Fi connectivity to allow remote commands from smart devices. Others come with pre-programmed smoking cycles that make cooking easy for novice grill users.

Many pellet grills have a heat baffle that separates food from fire to prevent the occurrence of flare-ups. Barbecue pellets not only help fuel your grill but add unique flavors to your food. They also allow you to slow cook food for hours.

While there are some definite pros of pellet grills, there are also some cons. For example, wood pellets are available in different flavor profiles, but they don't provide the same intense flavor that you'd get from a charcoal grill or offset smoker. As pellet grills use electricity, they are not ideal for damp conditions. They are also not as portable as charcoal, or even gas grills. 

Your first step when using your pellet grill should be to pour wood pellets into the hopper and then setting your cooking temperature. Equipped with built-in thermostats, pellet grills offer accurate temperature control through a manual dial or digital controls. They feed pellets autonomously into the firepot or cooking chamber via a precise electric auger that only supplies enough pellets to maintain a preset temperature. This auger mechanism eliminates the tedious process of babysitting your cooker, adjusting air vents constantly and adding fuel, which makes for easier grilling.

Next, the grill uses an ignition rod or combustion device to ignite the hardwood pellets, which heat the cooking chamber, then intake or induction fans draw air in and spread heat and smoke over the cooking area. A heat baffle that sits over the fire pot evenly disperses any direct heat across the entire grill for consistency.

Using grill accessories, such as grease drip trays, these gadgets catch any dripping fluids and further spread the heat. Some models have a meat thermometer that monitors internal meat temperatures to ensure an even cook. With a wide operating temperature range, these grills give you the option to choose between to slow cooking your food or searing it hot.

Uniquely made to fuel pellet grills, wood pellets come often from 100% natural wood sawdust or biomass. They are crafted by exposing sawdust to extreme heat then neatly compacting it into lignin-coated pellets. The high temperatures and compression force make lignin melt to bind the particles together into eraser-sized pellets. The pellets come in compact bags that leave ample storage space for your other camping gear when traveling.

Hardwood pellets yield the best results and produce minimal ash for easy cleanup. As hardwood pellets burn, they infuse the food inside your grill with a smoky flavor. You can choose from a wide variety of natural flavors such as hickory, cherry, apple or pecan.

Though the number of pellets used depends on how much food you are cooking and for how long, normal use requires approximately 1/2 a pound per hour on the smoke setting and 2-1/2 pounds on the high setting.

Enjoy outdoor living by taking your favorite recipe to the backyard pellet grill. These grills support use with a broad range of cuisines and recipes. They enable the cooking of traditional indoor meals in the outdoors for versatility. Smoke or grill meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables or fruit to enjoy the savory flavor that pellet grills offer.

Embrace the art of cooking with a pellet grill, ignite the flames of flavor and transform your backyard into a culinary sanctuary.