We’ve Told You Why You Should Buy a Grilla Grill. But Why Should You Even Be Pellet Smoking in the First Place? We Break it Down.

Maybe your neighbor has a pellet grill and you’ve smelled the delicious foods that come off the grates. Or perhaps you’ve sampled dishes like low-and-slow BBQ during a picnic. Whatever the reason, you’re convinced that grilling on a pellet grill produces amazing results.

But is pellet smoking really for you?

We get asked by customers: “Why should I buy a pellet grill in the first place?” There are a lot of misconceptions about cooking with pellets and many people assume it’s too complicated, but these people don’t truly understand what pellet grills are. Yes, there are electronics involved, which may seem odd at first. There are also new terms with pellet grilling, things like auger, hopper and fire pot. But don’t let that intimidate you. Though pellet grills might seem more complicated than other types of grills, they’re fairly straightforward to operate. Plus, they give meats and veggies a distinct wood-smoked flavor that you can’t imitate on a regular grill or stove.

To help you decide whether pellet smoking is for you, check out the following facts.

Pellet Grills Require Little Fuss

Your pellet grill will have a hopper and auger to maintain. However, you don’t have to do more than plug in your grill, put in your wood pellets, fire up the smoke and start grilling. No propane tanks here!

Many pitmasters appreciate that they don’t have to babysit their smokers constantly. Sure, you’ll want to manage the amount and intensity of smoke from time to time. Nevertheless, you won’t be glued to the smoker.

Pellet Grills Cost Little to Run

Pellet grills burn premium wood pellets consistently. In general, you can expect one pound of pellets to give you one hour of cook time.

You’ll need an electric hookup for your pellet grill, so you’ll spend a little on utilities. Most people see very little difference in their electricity bills, though, especially if they use their smokers only for dinners.

Pellet Grills Come in Different Sizes and Styles

You’re never locked into buying one type of pellet grill. In fact, pellet grills like those in the Grilla Grills lineup come in all shapes and sizes.

You can find a great pellet grill for your backyard or balcony area, for example. Even pitmasters who live in apartments can usually find a smoker to fit their lifestyles and available grilling space.

Pellet Grills Infuse Your Recipes With Rich Flavor

One of the main reasons folks like grilling on a pellet grill is the flavor that comes from the wood pellet smoke. For instance, if you choose hickory or mesquite wood pellets to smoke your brisket, the meat will take on the wood’s intense overtones.

If you’ve grown tired of the same old flavor, you owe it to your taste buds to consider buying a pellet grill.

Excited about the grilling possibilities that lie in your future? Check out our pellet grill descriptions and specs. Then, read on to learn about the unmatched benefits of grilling on a pellet grill — starting with which type of pellet grill you should buy first!

What Kind of Smoker Should I Buy?

It honestly depends on how you plan to use it. There are different sizes and styles of pellet grills available, and what you pick will affect factors like how much food you can make at one time. The amount of space the grill takes up in your backyard can be worth considering too. If you look at the Grilla Grills lineup, you can find all the details for cooking space.

There are other types of smokers but they can take some mastery and a significant time commitment to coax out the best results. There are gas grills too, but they honestly just don’t provide the flavor that cooking over wood does. Kamado grills are incredibly versatile, but they do take some time investment and they are not as easy to light as a pellet grill.

Nevertheless, if you do work with the Kong, you still get all the functionality of a grill. It also comes with the ability to generate a heck of a lot of heat in that ceramic interior.

A grill like our Silverbac wood pellet grill or our Grilla pellet smoker grill can slow smoke a brisket or pork butt, grill a great burger or brat, and even sear a great steak all with the push of a button. There is no need for lighter fluid or even a match to get it started. You push a button and the electronic controls take over to start the grill and heat it to the temperature you select.

See the Grill Possibilities

A Taste Like No Other

Now many will tell you that there simply is no replacement for the flavor you get from smoking. I agree. I grew up eating barbecue made by my grandfather in his restaurant. He stayed up all night, burned down oak and hickory into coals, and shoveled those coals into a block pit all night smoking pork shoulders for 14 hours or more. That level of care and putting in that kind of effort does produce the best flavor.

What if you could get that flavor but didn’t have to stay up all night? What if it was as easy as pushing a button, throwing the meat on, and coming back in eight hours? Well, that is exactly what you are able to do with a pellet grill/smoker. Yes, there is a minor difference in flavor, but what you gain in convenience more than makes up for it.

Are Pellet Grills Better than Charcoal?

There are a lot of benefits to both gas and charcoal grills, so the answer to this question depends on what you want out of a grill. Pellet grills are easy to start and easy to use, and they impart amazing smoke flavor. You can even vary the type of flavor you want to add based on the type of pellets you use. On the other hand, a charcoal kamado grill like our Kong model is amazing for reaching high temperatures for grilling pizzas or getting a hard sear.

There are also some inexpensive options and highly portable options like the Chimp if you want to go that route. We know being able to grill anywhere is vital to avid cookers, the Chimp can easily go with you in the back of your vehicle.

Try a Chimp

Fight the Wind & The Chill

Have you ever tried to cook something on a grill or smoker on a windy or cold day? If so, you likely have experienced the frustrating fight of the grill spiking up in temperature and then wildly dropping back down. What if you didn’t have to fight these swings and there was a device to manage this for you? Pellet grills do just that.

The electronics, auger, and fire pot all work together to push more fuel to the fire when needed, but also work just as easily to reduce the amount of fuel when required. The result is a cooker that stays within about 15 degrees of wherever you set it, no matter the weather conditions. It can be below freezing outside and spitting snow, but you’ll be inside while the pellet grill does the work for you.

Forget Flare-Ups With a Pellet Smoker

When was the last time you were grilling on your gas grill and ran inside to grab some ingredients, only to come back and find flames shooting out of your grill? It happens often and it happens quickly. Flare-ups are a real issue on most grills, but not with pellet grills. The fire pot is shielded from direct contact with the food by a heat deflector and grease drip tray. A fan from below safely circulates the air throughout the cooking process.

Pellet Grills Offer a Quick Heat Up

Have you ever craved grilled chicken but talked yourself out of it because of the time it takes to get your charcoal grill lit and hot enough to cook on? With a pellet grill, you simply press the power button, select the desired cooking temperature, and walk away. Within 10 minutes, the grill is lit, ready and waiting for you to put on that chicken you were craving. Pellet grills allow busy people to grill at times they thought they couldn’t, while still delivering great flavor. Pellet grills have the convenience of a gas grill but with the added flavor of cooking over wood.

Are there any cons to a pellet grill? Some would argue a few:

• Grilling requires electricity
• Not recommended to use in wet conditions
• They can sear, but do best if you use an accessory such as Grill Grates to help
• Moving parts that could fail

Since electronics are used for features like the digital control, pellet grills do require electricity to run. This limits their ability to be used in situations where power is a commodity. However, I’ve seen pellet grills run on battery packs in competitions. Nonetheless, the requirement for electricity can be perceived as a negative.

Pellet grills are less suited for use in wet environments. The electronics can handle some incidental splashing, but it’s not recommended. Wood pellets don’t do well in wet environments, but frankly, neither does charcoal. The same precautions should be taken for keeping pellets and charcoal dry.

Most pellet grills can reach a temperature of 500 degrees. This does allow you to sear, but the best searing happens at 600-700 degrees. To achieve this, it is recommended that you use a product like Grill Grates to help create a better sear. Including this in the list of cons is arguable, in my opinion, but I included it to be completely upfront.

Quality Makes the Difference

You will also have charcoal grill stalwarts point out that those “new-fangled electronics and moving parts will eventually break.” The way you can prevent that is by keeping your grill clean and well-maintained. However, Grilla Grills is also committed to providing the finest quality manufacturing and construction in their products. As with anything with moving parts, things can happen. That’s why it is important to buy from a company with a great warranty, and it’s even more important to buy from a company with the best support.

Grilla Grills offers a great warranty with, what I feel, is the most responsive support in the industry. You just call our number or email us to contact a specialist who solves your problems. Better than that, you get a response that can typically be measured in minutes instead of days. The team at Grilla Grills can also answer your questions about how to use your pellet grill, and they invite any feedback you want to give.

Why NOT Check Out a Pellet Grill? Just Try ‘Em.

There isn’t another grilling platform that offers the mix of flavor, convenience and flexibility that pellet grills do. They offer all the ease of gas, but with the flavor benefits of charcoal or wood.

Give a pellet grill a try and I know you’re going to love it. Nothing compares to the great taste of a wood-smoked meal.

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