Several years ago, I got a pellet smoker grill for Christmas. I really wanted one after going through a day-long BBQ Grilling School in Phoenix, Arizona. The convenience of an all-in-one grill and smoker was amazing. But a reasonable question to ask is whether or not this convenient gadget is really any good? Is it a good smoker or just a neat looking smoker wannabe?

Unlike traditional smoking methods, pellet smoker grills use compressed wood pellets to cook and smoke meats, fish, veggies, cheese and other foods. They’ve become more popular in recent years and have even taken top place in various barbeque competitions.

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Do Pellet Grills Give Smoke flavor?

When I watch those cooking shows on television, I usually see someone loading up a big metal smoker with large logs of mesquite, hickory, or some other hardwood. That’s probably what most of us envision when we think of smoking meats. Big smoke flavors come from big logs. But that mindset is changing. Pellet smokers are getting noticed by more foodies and backyard BBQ enthusiasts. But it really depends on what kind of pellet smoker and what kind of pellets you’re using.

There are two basic types of pellet smokers out there: Horizontal and Vertical. And I can tell you after years of using them both that there is a difference in smokiness.

I’m no engineer or smokologist, but just from the design and appearance of a horizontal pellet smoker, the smoke has to travel around the heat shield then around the slanted drip plate, then up the walls to fill the air around the meat. There are plenty of opportunities for the smoke to bypass the meat almost completely before escaping out the smoke stack.

In a vertical smoker however, meats tend to be more in line with the natural flow of the smoke from the firebox up to the smoke stack. There’s less room around the meat compared to the wide area of a horizontal pellet grill. The smoke stays closer allowing better penetration.

My wife and I have both noticed richer, smokier flavors in meats that are smoked in our vertical smoker. If you want a good smoker, go vertical. My current model is the Pit Boss Copperhead Series. They’re great looking smokers that are also easy to use. We have the 3-Series model. If you need something larger, check their Series 5 or Series 7 models.

Low and Slow Will Give More Smoke Flavor

If you really want a rich smoke flavor, then plan on cooking low and slow. By that I mean at least 5 hours of around 200 degrees (F) depending on what you’re smoking. There is no set rule on this. You have to balance that with your cut and size of meat. Just figure that more time in the smoke will yield a smokier flavor.

But there is the risk of drying out the meat too, even with water in the water pan. Be sure your meat is adequately marbled. The three words Lean, low and slow aren’t typically found in the same sentence.

I tend to smoke meats for 4 to 5 hours then wrap it up for the remaining cooking time. I was told by a competitive grill master that the meat doesn’t really get any smokier beyond 4 hours. It’s just cooking after that. So, to prevent meats from drying out, I’ve been wrapping them up in plastic wrap. Then it either goes into a crock pot, a roaster, or back in the smoker. I usually get juicer, smoked meat that way.

Do Pellet Smokers Give a Smoke Ring?

The short answer is yes, they do. Or maybe I should say, yes, they can. It really depends on how long you smoke with good pellets. I’ve seen definite smoke rings in my pork butts, beef briskets and even meatloafs. The longer you smoke, the more pronounced the smoke ring.

What’s The Best Pellet Smoker?

The “best” pellet smoker is going to boil down to personal preference. Let’s face it, we’ve all got bias and personal preferences. The pellet smokers of today are far better than the ones of just 5 years ago. Decide what you like materials, features, performance, appearance, customer service and warranties. Then you can judge what the best pellet smoker is for you.

I started out with a Traeger Lil’ Tex Elite. It was a smaller unit and just right for me since it was my first pellet smoker. There were a few times I wished it was bigger, but most of the time it was plenty big enough.

My wife wasn’t overly impressed with it, though. She was glad I was happy with it, but she missed the smoky flavors of my older (and broken) electric vertical smoker. She also didn’t like the steaks I grilled up on it. It didn’t have the char from a direct fire grill.

When my Traeger flamed up on me and stopped giving me accurate temperatures, I started looking for another pellet smoker grill. After some research and price comparisons, I landed on a Pit Boss Austin XL.

The Pit Boss Austin XL is a great looking, well equipped and surprisingly affordable pellet smoker grill. It was a huge improvement over my Traeger, but to be fair to Traeger the Austin XL is in a completely different class of pellet grill then the Lil’ Tex Elite. My wife was more impressed with this unit.

Later, I picked up a Pit Boss Copperhead Vertical Smoker. This is not a grill, but a superior smoker. It’s also lighter, more maneuverable, and generally easier to use than my horizontal Austin XL. We both noticed better smoke flavors from the vertical smoker.

There are lots of different models out there, but I strongly recommend you get a vertical pellet smoker rather than a horizontal smoker grill if you want smoke. Again, I think all things being equal, the vertical design makes it a superior smoker.

What Are the Best Pellets To Smoke With?

My first recommendation for the best pellets is to get the real hardwood pellets and not some flavored pellets made of cheaper woods and fillers. Avoid artificial flavors, spray scents, glues, or chemically enhanced pellets. In other words, get actual hickory or pecan, or cherry and not cherry flavored or hickory flavored. That may mean actually reading the package and or looking the information up online.

My second recommendation is to experiment with different pellets and don’t just settle for the cheapest. You might end up being completely happy with the cheapest, but you’ll never know if you don’t try a few out. And try out pellets from different companies not just different kinds from the same company.

You’ll find several different brands that can be deliver to your door. Click here for prices and availability.

Pay attention to how smokey the pellets are, how hot they get, and how long they last. And above all else, store them in a dry container. I made the mistake of storing them on the concrete floor of our little metal shed. Then it rained and the floor got wet. The pellets usually come in thin plastic bags that aren’t that strong and some have holes like mine did. The pellets soaked up the water and became more like powder when they dried. $20 or more of pellets down the drain.

It’s tough to say how long a bag will last you. First of all, the bags come in either 20 or 40 lbs sizes. Then it depends on if you smoke or grill and how often. If you grill up steaks, your grill will run really hot and go through pellets quickly but not for long. If you smoke are you smoking for 10 or 4 hours on low? Once per week or once per month? Again, tough to say. But if you keep your pellets dry, they should last till you’re out. I usually try to keep at least a full bag in reserve.

Pellet smoker grills are good smokers, but vertical smokers are better smokers. Pair your smoker with good hardwood pellets and you’ll love the results.

Stay smokey, my friends!