Changed my mind about those fancy pellet grills after a backyard cookout

I always thought my old offset smoker was the only real way to get good bark. Then my neighbor brought over his $900 pellet grill for our block party last month. He set it up at 7 AM, put on a brisket, and went back to bed for three hours. The thing held 225 degrees the whole time without him touching it once. My brisket came out great too, but I was babysitting the firebox all morning. That steady heat and the extra sleep might be worth the cash. What's the biggest cook you've done on a pellet grill without having to mess with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_cooper2mo ago

Honestly, I still get better flavor from my old stick burner.

hill.christopher2mo ago

That line about getting better flavor from a stick burner is the whole debate. It's like manual vs automatic cars. One gives you total control and the feel of the road, the other just gets you there without the work. Most things these days trade a little bit of the old craft for a lot of convenience. Pellet grills are just the barbecue version of that. You might lose a tiny bit of that smoke flavor, but you gain a whole Saturday back.

jordan30510d ago

Yeah man, I was actually just reading an article about this from some BBQ science nerd. They tested stick burners vs. pellet grills side by side and the smoke ring was barely different. Like that thin blue smoke everyone chases, a pellet grill can put out exactly that without the babysitting. The purists will argue about the craft but I bet most people in a blind taste test couldn't tell which was which. And yeah, like you said, getting my whole Saturday back is huge. I don't miss waking up at 4am to babysit a fire.