Here are 4 reasons why pellet grills are worth it
Knowledge is power
There are several things we need to unpack to answer the question appropriately. The first thing we need to do is have a discussion on why you would ask that in the first place. I would venture to say that you have a vested interest in a pellet grill.
Maybe you’ve seen one at a friend’s house, you have a genuine curiosity in how to duplicate the brisket you had on vacation, or you’ve been looking at them for a while but haven’t pulled the trigger. It doesn’t really matter what it is. Something brought you here with that question in mind.
I bought my pellet grill without knowing anything about them. Don’t do that, unless that’s something you are interested in. Who am I to tell you not to do something, if it’s what you prefer? Right, I don’t have that position.
I do have some experience so to the person on the fence, hopefully, I can sway you one way or the other, to the person who doesn’t have a clue hopefully I can inform, and to the person who is a veteran pit master hopefully I can inspire.
You should buy a pellet grills because they are convenient
What do I mean by convenient? By convenience, I’m talking about not having to go to the gas station, grocery store, or local hardware spot to exchange a propane tank.
Pellet grills use hardwood pellets for fuel, and they are readily available at any number of stores. Hardwood pellets are easy to store and are affordable.
They are convenient because they are predictable. They have the same start up sequence every time. They have the same cleaning procedures. The hardwood pellets go in the same spot for every smoke.
The temperature does not fluctuate wildly (unless you want it to). Troubleshooting is simple. The pellet grill is straightforward and it produces a superior cook even if you aren’t a master griller.
YOU SHOULD BUY A PELLET GRILL BECAUSE THEY ARE VERSATILE
I have 5 recipes I want to cook for you.
- Braised beef short ribs
- Reverse seared & grilled New York Strip, basted in rosemary, garlic, and butter
- Baby back ribs Memphis dry style
- Turkey legs roasted with root vegetables
- Baked macaroni and cheese with breadcrumb and bacon topping
If I didn’t have a pellet grill…I would have to braise using a stovetop and oven or slow cooker. I would have to use a stovetop to pan sear the steak or take it to the charcoal or gas grill. I would have to cook the ribs in the oven (no savory smoke flavor).
I would have to likely put the turkey legs in a roasting pan in the oven. I would place the macaroni dish in the oven covered for most of the cook, then uncovered to brown the top.
Without a pellet grill all the above is just boring. With a pellet grill you can achieve all the different cooking methods with one piece of grilling equipment. The pellet grill allows you to smoke, barbecue, bake, broil, braise, sear, and roast.
It can do this because it has the capability to cook low and slow or high and fast. It is precise with its temperature control. The biggest advantage is flavor. Smoke has a way of breaking down the meat tenderizing and curating a spectacular complex flavor profile
You should buy a pellet grill because the cost of ownership is low
The initial cost of a pellet grill is an investment. A good pellet grill will run you around $1,200. How did I come up with that number? I came up with it as an average.
I took some of the top pellet grill manufacturers like Traeger, Pit Boss, Green Mountain Grills, Z Grills, Yoder Smokers, and Camp Chef. I then looked at their top of the line pellet grills, then went a step down.
I made an assumption that the majority of pellet grills out there are within the more affordable option at the top of the model lineup.The upfront cost is relative to a gas grill, but let’s break down the numbers.
I purchase a pellet grill for $1,200 and includes a cover, 2 bags of pellets, and some accessories. I need pellet storage costing $20. I have a 32 pound hopper so one 40 pound bag fills the hopper each time.
I cook on my pellet grill 3-4 times a week, sometimes I cook for less than an hour, sometimes 6 or more hours. A good rule of thumb is 1 pound of pellets is 1 hour of cook time. With that math I need a new bag of pellets, costing $15 every 32 hours so roughly every 4.5. weeks (factoring in longer smokes).
My local supply store is 5 miles away so I’m looking at around $2.80 in gas round trip. The electricity per hour based on US averages comes out to less than 1 cent per hour. If we take that over 5 years we are looking at a total cost of ownership being approximately $5,200.
A gas grill 5 year cost of ownership breakdown is as follows. Looking at a comparably sized gas grill, it can be significantly more or less. I tried to find a good average so I looked at 4 burner gas grills from the top brands and came up with a price point of $1,000 (I was surprised).
The initial cost of a propane tank is $60, and each tank refill is $20. We need to factor in 18 hours per propane tank meaning we would refill it every 4 weeks with consistent use. A cover is $80, accessories $30, and maintenance supplies $40. We can use the same cost of gas at $2.80.
A gas grill is more likely to be at the end of its lifespan starting at year 5. The average gas grill is replaced every 3 years. Our 5 year cost of ownership is $5,200 assuming you don’t have to replace it. However, you are likely to have replaced or will be replacing your gas grill which rockets the cost of ownership over $6,000.
The verdict is in. A pellet grill is more cost efficient. A gas grill does a couple of things well for a shorter period of time. BUT, a pellet grill does many things (smoke, barbecue, braise, bake, roast, sear, broil) really well. The per capita savings per cooking episode is greater with a pellet grill because of its versatility.
You should buy a pellet grill because they give you time back
At a gas grill I am tending to whatever is on the grill grates, almost continuously. Even on low, I face hot spots within the gas grill and have to manage that by moving whatever I’m cooking around.
I may be able to sit next to the grill, but I’m not comfortable leaving it for any extended period of time. The reason is temperature control. Gas grills get hot and stay hot. Cook times aren’t meant to be long. If I’m manning a gas grill I feel like I have to watch over it.
A pellet grill carries an entirely different story. A pellet grill is basically an oven for the outdoors. With that conjecture, I merely mean that a pellet grill is very straightforward, precise, and consistent. I
set my desired temperature, and internal sensory feedback maintains that temperature by adding more wood pellets and stoking the fire. This is all done automatically.
I can manage the smokers’ temperature with my phone, and monitor the internal temperature for whatever I’m cooking with the use of integrated temperature probes.
Best,
David
Parting thoughts
Pellet grills have a unique position. They have more pros than they do cons. I’m here to tell you though, that is merely my opinion. Throughout the articles that I publish, my goal is for there to be a transfer of knowledge. I can learn from you, you can learn from me. As a more informed consumer, better decisions can be made…especially when considering a pellet grill. Why should you buy a pellet grill? That is for you to decide now.
