Pellet grills are very much what they sound like: grills that use hardwood pellets as the fuel source. However, that doesn't mean they're just like your old charcoal grill, pellet grills work very differently. On the side of a pellet grill, there's what's known as a hopper. This is what you would put the hardwood pellets into. Also, this is often, though not always, where the interface is to change the temperature of the grill. An auger, which is a thing that looks like a big screw, is used to move the pellets from the hopper into the actually grilling area. It's ignited and typically the temperature is regulated by the usage of fans and fuel.
All of that plays into why people love these grills. The use of hardwood pallets imparts hardwood flavor to the food, as you would expect. You can find hickory, apple, cherry, maple, mesquite, pecan, oak—you name it. There's also plenty of blends out there, as well, and you can even come up with your own blend.
Due to the use of fans and the temperature regulation imparted by technology, these grills actually behave more like convection ovens than your standard grill. Convention ovens are full of delicious hardwood smoke, anyway. The fuel source is hardwood, but these grills are powered by electricity, and it's the electricity that allows these grills to maintain stable temperatures over time, it's just a more stable heat source. This also contributes to the grills coming up to temperature fairly quickly, meaning you don't have to wait for too long for them to preheat. These same features mean that the grill can also serve as a smoker, which may actually change your life.
Because they're integrated with electricity, a lot of them come with some very fancy features. Many manufacturers offer wifi connectivity—in fact, you can often operate these types of grills from your phone. This functionality may also alert you when your grill has reached the temperature you shifted it to, as well as notifying you when the hopper is low and you need to put in some more pellets. Some of them even allow you to charge your phone, which may help if you're hanging out with the grill and listening to a lot of music or watching videos while you cook.
Another feature some come with is a sear box. The minor downside of pellet grills is they don't sear quite as well as other types of grills. A lot of people don't mind, as they like the additional flavor imparted by the smoke, but for those you want that really great sear, you can get that as an addition on some of these grills.
Learn more about pellet grills by contacting local suppliers.
Share