If you dream of making slow-smoked meats from home but have little experience, a pellet smoker might be right for you. Think of it as a smoky outdoor oven that cooks tender and moist brisket without constant babysitting. After testing three pellet grills and smoking 100 pounds of beef brisket, pork shoulder, and chicken, we think the Traeger Pro 575 is worth its admittedly high price: It’s the most precise, fuel-efficient, and well-built pellet grill we tried.
Our pick
Traeger Pro 575
We’re impressed with the precise temperature control, simple control panel, and exceptional fuel efficiency of Traeger’s newest entry-level model.
Of the three pellet smokers we tested, the Traeger Pro 575 was the best at holding low temperatures with the fewest spikes in heat, thus producing more tender, juicier meat. It’s reliable and easy to control, and it can connect to Wi-Fi so you can control it remotely on your phone (which could actually come in handy over the course of a long, slow smoking session). Yes, it’s expensive, but meat is too. And tough barbecue is a real bummer. We think the Traeger Pro 575 makes up for its high price by increasing a beginner’s chances of success.
Runner-up
Green Mountain Grills Ledge
If you like barbecue with a more robust smoky flavor and a darker crust, this is the pellet smoker for you. But you can’t easily buy it online; use the Green Mountain Grills website to find an authorized dealer in your area.
The Green Mountain Grills Ledge is an excellent pellet grill in its own right. It’s sturdy, well made, and spacious. We tested the Daniel Boone Prime (now discontinued) and the Ledge is nearly identical and should perform the same, though it has some minor upgrades: thicker gauge grates, a light in the smoking chamber, a collapsible front shelf, and a redesigned power cord (along with a substantial price increase). In our previous tests, the Daniel Boone Prime produced a lot of smoke, which made for the darkest and smokiest-tasting brisket and pork shoulders. We experienced slightly more dramatic temperature spikes with the Daniel Boone Prime than with the Pro 575, but that’s something you’ll likely be able to regulate as you get to know your grill. The Daniel Boone Prime also burned through a hopper full of pellets the fastest of all the pellet grills we tested—a necessary trade-off if you want smokier barbecue.
