Home - The Best Pellet Grills under $1000 in 2023

The Best Pellet Grills under $1000 in 2023

by Alexander Wong

We know that you’re looking for the best pellet grill under $1000. So don’t make the weeks that we’ve spent sorting through the best all for nothing.

We were ruthless, and we only allowed the top wood pellet smokers onto our list. We even included a wood and gas combo grill, just in case you need that kind of versatility.

When you get to the bottom of this post, you’re going to understand all of the features of our top picks. You’ll know why those features are important to you as well.

So let’s get cooking. You can almost smell that hickory and applewood now, can’t you?

Top Pellet Grills under $1000 Reviews

1. Traeger Pro Series 575

Traeger Grills Pro Series 575 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker with Wifi

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This is an all-around good grill for anyone needing a medium-sized model for smoking and grilling. The maximum temperature is 500, so you can’t really sear, but you can do everything else. You can barbeque for a big family on the nearly 600 sq. in. of rack space.

You can connect to the Traeger app for keeping an eye on your meal’s progress without having to hover over the hot grill. You’ll be able to see the internal temp of your meat, the elapsed time, and the estimated time until everything is done. That way you can enjoy your picnic and let the grill do most of the work.

Grillers have made this the best-rated pellet grill in their reviews. They like the durability, ease of use, and large hopper capacity. The biggest complaint is that there is only room for one meat probe.

2. Green Mountain Grill Davy Crockett Grill/Smoker

GMG 2020 Green Mountain Grill Davy Crockett Grill Smoker with Cover

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If you’re looking for a good, light grill that’s easy to take along, take a good look at this one. It’s light, and the legs fold up. You can fit it into the trunk of your car. Folding and unfolding the legs takes less than a minute.

This is also a cheap grill. The quality isn’t the best, but the price is comparable to discount grills that you can find on sale at the big box stores.

Cooking is pretty easy with this grill. The temp gauge monitors the grill’s interior temperature. That means you don’t have to open the lid and guess.

Those in the market for a cheap and light portable grill for trips or apartment balconies are happy with their choice. They say that, with proper care, this grill will outlast its warranty by years. All in all, people are very satisfied with the top-rated pellet smoker that they got for their money.

3. Oklahoma Joe’s Rider Deluxe Pellet Grill

Oklahoma Joe's 20202106 Rider Deluxe Pellet Grill

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This is basically a professional unit scaled down a bit for the backyard cook. Indeed, you can see this very model at cookoffs and barbeque competitions all over the country.

With about 1,200 sq. in. of cooking space, you can feed a large gathering. You can even roast an entire suckling pig. That’s not to mention all the burgers, ribs, and briskets you can fit inside. And don’t forget about steaks. You can slide the sear lever to heat the center of the bottom rack to a blazing 650 degrees. That’s not a very common feature among pellet grills.

Watch the probe temperature to keep an eye on your meat’s internal temps, or just set a timer on the control. There’s only one probe included for this huge grill, but the price is right.

The reviews we found are all very similar to the ones for the Z-Grills model detailed above. Customer satisfaction is high, but people complain about having to replace the auger. It’s covered under the warranty, but replacements can take up to three weeks to ship.

Aside from that one problem, the reviews are outstanding. Everyone loves the amazing capacity of both the grill and the hopper. Besides the auger, its durability is legendary.

4. Pit Boss Austin XL Pellet Grill With Flame Broiler

Pit Boss Austin XL 1000 sq. in. Pellet Grill with Flame Broiler & Cooking Probe

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The first thing you’ll notice is how gorgeous this grill looks. But that copper inlay on the lid isn’t just for looks. Copper is highly resistant to discoloring from heat. That’s why it’s there. It protects the hottest part of the grill.

You can slow cook all the way down to 150 degrees for Boston butts that fall right off the bone. But you can also speed the heat up for all other kinds of cooking. It has about 1,000 sq. in. of rack space. That’s plenty for just about any kind of event you can think of.

It’s solidly built and backed by a long five-year warranty. You’ll be unlikely to need it, however. If you do have a problem within the warranty period, it’ll likely be one of the digital components that fail. The rest of the grill is solid steel and porcelain.

This is the best pellet smoker grill, or at least that’s what we gather from the reviews we’ve studied. People love that they can get all the features of a premium pellet smoker, yet still keep the charm and simplicity of traditional grills. And the flame broiler is a big hit.

5. Camp Chef Woodwind WiFi 24 Pellet Grill

Camp Chef 24 in. WIFI Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker, WIFI & Bluetooth Connectivity, PID controller, Stainless Steel

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This is one of the best smart grills out there. It lets you keep tabs on your internal temps and keeps track of the time you got left before you have to flip your burgers or check your roast. And it’s a lot bigger than most other smart grills on the market. You get over 800 sq. in. for your cooking.

There are two accessories that you should be aware of, even though they’re not included in the purchase. The Sidekick is basically a range that replaces the storage table on the side. You can simmer sauces and cook sides, just like you could with a side range on a propane grill. And the sear box gets really hot to lock in the juices of meats. Both of these accessories are worth a look.

The temperatures are constantly adjusted for accuracy with a PID controller. It slowly feeds pellets into the firebox to keep the inside temp within just five degrees of where you set it.

This pellet grill has perhaps the best reviews we’ve perused. It was actually pretty hard to find any legit complaints. Folks love the versatility of the sidekick range and the slide and grill, which lets you grill over a direct flame just as you would with a propane grill. The thing people regret is the price.

6. Pit Boss Wood Pellet And Gas Combo Grill

PIT BOSS PB1230G Wood Pellet and Gas Combo Grill

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Both pellet and gas grills have their advantages. This grill combines them both. One side is fired with wood pellets, and the other is fueled with propane burners. You can use both at the same time. Or you can just use whichever you want to at the time.

Each side has 500 sq. in. of cooking surface. Both together give you a thousand inches. The pellet side goes up to a respectable 500 degrees, but the gas side will reach over 1,000. This grill will truly handle any kind of outdoor cooking you will ever want to do.

Both sides are controlled with a simple dial, and each side has a meat probe.

This may be the best bet for you if you like the versatility that a combo grill has to offer.

The reviews are clear. This is the best gas and pellet grill combo. You can thank the ease of use and versatility for that. Backyard cooks like that can simultaneously smoke and grill in a traditional manner. And the durability of this grill gets a lot of thumbs up.

7. Broil King Baron 500 Pellet Grill

Broil King 494051 Crown 500 Pellet Grill

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Not only is this one among the most affordable, but it is also one of the easiest to use. You can just put your food into the grill, load the hopper and push a single preset button. Then you can let the grill do the cooking. It will send a notification to your phone when your food is done. Don’t you just love smart grills?

You don’t get a whole lot of room for cooking. But 500 sq. in. will cook a decently sized meal. The temperature goes from 225 to 600 degrees, which should really be all you’ll ever need.

Another thing we like is the warranty. You usually don’t see five-year warranties come with grills in this price range.

Good pellet grills like this get a lot of attention. It wasn’t hard to find rave reviews on this one. The things that people like the most are the smart features and the pellet chute. What they don’t like is the cooking area. Most wish it was just a little bigger.

8. Louisiana Grills LG900 Pellet Grill

Louisiana Grills 60700-LG700 LG 700 Pellet Grill

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We like the traditional design of this grill. It looks like an old-time smoker. But a closer look will reveal the modern digital control panel. And it’s accurate too. It’ll hold temp as close as within five degrees of your setting.

Most pellet grills max out at 550 degrees. But this one has a special feature. You slide a handle to move the deflector plate out of the way to expose the flames from the firebox. Then you can move your meat directly over the wood flame for authentic char or searing.

To be fair, this grill doesn’t offer the highest value. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have useful features. It surely does. It’s just that the price is rather high for what you get. But don’t look away without seriously considering this one if you like to sear your meat or if you like that traditional smoker design.

The most common compliment directed at this grill is its charming traditional barrel shape. You can tell it’s a smoker from far away. If you like that kind of design, which is getting rarer nowadays, you may love this one. There aren’t many complaints, except for those about the small, thin wheels.

The Bottom Line

The Traeger Pro Series 575 is the winner here. It has great value for a medium-sized grill, and its many features include an app that lets you control and monitors everything from your phone.

If you need a bigger cooking area than that, take a look at Z-Grills Wood Pellet Smoker. It’s way bigger, with over 1,000 sq. of cooking area split into three racks. It can’t be remotely controlled or monitored, but the LCD display and digital control are really easy to master.

Our pick for the best budget and the best portable model is the Green Mountain Grill Davy Crockett. It’s small and light, and it costs just a hair over $300.

Now you are well-armed with all the info you need to get the best pellet grill for the money. Why not go ahead and get your new smoker today?

5/5 - (1 vote)

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