State of the art

Want all the convenience of gas and the smokey flavour of charcoal? Discover which pellet grill can offer you the best of all worlds

Words: Rob Jones, Derek Adams

Photography: Phil Barker

Pellet grills are all the rage in the US, where adventurous grilling and low-and-slow smoking is P almost a way of life. If you’ve ever enjoyed a meal around a campfire and can still remember that tantalising smell of wood smoke and sizzling sausages, that’s what a pellet grill is like. Instead of using lumps of wood, a pellet grill burns small compressed pellets made from a wide variety of different woods that imbue meats and vegetables with a delicious smoky flavour.

Pellet grills require an electricity source to power a corkscrew-shaped auger that feeds pellets from a hopper to a fanned burn pot below the grill grate. Since the rate of pellet delivery is controlled by a computer processor – which you can access via an easy-to-use digital interface or even a phone app – whatever temperature you set remains that way for the entire duration of the grilling session. Just like an indoor oven, you simply set it and forget it.

So, if you’re a beginner who tends to burn food on a regular basis, an avid experimental chef who wants to push the envelope using a variety of ingredients other than the staples, or someone who simply hates being chained to a barbecue while everyone else is having a good time, a pellet grill is for you.

WHAT’S ON TEST…

1 Weber SmokeFire EPX6 Stealth Edition

Weber is arguably the world’s most ubiquitous BBQ brand with a portfolio that’s second to none. Its new Stealth Edition pellet grill is a total stunner that’s just as competent at searing steaks over a naked flame as it is at normal grilling and high-end smoking. In short, it’s probably the most beautiful looking BBQ we’ve ever laid eyes on. And it’s priced accordingly. £2,099, weber.com

SPECS

Max temperature 315°C Grilling area 6,370cm 2Hopper capacity 10kg Meat probes 1 Dimensions 1194x1410x838mm

2 Traeger Ironwood 650

Joe Traeger invented the pellet grill back in 1986 and this handsome model is a fine example of the attention to detail that goes into every one of the US company’s products. The Ironwood 650 is a premium workhorse that’s perfect for both standard grilling and epic low-and-slow smoking sessions. It also connects with what may well be the best app in the grilling business. £1,199, thebbqshop.co.uk