If barbequing with gas or electricity is your thing, then having the best portable pellet grills would serve you right. Pellet grills give you the convenience to add real smoke flavor to your food. Not many people can cook over a wood fire or finds it convenient. However, thanks to pellets manufacturing, you can now add your favorite wood flavor to your food. In this guide, we would take a look at the 7 portable pellet grills reviews for 2020. We would also be addressing some frequently asked questions, and buyers guide to consider.
Review Summary
Editor Choice: Green Mountain Davy Crockett WiFi Control Wood Pellet Grill
The Green Mountain Davy Crockett is a portable pellet grill weighing fairly 68 pounds. It features the thermal sensor Sense-Mate, which constantly helps to monitor the temperature of the grill. More so, it comes with Wi-Fi compatibility that lets you conveniently regulate the temperature.
Best Value: Traeger Pellet Grills TFB30KLF Tailgater
This Traeger grill is another portable pellet grill featuring an 8 pounds pellet hopper. Its Arc controller with advanced grilling logic allows you to maximize the savor of wood-fired flavor anywhere.
Best Overall: Camp Chef Pursuit Portable Pellet Grill PPG20
This Camp Chef Pursuit pellet grill features slide and grill technology with foldable legs for easy transportation. The GEN 2 PID controller and adjustable smoke setting from 1-10 make it very easy to use this grill
Charcoal Pellet Grill: Traeger Pellet Grills TFB78GLE Pro 780 Grill
With this Traeger Pro 780 grill, you never need to use gas or charcoal grill again. With its Wi-Fi compatibility, versatility cooking with up to six functions, and perfect size, you would surely be satisfied with this portable pellet grill.
Side Fire Box: Char-Griller E22424 Table Top Charcoal Grill
The Char-Griller E22424 is a portable tabletop charcoal grill you can also use as a firebox for offset Texas-style smoking. The heavy-duty steel construction, cast iron cooking grate, and up to 250 square inches cooking space make this grill perfect.
Best Pellet Smoker Grill: Z Grills 700D Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
For your perfect patio grill, go for this Z grill pellet grill. This grill comes with ample cooking space, a cabinet, a PID controller, and casters for easy mobility.
Pellet Smoker Grill: Traeger TFT18PLDO Scout Wood Smoker Grill
Traeger TFT18PLDO is a portable tabletop smoker grill with lockable latches that makes it easy to transport. The digital pro controller featured in this grill and up to 184 square inches grilling area makes it the most preferred choice amongst its competitors.
Top 7 Best Portable Pellet Grills Review
#1. Green Mountain Davy Crockett WiFi Control Wood Pellet Grill – Editor Choice
Green Mountain grills, a renowned grill manufacturer from California, is behind this excellent Davy Crocket DCWF pellet grill. For those seeking a suitable Grill for tailgating, look no further, the Davy Crockett DCWF is suitable for your needs. With foldable legs, this Davy Crockett DCWF grill will fit into your truck easily. Apart from that, this Davy Crockett grill weighs fairly 57 pounds, so you wouldn’t have to haul a heavy Grill every time you want to hang out with friends. The two cooking racks that can hold up to 4 to 6 steaks or many burgers says a lot about this pellet grill’s grilling space. The stainless steel cooking surface measures 219 square inches and offers you up to 7.75 inches clearance height of the lid’s cooking surface.
Furthermore, this grill functions by the combination of electricity and pellets. As such, there is a hot rod powered by electricity that ignites the Pellet. This rod or igniter has a power rating of 100 watts and 12 volts. The hopper for this Grill, where you feed in the Pellet, can hold up to 9 pounds of pellets. And with the anger motor with an RPM of 4.7 – 5.2, it helps to feed the Pellet to the igniter. The firebox with the venturi-style design creates a cyclone of airflow for maximum heat distribution. Moreover, this Grill also features a digital controller that lets you regulate the temperature between 150 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit for different cooking options. Other included features in this Grill included a USB charging port, dual meat probes, and WiFi smart control.
- Easy to transport
- Digital controller for more functionality
- Auger system with variable speed lets you maintain a precise, efficient feed of Pellet and oxygen
- A large-capacity pellet hopper
- No wheels
#2. Traeger Pellet Grills TFB30KLF Tailgater – Best Value
Traeger grills are another portable smoker grill worth getting in 2023. Organize a get-together for small families, RVers, campers, or anyone else and come along with this new Tailgater 20 from Traeger grills. This Grill has a compact and portable design, making it prime for balconies, tailgating, etc. The EZ-fold legs and a total weight of 62 pounds contribute to this Traeger pellet grill’s portability and compact nature. Moreover, this pellet grill is versatile, with six functions in one Grill. You can use this pellet grill to smoke, BBQ, bake, roast, Grill, and braise.
Additionally, the total cooking space of 300 square inches of stainless steel grate can hold up to two whole chickens or three rib racks, or twelve burgers. And with a maximum temperature reaching up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, you can get enough heat for your grilling choice. The hopper that delivers pellets to the igniter of this Grill can hold up to 8 pounds of pellets. Apart from that, the digital arc controller gives you the flexibility to set the precise temperature you need for cooking. You can also use meat probes to check the temperature inside the grill without lifting the lid.
- Keep warm mode to ensure food is always hot off the Grill
- Compact with foldable legs
- Digital arc controller for easy temperature setting
- Drip bucket included
- No tool hook or side shelf
#3. Camp Chef Pursuit Portable Pellet Grill PPG20 – Best Overall
If portability is your thing, you might want to consider taking a look at this Camp Chef PPG20 grill. Whenever your next adventure may be, be it a block party, tailgating, backyard grilling, etc., this Grill’s compact design will have you set up and grilling in minutes. With two wheels, foldable legs, and latches for locking the chamber and hopper lids, all makes transporting this Grill effortless. Overall, this Grill weighs fairly about 82 pounds. The two stainless steel cooking grates, with the upper rack measuring 248 square inches and lower rack 253 square inches, can fit up to twenty-four ¼ pound burgers or four whole chicken. Apart from its ample grilling space, this Grill is also quite affordable, making it a preferred choice for anyone on a budget.
This Camp Chef grill is a very portable pellet grill with a slide and grill technology feature. Aside from that, the Camp Chef PPG20 grill can house up to 10 pounds of Pellet in its hopper. With the Camp Check PPG20 grill, you wouldn’t have to refill the hopper to keep the Grill burning constantly. And with the ash checkout system and grease management systems in this Camp Chef PPG20 grill, cleaning up after every use is effortless. However, to power this Grill, you need a 110-volt power outlet. In addition to all the exciting features of this Grill, the adjustable smoke settings between 1 and 10 stand out the most as it gives you the flexibility to customize your cooking.
- Large pellet hopper capacity
- Easy to transport
- High-temperature range
- Large grilling room
- No chimney for smoke vent
- Limited height may restrict this Grill from cooking large items
#4. Traeger Pellet Grills TFB78GLE Pro 780 Grill – Best Charcoal Pellet Grill
Traeger Pellet TFB78GLE Pro 780 grill is a very portable wood pellet grill for small families and weighing fairly 150 pounds. TFB78GLE Pro 780 Grill is another renowned grill manufacturer with over 30 years of experience in grill manufacturing. With the TFB78GLE pellet grill, you can say goodbye to the conventional electrical and gas fuels, and start enjoying the genuine taste of real smoke from wood, charcoal, and Pellet in your food. Amongst a myriad of features to love about this Grill, the perfect cast iron construction stands out, as it makes the Grill durable enough to stand the test of time. Moreover, his Traeger pellet grill has a full-body porcelain coating that contributes to the Grill’s resistivity to harsh environments like corrosion.
Additionally, the TFB78GLE pellet grill offers a whopping 780 square inches grilling space, perfect for a large family cooking. Its grilling space can house up to 34 burgers, 6 ribs racks, 6 chicken, fish, steak, vegetables, and desserts, etc. Moreover, the Traeger Pellet Grill TFG78GL comes with a 6-in-1 versatility feature that lets you smoke, bake, braise, Grill, BBQ, and roast all on the same Grill. With a hopper capacity of 18 pounds and a maximum heating temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit, cooking on a Grill just became effortless. This pellet grill also features the Pro D2 controller that lets you easily turn the dial to the desired temperature you want to grill. This Grill also features two large wheels for easy mobility.
- Smoke chimney for a better smoking experience
- Large hopper and grilling space
- Easy controller dial
- High maximum grilling temperature
- No side table for sauce and hanging tools
#5. Char-Griller E22424 Table Top Charcoal Grill – Best for Side Fire Box
For those seeking a very portable charcoal grill at an affordable price, the Char-Griller E22424 is your best choice. Not only is this grill portable and lightweight, weighing approximately 42 pounds. Amongst the lists of things to love about this Grill, the ability to use it as a side smoker and a tabletop charcoal grill sets this Grill aside from other Grills in its class. The Char-Griller E22424 fits into the Char-Griller Pro Deluxe, Duo, Outlaw, and Wrangler Grills as a side firebox. You can also choose to use this Grill, and it includes legs as a tabletop grill, especially when going out for camping or tailgating.
Although it has a small grilling space of just about 250 square inches, it can house up to 12 burgers. Moreover, the heavy-duty steel construction of this Grill makes it durable and worth every penny. This Grill also comes with a dual damper control you can use to regulate the Grill’s temperature. Furthermore, its cooking grates are made with cast iron, making it perfect for heat distribution. The easy dump ash pan makes cleaning up this Grill a breeze. And finally, the powder coating finishing on this Grill stands out more than its competitors.
- Powder coating finishing
- Durable construction
- Cooks efficiently
- Convertible between a standalone charcoal grill and a firebox for larger grills
- No temperature gauge
- A very small cooking surface
#6. Z Grills 700D Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker – Best Pellet Smoker Grill
Z Grills 700D is a huge pellet grill weighing about 120 pounds. It is suitable for backyard grilling and family get-togethers. Z Grills, like most grills in this review, has been around for more than 30 years now, and as such, they know one or two things about how to make their product better than others. Things to expect from the Z Grill 700D includes a large grilling space, hopper, and bottom cabinet. You can store all you need from sauce to vegetables, meats, and equipment with the bottom cabinet. The large hopper capacity can hold up to 20 pounds of Pellet, reducing the number of times you have to refill this Grill. The Z Grill 700D also comes with a large grilling space totaling up to 700 square inches, divided between 513 square inches total rack surface area and 187 square inches smoking and warming rack.
Other features that make this Z Grill stand out are its ultimate 8-in-1 feature that gives you the flexibility to use one Grill to smoke, bake, sear, roast, char-grill, barbeque, Grill, and braise. Considering that this Grill is multifunctional, and the fact that it infuses into your food real Smokey flavor from the wood pellet ensures that your food is always delicious with a nice aroma. And because this Grill is pretty huge, it features four casters that make it easy to move the Grill in and out of your backyard. Cleaning this Grill is also a breeze as it features a porcelain-coated steel cooking grate, grease management system, and ash pan.
- Easy to put together
- Consistent temperature
- Durable construction
- Four casters for easy mobility
- High maximum temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit
- Very heavy for moving around
#7. Traeger TFT18PLDO Scout Wood Smoker Grill – Best Pellet Smoker Grill
Are you after a portable grill? If you are, then the Traeger TFT18PLDO is a very portable wood smoker grill you can use for any outing like camping, tailgating, outdoor dining, etc. This TFT18OLDO smoker grill is a perfect tabletop pellet grill with a wide cooking space measuring up to 176 square inches, wide enough to house up to 10 hot dogs, 6 burgers, and 6 chicken breasts. The durable, heavy-duty steel construction of this Grill gives it an edge over other competitors’ Grill.
However, the Traeger TFT18PLDO has a pellet hopper capacity of only 4 pounds, which is quite small, but it can burn at a maximum temperature of up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Traeger grill is lightweight, weighing fairly 45 pounds, and it is also easy to transport. It also features lockable latches for safer transport. The digital pro controller allows you to set the grill temperature at a difference of +/- 25 degrees. Furthermore, this Grill is super easy to clean, thanks to its porcelain enameled-coated cooking grates, grease management system, and ash pan.
- Easy to transport with latches for safer transporting
- Lightweight but durable Grill
- Easy to clean
- Reasonable cooking grate
- No temperature gauge
- Small hopper capacity
Best Portable Pellet Grills Buyer’s Guide
1. Size
One of the main points of getting portable pellet grills is the size. So, when getting a portable grill, be conscious of the design of the Grill. Ensure the grill is very easy to transport by featuring wheels. And if you do not want to get portable pellet grills that big, you can also settle for a tabletop pellet grill. Always think about what you need the Grill for, before deciding the size to buy.
2. Build Quality
Another very important aspect of pellet grills to consider before buying is the build quality. Now, different manufacturers use different types of materials to make their grills. It is only reasonable for you to go for a pellet grill with a build quality that matches your budget and your needs. The build quality of a grill is directly proportional to the durability of the Grill. Steel pellet grills are the most common and less expensive than several other alloy body build grills.
3. Cooking Surface
The cooking surface or cooking box of a pellet grill is the area where you grill your meats or vegetables. So, whether you’re after a large cooking surface, or something moderate, it’s all left to you. Consider what you want to cook on the Grill, and for what purpose, before deciding on the perfect size of the cooking surface that will suit your needs.
4. Ease Clean
The ability to easily clean your Grill is one feature that always stands out anytime, anywhere. You can keep an eye out for features that will help, such as stainless steel cooking grates, or porcelain enameled-coating, grease management system, and ash pans. All this works together in keeping your Grill clean and makes cleaning it easy and effortless.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does a Portable Smoker Mean a Small Cooking Area
Not all portable smokers come with a small cooking area. Some portable smokers have a big enough cooking area to feed a large crowd. However, most portable smokers come with a small cooking area.
2. Which is Better Charcoal or Pellet Grill
Charcoal grills are better than pellet grills because they often burn at a higher temperature and a much more prolonged time than a pellet grill. But on the other hand, pellet grills produce the best quality of smoke than a charcoal grill. So, the best type of Grill between charcoal and pellet grill depends on your preference.
3. How to Maintain a Pellet Grill
Maintaining a pellet grill is easy and simple. You need to ensure that you constantly remove the ash from the ash pan and clean the Grill after every use. Also, after cleaning, it helps to grease its grate with a little oil to prevent corrosion.
Conclusion
In conclusion, after reviewing seven of the best portable pellet grills in the market, we believe choosing what works best for you shouldn’t be an issue anymore. Cooking over a genuine smoke enhances the taste and flavor of your grilled foods. So, take your cooking espionage to the next level with portable pellet grills. Do not forget to leave a comment in the comment section below.