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I have found that pellet grills are versatile outdoor cookers any backyard kitchen setup can use. Most are 8-in-1 appliances that can bake, roast, char-broil, grill, smoke, sear, braise, and barbecue. Being able to do so much on a single cooking appliance often comes with a hefty price point, but they don’t have to.
The best pellet grill under $500 is easy to find if you know what sort of amenities and materials you want from a grill. While I love reclaiming my summer by connecting my pellet grill to my home Wi-Fi network, that’s not necessarily everyone’s priority.
Read Also: What is a Pellet Grill?
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- Cook anything without ever going inside
- It gives grilling a set-it-and-forget-it approach
- Well-known and trusted brand
With a pellet grill in your backyard, you need nothing else. This model provides 452 in2 of cooking space so you can create a delicious meal at your summer pool parties. The 15 lbs. capacity hopper is enough to keep your pellet grill low-and-slow smoking all day.
If you’re looking to bake cornbread muffins or baked apples to go along with your rotisserie pork loin, your pellet grill can do it. There’s little that a pellet grill can’t do, but the Z GRILLS ZPG-450A 2020 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill can craft the perfect meal while looking great at the same time.
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The Z Grills ZPG-450A 2020 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill is the easiest way to cook with wood as your fuel. The large hopper allows users to enjoy the delicious taste of mesquite, hickory, or oak whenever you cook, but with only a fraction of the work. Simply fill your hopper, switch it on, and let your pellet grill do all the work for you.
The grill monitors the 452 in2 cooking surface and automatically adjusts temperatures 180°F to 450°F if it detects a deviation. The powder coating finish on the stainless steel chassis withstands high temperatures throughout years of use. You’ll love being able to enjoy the summer weather playing with your kids or doing laps in your pool instead of watching your dinner cook on a grill.
Who Should Get This?
This is the perfect pellet grill for small families with young kids. It does all your grilling for you so that you can spend more time with your family.
Pros
- 452 in2 of grilling space for small families
- Built to withstand regular exposure to high temperatures
- 15 lbs. hopper cooks longer without needing to be refilled
Cons
- Don’t use in wet weather
Camp Chef is another well-known brand with a diverse set of products that users love. If you already have Camp Chef grills, you know it’s a terrific appliance at a fraction of the price of other grills it consistently outperforms.
Camp Chef built this model with summer home grilling in mind. Camp Chef removes all the guesswork of maintaining internal temperatures with the addition of a large digital readout. It cooks evenly by circulating hot air around its steel cooking chamber to prepare your food perfectly each time.
It’s heavy at 127 pounds, but the all-terrain wheels make it easier to move around to any spot in your backyard.
Who Should Get This?
With such a great price point attached to a PID system, this pellet grill is great for any chef who wants to enjoy their summer with all the technology included.
Pros
- Large 18 lbs. hopper capacity means fewer refills
- Ash clean-out system is easy to use
- Sear proteins with temperatures up to 500°F
Cons
- May need a larger grill to feed large groups
Z GRILLS is well-known for offering quality pellet grills for a fraction of its rival brands’ price. Its grills are reliable and durable, often with all the amenities like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. They also include PID controllers for temperature adjustments, but without the huge price tag.
This model meets all of those Z GRILLS standards. Users can sear at temperatures of 1,000°F or infuse wood flavors into their macaroni and cheese side dishes at only 350°F. Cook at normal temperatures for about 20 hours with a full hopper of about 20 pounds. The grill maintains the temperature you set within 10 degrees. The cooking area equals 330 in2 with an additional 270 in2 set aside for smoking and warming.
Who Should Get This?
This wood pellet grill and smoker is perfect for gadget-lover grillers on a budget. It has all the bells and whistles of models twice the price from a quality brand.
Pros
- Stainless steel design keeps heat well
- Large grilling surface, perfect for large groups
- Monitor temperatures using Bluetooth wireless meat thermometer
Cons
- Assembly may require 2 or more people
The Z GRILLS ZPG-6002B is a great all-around pellet grill. Like other pellet grills, it’s an 8-in-1 appliance that can smoke, bake, braise, roast, char-broil, sear, barbecue, and grill. The searing station temperature can reach up to 1,000°F while the interior cooking chamber holds steady at 180°F to 450°F so infuse your favorite wood flavor into your baked apple strudel for an extra layer of flavor.
Z GRILLS knows temperature accuracy is important. It built this grill out of stainless steel to keep temperatures within 10° of your set temp, no matter what the weather is like outside. It has a 20 pound hopper that gives you 20 hours of low-and-slow smoking time. You can fill it up and then set your ribs and brisket to smoke overnight to be ready the next afternoon.
Who Should Get This?
If you need an affordable pellet smoker, this model is a great choice. Pack it up for camping, or set it up for your backyard barbecues.
Pros
- Large grilling surface feeds many people
- Provides delicious smoky flavors without a mess
- Stainless steel construction is durable
Cons
- It may be too big for some families
Eliminate the need for a rotisserie with this innovative pellet grill from Pit Boss. With the powerful fan blowing hot, smoky air through 465 in2 of grilling surface, you don’t have to place your turkeys, chickens, pork loins, pineapple, or prime rib onto a skewer again. Instead, the cooking chamber works as a convection oven to cook your food thoroughly from all sides while it infuses the delicious smoky flavor of your choice into your protein, veggies, or fruits.
The grill provides ample storage space on its side shelf and cart, giving you a handy space to store your hardwood pellets when not in use. There are two large wheels on one side of the cart to make this 95 pounds grill easier to move around your porch, patio, or balcony.
Who Should Get This?
This grill is perfect for pitmasters who love cooking on a rotisserie but don’t care for the mess it can create. Never pick up a skewer again.
Pros
- Side shelf is removable, works great for serving
- Cook with convection technology with powerful fan
- Analog temperature dial is easy to read
Cons
- Some users find temperature control difficult
The Big Horn Outdoors Pellet Grill & Smoker lets you smoke, grill, braise, roast, bake, and barbecue on one large cooking surface. Lock in the delicious natural flavors of your meat and infuse it with the smoky tastes of your favorite wood. Create your own natural wood blend and add it to your eight pound hopper.
Startup is as easy as pushing a button. Set your temperature from 225°F to 450°F on your easy-to-use Digital Control Center and let your grill do everything else. The smokestack damper is adjustable, so you can control how much smoke is in your grill. Storage is easy as the front shelf folds down, saving space when not in use, and the large wheels on one side of the cart make mobility easy.
Who Should Get This?
This pellet grill is the ideal grill for any newcomers to the outdoor cooking scene and seasoned veterans who want to get their feet wet with their first pellet grill.
Pros
- 430 in2 of total grilling space
- Smokestack damper is adjustable to control temperatures
- Front shelf folds down for extra prep space
Cons
- Pellets sometimes get clogged in auger
The tailgating possibilities are endless with the Traeger Tailgater 20 Portable Wood Pellet Grill. Bake a pizza on the same surface you used to slow cook brisket for sandwiches. Street corn and roasted vegetables are just as easy as searing your steaks at high temperatures.
The powder-coated steel is durable and retains heat, so the 19,500 BTUs of cooking power won’t escape the cooking chamber. Porcelain-coated grilling grates cover the 300 in2 of cooking space and create perfect sear marks every time but are easy to clean. Portability is ensured by the grill’s EZ Fold legs, making it easy to store or pack in the back of your SUV or truck bed. It fits into the back of most sedans with room to spare.
Who Should Get This?
This grill is for precision-cooking pitmasters on the go. It doesn’t take up lots of space; the legs fold up for easy mobility, and temperature settings are in 5° increments.
Pros
- 300 in2 of porcelain coated grilling space
- Keep Warm Mode keeps food hot off the grill
- Cold smoke at 180°F and sear at 450°F
Cons
- Small cooking surface doesn’t feed groups
Camp Chef grilling systems are some of the most reliable and best-built models on the market. The Pursuit 20 Portable Wood Pellet Grill uses the same innovative technology Camp Chef is known for in its other grill models.
The Slide and Grill feature is unique because it gives users the capability to cook over direct and indirect heat, mimicking infrared cooking technology without the infrared pricing. Just pull the knob, and you can switch between cooking methods without having to take food off your grill grates. It can reach temperatures of up to 500°F, using the power of 25,000 BTUs across 501 in2 of grilling area.
Camp Chef uses its Smart Smoke technology to keep your grill’s interior temperature within 15° of the temperature you set, speeding up the auger if it gets too cold and slowing it down if it gets too hot.
Who Should Get This?
This grill is for anyone who wants more control over their open flame. It does everything other pellet grills do but includes a feature for direct and indirect heat.
Pros
- Trusted brand reliably provides great products
- Offers multiple cooking methods
- Slow cook at temperatures as low as 160°F
Cons
- The grill shouldn’t be used in rain or snow
The Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett WiFi Controlled Portable Wood Pellet Grill is ideal for packing up and taking with you anywhere. Before reaching for a portable gas grill, choose this one to give your food the delicious wood flavor that every pitmaster craves.
Set-up and assembly are easy to manage. The grill runs off of a 12V car battery, making smoking ribs and brisket anywhere your car can fit easy. Connect the grill to your home Wi-Fi connection or your smartphone’s hotspot to monitor your grill’s temperatures anywhere.
The GMG app makes turning your grill on and off remotely a breeze. You can walk away and monitor internal temperatures, timers, build and store profiles for your favorite recipes, and get notifications of low fuel all in one place.
Who Should Get This?
This Green Mountain Grill is ideal for camping, tailgating, and picnicking. It is built for busy grillers who don’t want to put a lot of thought into pre-planning meals.
Pros
- 9 lbs. capacity hopper
- Wide temperatures range for cold smoking and searing
- Dual voltage control and power accessories
Cons
- Fan tends to stall
The Z GRILLS ZPG-7002BPRO Wood Pellet Grill has all the great amenities that larger pellet grills offer, but buyers don’t have to worry about breaking the bank to get what they want. It’s ideal for any backyard, patio, or deck and has some great features that other grills its size don’t offer.
The 20 pound capacity hopper is one of the most distinctive features. Many other grills in this price range feature smaller 9 and 10 lbs. hoppers making refills necessary more often. With this grill, you can set it to smoke, fill the hopper, and trust that it will smoke brisket, ribs, or turkeys overnight. Thanksgiving dinner has never been so easy.
Who Should Get This?
This grill is an upgrade for pellet grillers who want a little more out of their grill but without the price tag often associated with bigger models.
Pros
- Dependable grill from a trustworthy brand
- Lots of storage space on cart
- Grease management is easy to clean
- Stainless steel design is durable, cooks fast
- Great price point for everything you get
Cons
- Not for the rain or snow
- Temperature increments are 50°
Best Pellet Grill Under $500 Overall
If you want to low-and-slow cook your meals or high-sear your favorite steak, a great pellet smoker can do both. If you’ve used gas or charcoal grills, you may be used to constantly monitoring the temperatures, but with pellet grills, you have more freedom to spend time with family and friends. The Z GRILLS ZPG-450A 2020 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill provides 452 in2 of grilling space and a 15 lbs. hopper for large meals smoked to perfection.
