Electric outdoor grill with wood-pellet smoke box
A small electric outdoor cooker with a separate box of pellets for smoke — heat from the wall, flavour from wood.
- Runs on Electricity
- Smoke Wood-pellet smoke box
- Attention Set it and leave it
- Feeds One or two people
- Learning Forgiving to learn
- Moving it Takes it with you
- Needs Mains power
What it is good at, and what is harder
What it is good at
- Heat that burns nothing at all, which makes it the steadiest small cooker here to hold a temperature.
- It still produces genuine wood smoke, from a separate box rather than from the heat source.
- Small and light enough for a balcony or a small yard where a charcoal cooker would not be allowed.
- Nothing to light and no ash, so it can be used on an evening when a fire would not be worth starting.
What is harder
- It needs mains power, and it draws enough that the circuit matters rather than being an afterthought.
- Small capacity — this is a cooker for one or two people, not for a table.
- Outdoor use only, with substantial clearances, despite there being no fire in the usual sense.
- Only the maker's own food-grade pellets go in the smoke box; charcoal and hardwood are forbidden in it.
The comparisons on this page are BBQHQ's reading of each maker's own manual set beside the others. No manufacturer here has said anything about a competitor's cooker, and none would be admitted as evidence if it had.
Carbon monoxide — read this first
Do not use this in an enclosed space — including a garage, a tent, a porch or a shed with the door shut. BBQHQ has no manufacturer instruction permitting it.
This is recorded from a source, never inferred from what it burns. BBQHQ does not derive indoor safety from the absence of combustion — an electric cooker still presents fire and smoke risk, and only its own manufacturer’s instruction can permit enclosed-space use.
How it works
A mains-powered element under a hood, with fan-driven airflow and, on some models, a separate compartment burning wood pellets purely for smoke. It produces no carbon monoxide from its heat source and its manufacturers still restrict it to outdoor use — which is the whole reason enclosed-space permission is recorded from a source rather than inferred.
What heats it
- Electricity
Mains power driving a heating element, or a controller and fan on a cooker that burns something else. Produces no carbon monoxide — which says nothing whatever about whether the appliance may be used indoors.
Where the smoke comes from
- Wood-pellet smoke box
A sealed compartment of food-grade wood pellets ignited separately from the appliance's heat source, purely to produce smoke. The pellets contribute no useful heat and are not the appliance's fuel — which is why the energy source on a cooker using one is electricity.
What you can cook on it
Direct heat — Designed for this
Indirect heat — Designed for this
Smoking — Possible with the right setup
- The smoke box must be filled with food-grade wood pellets using the supplied scoop; the manufacturer forbids charcoal, hardwood, heating pellets or liquid fuel in it.
- Pellets keep burning after the cook finishes, so the box must not be touched until it has stopped smoking and cooled.
Low and slow — Designed for this
Is this the one for you?
Written as conditions rather than as types of cook, because the same person wants different things in June and in November.
Get this if
- You cook for one or two, often, in a small outdoor space.
- You want smoke flavour somewhere that charcoal is impractical or not permitted.
Look at something else if
- You are cooking for more than a couple of people at a time.
- There is no outdoor power, or the space is enclosed — this one is still an outdoor-only appliance.
Your first cook on it
- Give it the clearance the manual specifies, which is more than the cooker's size suggests.
- Use only the pellets the maker specifies in the smoke box, and nothing else at all.
- Preheat before the food goes on; a small chamber recovers slowly from a cold load.
Worth cooking on it
Techniques it supports
Fast cooking over direct heat. What most of the world means by barbecuing, and what American barbecue specifically does not mean — a terminology collision worth knowing about before reading any recipe.
Cooking with the lid down and the fire to one side, turning the barbecue into an oven that happens to smell of woodsmoke. The default for anything large.
Bring the food up slowly on indirect heat, then finish it hot and fast over direct. One method, two heat configurations, in that order — which is exactly why the technique and the fire arrangement are described separately here.
Many hours at low temperature with smoke, until collagen-rich cuts become tender. The method that gives American barbecue its name and its arguments.
Very hot, very short contact to develop surface colour and flavour. Not, despite the persistent belief, a way of sealing in juices.
Small pieces threaded onto skewers and cooked close over an open fire. Included because three separately sourced traditions turn out to share it, and because the skewer material — iron, bamboo, lemongrass, bicycle spoke — is a real variable that the sources themselves distinguish.
Looking after it
Keeping it working, which is a different subject from keeping it safe. The safety rules are above and below; these are the jobs that decide whether it still holds a temperature in three years.
- Empty the smoke box between cooks so old pellets do not smoulder into the next one.
- Keep the electrical connections dry and store it under cover.
- Wipe the interior after cooking; a small chamber gets greasy quickly.
Safety for this cooker
Ninja Woodfire: outdoor household use only, three feet of clearance
SharkNinja instructs that the Ninja Woodfire Pro XL is for outdoor household use only, with a minimum of 3 feet from its rear, sides and top to walls, rails or other combustible construction, and at least 1 foot from the pellet box while smoking. Only food-grade wood pellets may go in the smoke box — never charcoal, hardwood or liquid fuel.
The appliance takes its heat from a mains element and produces no carbon monoxide from it, and its maker still restricts it to outdoors. This is the single most useful equipment instruction BBQHQ holds, because it refutes the natural inference — no combustion, therefore safe indoors — from the only source with standing to confirm it.
Where this comes from
An electric outdoor cooker producing no carbon monoxide is not thereby safe for indoor use. SharkNinja restricts the Ninja Woodfire — an electrically heated outdoor grill — to outdoor household use only, and specifies a three-foot clearance to walls, rails and combustible construction. The absence of combustion removes one hazard and leaves fire risk, smoke and the manufacturer's own restriction untouched.
Well supported
SharkNinja Operating LLC — States this directly
“This appliance is for outdoor household use only.”
- What it covers:
- A manufacturer's instruction binding its own appliance. This is the one kind of source that can settle an enclosed-space question, and it settles this one as a refusal.
- The appliance is electric and produces no carbon monoxide from its heating element, and its maker still restricts it to outdoor use. The inference 'no combustion, therefore indoor-safe' is refuted here by the only authority that could have confirmed it.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
SharkNinja Operating LLC — States this directly
“maintain a minimum distance of 3 feet from rear, sides and top to walls, rails, or other combustible constructions”
- The word 'rails' is the balcony case. A 3-foot clearance to a railing is not achievable on most balconies, which is a manufacturer-stated constraint reaching the same conclusion as the fire authority by a different route.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) — Background and context
“Even a cooling barbecue gives off plenty of poisonous carbon monoxide”
- Why it happens:
- Incomplete combustion continues while fuel is still smouldering.
- Combustion chemistry, so it does not vary by jurisdiction — unlike the food rules.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
Smoke source and energy source are physically separate on some cookers. The Ninja Woodfire draws 1760 W of mains electricity for heat and burns food-grade wood pellets in a separate smoke box for smoke, and its maker forbids putting charcoal, hardwood or liquid fuel in that box.
Well supported
SharkNinja Operating LLC — States this directly
“NEVER use heating fuel pellets, hardwood, charcoal, liquid fuels, or any other combustible material in the Smoker.”
- A physically separate smoke box, filled with a scoop, independent of the heating element.
- The clearest demonstration in the catalogue that smoke source and energy source are different things: this appliance's heat is electrical and its smoke is wood, in two separate compartments, and the manufacturer's own warnings treat them as separate hazards.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
SharkNinja Operating LLC — States this directly
The Ninja Woodfire Pro XL runs on 120 V, 60 Hz mains electricity at 1760 watts, requires a 15-amp circuit, and requires any extension cord to be outdoor-rated and marked as suitable for use with outdoor appliances.
- Where it applies:
- A US-market model. 120 V is not the UK supply, so the UK model differs.
- 1760 W of mains electricity is the ENERGY source. The wood pellets are not.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
Electric does not mean indoor-safe
An electrically powered outdoor cooker is not automatically safe to use indoors. Producing no carbon monoxide removes one hazard; it does not remove fire risk, smoke, or the manufacturer's own restriction on where the appliance may be used.
The inference is natural and wrong: no combustion, therefore no carbon monoxide, therefore safe indoors. But rendered fat still ignites, smoke still fills a room, and most outdoor electric appliances are sold with an explicit outdoor-only instruction. A pellet grill makes the trap sharper still — it runs on mains electricity AND burns wood, so it carries both hazards at once. Only the manufacturer's own instruction for a specific appliance can establish indoor use, and BBQHQ has not retrieved one.
Where this comes from
An electric outdoor cooker producing no carbon monoxide is not thereby safe for indoor use. SharkNinja restricts the Ninja Woodfire — an electrically heated outdoor grill — to outdoor household use only, and specifies a three-foot clearance to walls, rails and combustible construction. The absence of combustion removes one hazard and leaves fire risk, smoke and the manufacturer's own restriction untouched.
Well supported
SharkNinja Operating LLC — States this directly
“This appliance is for outdoor household use only.”
- What it covers:
- A manufacturer's instruction binding its own appliance. This is the one kind of source that can settle an enclosed-space question, and it settles this one as a refusal.
- The appliance is electric and produces no carbon monoxide from its heating element, and its maker still restricts it to outdoor use. The inference 'no combustion, therefore indoor-safe' is refuted here by the only authority that could have confirmed it.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
SharkNinja Operating LLC — States this directly
“maintain a minimum distance of 3 feet from rear, sides and top to walls, rails, or other combustible constructions”
- The word 'rails' is the balcony case. A 3-foot clearance to a railing is not achievable on most balconies, which is a manufacturer-stated constraint reaching the same conclusion as the fire authority by a different route.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) — Background and context
“Even a cooling barbecue gives off plenty of poisonous carbon monoxide”
- Why it happens:
- Incomplete combustion continues while fuel is still smouldering.
- Combustion chemistry, so it does not vary by jurisdiction — unlike the food rules.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
UK: use a residual current device for anything that plugs in
Use a residual current device with any mains-powered cooker or equipment used outdoors. If your fusebox does not have one built in, use a plug-in RCD at the socket.
An RCD is the thing that turns cutting through a lead from a fatality into a tripped switch. Electrical Safety First and RoSPA both give this advice and neither states a milliamp rating, so neither does this rule. The 30 mA figure elsewhere in BBQHQ is Masterbuilt's instruction about Masterbuilt's smoker and is shown as that.
Where this comes from
In the UK, mains-powered equipment used outdoors should be protected by a residual current device, and a plug-in RCD should be used where the fusebox does not have one built in.
Well supported
Electrical Safety First — States this directly
“Use a residual current device (RCD) with all outdoor electrical equipment. If you don't have one built into your fusebox, use a plug-in RCD.”
- No milliamp figure is given, and that is recorded deliberately. Masterbuilt specifies 30 mA for its own smoker and the temptation is to read the two together into 'a 30 mA RCD is required'. Neither source says that. The charity says use an RCD; the manufacturer says 30 mA for its appliance. BBQHQ states each in the voice that said it.
- What it covers:
- All outdoor electrical equipment as a class. A mains-powered smoker is in scope because it is a mains appliance used outdoors, not because the source mentions cooking — it does not.
- Where it applies:
- The United Kingdom. Electrical Safety First is a UK charity writing for UK homes.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-21
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) — States this directly
“Use a residual current device (RCD) for electrically-powered equipment to protect against the risks of electrocution ... Check for any damage before you use, like worn or frayed cables, broken parts or signs equipment has got wet ... Never use electrical equipment in wet conditions ... Switch off and unplug electrical items before cleaning, adjusting or checking them.”
- A second publisher, not a restatement. RoSPA reaches the same advice as Electrical Safety First from an accident-prevention remit rather than an electrical one, and neither cites the other. The count should read two, because there are two.
- The unplug-before-adjusting instruction is the one that bites on a cooker. Clearing a probe, moving a chip tray or wiping an element are all 'adjusting', and all of them are done mid-cook with the appliance live.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-21
UK: dew counts as wet
Do not run a mains-powered cooker outdoors while the ground or the equipment is wet. Electrical Safety First sets the threshold at dew on the ground, not at rain.
This is the rule that decides the case a long cook actually presents. A ten-hour smoke started in the afternoon finishes after dark on wet grass, and the test most people apply is whether it is raining. The source deliberately sets a lower bar than that, and it is the single most useful sentence in the electrical domain for anybody running a cabinet smoker overnight.
Where this comes from
In the UK, mains-powered equipment should not be used outdoors while the ground or the equipment is wet, and the stated threshold is dew rather than rain.
Well supported
Electrical Safety First — States this directly
“Electricity and water don't mix so, even if there is just dew on the ground, don't use electrical equipment outdoors until it is dry.”
- The sentence that decides the case an electric smoker actually presents. a ten-hour cook that starts in the afternoon ends after dark on wet grass, and 'it is not raining' is the test most people would apply. The source sets a lower bar than that on purpose.
- Written about garden equipment generally. BBQHQ applies it to mains-powered cookers because they are mains equipment used outdoors, and says so rather than implying the source named them.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-21
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) — States this directly
“Use a residual current device (RCD) for electrically-powered equipment to protect against the risks of electrocution ... Check for any damage before you use, like worn or frayed cables, broken parts or signs equipment has got wet ... Never use electrical equipment in wet conditions ... Switch off and unplug electrical items before cleaning, adjusting or checking them.”
- A second publisher, not a restatement. RoSPA reaches the same advice as Electrical Safety First from an accident-prevention remit rather than an electrical one, and neither cites the other. The count should read two, because there are two.
- The unplug-before-adjusting instruction is the one that bites on a cooker. Clearing a probe, moving a chip tray or wiping an element are all 'adjusting', and all of them are done mid-cook with the appliance live.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-21
UK: the lead is part of the appliance
Use only extension leads, reels and connectors rated for outdoor use — weather-resistant, with moulded connections. Check them for damage before plugging in, uncoil a reel completely, and use one with a thermal cut-out.
The cooker is chosen once and the lead is chosen every time, usually from whatever is in the shed. A coiled reel under load is a heater rather than a shock hazard, which is why the instruction is to uncoil rather than merely to inspect — the failure it prevents is a fire.
Where this comes from
In the UK, extension leads, cable reels and connectors used outdoors should be ones rated for outdoor use, checked for damage before use and fully uncoiled, and cable reels should have a thermal cut-out.
Well supported
Electrical Safety First — States this directly
“Only use extension leads, cable reels, and connectors which are suitable for outdoor use. ... Before using them, check they are clean and free from damage, and fully uncoil them to prevent overheating.”
- The lead is the part of an electric smoker's installation that BBQHQ can say something useful about. The smoker is bought once and the lead is chosen every time it is used, usually from whatever is in the shed.
- The stated reason is overheating, not shock. A coiled reel under load is a heater, and the failure it produces is a fire rather than an electrocution.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-21
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) — Background and context
“Use a residual current device (RCD) for electrically-powered equipment to protect against the risks of electrocution ... Check for any damage before you use, like worn or frayed cables, broken parts or signs equipment has got wet ... Never use electrical equipment in wet conditions ... Switch off and unplug electrical items before cleaning, adjusting or checking them.”
- A second publisher, not a restatement. RoSPA reaches the same advice as Electrical Safety First from an accident-prevention remit rather than an electrical one, and neither cites the other. The count should read two, because there are two.
- The unplug-before-adjusting instruction is the one that bites on a cooker. Clearing a probe, moving a chip tray or wiping an element are all 'adjusting', and all of them are done mid-cook with the appliance live.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-21
UK: unplug before you fiddle with it
Switch off and unplug a mains-powered cooker before cleaning, adjusting or checking it.
On a cooker this is the instruction people break without noticing they are breaking it. Clearing a jammed auger, refilling a chip tray, wiping an element and reseating a probe are all adjusting, and all of them are done mid-cook with the appliance live and the cook's hands wet.
Where this comes from
In the UK, mains-powered equipment should be switched off and unplugged before it is cleaned, adjusted or checked.
Well established
Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) — States this directly
“Use a residual current device (RCD) for electrically-powered equipment to protect against the risks of electrocution ... Check for any damage before you use, like worn or frayed cables, broken parts or signs equipment has got wet ... Never use electrical equipment in wet conditions ... Switch off and unplug electrical items before cleaning, adjusting or checking them.”
- A second publisher, not a restatement. RoSPA reaches the same advice as Electrical Safety First from an accident-prevention remit rather than an electrical one, and neither cites the other. The count should read two, because there are two.
- The unplug-before-adjusting instruction is the one that bites on a cooker. Clearing a probe, moving a chip tray or wiping an element are all 'adjusting', and all of them are done mid-cook with the appliance live.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-21
Where to go next
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Work back from when you want to eat, through resting, cooking and lighting the fire.