Pellet grill
A wood fire run by a thermostat: an auger feeds pellets into a burn pot and a controller keeps the number you set.
- Runs on Wood pellets or Electricity
- Smoke Pellet combustion
- Attention Set it and leave it
- Feeds A full table
- Learning Forgiving to learn
- Moving it Stays where you put it
- Needs Mains power
What it is good at, and what is harder
What it is good at
- It burns real wood and holds a set temperature, which no other cooker in this catalogue does at the same time.
- The range covers a long smoke and a moderate roast on the same machine and the same fuel.
- Refuelling is filling a hopper rather than tending a fire, so a long cook needs very little attention.
- Consistent enough that the same cook repeats, which is the thing that makes learning anything else easier.
What is harder
- No mains power, no cooker. The auger, the fan and the controller all stop, and a power cut mid-brisket is a real failure mode.
- Searing is a weak point on most of them — a fan-forced wood fire under a diffuser is not radiant heat.
- Pellets must be kept dry. Damp pellets swell, jam the auger and stop the cook.
- There is more to go wrong than on a cooker made of a bowl and a lid: motors, igniters, sensors and firmware.
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
An auger feeds compressed wood pellets into a burn pot under fan-forced draught, with a controller holding a set temperature. The case that most clearly separates energy from smoke: it runs on mains electricity and burns wood, and neither fact makes the other redundant.
What heats it
- Wood pellets
Compressed sawdust, fed mechanically. Doing two jobs at once — fuel and smoke — is what makes the pellet grill convenient and what makes it the hardest case for a data model that assumes one fuel field.
- 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
- Pellet combustion
Smoke as a by-product of the pellets that are also the fuel. Cleaner and lighter than a smouldering chunk, which is why pellet grills are often described as producing less smoke flavour than their fuel would suggest.
What you can cook on it
Indirect heat — Designed for this
Smoking — Designed for this
Low and slow — Designed for this
What it will not do: direct heat. That is a fact about the architecture rather than a gap in the evidence — no accessory changes it.
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 want wood smoke without managing a fire, and you have power where you cook.
- You want repeatable results more than you want to be involved in getting them.
- You cook long and often, and would rather fill a hopper than split logs.
Look at something else if
- You want a hard sear as the main event.
- You cook away from a mains socket, or you want a cooker with nothing electrical in it.
Your first cook on it
- Run the start-up cycle with the lid as the manual directs — pellet grills light differently from anything else here.
- Keep the hopper topped up on a long cook; an empty auger means a relight rather than a top-up.
- Expect the heaviest smoke at the start and at low settings, which is when the fire is smallest.
Worth cooking on it
Techniques it supports
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.
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.
- Vacuum the burn pot and the ash out regularly; a choked pot is the commonest cause of a bad start.
- Empty the hopper if it will sit unused, and never leave pellets in it through a wet winter.
- Keep the temperature probe clean, because everything the controller does depends on what it reads.
Safety for this cooker
Never take a barbecue into an enclosed space
Never take a barbecue into a tent, awning, caravan, motorhome, garage, shed or any other enclosed space — including to keep warm, and including when it is no longer flaming.
Burning charcoal, wood or gas produces carbon monoxide, which is colourless, odourless and gives no warning before it causes harm. In an enclosed space it accumulates to lethal concentrations.
Where this comes from
A barbecue continues to produce carbon monoxide as it cools. A barbecue that is no longer flaming is still lethal in an enclosed space.
Well established
Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) — States this directly
“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
Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland) — States this directly
A barbecue should never be taken into a tent, awning, caravan or motorhome, including when it is only cooling.
- What it covers:
- Applies to charcoal and other combustion barbecues.
- Carbon monoxide is colourless and odourless, so there is no warning before symptoms.
About this source · Original · retrieved 2026-08-13
London Fire Brigade — States this directly
“After cooking, let it cool and make sure it is properly out – smouldering ashes can give off dangerous carbon monoxide fumes and can be fatal.”
- An independent authority reaching the same conclusion as the Public Health Agency by a different route — a fire service rather than a public-health body.
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
What we don't know about this
The maker's own manual for this cooker has not been obtainable. What is said here rests on how the design works in general rather than on the manufacturer's own specification.
Where to go next
Ceramic kamado or Pellet grill?
Both hold a temperature for a long time. One does it with ceramic mass and your attention, the other with an auger and a controller.
57 cm charcoal kettle or Pellet grill?
Charcoal against a fuel that behaves like a thermostat. The comparison turns on how much of the fire you want to be responsible for.
Answer six questions about how you cook and see which kinds of cooker fit — and which do not.
All eleven families on one page, grouped by what they are for.
Work back from when you want to eat, through resting, cooking and lighting the fire.