The Best Pellet Grills for 2026: Traeger, Yoder, Weber and Recteq Picks
By Claire Whitmore. Last updated October 2026.
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Pellet grills made real barbecue easy. You fill a hopper with hardwood pellets, set a temperature and let a thermostat, an auger and a fan do the rest, almost like a wood-fired convection oven. The result is smoky pork shoulder, ribs and wings without babysitting a charcoal fire all day.
We built this guide from two independent sources. Serious Eats assembled and tested pellet grills by smoking chicken wings, grilling flank steak to judge high-heat performance and smoking pork shoulder at 225°F on its favorites, with some grills in long-term use for years. Popular Mechanics’ grilling team tested and evaluated its picks for usability, heat and smoke control, cleanup and food quality. We haven’t tested these grills ourselves.
Quick answer: Serious Eats’ best pellet grill is the Traeger Ironwood XL. Popular Mechanics’ best overall is the Yoder YS640s, which Serious Eats also recommends for serious pitmasters. If you want a steak-searing pellet grill, Serious Eats’ pick is the Recteq X-Fire Pro 825; on a budget, it’s the Pit Boss 440 Deluxe.
Our picks at a glance
| Grill | Source | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Traeger Ironwood XL | Serious Eats: best pellet grill | Big gatherings, easy smoking |
| Yoder YS640S | Popular Mechanics: best overall; Serious Eats: best for pros | Heavy-duty, competition-style cooks |
| Traeger Timberline | Serious Eats: best splurge | A luxe, high-tech outdoor kitchen |
| Traeger Woodridge Pro | Serious Eats: best Traeger under $1,000 | Huge cooking area for the money |
| Weber Searwood 600 | Serious Eats: best for beginners | Simple operation, up to 600°F |
| Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 | Serious Eats: best for searing | Smoking plus real high-heat grilling |
| Coyote 36-Inch Pellet Grill | Popular Mechanics: best built-in features | Built-in outdoor kitchens |
| Pit Boss 440 Deluxe | Serious Eats: best budget | Value |
How pellet grills work, and their tradeoffs
A pellet grill feeds wood pellets from a hopper to a fire pot with an auger; a hot rod ignites them, and a fan circulates heat and smoke through the cooking chamber. Serious Eats calls pellet grills the most set-it-and-forget-it of all grills and smokers.
The tradeoffs: many max out around 550°F, which makes them less adept at searing; all need electricity, so you’ll need an outdoor outlet; and they cost more than charcoal grills. Serious Eats says to go for the biggest grill your yard and budget allow; most of its favorites offer 640 to 880 square inches. Its full-size recommendations start at about $1,000 with the Woodridge Pro, while a roughly $400 grill gets you a small model.
Popular Mechanics notes pellets come mostly from hardwoods like oak, maple, hickory and mesquite, and recommends experimenting with blends. Its smoking expert suggests a mild clean every three to four cooks, using a shop vac to remove ash and sawdust.
The best pellet grills
1. Traeger Ironwood XL: best overall
Best for: entertainers who want easy, reliable smoke.
With 924 square inches of cooking space, Serious Eats says you’ll never run out of room. Its testers practically swooned over succulent, nicely smoky pork shoulder and wings, especially using the Super Smoke setting. You can set temperature in five-degree increments, the side hopper is easy to fill and the grease trap has a handle. A senior editor reports it’s still smoking beautifully after years of use.
The app and onboard interface can be glitchy when used together; Serious Eats suggests using one or the other.
Pros
- Huge cooking area
- Excellent smoke flavor
- Five-degree control
Cons
- App glitches
- Large footprint
2. Yoder Smokers YS640S: best for serious pitmasters
Best for: barbecue enthusiasts who want a grill for life.
Popular Mechanics’ best overall praises its high-quality, American-made build, steady temperatures and excellent flavor and bark. Serious Eats found its 10-gauge steel chamber delivered incredible heat retention, a higher temperature range for beautiful searing and lots of smoke, and it stayed consistent through 18-hour cooks in long-term testing.
It weighs a whopping 335 pounds, according to Serious Eats, and it’s pricey, though arguably a better value than the Timberline.
Pros
- Built like a tank
- Steady temperatures
- Great bark and sear
Cons
- 335 lb
- Expensive
3. Traeger Timberline: best luxury pellet grill
Best for: a statement outdoor kitchen.
Serious Eats’ testers said its control panel looks like it belongs on a spaceship. It has wireless thermometers, internal lights, an induction side burner, wood shelves and lots of storage, and delivered consistent temperatures with robust but not overpowering smoke. It’s a roughly $3,500 grill with a lower maximum temperature range.
Pros
- Luxe build and storage
- Induction side burner
- Consistent smoke
Cons
- Around $3,500
- Lower top temperature
4. Traeger Woodridge Pro: best value full-size Traeger
Best for: most families.
It has a cooking surface even larger than the Ironwood XL, varied just 10 degrees from its set temperature, connected to its app easily every time and produced tender, nicely smoky meat. Serious Eats has long-term tested it for about two years. It wasn’t the smokiest grill in the lineup.
Pros
- Huge capacity for the price
- Steady temperatures
- Reliable app
Cons
- Milder smoke flavor
5. Weber Searwood 600: best for beginners
Best for: first-time pellet grillers who also want to sear.
Serious Eats says it’s simple enough to use without opening the manual. Its wide temperature range, up to 600°F, produced excellent low-and-slow wings and well-browned steaks. Wings weren’t supremely smoky, but a SmokeBoost setting helps. There’s no side table unless you buy the add-on.
Pros
- Very easy to use
- Sears well
- SmokeBoost mode
Cons
- Side table sold separately
6. Recteq X-Fire Pro 825: best for searing
Best for: grillers who want a pellet grill that also acts like a charcoal grill.
It has the largest temperature range of Serious Eats’ winners, with smoke and grill modes and gas-grill-style knobs. It moved from smoking to high-heat grilling in about 15 minutes, its temperature shot to 1,100°F and the steak crust rivaled charcoal. Testers found a hot spot on the right side and uneven wings.
Pros
- Massive heat range
- Real searing
- Fast mode switching
Cons
- Hot spot
- No pellet release system
7. Coyote 36-Inch Pellet Grill: best for built-in outdoor kitchens
Best for: luxury outdoor kitchens.
Popular Mechanics’ best for built-in features highlights an LCD touchscreen with three temperature probes, interior lighting, a unique modular rack system and a front-loaded hopper. It lacks Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Pros
- Three probes
- Interior lights
- Modular racks
Cons
- No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
8. Pit Boss 440 Deluxe: best budget
Best for: trying pellet smoking for less.
Serious Eats calls it the best grill for the money: its searing panel got blisteringly hot and its smoke flavor fell just behind pricier Traeger and Yoder grills in taste tests. It lacks smart features, has a smaller hopper, runs hotter and less consistently than ideal for smoking, and has only two wheels.
Pros
- Great value
- Searing panel
- Good smoke flavor
Cons
- No app
- Small hopper
- Less consistent
Other options
Popular Mechanics recommends the Camp Chef XT 24 for beginners, the Camp Chef XXL Pro as its best vertical pellet smoker and the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker for cooks without a yard. Serious Eats also likes the Traeger Westwood XL for smoking (its manual says it’s not for high-temperature cooking) and the portable Traeger Tailgater, which fits up to a dozen burgers.
How to choose
- Size: go big if you entertain; Serious Eats’ favorites mostly offer 640 to 880 square inches.
- Searing: if steaks matter, choose a high-heat model like the Searwood or X-Fire Pro.
- Smart features: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth let you monitor temperature and pellet levels remotely.
- Build: heavy steel, like the Yoder’s, holds heat better in wind and cold.
- Power: plan for an outdoor outlet.
Pellet vs. gas vs. charcoal
Pellet grills win on hands-off smoking, gas grills on fast weeknight grilling, and charcoal on raw searing heat and price. Read our pellet grill vs. gas grill comparison, or see the best gas grills and best charcoal grills. Whatever you choose, a good meat thermometer is essential, since Serious Eats notes built-in grill thermometers aren’t always accurate.
FAQ
Can pellet grills sear steaks?
Some can. Many top out around 550°F; Serious Eats found the Weber Searwood (up to 600°F) and Recteq X-Fire Pro excellent for searing.
Do pellet grills need electricity?
Yes, for the auger, igniter, fan and controller.
How often should I clean a pellet grill?
Popular Mechanics’ expert recommends a mild clean every three to four cooks, using a shop vac for ash.
How much should I spend?
Serious Eats’ full-size recommendations start around $1,000; roughly $400 buys a small grill.
The bottom line
The Traeger Ironwood XL is the easiest big pellet grill to love. Serious barbecue fans should consider the heavy-duty Yoder YS640S, while the Timberline and Coyote suit luxury outdoor kitchens. For searing, choose the Recteq X-Fire Pro or Weber Searwood.
