If you love to grill food for your friends and family, a pellet grill is undoubtedly your first choice. But, wait, how can you decide between the two best pellet grills for beginners and experts – Pit Boss or Traeger grills.
Most people get into an endless debate of defending the grills they own. We don’t deny the fact that you can find multiple options in the market, including Camp Chef, Grilla Grills, Rec Teq, Zgrills, and more.
However, the primary purpose of this article is to present an unbiased comparison of Pit Boss vs Traeger pellet grills by discussing their features and top-performing models.
Page Contents
Traeger vs Pit Boss
Traeger Pellet Grill
Founded in the mid-1980s, Traeger is considered the pioneer in designing grills that rely on wood pellets as fuel instead of charcoal or gas.
Design
The Traeger pellet grill is indeed durable, courtesy of non-stick porcelain grill grates. Not only that, but the grill comes with a sturdy Traeger Grills cover.
Heat Retention
One of the greatest advantages of using the Traeger pellet grill is its front heat retention. The cooking chamber essentially has two stainless steel layers for added insulation.
Temperature
You can set the temperature in 15F degrees increments in standard Traeger grills and even 5F degrees in premium models. That’s why Traeger pellet grills are known for offering temperature precision.
The Traeger pellet grills offer a temperature selection between 180F and 500F degrees. Furthermore, the premium grills have a wider temperature range of 160F to 500F degrees.
Additional Features
The WiFIRE technology incorporated in the pellet grills allows you to monitor and control the cooking session via WiFi from anywhere in the house. In addition to that, you can turn on the grill, set the temperature and timers remotely.
Hopper Capacity
All full-size Traeger pellet grills come with a hopper capacity of 18 pounds.
A pro tip: To achieve better results, you should use Traeger Grills wood pellets, one of the best wood pellets for smoking.
Warranty
Lastly, the Traeger pellet grills come with a warranty of three years to ensure a safe investment.
Traeger Pellet Grill Advantages
- High-tech features, such as Turbo Temp, AGL, and Direct D2 Drive
- Facilitates remote operations
- Six-in-one cooking options
- Easy assembling
Traeger Grill Problems
- Three years warranty only
Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Founded in 1990 by the Theissen family, Pit Boss designs various grills, including kamado charcoal grill, flat top grill, and even vertical pellet electric smoker.
Design
The Pit Boss grill comes with coated cast-iron grates instead of non-stick porcelain. It means you have to coat the grates with oil to avoid the meat sticking to the grates.
Temperature
Unlike Trager, Pit Boss comes with a temperature dial that you can set in 25F degrees increment only. Here, Pit Boss lags in temperature precision. Lucky for you, the Pit Boss grills allow you to select the temperature between 180F to 500F degrees, which is a clear win over the regular Traeger pellet grill models.
Hopper Capacity
Pit Boss Pellet grills come with different hopper sizes ranging from five to 27 pounds; However, most grills have more than 20 pounds hopper capacity, which is higher than Traeger.
Warranty
The good news is that Pit Boss pellet grills come with a five-year warranty, two years more than the Traeger grills.
Pit Boss Pellet Grill Advantages
- Affordable pellet grills
- Includes adjustable storage space
- Features premium quality stainless steel construction
- Comes with a five-year warranty
Pit Boss Grill Issues
- No additional high-tech features
The Most Popular Pit Boss Pellet Grill
Pit Boss 10537 Wood Pellet Grill
The Pit Boss 10537 Wood Pellet Grill is one of the best pellet smokers, courtesy of its eight-in-one cooking versatility to smoke, grill, roast, braise, bake, and more. You can use the dial-in temperature controller anywhere between 180F to 500F degrees weather to smoke a turkey or grill some steaks.
This reliable pellet grill comes with overall dimensions of 58.22 x 32.33x 52.15 inches and 157.4 pounds. Moreover, it offers a total cooking area of 849 square inches, enough to make a meal for a large family gathering.
The sturdy wheels allow you to easily transport this compact pellet grill from the patio to the storage room. Additionally, this durable pellet grill is made of 16-gauge steel to keep it lightweight.
The dial-in temperature control coupled with an LED display allows you to monitor the temperature. Lucky for you, the pellet grill includes meat probes to measure the meat’s internal temperature. You should know that these probes are one of the best grill thermometers; thus, you don’t have to spend extra money on buying new ones.
Other than the Pit Boss 10537 pellet grill, another renowned grill is Pit Boss 700FB, an affordable pellet smoker under $500. In addition to that, you can also buy Pit Boss Grills vertical pellet smoker, which is an exceptional electric smoker with a digital LED and auto-ignition mechanism.
Bonus: You can also have a look at Camp Chef vs Traeger to have a more comprehensive comparison.
Pros:
- 180F to 500F temperature range
- Eight-in-one cooking functions
- 849 square inches cooking area
- Includes meat probes
- 21 pounds hopper capacity
Pros:
- Temperature fluctuates
- Small searing place
The Most Popular Traeger Grills Pellet Grill
Traeger Pro Series 575 Grill
The Traeger Pro Series 575 Grill is an advanced grill offering state-of-the-art features, such as a WiFIRE controller, D2 controller, Direct Drive, and turbo temperature.
This multi-functional grill comes with a primary grilling area of 418 square inches and a secondary grilling area of 154 square inches. Moreover, it has a total weight of 128 pounds, featuring a hopper capacity of 18 pounds.
The WiFIRE technology allows you to control the smoker via the Traeger app, which you can install on your smart devices. This way, you can adjust the heat, monitor pellet levels, and set the timer while sitting on your couch.
The D2 controller, which is essentially a PID controller, allows you to maintain a precise temperature. It features variable speeds for the fan so that you can adjust both the smoke and temperature levels accordingly. Not only that, but you can also keep an eye on the meat’s internal temperature via the probes.
The brushless DC motor requires lesser maintenance while offering exceptional performance. The auger motor coupled with the PID controller allows you to achieve a consistent temperature and even heating. You can find a digital temperature display on the grill’s lid, so you don’t have to open the lid to monitor the cooking process.
In addition to Traeger Pro Series 575 grill, you can also opt for the following reliable grills to smoke a brisket.
- Traeger Grills Pro 780
- Traeger Ironwood Series – An upgrade over the Pro series
Pros:
- Durable powder-coated steel construction
- Consistent temperature
- 165F to 500F degrees temperature range
- D2 Drivetrain
- Brushless motor
- Variable fan speed
Pros:
- No double-sided wall insulation
- Difficult to clean
Conclusion
If you are a fan of slow grilling and smoking at a low temperature, you can blindly go for Traeger. On the other hand, if you want a one-for-all and all-for-one versatile grill, Pit Boss is your ultimate choice.
Furthermore, Traeger incorporates digital and wireless technology in its grills, allowing you to monitor and control the temperature via the Traeger mobile application.
However, Traeger is an expensive option than Pit Boss. Moreover, Trager offers the largest cooking surface of 1300 square inches while Pit Boss offers a whopping 1600 square inches cooking area.
We leave the final decision up to you guys!
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