Pellet grill vs Gas grill

Barbecue season is our absolute favourite. Who doesnâ€™t just love putting up a grill in your backyard or even balconies and grilling burgers? And enjoy those with your family and friends with a side of beer. Sounds charming, doesnâ€™t it?

In order to get the best grilling season experience, you should have a grill. The one which will serve all your needs. Unlike before, choosing a grill of your choice is difficult. As there are a lot of options in the market for you to choose from. And we suppose you might be confused about choosing the best one for you. But like we say, worry not when we are here.

In this article specifically, we will give you information on pellet grill vs gas grill (You can also check our article on the best gas grills under $1000 for more information on gas grills) So from those two you will choose one for your own requirements.

Further, we will compare both types of grills under some parameters. So that it will be easier for you to choose one of your needs.

Fuel Source

Pellet Grill
Pellet grill, as the name suggests, uses pellets as its fuel. And not any pellets, it uses wood pellets. These pellets come from the by-product, sawdust, during the milling or manufacture of food products. And the sawdust is compressed and shaped into cylindrical pellets. Wood pellets usually come from hardwood like cherry, mesquite and hickory.

Gas Grill
So a gas grill obviously uses gas as its fuel. Basically, there are two types of gases which come in use in these grills. First, there is the liquid propane gas which we use in the grills. For you to use it, you will need to buy a gas tank for your grill. Second, you can also use natural gas for your gas grill if it has the facility. Only thing you will need to do is attach the natural gas connection to your home to the grill.

Working

Pellet Grill
So pellet grills have a hopper to the side of the chief part of the grill. And this is where you put the wood pellets. The cooking chamber then takes the pellets from the hopper by an auger. Then these ignite and produce smoke. With the help of a combustion fan at the joint of the hopper and the grill, the smoke cooks the meat. And the entire system works with the help of electricity.

Price of fuel

Pellet Grill
As the pellet grill uses wood pellets, they obviously burn out. And you will need a new lot of pellets every time you decide to use the grill. So buying a fresh bag of pellets every time you cook on the grill is costly.

Gas Grill
Gas grill makes use of liquid propane or natural gas. And yes, liquid propane comes at a cost. But the good thing is, this tank can last you for a long time. This makes gas grilling more efficient.

Besides that, if your gas grill has the option of natural gas, it gets much cheaper.

Cooking time

Pellet Grill

Pellets grills use the indirect heat method. And the wood pellets take a lot of time to burn and produce smoke. This smoke slowly cooks the meat. That is why meat takes a lot of time to cook in pellet grills.

Gas Grill
Gas grills are much faster than the pellet grills. As they use direct burning flames with the help of burners. If you want to grill a steak on a gas grill, 8 minutes is the maximum time you will need.

Taste

Pellet Grill
Pellet grill can double up as a smoker if you want it. And you use wood pellets for it. With the use of pellets, it gives the light smoky flavour to your meat. As a result, you get the rich smoky delicious flavour in your meat.

Gas Grill
Gas grills use burners for flames which cook the meat. Although the meat is very juicy and rich in flavour, the smoky flavour is not present in it. As there in no source of smoke in it. But you can use built-in smokers or separate smoke boxes and smoke bombs for the flavour.

Advantages

Pellet Grill
Some advantages of the pellet grills are:

The meat you cook in a pellet grill has a rich smoky flavour.
Also, the meat cooks at a very constant internal temperature.
As these grills are operated by electricity, they offer unmatched temperature control.

Gas Grill
Some advantages of gas grill are:

The fuel in the gas grill is cheap. As the propane tank lasts long and the natural gas connection is cheap.
These grills are also pretty easy to clean. To know how to clean a gas grill, you can check our article.
Also, they have a lot of things except the grill itself. Like the side burners, smoke boxes or flavorizer bar to add flavour to your meat.

Disadvantages

Pellet Grill
There are also a few disadvantages of pellet grill:

You only use it where you have an electricity outlet.
Also, the cost of fuel can be more only because you will have to buy more of it constantly.

Gas Grill
A few disadvantages of gas grill are:

These grills do not give the smoky rich taste to the meat on its own.
And they might have occasional flare-ups, which are dangerous.

Best Pellet grill – Z Grills ZPG-450A

Why we love it:

This grill does not need monitoring at regular intervals.
With a range of 180-450Â°F it is perfect for grilling, smoking, roasting and even braising.
Also, the hopper uses fewer pellets for a longer time.
And the grill has sturdy steel construction.

The Z Grills PG-450A is one of the best choices for pellet grills.

Firstly, this grill is pretty easy to start. So you just put in the pellets, plug in the grill, and set your temperature. And it works on its own to cook your meat. You will not need to check in continuously after that. As digital temperature control works on its own.

Also, this pellets grill uses fewer pellets for a very long amount of time. And even the hopper has a capacity of around 15lbs.

Moreover, the total cooking area is 450 sq. inches. With a main cooking area of 325 sq. inches and a warming rack area of 125 sq. inches. And this is pretty good for home cooking or small gatherings.

Also, the flavour this grill gives to the meat is absolutely amazing. And the grill is pretty versatile as it can grill, smoke, roast, braise and barbecue.

Besides that, the grill has a pretty sturdy steel construction.

[i2pc show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” ][i2pros]Less pellet intake
Sufficient cooking area
Less monitoring.
Can do a lot of activities except grilling the meat.[/i2pros][i2cons]Porcelain coating on grates can peel off.
The electronics may malfunction if not handled properly.[/i2cons][/i2pc]

For the price you pay for this, you get a pretty good pellet grill. Also, the rich smokiness of the meat makes all the waiting and cooking time worthwhile.

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Best Gas grill – Weber 44010001

Why we love it:

This gas grill has a liquid propane gas unit.
Also, this is a two burner gas grill and small enough to fit in small places.
And there is also a built-in lid thermometer.
Additionally, the cooking grates are cast-iron and porcelain-enameled.

The Weber 44010001 is one of the best gas grills under $700 in this range. And this grill uses a liquid propane gas tank.

Also, this grill has the cast-iron porcelain enameled cooking grates. And this grates aid the grill in equal heat distribution and even grilling. These have high heat retention properties.

Moreover, this grill has an open cart design. And you can move the grill anywhere with the help of wheels. Furthermore, there is a built-in thermometer to determine the temperature on the lid. It even has a fuel gauge. So that you can know the level of fuel left in your tank. With these, there are also side tables which fold down. And these provide you with the extra space for other prep work you may need to do. Also, there is a stainless steel heat deflector in the grill. Even the lid has a coat of porcelain, which gives it a stylish look.

Besides that, this gas grill is a two-burner grill. And it is perfect to fit in small spaces. Also, it has the special GS4 grilling system. And this includes the Upgraded E2i Ignitors, High Performance Burners, Flavorizer Bars and Grease Management.

[i2pc show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Pros” cons_title=”Cons” ][i2pros]GS4 grilling system
Open cart design
Built-in fuel gauge
Small size and wheels help in easy transportation.[/i2pros][i2cons]Porcelain enamel can peel off
Assembly is complicated[/i2cons][/i2pc]

This grill has the requirements you will need at a home use grill. With two burners, it is the perfect size for you and your family.

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Conclusion

We have finally reached the end of the article. And we hope that we have helped you with choosing the perfect grill for you. Gas grills are efficient beasts, which get your work done in no time at all. On the other hand, pellet grills are much slower but give you a sense of pride. Hence choose one accordingly.

For more information on gas grills, check our article on the best gas grills under $1000.

Visit our website Cookinggearlab for more information on kitchen gadgets and recipes.

Pellet grill vs Gas grill – Detail Comparison to choose the Best