I love wood-fired smoked food, early on in my barbecuing and smoking experiences I used to purely do grilling on would fire I loved the flavor.
Charcoals a big thing, but wood itself as a form of fuel and flavor is definitely a huge thing worldwide in many cultures across the globe. When it comes to smokers the traditional offset wood smoker is basically just cooking with heat and smoke, but it takes a bit of experience- you are trying to control the heat, smoke, and air flow.
This is basically the same as a pellet grill as well – but a pellet grill does it automatically.
So why are people against the pellet grill?
It’s got a little bit to do with the technology I think, but it’s really not as complicated as I thought when I started.
You push a button it heats up and produces proper clean ‘thin blue smoke’, and then you are ready to barbecue and do some grilling or low-temperature smoking.
But the reason why you probably came here is that you’re comparing the differences, so I think I’ll highlight what I’ve experienced over the years and why I have been converted to the convenience factor of the pellet grill convenience.
Pellet Grill vs Wood Smokers
Ok, this is the biggy that really changed the game when it comes to long low-temperature smoking.
Automatic Pellet Grill Temperatures
When you look at the absolute key feature of the pellet grill it’s the controlled thermostat just like an oven.
But in the oven is not as cool as an outdoor grilling smoking machine, not by a long shot.
It really is as easy as dialing in whatever temperature you want to go to. With low and slow smoking it always surrounds 200 – 250°F/93-120°°C, generally. And a smoke session set and forget from 10 to 20 hours depending on how big your pellet hoppers to auto feed the pellet grill.
The automatic computer is doing a bit more than just feeding pellets, and maintaining the temperature, its also giving you some notifications about when the hopper is low or temperature problems, so you know whats going on.
The automatic programming can also change temperatures during your cooks so that you can customize things.
Some of the brands even have recipes you can send directly to the pellet grill, and all you have to do is season with your rub and put in the meat.
Walk away and you don’t have all the things that are traditional wood smoker would make you do like and just airflow and starting the fire or what any type of fire management.
Don’t get me wrong, I like starting a fire for smoking, it’s more a time issue – when I seem to be having less and less time.
I’m not knocking it, some people really love doing fire management and spending a long night or full day in front of the wood smoker.
But as I’ve said before time is precious, and that’s why pellet grills are also brilliant, because you have more free time to do want you to want, but still have delicious woodfired smoked goods ready whenever you want.
Traditional Offset Wood Smoker
Offset wood smoke are what the real purists love it’s a labor of love for sure.
When it comes to getting consistent smoke once things are set up and you have a decent smoking rig with good insulation and tight air control. Then things can happen relatively smoothly (kind of like a kamado smoker – my brother has one). But it still is an open fire that needs tending to, so you have to really be into it to enjoy it (and have the time to sit next to it).
Insulation and Air Flow Control
When it comes to a pellet grill the insulation isn’t generally what it’s all about, it more about using technology rather than heavy metals that are used in a quality offset wood smoker.
Because I guess you want to keep the heat and it’s not about actually holding the heat in the structural material which is probably why you get these big heavy offset wood smokers.
Because even if you do run low on wood fuel you know that the structure will hold some of that heat with the offset wood smoker.
Airflow is obviously a big thing when it comes to a wood smoker but when you compare that to the pellet grill you have one or two fans that are basically adjusting the airflow according to how you want your cook to go.
Pellet Grill Smokers are a woodfired convection oven which will circulate the heat, pellet grills are designed to have a spiral airflow and then most of them will have an exit flow at the back of the pellet grill.
Computer Controlled Air Flow, Smoke & Heat
Dial-in your temperature and you just let it get to whatever you want to, it’s very straightforward with the pellet grill.
Heat and smoke are taken care off and a lot of times you don’t see much of the smoke because it’s the smoke vapor which is actually invisible to the naked eye but its still providing the smoke flavor.
But some people really do like a heavy smoke flavor with pellet grills you can also use auxiliary pellet tube or smoke generator to produce mixture layer of smoke but I’ve never felt it’s needed. If you want a stronger flavor I just use stronger flavored woods like Hickory or Mesquite.
If you want black burned ends or heavy black smoked brisket, a offset wood smoker does produce this outcome, which a pellet grill isn’t designed to do. It burns clean, for a clean flavor.
Offset Wood Smoker Will Only Smoke
The other big thing between the wood smoker and the pellet grill is that with the wood smoker you’re always going to have heat generated chamber next to the cooking chamber, so it’s always good to be indirect. This basically means you are smoking always, not grilling or searing.
Compared to a pellet grill which you will get direct heat from and you can do some grilling on it.
But the heat needs to be retained so that you can get it up to a searing all caramelizing protein type level.
So really what you want to do is get a cast-iron griddle pan on top of your grill plate on the pellet grill. And then you have a very effective searing machine. There are quite a few aftermarket grill plate replacements that do an excellent job of retaining heat as well.
Wood Smoker Doesn’t Need Electricity
One of the things the wood smoker wins on, a wood smoke does not need electricity, but a pellet grill does. The pellet grill doesn’t use a lot of electricity but it is how the whole system works. Electricity for managing the temperature by feeding the auger screw with wood pellets in it. Which pushes the pellets into the firepot and the heat keep things burning and smoking. With the fans working to help control heat and give positive pressure through the auger screw.
But as I said the power consumption is minimal so I still think the convenience factor completely trumps the wood smoker and produces cleaner more consistent smoke and results.
So it’s worth the money. I love them that’s why I created this website.
If you want a comparison tool for some decent pellet grills, I got into some important points that aren’t commonly mentioned here.