While most modern pellet grills have digital temperature readouts and do a pretty good job at maintaining temps, that isn't always the case.
Chris Wedel/CNETTo determine the best pellet grill and figure out just how these products perform under a variety of cooking scenarios, we conduct three tests. Based on different meats, methods and heat settings, these tests show us how efficiently and evenly a grill does (or doesn't) cook.
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Smoking pork ribs low and slow is a perfect test for pellet grills.
Brian Bennett/CNETRibs
We wired each grill with a sensitive thermocouple thermometer at grate level. This sensor is also attached to a laptop running data logging software.
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Nicely smoked ribs should be juicy, tender and deliciously smokey.
Brian Bennett/CNETNext we ignite the grill and set the temperature to 225 degrees F and start recording. Then we remove the outer membrane on a rack of pork back ribs and season it with an all-purpose rub we use for ribs and chicken. Once the grill's thermometer reports that it has hit our desired temp, we place it on the grates for at least three hours with the lid closed the entire time.
Beer can chicken is a great way to add flavor and moisture to your chicken as it cooks over on your pellet grill.
Chris Wedel/CNETChicken
To test a midrange cook time at medium heat settings, we grill a whole chicken at 400 degrees F. Once we've trimmed and seasoned the bird, we insert one temperature probe into each chicken breast, for a total of two probes per chicken. To keep our results as fair as possible, all the chickens are as close as possible to 5.5 pounds.
To mix it up, we also tested out beer can chicken to give another way to gauge cooking the fowl. By standing the chicken upright while cooking, it presents another level of cooking precision for the grills as not all of the meat is relatively the same distance from the heat. Using the same methods to track temperatures throughout the cook, the chickens turned out juicy and delicious over the smokey 350 degree heat.
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Cooking burgers at high heat helps us see how a pellet grill sears meat.
Brian Bennett/CNETBurgers
Burgers are our final test for our grill reviews. We measure out 5.3 ounces of 80/20 ground beef and press them into uniform patties. Those patties go into a grill basket and we insert a temperature probe into the center of each patty at a 45-degree angle.
With the grill preheated for 10 minutes at its highest temperature setting, the basket goes onto the grill. After six minutes of cooking, we flip the basket and monitor internal temperature. Once the last burger in the basket reaches 145 degrees F, the batch is finished. A good burger in this test is one that has both a nice outside char and a slightly pink center.
Burger testing points out any hot spots across the grill's cooking surface if one burger consistently reaches 145 degrees F before the others in every round.
Pork chops
Buying a whole pork loin and cutting your own chops is a great way to not only save money but also get even pork chops for cooking.
Chris Wedel/CNETFor the chops, I bought a whole pork loin and cut approximately 1-inch thick chops from it. By doing this, not only is it more economical, but it also ensures that the chops are equal in thickness for a more even cook. After some seasoning, the center cut pork chops went onto the grills.
Temperatures were monitored throughout the cook over a 350-degree grill using the same methods as with the hamburgers. The chops cooked evenly and relatively quickly as there are no bones to contend with.
Boston pork butt
A Boston pork butt is a great piece of meat for pellet grills as it can take in plenty of smoke and provide delicious meat ready for pulling.
Chris Wedel/CNETFor a longer cook test, I used approximately six-pound Boston pork butts, or pork shoulder, with a mixture of a sweet and savory dry rub with yellow and dijon mustard as binders. With the pellet grills set to 225 degrees F, each piece of meat got two meat probes to monitor temps.
After cooking to 165 degrees F internally, I wrapped the meat in butcher's paper and put it back into the grill until it reached 195 degrees F. Then, it was time to let the meat rest for an hour or so. Once that was done, I placed the meat into a tray and shredded it by pulling it apart, resulting in juicy, smokey, tender pork for sandwiches, mac and cheese, and so many other dishes.
Brisket
Beef brisket can be tricky to cook as it requires a long time at low temperatures to properly break down the fat and meat fibers.
Chris Wedel/CNETThe final test was an even longer cook with beef brisket over a 13-hour period. The meat got trimmed, a treatment of coarse kosher salt, yellow mustard, and a smokey beef rub, then three meat probes to keep track of the temps across the large piece of meat. With all of that done, the brisket was placed in the middle of the grill at 225 degrees.
After about six hours and an internal temp of 165 degrees, I wrapped the brisket in butcher paper and placed it back into the grill. Once it hit 195 degrees, I wrapped aluminum foil around it to help maintain moisture and finish the cook at 225 degrees.
The grills produced juicy meat with a beautiful smoke ring that sliced up nicely. Being able to keep even, consistent heat for something like brisket that requires a long time to cook is vital for properly breaking down the fat and protein fibers for delicious food.