Kitchen Products Outdoor cooking

Pellet Grill vs. Kamado Grill -Which is Better?

Pellet Grill Vs Kamado Grill
( Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases at NO additional cost to the customer.)                                          

Are you hung up on the deciding factor for choosing a grill?

Pellet and Kamado grills are, without any doubt, the best in business when it comes to the culinary art of grilling.

In addition to being very versatile, they can enable a cook to produce the best meat with exceptional tastes no matter where they belong on the experience line.

Both of these can be employed to grill, roast, bake or smoke your favorite dishes.

Regardless of being similar in the ways discussed, these two grills are quite different in many respects.

One of them has a trail-blazing history of over 3,000 years while the other is a technologically advanced modern device.

So, which one is better?

We have created a comparison of both grills, in general, to give you a clearer view on how to weigh them definitively.

Pellet Grills

Z GRILLS ZPG-7002E 2019 New Model Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker, 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control, 700 sq inch Cooking Area, Silver

As the name indicates a pellet grill uses pellets made out of compressed hardwood sawdust, unlike others that use gas or charcoal.

The temperature inside is maintained by a digital controller, it also feeds more pallets into the grill to increase the temperature if required.

The main cause of popularity behind these grills is the genuine wood fire like taste in food cooked in it, without worrying to look after it, unlike a smoker.

Pallet grills are versatile grills, you can barbeque, smoke, roast, grill and even bake in them.

All the versatility is easier to achieve as this grill runs on the standard household electrical current.

Pellet grills are different because of their convenience, consistency, and versatility.

Convenience because of its digital temperature controller, stopping you from babysitting the grill.

Consistent because of its reliable constant flavors whether it is your first time or hundredth.

Versatility because of its low-temperature cooking varying from 175° F to as high as 500° F to even bake pies.

Check Out Here Pit Boss 340 Pellet Grill Review

Kamado Grills

Kamado Joe KJ23RHC Ceramic, Classic II Charcoal Grill

The Kamado grills have been around for quite some time now, they are the oldest grills in the game.

Kamado cooking was introduced to Americans from the Japanese after the WWII.

Kamados are generally made from ceramics and have similar designs.

The flavor and juiciness of food cooked in kamado stop you from going back to other grills.

Controlled air flow allows great temperature conditions for the food to be cooked evenly, but it will take some time for you to get hang of the top and bottom vents.

Once you get used to it you will find it very rewarding and intuitive.

The kamado is the most efficient smoker in the market with an average of a full 15-pound brisket without need to add more charcoal.

The well-sealed design of kamado allows insulation to keep more moisture in the food.

Meat also loses less weight on a kamado compared to other smokers.

Find here Big Green Egg Plate Setter substitute.

Comparison Between Kamado and Pellet Grills

Pellet grills work on the principal of set and forget. Pellets are equipped with advanced technology in the market

  • Advanced digital control lets you control temperature and time.

Some advanced grills come with a Wi-Fi feature which lets you control everything from even your room and monitor your grill remotely.

You just need to press the button once, then you do not need to worry about monitoring the temperature and be off to your other work within 5 minutes.

  • To meet your needs Pellet grills come in a variety of sizes, there are small ones that can be transported anywhere and are portable.

The big sizes reach till extra-large which are enough to feed up to 15 people easily.

  • Pellet grills offer a big array of flavors, the most famous one includes the wood fire flavor which is preferred by almost everyone when it comes to home-made barbeque.

They also offer far more versatility than traditional smokers, charcoal, or gas grills.

For example, gas grills are easy to use for cooking hot dogs, burgers and steaks, but if you want to cook a whole chicken or meat piece gas grills won’t be enough just like charcoal; pellet grills can be used for both smoking and grilling jobs.

Whether you want to slow cook/smoke your meats, or you want to quickly grill up some patties or chicken drums, a pellet grill is a convenient answer.

Whichever option you go with, you get savoury, real-wood flavour.

  • Pellet grills require electricity to function, which is kind of a disadvantage. Also, the grills cannot reach very high temperatures for cooking.
  • Pellets being more advanced come with a costly price if you break any part. It costs a lot to find new parts and to repair them.
  • Pellets cannot function properly in the cold as they cannot reach very high temperatures for your food to be perfectly tender in a cold environment, food is not perfectly warm and takes more time to be prepared.

If the grill casing is thin it will consume more pellets to maintain its temperature.

If you want to increase the efficiency you can use a blanket and wrap it around your grill. It can reduce pellet consumption by up to 50 percent.

  • Pellet grills come with a container that contains your pallets being used. This container is large enough to fulfill your needs and easy to refill.

A good size container, the standard among good pellet grills, is 18 lbs.

With an 18-pound container, you can cook for a long time, enough for the long slow-cook times when you are trying to smoke your meats.

In comparison, kamado grills have their own pros and cons.

  • Kamado grills have a temperature controller but come with a drawback.

It is easy to raise the temperature of the grill but very hard to lower it down.

Also, you have to babysit the grill so your food doesn’t get burnt.

  • The design of the kamado grill is an egg like and the material is mostly ceramic.

It doesn’t have much variation in sizes. It is probably the biggest disadvantage of a kamado.

The biggest size kamados come in is around 450 square inches.

They don’t even come with extra handlers and extenders to keep extra food.

If you cook for family gatherings kamado grills aren’t for you, even if you own the largest size of the grill.

  • The taste of these grills offer is mouth-watering.

Your food will always stay moist and tender, due to the oval design the food is evenly heated and the flavours are stuffed in every bite.

They provide the authentic barbeque taste that we all know and love.

It takes a little time to get perfect in cooking using a kamado but once you master the art your food will turn out finger-licking good.

  • Kamados reach very high temperature very easily due to the ceramic material and the cooker like the design.

They can easily reach a temperature of 500 F. It can reach ideal temperatures for all sorts of foods even pizza.

But as mentioned before it is very hard to decrease the temperature once it is set high, it takes a lot of time to cool down too.

  • Due to kamado’s egg shape and perfect insulation to keep heat inside, it can also cause a fire.

It can create dangerous flashbacks where an oxygen-starved fire can suddenly reignite when the lid is opened.

This can cause your grill to catch fire and can even cause damage to nearby objects or people.

Want to Know Why Does Pit Boss Pellet Grill Temperature Fluctuates? Different Ways to Fix it? Then Click Here.

Comparison Table

Best Pellet Grills

Z GRILLS ZPG-7002E 2019 New Model Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker

Z GRILLS ZPG-7002E 2019 New Model Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker is 8 in 1 pallet grill model which can grill, smoke, bake, roast, sear, braise, barbeque or char-grill food efficiently.

It comes with 700 sq.in cooking area which is quite large.

The cooking area is divided with 504 sq. in for the grilling and a 190 square inch warming rack.

It has a 20-pound hopper capacity. Its automated electric fed system maintains the heat from 180ºf to 450ºf.

You just need to set it and let the grill work for you. The grill doesn’t have a need for baby-sitting.

This Z grill is easy to use with electronic auto-start ignition and digital temperature control.

It comes with a locking caster wheel which makes it easy to move anywhere.

The Z grill comes with a waste oil collector which makes the grill easy to clean. It is absolutely safe too.

Click Here For Latest Reviews and Price of Z GRILLS ZPG-7002E 2019 New Model Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker

Traeger Grills Tailgater 20 Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

Traeger Grills Tailgater 20 Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker - Grill, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise, and BBQ (Bronze)

If you are a BBQ fan, then you are probably familiar with Traeger grills.

Traeger Grills Tailgater 20 Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker offers 300 sq.in cooking area which accommodates 12 burgers, 2 whole chickens, 18 hot dogs, or 3 racks of ribs.

You don’t need a fire starter to ignite the grill as it has electronic auto-start ignition.

The EZ fold legs make this grill compact and ready to pack up for on the go grilling.

It has porcelain grill grates that are easy to clean due to its non-stick surface.

So now you can enjoy grilling without much hassle of cleaning.

It comes with a digital elite controller which allows you to set temperature within +/- 20 degrees. The LED display makes temperature reading easy.

Click Here For Latest Reviews and Price of Traeger Grills Tailgater 20 Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker 

Green Mountain Grills’ Davy Crockett Pellet GrillGreen Mountain Grills Davy Crockett WiFi Controlled Portable Wood Pellet Grill - DCWF

If you are on a budget and still want a decent grill that fits into your low budget, then  this Green Mountain Grills’ Davy Crockett Pellet Grill is the best buy.

This is the mini grill that is perfect for RV and camping. Though it is a compact grill, packed with a lot of heat.

The Davy Crockett grill is constructed of coated steel. It ensures durability and rust resistance, and aluminium allows for ease in the portability.

It is featured with a thermal sensor to constantly monitor grill temperature.

This allows you to set temperature from 150°F to 550°F and a 5-degree increment control.

This mini pallet grill weighs about 57 pounds with foldable legs. The cleaning of the grill is a breeze.

The grate, drip tray, heat shield, and grease bucket are easy to wash by hands.

You can use a grill brush and regular detergent to clean them properly.

Click Here For Latest Reviews and Price of Green Mountain Grills’ Davy Crockett Pellet Grill 

Best Kamado Grills

Kamado Joe Classic II 18″ Charcoal Grill

Kamado Joe KJ23RHC Ceramic, Classic II Charcoal GrillKamado Joe brand is popular for innovative and high-quality kamado grills. They bring modernization in classic grills.

The Kamado Joe Classic II 18″ Charcoal Grill is one of the innovative charcoal grills by Kamado Joe with its best optimization features.

This charcoal grill comes with cast iron cart and locking wheels. It allows for the 18-inch cooking area.

The grill is made of powder-coated cast aluminium.

It comes with a patent-pending dual-adjustment top vent which is rain and mold-resistant. This allows you to smoke from 225F to searing at 750F.

It comes with Wire Mesh Fiberglass Gasket that offers a superior air-tight seal. It is 10x the durable than normal industry gaskets.

Click Here For Latest Reviews and Price of Kamado Joe Classic II 18″ Charcoal Grill 

Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill

Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill, Graphite

If you looking for a Kamado grill in your low budget, Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill is worth considering.

The traditional kamados are constructed of ceramic material. But this grill is made with stainless steel.

It means the grill won’t crack when it dropped.

It offers 314 square inches of primary cooking space and a warming rack of 133 square inches.

The insulated design offers more heat. This leads to less fuel consumption.

It has an adjustable top damper that helps to maintain airflow. This is perfect for high heat and even slow smoke.

Click Here For Latest Reviews and Price of Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill 

Which is Better?

Both grills are best in their own ways. It depends on the person which one is more preferable for them.

If you are a guy that needs high temperature and are living in a relatively cold area, kamado grills are good for you.

They also take up less space. If you have small group of people to cook with go for kamado grills.

However, if you do not have these problems buy a pellet grill.

They are a little expensive than the Kamados but they come with a lot of benefits and more advanced technology which make things a lot easier for you.

 

Related Articles:

Best Replacement Gasket for Big Green Egg

Pit Boss vs Green Mountain Pellet Grill

Best Welding Blanket For Smoker

Pit Boss Austin XL Vs Pit Boss Pro Series 1100