I am in need of a new grill and have looked at a few. I don’t grill alot maybe 1 time every couple weeks sometimes more. What do you guys/ girls think gas vs pellet? And brand names treager or put boss? Or other? Are they bad if the pellet is not used often? Thanks in advance
If you are going to use it only once in a while I think gas would be better. I have a pellet grill and use it alot. The pellet seem to last ok for me because I buy four and five bag and store them in the garage til I need more. I think gas get hotter and cleaning inside is easier, were my pellet grill gets alot greasier. I give it a good cleaning about every 5 time. I put up with it because I like the smoke.
One other thing get a good cover for what you buy. Good luck!!
I’ve owned gas, charcoal, pellet, and currently a gravity fed charcoal. I will say I miss my pellet grill. Had a Pit Boss I got on sale and it was great while I owned it. Hard to say the best option for you given the amount you grill. Gas is going to be the least fuss, and if you don’t really care to smoke it’s probably the more sensible choice for you. I used my pellet grill about 3 times a week all year round, pretty much as a smoker/grill/oven. What I liked was as long as there were pellets in it, you turned a dial and it started right up, the downsides are they temperature can swing a bit (though the tech has probably come a ways since I originally bought) which takes some getting used to and the auger can seize up if you don’t clear it out after cooks (which I never did). If you care about a little extra smoke flavor and smoking in generally, an inexpensive pellet grill may be worth it, just make sure to run the auger empty after your cooks especially if you don’t use it all that often (which is also a great way to burn off any extra grease).
FinickyFish – how do you like the gravity fed charcoal? I was leaning in that direction for my next grill? Likes? Dislikes?
I’m a huge fan of my Pitboss pellet grill but there’s for sure drawbacks. If you only plan to use it a couple times a month, I would vote gas for ease of use and low maintenance.
It’s hard to get a good sear on any pellet grill, even one with open flame capability (pitboss). The pellet cup is tiny so you can only sear maybe 4 burgers at once and you MUST keep an eye on them or they will turn into charcoal.
I use my Weber Genesis to finish all my burgers I make on my pitboss. 200 degrees for 45-50 minutes, then sear on a hot gas grill. best burger ever…
If you’re going with a pellet, I’d highly recommend Camp Chef. I have the 24″ Woodwind and it is a beast. It’s also really well reviewed. Also, the Camp Chef pellets are really high quality.
Have you looked into the green egg style? easy to work and can do a low smoke as well as grill and bake. Think pizza oven!! Takes a bit of time to learn,, but you tube is a great help.
Maybe you’ve already crossed this off your list. But a Weber Kettle seems like it would fit the bill perfectly.
I grill a few times a week with mine and wouldn’t consider anything else.
I recently bought a rec teq bullseye and so far have really liked it. Done a few cooks on it and everything has turned out great. Quality of workmanship/materials/controller is light years ahead of pit boss or traeger. I bought the sear grates, but without them in Riot mode it will get to 750 degrees. With them its supposed to reach another 100 degrees or so. I have reverse seared steaks and they were the best steaks Ive ever eaten including those from some famous chop houses around the US. The searing on this thing is really awesome. Its not like traditional pellet grills since its not an offset, its more direct grilling like a gas or charcoal grill.
I have a flattop, a traditional charcoal, and a pellet grill/smoker on my patio… and that’s downsized. 
I would answer your question by asking what you like to cook. If you keep it pretty simple with brats, dogs, burgers, steaks… I definitely prefer to cook and sear those hot. I would go gas. I’m not saying you can’t cook those things on a pellet, but I don’t prefer it. I am not a fan of steaks on a pellet grill. If you want to be adventurous and smoke a brisket or a pork shoulder or anything low & slow – you need the pellet.
My pellet is a Pit Boss with the sear option and I agree with everything Merican Eagle said.
The last option I’ll throw out there would be a combo. For example, the Camp Chefs have an option to add a propane sear box on the side.
The last option I’ll throw out there would be a combo. For example, the Camp Chefs have an option to add a propane sear box on the side.
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I have the sear box on my Camp Chef. It is perfect for finishing a steak and also serves as a smallish grill for quick burgers or dogs. It gets crazy hot on high.
on my 2nd pellet grill. first one was a traeger now i have a green mountain. both nice units. i never run my auger dry when done or empty my pellets when im done using it and never had a single issue or cant see how it would ever be a issue. sometimes will go a month plus before i use it again
Just a thought- if you go gas and want smoke once in a while, you can get a cheap smoke box. Add wood chips and whiskey, set it in there and let it rip. You can add a nice mild smoke flavor to just about anything.
Rec Tec bullseye would be perfect for what you need honestly. $400. Speed, convenience, and heat like gas unit out of a pellet grill that you can also do low and slow when needed. Same size as a regular weber. It replaced both my old gas grill and charcoal for your average weeknight cooks. I still use a larger pellet smoker for larger capacity long/overnight smokes on the weekend for multiple shoulders, summer sausage, etc.
I switched from a gas grill to a pellet Grill ( Pit Boss ) last year and I’ll never go back to a gas grill. The one thing I will say is if you want your food fast – Get a Gas Grill. The pit boss has a shield that you can open up and cook faster directly over the flames but the area is rather small, so it still slower to cook things like burgers and hotdogs than on a gas grill. If I was looking for a new pellet grill today I’d take a look at the Rec Tec brand. They only sell direct , so its hard to go look at and see one. So far I really like my Pit Boss, but after seeing a Rec Tec I have to say they look much more solid and better built. I hear that they tend to control the heat slightly better as well ( Less of a Temp swing ) I’m sure Traeger makes a good pellet grill as well. In my research they just seemed to be way over priced Vs other ones for what you get.
I have a flattop, a traditional charcoal, and a pellet grill/smoker on my patio… and that’s downsized.
I would answer your question by asking what you like to cook. If you keep it pretty simple with brats, dogs, burgers, steaks… I definitely prefer to cook and sear those hot. I would go gas. I’m not saying you can’t cook those things on a pellet, but I don’t prefer it. I am not a fan of steaks on a pellet grill. If you want to be adventurous and smoke a brisket or a pork shoulder or anything low & slow – you need the pellet.
My pellet is a Pit Boss with the sear option and I agree with everything Merican Eagle said.
The last option I’ll throw out there would be a combo. For example, the Camp Chefs have an option to add a propane sear box on the side.
^x2 on this
I prefer juicy steaks and burgers cooked hot and fast with a good sear. Gas does this the most efficiently. Briskets, shoulders, or smoked wings are different and would do better with a pellet grill.
My ideal lineup for how we grill (if space and time were never an issue) would be a good gas grill, a large Blackstone, and a charcoal Weber grill each for different uses.
I only have a gas grill and have never owned a pellet grill. I did recently buy a smoke tube from Menards and a bag of pellets. I turned my gas grill in to a make shift smoker by just running one burner on medium and filling up the smoke tube with pellets. Smoked some rainbow trout as well as some ribs and they turned out great.
pellet
gas is for those who don’t know (or care to know) what good food tastes like
pellet
gas is for those who don’t know (or care to know) what good food tastes like
This is not true.
I have both a pellet and a gas. There is a time for each.
There is a time for gas! For heating your flat top or frying fish.
FinickyFish – how do you like the gravity fed charcoal? I was leaning in that direction for my next grill? Likes? Dislikes?
I’ve got a Masterbuilt 560 and only had it about a month. Likes: speed it heats up, temperature control, running it off a cellphone bank battery. Dislikes: Searing ability with no open flame, more involved start up process than my pellet grill, figuring the best way to incorporate woodsmoke (there are ways). For the $300 that I got it for, if was a no brainer to try out. I like to cook often and quickly so having a pellet grill that turns on like an oven works better for me, but I do like my gravity fed and would recommend for a lot of people.
on my 2nd pellet grill. first one was a traeger now i have a green mountain. both nice units. i never run my auger dry when done or empty my pellets when im done using it and never had a single issue or cant see how it would ever be a issue. sometimes will go a month plus before i use it again
I didn’t have many problems but if you get any moisture in the auger with pellets in there they swell and jam. Happend when I left it open out in the rain, and then over the winter due to warm/cool condensation building up. Depends on your conditions.
Gas, quick, easy, and best sear. If you want to smoke meats it should be done by burning actual wood like the good Lord intended and provided for us for millions of years, not some compressed sawdust rabbit turds made by who knows who. Amen! (steps off pulpit)
Gas, quick, easy, and best sear.
I’ll put the sear I get off my Bullzeye up against any gas grill. It gets to temp super fast just a bit longer than my gas grill and I can reach temps FAR higher than my gas grill.
The last option I’ll throw out there would be a combo. For example, the Camp Chefs have an option to add a propane sear box on the side.
I have the sear box on my Camp Chef. It is perfect for finishing a steak and also serves as a smallish grill for quick burgers or dogs. It gets crazy hot on high.
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I’ll second that. I have the Camp Chef with the first gen sidekick propane burner. Best of both worlds, and there’s nothing like a reverse seared steak. Low and slow for smoke flavor until internal temp is 120-ish, then finish off with a nice sear on the gas side. Makes it really easy to get that perfect doneness level with all of the flavor.
I bought mine a few months before they came out with the current woodwind models that have all the bells and whistles. Now you can get them with wifi controls and the sliding deflector for direct searing over the pellet burn pot like any other brand. The new sidekick sear box is bigger and better suited to a family-sized meal than the first generation model I have. My old one only fits about 4 new york strips, 3 ribeyes, or two big t-bone or porterhouse steaks. It’s nice to still have gas for a quick cook with brats or hot dogs.
Charcoal Charcoal Charcoal
Charcoal Charcoal Charcoal
What he said with the exception of a hardwood campfire.
I’ll put the sear I get off my Bullzeye up against any gas grill.
And you would lose to many gas grills, Bullzeye gets up to 749 degrees, which is plenty and really good for an easy bake oven. But there’s plenty of gas grills that exceed it, and my Weber kettle burning charcoal and real wood can get as hot as I want it 
Thank you guys lots of great info now to decide!! I don’t smoke much other than some trout but I mostly cook steak and burgers and a chop now and again, might just stay with my gas and backup woofie cooker aka Weber kettle lol
I love my Hasty Bake, but for an occasional Griller I would go with the largest diameter Weber kettle. They have a nice selection of accessories enabling different styles of cooking.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>CaptainMusky wrote:</div>
I’ll put the sear I get off my Bullzeye up against any gas grill.And you would lose to many gas grills, Bullzeye gets up to 749 degrees, which is plenty and really good for an easy bake oven. But there’s plenty of gas grills that exceed it, and my Weber kettle burning charcoal and real wood can get as hot as I want it
ive got the sear grates and recorded 900 degrees when I seared my last steaks next.
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