Pellet vs. Gas vs. Kamado
When it comes to your backyard grill options, there are some tough choices to make. In this video, I give a general overview of the 3 most popular types.
It can be a tough choice if you are in the market for a new grill/smoker or maybe looking to add another option to your patio. In this video, every style has pros and cons. I try to cover the common ones.
You can't have too many grills in my book.
One of the most common questions I get is why I have so many grills on my patio. Originally, I was going to have two, but that quickly changed after doing a little research.
Do you need more than one? That's a tricky question to answer. It really depends on what type of food you like to cook, how much time you have to spend cooking, and whether you enjoy experimenting with your cooking.
In the video, I discuss some pros and cons and offer some tips. Below, I will give you a quick overview.
Pellet Grill
A pellet grill has a hopper typically holding 20+ pounds of wood pellets (my favorite is Bear Mountain BBQ). These pellets can be purchased in many different types of wood, and the type of wood dictates what flavor will enhance whatever you are cooking.
Cherry wood, for example, often gives meat a deep red color and adds some sweetness. Hickory, Elder, and Oak add a mild smoke flavor to meat, while Mesquite adds the most intense smoke flavor.
How a Pellet Grill Works
Pellets are placed in the hopper, and at the bottom of the hopper, there is an auger. The auger is shaped like a large corkscrew which allows pellets to be pushed into a firebox as the auger turns.
When you first start a pellet grill, pellets are pushed into the firebox, and an igniter starts to glow. Once the pellets begin to burn, the igniter is shut off. From that point, the temperature is controlled by an onboard system that monitors the temperature and increases or decreases the amount of pellets in the firebox to increase or decrease the grill's temperature.
A diffuser plate lays across the entire top of the grill, under the grill grates. This allows grease to fall below. Generally, the diffuser plate is slopped so the grease will fall into a bucket at one end.
Pellet grills work like a convection oven.
Fire does not touch the food directly. Pellet grills use fans, like a convection oven, to move the hot, smokey air, around the grill to cook the food. Often you can cook your food without having to turn the meat and have a very low risk of burning any food.
Pros
Very easy to use
Most add technology so you can monitor a cook with your phone
Do not need to babysit food because there is no direct flame.
Have the ability to get a wood-cooked flavor on your food
Can use many different types of wood to adjust flavor to your liking
Can smoke, bake, and grill
Cons
Take 20-30 minutes to preheat, depending on the outside temp.
Pellets turn to mush when wet; they can't be used in rain unless covered well
Less smoke flavor than a traditional smoker
Wood pellets become a little more expensive over time, and depending on where you live, they might not be widely available locally (you need food-grade pellets).
Most pellet grills can not sear or do high temp cooking well.
* Yoder has a diffuser plate with a removable door. If you use grill grates, you can get a great sear.
Tips
Buy pellets in bulk to keep costs down.
Research pellets they are not all created equally. I recommend Bear Mountain BBQ.
Gas Grills
Gas grills typically run on either propane or natural gas. They use gas burners to heat food and often have a flame tamer over the flame to help with flare-ups. Most people are familiar with this style of grill, so I won't go into too many details.
Pros
Heat up extremely quickly
Many have a dedicated sear burner for high-heat searing
Many have a rotisserie option (I wouldn't buy one without it)
Can often add a side burner to increase flexibility
Most have 2-4 burners, so you can have different zones (searing, cooking, warming, etc.)
Cons
Smoking options are limited. You can add an A-MAZE-N smoke tube or something similar to add some smoke flavor, but it's not a sealed unit, so do not expect a ton of smoked flavor.
Out of the three options, this one requires the most babysitting when it comes to your food. There is a direct flame, so you must watch your food at higher temperatures.
If on propane, it can add a slight flavor to your food.
Not a grill, you can do low and slow briskets or any of that type of barbecue on
Tips
Switch to natural gas, which has less hassle, better flavor, and is cheaper to operate.
If buying propane, do not exchange tanks or go to a gas station. Go to a Tractor Supply or farm store where they will fill up your tank for half the price.
Save your money and buy a quality unit. The cheap ones do not last, and spare parts are hard to find. I'm a firm believer that you should save and get at least a Weber Genesis series with a 10-year warranty.
* I've wasted a lot of money on cheap grills that didn't last. I can't stress the last tip enough.
Kamado Style Grills
Green Egg cornered this market for many years. Some competitors were out there, but most didn't come very close until recent years. Kamado Joe was the first mainstream one that really started giving them a run for their money. Kamado Joe is now in its third version, and they make great improvements each time. Big Green Egg is, well, still a Big Green Egg.
I owned a Kamado Joe Big Joe 2 for three years before upgrading to a 32" Komodo Kamado grill. I can't say enough great things about the Komodo Kamado. They weigh three times as much as other Kamado-style grills, and, in the” has 125 pounds of stainless steel inside.
They are more expensive, but the quality is a night and day difference. They are extremely efficient and hold temperatures like no other. A Kamado grill is typically a ceramic grill (most often egg/dome-shaped) that uses lump charcoal to cook or smoke food.
Kamado grills have a basket in the bottom where you burn lump charcoal and use vents to control the temperature. You have a vent in the bottom below the charcoal basket to allow air in and a top vent to allow air out. The more air, the higher the temperature.
You can also control the amount of smoke flavor added by having the top vent more open (less smoke) or less open (more smoke) than the bottom vent. The other option is to use more wood.
This is an indirect style of cooking in most cases. Many units use ceramic plates to cover the heat source or are large enough to have a hot and cold zone.
There is very little moving air inside these cookers, so food is extremely juicy. Just like a pellet grill, you can use many different types of wood to enhance the flavor.
Pros
Extremely flexible - 180F - 900F in most cases
Can smoke, bake, roast, grill, sear, and even make pizza (some of the best you will ever have)
Have the ability to get a wood-cooked flavor on your food
Can use many different types of wood to adjust flavor to your liking
Many offer the ability to add a rotisserie
Can use different charcoal to enhance flavors as well
Easy to use once you understand how they work
Food tastes amazing
Cons
Take a while to get started (15-45 minutes, depending on what tools you are using)
Take a long time to cool down.
Use lump charcoal, which is not always readily available. Usually, you have to order to get a good quality lump
Tips
The quality of the lump is very important. Do not use low-quality lump because it will not burn as hot or as long as other types.
Get a good quality remote thermometer so you don't have to open the lid as much.
What one is for you?
Initially, I planned to have only a gas grill and a Kamado grill. I love Kamado grills because of their versatility. Whether you are smoking, grilling, or cooking a pizza, the quality of the food is unparalleled.
My issue is that they take a while to start and a long time to cool down. I spent a lot of money on my grills, and I like covering them when they are not used. I also don't use my Komodo Kamado in the rain much. Although there really isn't much of a problem with that.
A gas grill is just nice to have. In the dead of winter, I can have it heated up to 400 or 500 degrees in no time. I can use different heat zones and side burners to cook a full meal, and I can cook anything from veggies to a great steak on one. I do miss the smoke flavor and the slow and low, which is why I needed a Kamado grill as well.
So why the pellet grill? The pellet grill gives me the best of both worlds. I can smoke and grill with the Yoder, and sometimes, I just don't feel like babysitting my food. I can preheat it to 500F, throw on a bunch of chicken breasts or a whole chicken, and come back when it’s done. You don't have to worry about your food getting burnt at all, and you get great flavor.
If I could have only one
If I could only have only one, it would be a Kamado. I might not use it as often during the week due to the prep time, but it's by far the most flexible, and the pizzas/calzones are amazing.
I hope you find this info helpful!
Conclusion
Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or a novice, these tips will enhance your cooking skills and leave your family and friends raving about your delicious, smoky creations. Don't forget to subscribe for more step-by-step videos, and let's together become the barbecue heroes we were meant to be!
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