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March 9, 2021 Grilling Zone

Finding the Best Pellet Smoker Under 500

There aren't many things more enjoyable than a summer BBQ.  If you are looking to take your BBQ experience to the next level, a pellet smoker is a must have.

Pellet smokers are easier to use than traditional charcoal smokers, and produce delicious smoked meats of all different kinds.

Today we are going to take a look at some pellet smokers under 500 dollars.  This is a great price point for someone who is looking to dabble with a pellet smoker, or is just looking for a pellet smoker to augment their existing BBQ setup.

In This Guide

    • Best Pellet Smoker Under 500
    • How do I choose a pellet smoker?
    • PIT BOSS Portable Pellet Grill
    • Pit Boss Classic Pellet Smoker
    • Z GRILLS Pellet Grill ZPG-550B
    • Cuisinart Pellet Grill CPG-6000
    • Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
  • Picking the Best Pellet Smoker Under 500

Best Pellet Smoker Under 500

Pit Boss Portable Pellet Grill
Pit Boss Classic
Z GRILLS ZPG-550B
Cuisinart CPG-6000
Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
PIT BOSS PB440TG 440 sq in Portable Wood Folding Legs Pellet Grill, Black
Pit Boss Classic 700 sq. in. Wood Fired Pellet Grill & Smoker, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise and BBQ
Z GRILLS ZPG-550B 2022 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control,...
Cuisinart CPG-6000, 51 Inch, Deluxe Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 51"
Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
440 sq in
700 sq in
550 sq in
550 sq in
292 sq in
5 pounds of pellets
21 pounds of pellets
10 pounds of pellets
20 pounds of pellets
8 pounds of pellets
digital control
digital control
digital control
digital control
analog control unless control unit is replaced
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Pit Boss Portable Pellet Grill
PIT BOSS PB440TG 440 sq in Portable Wood Folding Legs Pellet Grill, Black
440 sq in
5 pounds of pellets
digital control
Learn More
Pit Boss Classic
Pit Boss Classic 700 sq. in. Wood Fired Pellet Grill & Smoker, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise and BBQ
700 sq in
21 pounds of pellets
digital control
Learn More
Z GRILLS ZPG-550B
Z GRILLS ZPG-550B 2022 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control,...
550 sq in
10 pounds of pellets
digital control
Learn More
Cuisinart CPG-6000
Cuisinart CPG-6000, 51 Inch, Deluxe Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 51"
550 sq in
20 pounds of pellets
digital control
Learn More
Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
292 sq in
8 pounds of pellets
analog control unless control unit is replaced
Learn More

How do I choose a pellet smoker?

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are looking for the best pellet smoker under 500.

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First and foremost is the cooking are of the grill.  While 500 may be a great price point for a gas grill, it is on the low end when it comes to pellet grills which can go over 1000 dollars easy.

This means we're going to have a few tradeoffs.

For example, none of these grills have wifi, for that, you have to bump up your price point to pellets smokers under 1000.

Besides cooking size is the grill controller itself.

While pellet grills are set it and forget it for the most part, think about if you are looking for a digital or an analog display.

While we're talking about set it and forget it another important aspect is how many pellets it can hold.  The more pellets, the longer you can forget about your grill and even do overnight smokes.

Now, let's take a closer look at these grills.

PIT BOSS Portable Pellet Grill

PIT BOSS PB440TG 440 sq in Portable Wood Folding Legs Pellet Grill, Black
PIT BOSS PB440TG 440 sq in Portable Wood Folding Legs Pellet Grill, Black
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Pit Boss is a big name on the grill scene.

This Pit Boss portable pellet grill has a whopping 440 square inches of cooking space in a smaller form factor.

It also features wheels, and removable legs.  If you are in the situation where you plan on storing your pellet grill in the garage, and rolling it out to the driveway or parking space for use, this is a serious contender.

It is easily moved and somewhat lighter than other models, which does also make it easy to take camping or tailgating, since it can be used without the legs.

Simply turn the knob to the desired temperature, and you can see the temperature on the LED digital display, and 5 pound pellet capacity.

Get more information on PIT BOSS Portable Pellet Grill

Pit Boss Classic Pellet Smoker

Sale
Pit Boss Classic 700 sq. in. Wood Fired Pellet Grill & Smoker, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise and BBQ
Pit Boss Classic 700 sq. in. Wood Fired Pellet Grill & Smoker, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise and BBQ
Learn More

If you like the looks of the first pit boss, but it simply isn't big enough, then consider the Pit Boss classic at 700 square inches of cooking space.

Think of this as the big brother to the first Pit Boss we looked at.

With this mode, we have a similar digital controller, and bigger size, but we lose the portability benefits of the first grill.

Did we mention you can plug your temperature probe right into the controller for perfect smoked meats each and every time?

It can also hold 21 pounds of pellets.

Get more information on Pit Boss Classic

Z GRILLS Pellet Grill ZPG-550B

Z GRILLS ZPG-550B 2022 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control,...
Z GRILLS ZPG-550B 2022 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control,...
Learn More

This Z GRILLS pellet smoker has 550 square inches of cooking space.

It has been redesigned for 2020, addressing some customer feedback.  The temperature control system has been redesigned, along with the pellet control system.

This also has an easy to use digital display, and a 10 pound hopper capacity.

Get more information on Z GRILLS ZPG-550B

Cuisinart Pellet Grill CPG-6000

Cuisinart CPG-6000, 51 Inch, Deluxe Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 51'
Cuisinart CPG-6000, 51 Inch, Deluxe Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 51"
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Cuisinart has really been upping their game, expanding from the kitchen electric and cookware space into the grilling space.

It has a huge hopper that can store 20 pounds of pellets, and a whopping 500 square inches of cooking space, plus a warming rack.

It has a simple to use digital controller, along with a storage cabinet underneath, something we haven't really seen at this price point with the other grills.

It even comes with a grill cover.

Get more information on Cuisinart CPG-6000

Traeger Junior Pellet Grill

Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
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When it comes to pellet grills, Traeger is the gold standard.  Unfortunately, the Traeger model at the under 500 price point is a bare bones model.

It has 292 square inches of cooking space, and an analog thermostat with just three settings - smoke, which is 150 degrees F, medium, and high.

The good news is that you can purchase an aftermarket thermostat to give it the look and feel of the other models we looked at.

Sale
Stanbroil Replacement for Traeger Digital Controller Kit, Upgraded BBQ Temperature Controller with...
Stanbroil Replacement for Traeger Digital Controller Kit, Upgraded BBQ Temperature Controller with...
With bright LED display, the digital thermostat kit shows exact cooking temperature.; Eight Cook Temperature Settings (180 through 375 degrees).

Even if you count the thermostat replacement, you will still be under the 500 dollar price point, which makes this grill a serious contender.  If you don't replace the thermostat/control unit it will be difficult to use.

If it is important for you to be able to say you have a Traeger, or if you don't need a large cooking area, you may still want to consider this model.

Get more information on Traeger Junior Pellet Grill

Picking the Best Pellet Smoker Under 500

There are really a lot of great pellet smoker options under 500 dollars.  Let's take  look at our models one more time:

PIT BOSS PB440TG 440 sq in Portable Wood Folding Legs Pellet Grill, Black
PIT BOSS PB440TG 440 sq in Portable Wood Folding Legs Pellet Grill, Black
Sale
Pit Boss Classic 700 sq. in. Wood Fired Pellet Grill & Smoker, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise and BBQ
Pit Boss Classic 700 sq. in. Wood Fired Pellet Grill & Smoker, Smoke, Bake, Roast, Braise and BBQ
Z GRILLS ZPG-550B 2022 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control,...
Z GRILLS ZPG-550B 2022 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker 8 in 1 BBQ Grill Auto Temperature Control,...
Cuisinart CPG-6000, 51 Inch, Deluxe Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 51'
Cuisinart CPG-6000, 51 Inch, Deluxe Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, 51"
BONUS COVER: Protects pellet grill from the outdoor elements.
Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
Traeger Junior Pellet Grill
Digital Arc Controller with Advanced Grilling Logic; Meat Probe Included; Porcelain-coated Grill Grates

The best pellet grill really depends on what you are looking for.

All around, the Pit Boss Classic is the most fully featured pellet smoker.  It has a digital probe for meat which the others do not, and a large pellet capacity.

Next on our list is the Cuisinart CPG-6000 which is the only grill in this class to have a cabinet underneath, which may be an important factor for some purchasers.

If you need portability for any reason, then the PIT BOSS Portable Pellet Grill is a fantastic option.

Next up is the Z GRILLS ZPG-550B which is a great value.

Last but not least is the Traeger Junior Pellet Grill.  If you are handy enough to replace the thermostat, and don't need a huge cooking area this is a serious contender.

Still can't decide?  We also have some great pellet smokers under 300 to look at!

Last update on 2022-08-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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