So you’re thinking about getting a Weber wood pellet grill. Good idea! You won’t be sorry you did. But there are some important differences between a wood pellet grill and other types of grills that you should know about. We are here to help you out and give you the important information you need to make the right decision, and also better understand this popular type of grill.
Wood pellet grills are quite different than other grills you are used to, both in good ways and bad ways. We’ll give you the real skinny on what to expect when you own a wood pellet grill.
1. A Weber Wood Pellet Grill Is Easy To Find
No matter where you are, you are close to getting a Weber Grill. They are practically everywhere! Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, you name it. You can find them even more easily online. Google search ‘Weber wood pellet grills,’ and endless choices will appear at your fingertips. Or simply go to Wood Pellet Grill | Weber and find exactly what it is you’re looking for.
Weber offers an excellent line of pellet grills called SmokeFire Wood Pellet Grills. They run between $1,000 and $1,700 depending on the model. All models have a temperature range of 200-600 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. What Is A Wood Pellet Grill?
You’ve more than likely seen and used gas or charcoal grills before. Maybe even an electric grill. But wood pellet grills are relatively new to the barbecue scene, so you may not have actually seen one up close and personal. No problem, that’s why we’re here to help.
Wood pellet grills use compressed wood pellets as fuel. This creates a very rich, flavorful smoke that infuses into any food you cook. It’s like a purer form of charcoal, but even better. You can choose the type of wood pellets you want, as there are many different types.
Pellet grills are extremely versatile pieces of equipment. When you own a wood pellet grill, you have an all-in-one true barbecue grill at your fingertips. Barbecue in the truest sense of the word. It operates as a smoker. Low and slow for hours. Crank up the heat, and now you also have a grill that can leave sear marks on your meats. You can also use this grill as an oven, albeit cakes made in one of these are a bit smokier than others.
How it works A Weber SmokeFire Grill is a wood-fueled oven, some parts powered by electricity, digitally enhanced, and automated. Yes. Automated. The first truly modern grill, that you can set up and forget about it.
Hopper The Hopper is a metal box attached to the side of the grill. This is where you put your wood pellets.
Digital Controller and Auger A digital controller works in conjunction with an auger {very large screw) to dispense the necessary number of pellets into the fire pot to maintain the preset temperature.
Fire Pot and Igniter The fire pot is where the wood pellets are deposited so an electric igniter rod can warm them up enough to create smoke and heat.
Fan, Blower, and Chimney Every wood pellet grill has a fan and blower to pull outside air into the grill to feed the fire enough oxygen to keep it going strong. All excess, old smoke exits through the chimney to keep the smoke supply inside fresh and clean.
3. Wood Pellets
Out of all the fuels that are used by grills to cook your food, wood pellets are probably the coolest of all. They provide wonderful smoke flavor to everything you cook on your grill. They are cleaner than charcoal briquettes, which contain chemicals and are made from low-quality wood waste. Wood pellets leave a lot less ash and residue behind than charcoal briquettes.
Wood pellets are more expensive than other types of fuels. But many grillers swear by the results and say that they are worth every penny. You will need to store them in a dry place and make sure you always have enough on hand. Remember that the average pellet grill will burn through 1-3 pounds of pellets per hour, depending on what is on the grill. Low and slow fare will use up fewer pellets than fast and hot. Don’t forget to keep your pellet stash fully stocked!
Grillers have choices to make when choosing wood pellets. You’ll want to stick to quality wood pellets only. Keep in mind that there are two types of quality wood pellets. Heating pellets are made for use in wood-burning stoves to heat the home, not so much for cooking food. Smoking, or Food Grade Pellets, are designed for cooking food and leaving behind a wonderful flavor. There are many different flavors to choose from. Yes, they are more expensive. But you already knew that. Regardless of the price, once you try them, you will be hooked.
Check out Weber’s selection of food-grade wood pellets here.
4. It’s A Smoker
Smoking is the process of cooking and preserving meat inside a closed space with low heat for long periods of time. There is no direct heat involved. This is the original meaning of the term barbecue. The entire cooking chamber is heated to an even, constant temperature, and the food is cooked by the convection process. The longer the food cooks, the more the smoke and heat penetrate the outer layers of your food and infuse it with unbelievably tasty flavor.
Cooking with the smoking process can take anywhere from 90 minutes to ten or more hours, but the average is between 5-8 hours. It all depends on what you are smoking, how big it is, and what temperature you are barbecuing at. To the uninitiated, smoking meat for that long in any kind of heat would make the meat dry and too tough to eat. But no. The key is the low temperature of the cooking heat. Exposure to steady, low heat breaks down the tougher parts of meat and melts it back into the meat. If you’ve ever eaten meat that was incredibly moist and had a “fall-off-the-bone” quality, that was most likely the result of using a smoker.
5. It’s A Grill
Grilling is the process of cooking something fast, with high heat, and delivering it to a hungry guest quickly. Like a burger, hot dog, or a piece of tender chicken cooked with the indirect grilling method. As temperatures increase, the outside of the meat will begin to sear or discolor. When the heat gets really high, the surface texture of the grill will be branded onto your meat. This is how grill marks are made on your steaks and burgers.
Thanks to Weber Grills, you don’t have to choose between buying a smoker and buying a grill. You can find it all in one grill. Weber SmokeFire wood pellet grills are like the multi-tool of barbecue grills. They cook low and slow. They cook hot and fast. These amazing pieces of equipment can also bake a cake, roast a turkey, or pretty much anything else you can think of. Whatever you want to cook that day, you can do it. Pretty soon all your friends and family members will refer to you as the Grand Grill Master of the neighborhood. And it’ll be true!
6. Technologically Advanced
The Digital Age meets the ancient practice of cooking with wood, and the results are in! Weber has it mastered! One absolutely necessary accessory you’ll need with your Weber SmokeFire Grill is the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub | Weber Connect | Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub | Weber Grills. In fact, this is not just an accessory, in our humble opinion. It is an absolute necessity! This, and the Weber Connect app for your newer smartphones, will allow you to control your grill from anywhere.
If you’re taking it low and slow this cooking session, just fire up the grill, set the coordinates, close the lid, and go and do whatever you need to do. The SmokeFire doesn’t need parental supervision. It will do whatever it is programmed to do. And when you get back, your food will be perfectly cooked, just waiting for you and all your lucky guests to dig in and enjoy!
7. Of Course, Weber Has Accessories!
No one does accessories as good as Weber. Here are the top ten you’ll want, need, and have to get. But remember, you’re not limited to only ten.
- SmokeFire All Natural Hardwood Pellets Choose your flavors.
- Weber Silicon Grilling Gloves Necessary for any grill master.
- Premium Grill Cover Protect your pride and joy from harsh elements when not in use.
- Wood Pellet Storage Bag Keep your pellets dry and ready for your next cookout.
- Dutch Oven Duo Great for cooking stew and soups with your grill! Lid doubles as a grill for breakfast fare.
- Pizza Stone Yes. Pizza too.
- Wok Expanding your recipe horizons.
- Poultry Roaster Is there anything better than roasted chicken?
- Glow Plug This handy device powers the igniter.
- Sear Grate For those beautiful grill marks on your food!
General accessories you’ll probably want are a proper grilling apron and a thermometer. Check out their overall selection here.
8. You’ll Need Some Electricity
Your auger, digital controller, igniter, and induction fan are all powered by electricity. The igniter needs the most power to operate, but only when igniting wood pellets in the fire pot. Otherwise, your grill requires only a small amount of electricity to operate properly. The Glow Plug is what powers the igniter. You probably will need to have a couple of these handy just in case Glow Plug – SMOKEFIRE EX4/EX6/EPX6 Wood Pellet Grills | Cooking | Pellet Grill Accessories | Weber Grills. For everything else, you will be able to use an extension cord plugged into a grounded outlet. Be sure to read your owner’s manual before you start your first grilling session.
For camping and grilling away from civilization, be sure to invest in a battery pack, inverter, or even a generator.
9. Healthy Recipes
Cooking with a pellet grill opens up a whole universe of culinary options. Yes, you can eat healthy, too! Go ahead and try them all! A good starting place for recipes to try is our website BBQ Archives – Drizzle Me Skinny!. You’ll love these recipes!
10. Of Course It’s Good. It’s A Weber!
We can’t say this enough. You’ll never go wrong with a Weber Grill. Weber is the top name in all things grilling and barbecue. You’re going to really enjoy your SmokeFire Grill. Be sure to let us know what you’re cooking!
Read our other posts about related topics to learn more.
10 Skills Every Chef Needs To Master The Weber Grill – Drizzle Me Skinny!
