What better way to enjoy the freedom of the outdoors than to take your portable pellet grill with you and cook delicious BBQ everywhere you go, even to the neighbor’s house? In this article, we will help you find the best options among hundreds of models.
Not every portable pellet grill is of high quality or even practical for grilling. Buying the wrong pellet grill might ruin your cooking experience and waste your money.
A good portable pellet grill lets you take the delicious taste of wood-fired food anywhere, is efficient at grilling, and is easy to carry.
This article will break down what to look for in a good portable pellet grill, which ones we recommend, and why we chose them.
How we tested and researched these Pellet Grills
A variety of factors have been considered while researching good portable pellet grills, including:
- Heat output and temperature range
- Cooking area of the main chamber
- Portability
- Features
- Price vs. value for money ( quality )
We examine the efficiency of pellet grills since they can be used to both smoke and grill meals. We also considered how user-friendly each model is and how simple it is to operate its functions, such as the temperature controller.
We also took consumer feedback into account when rounding up the top portable pellet grills.
What’s Considered a Portable Pellet Grill?
A portable pellet grill is exactly what its name implies—a compact, easily portable version of a standard wood pellet grill. Portable pellet grills are available in different configurations, from collapsible tabletop models to light pellet grills with wheels.
Pellet grills do need an electrical power source to operate the ignition system, the digital controller, and other components. Good portable pellet grills can be easily operated using an electrical power source such as a battery pack, an aircraft battery, or a generator.
Expect these grills to be lighter, more compact, and have fewer features than their larger counterparts, but the objective of these grills is to be portable.
The best Portable Pellet Grills Reviewed
1. Pit Boss Sportsman Portable Pellet Grill – Best Overall
Specifications:
Cooking Space: 387 square inches
Pellet Hopper capacity: 19 pounds
Heat Range 180° – 500° F
Fuel Type: Wood pellets
Dimensions (in) : 37.5 x 25.2
Weight: 85 lbs
Power Requirements: 110-120V, 60HZ, 250W, 3-PRONG GROUNDED PLUG
Pit Boss is a well-known and well-liked brand among BBQ fans. They primarily manufacture pellet grills, and after years of production, they have refined their pellet grill recipe.
The Pit Boss Sportsman Series Portable offers superior rugged and versatile performance in a package that makes it so convenient that you can go anywhere.
What we appreciate most about this pellet grill is that it has a good-sized cooking area. It cooks as effectively as a regular-sized grill, yet when you are done, its legs can be folded and pulled as effortlessly as a beer cooler or beach chair.
The legs are designed to fold together in one step, and there is a built-in handle plus latches so you can easily wheel this portable grill around.
You don’t get WiFi access at this price, but you get an excellent portable grill of good quality and value.
Pros:
- Sportsman PB260PSP2 Pit Stop Portable Pellet Grill
- Good Stainless Steel build
- It comes with a Meat Probe to check the doneness of your food.
- Beach chair-like folding legs with rubber wheels help move this grill around.
- Digital temperature controller with led display and auto on and off system.
- Porcelain Coated Cast Iron Cooking Grates
- 19-pound capacity pellet hopper – enough for a full day of grilling.
What we don’t like:
- When a grill is built using good steel, it will be a little heavy ( 85 pounds ).
2. Traeger Tailgater Pellet 20 Grill and Smoker – Runner Up
Specifications:
Cooking Space Square Inches: 300 square inches
Hopper capacity: 8 pounds
Pellet Heat Range: 150° – 450
Fuel Type: Wood pellets
Weight: 60 lbs
Power Requirements: 110-120V, 60HZ, 250W, 3-PRONG GROUNDED PLUG
We love Traeger grills, and their owners love them too. Traeger pellet grills are among the most popular, and this grill is our runner-up only because we find the folding leg system in the Pit Boss will be easier to operate for most users.
The Traeger Tailgater folding leg system, on the other hand, has one unique and remarkable feature: it is versatile. The foldable legs can be extended to use the grill on a flat surface like a parking lot or campground, but you can also fold the legs and use the grill “tabletop” and place it on the back of your pickup truck or sturdy table.
The Traeger Tailgater pellet grill is an excellent option if you want to go anywhere and cook, tailgate, or for smaller backyards. We like that the Traeger Tailgater is slightly lighter than the competition, but overall, this is a simple, portable pellet grill that is great for camping and enjoying the outdoors.
Pros:
- Lighter than the Pit Boss.
- The folding leg systems double as a base to use the grill “tabletop”. Tabletop pellet grills are very convenient.
- Digital Temperature controller. ( Digital Arc Controller )
- This grill can double as a small backyard or portable grill.
Cons:
- A smaller hopper capacity of only 8 pounds means you might need to add pellets more often.
3. Traeger Grills Ranger – Smallest and Good Tailgate pellet grill
Specifications:
Cooking Space Square Inches: 184 inches
Pellet Hopper capacity: 8 pounds
Heat Range: 150° – 450° F
Fuel Type: Wood pellets
Dimensions (in) : 20 x 21 x 13
Weight: 60 lbs
Warranty: 3 Years
This is a small pellet grill, but a true portable pellet smoker. This smoker is designed and built to be light, portable, and easy to use. Traeger sure spent some time on the design of this grill and it is a great tailgate pellet grill.
This grill can be packed and secured just like a toolbox. There are two latches to secure the lid, and all the components are packed and secure inside the case. You carry this grill like you would your toolbox, and it only weighs 60 pounds and is just a few inches short of two feet.
Still, you get great features like porcelain coated grill grates, a 184 square inches cooking area, and digital cooking temperature controls.
The pellet hopper capacity is 8 pounds, and this grill can reach temperatures of up to 450 degrees.
Pros:
- As portable as portable gets. It’s small, compact, and easy to carry.
- Traeger quality.
Cons:
- Pellet hopper capacity is only 8 pounds, but let’s be real, you are not going to smoke a whole hog in these small grills.
4. Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett WiFi Pellet Grill (12v pellet grill)
Cooking Space Square Inches: 219 square inches
Pellet Hopper capacity: 9 pounds
Heat Range: 150° – 550° F
Fuel Type: Wood pellets
Weight: 57 lbs
The Green Mountain grills Davy Crockett portable pellet grill is an affordable and smaller option for those looking for a compact tabletop pellet grill. This portable pellet grill does offer WiFi, so you can monitor the grill while sitting and enjoying your favorite drink.
This grill is smaller and lighter than our top two, but it doesn’t offer the same folding leg system as the Pit Boss or the Traeger Tailgater.
This portable wood pellet grill, on the other hand, has a significant advantage: it can run on the electric power of your car through a 12-volt socket. This means you can bring this grill with you everywhere you go, and it’s a true 12v pellet grill.
Specifications:
Pros:
- Lighter portable wood pellet grill with good cooking space.
- WiFi connectivity so can monitor the cooking progress.
- Wide temperature range for a grill this size.
- It can operate from a 12-volt electric car plug or your car’s battery.
Cons:
- Fixed short legs – The legs were upgraded for 2021 and are no longer foldable but are strong.
5. Camp Chef Pursuit Portable Pellet Grill
Specifications:
Cooking Space Square Inches: 501 square inches
Pellet Hopper capacity: 10 pounds
Heat Range: 150° – 500° F
Fuel Type: Wood pellets
Dimensions (in): 38 x 18.5 x 21
Weight: 100 lbs.
The Camp Chef Pursuit is a nice package and a great fit for those looking for a larger, versatile grill with a good size cooking chamber and foldable legs.
The folding legs can fold all the way flat like a rolling suitcase, which makes it easy to carry, but you can easily use this grill tabletop with its legs folded. The Camp Chef Pursuit legs feature an adjustable screw or leg adjustment that allows you to extend or retract the last few inches of the legs to level the grill on uneven terrain.
You also get two meat probes to monitor your food and a removable ashtray for easy clean-up. No WiFi, but you get a good size cooking chamber.
Pros:
- This Camp Chef offers a large cooking surface great for parties and large outdoor cooking events.
- Good grill features like a digital control panel – easy to set the desired temperature and manage temperature control.
- An ash cleanout system helps when it is time to clean. Grills without a removable ashtray must be cleaned using a shop vac.
- The legs can be leveled and adjusted perfectly when using the grill on uneven surfaces.
Cons:
- At 100 pounds, it is on the heavy side, and you might need some help moving this pellet grill.
6. Z Grills ZPG-200
Specifications:
Cooking Space Square Inches: 202 square inches
Pellet Hopper capacity: 8 pounds
Fuel Type: Wood pellets
Dimensions (in): 25 x 20 x 15
Weight: 40 lbs.
If portability is your priority and you are looking for one of the smallest portable pellet grills, then consider the Z Grills Cruiser 200a ZPG 200.
The Z Grills Cruiser 200a is a small and compact grill that can be carried like a toolbox. The grill is light, weighing only 40 pounds. This isn’t the most powerful grill on our list, but if you are looking for something small and easy to carry, this little guy is a good fit.
Pros:
- Small and light and only 40 pounds.
- 8 pounds hopper capacity is not bad for a grill this size.
Cons:
- Not very powerful and small hopper capacity.
7. Grilla Grills Chimp
Specifications:
Space Square Inches: 580 square inches
Pellet Hopper capacity: 15 pounds
Fuel Type: Wood pellet
Weight: 90 lbs.
The Grilla Grills Chimp offers all the same great features as other portable pellet grills, rolled into a smaller and lighter version. It is made from powder-coated steel with stainless components.
Although the Grilla Grills grill doesn’t offer folding legs, it is light considering its size and capacity. The cooking chamber offers 580 square inches of cooking surface and only weighs 90 pounds.
A 15-pound hopper allows for a reasonable cooking time for a full day of outdoor cooking.
Pros:
- “Large but light” only weighs 90 pounds.
Cons:
- It is a large grill without folding legs
Portable Wood Pellet Grills Buying Guide What to Look for.
Portable wood pellet grills are reasonably priced, and most models are functional, but a good pellet grill will have a few characteristics you should consider and look for.
Build quality
Have you ever dropped your grill? Well, I have, and let me tell you that poorly built grills will not take a drop well. This is why it is important to pay attention to the materials used to manufacture the grill.
Think metals will make the grill lighter, but they will also bend and warp more easily. Look for stainless steel components and a good balance between good gauge steel and weight.
Size and portability – Dimensions and weight – Gotta watch those pounds.
Consider what weights you feel comfortable carrying. Are 40 pounds too heavy for you? How about 100 pounds? Will you have help when moving the grill? It is important to go for a pellet grill which weight will be easy for you to carry.
Also, make sure that the grill fits in the trunk of your car or the back of your truck. Portability features and convinces like how easy it is to fold the legs, how heavy the grill is, and whether setting up requires multiple people to work on the grill will impact the portability levels of your grill.
We have included the dimensions and weight of these grills so that you can consider what fits your car and what you feel comfortable carrying.
Power options – Portable Pellet Grills need electricity
Most portable pellet grills can operate using the 12-volt battery of your car, but a large portable pellet grill will require a good source of power, such as a house electrical outlet.
Consider how and where you will be using your portable pellet smoker. At the campsite, you might have a good electric outlet nearby, but at the beach, your only power source might be your car.
Unlike charcoal grills, pellet grills do need the power to run all the grill technology in charge of all that precise temperature control we all enjoy from these pellet grills.
Features and Temperature Controls
All the grills we tested included several features, including meat probes, PID controllers, and digital displays. Some grills include features like WiFi-capable controllers, but keep in mind that the more features the grill has, the more expensive the grill will be.
Tabletop Pellet Grill vs. Collapsible ( foldable ) Pellet Grill
A tabletop pellet grill is the smallest variety among portable pellet smokers and grills and are compact and extremely light.
Collapsible legs pellet grills, however, come in sizes bigger than tabletop pellet grills. This type of grill uses components that can be either assembled or folded away for storage or transport.
The downside is that grills with foldable legs are heavier and a bit harder to transport.
Temperature range
The temperature range is an important ranking factor because, since these grills are small, some models lack the cooking or heat output power to, say, sear a good steak.
In this list, we have provided the heat output and temperature range of each grill, so you can be confident that any model you pick can cook at the temperatures you want.
You want to make sure your grill can cook meats at the right temperatures.
Connectivity
WiFi-controlled pellet smokers and grills enable you to walk around, engage guests, or work on meal prep while an app on your phone monitors what is going on in your grill.
A built-in meat probe monitors the temperature of the meat, eliminating the need to step up to the grill and probe the meat every time you want to know its temperature.
How Easy is the wood pellet grill to use
The objective here is to find a grill that is both portable and simple to operate.
If you want to use your new pellet grill outdoors, the last thing you want is a complex pellet grill or one with too many components that can fail.
Grill and Cooking Area
Your grill’s cooking area and available grilling surface are important. Small pellet grills are light and compact, but can not accommodate enough burgers to feed an entire family, so you will have to spend longer times cooking to feed everyone.
A huge grill, on the other hand, will be heavy and will consume more pellets. If you only need a grill for you and your loved one, a small grill will work fine.
Other options you can take into consideration and Optional Accessories
Folding legs, rubber wheels, and durable pulling handles are all desirable features in a portable grill. If you want to leave your grill outside and exposed to the weather, invest in a nice grill cover, and keep a few extension cables on hand in case the power outlets are far away.
You might also want to think about investing in a nice pellet container because you will need to transport wood pellets and store them properly wherever you go.
With a portable pellet grill, you will be using your hands a lot more than usual. Invest in a decent pair of cooking gloves to keep your hands safe when working with hot surfaces or carrying a hot grill.
Why should you choose a portable pellet grill over a portable gas grill?
Portable pellet grills, like gas grills, are simple to operate but provide better flavor since they burn wood pellets as fuel. Gas grills cannot compete with the aroma and flavor of cooking with pellets.
Furthermore, because pellet grills use wood pellets to provide a delicious smokey taste, many of these portable grills may be used as smokers. If you want to smoke meats, there are various purpose-built portable smokers available.
Temperatures control is another breeze when using a portable pellet grill smoker.
Rather than dealing with air vents in a charcoal grill or temperature dials in a gas grill, you just set the temperature on the controller and let it do its thing with a pellet grill. The temperature control and combustion systems are completely automated.
The Last Word
The Pit Boss Sportsman is our top pick because it offers an excellent balance between quality, value, and portability. Our runner-up, the Trager, also an amazing pick.
If you are looking for something extremely portable, then the Trager Ranger is an amazing model.
Enjoy Life, Get Grilling,
