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Smoke Hours is paid through affiliate links: if you buy through a link to Pit Boss, Traeger, Z Grills, Camp Chef or All Things Barbecue, we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. No program has accepted the site yet, and the commission never decides the order or the picks. How we choose.
A pellet grill is a fan, an auger and a fire pot fed from a hopper: the bigger the hopper and the slower the burn, the longer it cooks without you. That is why this site starts with the two numbers brochures rarely put side by side: how many hours one hopper lasts, and what the pellets for a cook cost. Everything below comes from the makers' and stores' own pages, read on November 7 and 8, 2026.
- 37in-stock grills and smokers read on Nov 7 and 8, 2026
- 5stores: Pit Boss, Traeger, Z Grills, Camp Chef, All Things Barbecue
- $329.99 to $2,699price range in our check
- $0.50 to $1.80per pound of pellets, 14 bags read [calc]
What a cook costs in pellets
The burn rate is the number that drives everything, and it is the one most makers do not publish. We use the figures that do exist, with their wording: Pit Boss's rule of thumb of 2 lb an hour low and slow and 4 lb hot and fast, Z Grills' hours per full hopper, Camp Chef's figure on high. Here is the pellet bill of three typical cooks at the cheapest and the dearest bag per pound in our check.
| Cook (burn rate: Pit Boss rule of thumb) | Pellets burned [calc] | Cost at Pit Boss Competition Blend, 40 lb ($0.50/lb) [calc] | Cost at Z Grills Hickory, 1 bag (20 lb) ($1.80/lb) [calc] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeknight chicken, 2 hr hot and fast | 8 lb | $4.00 | $14.40 |
| Pork butt, 10 hr low and slow | 20 lb | $10.00 | $36.00 |
| Brisket, 14 hr low and slow | 28 lb | $14.00 | $50.40 |
Run your own cook, grill and bag in the pellet cost per cook calculator; the brand-by-brand burn rates are in how many pounds of pellets per hour.
Six brands, side by side
| Brand | In-stock grills read | Price range | Cooking area | Hopper | With Wi-Fi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pit Boss | 18 | $329.99 to $1,199.99 | 256 to 2,234 sq in | 5 to 75 lb | 11 |
| Traeger | 8 | $479.99 to $1,799.99 | 176 to 970 sq in | 8 to 24 lb | 6 |
| Z Grills | 6 | $399 to $1,399 | 459 to 1,080 sq in | 18 to 28 lb | 5 |
| Camp Chef | 2 | $749.99 to $1,124.99 | 811 to 811 sq in | 22 to 22 lb | 2 |
| Weber | 1 | $1,299 to $1,299 | 972 to 972 sq in | 20 to 20 lb | 1 |
| Yoder Smokers | 2 | $2,249 to $2,699 | 800 to 1,070 sq in | 20 to 20 lb | 2 |
Every grill, with its price, area, hopper, temperature range and connectivity, is in the pellet grill comparison, which opens with our picks in 30 seconds. Under $1,000 only: best pellet grill under $1,000.
Will it fit your cook?
Traeger and Pit Boss print what fits on some grills: "20 Burgers" on a Westwood, "up to 55 burgers, 7 whole chickens, or 8 racks of ribs" on a Pit Boss Odessa. Divide the area by the count and you get the space each burger takes in the maker's own reckoning: 27.1 sq in at the median of six counts [calc]. Our how many burgers fit tool applies that to every grill, or to the size of your brisket.
Hopper hours, grill by grill
Hopper size divided by burn rate: the run time on one fill at 1, 2 and 4 lb an hour [calc], next to what the brand itself claims when it claims anything.
| Grill | Price | Hopper | Run time at 1 lb/hr [calc] | At 2 lb/hr [calc] | At 4 lb/hr [calc] | What the brand says |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pit Boss Navigator 6-Series vertical pellet smoker | $899.99 Pit Boss | 75 lb | 75 hr | 37.5 hr | 18.8 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Sportsman 5-Series vertical pellet smoker | $649.99 Pit Boss | 60 lb | 60 hr | 30 hr | 15 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Sportsman 7-Series vertical pellet smoker | $749.99 Pit Boss | 60 lb | 60 hr | 30 hr | 15 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series vertical pellet smoker | $649.99 Pit Boss | 50 lb | 50 hr | 25 hr | 12.5 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Lockhart Platinum pellet grill + smoker cabinet | $899.99 Pit Boss | 40 lb | 40 hr | 20 hr | 10 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Odessa (Onyx Edition) pellet grill | $697.99 Pit Boss | 33 lb | 33 hr | 16.5 hr | 8.2 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Navigator 850 pellet grill | $799.99 Pit Boss | 30 lb | 30 hr | 15 hr | 7.5 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Sportsman 1100 pellet grill | $849.99 Pit Boss | 30 lb | 30 hr | 15 hr | 7.5 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Navigator 1300 pellet grill | $999.99 Pit Boss | 30 lb | 30 hr | 15 hr | 7.5 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Navigator 1600 pellet grill | $1,199.99 Pit Boss | 30 lb | 30 hr | 15 hr | 7.5 hr | no run time published |
| Z Grills 7002C2E WiFi pellet grill | $697 Z Grills | 28 lb | 28 hr | 14 hr | 7 hr | "28 hours of non-stop cooking with a full hopper" |
| Z Grills 700D4E WiFi pellet grill | $777 Z Grills | 28 lb | 28 hr | 14 hr | 7 hr | "28 hours of non-stop cooking with a full hopper" |
| Z Grills 1000D4E WiFi pellet grill | $827 Z Grills | 28 lb | 28 hr | 14 hr | 7 hr | "28-hour cook time with a full hopper" |
| Z Grills Multitasker 11002B WiFi pellet grill | $1,399 Z Grills | 28 lb | 28 hr | 14 hr | 7 hr | "28 lb. hopper capacity supports up to 28 hours of non-stop cooking" |
| Traeger Woodridge pellet grill | $899.99 Traeger | 24 lb | 24 hr | 12 hr | 6 hr | no run time published |
| Traeger Woodridge Pro pellet grill | $1,149.99 Traeger | 24 lb | 24 hr | 12 hr | 6 hr | no run time published |
| Traeger Woodridge Pro Plus pellet grill | $1,399.99 Traeger | 24 lb | 24 hr | 12 hr | 6 hr | no run time published |
| Traeger Woodridge Elite pellet grill | $1,799.99 Traeger | 24 lb | 24 hr | 12 hr | 6 hr | no run time published |
| Camp Chef Woodwind 24 (side shelf) pellet grill | $749.99 Camp Chef | 22 lb | 22 hr | 11 hr | 5.5 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss FB2 700 pellet grill | $549.99 Pit Boss | 21 lb | 21 hr | 10.5 hr | 5.2 hr | no run time published |
| Z Grills 10502B WiFi XL pellet grill | $559 Z Grills | 21 lb | 21 hr | 10.5 hr | 5.2 hr | "21-lb hopper: up to 20 hours of continuous cooking at 225°F" |
| Pit Boss FB2 850 pellet grill | $599.99 Pit Boss | 21 lb | 21 hr | 10.5 hr | 5.2 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Sportsman 850 pellet grill | $749.99 Pit Boss | 21 lb | 21 hr | 10.5 hr | 5.2 hr | no run time published |
| Weber Searwood XL 600 pellet grill | $1,299 All Things Barbecue | 20 lb | 20 hr | 10 hr | 5 hr | no run time published |
| Yoder Smokers YS480s (standard cart) pellet grill | $2,249 All Things Barbecue | 20 lb | 20 hr | 10 hr | 5 hr | "holds a 20-pound bag of pellets and can run for approximately 10+ hours at 225°F" |
| Yoder Smokers YS640s (standard cart) pellet grill | $2,699 All Things Barbecue | 20 lb | 20 hr | 10 hr | 5 hr | "holds a 20-pound bag of pellets and can run for approximately 10+ hours at 225°F" |
| Z Grills Pioneer 450B pellet grill | $399 Z Grills | 18 lb | 18 hr | 9 hr | 4.5 hr | no run time published |
| Traeger Westwood pellet grill | $699.99 Traeger | 18 lb | 18 hr | 9 hr | 4.5 hr | no run time published |
| Traeger Westwood XL pellet grill | $799.99 Traeger | 18 lb | 18 hr | 9 hr | 4.5 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Carbon 500 pellet grill | $349.99 Pit Boss | 13.5 lb | 13.5 hr | 6.8 hr | 3.4 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Carbon 700 pellet grill | $379.99 Pit Boss | 13.5 lb | 13.5 hr | 6.8 hr | 3.4 hr | no run time published |
| Traeger Ranger portable pellet grill | $479.99 Traeger | 8 lb | 8 hr | 4 hr | 2 hr | no run time published |
| Traeger Tailgater portable pellet grill | $499.99 Traeger | 8 lb | 8 hr | 4 hr | 2 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss FB2 150 Portable portable pellet grill | $329.99 Pit Boss | 7 lb | 7 hr | 3.5 hr | 1.8 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss Portable Battery Powered portable pellet grill | $549.99 Pit Boss | 7 lb | 7 hr | 3.5 hr | 1.8 hr | no run time published |
| Pit Boss FB2 500 pellet grill | $399.99 Pit Boss | 5 lb | 5 hr | 2.5 hr | 1.2 hr | no run time published |
Safety, briefly. Pellet grills burn wood and make carbon monoxide: Traeger's California Proposition 65 warning on its product pages names "Carbon monoxide, a by-product of combustion of this product". Use them outdoors only, keep the clearances from walls, railings and roofs that your owner's manual gives (Camp Chef's FAQ for its 24-inch grill suggests "10 feet away from any structure"), and follow the manual's start-up and shut-down steps. This site does not replace the manual.
Picking by need
- First pellet grill: best pellet grill for beginners (what makes the first year easier, from published features).
- App control: Wi-Fi pellet grill comparison (which apps, which grills, what the pages say).
- The two big names: Traeger vs Pit Boss, five pairs of similar size.
- Pellets or a stick burner: pellet grill vs offset smoker.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run a pellet grill?
Pounds of pellets burned times the price per pound of your bag. Pit Boss's own rule of thumb is 2 lb an hour low and slow and 4 lb hot and fast; at the cheapest bag we read on November 7, 2026 ($0.50 a pound, Pit Boss 40 lb), a 14-hour brisket at 2 lb an hour is 28 lb of pellets, about $14 [calc]. At $1.80 a pound it is about $50.
Will one hopper last an overnight cook?
Divide the hopper size by the burn rate. A 28 lb Z Grills hopper lasts 14 hours at 2 lb an hour and 28 hours at 1 lb an hour [calc]; Z Grills itself prints "28 hours of non-stop cooking with a full hopper". An 8 lb portable hopper lasts 4 hours at 2 lb an hour.
Which brands publish how many pellets their grills burn?
Few. In our check, Pit Boss (a rule of thumb on its blog), Z Grills (hours per full hopper), Camp Chef (an FAQ figure on high) and Yoder Smokers (hours at 225°F, in a retailer listing). Traeger and Weber do not publish a pounds-per-hour figure on the pages we read.
Do you test the grills?
No. We have not cooked on any of these grills. We read what the makers and stores publish, quote it with the date, and do the arithmetic in the open.
Keep reading
- Pellet cost per cookPounds of pellets burned, the cost of the cook, the hours one hopper lasts, and which grills get through it without a refill.
- How many burgers fitFrom the counts the makers print themselves: what fits on each grill, and the cheapest grills that hold your whole cook at once.
- Compare 37 grillsStore price, cooking area, hopper, temperature range, weight and connectivity, cheapest first.