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Choose what you are cooking and how many at once. The space each item takes comes from the makers themselves: every time Traeger or Pit Boss prints "20 Burgers" or "8 racks of ribs" next to a cooking area, we divide one by the other. You can also type your own space per item, or the size of your brisket.
Example: 24 burgers for a party. Enter yours.
Leaves out upper racks; grills without a published main grate drop out.
Where the space per item comes from
Each line is a count a maker prints next to a cooking area, read on November 7 and 8, 2026. Where several grills publish the same area and count (the Woodridge Pro, Pro Plus and Elite all print 970 sq in and the same foods), we keep one line. The tool uses the median of each food.
Burgers: median 27.1 sq in each [calc]
| Grill | Total area published | Burgers the brand says fit | Sq in per burger [calc] | Brand wording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traeger Ranger | 176 sq in | 6 | 29.3 | "Capacity: 1 Rib Racks Or 6 Burgers Or 10 Hot Dogs" |
| Traeger Tailgater | 300 sq in | 12 | 25.0 | "Capacity: 2 Chickens Or 3 Rib Racks Or 12 Burgers" |
| Pit Boss Portable Battery Powered | 256 sq in | 13 | 19.7 | "256 sq. inches of cooking space; holds approximately 13 burgers" |
| Pit Boss Odessa (Onyx Edition) | 1,323 sq in | 55 | 24.1 | "With over 1,300 square inches of cooking space, you can grill up to 55 burgers, 7 whole chickens, or 8 racks of ribs at once." |
| Traeger Westwood | 653 sq in | 20 | 32.6 | "Westwood Capacity: 21 Chicken Breasts, 6 Rib Racks, 20 Burgers" |
| Traeger Westwood XL | 823 sq in | 25 | 32.9 | "Westwood XL Capacity: 28 Chicken Breasts, 7 Rib Racks, 25 Burgers" |
Chicken breasts: median 30.2 sq in each [calc]
| Grill | Total area published | Chicken breasts the brand says fit | Sq in per chicken breast [calc] | Brand wording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traeger Westwood | 653 sq in | 21 | 31.1 | "Westwood Capacity: 21 Chicken Breasts, 6 Rib Racks, 20 Burgers" |
| Traeger Westwood XL | 823 sq in | 28 | 29.4 | "Westwood XL Capacity: 28 Chicken Breasts, 7 Rib Racks, 25 Burgers" |
Whole chickens: median 155.8 sq in each [calc]
| Grill | Total area published | Whole chickens the brand says fit | Sq in per whole chicken [calc] | Brand wording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traeger Tailgater | 300 sq in | 2 | 150.0 | "Capacity: 2 Chickens Or 3 Rib Racks Or 12 Burgers" |
| Pit Boss Odessa (Onyx Edition) | 1,323 sq in | 7 | 189.0 | "With over 1,300 square inches of cooking space, you can grill up to 55 burgers, 7 whole chickens, or 8 racks of ribs at once." |
| Traeger Woodridge | 860 sq in | 6 | 143.3 | "Woodridge Capacity: 6 Chickens or 8 Rib Racks or 6 Pork Butts" |
| Traeger Woodridge Pro | 970 sq in | 6 | 161.7 | "Woodridge Pro Capacity: 6 Chickens or 8 Rib Racks or 8 Pork Butts" |
Rib racks: median 117.6 sq in each [calc]
| Grill | Total area published | Rib racks the brand says fit | Sq in per rib rack [calc] | Brand wording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traeger Ranger | 176 sq in | 1 | 176.0 | "Capacity: 1 Rib Racks Or 6 Burgers Or 10 Hot Dogs" |
| Traeger Tailgater | 300 sq in | 3 | 100.0 | "Capacity: 2 Chickens Or 3 Rib Racks Or 12 Burgers" |
| Pit Boss Odessa (Onyx Edition) | 1,323 sq in | 8 | 165.4 | "With over 1,300 square inches of cooking space, you can grill up to 55 burgers, 7 whole chickens, or 8 racks of ribs at once." |
| Traeger Westwood | 653 sq in | 6 | 108.8 | "Westwood Capacity: 21 Chicken Breasts, 6 Rib Racks, 20 Burgers" |
| Traeger Westwood XL | 823 sq in | 7 | 117.6 | "Westwood XL Capacity: 28 Chicken Breasts, 7 Rib Racks, 25 Burgers" |
| Traeger Woodridge | 860 sq in | 8 | 107.5 | "Woodridge Capacity: 6 Chickens or 8 Rib Racks or 6 Pork Butts" |
| Traeger Woodridge Pro | 970 sq in | 8 | 121.2 | "Woodridge Pro Capacity: 6 Chickens or 8 Rib Racks or 8 Pork Butts" |
Pork butts: median 132.2 sq in each [calc]
| Grill | Total area published | Pork butts the brand says fit | Sq in per pork butt [calc] | Brand wording |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traeger Woodridge | 860 sq in | 6 | 143.3 | "Woodridge Capacity: 6 Chickens or 8 Rib Racks or 6 Pork Butts" |
| Traeger Woodridge Pro | 970 sq in | 8 | 121.2 | "Woodridge Pro Capacity: 6 Chickens or 8 Rib Racks or 8 Pork Butts" |
The spread is real: Pit Boss counts 19.7 sq in per burger on its portable and Traeger 32.9 on the Westwood XL [calc]. Makers do not say how big their patties are or how tightly they pack them, which is why you can type your own figure: a 4-inch round patty sits in a 4 x 4 in square, 16 sq in, before any gap for the spatula.
Main grate sizes the makers publish
Only a few listings give the main grate's length and depth, which matters for a long brisket or full racks of spare ribs.
| Grill | Main grate | Source wording |
|---|---|---|
| Weber Searwood XL 600 | 36 x 17.5 in (630 sq in [calc]) | "Main cooking grate: 36" x 17.5"" (All Things Barbecue listing) |
| Traeger Westwood XL | 29 x 18.9 in | "Main Grate Dimensions 29" L × 18.9" D (548 sq. in.)" (Traeger support guide) |
| Yoder Smokers YS480s | 20 x 24 in | "480 square inches of primary cooking space (20" x 24")" (All Things Barbecue listing) |
| Traeger Westwood | 23 x 18.9 in | "Main Grate Dimensions 23" L × 18.9" D (435 sq. in.)" (Traeger support guide) |
| Traeger Tailgater | 20 x 15 in | "Main Grate Dimensions 20" L x 15" D" (Traeger support guide) |
Pit Boss, Z Grills and Camp Chef publish rack areas but not rack dimensions on the pages we read.
Size settled? Compare prices in the pellet grill comparison, and check the pellet bill and the hopper hours of your cook in the pellet cost per cook calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many burgers fit on a pellet grill?
Traeger says 6 on the Ranger (176 sq in), 12 on the Tailgater (300), 20 on the Westwood (653) and 25 on the Westwood XL (823); Pit Boss says about 13 on its 256 sq in portable and up to 55 on the 1,323 sq in Odessa. That is 19.7 to 32.9 sq in per burger, 27.1 at the median [calc].
What size pellet grill do I need for a family of four?
Count your biggest cook, not your weeknight one. Four burgers need about 108 sq in at the median space per burger [calc], so any grill here does it. Use the tool with the biggest cook you actually plan: ribs, pork butts or a brisket for a crowd.
Does total cooking area include the upper rack?
Yes. Total area adds the upper racks, which sit closer to the lid and suit smaller or thinner food. When a maker publishes the main grate on its own, tick "main grate only" to count only that level.
Will a whole brisket fit?
Measure it: enter its length and width and the tool compares the area. A packer brisket also needs a grate long enough for it, so check the grate dimensions in the table below. Pit Boss writes that even its 300 to 500 sq in grills are "plenty big to fit the bigger cuts of meat like a whole brisket".