9 Best Pellet Grills Under $400

Pellet Grills can mean to be expensive including rising to prices as high as $2,500 or even $5,000. That puts the average price at $1,000 a figure which is still quite inconsiderate for most of us.

The beauty is that you really do not have to go out of your way to portion money that you could have used afor something else into acquiring a new grill.

Moreover, when most of people are looking for a grill they do not want something sophisticated but rather an equipment that they can pull out every once in a while to go camping, visit a beach etc. increasingly, the industry has recognized this reality and so there are now grills that will cater to these occasional needs.

The challenge though, is usually that for every dollar you down pay on your grill then the lesser quality you will likely get a factor that again is concerning. That is why I am writing today. You do not really have to buy something big and inconveniencing if your priorities are not anywhere close to professional roasting.

That would mean however, that you would have to do some homework on the best pellet grills under $400. Thankfully, you do not have to as I have done that for you now. This list of nine is also considerate of the fact that different readers will have different preference so I have ensured that my picks span across quite a number of manufacturers.

 

Oakford Pellet Grill 580 ($370)

The Oakfords are a line of grills by Nexgrill i.e. 580, 790, and 1000 (these numbers represent the cooking area). This set of grills are more or less the same with a few differing features. The bigger grills on the list have better features than the 580 though you will not miss so much by picking it.

Moreover, there are advantages too to point at in regards with the 580. Whilst the 790 and 1000 have a front shelf that folds, and the 1000 has two meat probes, only the 580 can be directly purchased from Nexgrill’s website directly.

Here are the reasons as to why the 580 is competitive amongst the under $400 grills;

1. Nexgrill App. This App can be downloaded on your phone and then connected with the grill to help complement it. Its efficiency is on another level. It is so good that it performs better than several bigger grills outside the Nexgrill brand.

 

Perhaps the only difficulty in this regard centers on interfaces outside the company’s website. That is something that one can forgive in this industry though.

 

1. Temperature accuracy. The grill is perfect in keeping up to tabs with the temperature of what is being cooked. This can be verified with third party interventions e.g. a thermapen. The only issue is the sparking which comes about with cooking at max.

 

1. Insulated lid. This is another feature that you will not get in most grills of this price. Mark you, the lid keeps the smoke in and cold air out there giving you chance at keeping your grilling hot.

 

Other features

There is a lot more to say about the Oakford 580 including the fact that it comes with wheels therefore it is easy to move around and how it is that it can be assembled in less than an hour.

It is not possible to do the latter task though without a friend. The grills cooking temperature range lies between 160°F and 550°F.

 

Pit Boss PB440 Deluxe ($297)

This grill is just about 518 sq inches on its cooking surface area making it suitable for preparing food for roughly four people. It is also compatible with a host of pellets not least, whiskey barrel, hickory, and cherry. It only depends on the flavour that you wish to taste.

Here are some more reasons for you to consider buying the Pit Boss PB440 Deluxe.

1. Temperature. The Pit Boss PB440 Deluxe has settings on its control panel to help you control both the temperature and smoke levels that you wish the grill to be kept at. Moreover, the grill easily picks up temperature in preheating i.e. after fifteen minutes though this can fall to thirty minutes on cold days. Opening the slider tends to help with things whenever the temperature is not picking up.

 

That said, there is something to be said for accuracy. The degrees displayed on the control board will usually not measure up to a thermometer verification.

 

1. Build up. The Pit Boss PB440 Deluxe has a touch of mahogany making it appealing to the gothic types. It also has wheels that make transportation from place to place hustle free. This grill’s side shelf comes with a serving tray as well. And if you thought we were about to get done, you might have to hold on because this Pit Boss has a soda opener on one of its legs. Clearly the brains behind it envisaged employment in fun moments say camping.

The Pit Boss PB440 Deluxe grill has its own shortcomings. There is only one area on it for instance that once can trust to do searing i.e. on top of the flame broiler. The LED screen is also not easy to read when outdoors.

 

USSC GRILLS USG295SS Portable Wood Pellet Grill ($343)

This grill stands 15 inches tall and 24.7 inches wide. The cooking area is just about 259 square inches which is roughly enough space to fit 9 burgers.

Here are some of the reasons as to why you should buy the USSC GRILLS USG295SS.

1. Build up. The grill’s pellet hopper and lid are made from stainless steel hence they do not get rusted easily. This quality also ensures that the lid is able to maintain relative temperature regardless of the weather conditions at a given time. This is important if you are going to go outdoors with this grill.

 

The legs of the grill have attached rubber levelers to ensure stability on grounds that are not so smooth.

1. Cooking and warming. The USSC GRILLS USG295SS has a button which you press and it will ignite. It also has a grate attachment where food can be kept for warming.

 

Pit Boss Lexington Pellet Smoker Grill Review ($297)

One way to best understand the Pit Boss Lexington is that is a smaller version of the Pit Boss Pro Series 1100. Most especially, the cooking surface area of this grill is surprising for its price i.e. 8 inches.

To demonstrate to you how much of a big deal this is, you only need to picture that this grill would allow you to cook up to five racks of ribs at once.

Here are other reasons for you to consider buying the Pit Boss Lexington.

1. Digital control panel. The purpose of this panel is to help in adjustments with both temperature as well as the smoking settings.

 

First, the prevailing temperature will always be displayed on an LCD screen. The screen is surrounded by buttons to the sides that allow you to select the programs you wish to monitor the temperature with. There is also an option of doing this manually instead. The grill is so good to even allow you to monitor the internal temperature of the meat pieces.

 

This panel allows a provision of setting timers too.

 

2. Construction. One cannot help but admire the buildup that went into this grill as well. It is double walled for example and as such it retains temperature throughout the cooking. As for the body of the grill, it is mainly made of steel and so it does not easily rust.

 

In order to maximize this particular property though, one has to put in a little effort. It is important for example, that prior to doing the real grilling that you make it a point to preheat. Upon completion, it is necessary that you clean the external surface with a damp cloth as well as emptying the ash tray.

 

 

KingChii Pro ($255)

This pellet grill was priced at $500 as recent as last year so you should rush and buy if at all you become convinced of its features, lest you derail only for the pricing to shoot up again.

Indeed, this price is a jackpot considering that the KingChii Pro can sear, brail, grill, roast, and even grill amongst other capabilities.

Here are more reasons for you to buy this grill.

1. Temperature. The KingChii Pro is equipped with temperature intelligent technology which enables it to ensure that your heating remains stable at the temperature you set. Its temperature range is between 180-420 degrees and can be controlled through the LED board.

 

1. Build up. This grill has legs that can fold so you can place it in the trunk of your car should you want to carry it to say a picnic. Its cooking area is also divided into two different parts i.e. a 115 sq inches warming area and a 341 square inches main area.

 

 

Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill Review ($297)

As discussed under Pit Boss PB440 Deluxe, searing can mean to be a pain in the ass when it comes to pellet grills. That said, your best shot at minimizing this concern of all the grills on this list is the Pit Boss 700FB. The company tried to mitigate for the issue by providing a sling plate.

The other really important aspect of the grill as we will soon point out regards the understanding nature of Pit Boss as a company generally. This serves to especially cover for any inequities of this grill.

Here are some of the best reasons for you to purchase the Pit Boss 700FB.

1. Customer service. The grill lacks key features which usually come with other grills of this size and price and so one inevitably finds themselves having to reach Pit Boss for a way out. Luckily, the company is accommodative.

 

Consider the fact that this grill has no side shelf so you there is no room for readily hanging your tongs if you are not using them etc. Luckily, you can buy an add-on side shelf with a 25% off offer now that you would have bought a grill.

 

Moreover, this approach extends to any mechanical issues that the grill might have at its buying. Pit Boss will send you spare parts without asking any questions.

 

1. Temperature. The Pit Boss 700FB allows for a broad range of temperature to cook with in i.e. 180-500 degrees Fahrenheit so you can cook slowly and at high temperatures too. Moreover, you can customize your cooking thanks to the LCD thermostatic controls.

In order to maximize the potential of this grill however, you will need to follow some precautions. One is to endeavor to wear glove so you do not get burnt now that the grill has a small lid handle.

 

Z Grills ZPG-450A Wood Pellet Grill ($431)

This grill is a small equipment i.e. 45 inches in width so it should be able to fit on a small deck without causing any inconveniences. This means though that there has to be a tradeoff here in regards to the surface are i.e. 450 square inches.

That said, this Grills comes with accessories that you will usually have to buy separately in the case of other pellet grills. An example here is a perfectly fitting rain cover. It carries gloves too to help with assembling in case your hands cannot take on the job on their own.

Please do not use these glove whilst cooking as they will not insulate you from heat.

Here are more reasons for you to buy the ZPG-450A grill.

1. Cleaning. The grill makes cleaning easier in ways like its grease drain pan. The pan is located underneath and so as you grill, any food particles that come off the food will fall into it without need of any interventions on your side.

 

It is always better however to line the pan with aluminum such that when you come to collect these particles you can merely tear off the foil and then dispose it off with them.

 

1.  Temperature. The grill is impressive when it comes to maintaining temperature as you do the cooking. Should there be any fluctuations, it will not fall or go beyond 10 degrees from the temperature set. Perhaps the only issue in this regard is about preheating. It may take close to thirty minutes for this process to take its course when one is using the grill for the first time.

 

The good news is that things improve with time. Preheating time falls to as low as fifteen minutes.

That said, the assembling instructions that come along with the grill parts in the box are not very precise. It might be difficult for a beginner to work with them.

 

Royal Gourmet Wood Pellet PL2032 Grill ($397)

The Royal Gourmet Wood Pellet PL2032 Grill is especially good if you are going to cook or grate your food. It also quite stable when it comes to temperature performance.

This includes both cooking foods well when set for high and low temperatures as well as being relatively accurate in regards to the temperatures displayed while the cooking is ongoing.

For folks that do indirect cooking/slow cooking (we are talking about 7/8 hours…), this grill competes highly with any other listed in this article.

 

Z Grill 573 ($379)

Z Grill has been at this thing for thirty years plus now and indeed the Z Grill 573 benefits from the wealth of knowledge acquired by its mother company over the years. It is more or less an automatic grill which you just have to start and let things run on their own for the most part.

The grill has a fairly large area i.e. 530 sq inches and it does a host of cooking including grilling, char broil, bake, BBQ, and roasting too. The temperature can be set between 180°F and 450°F.