Camp Chef vs Pit Boss | 2023 Comparison – Which Is Better?

When it comes to the pellet grills, the competition is high. There are several products out there. Camp Chef and Pit Boss are two of the most recognized names in the grill industry. They have several pellet grill options that are suitable for everyone's needs and requirements. Here is a detailed guide about Camp Chef vs Pit Boss products and how to choose the best.

Summer is the best time to enjoy some family and friend time with grilled food. Eating grilled delicious food while enjoying the summer night breeze is a different kind of relaxation. And since this tradition is so famous, there are many types of grills available in the market. There is the orthodox charcoal and gas grill, and, now recently, the pellet grills have also been dominating the grill market. All these grill types have their benefits and features. Here the buying guide for pellet grills and reviews of Camp Chef and Pit Boss models are given.

What Is a Pellet Grill?

Pellet grills run on wood pellets and electricity. Just like in a firebox in a traditional smoker, in these grills, there is a side-hopper. The wooden pellets are cylindrical. This 1-inch long and ¼-inch wide pellet consists of compressed sawdust/hardwood. Once the compressed sawdust gets exposed to pressure and heat, lignin is produced. This wood extract is what adds the wooden taste to the food grilled. Apart from this, the wood pellets do not add any other taste to the food.

The pellet grills can bake, braise, and lightly fry food apart from the traditional grilling. The grills are also very user-friendly. It is easy to operate and has controls that allow one to handle the cooking temperature. The pellets easily burn off. Thus there is less ash and kind of residue left.

Working of Pellet Grill

The grill's hopper is filled with compressed hardwood pellets, and with a single button/switch, the pellet grill smoker starts heating, and when food is cooked on it, it adds a smoky flavor to the food. It is less hassle than the staking coals.

These grills have temperature controls that allow the user to set the temperature based on their liking. Also, these grills do not require constant monitoring. The grill temperature determines the rate at which the wooden pellets will burn in the burn box. 

Pellet grills are very efficient grills and are liked by beginners and experts. It has all the right features and operations that make it easy to grill food.

Cleaning of Pellet Grill

Once finished with the grilling and cooking, remember to let the grill completely cool off before cleaning. Also, it should be unplugged. So let the appliance rest for enough time after the recent cooking session.

• To clean the grease, use warm soapy water and wipe it off. Avoid using abrasive cleaning pads and oven cleaners for the outside grill surface.
• Next, open the lid and start removing the cooking grate, drip tray, extra racks, and the diffuser plate inside the pellet grill.
• To clean the ash, use a shop vac. Carefully clean the ash from inside the firepot and from the bottom of the barrel.
• Use a non-metallic stiff tool to clean any gunk that has not dripped into the grease bucket or drip tray.
• Next comes cleaning every part of the grill. It is best to use a dispensable rag and hot soapy water to wash and wipe the parts clean.

• Lastly, empty the grease bucket. To reduce the cleaning work, use a foil liner for the grease bucket. This way, even after the cook, the foil will keep the bucket clean.

Benefits of Pellet Grill

If one is still deciding whether to get a pellet grill or not, the below list of benefits may make the decision easier and clearer. Apart from being easy to clean and burning off cleanly, there are some more benefits of owning a pellet grill that one should know of before learning what is better between Camp Chef vs Pit Boss.

Versatile

Pellet grills are known to be versatile when it comes to their use range. With the availability of temperature control, it becomes easy to smoke, barbecue grill, and roast using the pellet smoker. The temperature typically ranges from 150 – 500°F. Thus, one can grill or even slow cook food on this pellet grill.

Quick Сooking

When it comes to saving time cooking, the pellet grills are dominating the market. It is easy and faster to preheat it with pellet grills and save time on preparing the grill before starting the cooking process. The grill can maintain heat and temperature for an extended period.

Safety

One of the risks with grills is the fear of grease fire or flare-ups. One can rest such concerns with pellet grills because it does not cook with an open flame, thus making it a safer option. The fire pot is covered with a stainless steel diffuser and drip pan. As long as one keeps it clean, one does not have to worry about breakages.

Easy To Use

Compared to other smokers and grills, pellet grills are way easier to operate and understand. The controls are very simple so that even beginners can handle them. The wooden pellets used are flavored and produce less smoke. There is no expertise skill needed to use a pellet grill.

Flavor Profile

Another thing that makes a pellet grill a better option than other grills is the flavor profile and the quality of food cooked on it. The wooden pellets give a better flavor to the food compared to gas and charcoal grills. Many cooking enthusiasts also prefer these grills. 

Considerations While Buying a Pellet Grill

If, by now, the decision to buy a pellet grill has been made, then consider the following factors and features before making the purchase. Even among the pellet grills, different brands and models differ in terms of built quality and features. So properly check before buying it.

Temperature Control

One of the most important parts of the pellet grills is the control board. It is like its central nervous system. With different grill models and brands, the control panel also changes. Some feature a touch screen, and there are some with one-touch buttons. The temperate range in these grills is 150 – 500°F. Also, the grills have a P.I.D. Temperature controller. It stands for Proportional, integral, and Derivative. This control system reduces temperature swings and effectively maintains the temperature at all times.

Build Quality

Heavy-duty material screams good quality. Thus, go for pellet grill smokers that are made of heavy-duty steel. Do not compromise with the build quality just to save few bucks. The built quality of cheaper grills is not good. They have an iron body that gets rusted and can break even with the slightest miss handling. They are not at all durable.

Cleanup

Compared to charcoal grills, pellet grills are much easier to clean. It produces less ash because of the use of all-natural hardwood compressed pellets. Some pellet grills even come with an ash cleanout system. In such grills, the ashes can be cleaned by pulling a single lever and then taking the ashtray out and throwing away the ash.

Versatility

Cooking Area and Hopper Size

The cooking surface depends on the buyer's requirements. For smaller crowds and cooking typical B.B.Q. Food items, a smaller cooking area, will be enough. But for bigger gatherings and cooking large pieces of meat, go for a bigger cooking area.

The pellet hopper size determines how much pellet is required in the appliance. It will determine how much one will need to frequently but pellets and how long one can leave the grill unsupervised. A bigger hopper means longer unsupervised cooking. But apart from the hopper size, the temperature and pellet quality also determine how frequently pellets need to be added to the grill.

Pit Boss Accessories 

One can buy the Pit Boss accessories easily. Most of the grills come with certain accessories like meat probes. But, one needs to keep in mind that grilling and smoking meat and other vegetables are a task which requires a few types of accessories. One should always invest in the best Pit Boss accessories for the grill. This will make the cooking experience better and easier. Also, the Pit Boss accessories are known to have a better life and go well with the Pit Boss pellet grills perfectly.

There are various accessories that one can invest in to make the grilling session an easy one. some of the common ones that can be bought are:

Foil liners are effective in catching the dripping grease and making sure that it does not fall on the flame and makes the grill difficult to clean.

• Cleaner: cleaners help in cleaning the grates and the other accessories of grills.
• Grill sets contain spatulas for flipping meat and tongs for holding the meat and sausages.
• Meat claws and sausage hooks are helpful when one is planning to grill some meat and sausages.
• Grilling gloves: Pit Boss no-slip gloves are highly useful while grilling and moving the pans and girdles without burning the hand.

Camp Chef Accessories 

Buying grill accessories is necessary for those buying their first grill and are absolute beginners in the game. Also, one should keep in mind the grill size before buying the accessories, especially the sear boxes and added shelves. One can choose from grilling setups, tongs, spatulas, gloves, cleaners, cleaning foils, etc. also; one can invest in the grill covers, which helps keep the grills safe and covered from water in winters and monsoons. One should choose as per the need and avoid spending money on things they may never use.

Camp Chef Sear Box

Many people like to get that seared outer on the vegetables and meats after grilling or braising them. The charring gives an authentic smoky taste to the meat and makes it more flavorful. This can be achieved with a sear box. The sear boxes are an additional box attached to the grill, where one can get direct flames for searing the meats directly. Now, many Camp Chef grills tend to come with a sear box on the side. But having a sear box means paying more money. However, those who already have a Camp Chef grill and are planning to add a sear box. One can buy it separately and assemble it using the given assembly instructions. One thing to keep in mind is the size of the grill so that the sear box will fit properly to the side.

There is a various feature of Camp Chef sear boxes that makes them stand out from the rest:

• The grills of the sear box are porcelain-coated so that they can withstand higher heat.
• The sear box temperature can reach up to the maximum limit of 1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The body of the sear box is steel with help in keeping the heat intact.
• Most of the sear boxes come with a propane tank holder.
• The sear boxes tend to have a built-in lighting feature.

Pit Boss Warranty 

The warranty period of Pit Boss is typically from 3-5 years. This is something that depends entirely on the model, and the type of grill one has bought. The pellet grills tend to have three years of warranty. The warranty period is the time in which when a certain grill gets damaged or stops working entirely, the company will repair the product and will replace the damaged parts.

Now, one should keep in mind that the products that get damaged or stop working only because of any defective part or due to any issue at the production stage are liable to repair and replacement. If the product gets damaged due to negligence, mishandling, overheating, etc., the company will not replace the grill or any parts for free, and the customer will have to pay the price.

For fast and quick service, one needs to contact the Pit Boss customer support during the active hours and tell them the problems faced. One will have to provide them with all the needed details like product number, the purchase date, etc., if the warranty still covers the product and the issue is covered by warranty. The grill will be repaired and replaced as per warranty policy.

Camp Chef Warranty 

Warranty is without any doubt one of the biggest features that should be paid attention to while choosing any pellet grill. Those grills with next to no warranty period are not trustworthy. The fact that the company gives a longer warranty period means they are more assured of their product. They know that their product will not break down easily. This is something that should be taken into consideration while choosing any type of grill. Grills are usually used occasionally, but when it comes to fire and any appliance in general, any small part can break down, causing the system to stop working.

Camp Chef has a no warranty feature. This means one can get their issues covered and corrected without much done on the customer's part. The wearing and damage done to the parts due to misuse are not covered by the company. The only defect of the parts and the materials are covered. One can easily contact customer support and get the grill repaired. One should pay attention to the warranty period and contact customer support for repair and replacement during the warranty period only. Parts and grills will not be repaired if the consumer purchase is not authentic and the warranty period is over.

Reviews

Here are the top 9 best pellet grills from both Camp Chef and Pit Boss.

Camp Chefs and Pit Bosses are top runners when it comes to grills. They have years of experience in designing some of the best grills in the market. When it comes to Camp Chef vs Pit Boss, both of them are good and tend to have varying features that are useful. They are both reliable brands, with good customer support and easy-to-use designs even for beginners.