Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill Reviews (2023)

Pellet grills are becoming quite a trend. Instead of using gas, these grills use wood pellets made of natural wood sawdust. The pellets are ignited, which provides both heat and smoke. The pellet grills are a perfect combination of smoker and oven for grilling, roasting, baking, and braising. Here is a complete guide to pellet grills and Camp Chef Woodwind pellet grill reviews.

Buying Guide

When it comes to pellet grills, the choice can be quite confusing for new enthusiasts. There are several options in the market, but only a few of them tend to offer all the useful features in the grilling and smoking process.

One thing to keep in mind is that not all pellet grills are similar, and one of the major differentiators is the price. Pricier options will always have more features and more settings that will make cooking easier. But that does not mean that cheaper models are any less. One should look for a better build, good temperature range, and easy cleaning process to have a better grilling experience.

There are several benefits that one can reap as compared to other options.

• The pellet grills are more insulated. Thus heat is not lost in the atmosphere.
• One can use the easy temperature control settings to control the heat.
• One can cook on lower heat settings as compared to the gas grills.
• The temperature does not change more than 10 degrees.
• One can use the pellet grill for various cooking styles like braising, grilling, charring, baking, roasting, smoking, etc.
• They get ignited easily with only a push of a button.
• One can get a smoky flavor easily with a pellet grill.
• Many grills come with an app and Wi-Fi support for easy control.

Size of the pellet grill

While choosing to buy any grill, it is crucial to check the size of the grill. The overall capacity and rack size of the grill is important to notice. Usually, the most common sizes are 24 and 26 inches variants. The smaller options are good for those who are planning to use them domestically. If one is going to cook a small amount of food at a single time, then smaller grills will be helpful. Whereas, if one is planning to cook in larger amounts for bigger parties, buying the 36-inch variant is much more helpful.

To keep in mind, larger grills are not efficient if one is planning to use the same for smaller meat cuts or less numb of people. Larger grills will use more pellets which can turn to be expensive.

Hopper capacity

Hopper is an area in the grill where one will add the pellets. Once the pellets are put in the hopper, the grill drill will slowly take the pellets to the fire pot or the ignition chamber, where they will be ignited. The hopper capacity of the grills can differ from model to model. One should pay attention to the hopper size because choosing a grill with a very small hopper can be quite a hassle.

A very general rule is that 20 lbs of pellets will go for 18-20 hours of cook time. However, one should keep in mind these factors:

• If one cooks at a higher temperature, then the cooking time will be less and fewer pellets will be used.
• If the meat is to be cooked on slow heat, then the cooking time will be more, consuming more pellets.

In the case of winters, more pellets are used to keep the heat consistent in the grill.

One should keep in mind all these factors before purchasing any grill. A larger hopper capacity means one will not have to keep filling the pellets amid a cook.

Construction and build of the grill

One of the major things that should be paid attention to while buying any pellet grill is the build. The grill may look great on the outside, but if the materials used on the inside are not good, then the grill is a waste of money. The outer of the grill body is not what one should pay attention to, though. The main components are the grates, the inside of the grill body, drip, flame deflector, and firepot. These components will make or break the grill. If these components are made of low-quality stainless steel, they will rust pretty easily and lessen the grill's overall life.

One should look for the build material on the inside to be on marine-grade stainless steel or powder-coated stainless steel. Also, in powder-coated steel, the quality should be high. Because there is always a chance that the coating may go away after some time, this can lead to rusting.

Pellet grill made of good quality steel will have a longer life, better heat retention, even cooking, efficiency pellet usage, and will keep the grill running even in harsh winters.

Controller

The controller of the pellet grill is the most crucial element. This small computer will help in controlling the departure and the smoke in the grill. When it comes to pellet grills, there are several types of controllers that one can find. Here are the common ones:

• Three-position controller: These LMH controllers provide three options for controlling the temperature; low, medium, and high. The user will not have much control in regulating the heat. This is more common in cheaper models.
• Multi-position controller: These controllers allow smaller increments and decrements of the temperature. This gives more control to the heat and smoke. The pellets are fed into the firepot in cycles, which makes the efficiency of temperature control low. The temperature accuracy in multi-position controllers can be around 20 degrees.
• Non-PID controllers: These controllers are much more efficient than the other two. These controllers also work in fixed cycles but are more efficient as they allow temperature control 5 to 10-degree range. The temperature accuracy in ideal conditions is around 15 degrees. These controllers usually come with meat probes and LCD screens.
• PID controllers: PID controllers are more automated and precise. The pellets are fed continuously as per the temperature changes done by the user. The accuracy is high, and it provides more control to the user in terms of heat and smoke. Many PID controllers come with smoke technology, touch screen panels, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Cleaning of the Grill

Always check how the grill is cleaned. The burnt pellet ash should be cleaned regularly, and the process should not be too cumbersome. In most of the grills, one will have to remove the deflector plate and grates and use a shop vac to remove the ash. In other high-end variants, one can find ash cleaning technology where a single push of a lever will collect the ash in the cup which can be emptied.

Added Features

Some of the added features that one can find in the pellet grills are:

• Meat probes: Instead of a secondary thermometer, many grills provide meat probes for checking the temperature continuously.
• Hopper cleaning: One should check how the hopper is to be cleaned and how the unused pellets are removed. Some models require vacuuming, while others have pellet removal chutes.
• Attachments: Some of the grill models tend to have a side attachment that runs on gas. It can have a grill or burner for additional cooking features.
• Wi-Fi capability: Some of the latest models may have Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity. That means one can track the cooking time and get notifications on the cook on their smartphones.

Pellet Grill Explained

Pellet grills are the perfect combination of features of gas grills and ovens, along with a smoker. The pellet grills work using wood pellets that are 100 percent natural. The pellets come in various types that vary in flavor and smoke capacity. Some of the most common pellet types are:

• Maple
• Apple
• Hickory
• Pecan
• Mesquite etc.

Usually, each hour of high heat cooking will use 2 lbs of pellets, and slow cooking will take 1 lb of pellets in these grills.

There is a large container in the grill structure called a hopper. One will have to fill the hopper with the pellets. Then the auger will slowly feed the pellets into the combustion chamber. The fan will then feed air into the grill. Burning the pellets gives both temperature rise and smoke. The fan helps in dispersing the smoke and heat into the cooking chamber.

One of the reasons that make pellet grills quite popular is that the current models allow one to control the heat and the smoke using a digital or analog control system. The normal temperature range of the grill is from 150 to 500 Fahrenheit. One can choose to cook meat on low heat for a slower cook or get a higher temperature for a high searing cook.

Pellet Grill Versus Gas Grill

One of the biggest decisions that every grill buyer needs to go through, in the beginning is to choose between gas grills and wood pellets grills. In general, both of them are effective grill types, which make grilling easy and user-friendly. Also, both the options are affordable. Thus, there is not much difference there.

But, wood pellet grills can be advantageous at certain parts. The gas grills tend to work at higher temperatures only. This means one may not low temperature in gas grills. Pellet grills, on the other hand, provide low to high cooking heat for better cooking.

Gas grills also need ventilation. Otherwise, it can be dangerous. This means the heat tends to get dissipated along with the smoke. Therefore, gas grills cannot work for smokers. On the other hand, wood pellet grills do not need ventilation which does not let the smoke out and thus can work as smokers.

Gas grills also tend to have less insulation as compared to wood pellet grills. Gas grills have more ventilation which makes it difficult to heat the chamber during colder weather conditions. This issue does not exist for the wood pellets grills. They are highly insulated, and thus they work just fine during colder weather.

The wood pellets grills are also known to add more flavors due to the smoke, which is impossible with gas grills.

Pellet Grill Electricity Usage

One of the things that arise as a big confusion among the new grill enthusiasts is whether the wood pellet grills use electricity. Well, yes, they do.

Pellet grills are not just smokers and much different than that. They are a complete cooking grill system that provides cooking, grilling, charring, and smoking features packed in one. Many features are installed in the pellet grills like the control panel, the temperature gauge, thermometers, meat probes, the auger, the fan, the smoke control technology, etc. All these technologies require electricity to operate.

When the hopper is filled with the pellets, electricity must move the drill to move pellets to the ignition chamber and move the fan to distribute heat around the cooking rack.

The most electricity is required to ignite the pellets and thus can consume up to 300 watts of electricity. After this, electricity is required only to keep the fan, drill, and thermometers running. This takes around 50 watts of electricity.

One can easily connect them to any AC power outlet while being at home. But if one is camping outside and away from home, they can use a power station or power inverters to run the pellet grill. The inverters are useful when one can connect them to the car or truck battery. At the same time, power stations are a good option when there is no car battery to operate from.

Pellet Grill Accessories

When it comes to pellet grills, there are various accessories that one should and can invest in. these accessories will help make the grilling process a much easier and efficient one.

• Pellets: Pellets are the must-have things that one will have to buy separately. One should choose natural hardwood pellets for the grill. There are several flavors to choose from, like hickory, maple, apple, alder, oak, etc.
• Pellet storage bag: Pellets are sawdust that is compressed together. Therefore, it is a must to make sure that they do not get wet. One can choose a pellet storage bag that is waterproof to keep them dry and usable.
• Grill cover: One can find waterproof grill cover as accessories in the market. Pellet grills have electrical components that should be kept away from water and snow. To extend their grill life, it is better to cover them when not in use.
• Secondary thermometer: This is a requirement for the lower versions of the pellet grills, which do not come with meat probes. The thermometer can be used to check the inner temperature of the meat for better and even cooking.
• Slicing knives and meat claws: When one thinks of having grill parties, it is crucial to have the right accessories to cut and slice the meat. Meat claws and knives are crucial accessories to have.

Pellet Grill Dinner Ideas

When it comes to pellet grills, one can be quite creative with the cooking ideas. As the grill acts as an oven to cook and a smoker to give that smoky charred taste and flavor, the pellet grills are quite fun to use. Pellet grills are mostly used in grill parties and camping trips. Therefore, meat is the most commonly grilled food item on these grills.

Some ideas for grilling on a pellet grill for dinner are:

1. Grilled and smoked patties for burgers.
2. Grilled and charred pork chops with seasoning.
3. One can season the salmon and then grill it at low temperature.
4. Chicken wings can be grilled with BBQ sauce.
5. Smoked turkey can be grilled with extra smoking and seasoning.
6. Pork loin and pork rib can be grilled on the grill with seasoning.
7. One can make pulled pork on the grill with slow heat and cooking settings.
8. One can easily smoke and grill the summer vegetables.
9. Pear can be grilled and smoked as a dessert option.

The simple thing about pellet grilling is that it gives an even and slow cooking option and adds ample smoke for flavor enhancement. Simply add seasoning, put the meat on the grill, and relax as it will get cooked on slow heat. One can then use the direct flame to give a char on the meat.

Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill Reviews