Pellet grills are incredibly popular since their inception in the 1980s and they are trending in the contemporary market. The primary reason for their growing popularity is the all-in-one cooking mechanism. You can grill, bake, roast, braise, smoke, sear, char grill, BBQ, etc. in this one cooking appliance. But pellet grills are comparatively more expensive than other types of grills and can go up to $1500. However, you can also find these unique grills at reasonably lower prices. Here are the best pellet grills under $500 trending in the contemporary market.
- Best Overall: Z GRILLS ZPG-450A Wood Pellet Grill Smoker
- Best Budget: Z GRILLS-550A Pellet Grill
- Editor’s Choice: PIT BOSS PB440D2 Wood Pellet Grill
- Best for Tailgating: Green Mountain Davy Crockett Portable Pellet Grill
- Best New Brand: ASMOKE Signature AS660 Wood Pellet Grill Smoker
What to Ensure While Buying a Pellet Grill Under $500?
Consider the following things while buying your pellet grill so that you might not regret it after they reach your home.
- At the outset, check for the built-in features and built-in grills.
- Often pellet grills do not stand sturdy. So, ensure that the grill is freestanding and sturdy.
- Durability is important and easy cleaning is essential.
- Choose between PID or non-PID, and PID-plus or advanced PID.
- Similarly, choose between a pellet smoker, a practical pellet smoker, a premium pellet smoker, etc., Although if your budget is around $500 then choosing from basic pellet smokers would be ideal.
Also Check: Best Budget Pellet Grills Under $300
Frequently Asked Questions
What to strictly ensure while buying a pellet grill under $500?
Durability, built-in configuration, sturdy and freestanding, temperature range, etc. are some features to look for in a good pellet grill irrespective of your budget.
Do budget pellet grills cost-effective?
Even the budget pellet grills are expensive when compared to other type of grills but they are worth buying because of their versatile cooking options and the taste and flavor of the foods.
Are $500 pellet grills also good smokers?
Pellet grills, irrespective of the price, are excellent for outdoor cooking but they are unimaginably better for smoking foods. Smoking is better than grilling on pellet grills.
Best Overall: Z GRILLS ZPG-450A Wood Pellet Grill Smoker
This 6 in 1 BBQ smoker and grill is a 2022 upgraded version from Z GRILLS and can roast, braise, bake, smoke, grill, sear, and chargrill along with BBQ. In fact, the manufacturer has mentioned it as a 6 in 1 appliance but it can give you 8 in 1 service. As in most pellet grills, cooking is very easy in this pellet grill. You need to just set the temperature and relax whereas the ZPG-450A does its job without bothering you.
The product comes with PID technology that keeps the tightest temperature all through the process of cooking and provides consistent cooking. Eventually, you can conveniently set the temperature from 180-degree Fahrenheit to 450-degree Fahrenheit and cook anything you like. Similarly, you need not change the mode to use its 8 in 1 feature. You can further roast, braise, bake, smoke, grill, sear, char grill, and BBQ at one go in the appliance.
The grill is specially designed for small families but provides big results in terms of taste, quantity, and flavor. The appliance is made of sturdy steel and extreme temperature powder coating to last long. In addition to this, the cover and racks of the grill are rust-proof. Its budget-friendly hopper can hold 15lbs pellets and lasts considerably longer minimizing the need of filling the pellet again and again. A 20lbs pellet refilling can provide you with 20 hours of cooking service. The digital temperature control mechanism incorporated in the grill automatically fills the pellet as and when the temperature is required in the grill.
Whatever you do in this unique grill and whichever recipe you prepare, the appliance cooks perfectly and evenly through its convection heat distribution technology. Besides this, the grill provides a foldable working shelf for your convenience of cooking. The manufacturer further recommends using natural hardwood as fuel to retain the pure hardwood taste and flavor in your food.
ZPG-450A Key Features
- Total Cooking Area = 459 sq.in
- Pellet Hopper Capacity = 15 lbs
- Temperature Range = 180 to 450 °F
- PID Temperature Control? = Yes
- Direct Flame Access? = No
- WiFi/App Control? = No
- Availability: Amazon.com & ZGrills.com
| Features | Rating (out of 10) |
| Performance | 8.9 |
| Cleaning | 8.9 |
| Controls and Functionality | 7.2 |
| Convenience | 9.2 |
| Value for money | 9.4 |
Our Experience with Zgrills ZPG-450A
According to our experience and after consulting with experts, we can say that ZPG-450A is a great option under $500, although you might face minor performance issues while grilling which is completely understandable as there is a clear difference between smoking, barbecuing, and grilling.
So, if you are more into smoking and barbecuing, you will love ZPG-450A whereas grilling lovers should go with PIT BOSS PB440D2 which seems to do the job better. Both come with a price tag around $500, so budget will never be an issue in both cases.
ZGrills 450A VS 450B
In case you are confused between the ZPG-450A and the latest 450B, then we would say there is not much difference between the two apart from some additional features like LCD display, pellet view window, caster wheels, and the slight overall weight difference. All these features are additional ones added to help you grill or smoke easily.
So, in short, you can choose 450A or 450B depending on your choice as both are same when it comes to performance.
What We Like About ZPG-450A?
- A large cooking surface of 459-square inches makes 8 in 1 cooking most convenient and perfect.
- 10-degree stay temperature helps in warming the food as well as for slow cooking.
- Comes with heavy-duty and all-terrain wheels.
- The adjustable temperature feature provides versatile cooking opportunities for both cooking the ribs at a lower temperature in a slow process as well as cooking the wood-fired pizza at a hot temperature and instantly.
- Cost-effective especially the pellet consumption which costs (a bag/20lbs of pellets) around $25 and burns for 50 hours.
What Could Have Been Better?
- It may take time to assemble the pellet grill if you do it alone.
- You may be perplexed because it may all of a sudden heat up to the maximum temperature initially.
- There are some performance issues when grilling, although issues are very minor.
Must Read: How to Clean a Pellet Grill?
Best Budget: Z GRILLS-550A Pellet Grill
Z GRILLS-550A is indeed the best budget pellet grill in the market that provides precise temperatures with Digital temperature controller. Some additional things like “Set & forget” and Hardwood pellet cooking system makes it the 2nd best option when it comes to pellet smokers under $500.
Although like most budget pellet smokers, the temperature will vary a little, but it won’t be an issue unless you are using it for commercial purpose. In our opinion, this pellet grill is great for home use only, though you can cook restaurant grade food everyday.
Z Grills-550A Key Features
- Total Cooking Area = 585 sq.in
- Pellet Hopper Capacity = 16 lbs
- Temperature Range = 180 to 450 °F
- Digital Temperature Control? = Yes
- Direct Flame Access? = No
- WiFi/App Control? = No
- Availability = Amazon.com & ZGrills.com
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 8.5 |
| Cleaning | 8.8 |
| Controls and Functionality | 8.6 |
| Convenience | 8.8 |
| Value for money | 9.1 |
Our Experience with Z Grills-550A
According to experts and buyers experience, Z Grills-550A is perfect for beginners as well as for those people who smoke or barbecue occasionally at home.
In short, Z Grills-550A is definitely the best budget option and a value for money pellet grill as it provides all the advanced features you can get in a quality pellet grill without spending too much money.
What We Like About Z Grills-550A?
- The price tag is best thing in this smoker considering we can get restaurant grade food at home.
- It is very sturdy as it come with high-temperature powder coating and heavy-duty steel. Although it advised to not compare it with high-end models.
- It is easy to assemble even without the instructions and learning to use digital controls are also easy. A true beginner focused smoker we must say.
- It truly provides 8 in 1 cooking options: grill, sear, bake, barbecue, smoke, braise, roast, and char-grill. Although we would mostly use it for barbecue and smoke.
What Could Have Been Better?
- Keeping temperature at particular point can be difficult sometimes as it varies a little. So, we feel there is a scope of improvement.
- Some buyers had some customer service issues.
Editor’s Choice: PIT BOSS PB440D2 Wood Pellet Grill
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 8.9 |
| Cleaning | 8.8 |
| Controls and Functionality | 8.2 |
| Convenience | 8.9 |
| Value for money | 8.9 |
PIT BOSS PB440D2 Key Features
- Total Cooking Area = 465 sq.in
- Pellet Hopper Capacity = 5 lbs
- Temperature Range = 180 to 500 °F
- PID Temperature Control? = No
- Direct Flame Access? = Yes
- WiFi/App Control? = No
- Availability = Amazon.com
The PB440D2 model of wood pellet grill and smoker from the PIT BOSS brand is made of premium gauge stainless steel and is popular because of its durability. This deluxe wood pellet grill comes with large 450-square inches of cooking surface, subsequently 341-square inches at the main level and 124-square inches at the upper rack. Eventually, the product comes with all-terrain wheels for easy portability and durability.
It has a removable side serving/shelf tray and has the feature of direct and indirect heat mechanisms. The appliance is also incorporated with a digital control board w/LED readout system that provides the opportunity to monitor the cooking process conveniently. In addition to this, the cooking grates of the grill are made of porcelain which makes the appliance long-lasting.
The grill is incorporated with several useful features like standard temperature ranging from 150-degree Fahrenheit to 500-degree Fahrenheit, flame broiler for direct and indirect flame grilling, stainless steel bottle opener, convection cooking, etc. You can easily cook as many as 20 burgers at a time in the grill to serve a big gathering.
The hopper capacity of the grill is 5lbs and fills the pellet automatically as per the need of the temperature. The grill is powered by natural hardwood pellets and ensures marvelous taste and flavor. Like any other pellet grill in the market, this unique PB440D2 model from PIT BOSS can perfectly serve several purposes like BBQ, searing, baking, smoking, grilling, roasting, and braising, etc.
Our Experience with PIT BOSS PB440D2
According to our experience, PIT BOSS PB440D2 is indeed the best option for those who like grilling and smoking equally. It does provide a better grilling experience than any other available pellet grill under $500. Although, there is some minor issue with thermostat as it does not show the accurate temperature, but the issue is very minor, so you can ignore the issue as it does effect your cooking. The end result will be great.
What We Like About PIT BOSS PB440D2?
- The serving tray and side shelf, stainless steel bottle opener, and solid bottom shelf are very useful combinations in the grill.
- The recommended 100% all-natural wood pellet provides perfect and adequate heat of 40000BTU.
- The 200-watt auto ignitor is effective for ignition.
- The automatic start and cool-down mechanism give a pleasant cooking experience.
What Could Have Been Better?
- The auger may go on feeding the pellet resulting in the generation of the highest temperature that may not be regulated.
Also Check: The Best Pellet Grills Under $1000
Best for Tailgating: Green Mountain Davy Crockett Portable Pellet Grill
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 8.9 |
| Cleaning | 8.7 |
| Controls and Functionality | 8.2 |
| Convenience | 8.9 |
| Value for money | 9.1 |
Green Mountain DCWF Key Features
- Total Cooking Area = 218 sq.in
- Pellet Hopper Capacity = 9 lbs
- Temperature Range = 150 to 550 °F
- PID Temperature Control? = Yes
- Direct Flame Access? = Yes
- WiFi/App Control? = Yes
- Availability = Amazon.com
The DCWF or Davy Crocket Sense Mate Electric Wi-Fi wood pellet grill from the Green Mountain brand is a portable and foldable grill. This green-colored unique grill comes with the features of a sense-mate and thermal sensor that monitors the temperature of the grill spontaneously and constantly. It also comes with a peaked lid for rib racks, a meat probe, and a convenience tray.
Eventually, the grill folds and fits into any trunk and justifies its name as tailgating grill. The grill comes with a 12-volt adapter and offers three power options.
The entire mechanism of the grill is operated with a Wi-Fi system and you can monitor it through your iOS or Android phone. You can conveniently use this unique model for several purposes like camping, hunting, tailgating, music festivals, house-boating, etc., or home purposes.
Our Experience with Green Mountain DCWF
According to our opinion, Green Mountain DCWF is the best outdoor tailgating pellet grill under $500 as it provides some high quality features.
Some of those features include Wifi control (which works flawlessly), pellet feed auger system, and digital temperature control. All these make DCWF an amazing option for portable pellet grill lovers.
What We Like About Green Mountain Davy Crockett Grill?
- Very easy to cook with its unique features especially the sense mate and Wi-Fi system.
- Its portability, especially the foldable option is very useful for outdoor use.
- The Meat probe and rib racks are helpful for convenient cooking.
What Could Have Been Better?
- The temperature setting may malfunction after a one/two-time cooking.
- The grill may not cook evenly.
Must Check: Best Portable Pellet Grills of 2022
Best New Brand: ASMOKE Signature AS660 Wood Pellet Grill Smoker
ASMOKE is considerably a new brand to the market when compared to other pellet grill brands, but when you look at all the pellet grills under $500, AS660 provide a large cooking area of 700 sq.in., which is very beneficial to large families as cooking large meals will take less time. Also, the AS660 has a slightly higher temperature range (up to 500 °F) and it heats up to 15% faster than any other pellet grill in our list.
Additionally, this pellet grill has the advanced auto pellet feed system, which will save up to 20% wood pellets, so by investing around $500 in this grill will not only help you save some time, you will also be spending less money on every cooking session.
Although like all other budget options available in the market, there are some temperature control issues that you need to cope up with.
ASMOKE AS660 Key Features
- Total Cooking Area = 700 sq.in
- Pellet Hopper Capacity = 26 lbs
- Temperature Range = 180 to 500 °F
- PID Temperature Control? = No
- Direct Flame Access? = Yes
- WiFi/App Control? = No
- Availability = Amazon.com, Homedepot.com & Asmokegrill.com
| Features | Rating |
| Performance | 8.5 |
| Cleaning | 8.7 |
| Controls and Functionality | 8 |
| Convenience | 8.9 |
| Value for money | 8.8 |
Our Experience with ASMOKE AS660
Acccording to experts and buyers experience as well as our research, features of AS660 seems similar to Pit Boss Pro Series, specially the control panel, and reason behind this could be the manufacturer that manufactures AS660 was also the manufacturer of Pit Boss Grills.
Although keeping everything aside, AS660 is a gem of grill that might be the market leader in upcoming days because of three major factors: Large Capacity, Low Price, and design that has large table top area. And, currently also, in our opinion, it is the best new brand pellet grill under $500.
What We Like About ASMOKE AS660?
- The first and foremost thing we like about AS660 is the large cooking area it provides at a very reasonable price.
- The auto pellet feed system and advanced controls help you save time by reaching desired temperatures 15% faster when compared to other pellet grills and also save up to 20% wood pellets.
- It is very easy clean and maintain. The Grease Drain Pan helps in the process.
What Could Have Been Better?
- Again the temperature controls could have been better, but you can’t complain because the grill comes with a great price tag.
Conclusion
Pellet grills are incredible no doubt but affordability is the potential question. Everybody would dream to buy a pellet grill and get the opportunity of a versatile cooking experience. But buying a pellet grill often hurts the purse. However, you can eventually choose the one from the above best pellet grills under $500 and fulfill your expectations of grilling, baking, roasting, smoking, etc.
Disclaimer: This article represents the opinions of Jelina Roy (Author) and the Homeycart team. Although a great effort has been put to provide the most accurate content after deep research, it is still advised that you should do some due diligence before opting for any product.
