Since 1999, Pit Boss has been a player in the pellet grilling industry. Dan Thiessen, the company's founder, and his sons Jeff and Jordan have built a solid reputation for providing high-quality grills and attentive customer care during the following years. How well do their products meet market requirements? Here is a useful review compilation of the best Pit Boss pellet grills to assist you in finding out the answer.
OUR TOP PICKS
Here’s the list of the best pit boss pellet grills in 2024
Pit Boss Navigator 850 – Best Overall
Pit Boss Sportsman 1100 – Biggest Option
Pit Boss 440FB1 Pellet Grill – Compact and Affordable
Pit Boss Sportsman 5-Series Vertical Pellet Smoker – Best Vertical Smoker
Pit Boss Sportsman Portable Wood Pellet Grill – Best Portable
BEST PIT BOSS PELLET GRILLS
The reviews that follow include our picks for the top five best Pit Boss pellet grills and smokers. They range from standard backyard types to more compact, less expensive ones, and even a portable tabletop model.
1. Pit Boss Navigator 850 – Best Overall
PRODUCT SPECS:
Cooking Area: 879 sq. in
Weight: 164 lbs
Pellet Hopper Capacity: 28 lbs
Temperature Range: 180 – 500°F
Build Materials: porcelain-coated steel and painted steel
Warranty: 5 years
WHAT WE LIKE:
Spacious cooking area
Fantastic value for money
Flexible — Awesome for both grilling and smoking
Easy temperature control
Durable
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi compatible control
Comes with a grill cover and a meat probe
5-year warranty
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
Doesn’t work well in bad weather.
The cast iron grates on the Navigator 850's 879 square inch cooking surface are porcelain coated. It has the distinctive and straightforward slide-plate flame broiler from Pit Boss, which allows for versatile direct grilling, searing, and simple indirect cooking.
So this is definitely one to take into consideration if you're looking for the finest pellet grill for searing.
With its large 28-pound capacity hopper and front viewing window, the Pit Boss Navigator pellet smoker allows you to keep an eye on the fuel level from a distance.
A dial-in digital controller with an LED screen to display temperatures is used to regulate temperature. Additionally, it is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatible, allowing you to use your smartphone to measure fuel use, check the doneness of meat, and more.
2. Pit Boss Sportsman 1100 – Biggest Option
PRODUCT SPECS:
Cooking Area: 1121 sq. in
Weight: 173 lbs
Pellet Hopper Capacity: 30 lbs
Temperature Range: 180 – 500°F
Build Materials: porcelain-coated steel and painted steel
Warranty: 5 years
WHAT WE LIKE:
Enormous cooking space
Reasonable price for its size
Big hopper capacity
2 meat probes and a jerky rack made of stainless steel are included.
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
Requires plenty of space
Fairly heavy
The Sportsman 1100 has a 30-pound hopper to feed that roaring fire and 1,121 square inches of primary cooking area with porcelain-enameled cast iron grates.
Additionally, it has a folding front shelf, a stainless bottle opener, and a detachable stainless side shelf, among other pleasant minor additions.
This smoker is enormous! You must also take the space needed into account because it is 173 pounds and 65 inches long.
3. Pit Boss 440FB1 Pellet Grill – Compact and Affordable
PRODUCT SPECS:
Cooking Area: 482 sq. in
Weight: 104 lbs
Pellet Hopper Capacity: 5 lbs
Temperature Range: 180 – 500°F
Build Materials: porcelain-coated steel and painted steel
Warranty: 5 years
WHAT WE LIKE:
Reasonable price
Easy to use and simple
Fantastic overall cooking performance
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
No meat probe is included
More pellets might be added during more extensive cookouts.
This basic option is a predecessor to the one that made Pit Boss well-known. This is one of the greatest options available if you're seeking for the best pellet grill under $500.
Its simple barrel form lacks any shelves or extras. Instead, it's a straightforward smoker with a five-pound capacity that is attached on the side.
Compared to the Navigator and Sportsman models we previously examined, the Pit Boss 440FB1 has significantly less cooking space (482 square inches), but it's still big enough to feed the whole family.
4. Pit Boss Sportsman 5-Series Vertical Pellet Smoker – Best Vertical Smoker
PRODUCT SPECS:
Cooking Area: 1513 sq. in
Weight: 129 lbs
Pellet Hopper Capacity: 55 lbs
Temperature Range: 150 – 420°F
Build Materials: porcelain-coated steel and painted steel
Warranty: 5 years
WHAT WE LIKE:
Fantastic for long smoking sessions
Can be set to as low as 150 degrees
Can fit tall and big food items
Turns hot enough for baking and roasting
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
Temperatures can’t be high enough for grilling.
Pellets are a great source of fuel, particularly the superior food-grade pellets used by Pit Boss and other barbecue manufacturers. The digital control panel and heat control on the 5-Series wood smoker are identical to those on Pit Boss grills, with the exception that this machine offers a temperature range of 150 to 420 degrees. That's low enough for delicate dishes like fish.
Normal pellet grills work rather well for smoking, but their smallest cooking areas are by far their largest flaw. The ability to store a lot of food, especially very large portions of meat, is a benefit of cabinet smokers.
5. Pit Boss Sportsman Portable Wood Pellet Grill – Best Portable
PRODUCT SPECS:
Cooking Area: 387 sq. in
Weight: 80 lbs
Pellet Hopper Capacity: 19 lbs
Temperature Range: 180 – 500°F
Build Materials: porcelain-coated steel and painted steel
Warranty: 5 years
WHAT WE LIKE:
Great choice for tailgating and camping
Folds into a pretty small package
Sufficient cooking space
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE:
Requires electricity to run.
Consider the Sportsman Portable to be a smaller version of the Pit Boss pellet grill. They both have the same features such as the digital control panel that accommodates two probes and the slide-out flame broiler.
Programmable temperatures range from 180 to 500 degrees. It folds into a package that measures roughly 38 x 38 x 25 inches and weighs 80 pounds. Even when folded, the grill can still be rolled.
Just keep in mind that in order to use this pellet grill, you must still plug it into an electrical outlet.
FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions along with answers when searching for the best pit boss pellet grills.
1. How to get a pit boss pellet grill to smoke more?
Think about altering the P setting. To learn about what it is, refer to the FAQs page on the Pit Boss website.
Higher setting will lead to more smoke. The factory default setting for your Pit Boss is P4. Thus, increase the setting if you want more smoke.
2. Should the grate be closed or open on a Pit Boss?
Only if you're just smoking meat specifically. It should be open if you're searing or grilling steaks, but keep an eye on the temperature. It should be between 225 and 250 degrees with the lid open.
3. How do I flip steaks on a Pit Boss?
Put steaks directly on the grill once it has heated up. Steaks should be seared for 5-7 minutes on each side, with only one steak turn. Set the timer for when you want to be finished.
FINAL THOUGHT
Hope this article has helped you choose the best pit boss pellet grills. In terms of warranty, every pellet grill from Pit Boss comes with a 5-year limited warranty that covers any manufacturing flaws in the individual and construction parts. The grill's electrical components are also covered by this 5-year warranty option. However, the warranty won't include aesthetic issues such as scratches and dents but they won't impair the grill's functionality.
