There are various ways for you to grill your food and bring out its best flavor. Two main types of grills you usually meet in daily life are charcoal and gas. Nonetheless, electric and wood pellets grills are becoming common now in many BBQ parties.

However, why do many people keep asking the question, “How to use wood pellets in charcoal grill”. Here’s our answer!

Perfect Combination of Wood Pellets and Charcoal Grill

Have you ever thought that charcoal and wood pellets would be the best perfect duo for grilling? 

Let’s thank God for this discovery first! Some experts in the grilling field have found out that charcoal is the king of outdoor cooking because of its easy accessibility, and wood pellets are the best fuel to add an extra smoky flavor to your tasty and juicy steak!

Nowadays, people commonly follow the weird trend in this modern era called the nostalgic vibe. For that reason, they start to reject their habits of cooking by electric and gas grills. Instead of that, they find interest in grilling outside with their pals. Two main fuels they usually use are charcoal and wood pellets for the following reasons: 

• Evoke a sense of nostalgia
• Bring out a unique smoky flavor even in the first bite. With the long-lasting burn, hot temperature, and even smoke level, wood pellets will help you perfectly grill your meat with a delicious flavor.
• Easy to purchase and affordable.

Combine all of these reasons above; there is nothing to prevent us from creating the most delicious and flavorful dishes using charcoal and wood pellets as fuels. We guarantee you won’t regret it.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to clarify how to use wood pellets in charcoal grills and tips on buying and using it. What are you waiting for? Let’s check it out!

How To Use Wood Pellets In Charcoal Grill

The steps below are easy-peasy to follow. Glue your eyes on this post, and we will show you the best step-by-step guide to use wood pellets in a charcoal grill.

Step 1: 

This step is A MUST when you choose charcoal as the fuel for grilling.

Remember to heat charcoal before using it. Firing charcoal will take you some time. A nice medium flame will be the best condition to heat the charcoal. 

You have to wait until the charcoal gets shaded and ashy. Don’t hurry to put food on the grate too soon. Because the heat isn’t in the best status, your fresh meats will meet the most annoying problem: stuck on the grates.

After the charcoal reaches the light gray color, we will jump into the next part.

Step 2:

You will start to spread a thin layer of wood pellets evenly on the charcoal surface. Due to the various sizes of grills, you should find the precise amount of the wood pellets needed. 

Step 3:

Let’s wait for the wood pellets to light up. This will also be a signal for you to know that there’s only one step left before tasting your delicious dishes. It’s time to put your food on the grates and start to cook it. 

Step 4

Close the grill’s lid to create the best space for your foods to absorb the unique smoky flavor. This action also keeps the ideal heat for cooking your meat and vegetables. 

Tips On Using Wood Pellets In Charcoal Grill

With this grilling method, it would be best if you purchased good wood pellets, as the cheap and low-quality products will strongly affect your lungs because of its toxic smoke.

While scattering wood pellets on the charcoal, pay attention during the whole process because you may get burnt from the high heat charcoal that we have fired before. 

While cooking, you will want to set fresh meats in the center of the grate and vegetables along the edge because meats usually take time to be cooked.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Pellet Grills? – 5 Best Pellet Grills In 2020

The Last Word

We hope after reading our post, you will be clear on how to use wood pellets in charcoal grill, and some useful tips when you apply this method at your BBQ party. With this wood-pellets-in-a-nutshell guidance, we desire to give you the best solution for your BBQ party. 

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Your contribution will be the brick to build a strong knowledge of our community.

Using pellet grills nowadays is becoming more and more popular. This is an improved device instead of using a grill that pollutes the environment.

Everything has two sides, and so does the pellet grill. Let us help you know the pros and cons of pellet grills and find out the 5 best products on the market nowadays.

What are you waiting for?

Scroll down to discover it now!

What Are the Pros and Cons of Pellet Grills?

So let’s see what the pros and cons of pellet grills are. Then, you can know if you should buy it or not. 

Pros

Ease of use

The greatest thing about a pellet grill is easy to use. Whether you are old or young, you can activate the grill as easy as pie. 

Please follow these steps:

• Make sure your grill is filled with wood pellets
• Remember to plug in the power plug before starting (use an extension cord if the power outlet is too far away)
• Start the pellet grill and set the temperature accordingly
• Wait for another 15 to 30 minutes for the grill to reach the desired temperature
• Add the food to the grill.

It is simple, right? Just by following these steps, you can start your BBQparty to the fullest.

Consistent temperatures

Different from a conventional grill, the pellet grill gives you a stable temperature, which is the same as an indoor oven. You can also set the grilling mode to the actual temperature. 

For example, if you want to bake at 200 degrees, the pellet grill will maintain this temperature for many hours. In addition, the electronic auger system can automatically feed pellets into the firepot when the temperature starts to drop.

Versatility

Pellet grill is quite versatile, and you can use them for many different baking styles. Normally, the temperature range of the grill is from 170 degrees to 450 degrees. 

It can smoke slowly but cook at high heat. With the convection cooking design and the mentioned temperature stability above, you can also add some amazing flavors to different baking or roasting applications, such as biscuits, casseroles, or vegetables.

Clean

If using a gas grill makes the smoke scatter, the pellet grill is really clean and does not affect the environment. 

As you know, wood pellets are very efficient-fuel because they only produce a small amount of ash after grilling. A 40lb tablet will yield only half a cup of ash.

In addition, the cleaning is also much simpler and easier than other ash removal systems. It only takes you a few minutes to remove them.

High popularity 

Pellet grill gradually gained popularity and replaced conventional grills. And you can find pellet grills everywhere, from local stores to online shopping. 

According to many resources such as the Internet, Youtube, and so on, you can find a variety of recipes or technical problem-solving tutorials online. Namely the social network Facebook or Youtube website, you will find those useful results.

Because pellet grill is super popular in the recent market, many manufacturers and companies focus on producing it. That is why whenever an issue appears in this grill, it can be fixed after a short period of time. This is definitely a big plus for those who like to own a durable product.

Cons

Lack of portability

With the high weight of the pellet grill, it is difficult to move as often as you want. Therefore, when deciding to purchase a pellet grill, please specify location and place them near electrical outlets.

Less Than Ideal Searing Temps

There are some dishes that require a high amount of heat, especially beef steak. Many chefs believe that making a perfect steak requires temperatures up to 750º Fahrenheit. 

However, the maximum temperature of the pellet grill is 450 – 500 degrees. Therefore, with a pellet grill, you need to have the right food choice.

5 Best Pellet Grills in 2020

There are top 5 products that you can refer to in the following list:

#1. Z Grills ZPG-7002E 2020

#2. Camp Chef SmokePro

#3. Z GRILLS 2020 Upgrate Wood Pellets Grill

#4. Traeger Pro Series 575

#5. Camp Chef PG24XT Smoke Pro Pellet

Conclusion 

In conclusion, everything has two sides. You should choose the one which meets your needs first. 

Hope that with those pros and cons of pellet grills, you will have more knowledge about this item and can choose the best pellet grill for yourself. 

A pellet grill is what you need to bring out the flavors of your dishes. But how does a pellet grill work? There are more than enough complicated guides out there showing you how it works.

If you want something short and sweet, a straight-to-the-point instruction, this is it.

How Does A Pellet Grill Work – A Detailed Instruction

Pellet Hopper – Store The Pellets Used

The pellet hopper is where you store the pellets to retain their dryness. Before using the grill, you need to fill the hopper with these pellets. 

There are various types of wood pellets for multiple purposes on the market, among which wood pellets are the most common type. These pellets are made of compact sawdust and other industrial waste from wood milling, wood product manufacturing, furniture, and construction.

Besides, other sources such as palm kernel bark, coir, and tree branches are also popular wood pellets. People prefer using these natural ingredients due to their unique flavors and better fire control abilities.

Depending on certain types of grills, the hopper will have different sizes. A large hopper will accommodate more pellets, leading to a longer runtime.

Auger And Fire Pot – Light The Fire

When you start baking, the auger moves the wood pellets from the hopper to the firepot. As the pellets create a fire inside the grill, the burning wood produces heat and smoke.

When the pellets and the air meets, the firepot starts generating enough heat for the wood to burn and creating fire. 

When the pellet oven starts, the drill engine will load quite a few pellets into the burner to allow the fire to continue. However, when the flame has reached the desired temperature (measured with the thermostat inside the oven), the digital controller will quickly tell the auger to slow or stop the pellet feeding.

Digital Controller – Control The Temperature

Every pellet grill has a digital controller (control panel). It is located outside the pellet grill and allows you to monitor the cooking temperature and the hot ball grill temperature.

You can set it low and slow to help keep the meat moist and juicy. If you’re in a hurry, it’s okay to increase the heat and reduce the cooking time.

The digital controller, which controls the auger, firepot, and induction fan, uses the cooking temperature and time you have specified to determine the required number of pellets and how quickly those balls move through the grill.

This controller then sends the information to the auger, which is what drives the pellets.

Induction Fan – Push The Smoke And Spread The Heat

The induction fan plays an important role in supporting a pellet grill’s cooking and smoking performance, providing sufficient air for the baking process.

It keeps the flame continuing and circulates heat and smoke throughout the grill and into your food. The induction fan under digital control will be adjusted to suit the ongoing baking.

Drip Tray – Collect Grease And Food Dripping

When food is being baked in the grill, grease and food drippings are inevitable. If the tray is not present, these items will fall into the fire and make the fire even larger, affecting food taste.

Therefore, the pellet grill also comes with a drip tray located between the cooking grate and the grill’s heat-generating parts.

Tips For Making A Pellet Grill Work Best

The first tip is to use quality wood pellets. The pellets’ quality is also one factor that helps the grill function well and makes the taste of the food even better. 

Wood pellets produce a natural smoky flavor; they must be tested and subjected to a special process to ensure the high quality.

To prevent food from burning when you cannot keep an eye on the grill, you should use automatic temperature control. This mode is one of the very useful points of the pellet grill digital control system; it saves you time and worries about the grills getting burned or overcooked dishes.

Please pay attention to the wood pellet hopper and fill them up so that the baking process is continuous and uninterrupted. It is also important to regularly clean the grill as this will ensure the device’s best performance. 

You have to clean all the parts of your grill before and after using, especially the cooking grates, as they come into direct contact with food. The drip tray must also be cleaned regularly to prevent grease from falling into the fire and affecting other grill operations.

Cooking Hamburgers On A Pellet Grill – Have You Experienced?

Conclusion

The pellet grill is the ideal cooking gadget for people who want versatility, convenience, and delicious smoky dishes.

How does a pellet grill work? – We hope you’ve found out the answer you’re looking for in our post!

Let’s start cooking and treating your friends and family with delicious BBQ parties!