Ok, this is a broad/general description of how a pellet grill works. Hardwood pellets are used both to generate the heat to cook the food as well as the smoke for additional flavor. While all pellet grills are electric, electrical components are used purely to control the feed of pellets into the burn pot to achieve and maintain a set temperature.

There is a hopper which holds the pellets with an auger in the bottom. The auger has an electric motor which is controlled by the control panel. The pellets are then fed into a burn pot within which there is a hot rod igniter, which establishes the fire.

There is then a fan with an electric motor, which is also controlled, and an RTD probe within the cooking chamber which tells the control panel the actual temperature so it can see when the set temperature has been achieved.

That's the basics of how a pellet grill works. However, there are also different types of pellet grill controllers. Some offer WiFi; some pellet grills offer direct-flame access whereas others do not. There are lots of variables. Check out our database to see what I mean.