Pellet smokers use hardwood in the form of pellets to create the heat and smoke to cook the food. However, they do so via the assistance of electronic components (control panel, pellet feed auger, hot rod igniter, combustion fan, RTD probe).

The RTD probe within the cooking chamber communicates with the control panel to feed in sufficient pellets into the burn pot to maintain a set temperature.

Older pellet smokers have a more basic controller that simply turns the pellet auger motor on and off for set intervals until the set temperature is achieved. Whereas more modern pellet smokers feature what called a PID controller, which works on a mathematical algorithm.

There are several different types of pellet smokers. There are the common horizontal models which are also pellet grills. Then there are the vertical models which are purely pellet smokers with no grilling capabilities.

You can use our database to browse the various types of pellet smokers with different other features such as WiFi connectivity from various brands for a specific budget.