Pellet vs Gas Grill: Which Should You Buy?
Pellet grills give you real wood-smoke flavor and set-and-forget cooking; gas grills give you speed and weeknight convenience. Here is how to pick the right one for how you actually cook.
Pellet and gas are the two most popular ways to grill, and they're built for genuinely different cooks. Gas is about speed and convenience; pellet is about wood flavor and walk-away smoking. Here's how they really compare, so you buy the one that fits your weekends.
The 30-second answer
- Buy gas if you grill on weeknights, want to be eating 12 minutes after you walk outside, and care about a strong sear.
- Buy pellet if you want real wood-smoke flavor, love low-and-slow barbecue (ribs, brisket, pulled pork), and like the idea of setting a temperature and walking away.
Most people who say "I want to get into smoking" should buy pellet. Most people who just want to grill burgers and chicken fast should buy gas.
Flavor
This is the biggest real difference. Pellet grills burn compressed hardwood pellets, so everything you cook picks up genuine wood smoke — something gas simply can't replicate. Gas grills are clean and neutral; the flavor comes from the food and the sear, not the fuel. If smoky flavor is the reason you're shopping, pellet wins outright.
Convenience and speed
Gas wins here. Push a button, and you're at temperature in minutes. Pellet grills take longer to come up to heat (and need an electrical outlet to run the auger and fan), but they make up for it with set-and-forget temperature control — dial in 225°F and the grill holds it for hours, often with WiFi monitoring from your phone. For a quick weeknight dinner, gas is faster. For an all-day cook, pellet is more hands-off.
Searing and high heat
Gas grills hit high, direct heat fast, which makes them better at searing steaks and getting crisp skin. Many pellet grills top out around 450–500°F and excel at lower temperatures, so searing can be weaker (though newer models and sear kits help). If a hard sear is non-negotiable, lean gas.
Running cost and maintenance
Gas is cheaper to run day to day — a propane tank lasts a long time. Pellets cost more per cook and you'll go through bags during long smokes. Both are fairly low-maintenance, though pellet grills have more moving parts (auger, fan, igniter) that can eventually need service.
Price: it's basically a wash
You can spend $300 or $3,000 on either. At the popular middle of the market they're priced similarly — the Weber Spirit E-310 gas grill runs about $599, while the Traeger Pro 575 pellet grill is around $799. Price shouldn't be the deciding factor; how you cook should.
So, which one?
| You want… | Buy |
|---|---|
| Fast weeknight grilling | Gas |
| Real smoke flavor | Pellet |
| The best sear | Gas |
| Hands-off low-and-slow BBQ | Pellet |
| Lowest running cost | Gas |
| App control + walk-away cooking | Pellet |
Still torn? Put two specific models side by side on our compare tool, browse all gas grills and all pellet grills, and set a price alert so you buy whichever you choose at the bottom of its price.