What Size Pellet Grill Do I Need? 

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For an average family, the pellet grill size of 400 to 500 square inches dedicated to primary cooking will be enough to meet all of your cooking needs.

Many pellet grills from many different brands are available in the market, all offering many features differing from the others, so it can be confusing to figure out which is most suitable for your needs. 

This article will share what size pellet grill you need, what factors you should consider before buying any size, what sizes are available in the market, and what they can do for you.

What is a Pellet Grill?

Pellet grills, also known as pellet smokers, are outdoor grilling cookers that use a combination of kitchen elements, gas grills, and charcoal smokers. They are exact in controlling the cooking temperature from 170 degrees to 500 degrees. They also allow for the slow searing of a steak, smoking a brisket, serving up seafood, or even making hamburgers, enabling you to cook various foods. 

Pellet grills use a firebox or hopper system, unlike the fixed open flames of charcoal or gas grills. 

The hopper feeds the firebox continuously with fresh wood pellets, allowing the grill to run for hours. The continuous wood burning produces heat trapped in the grill, simmering the meat while infusing that authentic, sought-after smokey flavor. Also, you can experiment using various wood pallet types to bring out unique flavors. 

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What size pellet grill do I need? What Factors Help You Determine Which Grill Size You Should Choose? 

There are a few factors that you should note when choosing the right grill size to meet your cooking needs:

  • You should consider the number of family members you have. 

  • You should consider the quantity of food you intend to cook per meal. 

  • Third, you should consider what plans for entertainment you have when using your grill. 

  • Finally, you should consider if you want to take your grill when you travel. 

The number of family members significantly helps you decide which grill size will suit the family’s needs best. Suppose you are a family of 4, so if you multiply the numbers by four times, you can get away with 72 square inches making 300 square inches of pallet grill. 

If you want to cook a meal in large amounts, you will need a more excellent pellet smoker. 

If you use a pellet smoker for grilling or smoking slow and low to sear your meat, you should consider looking for pellets with open flame options. 

Large crowds need more space, and it makes sense to buy a pellet grill of larger size. 

What Different Sizes Of Pellet Grills Are Available In The Market?

Depending upon the given factors, we have categorized different sizes of grills that will help you choose your preferred grill size:

  • 300 – 500 square inch grills.

  • 700 to 820 square inch grills. 

  • 900 Square inches and beyond.

What Grilling Needs Do 300 to 500 Square Inch Grills Fulfill?

This grill size is perfect for small gathering cook-ups and is sufficient for your personal cooking needs. However, the size between 300 to 500 square inches may seem minor to you, but it is enough to fit the more significant meat cuts like pork shoulder, baby back ribs (a full rack), or even a whole brisket. 

You can even fit your burger patties of size about 20 quarter-pound comfortably in this size of the grill. The small size is excellent and very portable for camping, tailgating, RVing, and condo or apartment patios. 

What Grilling Needs Do 700 To 820 Square Inch Grills Fulfill?

Pellet grills ranging in size from 700 to 820 square inch is excellent as a family everyday grill. This is your workhouse if you are a family of four or less. 

A grill of this size is great to purchase as you will get more choices to cook several different dishes with different flavors all at once.

For example, suppose you are grilling chicken. With this size of the grill, you will have enough room to cook greens, corn, and potatoes allowing every part of the meal to be ready at the same time. Every resulting dish tastes delicious with a wood-fired taste right off the hot grill. 

What Grilling Needs Do 900 SQUARE inches and beyond Pellet Grill Sizes Fulfill?

If you are serious about grilling and throwing feats around now and then, these 900 and above grill pellet sizes are meant for you. You can cook every meal at any time of the week. 

These 900 square inches grill sizes will provide you with enough room to grill significant meat cuts (a lot of them) simultaneously, and you can also include pork shoulders, multiple ribs racks, whole briskets, and more. This grill size is perfect for hosting large gatherings with a fair number of guests at home. 

Do Bigger Pellet Grills Use More Pellets? 

Bigger pellet grills do use more pellets to produce more heat. So you need to have an idea of how much food you would be cooking on your pellet grill.

Suppose you have to cook for 3 or 4 people regularly. You will be using more money than normal if you try to heat the giant grill with more pellets when you can use less in a small grill. 

What Makes a Good Pellet Grill?

The number of things determines what makes pellet grill good such as:

  • Cooking space.

  • Materials.

  • Hopper.

  • Cooking options. 

  • Right size.

  • Features. 

Why is the Cooking Space Important for a Good Pellet Grill?

The cooking space the pellet grills offer widely depends upon the number of people you will be serving in the future. A cooking area of 800 to 900 is best if you love to socialize in a grilling space. However, you can go with 1000 square inches of the cooking area if you like to throw large bbq parties. 

Why are Materials Important for a Good Pellet Grill?

The material quality with which it is made will decide how long your pellet grill will last and how well it will cook. Stainless steel is the best material so far. 

Why is a Hopper Important for a Good Pellet Grill?

The size of the hopper of the pellet grill also tells how long the grill will cook. More pellets will result in more cook time. 

Cooking Options – Most pellet grills come with various cooking options such as braising, baking, smoking, and BBQing. 

Why are the Features Important for a Good Pellet Grill?

Some of the most modern and functional features as wifi connectivity make pellet grills more futuristic and have good control panels.

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