What Is A Pellet Grill
Pellet grills – understanding the mystery of flavor. Pellet grills have a sense of mystery regarding their ability to combine the best elements of a charcoal grill, gas grill, and oven. Everyone loves the smoky flavor associated with a charcoal grill but prefers the speed of a gas grill. One other aspect of a pellet grill is how it can easily be turned into an oven. One of the biggest mysteries is how they work.
Here Are Some Of The Most Common Questions
What is a pellet grill?
A pellet grill is also a smoker. It uses a system where wood pellets are fed to the firebox using an auger(an auger looks like a corkscrew). While the wood pellets are being fed to the firebox, a firebox igniter heats the pellets to the point of ignition. As this process is happening, there is a convection fan that blows the heat and smoke to the cooking chamber allowing the chamber to heat to a desired temperature.
Once the desired temperature is reached, you will be able to smoke, grill, bake, barbeque, braise, roast, and more. The way you cook will be determined by what you are cooking.
What is the difference between a pellet grill and a regular grill?
For the most part, a pellet grill is designed to cook your food low and slow. You will find that it also has many feature like an oven but you will find that your pellet grill creates great smoke. A regular grill on the other hand allows you to smoke and sear easily but does not have as many cooking functions of a pellet grill.
Do pellet grills use propane?
The pellet grill uses wood pellets for cooking your food, you will need to have an electrical outlet close by to supply electricity to the auger and the control panel. There are now some pellet grills that have attachments that use propane but these are added on to the side and are not connected to the pellet grill cooking chamber.
Understanding How They Work
Understanding how a pellet grill works help you understand the mystery of flavor, without all the hard work brought about by the way a pellet grill is designed. Finding a way to combine the best parts of a charcoal grill, gas grill, and an oven in some ways is an engineering marvel. Getting all the components working together to create such delectable flavors, is the understanding of how each component works together.
One of the best ways to understand pellet grills it knows how they are made. This illustration gives a basic breakdown of how a pellet grill operates. We will break it down to show how each component works with the others to create magical flavors.
Knowing that with a pellet grill you have the ability to not only smoke but grill as well is fantastic. You also have the ability to bake as well. This feature really opens up what you can do with a pellet smoker in comparison to a charcoal grill or gas grill.
The Mystery of Flavor Begins With Preheating Your Grill
It is always very important to preheat your pellet grill to get the best use out of your grill. Your owner’s manual will go over this in more detail. Another important point to remember is to CLEAN your pellet grill after each use. It will not take your grill long to cool down enough to clean it but, for the longevity of your grill it is best to do this each time you use your grill.
First, the wood pellets are poured into what is known as a hopper. A hopper is a holding container for the wood pellets.
Second, the airflow is controlled by two fans that will alternate to keep the air moving and to keep the flame burning correctly.
Third, the intake air becomes pressurized and heated to the desired temperature.
Fourth, the wood pellets are not hot enough to ignite. This is when the combustion takes place. This also heats the cooking chamber.
Fifth, the heat and smoke are circulated around the cooking chamber. The smoke and air will circulate long enough to reach the desired temperature.
Sixth, depending upon the model you have the temperatures can range from 180F to 700F. Most pellet grills top temperature is around 500F. Some grills have a new feature where there is now a moveable plate above the firebox to allow for searing.
Seventh, there is a meat probe that you need to place inside your meat so your grill will know how long it is to be active during the cooking process. This also allows you the opportunity to keep plenty of pellets in the hopper for cooking purposes.
Accessories – Same Or Different
Many people believe that a pellet grill requires different cooking accessories to have the best experience possible. Using the same accessories with a pellet grill that you would use with a charcoal grill or even a gas grill.
You will still need a set of tongs, spatula, meat thermometer, and possibly a grill plate. I prefer to use heavy-duty tongs with enough reach to keep my arms safely away from the heat. The same is true for the spatula, buy one that is able to handle some substantial weight.
Understanding The Mystery Of Flavor Includes The Accessories
I use a grill plate for those items that may fall between the grates. There are often times that grilling a cheese-stuffed jalapeno for snacking on while everything else is grilling is the ticket. I get a head start on the savory goodness everyone else has to wait on. The grill plate allows me to have a guilty treat from time to time.
Another thing to remember is the type of wood pellets you are using. Some of them are for flavor and some are for cooking. The hotter your pellets burn, the less smoke you will have in your chamber, allowing you to bake like in a convection oven.
Pellet Grills Make Great Ovens
Since pellet grills use a system like a convection oven where the air goes in a circular pattern to create a smooth even cooking zone, they automatically create great ovens for such things as pies, bread, and muffins.
Many people who now have pellet grills are amazed at how well they also bake. It is just a matter of knowing what temperature something bakes at and how long to leave it in the oven You are able to achieve the same results you would inside the home but without heating the house up.
Imagine, if you will, being able to go out the first thing in the morning and put homemade biscuits on your grill for breakfast. Pellet grills give you this advantage over charcoal grills, you don’t have that smoky flavor in your biscuits. What you do have are nice, fluffy, flakiness that only comes from a perfectly baked biscuit.
Now that you have your biscuits baked, it is time for the rest of the breakfast. You are able to use your griddle on your pellet grill to fry eggs or bacon. You can even do omelets on your grill if you so desired. My point here, by using your imagination, the only limit you have is yourself.
This also works well when you have a need for baking a certain type of casserole for an evening out of the house.
When Understanding The Mystery Of Flavor – Learn To Be Adventurous
Learning to use a pellet grill may take some time to master but not very long. You now have the ability to smoke as you would on a charcoal grill. If you want to sear a steak or grill hamburgers you have that option as well. If those options do not appeal to you then you can always do some baking say for a special occasion where you need to bake a cake but don’t want to cause the temperature in the house to go up, now you can do it on your pellet grill with fantastic results.
Oh, I Almost Forgot This Wonderful Video On Unpacking
This quick video guide will help you unpack your amazing pellet grill.
What You Need When You Own A Pellet Grill – Tips And Tricks
Understanding The Mystery Of Flavor – Conclusion
Finding that level of everyday cooking and becoming adventurous may seem challenging in the beginning, but with time and practice, you will find that your imagination is no longer limited.
Now that you know all about the mystery of flavor with the pellet grill let’s get cooking.
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