Two Completely Different Cooking Philosophies
Pellet grills and gas grills are both excellent — but they are excellent at different things. Understanding the difference will save you from buying the wrong one for how you actually cook. Both are available in our full BBQ grill collection at Fireplace Bros.
Pellet Grills: Set It, Forget It, and Real Wood Smoke Flavor
A pellet grill feeds compressed wood pellets into a firepot automatically to maintain a precise cooking temperature. You set your target temp — say 225°F for a brisket or 375°F for chicken — and the grill holds it within a few degrees for hours without any attention from you. The result is genuine wood-smoke flavor that is impossible to replicate on a gas grill.
Pellet grills from brands like Green Mountain Grills and Napoleon are ideal for low-and-slow cooking — brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, whole chickens — where long cook times and consistent temperature are the difference between great and mediocre results. WiFi-enabled models let you monitor the cook from your phone.
The tradeoff: pellet grills take 15 to 20 minutes to preheat, require a power outlet, and are not ideal for high-heat searing (most top out around 500°F). They also require a supply of pellets.
Best for: buyers who love smoking, want real wood flavor, and cook large cuts of meat regularly.
Gas Grills: Speed, High Heat, and Everyday Versatility
Gas grills preheat in 10 minutes, reach 600°F or higher for proper searing, and give you instant flame control — turn up for a steak, turn down for chicken thighs. They are the weeknight workhorse of backyard cooking. Premium models from Napoleon and Blaze add infrared rear burners for rotisserie, side burners for sauces, and large cooking surfaces for entertaining.
Gas grills do not produce smoke flavor the way a pellet grill does, but wood chip boxes and smoking tubes can add some smokiness if you want it. For most everyday grilling — burgers, sausages, vegetables, fish, pizza — gas is faster and more flexible.
Best for: everyday cooks who grill frequently, anyone who needs quick weeknight meals, buyers who prioritize high-heat searing and convenience.
Which Should You Buy?
Buy a pellet grill if smoking large cuts of meat is a priority and you can plan your cooks ahead of time. Buy a gas grill if you want something ready in 10 minutes for any night of the week. If budget allows, plenty of serious backyard cooks own both — using the pellet grill on weekends and the gas grill on weeknights.
Browse our full grill selection at Fireplace Bros with free shipping on all orders over $299.
