When it comes to wood pellet grills and smokers, Camp Chef is one of the leading names due to their vast array of reliable and reasonably priced appliances. Besides pellet grills, Camp Chef also provides other premium best selling products like pizza ovens.
Camp Chef is one of the industry leaders in pellet smokers and other kinds of grills. You can cook for just about any outdoor event with the best Camp Chef pellet grills. Here are all the details.
3 Best Camp Chef Pellet Grills
Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill
The Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill is a high-performance barbecue appliance that is equally capable of searing and pellet smoking.
Most people are under the impression that pellet smokers are just capable of ‘low and slow’ cooking. That is, they are unsuitable for high temperature searing. The Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill certainly does not warrant this opinion since it is more than capable of high temperature searing thanks to its optional gas-fuelled sear box.
During 2017, the company introduced the gas-fuelled sear box as an optional purchase for open-flame grilling. This unit can be included in all the current pellet smokers from the brand. The sear box is a standard built-in feature for the Woodwind range of pellet smokers. Woodwind is more economical compared to the SmokePro lineup. It also has sturdier legs, lower shelf storage and stainless steel firepot and lid than the SmokePro models.
The port for the meat probe has been carefully relocated higher up the smoke chamber where there is less hot. This can lead to longer service life. Camp Chef has now made the stainless steel parts and higher meat probe location standard for all of its new models. Besides these features, the Woodwind shares many similarities with the SmokePro.
This is a midsized pellet smoker with a well-designed ash removal system – a feature that is surprisingly missing in many good grills. This is important because although the wood pellet does not leave behind excessive ash, you still need to clean the grill regularly to keep it in good condition. This process can be tedious in other grill models since you must detach the grilling grates and drip pans to access the firebox.
However, Camp Chef has resolved this issue with the help of the trapdoor-like cover installed below the firebox. You can slide it back to allow the ash to fall into a removal container. Although you will still have to manually clear out the firebox from time to time, this neat system can prevent your firebox from becoming clogged. As a result, it allows for more consistent smoker performance.
You can easily set the temperature using the dial located on the easy-to-use interface of the unit. Its electronically-controlled mechanism is not too far from an automated ‘set and forget’ system. Thanks to the high level of control and precision, there is minimal need for intervention on your part.
The unit’s controller is also easy to operate. You can toggle the LED display between the meat probe reading and cooking temperature. You can set the dial to different notched levels between 175 degrees and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. There are also additional options on the controller, including ‘Hi Smoke’, ‘Lo Smoke’, ‘High’, ‘Feed’ and ‘Shutdown’. The Lo Smoke temperature is 175 degrees Fahrenheit and the Hi Smoke temperature is 210 degrees Fahrenheit. What purpose do these settings serve? Camp Chef says that it has optimized the pellet feed rate at these temperature settings in order to generate more smoke by smoldering the pellets rather than burning them.
Going left to right across the grilling area, the temperature is quite even everywhere once the temperature has stabilized. There isn’t too much temperature variation between different points on the grilling surface, which can lead to inconsistent results. When set to the high temperature setting, the Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill can go up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit, which is not too far off from 500 degrees Fahrenheit. This may not be a bad thing because the food can be easily charred at temperatures in excess of 500 degrees if you are not careful enough.
The meat probe is a convenient device that you can learn to use right away, even if you do not have any grilling experience. After grilling or smoking starts, you can toggle the controller display to the meat probe mode to follow the progress of your grilling session.
Most pellet smokers are not built for quick searing. Camp Chef has resolved this predicament with the help of the liquid propane sear burner. You can easily install this burner to your Camp Chef model by first detaching the shelf on the right side and mounting the burner on the available hardware. The sear box boasts tremendous heating power for its size. It can burn at a scorching rate of 16,000 BTU for a scorching hot 900 degrees Fahrenheit at the high setting. This temperature is just right for reverse-seared steaks. At the low setting, the temperature is 480 degrees Fahrenheit.
Here is what you can do for great tasting steak. Cook the steak at 225 degrees and wait for the meat probe temperature to rise to 110 degrees. Once this temperature is reached, you can grill the steak on the sear box at the high temperature setting to finish it. Flip it over (when necessary) and keep searing it till the meat probe registers 135 degrees. At this point, a well-done crispy brown exterior will develop.
You can also get an authentic, delicious smoke flavor from other barbecue recipes with this pellet grill. The thick gauge steel allows uniform heat levels for all kinds of cooking methods like low and slow cooking, searing, roasting, braising and baking. The temperature swing is not more than 10 degrees on either side of the set temperature due to state-of-the-art controls. Even if you do not have excellent grilling skills, you can make professional-looking crossed sear marks across your steak by burning the sear box at the maximum heat. Not only does the barbecue look delicious, it is delicious.
Thanks to the standard sear box, this unit is basically a two-in-one pellet, which represents great value for money.
Camp Chef SmokePro DLX
One glance at the Camp Chef SmokePro DLX is enough to tell that you are not looking at an ordinary grill. Its construction details are impressive and the main barrel body, along with the legs, appears robust and sturdy. This pellet grill model is constructed from thick gauge metal sheets coated with glossy paint. Satisfied customers say that these smokers can last for a long time without giving you any trouble. It is not too hard to see why considering the superb build quality.
Several other features have been included to ensure a great grilling experience. One of them is the built-in digital meat probe. Digital thermometers are a great accessory since they can allow you to monitor the progress of your grilling session and cook barbecue items to perfection. A meat probe, in addition to the internal grill thermometer, is a worthwhile investment, so a built-in probe is a valuable feature.
Another fine feature is the unit’s power failure restart. If, at any point, the power is cut off, the unit will automatically restart and resume grilling. This way, you won’t return to be disappointed with a half- done brisket sitting in a powered-off machine.
There are also other good design features of the unit, such as the dual temperature LED display, auto start ignition and temperature control. The auto start ignition makes the grill very easy to use and does away with the hassle of starting a flame manually. Precise temperature control is maintained with the help of the auger mechanism and fan system, which work in perfect synchrony due to the advanced electronic controls.
Thanks to these features, not only is the grill reliable, it is also easy to use. Novices can get to grips with this user-friendly grill quite quickly.
The grill has an operating temperature range between 160 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It does not take more than 10 minutes to reach the selected grilling temperature. It does all the work for you and takes the guesswork out of grilling by means of the automatic auger system, which feeds the right amount of pellets considering the grill conditions. The temperature swing is not too much. This means that you can get a tasty barbecue regularly with this pellet grill. There is no danger of overcooking or undercooking meat as a result of good temperature control. You can get delicious food with the Camp Chef SmokePro DLX since it rivals high-performance grills on the market.
Ash cleanout is a boring chore, which takes away the joy from pellet smoking. Camp Chef has, therefore, done an admirable job by creating an innovative ash cleanup system, which is one of the very best that you will see in pellet smokers.
Owing to the unit’sgreat construction details, reliable auger mechanism and precise temperature control, there are no hot and cold spots on the grilling surface, which can ruin the quality of your food. The heat is distributed evenly throughout so that you can get the same great smoky taste, texture and tenderness in all the food items.
Camp Chef also provides different pellet wood types for an irresistible smoky taste like bourbon, pecan, hickory, maple, cherry and apple. You can even mix up these different varieties to craft your own unique exquisite taste that will keep grill chefs guessing.
Previously, Camp Chef offered only a one-year warranty on this grill. But after several requests by loyal customers, the company extended the warranty both on this grill model and other products. This proves that they take customer feedback seriously, which is the very reason why this company is successful in the first place. Camp Chef extends a 3-year warranty to customers, which is comparable with the standard 3-year warranty of Traeger.
Camp Chef PGVXXL Vertical Pellet Grill and Smoker
The market is flooded with several options for vertical pellet smokers and pellet grills. All these products employ smart design to extend a greater cooking area for a small footprint.
Ordinary pellet grills and smokers have the traditional barrel shape. While this classic design allows for good convection and air flow, it does not provide enough cooking surface to feed large crowds and gathering. Vertical pellet smokers, on the other hand, are cleverly designed with grilling grates arranged one on top of the other in a column. This configuration is the perfect solution for those who want a compact grill to cook large quantities of food.
You can find these design characteristics in the Camp Chef PGVXXL Vertical Pellet Grill and Smoker. This vertical smoke stack has everything that is included in pellet grills, such as internal fan, firebox, auger, hopper, controller and other components. What it also has is a touch of class that you can be hard-pressed to find in other high-end pellet grills. This is a high-performance, high-capacity grilling appliance for the experts and pros. It has accurate controls that you would need to maintain low variation around your set temperature.
This vertical smoker also has one key feature that other ordinary grills don’t have. The vertical smoke chamber not only provides lots of space for grilling, it also has a better ability to maintain accurate temperature control owing to its shape, which is amenable to convection flow. Vertical smokers can also handle lower temperatures than other ordinary pellet grills.
This formidable machine has 4 grilling grates, 3 jerky racks and 12 sausage hooks mounted on a single hanging rack. Two temperature probes have also been integrated with the electronic controller. A drippings cup is also included for efficient grease management.
The Camp Chef PGVXXL Vertical Pellet Grill and Smoker utilizes patented Smart Smoke technology to add more value for your investment. This sophisticated system works to increase the overall efficiency of this grilling machine. That is, it utilizes more heat and wastes smaller amounts from the same amount of wood pellets. The technology also helps to bring wood pellet consumption under control so that you have to spend less money on wood pellets. The hopper has a capacity of 18 pounds.
As usual, Camp Chef has used top-class materials for high quality construction to ensure that the machine operates reliably for several years. The company’s choice of superior materials is one of the key factors behind their reliable grills and loyal customer base. Most of the smoker body is constructed from 16-gauge steel with powder coating for high resistance to rust and corrosion.
Assembling the Camp Chef PGVXXL Vertical Pellet Grill and Smoker is also easy, thanks to simple instructions and clear diagrams. While other pellet grills may be difficult to assemble, the Camp Chef PGVXXL Vertical Pellet Grill and Smoker is fairly straightforward to put together. It will take you a few minutes to over an hour to assemble the grills using just basic tools.
Grilling Performance
Wood pellet smokers are known for their versatility and the Camp Chef PGVXXL Vertical Pellet Grill and Smoker is no different. The vertical chamber provides lots of space to cook ample amounts of food. With the Smart Smoke technology, you can achieve a level of efficiency that is not seen in many other pellet grills. You can operate the grill easily just by turning the dial to one of the pre-set temperatures and selecting your smoke setting.
If you need to prepare large amounts of homemade beef jerky, you will find that the vertical pellet smoker is up to the task. Since it has a high capacity and the ability to take down the temperature to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, you can do many things on it like smoke large cuts of steaks and plenty of rib racks. At these low temperatures, the grill is particularly well-suited for smoking seafood and cheese.
The cavernous grilling space has enough room for up to 8 whole chickens or 14 rib racks. It is, therefore, perfect for large barbecue parties and other social events. The grill boasts a colossal area of 2,400 square inches, which is easily double that of the largest conventional pellet grills.
You can also turn up the temperature to 350 degrees for quick roasting. This temperature is not as high as other wood pellet grills, which can go up to 500 degrees. You should consider different factors at play that can lead to this reduced level, such as the shape of the vertical smoker and the large internal volume.
Thanks to 2 temperature probes, you can routinely cook great barbecue meals of high quality. Most pellet smokers provide just one temperature probe, so this is an impressive feature that exceeds the benchmark.