Pellet grills already bring an exceptional amount of variety to the table, but having a pellet grill with insulation is a major bonus for many reasons. Whether you already own a pellet grill with insulation or are looking into buying your first one, many grills have different pros and cons.
In this guide, we’ll cover which pellet grills are insulated and most worth your time, as well as discuss what makes each one of them a desirable choice.
We’ll also go over some general things to know about insulated pellet grills. That way, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to feel good about whatever pellet grill you decide to spend your money on.
List of 5 Best Insulated Pellet Grills
Here is our list of the top five best-insulated pellet grills.
1. Traeger Timberline 850
The Traeger Timberline 850 pellet grill has a design that focuses on longevity. With this pellet grill, you can expect a long lifespan and consistently excellent performance that will cater to all your outdoor cooking needs. In addition, the fully insulated construction of this pellet grill helps keep heat in the interior regardless of cold outdoor weather conditions.
In addition to its insulation, it comes with WiFi, all-terrain wheels, grease management, grill tool hooks, and a wide range of other great features. Traeger also includes a three-year warranty with this pellet grill so that you can feel safe in your purchase.
The only minor downside to the Traeger Timberline 850 is the assembly time. It takes 30-60 minutes to put together, but it’s not a complicated process between the owner’s manual and Traeger’s assembly video.
2. Traeger Ironwood
- NEVER USE GAS OR CHARCOAL AGAIN: Traeger created the original wood-pellet grill as the ultimate way to achieve wood-fired taste; The Ironwood 885 takes it to the next level with precise temperature control. 500 °F Max Temp
- CONNECTED HOME TECHNOLOGY: WiFIRE technology connects your grill to home WiFi and the Traeger app allows the user to control the grill from anywhere; Alexa technology allows you to do it all by voice
- VERSATILE BARBECUE COOKING: The Ironwood 885 pellet grill offers 6-in-1 versatility to grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and BBQ all on the same grill; The Porcelain grill grates makes clean up a breeze
- THE MARKET LEADER IN PELLET GRILLS: The Traeger Ironwood is the best-selling pellet grill; The upgraded the Ironwood with D2 drivetrain starts quicker, heats up faster, and puts out better quality smoke
- BUILT FOR FAMILY COOKING: 885 sq in of grilling space that can accommodate ten chickens, or seven rib racks, or nine pork butts effortlessly; The built-in meat probe allows you to cook to perfection
The Traeger Ironwood pellet grill features a double-sidewall insulation design that creates a consistent heat level inside the grill. Thanks to the insulation, if you want consistent cooking results, you’ll certainly get that with this pellet grill. It also comes with a pellet sensor that helps monitor pellet levels and a meat probe to watch your food’s temperature without lifting the lid.
Smoke gets sent through specific channels in the pellet grill to allow for perfectly even cooking every time, so you’ll never have to worry about losing control. In addition, the Traeger ironwood’s Super Smoke Mode lets you efficiently manage just how much smokey flavor you want in your food, and the best part is that you can turn this mode on and off with the push of a button.
Unlike the Traeger Timberline 850, the Traeger Ironwood does not come with concealed grease management or stainless-steel grates, but not having these additional features is certainly not a deal-breaker.
3. Grilla Grills Silverbac
Like the Traeger ironwood, the Grilla Grills Silverbac pellet grill has a double-wall insulated cooking chamber that maintains consistent heat levels. The interior of the cooking chamber is also quite large compared to most other pellet grills, making it a fantastic choice for cooking several items at once. You can even remove the top grate for additional space.
Along with spaciousness and insulation, the Grilla Grills Silverbac has stainless steel grates, automatic fire tending, and a TempTamer feature that helps better control the grill temperature. This means that when you open the lid of this pellet grill, you won’t lose as much heat as you would with other grills.
If we had to bring one downside to this pellet grill to your attention, it’s the lack of all-terrain wheels. Typically, this is not a big deal, but the Grilla Grills Silverbac weighs 170lbs, so moving it without those wheels can prove challenging.
4. Z Grills 700D4E
The 700D4E is the flagship pellet grill for Z grills. It has top-of-the-line heat retention thanks to its double-walled insulation construction, and if that alone is not enough, it also has a stainless-steel lid. In addition, the convection-style cooking system of this grill keeps the interior heat at an even level, meaning you won’t have to worry about getting inconsistent results.
Be it grilling, searing, baking, barbecuing, smoking, braising, roasting, or char-grilling, the 700D4E can perform it all at a high level. That versatility is a significant strength of this grill.
Some customer reviews mentioned the grill having some damage upon arrival to experience something similar. However, Z Grills has excellent customer service to help tend to any issues you encounter. The 700D4E also comes with a three-year warranty.
5. Pit Boss 5-Series Wood Pellet Vertical Smoker
- Pit Boss Smoker Cover for Model PBV5P1
- Grill Accessory, Tailored for perfect custom-sized fit
- Heavy-duty polyester material with PVC backing protect your smoker from natural elements
- Draw string creates a secure fit. To clean the Pit boss smoker cover is a easy, wash with water and the dirt comes right off, or clean with a damp cloth and mild detergent
- Large Pit Boss l
The Pit Boss 5-Series Wood Pellet Vertical Smoker is another pellet grill with double-walled insulation construction. It can reach between 150°F and 450°F and allows you to cook at high temperatures without fear of uneven cooking or burning.
From an aesthetic perspective, this pellet grill’s sleek and stylish vertical design looks different from any other pellet grill you’ll find on the market right now. So, if you’re a fan of having cool visuals along with stellar performance, the Pit Boss 5-Series Wood Pellet Vertical Smoker brings both to the table.
The only real flaw in this pellet grill is its lack of storage space. It has some storage space beneath its bottom section, but it isn’t anything super extensive. Even if you aren’t the type of person to put many tools in your grill, it’s still nice to have the space if you need it, so do keep this in mind if you purchase this pellet grill.
Ways Pellet Grills Are Insulated
Seeing how we only went over five pellet grills with insulation, we did not cover the many variations of insulation you can find in pellet grills. Despite all achieving the same goal of maintaining heat in a pellet grill’s interior, each type of insulation works a little differently. That being the case, here are some brief descriptions of how different insulation types function.
Double Walled
Most grills come with only one wall that keeps heat inside when cooking, but double-walled insulation means a second wall further decreases the amount of outside air that gets in. It sounds relatively simple, and that is because it is one of the simpler forms of insulation in most pellet grills.
Twin Wall Pellet Grill
People sometimes refer to twin wall pellet grills as fully insulated pellet grills. In this type of insulation, you get the maximum heat control because both walls have insulation along with the lid. However, they generally cost more than partially insulated pellet grills because the grill gets significantly more heat when cooking.
Insulated Lids
Pellet grills with insulated lids sit somewhere in the middle of the scale to contain heat. They are not as good as fully insulated pellet grills, but some argue that a lid with insulation is superior to a double wall. If double walls are better, it isn’t by a staggering amount, so you really can’t go wrong with insulated lids if they’re your preference.
Insulation Jackets
For a more expensive option that provides exterior insulation, you can try insulation jackets. These keep excessive amounts of heat from getting out, and they are convenient for protecting areas around your grill if you grill near electrical appliances or highly flammable items.
Cover/Blankets
Some pellet grills come with covers or blankets that provide the insulation you can apply manually. You can also purchase them separately. Making makes them an excellent budget option if you want to try insulation without spending a lot of money on a grill with built-in insulation.
Most Vertical Pellet Smokers Are Twin/Double Wall Insulated
If you buy a pellet smoker like the Pit Boss 5-Series Wood Pellet Vertical Smoker, it generally comes with twin/double-wall insulation. This is part of the smoker’s design that makes it different from more standout, as if it did not have any insulation, you would have little reason to choose it over the other pellet grills available.
Cuisinart Pellet Grill Insulated Lids
Cuisinart is partially known for making vertical pellet smokers with insulated lids rather than walls, which contrasts what people consider the norm. Nevertheless, the insulated lids on these grills work and any others, and they are not pricey either.
Cuisinart’s products are not a bad place to begin by any means if you’re new to vertical smokers and want to test the waters on one with insulation.
Grilla Grills Feature Twin-Wall Combustion Zone
Many Grilla Grills products have twin-wall combustion zone designs, meaning that they surround the combustion zone with insulation instead of a single wall or lid insulation. To reiterate, twin-wall insulation is generally the best form of insulation because it traps the most heat inside a grill. This is why many people speak glowingly of Grilla Grills products, ourselves included!
Traeger Semi/Full Twin Wall Construction
Traeger makes a wide range of grills that feature various types of insulation, and semi/full twin wall construction are in some of their grills, but not all of them. The main difference between semi and complete twin-wall construction is that the former only provides partial insulation, whereas the latter offers full insulation, hence the names. This also means that you’ll generally find grills with semi-twin wall construction less expensive.
Which Traeger Grills Are Double-Walled?
Both the 850 and 1300 variants of the Traeger Timberline have double-wall construction. In addition, the Traeger Ironwood, which we also went over in this guide, has twin-wall construction.
Weber SmokeFire Double Side Walls
Weber is an excellent company to consider if you want more double sidewall options. Specifically, the Weber SmokeFire EX4 and EX6 variants have double sidewall construction that keeps heat trapped inside.
Benefits of Insulated Pellet Grills
You probably already caught on to some of the benefits of insulated pellet grills, but let’s go over the main ones in detail just as a refresher.
Cold Weather
Many of us enjoy grilling and cooking outside in the colder months of the year. The only issue, of course, is that in cold weather, a pellet grill takes forever to heat up. The way insulation helps keep heat inside pellet grills while keeping cold air out eliminates cold weather from being an issue. So, you can grill to your heart’s content at any time of the year.
Hot Weather
Usually, hot weather is much less troublesome than cold weather when grilling outdoors. However, hot weather can sometimes lead to your grill getting too hot. Many insulated pellet grills don’t suffer from that, though, as the heat control they come with counteracts outside heat and ensures you get a consistent grilling experience every time.
Retain Heat
The heat retention of an insulated pellet grill is its strongest selling point. Of course, there are other reasons behind why many people love insulated pellet grills, but the insulation is without question the main one.
More Effective Cook
Along with offering a more consistent grilling experience, an insulated pellet grill can make your cooking experience better overall. The level of control that it provides is not something you should overlook, as more space and cooking options will help make you a more effective cook.
Pellet Consumption
Insulated pellet grills can prove more cost-effective for pellet consumption if they have twin wall construction. The question of how long do wood pellets last partly relates to insulation, as the better the insulation, the lower the pellet consumption. And the less money you will wind up spending on your grilling endeavors overall.
Other Benefits?
- Stainless steel grates
- Pellet sensor
- WiFi technology
- Meat probing
- All-terrain wheels
- Super smoke mode
- Concealed grease management.
Insulated pellet grills can offer many benefits, and it’s hard to cover them all in one guide. There’s a lot more to these grills than just the insulation, so always read the additional benefits they have to know what you’re getting.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Here are answers to some additional questions you may still have.
Can you insulate a pellet grill?
If you want to insulate a pellet grill yourself, the easiest way to do this is by using a welding blanket. It isn’t quite the same as having a grill with solid insulation, but the insulation effect it provides is more than close enough to be sufficient.
Can you use a pellet smoker in the winter?
You can, especially if it has insulation. You won’t have to worry at all about the weather, even if it’s snowing. The insulation will keep the heat trapped inside your pellet smoker and give you that consistent smoking experience you desire.
Summary
Hopefully, you now have a greater level of understanding when it comes to insulated pellet grills and what exactly makes them so great. There’s a lot to love about them and very little to dislike.
Our top pick for the best-insulated pellet grill is the Traeger Timberline 850, as it comes with many fantastic features that make it difficult to beat. However, if the Timberline does not seem like your kind of grill, you can’t go wrong with any of the other four options on the list.
Regardless of how many insulated pellet grills you look at, it all comes down to personal preference, so pick the one that appeals to you most and have fun grilling to your heart’s content!
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