For my money, the overall best tabletop wood pellet grill is the Traeger Ranger model. It has a great cooking capacity, boasts top-notch temperature management, is perfect for grilling, and is durable to boot.
I’m a lifelong camper. I decided that I needed to find a tabletop wood pellet grill to take on my trips and level up my camping food. I took 6 of the leading tabletop models for a spin. I’ll cover the strengths and weaknesses of each in this article. In this post, I will outline the best tabletop pellet grill and tell you why the Traeger Ranger is the chosen one (for me). I have included a wide variety of grills and reviews for you to choose from!
Here is a list of the top tabletop pellet grill models on the market:
Best Overall
With a cooking area of 176 square inches, I was pretty happy with what the Traeger Ranger had to offer. I was able to fit 6 racks of ribs at once, although I needed a rib rack to do so.
You can easily feed two people with this tabletop pellet grill, and you can even feed a family of four – there’s room for a full chicken or up to 10 burgers.
One of the things that impressed me most about this portable wood pellet grill was the temperature management. In general, pellet grills tend to experience fluctuations in heat. I put the Traeger Ranger to the test and tracked the temp during several cooks.
While this portable pellet grill occasionally veered off course by a few degrees, it was able to get back to the right grilling temperature within a short period of time. This is one of the top reasons that I chose it for the best tabletop pellet grill.
For such a small tabletop pellet grill, it puts on quite a good show. The temperature range is great, with the max temperature going up to 450°F, so you can easily grill or sear any kind of food that you want. And as I mentioned, I did test the temperatures, and the Traeger Ranger was able to hit the maximum temperature as advertised.
I know that at first glance, the sticker price of the Traeger Ranger can seem quite high. This isn’t just because of its excellent grilling capabilities, though. It is also because the Traeger Ranger is one of the more durable models on the market.
You can easily take it anywhere and not worry about whether or not the tabletop grill can handle the wear and tear.
The downside, though, is that this makes it one of the heaviest tabletop pellet grills on the list as well. Due to this, you do need a sturdy table to set it on top of.
Best Value
When you consider this brand, the construction quality, and the features at this price point, the Cuisinart pellet grill smoker is definitely the best value that you can find. This is a great grill for someone who is just starting out but still wants to invest in a grill that is going to last them a while.
This has a large cooking capacity, you can easily cook a couple of racks of ribs and several steaks on this surface without issue. I also like that there is an additional removable rack – this can be used as a warming section.
As far as grilling goes, I do like what this grill has to offer. It hits high temperatures, allowing you to grill your meat to perfection. There is also a separate searing section to get those gorgeous grill marks.
The only downside is that I found it difficult to get this grill under 300°F during the cooking process. So, if you are planning on smoking or cooking foods at a lower temperature, think again.
Not only does this grill come with a digital display, but the settings on this grill are great. They are easy and intuitive to use. Even a beginner will have no problem figuring out how to work it.
Best for Searing
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It is a lot harder than you might think to find tabletop pellet grills that provide you with direct flame access for direct grilling. However, this model does just that, making it the best tabletop pellet grill for searing.
I also like that the temperature range is good and that the grill gets quite hot. This makes it ideal for creating sear marks on steak. The only thing is that this tabletop pellet grill tends to run a little hot. So, if you don’t want to sear your food it is best to set the temperature to a lower setting than what you need.
The cooking area on this grill is really spacious. With 256 square inches of cooking space, you can easily throw several racks of ribs and steaks, enough for the whole family. If you do have a family of four, you will be able to cook most of your food at once, cutting down on how much time it takes to feed everyone.
The pellet hopper capacity is also a good fit for this cooking area, allowing the food to be infused with just the right amount of smoke.
This model isn’t the cheapest of the tabletop pellet grills, but it is among the cheapest. Considering how well-built the grill is and what a great grilling performance it offers, I have to say that it is a great value.
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Best for Portability
If you are looking for the best tabletop pellet grill in terms of sheer portability, then the Ninja would win. The one thing to notice is that this is the lightest option of the portable pellet grills. Almost anyone can handle it by themself.
The low weight also means that this tabletop pellet grill can be placed on almost any elevated surface. If you are looking for tabletop pellet grills that you can take anywhere with you, this is the model.
Of course, the downside is that the cooking surface area is also much smaller than other tabletop pellet grills. This works well for one to two people.
If you don’t have a lot of experience with tabletop pellet grills, then I would certainly recommend this model to you. The high-tech display offers a wide variety of options to you, and you simply have to choose your desired ones. It is as easy as that!
Considering that this model is smaller than other portable pellet grills, I was pleasantly surprised by its grilling function. As the hopper for the wood pellets is inside the grill, the smoke circulation is wonderful, infusing the meat with delicious flavor.
Best for High Tech Features
Despite the fact that I have been grilling food for a few decades without any high-tech features, I do like the inclusion of Wi-Fi here. You can sync it up to the app on your phone and track the temperature and cooking progress of your food. This is great as you don’t need to hover over the grill for the entire cook.
As far as tabletop pellet grills go, this has a rather spacious cooking area. You can use it for several racks of ribs, half a dozen burgers, or hot dogs, and can cook steaks for the whole family.
To add to this, you have a larger pellet hopper for all your wood pellets. This means that you don’t have to restock during the cook.
The only downside is the weight. Green Mountain grills are known for their portable range, but this model is definitely on the heavy side. As such, it can be tricky to haul around.
I really like the temperature range and control of this tabletop pellet grill. When I tested the cooking temp with a thermometer, I found that it only fluctuated by a few degrees during the cook. All in all, you can cook at a steady temperature throughout.
If you have previously used pellet grills before, then you will be pleased to note that this smaller version functions in the exact same way. As a result, there is a very low learning curve, and you are able to figure out the machine in a very short time.
Also, there are folding legs to make it easier for you to move the grill from one spot to another.
Best Budget Model
This is the cheapest model on the list, so if you are a beginner or will only be using your grill occasionally, then this is the model for you. Don’t let the low price fool you – this is a great pellet grill smoker with lots of wonderful features.
In fact, I would be hard-pressed to say anything bad about this pellet smoker grill at all. However, this is not a well-known brand, so only time will tell how well it will hold up.
I like that there is plenty of cooking capacity here. From ribs, burgers, and hot dogs all the way to a pork butt – it is capable of handling all of this and more. The second removable rack is also a nice touch, as it allows you to cook food at a lower temperature.
I was pleasantly surprised at how good the temperature management on this model is. Once you set the temperature, the pellet grill smoker adheres to it throughout the cook, with only a few fluctuations here and there.
This is certainly one of the easiest tabletop grills to use. It is just a matter of filling up the pellet hopper, choosing your desired temperature, and then cooking the meat!
Here are the top shopping tips that you need to know when choosing from an array of tabletop pellet grills:
Since you are looking for tabletop pellet grills in particular, it should be no surprise that size and weight are the first things to consider.
My first piece of advice would be to look at the kind of table or stand that you will be setting your pellet grill on top of. This will give you a good idea of the maximum dimensions and weight that you should be considering.
Then, consider how many people you will typically cook for. If it is just you and maybe one other person, then you can get away with smaller pellet grills and cooking spaces.
On the other hand, if you are most likely to cook for four or more people, I would advise you to look for a good balance between the dimensions and the cooking area. You should look for at least 180 square inches of cooking space.
If you go too small, you will have to cook food in smaller batches, and this can result in a pretty lengthy cookout.
Next up, there is weight. Once again, consider your circumstances. Do you want your pellet grill to be really portable? Then I would look for pellet grills that are around 30 lbs or so – these are good if you will not have much help in transporting the grill.
If you have a proper vehicle to transport the grill and have people to help, then you can check out heavier grills.
The pellet hopper capacity is naturally going to be a lot smaller than a full-sized grill. Still, it is important to look for a pellet hopper capacity that is in line with the cooking area of the grill.
If you are dealing with a larger cooking surface area, then look for a pellet hopper capacity of 5 lbs or more.
A larger pellet hopper capacity will work in your favor if you are cooking larger cuts of meat. This way, the cook can continue without you needing to refill the hopper too frequently.
As you can imagine, these smaller grills often can’t produce quite as much heat as larger grills. Still, when grilling certain cuts like steak, you do need a hotter temperature.
Look for a grill that tops out at around 450°F to 500°F. This should cover all of your bases.
Do you want a grill smoker that allows you to smoke meat as well? You probably do if you’re looking at a pellet smoker. You should consider a grill that can hit temperatures as low as 225°F. This kind of temperature range allows you to be more versatile with your grill.
If you want your food to grill at the perfect rate, then you need to ensure that the temperature inside the cooking chamber doesn’t fluctuate past a certain point.
Unfortunately, the only way to really know how a grill performs before you buy it is to read the reviews.
Still, make sure to place a thermometer inside the chamber during the first few cooks. (Use a meat thermometer or other type of thermometer that can go in a cooking chamber). This will give you an idea of the temp management and just how much fluctuation to expect.
There is no denying that the Traeger Ranger is the real winner here for me. The cooking capacity, the beautiful grilling performance, the temperature management, and the high-quality construction make it the top pick.
Take a look at each model’s pros and cons and find the perfect grill for you!
