The 6 Best Grills and Smokers of 2026: Smart, Portable, Pellet

It’s also cleverly designed, taking – as you’ve probably already figured out – the shape of a suitcase. Heavy-duty handles and latches are strong. Although the Nomad weighs 28 pounds, which is a bit heavy for one-handed carrying, its shape and large handle actually make it easier to carry than smaller, less expensive models.

The Nomad uses a dual ventilation system to achieve good air circulation, even when the lid is closed. The vents, combined with the raised fins at the bottom of the grill (which elevate your charcoal, allowing air to circulate underneath), allow for very precise control of high and low temperatures. If you live and die by land, this grill might be your new constant companion.

Photography: Weber

A budget-friendly portable grill: WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson also likes the simple Weber Jumbo Joe ($90), a smaller version of the classic Original Kettle. It’s an easy choice for tailgates, especially. And if you want to use it at home, you can build a home meal stand yourself. It’s inexpensive, lightweight and very simple. All are virtues.

Other Grills I Recommend

Recteq X-Fire Pro

Photography: Kat Merck

Recteq X-Fire Pro 825 for $1,400: Pellet smokers rarely exceed 450 degrees Fahrenheit, which doesn’t offer the cooking you’d get on a charcoal or gas grill. But Recteq’s 825-square-inch dual-pot X-Fire Pro wants to be your go-to all-around device, notes WIRED reviewer Kat Merck. In smoke mode, the left fire pot lights for classic low and slow smoking. Switch the big knob to Grill mode and both pans light up, with an adjustable damper on the right side. The damper, controllable with another button, allows you to open a little access to the right fire pot, or all the way to the gates of hell – 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. It takes about 20 minutes for the firepot to reach this high level, and if you don’t clean the firepot first, it will trigger a lot of sparks in the process. Who knows why you have to reach 1,200 degrees? But as Merck notes, this is a company known for its cartoon bull logo and bull horn handles. “Recteq likes to be extreme, so it follows,” she says. If you keep your sear at a more humane temperature of 600 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s a solid grill and sear experience. But keep in mind that the high power consumption of dual igniters will require a 10- or 12-gauge extension cord, which is probably better than the cord you have at home. The Also note that the advertised capacity of 20 pounds of pellets is distributed between the fire pots. This might mean filling a 10-pound hopper several times over the course of a long cook.

Photography: Brad Bourque

Traeger Woodridge Pro for $1,000: The Traeger Woodridge Pro is the old WIRED pellet grill and smoker for most people. It still exists beautifully at the intersection of value and utility, and is likely to make you popular in the neighborhood. It’s a simple beast, easy to clean, easy to put together for the perfect rack of ribs, and big enough to cook two pork bellies at the same time. My new favorite Recteq has a few smart features that make us prefer it, like temperature history on its meat probes and an easier learning curve on the smart features. But this Woodridge will still make you very popular in the neighborhood.

Photography: Traeger

Traeger Timberline Wi-Fi Wood Pellet Grill for $3,300: If you really want to grill and smoke, Traeger’s Timberline is almost a step up from a smoker. It’s the perfect all-in-one outdoor kitchen. It uses the same cordless smoking technologies as the Woodridge, but adds a few extras, like an induction burner (perfect for adding a last-minute sear with a cast iron skillet or steaming vegetables). The insulated smoke box holds six pork shoulders, about the equivalent of racks of ribs or chicken. Former WIRED editor Parker Hall managed to feed hundreds of people using it. (As a longtime food and barbecue critic, I can vouch for Hall’s brisket and ribs.) If that’s not enough, there’s also an XL version that’s even larger. “All of my meats were heated evenly and were cooked perfectly just when the smoker said they would,” says Hall. If you want to smoke comfortably from the comfort of your couch and price isn’t a factor, the Timberline delivers.

Courtesy of Masterbuilt

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800 for $899: This roomy Masterbuilt offers a nice combination, notes WIRED reviewer Chris Smith: charcoal flavor with the temperature precision of gas or electric. The large, top-loading coal hopper uses gravity (hence the name) to feed heat to an internal housing, and a built-in fan allows precise digital temperature control, on the device or via the app. You’ll reach 700 degrees Fahrenheit in 15 minutes. Temperatures are remarkably consistent once stabilized, and if you want to add some smoky flavor, simply toss some wood chunks into the ashtray and let the falling charcoal embers do the rest. But versatility comes with caveats. You may not be able to sear directly over a flame and will need to change the internal housing before upgrading to the flat top grill.

Courtesy of Yoder

Yoder YS640S Pellet Smoker for $2,700: Most grills do one thing well and several others poorly or not at all. Yoder’s YS640S is a more versatile tool, thanks to a design that allows easy access to the auto-feed combustion chamber. Like Traegers that cost half the price, this Kansas-made grill uses an electric fan and auger to power wood pellets for a slow smoke session. Everything is driven by a control board that sends temperature alerts and lets you adjust the temperature via Wi-Fi. As a smoker, it easily handles ribs and a chuck roast, maintaining the temperature better than most. That’s thanks to its 10-gauge bomb-proof steel construction, which means this grill weighs as much as a refrigerator. However, where the Yoder really stands out is as a grill and possibly a pizza oven. By removing a steel plate placed above the hearth, you can sear burgers directly over the flame or remove the racks and place them on a large pizza oven ($489), which uses the pellet feed system to maintain a constant temperature of more than 900 degrees Fahrenheit.

A grill to avoid

Courtesy of Ace

Kamado Joe connected Joe for $1,900: There are a lot of things to like about this kamado-style grill. In fact, WIRED previously recommended it for its electric ignition and its Wi-Fi connectivity which allows the temperature of the interior and the meat to be measured via two probes. But over long-term use, WIRED sales manager Martin Cizmar had constant problems with the electric grill tripping the 2-year-old GFCI outlets on his patio. Once he even tripped the circuit breaker. A Reddit thread reveals that this is a common problem. Like the Redditors, Cizmar found temporary relief by plugging an extension cord into an outlet in his kitchen, but even that failed him several times during testing. Unfortunately, this grill is a difficult task until the problem is resolved.