How much do wood pellets cost for a pellet grill?

Quality hardwood pellets cost $15-25 per 20 lb bag. A pellet grill consumes 1-3 lbs per hour depending on temperature: low-and-slow at 225°F uses about 1 lb/hour, high-heat grilling at 450°F uses about 2-3 lbs/hour. A 12-hour brisket cook uses roughly 12-15 lbs of pellets — about $12-18 in fuel cost. Over a month of weekly grilling, expect to spend $30-50 on pellets. This is comparable to propane costs and cheaper than lump charcoal for equivalent cook times.

Can a pellet grill replace my gas grill?

For most cooks, yes. Modern pellet grills reach 500-600°F for grilling burgers and steaks, 225°F for low-and-slow smoking, and everything in between for roasting and baking. The only limitation: pellet grills take 10-15 minutes to preheat versus 5 minutes for gas. They also cannot match the instant high-heat responsiveness of gas for fast searing. If you primarily grill quick items (burgers, hot dogs, steaks), keep the gas grill. If you want to add smoking and roasting, a pellet grill replaces gas for most use cases.

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