Best Grills For Cold Weather

Best Grills And Smokers For Cold Weather

There are some people who simply clean, cover and pack their grill away when summer ends. Then there are those of us who know that the desire for fire-kissed meat will burn again regardless of the season.
While grilling in the winter and other cold times of year isn’t always as easy as it is in the summer, there are still a few things you can do to hedge your chances for success. At the very least you can reduce your chances of suffering some of the more common problems.

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8.5
Z GRILLS ZPG-1000D 8-in-1 Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Review

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Z Grills is one of the faster-growing wood pellet grill manufacturers. A lot of their success has been founded by ...
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Z GRILLS ZPG-10002B 8-in-1 Wood Pellet BBQ Smoker Grill Review

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Z Grills ZPG-700D Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Review

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Traeger Grills TFB89BLF Ironwood Series 885 Pellet Grill & Smoker Review

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9
Traeger Grills TFB85WLE Timberline Series 850 Pellet Grill Review

Traeger Grills TFB85WLE Timberline Series 850 Pellet Grill Editor choice

The Traeger Grills Timberline 850 is one of the larger wood pellet grills in the Traeger line. It’s also infused with a ...

Cold Weather Grill Characteristics

One of the biggest problems face by cold weather, outdoor chefs is the stark contrast between the cold of the surrounding environment and the heat inside the grill. Even if the temperature is in the 40-degree range, things like cold rain, sleet, and wind can steal heat energy from under the lid.

In a high heat application like searing off a Steak or crisping the natural casing on a hot dog, this isn’t too much of a problem. You simply crank the flame up as high as you can get it. In extreme cold, you might need to move the meat closer to the flame.
In a scenario like this, a grill that lets you adjust the height of the great or the coal box becomes a priority. This type of feature is more likely to be found on a charcoal grill.

 

When it comes to low heat applications and things like hybrid grilling bone-in pieces of chicken, the challenge lies in maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the cooking area of the grill grates. Areas near the sides and lip of the lid are likely to be cooler than the center or the long square inches near something like a gas burner.

 

It’s also worth noting that Kamado grills are especially handy. Most have a double ceramic wall construction that acts as a superior insulator. This essentially cuts out most of the relationship between the cold outside air and the inside dynamics of the flame. It also makes for very efficient use of charcoal.

In a scenario, like this advanced preheating is a “Must.” Without a properly hot grill, the flame will spend too much heat energy competing with the outside air temperature.

9
Louisiana Grills 61240 24″ Kamado BBQ Ceramic Grill Cooker Review

Louisiana Grills 61240 24-Inch Kamado BBQ Ceramic Grill Cooker

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Primo XL Oval 400 Jack Daniels Edition Ceramic Charcoal Smoker Grill Review

Primo XL Oval 400 Jack Daniels Edition Ceramic Charcoal Smoker Grill

To tick all the important boxes, a high-quality kamado grill needs to be thermally efficient as well as versatile. ...
8.5
Char-Griller 6520 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill Review

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The Char-Griller 6520 Akorn Kamado Kooker make a strong attempt to marry the heat efficiency inherent in the design of ...
8
Bull Outdoor Products 67531 Bison Charcoal Stainless Steel Grill Review

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Bull Products are a relative newcomer to the world of grill manufacturers. They are trying to establish a ...
8
Broil King Keg 5000 911470 Kamado Grill 18.5″

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Versatility and efficiency are the two most attractive aspects of a kamado-style grill. While most manufacturers share ...
8
Lonestar Chef SCS-K15B Lifesmart 15″ Ceramic Grill & Smoker

Lonestar Chef SCS-K15B Lifesmart 15" Ceramic Grill & Smoker

Their basic design and common materials make kamado grills very versatile. This, of course, drives competitors in ...
9.5
Weber Summit 18301001 24″ Charcoal Grill Review

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Gas Grills For Cold Weather

With gas grills, you get a little bit more control, as well as a more convenient ignition. On a modestly cold day, say with temperatures lingering within 10 degrees of freezing, they are arguably ideal.

Yet as you approach zero degrees Fahrenheit liquid propane, in particular, can be a little fickle. Small one-pound propane cylinders that are left for too long in the deep cold can lose pressure, leaving you with a weak fire, or simply not staying lit at all. You could even run into this problem with a half-full 25-pound tank.

If you are going to be grilling with gas in single degree temperatures, it’s a good idea to keep your propane tank someplace warm for a few hours or perhaps overnight. Then you can hook the warm tank up to the grill at the last minute.

Best Gas Grills For Cold Weather

8.5
Napoleon LEX 605 Built-In Grill with Infrared Rotisserie Review

Napoleon LEX 605 Built-In Grill with Infrared Rotisserie

The Napoleon LEX 605 lands in the middle of their drop in gas grill range. It is specifically set up to run on propane ...
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Weber Genesis II LX E-640 Natural Gas Grill Review

Weber Genesis II LX E-640 Natural Gas Grill

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Napoleon T495SBNK Triumph Natural Gas with 4 Burners Review

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Natural gas grills continue to increase in demand as the provider market place continues to expand. For gas grilling ...
10
Weber Summit S-470 LP 7170001 Propane Gas Grill Review

Weber Summit S-470 LP Gas Grill

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9
Dyna-Glo Bronze DGA480BSP 4-Burner Propane Gas Grill Review

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Most gas grill manufacturers offer a wide range from inexpensive or entry-level units, all the way up to their ...
8.5
Royal Gourmet GB8000C Event 8-Burner BBQ Propane Gas Grill Review

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Fuego F27S 27″ Stainless Steel Gas Grill Review

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Char-Broil Performance 650 6-Burner Cabinet Liquid Propane Gas Grill Review

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Using A Smoker In Cold Weather

Smokers are similarly challenged when it comes to cold weather. Even if you are using a state of the art smoker cabinet or wood pellet grill with automated temperature controls, the outside air can make it hard to keep the interior smoke at the correct temperature. In some of these scenarios you end up with extremely long smoke times, and a bitter flavor exterior from soot.

One way to mitigate this problem is to look for a smoker or a wood pellet grill that has a specific insulator blanket. This will essentially give the smoker a second skin to protect it from the heat loss caused by cold air.

Smoker Cabinets For Cold Weather

8
Smoke Hollow D4015B 40″ Digital Electric Smoker w/ Bluetooth Review

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For a long time, cabinet smokers were pretty utilitarian devices that ran on either propane or small charcoal fire. As ...
8.5
Louisiana Grills 65700-LGV7PC1 Vertical Smoker Review

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Wood pellet grills continue to grow in popularity. Yet they have a knack for taking up a lot of horizontal space on a ...
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Cuisinart COS-244 Vertical 36″ Propane Smoker Review

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Cuisinart may not be the first name you think of when it comes to grills and smokers. While they’ve been making quality ...
8
Masterbuilt MB20052318 MPS 230S Propane Smoker Review

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8
Bradley Technologies BS611B Designer Series 4 Rack Original Smoker Stove review

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Smoker cabinets are very popular with people who make their own sausages and smoke their own meats. The fact that they ...
8.5
Camp Chef PGVXXL Vertical Pellet Grill and Smoker Review

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If you are looking for a wood pellet grill or wood pellet smoker, then you have likely noticed the flood of choices on ...

 

Wood Pellet Grills For Cold Weather

There are also some grills, like wood pellet grills that have digital controls with dual heat probes. The programming they utilize can compensate for cold weather. Some can even keep the internal temperature in a range that it plus or minus of 10-degrees of the designated target temperature.

 

As the name implies these grills use prepared wood pellets that are essentially “Upcycled” from the hardwood fibers produced when processing trees into lumber. The pellets are added to a large hopper. Then an electric auger slowly delivers them at the specified rate to a small internal firepot. An electric igniter then sparks the fire. At that point, a small internal fan makes sure the flame gets the air it needs to keep burning, while also dispersing the hot smoke up to the primary cooking chamber. While they are called “Grills” most of them lack a direct heat feature, which makes them more like sophisticated smokers that are often capable of very high temperatures.

 

8
Traeger Grills TFS60LZC Select Elite Pellet Grill and Smoker Review

Traeger Grills TFS60LZC Select Elite Pellet Grill and Smoker

Traeger is the original pioneer in the world of wood pellet grills and smokers. What started as a creative culinary way ...
8
Cuisinart CPG-4000 Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker Review

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Wood pellet grills and smokers are incredibly popular with outdoor cooks who love the flavor of smoked meat, but also ...
9
Pit Boss 700SC Wood Pellet Grill Review

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9.5
REC TEC Grills Stampede RT-590 Portable Wood Pellet Grill Review

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Rec Tec Grills have been garnering a lot of attention recently. As a company, they put a great deal of focus into ...
9.5
Louisiana Grills  LG 1100 61100 Wood Pellet Smoker Grill Review

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Some wood pellet smokers struggle to stand out from their competitors. While they are all innovative in their design ...
7.5
Memphis Grills VG0050S4-P Advantage Plus Wood Fire Pellet Smoker w/ Wi-Fi Review

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A high-end grill with the kind of gleam to become a conversation piece can be a key component of hosting a successful ...
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Louisiana Grills Champion Wood Pellet Smoker Grill Review

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A large wood pellet grill can create a lot of different foods including barbecue brisket, pork shoulder, smoked ...
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REC TEC Grills Bull RT-700 Portable Wood Pellet Grill w/ WIFI Review

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