Although people generally opt for domestic products, there is a growing demand for the best commercial pellet grills/smokers for restaurants. These products have some interesting features and capabilities, and today, we are going to take a look at some of the best among them.
Since there is a wide variety of grills/smokers in today’s highly competitive market, picking the appropriate one can prove to be quite a challenge.
Every product has a different design and function, so you should be very careful when picking and considering your intended purposes carefully before spending any cash. In order to help you in this endeavor, we have put together a list of some of the best-reviewed products you can find today. So, without further delay, let us get started.
- Traeger Grills Tailgater 20″ – Best Commercial Pellet Grills for High-Quality Meats
- Dyna-Glo DGU732BDE-D 30″ – Best Pellet Grill for High Level of Control
- Masterbuilt MB20071117 – Best Budget Commercial Pellet Smoker
List of Best Commercial Pellet Grills/Smokers for Restaurants
1. Traeger Grills Tailgater 20 Portable Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
Traeger is well-known for making various commercial grills, and this model is perfectly designed for numerous purposes, including restaurant cooking. It is a good-looking grill and smoker with a bronze finish lid, and it is quite sturdy and well-constructed.
It weighs 62 pounds, and for its overall size, it is quite easy to move around and transport. It provides only high-quality meats and cooks them at a very high level, keeping all those tasty juices inside. This grill and smoker boasts a digital arc controller, which allows you to keep a constant temperature.
Another great thing about this grill is that it keeps food fresh and warm until eating time. It features foldable legs that allow you to easily transport it and store it pretty much anywhere, although, for restaurant purposes, you will not have to worry about it. There is a built-in meat probe that enables you to control the inner temperature without lifting the lid. Since this is a porcelain-coated grill, the meat will never stick, and you will have the best possible quality.
2. Dyna-Glo DGU732BDE-D 30″ Digital Electric Smoker With Side Wood Chip Loading System
This smoker is highly effective for various purposes and packs a variety of useful features that allow it to rival some of the best smokers on the market with its performance. It boasts an LED display that gives you a high level of control over temperature and cooking time.
This product features a wood chip loader at the side, so you do not have to open the door to add wood; thus, you do not have to lose any heat whatsoever. The whole firebox is insulated and double-walled and has a door seal that prevents any smoke and heat from coming out.
The grates are chrome-plated, which is the highest quality you can get on the market nowadays, and they offer a cooking surface of 732 square inches. The wood chip tray is a bit small, so you will have to reload more often, but other than that, it is an amazing smoker that is well worth checking out.
3. Z Grills ZPG-7002E 2020 Upgrade Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
ZPG-7002E is the base version of one of the most popular Z Grills models. It has a broad cooking area of 700 square inches and a 20-pound hopper which is quite impressive and convenient for restaurant purposes. The whole cooking area is divided into 504 square inches of grilling area and a 190-inch warming rack.
This model has an upgraded cart alongside two doors for extra storage and improved caster wheels. In terms of the price, this product comes pretty cheaply when you consider some competitive products, and when you consider the set of features it provides, you get a real bargain.
You can choose from a couple of different color patterns, including silver, black, or silver and black. The product is pretty straightforward to assemble and will not take much of your time to complete the whole process. Its temperature maxes out at 450 degrees which is more than enough to cook high-quality and delicious meats.
4. PIT BOSS 77700 7.0 Pellet Smoker
Pit Boss grills were always praised for their ease of use, efficiency, and amazing performance, and this model is no different in any way. It is a large unit meant to do a double job, as an excellent grill and a hot smoker. When you set this grill/smoker just right, it will produce the highest quality of meats.
This unit is capable of doing “cold smoking” but also capable of traditional hot smoking with its peak temperature of 450 degrees. The product comes with a digital controller and probe thermometer, giving you complete control of the temperature.
The hopper has a big capacity and can hold up to 40-pounds of wood pellets. Moreover, it has a special purge system, allowing you to remove leftover wood pellets when you are done cooking. It is an excellent smoker and grill suitable for various purposes, including restaurants, and is a product that you should definitely check out.
5. BILT HARD Wood Pellet Smoker & Grill
This combination of grill and smoker packs multiple useful features and is designed to deliver you the best possible meat quality. It is a versatile product on which you can smoke, roast, sear, barbeque, and braise while keeping all delicious flavors in your meats.
This smoker and grill boast porcelain-coated grates that are quite easy to clean, and meat does not stick to them, allowing you to get the best quality from your cooking. It also features an auto-start ignition and digital temperature control, allowing you always to keep it in check. The heat can vary between 180 and 450 degrees, and the cooking surface is broad enough to support restaurant cooking purposes.
This smoker and grill feature a firm bottom and side shelf and all-terrain wheels that allow you to move the product around with ease. The hopper capacity is pretty good, and you can store 23 lbs of pellets. It is a great smoking and grilling tool that comes with a pretty low price tag.
6. Weber SmokeFire EX6 (2nd Gen) Wood Fired Pellet Grill
At first sight, the second generation of EX6 Webber smokers looks pretty much the same as its predecessor. The design, the footprint, and some other features are exactly the same, but it boasts a broad cooking surface that stands at a whopping 1008 square inches.
Design-wise, this is a very good-looking grill with its slick paint job. The one drawback is that it could have a bigger storage area or at least some extra prep table, but you can resolve this by purchasing both front and side shelves, which are an almost necessary addition.
However, this grill is quite spacious inside, allowing you to cook or smoke a lot of meats at the same time. As far as the heat goes, you can vary between 200 and 600 degrees Fahrenheit, and you can control the temperature easily. The cooking area is not sealed off the flame, so you can sear your meats and get amazing quality.
7. Masterbuilt MB20071117 Digital Electric Smoker, Wood, Pellet
This vertical smoker allows you to feed the wood chips into the bottom of the unit, where they slowly combust and release smoke and heat into the cooking chamber, granting you amazing flavors. You can slow cook with this smoker and get that smoky taste along the way.
One of the biggest selling points for this grill and smoker is definitely the price, which is quite low for such a quality product. The body of this Masterbuilt smoker is completely insulated, which means that you will have a minimum heat loss, which directly impacts the quality of your meats.
The product has an integrated thermostat, and knowing what temperature your smoker is at, is one of the most important things for delivering delicious meat. On top of the smoker, you can see all the important information regarding your smoking and cooking. Very convenient and effective, this product is well worth checking out.
8. Dyna-Glo DGW1904BDP-D 43″ Wide Body LP Gas Smoker, Large Wood Chip Box
With its large wood chip box and numerous convenient features, this smoker provides everything you need for delicious meats and then some. Despite its extra-large size, this product is not overwhelming and can fit even smaller places, but if you plan to use it in a restaurant, you should not have any issues with it whatsoever.
This product does an excellent job of retaining heat for improved burning efficiency and easy cooking. It features a built-in stainless steel thermometer that gives you excellent control over temperature, which drastically improves the meat quality.
The product features six adjustable cooking grates that add more convenience while cooking. The body of this smoker is made of top-notch steel with a powder coating that will prevent rusting for an extended period. Moreover, it comes with an affordable price tag, and when you consider all the features it comes with, you get amazing value.
9. Camp Chef PG24MZG Smoker, Wood Pellet Grill
Coming from the Camp Chef store, this smoker and grill offers an exceptional set of features and takes your grilling experience to a whole new level. Although this product was released back in 2014, it still looks and performs like some of the newest models on the market.
The great thing about this product is that both amateurs and pros can use it. It has an automatic pellet auger which adds a lot of conveniences since it releases pellets into the firepot whenever it is necessary. The fire pot also has an auto-start ignition that starts a fire without any hassle.
There is also the digital control system that features an LED temperature readout, which keeps you informed on the current temperature and improves the quality of your cook. It is a handy feature, especially when smoking, since you will know the exact temperature. It also has an excellent cooking surface that stands at 811 square inches.
10. Z GRILLS 700D Wood Pellet Grill Smoker with Digital Controls
This well-designed and sturdy grill and smoker is yet another great product that comes from the Z Grills store. It comes with some classic features and looks really good. The product also has wheels with locking brakes, so moving it around and keeping it in place should be a breeze.
The temperature ranges between 180 and 450 Fahrenheit degrees, which is sufficient for cooking, baking, searing, roasting, or any other purposes you have for this product. The total cooking surface stands at 694 square inches, and it is divided into two.
The Z Grills 700D is constructed of powder-coated steel, which significantly adds to the overall sturdiness and durability. Under the lid, you will find porcelain-coated grates that are very easy to clean, and the meat does not get stuck onto them. It is a great grill and smoker and comes at a surprisingly low affordable price with all these useful features.
Things to Consider When Buying Commercial Pellet Grills/Smokers for Restaurants
When buying a commercial smoker for a restaurant, it is very important to pay attention to tiny details and features that make a great product. Most of these products have similar features, so picking the appropriate one may be challenging. In order to help you with this, we have put together a list of some guidelines you should follow during purchase in the section below.
Size
Since the intended purpose of commercial smokers and grills is to cook and smoke for restaurants, the size is very important. When making this purchase, take into consideration the size of space you plan to put the smoker in and the size of meats you want to cook and smoke on it.
Cooking Surface
The cooking surface is yet another essential thing to consider. It is important that the cooking area matches your current and future needs, and when doing it all at the restaurant level, you should opt for grills and smokers with a broad cooking surface on which you can prepare a larger amount of meats at the same time.
Number of Racks
Since you will be cooking a big chunk of food on your commercial smoker, you will need to consider the number of racks that you want to get with it. It is crucial to think about this before you make the purchase and make the decision according to the needs of your restaurant.
Versatility
A high-quality commercial unit should be able to utilize in different food service settings. These typically include catering, commissaries, delicatessens, barbeque establishments, and smaller and larger restaurants. This product should also be able to cook and smoke different types of meats like pork, poultry, beef, and many more.
Easy to Clean
The ability to easily clean the commercial unit is of the essence. You will be preparing big volumes of food on it, so it is essential to be able to clean the unit with ease and do it on a very high level.
Weight
Commercial smokers and grills are generally very large but not necessarily heavy. While some heavier models can weigh between 40 and 60 pounds, they often take less space in your cooking establishment than some regular grills.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a commercial smoker work?
The way commercial smokers work is pretty simple. You place the wood chip or pellet inside and heat it up until it begins to smoke. Afterward, you place the food on the rack and slowly smoke it, giving it a beautiful smokey flavor.
Are pellet smokers and grills better than other types?
It depends on what you are after. Pellet smokers and grills have been rising in popularity over the past years due to the delicious and smokey flavor they are able to provide you with, and this is something that you will not be able to get with other products.
What type of smokers and grills do restaurants use?
Restaurants use commercial-grade grills, and smokers that use different types of fuel. In restaurants, you will typically find electric smokers, offset smokers, pellet smokers, or wood ones.
What is the side wood chip loading system for?
This system is a piece of modern technology that allows you to load the wood chips inside your grill and smoker without actually opening the door and reducing the heat level. With this technology, the smoke will stay in, and your food will retain that smokey and delicious flavor.
Which smoker and grill give you the best flavor?
The BBQ smoker that will provide you with the best flavor is definitely a wood-fired pellet smoker and grill. It uses real wood fire pellets and helps your meat retain the authentic, smokey flavor that everyone loves.
Final Words
This concludes our buying guide for the best commercial pellet grills and smokers. We picked something for everyone since there are products that can suit different budgets and different needs. The main thing is that you can use them all effectively in restaurants and get excellent performance.
In order to make an educated choice, make sure to look for second opinions, customer reviews, and ratings. All of that can help you in making a smart purchase and get the best possible value for your money’s worth. Also, read our guide carefully, and we wish you happy shopping!
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