{"id":2041442,"date":"2024-09-16T18:37:23","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T23:37:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=2041442"},"modified":"2025-01-22T09:02:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-22T15:02:22","slug":"pit-boss-pellet-grill-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/pit-boss-pellet-grill-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Pit Boss Pellet Grill Review: An Easy-To-Use Option at a Modest Price Point"},"content":{"rendered":"Pellet grills are popular for the smoky flavor they impart on your meat and veggies. Plus, they offer the versatility to let you sear hot and fast or cook low and slow. If you're in the market for a new outdoor cooking gadget, the Pit Boss Sportsman 820 pellet grill<\/a> is a solid option. It works efficiently and, while it has some decorative frills, it's very low fuss.\r\n\r\nOur Product Testing Team, overseen by grilling expert Catherine Ward<\/a>, recently put 11 pellet grills<\/a>\u00a0to the test. Thanks to some extremely tough competition (hello, Traeger<\/a>!), the Sportsman didn't make our best list. However, we still had a positive experience and were impressed by its ease of use. Plus, its $699 price tag makes it one of the most budget-friendly options we tried. Here's everything you need to know about this middle-of-the-pack grill.\r\n

What is the Pit Boss Sportsman pellet grill?<\/h2>\r\nThe Pit Boss Sportsman<\/a> is an 8-in-1 pellet grill that allows you to do everything from smoke to barbecue to sear. Unlike other models we tried, you can adjust the smoke level, which is a nice extra touch. This is a great gift for the griller<\/a> who's excited to expand their skills.\r\n\r\n\"Pitboss\r\n\r\nThe hopper can hold 21 pounds of pellets, which is standard, but shouldn't require too many refills. The grill looks elegant and sleek and has a dose of personality, with bright orange accents emblazoned on it along with the logo, which our testers thought was a bit cartoonish. But that's a minor design element that doesn't impact the quality of the food.\r\n\r\nOur one gripe was that Catherine, who is just over 5 feet tall, had a hard time opening and closing the grill due to its positioning. It was difficult to open the lid without getting burned, which poses a serious safety concern for petite grillers.\r\n\r\n[SINGLE_AFFILIATE_PRODUCT superlative=\"We Tried It\" product_name=\"Pit Boss Sportsman 820 Pellet Grill\" image=\"2043609\" image_credit=\"VIA MERCHANT\" pr_name=\"Pit Boss\" pr_url=\"https:\/\/go.skimresources.com?id=131817X1598243&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpitboss-grills.com%2Fgrills%2Fwood-pellet%2Fsportsman-820-grill-with-wifi\" pr_display_text=\"Shop on Pit Boss\" retailers_2_name=\"Amazon\" retailers_2_url=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/PIT-BOSS-10537-PB0820SP-Pellet\/dp\/B08F2P8KT6\" retailers_2_display_text=\"Shop on Amazon\" retailers_3_name=\"Best Buy\" retailers_3_url=\"https:\/\/go.skimresources.com?id=131817X1598243&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bestbuy.com%2Fsite%2Fpit-boss-850-pellet-grill-w-wifi-sportsman-series-pb850spw2-2025-black%2F6590435.p%3FskuId%3D6590435\" retailers_3_display_text=\"Shop on Best Buy\" \/]\r\n

How We Tested the Pit Boss Sportsman<\/h2>\r\nAssembling the Pit Boss pellet grill took a typical two hours, and we didn't encounter any unexpected challenges. The manual was surprisingly simple and easy to follow, and the company has an online assembly video that our team found streamlined the process. Having navigated less-than-stellar manuals, we're very appreciative of grills with clear instructions.\r\n\r\nThe seasoning process was run-of-the-mill as well, which is good for grillers with lower levels of expertise. We let the grill run at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. To fill the hopper, you just drop the pellets in. Catherine specifically called out the benefit of having a window so you can monitor the pellet level to know when you need to refill.\r\n\r\n\"Pitboss\r\n\r\nAs with our other pellet grill tests, we tested five types of food: salmon, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork shoulder and corn, all using apple blend hardwood pellets.\r\n\r\nUp first was the salmon. We brined the fillets overnight and then rinsed them, brushed them with honey and sprinkled peppercorns on top. We set the grill to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and increased the heat to 225 degrees Fahrenheit after an hour when we put on the corn alongside it. While the fish came off the grill easily, there was a lot of albumin (the slimy white stuff), and it didn't look very impressive. We also weren't overly excited about the corn, which came out a bit wrinkly with only a little bit of smokiness on the bottom.\r\n\r\nWe followed with the chicken breast, which we smoked at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for a little under two hours. Throughout the process, the grill held the heat well and cooked swiftly, and the chicken emerged with a nice level of caramelization at the bottom and looked smoky. However, it was a little bit dry.\r\n\r\nThings got even better with the pork chops, which had a simple seasoning of salt, garlic salt and black pepper. We seared these at 475 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the highest temperature we could reach before the grill just switched to \"High.\" After six minutes, which was one of our shorter cooking times for this meat, we pulled the pork chops off, and they had a nice char on both sides with the ideal smoky color.\r\n\r\n\"Pork\r\n\r\nOn the Sportsman, the pork shoulder cooked faster than on almost any other grill we tested. It was finished in about five hours at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. When we took it off the grill, the pork was juicy and had a nice smoke ring. We cooked it higher than the recommended temperature, and Catherine had to put in some work to pull out the center meat, but that was the only part of the dish that was tough. The overall taste was mildly smoky, and it had a decent level of moistness.\r\n\r\nThe hopper was designed for easy cleaning\u2014you just unscrew a plate on the back of the hopper, and the pellets will empty out. However, we encountered trouble with the vent, which was glued shut and remained stubbornly so even after we attacked it with Traeger spray and a steel grill brush<\/a>. Our team eventually got it working, and we assumed some of the gunk that was clogging it had burned off.\r\n

Pros<\/h3>\r\n