Pellet Grills
Pellet Grill Griddle Combos (and the Cheaper Answer)
Combos exist, but for a value buyer the arithmetic rarely works. A good pellet grill plus a cast iron griddle does both jobs better for less.
By Mike M. · Last updated November 6, 2026 · How we pick
Best Griddle Setup
Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series
Pit Boss · score 9.6/10 · Most backyards — the default pick
The most cooking space per dollar of any WiFi pellet grill we track, and the one we point most buyers at first.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $799.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Quick picks
Ranked by our value-weighted score. Prices are live from Amazon as of November 7, 2026 — tap a price to check it now, or tap a row to jump to the full write-up.
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pit Boss 850 Navigator SeriesThe most cooking space per dollar of any WiFi pellet grill we track, and the one we point most buyers at first. | Most backyards — the default pick | 9.69.6 out of 10 | $799.99Amazon |
| 2 |  Traeger RangerThe portable to buy if you want a griddle in the box: a cast iron plate is included, which no other cooker here offers. | Portable griddling and searing | 8.48.4 out of 10 | $479.99Amazon |
| 3 |  Camp Chef Woodwind Pro WiFi 24The only cooker here with a smoke box that burns real wood chunks alongside the pellet fire, which is the one hardware fix for thin pellet smoke. | Smoke flavor above all else | 8.78.7 out of 10 | Check price |
| 4 |  Cuisinart 8-in-1 Portable Pellet GrillReaches 500°F in a 40 lb portable with a sear zone — hotter than any Traeger portable, for less money. | Portable searing and camping | 8.78.7 out of 10 | $319.00Amazon |
#ad We earn a commission on Amazon purchases made through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the ranking — here is the method.
The honest answer first
For most buyers, a pellet grill plus a cast iron griddle plate beats a dedicated pellet-griddle combo. The combo costs substantially more, splits your cooking area between two systems, and gives you a griddle surface you cannot remove when you want the whole grate for ribs.
That is not a popular conclusion on a page about combos, but it is what the arithmetic says for the budget-minded buyer this site is written for.
The three ways to get a griddle on a pellet grill
1. A cast iron griddle plate (the cheap, flexible answer)
A two-sided cast iron plate sits straight on the grate: flat for eggs, pancakes and smash burgers, ribbed for grill marks. It costs a small fraction of a combo, stores in a cupboard, and leaves you the full grate when you want it.
The limits are real: cast iron is heavy, needs seasoning and must be kept dry, and a 10 x 20 inch plate is a quarter of a big barrel grill’s grate, not a full flat-top. For breakfast for four, that is plenty.
2. A grill that ships with one
The Traeger Ranger includes a separate cast iron griddle in the box, which makes it the most useful small pellet grill if breakfast is part of the plan. It is the only grill in our registry that comes this way.
3. A modular attachment system
Camp Chef’s Sidekick bolts a genuine gas side burner to the Woodwind Pro, and takes a griddle, a grill box, an artisan pizza oven or a stock pot. This is the best version of the combo idea because the griddle is a separate cooking surface on its own gas burner, so neither function compromises the other.
It is also the most expensive route by a wide margin, and the Sidekick is sold separately from an already costly grill.
| Approach | Cost | Griddle quality | Costs you grate space? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cast iron plate on any grill | Lowest | Good, limited area | Only while fitted |
| Traeger Ranger (included griddle) | Low-mid | Good for its size | No — separate plate |
| Cuisinart portable sear zone | Low-mid | Sear zone, not a true flat-top | No |
| Camp Chef Woodwind + Sidekick | Highest | Best — separate gas burner | No |
Why we do not recommend a dedicated pellet-griddle combo unit
Combo units pair a pellet chamber with a gas griddle in one cart. They are genuinely convenient and they are genuinely expensive, and the pellet half is usually smaller than a standalone grill at the same price. For a buyer whose priority is cooking area per dollar — which is the premise of this site — that is the wrong trade.
If you want both and have the budget, the Camp Chef modular approach is the better engineering answer anyway, because the two surfaces have independent heat sources.
The picks in full
#1 · Most backyards — the default pick
Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series
Pit Boss · score 9.6/10
The most cooking space per dollar of any WiFi pellet grill we track, and the one we point most buyers at first.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $799.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 932 sq in across two tiers
- Hopper
- 30 lb, with a viewing window
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F in 5°F steps
- Controller
- LCD digital, two meat probes included
- Connectivity
- WiFi + Bluetooth, Pit Boss Grills app
- Warranty
- 5 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 8.4/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 9.6/10.
What it does well
- 932 sq in for well under four figures — roughly 20% more grate per dollar than the closest Traeger
- 30 lb hopper is double what most sub-$500 grills carry, so overnight cooks do not need a refill
- Flame Broiler slider gives you direct-flame searing, which most pellet grills in this range cannot do
- Two probes in the box rather than one
Where it falls short
- LCD controller is a step below the touchscreen PID on the 1300/1600 and the Advantage 850SL
- Pit Boss app has a long history of connection complaints in owner threads
- Assembly is a genuine two-person, ninety-minute job
#2 · Portable griddling and searing
Traeger Ranger
Traeger · score 8.4/10
The portable to buy if you want a griddle in the box: a cast iron plate is included, which no other cooker here offers.
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- Tabletop chamber; Traeger does not state a square-inch figure on this listing
- Hopper
- 8 lb
- Temperature range
- Not stated on this listing
- Controller
- Digital Arc Controller with Keep Warm mode
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- 3 years
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 7.1/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 8.4/10.
What it does well
- A cast iron griddle is included, so breakfast and a sear need no extra purchase
- Digital Arc Controller with a Keep Warm mode, which the cheaper portables do not have
- Traeger's dealer network and parts availability are the best in pellet grilling
- Built on Traeger's own portable platform, so covers and accessories are easy to find
Where it falls short
- Traeger publishes no cooking area and no temperature range on this listing
- 8 lb hopper, against 10 lb on the HALO Prime300
- No WiFi and no app at a price where the GMG Trek Prime 2.0 includes both
#3 · Smoke flavor above all else
Camp Chef Woodwind Pro WiFi 24
Camp Chef · score 8.7/10
The only cooker here with a smoke box that burns real wood chunks alongside the pellet fire, which is the one hardware fix for thin pellet smoke.
No buyable offer at the last price check.
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- Camp Chef does not publish a square-inch figure on this listing
- Hopper
- Not stated on this listing
- Temperature range
- Not stated on this listing
- Controller
- WiFi and Bluetooth digital controller
- Connectivity
- WiFi + Bluetooth, Camp Chef Connect app
- Warranty
- Not stated on this listing
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 7.4/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 8.7/10.
What it does well
- The smoke box burns actual wood chunks alongside the pellets — no other cooker here does this
- Down-and-out ventilation pulls smoke across the food rather than straight up the chimney
- Stainless construction, WiFi and Bluetooth
- Sidekick compatible, so a gas griddle or pizza oven bolts to the side
Where it falls short
- Camp Chef has discontinued the 24-inch model: it is gone from campchef.com and has no buyable Amazon offer as of 2026-11-06
- Camp Chef publishes almost no specifications for it — no cooking area, no hopper capacity, no temperature range
- The Woodwind Pro line continues only in the 36-inch size, at a higher price
#4 · Portable searing and camping
Cuisinart 8-in-1 Portable Pellet Grill
Cuisinart · score 8.7/10
Reaches 500°F in a 40 lb portable with a sear zone — hotter than any Traeger portable, for less money.
$349.999% off
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Published specifications
- Cooking area
- 256 sq in (188 main + 68 warming rack)
- Hopper
- Automatic pellet feeder; capacity not stated
- Temperature range
- 180-500°F
- Controller
- Digital PID display, auto-start, food probe included
- Connectivity
- None
- Warranty
- Not stated on this listing
How it scores
Weighted rubric score: 7.4/10. Value carries the most weight on this site by design. On our published scale that is 8.7/10.
What it does well
- 500°F in a portable, where the Traeger Tailgater stops at 450°F
- Integrated sear zone for direct cooking
- 24 x 18 x 15 in and 40 lb with a locking lid and carry handle
Where it falls short
- Cuisinart is not a pellet-grill specialist, and the accessory ecosystem is thin
- Hopper capacity is not published
- Needs a wall outlet
The picks in full
#1 · Breakfast and smash burgers on a pellet grill
Pit Boss Cast Iron Griddle (10 x 20 in)
Pit Boss
Two-sided cast iron: flat for eggs and smash burgers, ribbed for grill marks. Fits across most barrel grates.
- 10 x 20 in
- Two-sided, reversible
- Cast iron
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Good
- Doubles what a pellet grill can cook
- Cast iron holds heat through a batch of burgers
Trade-off
- Heavy
- Needs seasoning and must be kept dry
#2 · Adding real searing to a 450°F grill
GrillGrate Sear Station
GrillGrate
The honest fix for a pellet grill that will not sear. Interlocking anodized panels that hold serious heat.
- Universal sear grates
- Interlocking panels
- For grills 15 in deep and up
Good
- Turns a 450°F ceiling into usable steak heat
- Far cheaper than buying a grill that sears
Trade-off
- You lift the panels in and out
- Needs a grill at least 15 in deep
Our recommendation
Top pick
Pit Boss 850 Navigator Series
Most backyards — the default pick.
Also direct from Pit Boss — $799.99 (list price as of 2026-11-07)
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Runner-up
Traeger Ranger
Portable griddling and searing.
Price as of November 7, 2026. #ad how this is funded
Questions people actually ask
Is a pellet grill griddle combo worth it?
Rarely, for a value buyer. The combo costs significantly more than a good pellet grill plus a cast iron griddle plate, and the pellet half is usually smaller than a standalone grill at the same price.
Can you use a griddle on a pellet grill?
Yes. A cast iron griddle plate sits on the grate and works well for eggs, pancakes and smash burgers. A two-sided plate gives you flat and ribbed surfaces in one piece.
What is the best pellet grill with a griddle?
The Traeger Ranger if you want one included in the box, or the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro with a Sidekick attachment if budget allows — that gives you a real gas griddle burner rather than a plate heated by the pellet fire.
Will a cast iron griddle damage my pellet grill?
No, but it adds weight to the grate and blocks airflow where it sits, so the grill will run slightly hotter above it and cooler elsewhere. Leave space around the plate rather than covering the whole grate.
Sources
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