Can you grill on the Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series?

No. It tops out at 420°F with no direct-flame path, so burgers come out gray. It is a smoker, which is what buys you the 50 lb hopper and the five racks.

How long does a 50 lb hopper last?

Around 40 hours at smoking temperatures. Practically, fuel stops being something you plan around.

Will a whole turkey fit?

Check the rack spacing before assuming so. Total cooking area is 1,118 sq in across five shelves, but the gap between racks limits how tall an item can be.

Yes — the 130°F minimum is low enough, where most barrel pellet grills stop at 180°F. That is one of the main reasons to choose a cabinet.

Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Review

Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical

Pit Boss · score 9.7/10 · Pure smoking — ribs, jerky, sausage, big batches

A 50 lb hopper and five racks for mid-$600s — if you mostly smoke rather than grill, this beats any barrel grill at the price.

Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Review — ranked, with live Amazon prices.
#	Product	Best for	Score	Price
1	Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series VerticalA 50 lb hopper and five racks for mid-$600s — if you mostly smoke rather than grill, this beats any barrel grill at the price.	Pure smoking — ribs, jerky, sausage, big batches	9.79.7 out of 10	$649.99Amazon

Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical Review — ranked, with live Amazon prices.

Product

Best for

Score

Price

Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series Vertical pellet grill

Pit Boss Navigator 3-Series VerticalA 50 lb hopper and five racks for mid-$600s — if you mostly smoke rather than grill, this beats any barrel grill at the price.

Pure smoking — ribs, jerky, sausage, big batches

9.7

$649.99Amazon

The 50 lb hopper changes how you cook

At roughly 1.25 lb an hour at smoking temperatures, 50 lb is about 40 hours. Compare that with Traeger’s 18 lb (about 14 hours) across almost their entire range.

Practically it means fuel stops being a consideration. You do not plan around the hopper, you do not set alarms, you do not check it. Nobody who moves from an 18 lb hopper to a 50 lb one calls it a minor upgrade.

The honest downsides

It cannot grill. 420°F maximum, no direct flame.

Harder to clean than a barrel. Grease runs down the inside of a tall cabinet and five racks are five racks to scrub. An ash vacuum helps.

Rack spacing limits tall items. A whole turkey may not fit between shelves despite the generous total area. Check the rack gap against your tallest planned cook.

One probe for three ports.

Pit Boss states this model was named 2025 Best Vertical Smoker by Men’s Journal. That is their claim, reported as theirs and attributed to the publication that made the award.

#1 · Pure smoking — ribs, jerky, sausage, big batches