Updated November 2026 · 5 small grills, no paid placements
Not every patio has room for a 1,000 sq in barrel, and not every household needs one. These are the five small pellet grills we'd shortlist for a compact backyard, ranked on the rating each product page shows, with what each listing actually states about grate, hopper and controls.
See the ranking
Our top pickTraeger Pro 229.4/10. The one we'd start with.See current price
The crowd favouritePit Boss 500 FB2176 buyer reviews, 7.9/10. Plenty of owners to learn from.$397 on Sep 30, 2026, may have changed
The biggest grillrecteq Patio Legend 600600 sq in stated, 7.1/10. The biggest stated cooking area in this list.$799.99 on Sep 30, 2026, may have changedShort on space and want one name? Start with the Traeger Pro 22; the other four trade cooking area, hopper size and price in their own ways. Stated hoppers run from 5 lb on the Pit Boss 500 FB2 to 18 lb on the Traeger Pro 22.
Best for: first-time pellet cooks and families of four
The catch: It has to be plugged in, so plan the spot around an outdoor outlet.
Best for: steak lovers who also want low-and-slow
The catch: Its 4.2/5 buyer rating is the lowest of these five.
Also available as: ZPG-600D+ (572 sq in)
Best for: easing into wood-fired cooking
The catch: No buyer reviews on the listing yet: rated from its documented specs only.
Best for: weekend smoking without babysitting a fire
The catch: Ash builds up in the fire pot: plan a quick vacuum every few cooks.
Best for: set-it-and-check-your-phone smoking
The catch: No buyer reviews on the listing yet: rated from its documented specs only.
Product images: Amazon listings
Got a number in mind? Here is the best-rated model of this ranking in each price band, going by the price we recorded (it may have changed since).
| Under $500 | Pit Boss 500 FB2 · 7.9/10 · $397 · 518 sq in |
|---|---|
| $500 to $1,000 | recteq Patio Legend 600 · 7.1/10 · $799.99 · 600 sq in |
All 5 on one screen. Tap a column header to sort by what matters for your patio.
| Traeger Pro 22 | Traeger | 9.4 | See current price | 572 sq in | 18 lb | Not stated | Not stated | 2,471 |
| Pit Boss 500 FB2 | Pit Boss | 7.9 | $397† | 518 sq in | 5 lb | Not stated | Not stated | 176 |
| Z Grills 600D2 8-in-1 | Z Grills | 7.2 | $369† | 572 sq in | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Pit Boss 500 Carbon Series | Pit Boss | 7.1 | $405.83† | 543 sq in | 13.5 lb | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| recteq Patio Legend 600 | recteq | 7.1 | $799.99† | 600 sq in | Not stated | Yes, stated | Not stated | Not stated |
† Prices as of Sep 30, 2026; they may have changed. The button always shows today's price.
This list follows the rating each product page shows: the review-based rating where buyer reviews were captured, otherwise a spec-based rating from the documented listing (key specs, build and warranty, listing completeness). The highest rating wins.
The numbers do most of the work, and our editors make the final call on how the grills stack up against each other. A commission never moves a rating or a rank.
Our pick is the Traeger Pro 22, at 9.4/10. It has 2,471 buyer reviews averaging 4.5/5, far more than any other grill in this list. Its listing states 572 sq in of cooking area and an 18 lb hopper. Next in line is the Pit Boss 500 FB2 at 7.9/10, with 518 sq in stated.
A complete pellet grill whose exact listing states 600 sq in of cooking area or less, and that the seller does not sell as portable, tabletop or tailgate-ready. That leaves 19 grills, stating between 450 and 600 sq in. Bear in mind that the figure in a title often adds the warming rack to the main grate, so the main grate itself is smaller; our cooking area guide shows how to check it.
The 19 grills are ordered by the rating each product page shows: a review-based rating where buyer reviews were captured (buyer rating, review volume and listing documentation), otherwise a spec-based rating from what the listing states. Our editors make the final call on how the grills compare, and a commission never moves a rank.
A small pellet grill stays home: it stands on its own legs on the patio and is filled and cleaned where it lives. A portable one is built to travel, with folding legs or a tabletop body and a weight you can lift into the car. If the grill never leaves the backyard, start here; if it goes camping, our portable pellet grill ranking is the better list.
For weeknight cooking for two to four people it usually is, as long as the main grate fits what you cook most. Measure your longest piece, a full rack of ribs or a brisket flat, against the main grate in the manual, or count it out in our grate area planner. If you feed a crowd most weekends, a bigger barrel from our main pellet grill ranking will save you cooking in batches.
Some do: 2 of the 19 grills that qualify for this list state WiFi in their listing, among them the recteq Patio Legend 600 in our top 5. The others are set on the controller of the grill itself, which is fine if you are happy to walk out and check now and then.
Each price is the one we recorded on Sep 30, 2026, and it may have changed since. Where we have no recent price, the card says "See current price". The button always opens the exact listing with today's price and seller.