2022 Fall Home and Garden

Page 18 2022 Fall Home & Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS Sept. 23, 2022 The convenience is one reason pellet grills have become popular. One of the best reasons for using a pellet grill is their efficiency. All you have to do is set it to the desired temperature, press the button and wait. Once it has reached temp, a monitor does all the temperature work for you. It will adjust the fan speed and push pellets in as needed. Pellet grills are also good because little work is required as the meat cooks. Pitmasters say – you don’t have to babysit smokers constantly. You may want to manage the amount and intensity of smoke, but you won’t be glued to the smoker. Additionally, pellet grills are easy to use. Paul Hope says, “Perhaps the biggest appeal of a pellet grill is its ability to maintain a low, steady temperature for hours on end without the need to make any adjustments.” A temperature probe stuck in the meat will show when the meat reaches the required temperature. Because pellet grills utilize technology you can connect them to your home Wi-Fi through smartphone apps. Even if you are not connected to your home Wi-Fi and need to run out and get something, you can still control the grill. You can operate the grill using the monitor on the front of the grill, but the functions found there are available on the app too. Unlike charcoal grills, pellet grills do not use smoke. Though pellet grills do not use smoke, they are great for cooking chicken, steaks, pork chops and even vegetables and giving them a smoked flavor. They also excel at cooking food like veggies, chicken breasts, pork chops, or just about anything that can border on boring without a touch of smoke. Pellet grills are versatile. They can be used for smoking, grilling, baking and braising food and act like an outdoor oven. Food Network’s test kitchen director Ginevra Iverson talks about the various capabilities in the article “Pellet Grills 101: Your Guide to Cooking on a Smoker.” As Iverson says, “With all those capabilities, the options for what to cook on a pellet grill are nearly endless because unlike other grills or smokers, a pellet grill allows you to cook something low and slow—or hotter and faster.” You can even bake a pizza or cake on the grill or make a brisket that will cook several hours. Because they do not use charcoal, pellet grills are often easier to clean. The cooking surface will need to be cleaned after each use, but the fire pot for the pellets will just need to be cleaned occasionally. In general, these grills are easier to maintain. The flavor from a pellet grill is notable too. Pellet grills often give your food a rich and intense flavor that is sweet and smoky. Wood pellets are available in a variety of flavors that include alder, apple, cherry, hickory, maple, mesquite, oak and pecan. When comparing pellet grills to other types of grills, there are some cost savings. Most bags of wood pellets cost about $20 and provide many hours of cooking time. In an article about why pellet grilling is not a fad, Will Price says, “When cooking at smoking temperatures, these grills burn about a pound every two to three hours, which comes out to CONTINUED u