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Need a fast, easy-to-use pellet grill? Here's everything you need to know about the Pit Boss Sportsman, from assembly to cleanup.
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Pit Boss Pellet Grill Review: An Easy-To-Use Option at a Modest Price Point
Updated Sep. 16, 2024
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 is a solid option. It works efficiently and, while it has some decorative frills, it’s very low fuss.
Our Product Testing Team, overseen by grilling expert Catherine Ward, recently put 11 pellet grills to the test. Thanks to some extremely tough competition (hello, Traeger!), 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.
What is the Pit Boss Sportsman pellet grill?
The Pit Boss Sportsman 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 who’s excited to expand their skills.
The 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.
Our 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.
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We Tried It
Pit Boss Sportsman 820 Pellet Grill
How We Tested the Pit Boss Sportsman
Assembling 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.
The 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.
As 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.
Up 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.
We 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.
Things 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.
On 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.
The hopper was designed for easy cleaning—you 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. Our team eventually got it working, and we assumed some of the gunk that was clogging it had burned off.
Pros
- Fast and efficient
- Adjustable smoke levels
- Intuitive to use
- Tray holder on the side and a fold-down table in front
- Disperses the smoke so it isn’t in your face (a feature that isn’t always as common as you’d think!)
Cons
- Not a good grill for shorter people, due to its height
- Venting system is hard to operate, and it can get jammed with burned-on debris
- Venter is too close to the tray holder
- No a flat spot to put down food
FAQ
How do you clean a Pit Boss pellet grill?
The hopper includes a clean-out future that allows you to easily empty out the pellets. To clean the rest of the grill, our team used a wet steam brush on the grates while the grill was still warm.
How do you use a Pit Boss pellet grill?
Using a Pit Boss pellet grill is much like using any other pellet grill: Fill the hopper with pellets and place your meat or veggies on the grill. The Pit Boss Sportsman has a dial-in digital control board and meat probes, so you can monitor how done the meat is and ensure it reaches the right internal temperature.
How do you start a Pit Boss pellet grill?
It’s very simple. Hit the power button and establish the settings you want it to have. Make sure that your hopper is filled with pellets.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our Product Testing team tried 11 pellet grills from the most popular manufacturers, including Weber, RecTeq, Yoder, Cuisinart and, of course Traeger. (We tested four models from the iconic brand, the Traeger Timberline, Ironwood XL, Tailgater and Pro 575). We conducted the same food tests to assess performance, as well as evaluated each grill’s assembly, key features and additional benefits. Earlier in the summer, we tested gas and charcoal grills and weighed each against the pellet grill category as a whole.
I’m a food and lifestyle writer and have evaluated numerous products for consumers, helping identify the highest quality products based on budget, use cases and experience level.
Where To Buy the Pit Boss Sportsman Pellet Grill
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We Tried It
Pit Boss Sportsman 820 Pellet Grill
If you’re ready to grill, you can get the Pit Boss Sportsman Pellet Grill directly from Pit Boss for $700. You can also get it from Amazon or Best Buy.
Originally Published: September 16, 2024
