It took a long time for America to discover and embrace the joys of pellet smoking, but they are now a fixture in backyards and at big box stores. Over the last few years pellet smoker sales have taken off as folks began to understand how these once mysterious machines work and why they cost more than other grills. Pellet smokers make smoking great ribs and brisket ludicrously easy. Just set it and forget it, just like your kitchen oven but with smoke added.
With the rise in pellet popularity has come ever-increasing competition. Some brands compete almost entirely with low prices, others with useful, attractive, innovations. And some, like Pit Boss, shoot for both.
Pit Boss Models
Pit Boss has a whole lotta options including various sizes, colors, and features plus periodically offering exclusive models for certain mass merchants. On a recent stroll through Walmart, we were stopped dead in our tracks by the low price of their mid-size Pit Boss Lexington 500 – Onyx, shown in this photo on the left alongside its big brother, the Austin XL.
The Lexington
With a 356-square-inch, porcelain-coated primary cook surface, Lexington is on the small side for a mid-size model. A 178 square-inch upper rack extends the smoking capacity. Assembled dimensions are 37.72″ L x 24.88″ W x 42.40″ H, weighing 90.39 pounds. A 15-pound wood pellet hopper fuels the firepot. The cart has four legs with two feet and two wheels. A wire rack provides storage space on the bottom.
The Pit Boss Lexington 500’s temperature range is said to be 180°F to 500°F, set in 5-degree increments. There is no Wi-Fi and no app for remote control. Lexington comes with one meat probe, but the control panel has inputs for two should you want to purchase a second.
Every brand calls their pellet cookers “grills”, but we have regarded them as “smokers”, or indirect ovens since most are unable to produce the intense, radiant heat required for proper searing. Click here to learn the distinction. That limitation is changing as more new models that are truly all-in-one smoker/grills come to market. Traditionally, pellet smokers all had a flat, solid, rectangular drip tray under the cooking grates. Lexington has an unusual, curved drip tray with a sliding panel that exposes the open flames from the wood pellet fire below to produce a sear zone.
When Pit Boss first came out several years ago, this design provided only a small sear section directly above the exposed flame. But they seem to have made improvements that enable effective searing over a limited, but larger area. When smoking at low and moderate temperatures, slide the panel closed for even heat.
Pit Boss earned their reputation as one of the best manufacturers of low-cost outdoor cooking products. However, even the lowest-cost pellet burners will always be more than the lowest-cost charcoal or gas grills. They require more technology to achieve the ease of use and great results we’ve grown to love. And that comes with a price.
Warranty
Pit Boss’ warranty is better than most pellet smokers, including a 5-year limited warranty against defects. Plus, it comes with workmanship on all parts and a 5-year warranty on electrical components.
