You probably know all the wonderful aspects of burning wood pellets for heat. However, did you know that you can grill, smoke and bake your food with a special wood pellet appliance? Wood pellet grills were first introduced over 20 years ago by Traeger Pellet Grills, and several companies have generated their own versions since.

When it comes to BBQing, people are usually pretty particular about their methods. In the last few years, wood pellet grills have been gaining a very loyal following due to quick heat-up time, evenly dispersed heat, and a distinctive smoky flavor addition. You do need an electricity source to plug it in – but no need for lighters, gas or any fluids.

Much like with pellet stoves, there are a variety of options to choose from based on your needs and budget. Some pellet grills and ovens can cost thousands, while others are much less expensive. Many popular models are large and can cook huge amounts of food at one time, but others are much smaller and portable. A rising trend in the pellet grill market, as well as the grilling market in general, is wifi-controlled grills. Imagine that!

A very impressive pellet oven actually got its start on the crowd-funding site, Kickstarter. The Uuni (Finnish for “oven”) weighs just 24 pounds, and burns specialty bbq wood pellets or super premium quality heating pellets.

In just 10 minutes, it can reach a temperature of 900°F, which will bake a pizza in about 90 seconds. The Uuni can also be used to cook other high-temp, short cooking time foods such as fish, steaks or even vegetables.

What do you think? Would you ever make the switch from traditional outdoor cooking methods?