Do Traeger Pellet Grills Have to be Plugged In? (Explained)

Traeger pellet grills are convenient and easy-to-use cooking devices that can smoke a brisket and even bake a pizza.

Just set the temperature, wait a certain amount of time, and pull your finished food from the pellet grill.

Given how popular Traeger grills have become, I often get asked if Traeger pellet grills have to be plugged in.

So do Traeger grills require electricity?

Traeger pellet grills need to be plugged in to cook food. Pellet grills need electricity in order to power the hot rod igniter, auger, and digital display.

All of the mechanical components of a Traeger pellet grill rely on electricity so a Traeger will not work without electricity.

Can You Use a Traeger Without Electricity?

Traeger pellet grills cannot be used without electricity. Pellet grills need electricity in order to power the hot rod igniter, auger, and digital display.

Without electricity, the Traeger pellet grill will stop feeding in pellets into the firepot which will ultimately stop the pellet grill from cooking the food.

In order to use a Traeger pellet grill away from the home, the pellet grill needs to be powered by a generator or car inverter. So plan ahead if you want to use your Traeger when tailgating or camping.

How Much Electricity a Traeger Pellet Grill Uses

Traeger pellet grills have a peak energy consumption of 250 watts during ignition, which reduces to 25 to 45 watts while cooking. For perspective, most electric ovens draw between 2,000 and 5,000 watts so a pellet grill draws a lot less electricity.

See this article where I use a power meter to measure how much electricity my Traeger Tailgater was using while smoking meat at 225°F.

I was able to see the electricity consumption peak during ignition and drop as the pellet grill was simply maintaining temperature.

So Traeger pellet grills use less electricity than a conventional kitchen oven when cooking food.

Do Traeger Pellet Grills Use A Lot of Electricity?

Traeger pellet grills do not use a lot of electricity. Traegers have a peak energy consumption of 250 watts during ignition, which reduces to 25 to 45 watts while cooking. For perspective, most electric ovens draw between 2,000 and 5,000 watts so a pellet grill draws a lot less electricity.

Over a 2 hour cook at 225°F, Traeger pellet grills will consume around 1,000 watts of electricity. Most electric ovens will consume around 3,000 watts of electricity per hour so pellet grills use less electricity than most electric ovens.

So pellet grills are energy-efficient cooking devices that require a small amount of electricity in order to cook.

Can Traeger Power Cords be Replaced?

Traeger pellet grill’s power cords can be replaced if the power cord breaks or no longer works. Make sure to use an authentic Traeger power cord when replacing the broken cord.

Here’s a quick step-by-step video that shows how to replace a Traeger pellet grill’s power cord.

How Long Is The Cord On A Traeger Pellet Grill?

The electrical cord on a Traeger pellet grill is 79 inches long when laying flat on the ground. An electrical outlet can be up to 79 inches away and no one will trip on the electrical cord.

An extension cord is needed to connect a Traeger pellet grill that is more than 79 inches away from an electrical outlet.

See this article for the best extension cords for pellet grills if you need to power a Traeger pellet grill that is further than 79 inches away from an electrical outlet.

How big of an inverter is needed to run a Traeger Pellet Grill?

Traeger pellet grills have 250 peak watts during ignition so 300-watt inverters will be able to power Traeger pellet grills. Larger inverters will be able to power more devices at the same time the pellet grill is being powered.

So you may want to get an inverter that supplies 700 watts instead if you plan on powering speakers, lights, and charging phones while powering the Traeger pellet grill.

Click here to see the best inverters that can power a Traeger pellet grill (see latest prices on Amazon).

Will a Traeger Run On a Generator?

Traeger pellet grills can be powered by a generator. A 300-watt generator can power the Traeger through the pellet grill’s peak wattage demand of 250 watts.

Most generators will provide more than 300 watts of power so most generators can power a Traeger pellet grill.

Click here for generators that can power a Traeger pellet grill and can be delivered to your doorstep by Amazon.

Instead of using a generator, an inverter can also be used to power the Traeger pellet grill. Inverters are quieter and do not need extra fuel to operate. A 300-watt inverter can sufficiently power a Traeger pellet grill.

Click here for inverters that can power a Traeger pellet grill (see latest prices on Amazon).

How Do I Charge My Traeger?

Traeger pellet grills are not battery powered and require a stable electric power source to operate. So Traeger pellets grills cannot be charged since the pellet grill needs to be plugged in to work.

In order to use a Traeger while camping or tailgating, make sure to bring a generator or a vehicle that has an electrical outlet that the Traeger can connect to. The electrical power source needs to supply at least 300 watts to power a Traeger pellet grill.

Traeger pellet grills have a peak energy consumption of 250 watts during ignition, which reduces to 25 to 45 watts while cooking.

Are Traeger Pellet Grills Worth the Money?

Traeger pellet grills are worth the money if you plan on smoking food since most other grills cannot smoke food easily. Pellet grills are convenient and versatile types of grills that can not only smoke a brisket, but also sear a steak, and even grill a burger.

If you were to purchase all of the cooking devices needed to smoke, grill, and bake food that a pellet grill can cook then you would likely spend more money than you would on just a Traeger.

Not to mention Traeger pellet grills are fairly cheap to run and operate since Traegers do not consume a lot of electricity or pellets when cooking.

Generally, pellet grills burn about 1 pound of wood pellets per hour at 225°F so a 20 pound bag of pellets will last for 20 hours of cooking.

See this article to learn more about how Traeger pellet grills are worth the money.

Are Traeger Pellet Grills More Expensive to Operate?

Traeger pellet grills can be expensive when initially purchasing, however, operating and maintaining a pellet grill is inexpensive. Pellet grills do not use a lot of electricity or wood pellets when smoking food at low cooking temperatures.

So Traeger pellet grills are inexpensive to operate.

At 225°F, Traeger pellet grills will burn 1 pound of pellets per hour. So a 20 pound bag of pellets will last for 20 hours of smoking.

Traeger pellet grills also only consume 25 to 45 watts of electricity after ignition so the electrical draw is minimal.

Are Traeger Grills Easy To Use?

Traeger pellet grills are easy to use. Simply plug the Traeger into an electrical socket, fill the hopper with pellets, and set the cooking temperature. The Traeger will maintain the cooking temperature which makes smoking easier.

Unlike charcoal or wood smokers, pellet grills will monitor the cooking temperature and feed in pellets to maintain the set cooking temperature.

So if you need to smoke a brisket at 225°F for 12 hours then you simply set the cooking temperature to 225°F, place the brisket on the grill, and wait 12 hours until the brisket is done.

On the other hand, charcoal and wood smokers need a pitmaster to watch over the fire to make sure the fire is producing enough heat and smoke. So compared to traditional smokers, Traeger grills are easy to use.

Are Traeger Pellet Grills Good for Everyday Grilling?

Traeger pellet grills are good for regular everyday grilling such as burgers, hotdogs, and steaks. Additionally, pellet grills can slow smoke brisket, cold smoke salmon, and even sear a steak. So Traeger pellet grills are good for everyday grilling and smoking foods.

See this list of 11 delicious pellet grill recipes for inspiration on the variety of foods that pellet grills can cook, smoke, and bake.

Whether you’re grilling a burger, smoking a brisket, or baking a pie, pellet grills can cook it all!

How Does a Traeger Grill Work?

A Traeger grill uses electricity to power an auger that feeds in wood pellets from the hopper into the firepot. The pellets in the firepot are ignited with an electric hot rod and a convection fan blows air to stoke the fire creating both heat and smoke.

The Traeger pellet grill will continue to feed in pellets into the firepot to increase the cooking temperature until the set cooking temperature is reached.

The pellet grill will monitor and maintain the set cooking temperature by occasionally feeding in pellets into the firepot.

The smoke and heat created in the firepot is circulated throughout the grill’s drum to cook and smoke food.

Similar to a convection oven, the food is cooked at the same time from all sides by indirect heat so food does not need to be flipped on a pellet grill.

One Last Word

Traeger grills are versatile cooking machines that can smoke, grill, and even bake food.

Traeger grills need to be plugged in to power the digital controller, auger, hot rod igniter, and convection fan. Simply plug in the grill, fill the hopper with wood pellets, set the cooking temperature and wait until the food is ready.

Traeger grills can be powered with a generator or inverter if the Traeger is being used away from the home.

Just make sure to have a power source that can supply at least 300-watts of power to sufficiently power a Traeger grill.