Yoder YS1500 Pellet Grill Review

• 1008 square inches of primary cooking area with 1500 square inches total space
• 150 to 600 degree F/65 to 315 degrees C temperature range
• 20-pound capacity side mounted pellet hopper
• Chrome plated steel rod cooking grates
• Precision, 5-degree increment control panel
• Powder coated steel construction
• Single layer, locking lid with counter balance
• Internal baffle for adjusting airflow and heat
• Smokestack vent to regular smoke retention
• Made in the United States by Yoder Smokers, Inc.

Yoder Smokers pride themselves on how well their smokers and pellet grills do on the competition barbecue circuit and it is true that you find a lot of their products used to turn in winning barbecue. This model is specifically configured for the big events. The thousand square inches of primary cooking space (plus 500 more on an upper rack) give it plenty of room for some serious barbecue. Mounted on a heavy duty cart, this model weighs in at around 700 pounds. The four tires make it mobile as long as you are not trying to get it up a set of steps.

While this monster pellet cooker can cook up a few burgers or steaks, the real use of this model is for serious barbecue. The smokestack is adjustable to help regulate heat and hold in smoke. There is an internal baffle to alter smoke flow and the large cooking chamber is far better at slow smoking several briskets than it is at grilling us a couple of burgers. At around $4,000 (depending on optional upgrades) this isn't an inexpensive unit, but it is one of the largest pellet grills on the market.

The combination of pellet cooker reliability and temperature control with traditional barbecue cooking has been a winner for many years. Several competitors on the barbecue competition circuit have done very well with this pellet smoker.

There are a wide range accessories and upgrades available for this model and Yoder is proactive about improving the programming on the computer control unit with occasional firmware upgrades. Support for Yoder products has been very good, though some of that depends on the dealer who sells you the grill.