How long does it take a Pit Boss vertical smoker to heat up?

The Pit Boss is one of the most popular grills on the market today, but many users find that it takes a while to heat up. This can be frustrating if you are in a hurry or trying to cook for an event where there is little time. Fortunately, there are some ways you can make your grill heat up faster! Check out these 7 tips for getting your grill hot and ready when you need it.

How Long Do Pit Boss Grills Take To Heat Up?

On average it takes 10-15 minutes for the smoke setting and 15-20 minutes for higher grilling temperatures. Preheat time for pellet grills varies depending on the brand, grill size, and the designated temperature.

All pellet grills regardless of the brand go through a series of start-up procedures that takes time.

How To Make Your Pit Boss Grill Heat Up Faster?

If this is your first time turning on the Pit Boss pellet grill, read this article. Here’s a video that walks you through the proper way to preheat a pellet grill.

Below are some tips you can implement to ensure the grill is hot when you’re ready to put the food on it, and stays hot while cooking regardless of the weather.

Monitor the Weather

The ambient weather can affect how hot or how long it takes for a grill to heat up. Cold temperature means your grill has to work harder and use more fuel to heat up and maintain the set temperature.

Many people use their Pit Boss grills year-round (myself included), but you’ll want to adjust your cooking plans accordingly for cold weather grilling. When it’s cold outside, set the grill in the sun so it can warm up faster.

Preheat During the Prep

Turn the grill on while you’re prepping the food. While you’re preparing the rubs, or seasoning the meat, turn on the grill. This ensures the grill is hot when you’re ready to start cooking, and it reduces the amount of time you have to wait.

Letting the grill run for a while, even when it has reached the proper temperature is totally fine, won’t burn through a lot of pellets. It will ensure the grill is hot when you put the food on, resulting in the food cooking quicker, therefore, using fewer pellets.

Ensure The Hopper Has Enough Pellets

The Pit Boss uses hardwood pellets to fuel the grill. Make sure the hopper is full or has enough pellets to do the job. In addition, ensure the pellets do not have any moisture, especially, if it has been stored outside.

Use A Thermal Blanket

As mentioned above, cold weather affects charcoal, gas, and pellet grills. A thermal blanket is a cover that insulates the cooking chamber while you are cooking. It holds in heat that would otherwise escape while cooking on a cold day.

A thermal blanket won’t necessarily help you preheat the grill faster, but it will help prevent huge temperature swings. Plus, it reduces the amount of pellets you’ll use while cooking in freezing temperatures.

Set the Grill to Smoke

Set the grill to the “smoke” setting, open the lid and let it run for 3 minutes before turning up the temperature. A grill doesn’t take as long to reach 180°F as it does to reach a higher temperature.

Once you see smoke coming out of the grill, you know it’s reached the proper temperature. At that point, you can close the lid and set it to the desired cooking temperature. When warmed to 180°F, it will take less time to reach temperatures above 400 degrees.

Preheat to 350°F

Preheat the grill to at least 300°-350°F regardless of the temperature you’re planning on cooking at. Once the grill reaches at least 300°F, you can turn the grill back down to a lower temperature if you’re cooking low and slow. This ensures that everything inside the cavity of the grill is warmed up.

We’ve all heard that you shouldn’t put cold meat on the grill, because it won’t cook evenly. Well, putting meat on a grill that hasn’t heated up properly can also have an adverse effect on the overall cook.

Plus, you won’t have to worry about the food sticking to the racks, as there’s already some heat through the metal grates.

Invest in a Smaller Grill

If it’s always taking too long for your Pit Boss pellet grill to heat up, it may be time to invest in a smaller grill. A smaller grill has a smaller cooking chamber, therefore it won’t take long to reach the designated temperature.

Most beginners think they need a big pellet grill, only to realize it’s more costly than a smaller grill. Unlike gas grills, a pellet grill heats the whole cooking chamber. The bigger the chamber, the more fuel it consumes to heat it.

Remove the Top Rack

Pit Boss makes it easy to remove the top shelf when not in use. It won’t cut down a lot on the heat-up time, but it’s one less thing that needs to be warmed up in the chamber.

Final Thoughts

The best way to heat the smoker faster is to turn it on 5-20 minutes before you’re ready to throw the food on it. I always preheat my Pit Boss while I’m finishing up the prep work.

Regardless of how long it takes, you always want to let the pellet grill heat up. Putting cold food on a cold grill will just take longer to preheat, resulting in a longer cook time.

Related Articles

• What Is The Pit Boss P-Setting?
• Why Isn’t My Pit Boss Heating Up?
• 9 Tips for Using the Smoke Setting
• Why Is My Pit Boss Overheating?
• 9 Cold Weather Smoking Tips

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