Table of Contents
The best Pit Boss pellet smoker for most people is the Navigator 850. It gives you the biggest mix of cooking space, searing power and sensible money in the range, and it is the one I would buy with my own cash. Pit Boss sells a wide and sometimes confusing line up in the UK, from a tabletop unit you can carry to a campsite up to the huge Austin XL. This guide walks through each family, explains the famous flame broiler sear, and matches every model to the cook it suits.
Key Takeaways
- Top pick: Pit Boss Navigator 850, around £650 to £750, the best balance of size, sear and price.
- Biggest value for crowds: Austin XL, around £550 to £700, with about 1,000 square inches of cooking space.
- Smart pick: Pro Series II 850, around £700 to £900, if you want WiFi control and a PID controller.
- Small garden or camping pick: the Pit Boss tabletop model, around £250 to £350.
- Every Pit Boss worth buying has the Flame Broiler lever, which opens a direct flame path for real searing.
How the Pit Boss Range Fits Together
Every best Pit Boss pellet smoker pick in this guide shares the same foundations. Pit Boss builds its name on three things: size, steel and price. The grills feel heavier than rivals at the same money, nearly every model cooks eight ways, and the slide plate flame broiler appears across most of the range. The differences that matter are cooking area, hopper size, and whether the controller is a simple dial or a smart PID board with WiFi.
UK models run on a normal 240 volt supply, and the UK store and specialist dealers stock the main lines, pellets, covers and spare parts. Whichever model you choose, the best Pit Boss pellet smoker is the one that matches your garden and your typical cook.
The Models, Compared
Navigator 850: The Best Pit Boss Pellet Smoker Overall
The Navigator 850 sits in the sweet spot of the whole catalogue. You get about 850 square inches of cooking space across two levels, a hopper around 12 kg, heavy porcelain coated cast iron grates and that flame broiler lever for direct heat. The smaller Navigator 550 suits couples and small gardens, with a 7.2 kg hopper and the same searing plate, and it costs around £400 to £550. The 850 holds a full brisket with room to spare, keeps its temperature honestly, and cleans up fast thanks to the removable ash cup underneath.
For most families, this is the Pit Boss to buy.
Austin XL: Best for Big Cooks on a Budget
The Austin XL is the value giant of the range. Around 1,000 square inches of cooking space and a hopper of about 14 kg mean it swallows party food without complaint, and it often sells for around £550 to £700, less than smaller grills from rival brands. The controller is basic, there is no WiFi, and the big barrel takes longer to heat and uses more pellets on small cooks. Buy it if you regularly cook for ten or more people, and measure your gate and patio door before it arrives.
Pro Series II 850: Best for Smart Control
The Pro Series II 850 takes the same proven footprint as the Navigator and adds the technology the Navigator skips. A PID controller holds tighter temperatures, WiFi and Bluetooth let you watch a brisket from the sofa, and the hopper holds about 9 kg with a cleanout door for swapping pellet flavours. It costs around £700 to £900. Buy it if you want phone alerts on overnight cooks instead of trips outside in your dressing gown.
Sportsman 820: Best for Hunters and Hearty Cooking
The Sportsman line aims at cooks who process their own game and fish, and the 820 brings a sturdy build, a big side shelf and the same flame broiler sear as its brothers. Cooking space lands around 820 square inches, prices sit around £500 to £650, and the styling runs more workbench than patio furniture. Buy it if your cooks lean towards sausages, jerky and whole birds rather than delicate baking.
Tabletop Models: Best for Small Spaces and Travel
The Pit Boss tabletop pellet grill squeezes the formula into a portable box with about 256 square inches of cooking space and a hopper around 2.3 kg. It runs happily on a patio table, in a campervan awning or at a campsite with electric hook up, and it costs around £250 to £350. It sears a pair of steaks better than most portable gas grills. Buy it as a first pellet grill, a second grill, or the one that travels with you. For small spaces, it is a strong best pit boss pellet smoker choice.
The Flame Broiler: Why the Sear Matters
Most pellet grills cook with indirect heat only, which is why their steaks can taste baked. Pit Boss answers that with the Flame Broiler lever. Slide it open and the plate above the fire pot moves aside, so flames lick the grate directly and the surface temperature climbs towards 500°C in the sear zone. I use it in two ways: a full smoke at low temperature followed by a two minute flame finish, or a straight hot grill for burgers and chops.
Match the method to the cut using my guide to the best cut of steak, and time the finish with my notes on how long to grill steak.
Hopper Sizes on the Best Pit Boss Pellet Smoker Models
Hopper capacity decides whether you sleep through a brisket or babysit it. The Austin XL at about 14 kg and the Navigator 850 at about 12 kg both cover a twelve hour cook in mild weather without a refill. The Pro Series at about 9 kg manages most overnight cooks, while the tabletop hopper at about 2.3 kg suits sessions of four to five hours. Cold and wind raise consumption, so top up before bed regardless.
That is exactly the routine I follow for the low and slow cooks in my trisket method guide.
Comparison Table
| Model | Cooking area | Hopper | Typical UK price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navigator 850 | About 850 sq in | About 12 kg | Around £650 to £750 | Most families |
| Austin XL | About 1,000 sq in | About 14 kg | Around £550 to £700 | Big gatherings |
| Pro Series II 850 | About 850 sq in | About 9 kg | Around £700 to £900 | WiFi and overnight cooks |
| Sportsman 820 | About 820 sq in | About 9 kg | Around £500 to £650 | Game, fish and hearty food |
| Tabletop | About 256 sq in | About 2.3 kg | Around £250 to £350 | Small gardens and travel |
UK Buying Notes
Buy from the official Pit Boss UK store or an established UK BBQ dealer, so your warranty, plug and parts support all stay British. Pit Boss backs most grills with a five year warranty, which beats most of the market. Prices move with the season, and the best discounts land in autumn, once the summer rush ends. Order the fitted cover in the same basket, and pick up two bags of hardwood pellets so your first long cook never waits on a delivery.
Compare the full range there before you decide which model is the best Pit Boss pellet smoker for your budget.
Pit Boss Model Comparison Chart
| Model | Size | Capacity | Key feature | Price band |
| Navigator 850 | About 850 sq in | About 12 kg | Flame Broiler direct sear | Around £650 to £750 |
| Austin XL | About 1,000 sq in | About 14 kg | Largest cooking area | Around £550 to £700 |
| Pro Series II 850 | About 850 sq in | About 9 kg | PID controller with WiFi and Bluetooth | Around £700 to £900 |
| Sportsman 820 | About 820 sq in | About 9 kg | Sturdy build with big side shelf | Around £500 to £650 |
| Tabletop | About 256 sq in | About 2.3 kg | Portable for small spaces and travel | Around £250 to £350 |
Pit Boss Navigator vs Pro Series vs Sportsman
Start with your use case, because each of these three grills wins in a different place. For budget, the Austin XL wins. It gives you about 1,000 square inches of cooking space and a hopper of about 14 kg for around £550 to £700, which undercuts the Navigator and the Pro Series while feeding a crowd. For family size, the Navigator 850 wins. It balances about 850 square inches, a hopper of about 12 kg and a price of around £650 to £750, so it fits a brisket and a family roast without the bulk and pellet hunger of the Austin XL. For features, the Pro Series II 850 wins. Its PID controller holds tighter temperatures than a basic controller, and WiFi and Bluetooth let you check and adjust a cook from your phone.
Choose the Sportsman 820 if game and fish lead your cooking. It brings a sturdy build and a side shelf to about 820 square inches, but it costs around £500 to £650 and gives up the Navigator balance of size and price. For most buyers, the Navigator wins overall, the Austin XL wins for crowds on a budget, and the Pro Series wins for smart control.
Compare the wider market in my guide to the best pellet smokers in the UK, and try a low and slow cook with my smoked pork belly burnt ends recipe.
What Is the Best Pit Boss Pellet Grill for Most People?
The best Pit Boss pellet grill for most people is the Navigator 850. It balances about 850 square inches, a hopper of about 12 kg and a price of around £650 to £750, and it sears properly with the Flame Broiler lever. Buy it unless one of two cases applies. If you regularly cook for ten or more people on a budget, choose the Austin XL instead, because it gives you about 1,000 square inches and a hopper of about 14 kg for around £550 to £700. If you want WiFi and PID control for overnight cooks, choose the Pro Series II 850 instead, even though it costs around £700 to £900.
Verdict
The best Pit Boss pellet smoker overall is the Navigator 850, so buy it unless you have a specific reason not to. It sears properly, swallows a brisket, holds enough pellets for the night and costs hundreds less than the premium brands. Step up to the Pro Series II 850 if you want WiFi babysitting, step sideways to the Austin XL if you feed a crowd, and take the tabletop if space rules your life. Every one of them cooks honest wood fired food.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Pit Boss better than Traeger?
Traeger wins on app polish, temperature precision and resale value. Pit Boss wins on price, cooking space and the flame broiler sear, which Traeger does not offer. In the food itself, blindfolded, most people at my table cannot tell a brisket from either grill apart. For most readers, the best Pit Boss pellet smoker remains the Navigator 850.
Which is the best Pit Boss pellet smoker for brisket?
The Navigator 850 and Austin XL both fit a full packer brisket comfortably. Choose the Navigator for tighter temperature control and the Austin if you also want ribs and sides on at the same time. Either hopper covers an overnight cook.
Does the Flame Broiler really sear?
Yes. With the plate open, the grate above the fire pot gets direct flame and builds a proper crust on steaks and burgers. It will not match a screaming hot cast iron pan for edge to edge crust, but it beats every indirect only pellet grill I have used.
What pellets should I use in a Pit Boss?
Any food grade hardwood pellet works. Pit Boss sells its own blends in the UK, and oak or hickory suits beef best in my kitchen. Keep bags dry and indoors, because swollen pellets jam augers and ruin weekends.
Is the Austin XL too big for a normal garden?
It is wide, heavy and hungry for pellets on small cooks. If your typical cook is dinner for four, the Navigator 850 fits your life better and costs less to run. The Austin earns its floor space only when you truly cook for crowds.