One of the most popular articles on PelHeat.com is my article on US-made pellet grills/smokers. Its clear that, where possible, people want to support US manufacturing jobs while at the same time purchasing a high-quality product. As such, I wanted to produce a dedicated article on the range of Pitts & Spitts pellet grills/smokers designed and manufactured in Texas. As you’ll see below, they are offering more than just your typical horizontal pellet BBQ designs.
Disclaimer: Hey! By the way… any links on this page that lead to products on Amazon or other sites are affiliate links, and I earn a commission if you make a purchase.
Introduction To Pitts & Spitts
Founded in 1986, Pitts & Spitts have been making stick burners and charcoal grills in Texas. Around 2014 they decided they needed to diversify their product range and started to design their own pellet BBQs.
As a US-made product with higher manufacturing costs etc, they knew they needed to set their products apart with their construction techniques and materials.
Therefore, Pitts & Spitts pellet grills/smokers are fully welded as opposed to bolted/riveted, and they use much thicker grade steel than the industry average.
Furthermore, Pitts & Spitts not only offer stainless steel components on all their models, but they also offer full stainless steel models using the best stainless steel grade (304) you’ll find on any BBQ.
While a full stainless steel version of any pellet grill/smoker is going to be the most durable/long-lasting, it obviously increases the price due to the higher cost of materials.
What should be clear here is that Pitts & Spitts are not interested in participating in the mass market low-cost/lower-quality BBQ market. They are purely focused on high-end/US-made products.
With that in mind, I’ve produced some tables below providing the key specs/features on the different Pitts & Spitts Maverick pellet grill models.
Pitts & Spitts Maverick 850
| Features | Maverick 850 | Maverick 850 SS |
| Cooking Area | 850 sq.in | 850 sq.in |
| Temp Range | 160 to 600 F | 160 to 600 F |
| Hopper Capacity | 35 lbs | 35 lbs |
| Direct Flame Access | No | No |
| PID Temperature Control | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi/App Support | Optional | Yes |
| Stainless Steel | Lids/Shelf | Full Stainless Steel |
| Wheels | Small caster | Large caster |
| Typical Price | $2,149 | $4,149 |
Pitts & Spitts Maverick 1250
| Features | Maverick 1250 | Maverick 1250 SS |
| Cooking Area | 1,250 sq.in | 1,250 sq.in |
| Temp Range | 160 to 600 F | 160 to 600 F |
| Hopper Capacity | 35 lbs | 35 lbs |
| Direct Flame Access | No | No |
| PID Temperature Control | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi/App Support | Optional | Yes |
| Stainless Steel | Lids/Shelf | Full Stainless Steel |
| Wheels | Small caster | Large caster |
| Typical Price | $2,549 | $5,149 |
Pitts & Spitts Maverick 2000
| Features | Maverick 2000 | Maverick 2000 SS |
| Cooking Area | 2,000 sq.in | 2,000 sq.in |
| Temp Range | 160 to 600 F | 160 to 600 F |
| Hopper Capacity | 35 lbs | 35 lbs |
| Direct Flame Access | No | No |
| PID Temperature Control | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi/App Support | Optional | Yes |
| Stainless Steel | Lids/Shelf | Full Stainless Steel |
| Wheels | Large caster | Large caster |
| Typical Price | $3,649 | $5,899 |
Pitts & Spitts Maverick Plus Upright Smoke Box
| Features | Maverick 1250 Upright | Maverick 2000 Upright |
| Horizontal Cooking Area | 1,250 sq.in | 2,000 sq.in |
| Vertical Cooking Area | 675 sq.in | 675 sq.in |
| Temp Range | 160 to 600 F | 160 to 600 F |
| Hopper Capacity | 35 lbs | 35 lbs |
| Direct Flame Access | No | No |
| PID Temperature Control | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi/App Support | Optional | Optional |
| Stainless Steel | Lids/Shelf | Lids/Shelf |
| Wheels | Large caster | Large caster |
| Typical Price | $3,749 | $4,749 |
Pitts & Spitts Hybrid (Pellet Smoker & Charcoal/Stick Burner)
The Hybrid is essentially a pellet/charcoal combo grill, something which I’m seeing more brands coming out with. You may wonder what would be the point of such a BBQ?
Well, pellet smoking is very low maintenance and takes up very little of your time to manage. However, pellet smoking generally produced a lighter smoke flavour profile.
Stick burners/Offsets can produce a more intense smoke flavour in the food you’re cooking. However, they require more time to manage the fire to achieve good consistent results.
Therefore, you could view a product such as the Hybrid as something where you can pellet smoke on weeknights and then use the charcoal/stick burner for your weekend cookouts.
| Features | Hybrid |
| Cooking Area | 1,650 sq.in |
| Temp Range | 160 to 600 F |
| Hopper Capacity | 35 lbs |
| Direct Flame Access | Yes (Via Firebox) |
| PID Temperature Control | Yes |
| WiFi/App Support | Optional |
| Stainless Steel | Lids/Shelf |
| Wheels | Large caster |
| Typical Price | $5,000 (Carbon Steel) |
| Typical Price | $10,000 (304 Stainless Steel) |
Pitts & Spitts Pellet Grill/Smoker Features
So I thought I’d now discuss the general features of these pellet grills and clear up some things which may be a bit confusing. First, let’s discuss the control panel.
The control panel on every Pitts & Spitts pellet grill/smoker uses a PID algorithm for accurate temperature control to within 5 degrees of the set temperature.
Compared to several other brands that are now going down the full-color touchscreen route, this Pitts & Spitts control panel is rather basic. However, its also very simple to operate as a result.
The only real issue/limitation of the Pitts & Spitts control panel is it only supports one meat probe port. Considering how much cooking space these BBQs offer, one probe is not really sufficient.
So what about WiFi and App support? You may have been confused about where in the tables above some models show its stated as ‘Optional’, while with other versions of the same model, its included.
The way it works is the full stainless steel versions of the Maverick 850, 1250 and 2000 come with WiFi functionality included. However, the standard carbon steel versions can be updated with WiFi.
So what about the grilling/searing performance of these Pitts & Spitts products for burgers and steaks etc? Well, the controller going up to 600 degrees is a good start.
In the tables above, I noted that direct-flame access is not a feature of these pellet grills to get even higher temperatures at the grate, but its a bit more complicated than that.
While direct flames from the pellet burn pot cannot reach the grate on the left-hand side of the grease tray, there is a removable door to let more direct heat through from the burn pot.
Now, with some other pellet grills, such a removable section in the grease tray would result in flames reaching the grate. However, as you can see from the image, there is still a heat deflector over the burn pot.
Therefore, while its not technically direct flame access, the point is that over that left-hand side of the grill with that door open, more heat will be reaching the grate for better searing performance.
However, Pitts & Spitts do also sell GrillGrates through their website, which would also help to provide improved grilling/searing performance.
Pitts & Spitts Review
I thought I would also add to this article a video review of the Pitts and Spitts Maverick 2000 by Jeremy of Mad Scientist BBQ, who I have previously referenced in my article on how to cook brisket.
My Final Thoughts On Pitts & Spitts Pellet Grills/Smokers…
I’m not going to imply these Pitts & Spitts pellet grills/smokers are not expensive in relative terms to most of the pellet grills/smokers on the market, but these aren’t your average pellet grill/smoker.
The materials and build quality of these Pitts & Spitts products are far above the average pellet grill/smoker. The welded steel construction is of very high quality.
Therefore, as a result, the price reflects the higher quality materials and build quality. The price also reflects that these products are fully built and fabricated in the US.
These Pitts & Spitts products are not going to be your first BBQ unless you are very fortunate. However, if you start to take your BBQ craft more seriously, they are definitely worth considering.
That’s it! Thanks for reading. I hope you found this quick summary of the Pitts & Spitts range interesting/useful.
Please check out my Pellet Grill/Smoker Guide to learn more, or check out my growing number of articles in my Smoking & Grilling Guide. 🙂
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