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Pit Boss just solved the age old question, “should I get a pellet grill or a charcoal grill?”, with “how about both?” The new Phoenix Onyx Edition is a Walmart exclusive product that adds versatility to grilling, and makes it much easier.
Despite it’s traditional kettle grill shape, it has a wood pellet hopper and digital controller for cooking with pellets. Like any pellet grill, you just set the temperature and cook with set it and forget it ease.
If you want a more traditional charcoal grilling experience, you can do that too. There is a charcoal tray in it for cooking with charcoal, like you would with any other kettle grill.
Easy Charcoal Lighting
If you’re somebody that struggles with lighting a charcoal grill, or you just want it to be easier, the Phoenix has a better way. There’s no more using a charcoal chimney, or dousing charcoal with lighter fluid, the grill lights the charcoal for you.
There’s a cycle for lighting charcoal on the controller. Just stack the charcoal on the tray, initiate it on the controller, and the grill automatically creates a pellet fire that lights the charcoal.
Features and Specs
- Retail price of $397 (check price) – only available at Walmart
- Temperature range of 180 degrees F to 500 degrees F
- 376 square inches of cooking space
- 16 lb wood pellet hopper
- Has a folding front shelf for food prep
- Two large wheels make it easy to move around
- There’s a hanger inside the grill lid for hanging it on the side of the grill when tending to your food
- Two meat probe ports on the controller to always know the temperature of your meat
- One meat probe is included
- 5-year warranty
Pellet Grilling
While pellet grills are usually designed to best operate as smokers, this grill is more grill focused. A traditional pellet grill has a heat deflector on top of the fire pot to block the direct heat while cooking.
The Phoenix has a different design where there is a diffuser on top of the fire pot. This lets through more direct heat to the grill surface, for a more traditional grilling experience. The beauty is, if that’s not enough heat for you, you can always switch to charcoal.