Pit Boss Navigator 1150 Review

MSRP: $999
Type: Premium Pellet Grill
Grilling area: 1158 square inches
Temperature Range: 180°F to 500°F
Wifi Enabled: No (Wifi Controller available for additional cost)
Hopper Capacity: 32 lbs of Wood Pellets
Weight: 185 pounds
Dimensions (WxDxH): 63.9 in (W). x 37 in (D). x 47 in (H)
What I Like: Precision Temperature Control, Slide Plate Flame Broiler, Large Pellet Hopper
What I don’t: No Wifi Connectivity standard, Temperature adjustments in 25-degree increments, hotspots over the cooking area

The Pit Boss Navigator 1150 is an innovative and robust pellet grill packed with advanced features to take your BBQ abilities to the next level. With 1,150 square inches of total cooking space, this grill can accommodate up to 6 racks of ribs or 7 chickens for the ultimate backyard cookout.

Key Features

The Pit Boss Navigator 1150 is a heavy-duty wood pellet grill that features a total cooking area of 1158 square inches and a dial-in digital control with LED read-out. It’s a solid performer at a great price. The Navigator 1150 offers a wide cooking temperature range of 180 degrees F to 500 degrees, with an open flame temperature of up to 1000 degrees. The Navigator has a bottom shelf that is convertible with a durable composite construction. The side shelf is made of steel and features tool hooks to hang your favorite grilling tools. This pellet grill also includes two 7 inch in-line sport-style wheels and two swivel, locking caster wheels for easy mobility. Also included is a full PVC black grill cover to protect the grill from the elements.

Precision Temperature Control –

The Navigator 1150 gives you precise control over your smoking with a wide 180°F to 500°F temperature range. The digital control board maintains temps within about 10 degrees for consistent results. No more large fluctuations or massive temperature swings.

Pit Boss also includes 2 meat probe ports in the control panel for the 2 included meat probes to monitor the internal temperature during your cook.

Premium Construction

From the heavy-duty 16 gauge hardened steel construction to the powder-coated finish, this grill is built to last. The porcelain-coated cast iron grids retain heat beautifully. Quality craftsmanship throughout.

Large Pellet Hopper

A huge 32 pound pellet hopper means you can smoke for hours without refueling. The large pellet capacity is more than enough for overnight and all-day smoking sessions. The hopper features a glass window for checking fuel level which I really like. There is also a bottom hatch for easy emptying and cleaning.

Flame Broiler

The Navigator features an open flame temperature of up to 1000 degrees, and a standard flame broiler with a simple slide-plate for direct and indirect flame grilling with handles to open and close. This feature is great for searing steaks or burgers after smoking.

Overall Build Quality

The grill body of the Navigator 1150 is constructed of heavy-duty steel with a high-temperature powder coat finish. The lid is constructed of thick 12 gauge steel and the barrel body is constructed of 15 gauge steel.

This grill also has a 5-year warranty on the body and a 1 Year Warranty on the remaining parts which covers defects for 1 year from the original purchase date for all other components.

Cooking with the Pit Boss Navigator 1150 Pellet Grill

Grilling

The Navigator comes packed with features that make this pellet cooker an amazing grill. The slide plate flamer broiler allows you to crank up the heat to temperatures once thought impossible using wood pellets. The Navigator is proof that the days of pellet grills only being used for smoking barbecue are over.

Pit Boss equipped the Navigator with high-quality porcelain coated cast iron cooking grates. Cast iron retains heat better than steel and helps create restaurant-quality sear marks.

Smoking

The Pit Boss Navigator 1150 is an excellent pellet grill for smoking delicious barbecue. The expansive cooking space and two-tier rack design can hold up to 7 racks of ribs, 2 briskets, or 4 pork butts. The extra space is capable to handle large cooks that go all night. The precise and steady temperature control for perfect low and slow smoking, and ability to add extra smoke flavor. If you want an affordable but highly capable pellet smoker to turn out competition-quality backyard barbecue, the Navigator 1150 is a top choice that outperforms its price.

What I Like/What I Dont Like

What I Like

• Searing – The direct flame access with the flame broiler features means you can grill and sear meat over direct heat. This ThPit Boss Navigator does a great job at cooking at a high temperature if you are going to do lots of grilling and creating restaurant quality sear marks is important to you.

• Large Pellet Hopper – The Pit Boss Navigator 1150 boasts an enormous 32 pound pellet hopper. Most other pellet grills have a hopper that can only hold 20 pounds of pellets. The large hopper means you don’t have to worry about running out of pellets when smoking a brisket or pork butt overnight.

• Folding Front Shelf – The Navigator 1150 features a convenient fold-away front shelf. I love this option because you can set up the shelf when you need it and tuck it away when you don’t.

• Wide Temperature Range – Pit Boss has elevated their game with the Navigator 1150 to make it a true pellet grill rather than just a pellet smoker. The temperature range up to 600 degrees and the direct flame access means you can sear food up 1000 degrees sets this grill apart from many other pellet grills that will only heat up to 400-500 degrees.

• Great Value – You get a lot of grilling and smoking space with this grill, that does not break the bank. Similar sized grills by Traeger or Camp Chef will cost hundreds of dollars more. Plus you get two meat probes and a waterproof cover included.

  What I Don’t Like

• Wifi Connectivity is extra- Unfortunately, the Navigation 1150 does not come with Wifi Connectivity, but rather you can purchase a wifi controller for an extra $150 dollars. For $999 I think this feature should be standard

• Built-in Thermometer reads low – Make sure you track the temperature of the cooking area yourself with another meat probe or thermometer. I have found that the built-in thermometer typically reads 25-30 degrees less than what other probes read. This is not a huge deal as you can adjust the temperature and track the internal temperature of your meat, but just something to be mindful of.

• No Pellet Hopper Clean Out Door – The Navigator does offer a way to easily empty the pellets from the hopper, like a sliding door or hinged door like some pellet grills. I empty the hopper after each cook and store my high-quality pellets in airtight and water tight containers in my garage. This task was a little more difficult with the Navigator. and vacuum out any residual dust. You can scoop the pellets out by hand or use a shop vac to vacuum any remaining pellets. The hopper lid is high quality so I don’t expect much moisture to migrate into the hopper.

Wrapping Up

If you want serious smoking and grilling abilities without breaking the bank, the Pit Boss Navigator 1150 deserves strong consideration. This pellet grill delivers an incredibly spacious 1,150 total square inches of cooking area for less than $1000. You’d be hard pressed to find another pellet grill that offers that much capacity at this price point. Despite the budget price tag, you still get excellent features like a flame broiler for searing, dual-tier racks for simultaneous smoking and grilling, and a large 32-pound pellet hopper.

The construction uses heavy-duty 16 gauge steel and the digital control board allows you to target temperatures between 180°F to 600°F for smoking flexibility. While it may lack some bells and whistles of pricier competitors, the Navigator 1150 absolutely provides excellent smoking performance and versatility for the money. If you want large-scale, high-value smoking capacity and high-temperature grilling ability without compromising on features, the Navigator 1150 is arguably the best bang for your buck. You’ll be amazed at what you can smoke and grill at this affordable price. The Pit Boss Navigator Pellet Grill is a solid choice for a great price!

The Competition

• Traeger Ironwood 885 Wifi ($1499) – The Ironwood 885 offers 885 square inches of cook space backed by Traeger’s outsanding product history. This grill is 50% pricier than the PitBoss for a smaller cooking area but offers some more features and a better fit and finish. It features a patented WiFIRE Pro control panel that pairs with a smartphone app for remote monitoring and control of the grill from anywhere. Another great feature is the DownDraft exhaust and TRU Convection circulates smoke evenly throughout the cooking chamber. The Ironwood 885 Pro also come standard with two meat probes, TurboTemp for quick recovery, large all-terrain wheels, and a double-sided locking lid.

• Louisiana Grills LG1200BL Black Label Wifi ($1199)
  The LG1200BL is a 1,180 square inch pellet grill with WiFi connectivity standard. The Louisiana is just about the same size as the Pit Boss Navigator. The LG1200PL features a PID controller and two meat probes that help provide precise temperature management from 180°F to 600°F. Louisiana Grills LG1200BL also features the innovative SearTECHcontrol that provides instant direct heat to achieve an awesome sear. The large 18 pound pellet hopper is nowhere near as large as the massive 32lb hopper on the Navigator 1150.

• Camp Woodwind Pro Wifi 36-Inch ($1499) – The Woodwind Pro WiFi 36 is a higher end pellet grill that comes equipped with Wifi smart technology. It has 1,236 square inches of cooking surface similar to the Navigator 1150. The PID temperature controller and WiFi/app connectivity allow you to precisely target temps between 160-500°F and monitor your cooks remotely. A unique feature on the Woodwind Pro is the built-in smoke box lets you cook with wood chunks or chips for extra smoke. The Woodwind Pro is also Sidekick Compatible, so you can add other cooking capabilities like a Sidekick Flat Top griddle or Sidekick Searing Station.

Comparison Table