Pit Boss Navigator 850 Review 2026: Smoke and Sear for Less

Key Specs

Does the Navigator 850 Hold Temperature Overnight?

Yes: it held 225°F within about 12–15°F through a 10-hour unattended pork shoulder.

This is the test that matters for low-and-slow cooks. If a pellet grill drifts overnight, you wake up to a dried-out shoulder or a dead fire. The Navigator held steady enough that we didn't need to babysit it, and the 41°F cold-morning start lit and climbed without trouble. Overnight pork shoulder and brisket cooks are well within its reach.

Pit Boss says swings of about 25°F either way are normal, because the auger cycles on and off. Our overnight results were tighter than that, so treat Pit Boss's figure as the outer limit, not the goal. If you see bigger swings, clean the fire pot before changing settings.

Tuning the P-setting

The Smoke setting has a tuning knob most owners never touch, and it's worth knowing:

• Default: Pit Boss's FAQ says the default is P-4, which feeds pellets for 18 seconds and pauses for 115 seconds on Smoke.
• Higher (P-5, P-6, P-7): lengthens the pause and lowers the smoke temperature. Set it too high and the fire can go out.
• Lower: raises the temperature and can reduce swings.

Weather and cold

The Navigator is a single-wall steel grill, so weather affects it more than an insulated model. It works in the cold but burns more pellets; an insulated grill blanket made for your model can help.

Pit Boss's FAQ says to keep the grill as protected from the elements as possible. A spot out of the wind and under a covered patio (with clearance overhead) helps it hold temperature and burn fewer pellets.

Can a Pellet Grill Really Sear a Steak?

Yes: the Flame Broiler put our ribeye over open flame for a crust with visible char.

The Flame Broiler is why you buy this over a Traeger. Slide the plate open and food sits right over the fire pot. Our ribeye built a crust with visible char, and the slide moved smoothly every session. Searing was its second-highest score, behind only value.

With the slide plate open, flame from the fire pot charred the ribeye's crust.

The limit is size. The direct zone is small, so you sear a few steaks at a time, not a full grate.

How to get the best sear

Pit Boss rates direct-flame searing up to 1,000°F with the slide open. That's a manufacturer figure for the flame zone, not a grate reading. Its FAQ gives two rules worth following:

• Keep the Flame Broiler closed for normal cooks. The plate doubles as the grease drain path, and closing it prevents grease fires.
• Leave the main lid open when you sear over open flame. Close it again once the plate is shut.

The best method is a reverse sear: smoke or roast first with the plate closed, then clean off pooled grease before opening it. Our reverse sear method guide has the steps.

Sear one or two steaks at a time, flipping often, and move them back to the indirect side if the fat flares. Keep searing on the main grate; Pit Boss lists the upper rack as lighter porcelain-coated steel, better suited to holding food. If searing is your main goal, our best grills for steaks guide covers gas and charcoal options too.

Can You Trust the App on an Overnight Cook?

Yes, once updated: no dropped connections across all eight cooks, including overnight through interior walls.

App control is what lets you sleep through a 10-hour smoke. After a day-one firmware update, the Navigator's app was reliable.

Grill and probe temperatures stayed visible from inside the house all night.

• Connection: no drops across eight cooks, including overnight through interior walls.
• Accuracy: during steady cooking, readings matched our thermometer within a few degrees.
• Lag: right after opening the lid, the app lagged 30–60 seconds behind the grill.
• Firmware: Wi-Fi needed an update on day one, about 10 minutes; later updates installed cleanly mid-test. The quick-start guide doesn't mention it.

Use the probe and app instead of opening the lid to check food, since each lift costs heat and pellets. Our meat temperature chart has the targets to set.

Which Navigator 850 version are you buying?

The Navigator 850 name covers several retail versions, which is why specs and prices differ between stores.

Older Navigator 850s sold without built-in Wi-Fi, and some European retailers bundle a separate Wi-Fi controller. Check the model on the box or listing and confirm it works in Pit Boss's own app before you buy.

If you find an older non-Wi-Fi unit at a deep discount, it still smokes and sears the same way. You'd just give up remote monitoring, the main reason this version scores well on controls.

How Hard Is Assembly and Startup?

About 75 minutes solo with a drill, but get a second person for the barrel lift.

Assembly took Marcus 75 minutes on his own, with hardware complete and labeled. At 164.2 lb assembled, the barrel lift onto the legs and moving it into place are two-person jobs. The cart rolls on two in-line wheels and two locking casters, so it moves across a patio but isn't built for gravel or grass.

Startup, the Pit Boss way

Pit Boss grills start differently from Traegers, and following the maker's steps avoids the most common first-day failure:

1. Open the lid and set the dial to Smoke. The auger feeds pellets for about 3.5–4 minutes, then pauses while the 200-watt igniter lights them.
2. Wait for the smoke to settle. Thick smoke for 3–4 minutes means the fire pot has caught; once it settles and you hear the fan-driven flame, set your temperature.
3. Don't start on a high setting like 400°F. Pit Boss explains that the auger keeps feeding and can flood the pot before it lights. Running Smoke with the lid open for about 10 minutes helps burn off excess fuel.
4. Let shutdown finish. Expect the fan to keep running for about 15 minutes after power-off; that's normal.

Before the first cook, do a burn-off to clear manufacturing residue; Pit Boss covers it in its startup video and owner's manual. If the igniter ever stops lighting, see how to replace a grill igniter.

What to cook first

Start with a pork shoulder. It's forgiving of small swings, needs no searing, and shows how the controller behaves over a long cook. Our pork shoulder guide covers the full process.

Next, try a reverse-seared ribeye to learn the Flame Broiler. After that, chicken thighs and wings at 350–400°F show how the porcelain-coated grate handles medium heat. Hold off on a packer brisket until you've done a couple of long cooks.

Who Should Buy the Pit Boss Navigator 850 (and Who Shouldn't)

A do-everything pellet grill for families, not a tabletop or a Traeger-app fan's grill.

Pit Boss Navigator 850 vs. Alternatives

Most shoppers are choosing between this and a Traeger, a gravity-fed charcoal grill, or a bigger recteq.

Is the Pit Boss Navigator 850 Worth the Money?

Yes: few pellet grills at this price both smoke steadily and sear over open flame.

Final Score