What Are The Best Pellets For Pellet Grills

Best Smoking Wood Pellets Complete Review

â Pellet Grill: Best Pellet Grills (Buying Guide)

Finding the best smoking wood pellets for smoking is not an easy job. Landing at the perfect and right product for your gas grill demands serenity and unprejudiced observation.

In our review of the best wood pellets for smoking, weve selected the top reviewed products, read customer opinions about them, and analyzed them. Weve ensured that you get the flavor or blend that suits your needs.

Keep reading the guide to learn about different smoker pellets and their pros and cons. Please note that this guide consists of reviews of both types smoker pellets and heating pellets.

Is It Time To Get A New Pellets For Pellet Grill

Youre looking for a new pellets for pellet grill. What do you think? Its difficult to predict future price changes. If there are no signs of production slowing, it can be worth buying now to enjoy your investment sooner. But if output is declining and prices are predicted to rise, you might want to wait until the buzz has died down before making a choice.

Varieties Of Pellets For Smoked Brisket

There is an unlimited selection of pellets you can use for smoking a great brisket, especially when you start mixing up your own pellet blends. Below Ive listed my favorites in order as a standalone pellet. Again, my favorite combo is oak and cherry.

  • Oak. Bold and smoky, the most popular choice. Classic clean burn while delivering on the flavor. This is the favorite choice for most of Texas and myself.
  • Pecan. Great choice! Again, bold without overwhelming the meat. Nice smoke flavor, clean burn, some claim a slightly nutty flavor.
  • Mesquite. STRONGEST of the wood pellet flavors. One of my favorite briskets came from Valentinas outside of Austin, TX. They use mesquite wood exclusively and it lends a very bold smoke and unique flavor. Perfect for brisket tacos!
  • Hickory. Not my personal favorite of the hardwoods, but very popular in Kansas City for their thinner sliced briskets and saucy, sweet burnt ends.
  • Cherry. Favorite of the fruit woods . Mild flavor, amazing color, fruity, but not too sweet.
  • Apple. Applewood smoke definitely pulls too light and sweet for me when it comes to beef brisket, but works in a pinch. Better saved for pulled pork or ribs.
  • Maple. Another sweet and light wood. Not always easy to source, but lots of people use it regularly and churn out good smoked brisket!

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How To Choose Wood Pellets For Smoking

Most folks are content with using the wood pellets recommended by their smokers manufacturer, with the claim that these pellets are the best for the said smoker. However, this is a myth. In fact, in many cases, other pellets are better than those suggested by the manufacturer. Choosing a good pellet can make a world of difference.

Pellets are a source of heat and smoke. Thus, they are liable to influence the outcome of your food for better or worse. With this in mind, here are some tips on how to choose a wood pellet.

1.Flavor

One advantage of pellets is the sheer variety of options available to choose from. From the tarty taste of cherry to the intense flavor of Oak and the nutty hints of pecan, wood pellets have so many flavors.

These flavors can be mixed in different proportions and diverse combinations. Each flavor has foods it goes well with, while some do not mix too well. Here are some pellet/food combinations that are popular among folks who love smoking with pellets.

  • For beef, use pellets that have Oak, Mesquite, or Alder flavors
  • For poultry and tender meats, Apple, Cherry, Pecan, and Hickory are great options
  • Seafood tastes better with Oak or Alder
  • Vegetables are great when smoked with Alder, Maple, Pecan, or Apple

2.Type of Pellet

On the other hand, BBQ pellets are made with high-quality hardwood. It is free of fillers and artificial adhesives.

Best Wood Pellets For Smoking 2022

Best Wood Pellet Grill Reviews

Barbecue wood pellets elevate food and meat to a new level, infusing them with a range of delicate flavors. From hickory to apple, learn which BBQ smoking pellets will complement which types of food. Complete your pellet smoker setup with our guide to the best wood pellets for smoking.

  • What to Avoid
  • Smoking wood pellets are a cleaner and efficient alternative to traditional gas or charcoal fuels. Still, its essential to know what to get for the right conditions. Some burn longer, some burn hotter, and some offer different kinds of flavor. Depending on what meat youre smoking, you might want different pellets.

    You can have the right pellet smoker setup, but if youre not using the right kind of wood you risk ruining your food. You dont want to invest in a big batch of pellets to find out that its not compatible with your grill, or poor quality.

    My guide to the best wood pellets for smoking will make using your pellet grill a breeze. Ill show you my top 5 choices before walking you through the key things to look out for in barbecue wood. Lets get into it.

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    Royal Oak Charcoal Pellets

    Founded in 1953 Royal Oak is the largest producer in the US of natural lump charcoal. Therefore, it makes sense that Royal Oak has been the first to produce 100% charcoal pellets. These 100% charcoal pellets have special attributes that set them apart from standard hardwood BBQ pellets.

    These 100% Royal Oak Charcoal Pellets are special, and currently quite hard to get hold of: Image HomeDepot.com

    Not only will these 100% charcoal pellets produce more smoke flavour, they will produce more heat for grilling/searing and they are also water-resistant! The higher heat output of these 100% charcoal pellets may also be well suited to cooking pizza with pellets where you want the pizza stone to be getting up to very high temperatures for a nice crust. 100% charcoal pellets in any pellet grill will provide more functionality and eliminate the chance of an auger block due to swelling pellets. Check out my article on charcoal pellets to learn more.

    • Pellet Flavours: 100% Oak Charcoal
    • Bag Size: 20lbs
    • Availability:HomeDepot.com

    How We Test Pellet Grills

    To determine the best pellet grill and figure out just how these products perform under a variety of cooking scenarios, we conduct three tests. Based on different meats, methods and heat settings, these tests show us how efficiently and evenly a grill does cook.

    Smoking pork ribs low and slow is a perfect test for pellet grills.

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    Lowest Residue Traeger Pellet

    If youre looking for pellets that are 100% hardwood and dish out a pecan smoke, then Traeger Grills Pecan Pellets are the way to go. They are ideal for grilling up chicken, beef, pork, and vegetables. With a 5% moisture ratio, these pellets provide a thick smoke. Equally importantly, they burn evenly and keep your grill or smokers temperature steady throughout the whole process.

    One of the unique features of the pecan pellets is that they also work well with baked goods. If you havent yet experimented with baked goods and your grill, then this is your opportunity. The pecan smoke elevates baked goods to a new level.

    With these pellets, you dont need to worry about too much ash or dust. The pure production process used by Traeger means that ash is always kept to a minimum and there is no artificial aftertaste.

    Best Wood Pellets For Pellet Grills

    What Makes Traeger The Best Pellet Grill?
    • Pin

    The tantalizing flavor of pellet wood is one of the main reasons why grill chefs prefer pellet grills. Pellet grills have emerged as strong competitors to gas grills and charcoal grills on account of their exotic flavor, ease of use and superior temperature control.

    Master grill chefs can craft the most mouth-watering, smoke-flavored barbecue using the best wood pellets for pellet grill smoking.

    If you have researched wood pellet grills, then you probably know that theres a myriad wood pellet types to choose from. Of course, not all wood pellet types and brands are equal.

    This guide will take you through all sorts of wood pellets so that choosing the best wood pellets for smoking becomes less perplexing for you.

    Here are the brands that make the best wood pellets for pellet grills.

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    Smoking Pellets Dont All Taste The Same

    While some brands are clearly better than others, they wont always have the same wood choices. The flavor profile of a pellet greatly changes depending on the type of wood selected. From sweet and musky Alders to earthy Mesquites, the correct choice of wood gives your BBQ a unique mouthwatering taste.

    Weve gone ahead and compiled the below table showing all available flavors for the top three choices.

    How Do We Choose The Best Wood Pellets

    When deciding on the best wood pellets, we considered a broad range of sorts and flavors. We know that different types of wood flavor are more suitable for specific foods, so we included choices that pair great with poultry, pork, and seafood, as well as vegetables.

    This list includes some suggestions that may be used in a variety of ways. However, quality is the most important consideration when purchasing wood pellets. For the best results, choose pellets that are completely natural , produce minimal ash, and come from high-quality wood.

    You should also check for pellets that are compatible with your smoker. If you buy cheap pellets, they may become jammed in your grills auger and ruin your dinner plans.

    Pellet grill manufactures will play with the blend to find the perfect mix for their grills and taste, but to pick a good wood pellet, you want to focus on all-natural hardwood pellets without fillers or additives.

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    Best Pellets For Smoking Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is better: wood chips or pellets?

    The differences between wood chips and pellets include the fact that wood chips are made of wood while pellets are from the sawdust and by-products of mills.

    Due to their size, wood chips burn faster than pellets Pellets, on the other hand, might burn slower, but burn hotter. Thus they quickly release smoke and are great for times when you have to cook quickly. Furthermore, wood pellets burn more slowly than chips and are easier to control. They leave little ash and are easier to clean up.

    There is no better. The choice is ultimately yours.

    What brand of wood pellets are the best?

    There are so many brands that offer quality wood pellets. The most reliable brands have been discussed in this article. They are, in no particular order:

    • CookinPellets
    • BBQ Jack Deniels

    What is in Pit Boss Competition Blend Pellets?

    Being a blend, Pit Boss Competition contains different flavors of hardwood. It is a combination of Maple, Cherry, and Hickory

    Can you smoke meat with wooden pellets?

    Yes of course!

    In fact, smoking meat with wood pellets is one of the best ways to enjoy meat. Wood pellets come in different flavors that will make your meat taste exquisite. From Mesquite to Oak to Hickory, and Pecan, there are smoke flavors for every type of meat!

    So smoke your poultry, bison, beef, pork, and other meats with wood pellets!

    Do you soak wood pellets for smoking?

    We have a good answer for this question from Steve, who is one of our readers.

    Traeger Pel319 Grills Hickory 100% All

    The 9 Best Inexpensive Pellet Grills in 2021

    This twenty-pound bag is another great choice. When cooking with Traeger, the hardest part is usually waiting for the food to be ready the smoke rising from this hickory BBQ flavor will make you salivate.

    A good feature of these pellets is that they are known to produce less ash than other wood pellets out there. Less ash also means that there is less to clean up afterward. Made from 100% hardwood, these pellets have no fillers or additives. While adding a lovely, smoky flavor, these pellets wont harm the environment or your food. They work well with most kinds of meats such as pork, poultry, beef, and even for smoking vegetables and cheeses.

    Although Traeger has a variety of pellets to choose from, hickory will always be one of the best choices. If you are a newbie to pellet smokers and you cant make a decision on which type of pellet to use, it is ideal to go with this hickory flavor from Traeger.

    Pros

    • Produces less ash than other options
    • Traeger also offers other 100% wood types like apple, cherry, and pecan
    • Good variety of flavors to choose from from a quality brand
    • Small pellet size fits most pellet smokers

    Cons

    Check Latest Price on Amazon

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    How Pellet Grills Work

    Pellet grills have a hopper, or basket, that holds the wood pellets. These pellets are then driven into a pot through a shaft with an auger. The pot has a heating rod and a fan below that is thermostatically controlled just like the heat in your home, Marks explained. The fan controls the oxygen flow, creating efficient use of the wood pellets as well as a very narrow window of temperature fluctuation and rapid recovery time when you open and close the door.

    The heating rod then fires up the pellets drawn into the pot by the auger while the fan blows. When it comes to temperature, its typically set it and forget it with pellet grills. They typically are able to heat up to 175 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit without you needing to tend a fire. It’s pretty simple for the cook you turn it on and set it to your desired temp and, as long as you keep the hopper full of pellets, itll keep cooking, said Ray Dr. BBQ Lampe, author of Dr. BBQ’s Big-Time Barbecue Cookbook and member of the American Royal BBQ Hall of Fame. A big positive is that the pellets are 100 percent wood so it’s a clean burning wood fire with even heat. These are things that all barbecue cooks strive for and the pellet grill makes it easy.

    Best Wood Pellets For Smoking

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  • Are you not able to add the taste that you expected in your food?

    For adding an irresistible smoky flavor to your food, you require best quality wood pellets for smoking. They yield an intense smoke that instantly seals in the natural moisture. Good quality hardwood pellets give you the right balance of heat and high heat fumes, creating a tantalizing aroma in food.

    There are so many choices when it comes to smoking pellets. Selecting the best one depends on the type of food you are smoking, what flavors you want to add to your food, and whether you want blended flavor or single flavor profile. If you have chief wood pellets for grilling, then you will be very confident to make smoked and grilled dishes with great taste for your friends and family.

    So lets go ahead with our investigation and find a better option for you among the smoker pellets on the market.

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    What Flavors Are There For Wood Pellets

    This is where you can really experiment. Finding the right flavor pellet for you will have to involve experimenting and trying different ones until you land on what you like.

    That said, some undoubtedly complement different meats better than others.

    For example, if youre smoking turkey with wood pellets, then youll want something a lot lighter than if you were cooking brisket.

    Here are some combinations you might want to try.

    Wood
    beef, fish

    Learn How To Choose The Best Traeger Pellets

    The Best Pellet Grills and Smokers | Retail Stores Can’t Compare to Grilla Grills Quality

    Welcome to the modern era of cooking. Thanks to wood pellets, grilling to perfection while infusing distinct flavor is easier and more effective than ever before.

    The art of smoking foods is all about consistent and level temperatures which starts with your fuel of the fire. Whether in the form of chunks, chips, or wood pellets, its best to use some type of hardwood for smoking.

    Traditionally, wood chips or chunks have been used in grills and outdoor ovens large enough to use them. Grillers with smaller setups can also use wood chips or wood pellets in gas or charcoal grills by using a smokebox, and recently, wood pellet grills have been making BBQ magic at homes as much as at restaurants. Many grillers enjoy using hardwood pellets because of their convenience and effectiveness compared to other fuels.

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    Louisiana Grills Charcoal Blended Pellets

    A premium brand of pellet grills/smokers from Danson LLC who also owns the Pit Boss brand. The Louisiana Grills charcoal pellets are stated on the bag to be a charcoal blend, however, specifics are not provided on the ratio of charcoal to hardwood.

    Currently, these Louisiana Grills charcoal pellets only appear to be available through their own website: Image Louisiana-Grills.com

    Best For Maintaining Constant Temperature

    These premium wood pellets are a blend of several types of hardwood. In the blend, youll notice maple, hickory, and cherry flavors. They create a blue smoke that makes an ideal flavor with beef and other foods.

    Because these pellets have no fillers or binding agents, they have a pure and untainted flavor. The pellets work well with almost anything, including vegetables, red meat, poultry, and fish. You can use them to grill, smoke, bake, or even braise your food.

    Available in a 20 pound bag, this product gives you fuel for hours. As an official Traeger product, this bag of pellets has the brands stamp of approval. Its a brand you can stand by and one you can rely on to keep your grill burning at an even temperature. This particular blend is particularly popular for its ability to maintain a constant temperature throughout the grilling experience.

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