Wood Pellets for Smoking & Grilling FAQ

food-grade hardwood smoking and grilling pellets

Make the most of your BBQ smoker and pair it with the perfect food-grade hardwood pellet variety. Whether Apple, Hickory,  or Pecan get the perfect mix.

Use this grill pellets FAQ guide to find the best pellets for smoking your food.

Are wood pellets safe for grilling?
They’re solely made for heat sources. The pellets used in those stoves are not the same and generally are not safe for cooking with or human consumption. Pellets for BBQ grills contain all-natural food-grade materials, which automatically renders them safer than heating pellets.

What are the best BBQ pellets?
Traeger Hickory 100% All-Natural Hardwood Grill Pellets.CookinPellets 40PM Perfect Mix, 1 Pack.Cherry Flavor BBQR’s Delight Smoking BBQ Pellets 20 Pounds.BBQR’s Delight Apple Flavor Wood Smoking Pellets 20 pounds.Lumber Jack Apple Blend BBQ Grilling Pellets 20 LB Bag.

How long do BBQ wood pellets last?
As wood-fired smokers, Traeger grills use wood pellets for fuel. In both cases that works out to slightly more than $1 per pound. The smoker burns 1 to 3 pounds of pellets per hour. Traeger says that means each 20-pound bag provides between 6 to 20 hours of cook time (at high or low heat).

Are wood pellet grills worth the money?
Pellet Grills are Worth It. If you want a grill that lets you grill, barbecue, bake and use other popular cooking methods, a pellet grill is your best bet. We think that these grills are worth the price because they are easy to use and inexpensive to operate.

Are Pellet Grills Worth It?

Do wood pellets contain glue?
For the majority of wood pellets used in grills, though, sawdust is compacted into the wood pellets. The process creates a natural glue within the fibers of the wood, holding the pellets together once the wood starts cooling.

Can you use regular pellets in a pellet grill?
Be sure that you are using only food-grade pellets for cooking with your pellet grill. Some grillers will tell you that heating pellets (that is, wood pellets used in wood-burning stoves) will work just as well, but this isn’t necessarily true. … These woods will ruin the flavor of your food.

Are wood pellet grills better than gas?
Electric or gas is your best budget option for long-term use and entry-level pricing. And they’re the most hassle-free with the least amount of cleanup. For flavor, charcoal and pellet grills are generally accepted as the better options, but they will require more maintenance and higher running costs.

Do pellet grills smoke well?
But ask any professional BBQ cooker who uses a pellet grill, and they’ll tell you that the quality of your smoke really does come down to the pellets themselves. Pellet cookers in general have a very mild smoke profile, they are efficient with their fuel use and run about the cleanest fire you can get.

Can you leave pellets in the hopper?
Leaving unused pellets in your hopper can cause them to rot since they will be exposed to the elements of your outdoor environment. Emptying your hopper after each cook and storing the leftover pellets in a secure device like a sealed bucket can ensure your pellets last as long as possible. Wood Pellet Storage Do’s and Don’ts

Do you soak wood pellets before smoking?
Since pellets have been processed from sawdust by pressure which generates heat, any contaminants present in the wood are eliminated. This process produces a sterile smoking wood product of consistent quality. Pellets are easy to use since you do not soak them in water before use.

BBQ Pellets & Smoked Flavoring for Grills

Do wood pellets go bad?
Wood pellets can go bad, but if properly stored will last over long periods of time. Pellets deteriorate only when exposed to the elements – mainly moisture – and will be of no use once damp. Keeping your wood pellets cool and dry is essential to their longevity.

Can you use a pellet grill without electricity?
Yes, Pellet Grill Smokers use and need electricity to operate. The amount of electricity is minimal, it is mainly used to feed the pellets through an auger system and operate the thermostat control. As long as you can run a cable to the pellet grill, you can have a simple set and forget setup.

Does a Pellet Grill Smoker Need Electricity?

Are vertical or horizontal pellet smokers better?
Vertical pellet smokers are designed to smoke and roast foods but cannot grill. The heat source is usually further away from the meat. Horizontal pellet smoker grills can smoke, bake, grill, and some offer direct flame broiling. Vertical smokers tend to be superior to meat smokers.

Why are Traeger pellet grills so expensive?
Traeger grills are expensive due to the use of advanced technology and the expenses related to Research and Development, Legal, and Marketing. While Traeger makes excellent grills other companies make equivalent or better pellet grills which are also less expensive.

Can you cook burgers on a pellet grill?
Temperature For Grilling Hamburgers One of the benefits of grilling on a wood pellet grill is that you can get the wood-fired flavor on your grilled burgers. For smoked burgers, set the temperature to 225 degrees Fahrenheit or to Smoke or Super Smoke depending on the grill you have for 25-30 minutes. How to Grill Burgers:

What are pellets for smokers made from?
Pellets are made of only wood and come in flavors such as applewood, mesquite, and hickory; they cost $1 a pound, which Traeger says lasts an hour. (Some people throw wood chips for flavor on their charcoal grills.)

Is smoked meat unhealthy?
Newer studies suggest that eating smoked meats may lead to cancer even outside the gastrointestinal tract. A 2012 study, for example, linked smoked meat consumption with breast cancer. In subsequent decades, it has become clear that smoking isn’t the only problematic cooking method.

Is it healthier to cook with charcoal or propane?
Q: Is it healthier to grill with propane or charcoal? A: Props go to propane. In one study by scientists, charcoal-grilled meats contained more carcinogens called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) than meat heated with propane. Lean meats create fewer drippings and less smoke, which reduces PAHs.

Are Traeger pellets 100% wood?
Traeger All-Natural Wood Pellets. Creating 100% food-grade hardwood pellets comes naturally to Traeger. Our four US mills process pure hardwood, blended for the perfect balance of smoke to heat and superior quality you can taste every time. Traeger Are Traeger pellets 100% wood?

How long can you leave pellets in the hopper?
Below extract from the two most popular pellet grill brands’ websites of Traeger and Pit Boss on their official advice. ‘Don’t forget, if you’re taking a break from grilling (we don’t recommend) for more than a week-long, you’ll want to change out your pellets so they’re good as new when you get back.

How many pounds of wood pellets fit in a 5-gallon bucket?
20Traeger Wood Pellet Storage Lid & Filter Kit. Convert most standard 5-gallon buckets into a convenient storage solution for Traeger hardwood pellet fuel and keep up to a 20-pound bag of pellets fresh. The pellet storage kit includes an airtight lid that’s weather-resistant and will keep fuel dry.

How many pounds of wood pellets fit in a 5-gallon bucket?

Why do Pellet Grills explode?
Pellet grills explode when they have experienced an improper shut down such as a flameout, power outage, or user error.

Do pellet grills use a lot of electricity?
How Many Watts Does a Pellet Grill Use? The first few minutes is when the most power is needed. The small, metal igniter rod needs to get red hot to ignite the first few pellets that drop into the firebox. Approximately 300 watts is needed to accomplish this.

Should I get a pellet smoker?
Because pellet grills produce an indirect, convection-like heat, they require no more attention than a conventional oven. With their simple controls, just set it and forget it. And if you want the flavor of great food but don’t have the time to tend a charcoal grill, pellets are definitely the way to go.

Why Should I Buy a Pellet Grill?

Should I get a pellet smoker?
Which wood pellets produce the most smoke?
Which Smoker Pellets do the Pros Use?

Apple – A light fruity flavor that pairs well with mild cuts of meat.Hickory – A strong flavor that is instantly recognizable and one of the most popular choices.Mesquite – An intense smokey flavor that is a Texas BBQ classic.

Top 3 Best Smoker Pellets – What do the Pros Use

Which wood pellets produce the most smoke?
Pellet Grills Offer a Quick Heat Up Pellet grills allow busy people to grill at times they thought they couldn’t, while still delivering great flavor. Pellet grills have the convenience of a gas grill but with the added flavor of cooking over wood.

Why Should I Try a Pellet Grill, What is it?

Are pellet grills more expensive to operate?
Using 100% hardwood pellets such as Cookinpellets ensures that you have a consistent burn rate and low ash, with tons of flavor – and actually costs less per cook than other types of grilling.

Are pellet grills more expensive to operate?

Are Traegers worth it?
We think the Pro 575  is worth every penny. We highly recommend you check it out. It has an even larger grill area, a larger hopper, burns just as consistently, and produces some perfectly smoked and grilled meats.

Main grilling area: 418 Sq In
Pellet hopper capacity: 18 Pounds
Secondary grilling area: 154 Sq In
Max temperature: 450°F

Can you use pellets in a smoke box?
As long as they are designed for cooking/smoking (not treated wood pellets that you made yourself), no problem. If it were me, I would ignite a small portion and allow it to burn for 5 to 10 minutes, blow out the flame, then add fresh pellets to the already burning portion (without smothering).

How many pellets does the pit boss use?
A good rule of thumb is to have 2 lbs. of pellets for every hour of smoking low and slow or 4 lbs. for every hour of grilling hot and fast.

Starting Up Your Wood Pellet Grill

Are pit boss pellets any good?
The pellets impart a pretty mild flavor to what I cook which is a matter of taste but I prefer a stronger flavor. Still far better than a propane grill even when I pour in chips to get some real wood smoke going.

How are wood pellets held together?
The pellets are formed under extreme pressure The wood fiber is then fed into the pellet mill where a rotating arm forces the material through a metal die containing several uniform small holes. The intense pressure heats the wood fiber and binds it together as it passes through the die.

Why are Traeger grills so good?
Traeger grills create a very uniform heat around your food. Unlike gas and charcoal grills I’ve used in the past, this results in much less direct heat and more even cooking. Overall, this is a great thing. It’s more like cooking in an oven than on a grill in some ways.

What chemicals are in wood pellets?
Major ash-forming elements were Ca, K, Al, Mg, and Fe. Although heavy elements are found naturally in wood and bark, some pellet samples had unusually high concentrations of heavy elements.

Are pellet smokers as good as wood smokers?
Unlike the offset smoker, pellet smokers don’t require so much babysitting to low-and-slow a brisket to perfection. But, they do require access to power and, hard-core enthusiasts will say that the results from a pellet smoker are slightly less smoky and a bit moister than what you get off a traditional smoker.

Are vertical pellet smokers any good?
Vertical pellet smokers offer a whole new barbecue experience. They provide a larger cooking space and better airflow than many of their contemporaries, while still providing the high temperatures and fuel efficiency of standard wood pellet models.

HardwoodBeefChickenPorkSeafoodBakedVegtable
Alderxxxxxx
Applexxxx
Cherryxxxx
Hickoryxxxx
Maplexxxx
Mesquitexxx
Oakxxx
Pecanxxxxx
WOOD PELLET FLAVOR GUIDE