Reddit mentions: The best grilling wood pellets

Honestly, it's one of the reasons I learned how to cook - it was just so much of a hassle taking risks, especially when dining out. I eventually limited myself to only trying new products on the weekend, and kept a product spreadsheet of what worked & what didn't, although sometimes products would change & I'd get a reaction to them.

It was certainly educational learning about all of the substitutions available on the market...coconut aminos in place of soy sauce, Otto's cassava flour in place of all-purpose flour, and more advanced stuff like homemade nixtamalized corn tortillas using a cast-iron press & keeping them warm in an microwavable insulated tortilla warmer.

I went through probably 35+ appliances trying to find the right combination of safe ingredients & convenience for meal-prepping, as it seemed like EVERYTHING has a huge hassle when it came to food sensitivities. Over the years, I eventually settled on just a handful of truly worthy appliances, including:

• Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker)
  
• Sous Vide (temperature-controlled water-bath) & vacuum-sealer
  
• Deli slicer
  
• Oster Smoker Roaster with no-filler pellets
  
• Baking Steel
  
• Breville Smart Oven Air (particularly for the proofing, airfryer, and dehydrator functions)
  
  Being restricted was difficult because it limited what safe options were available to you, and you get tired of getting sick all the time trying new stuff, so after testing lots & lots of kitchen gadgets, I finally got a good group of machines together that gave amazing, consistent results. The Instant Pot & Sous Vide units are two of my most-used machines. I use the deli slicer (you can find them for $99 on Amazon, no need to get a $500+ commercial unit) with the sous-vide & smoker a lot, primarily for homemade deli meat, because Boar's Head GF deli meat was getting super-expensive (almost $10/pound now!).
  
  The smoker is super awesome because you don't have to invest in a $500+ pellet smoker or be a BBQ whiz...just plug it in, add some pellets to both cups, and set the temperature! It works excellent in combination with sous-vide-cooked meats as well. The Baking Steel was hugely helpful for making good-quality baked goods, especially pizza:
  
  
• https://www.bakingsteel.com/blog/gluten-free-pizza-tests
  
  Otto's flour, while it doesn't rise like wheat flour, makes for some surprisingly good baked products, including baguettes that you can bake directly on the steel surface:
  
  
• https://www.ottosnaturals.com/blogs/recipes/gluten-free-pizza-recipe
  
• https://www.ottosnaturals.com/blogs/recipes/gluten-free-crunchy-french-bread
  
• https://www.ottosnaturals.com/blogs/recipes/simple-country-bread
  
  This ultimately led to a pretty nice meal-prep system, because I could both control cross-contamination, but also create some legitimately good food (and not just "good for gluten-free"). And as this is a Soylent sub-reddit, don't forget that DIY blends exists! So you can always make your own GF version of Soylent. Tons of recipe ideas available on the Complete Foods website:
  
  
• https://www.completefoods.co
  
  The thing I always tell people with food issues was not to expect miracles from the food industry, particularly the restaurant business. I've worked in food service and can tell you that everyone is busy, under-staffed, under-paid, and largely vastly under-educated in regards to food allergies. If you're expecting not to get a food reaction based on some kid getting paid minimum-wage in the back of the house to carefully prepare your food for you, you're playing with fire, it's as simple as that.
  
  That's important to understand because it's so easy to push the responsibility on someone else, but we're the ones stuck with the reactions. I used to have a coworker who would come out to lunches with our group & then get furious when his food caused a reaction in his body - which is a normal reaction, except it was nearly every single week at nearly every restaurant we went to, at which point he should have realized that eating out simply & expecting to feel great simply wasn't in the cards for him, but he didn't want to to accept personal responsibility for it.
  
  Which is also totally understandable, because I didn't realize what a burden gets lifted off of you when you get take-out or dine in at a restaurant or even just grab some fast-food at a drive-through or just pick up some snacks at a corner store, until I had to live with food allergies for a time. It can be amazingly stressful not to just eat whatever you want, whenever you want to!
  
  I wish that the food labeling laws were more stringent & covered more bases, because I do think the food industry is in dire need of further accountability, but unless you want to dedicate your life to fighting that battle, having to come up with a different solution is the route everyone with food problems has to go down at some point. Hopefully someday, things will improve even further! Great technology is becoming available & more & more companies are paying attention to the issues & doing a better job with labeling & creating alternative food options, which is really cool!

I have a Masterbuilt electric smoker and an Amaze N Smoker which I think is honestly the best of both worlds. I love the form factor of the Masterbuilt as well as the ability to use wood chips. The Amaze gives up to 12 hours smoke and can run it in cold smoke mode. Plus a 40 lb bag of pellets from Amazon for $35 is a long-time supply of wood.

I can't speak highly enough for the Amaze N smoker. I think it gives the most possible bang for the buck.

I made 6 loins a couple of weeks ago on a Traeger Pro 34. With a different smoker, I would probably have just done them at 225-275 the whole way, but with the Traeger it's super easy to bring the temperature up.

I rubbed them and smoked for about an hour at 225, then cranked it up to 350, pulling them at 140 and rested for 30 minutes. They carried over to 145-150, which was perfect.

I think I got them all done in about 90 minutes, there was a really good smoke flavor, and that high temp finish gave them a nice texture on the outside.

I've been using these pellets:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00819OICI

I've also struggled with getting strong smoke flavor from the Traeger. I've been using these pellets and the results have been great! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00819OICI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Still not as strong as smoking with my old propane and wood chunk rig, but I'm finding that not standing over the smoker all day leaves my palate more sensitive to pellet smoke. My wife says she likes things like turkey better with these pellets than my old rig because it tastes less like an ashtray ;)

I did experiment with an add on tube smoker to add more flavor, and even propped real chunks of wood on that. It helped, but it ends up being as arduous as my pre-pellet days ;)

I started with these. It gave me some sample size to see what woods I liked with what meats. I use these probably 90% of the time though as they are great overall for anything that I am smoking. The 40 pound bag last quite a while. Make sure to get an airtight container as humidity and moisture are the enemy. I got a 30 pound dog food container on Amazon and it works perfectly. Living in Florida I had to microwave my pellets before I found out they were just damp from the humidity.

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Agree with Diamonddan73 below, make sure to tent your tray so no drippings get on the pellets. Never tried the mailbox mod as the tray would give me about 12 hours of smoke when it was full.

Well, I have no idea what your price point is, but there are a couple really nice options that I have my eye on:

A nice 'Cold Smoker' will allow him to smoke cheese, salt, or anything else that might melt if too much heat hits it.

How about a wireless thermometer (definitely need a wireless one, not blue tooth) so he can keep watch on his grill from inside

Maybe a real nice skewer set with an elevated cooking system?

or maybe a portable smoker so he can tailgate?

OR.... how about a new Grill with all the works?

The options are limitless

This is what I use and with free prime shipping it's awesome! CookinPellets 40PM Perfect Mix Smoking Pellets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00819OICI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CxJHxbJNK0NAE

Thanks for the link. I checked it out and it says "Bear Mountain American Hickory BBQ Pellets are made with 100% hickory wood and a base wood of Pacific Northwest alder ". Isnt alder considered a filler? I would say high quality pellets use 100% hickory and thats it?

What I was attempting to ask in my original ntoe was, can you use something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HEYVS2O that is 100% hickory for the first 3 hours and use something like the Bear Mountain that are good, but do contain fillers like alder?

That's what I use mostly..because Costco, but people on here tend to not like Traeger pellets. I think many people like these in the link below. But they are more expensive on Amazon. I have read people saying they got this bag for 15-20 bucks on here at their local store. My uncle swears by the Cabelas pellets, which are like $15 for 20lb.

https://www.amazon.com/Lumber-Jack-40-Pound-Grilling-Competition/dp/B00HNWM75O/ref=sr_1_13?keywords=wood+pellets&qid=1549642049&sr=8-13

This has been a long time discussion among peller smoker users. Traeger uses a ton of fillers and not much real wood.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/new-info-on-whats-in-traeger-pellets.116254/

Here's a quote from the article regarding what makes up certain flavors of pellets.

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>After some back and forth she said she would try and get me some info and took my #. I would have bet anyone 100 bucks that I never would hear back from her but today she called me and said she got a note from the mill with a breakdown of whats in the pellets. The base wood if you are on the west coast is alder and the east coast is oak. Mesquite or Hickory 100% base wood (alder or oak) with flavor oils no actual Mesquite or Hickory wood in the pellet

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Honestly, Traeger's quality has gone downhill since they got big. Maybe ownership change? Either way, this aligns with their current business strategy; charge more for less quality.

If you want to make a pellet change, which I would recommend, CookinPellets is the number one recommendation among pellet smoker users.

https://www.amazon.com/CookinPellets-40PM-Perfect-Mix/dp/B00819OICI/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=wood+pellets&qid=1571774072&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzRkk3MDJESk9NTDRIJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDkxNjgwMVpGVTk2VkxKVTlDOSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwNDE3OTg5M0o2SkZXMkk4RklNMSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

You can not go wrong with these. https://www.amazon.com/CookinPellets-40PM-Perfect-Smoking-Pellets/dp/B00819OICI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1526397326&sr=8-5&keywords=pellets

However, I also have what is called "cash & carry" stores by me and I buy my pellets from them. They sell "Bear Mountain" pellets. I buy 20# bags of assorted woods and blend them myself, for $10.33 a bag. They burn great. Best, lowest cost, pellet I have personally found.

CookinPellets are pretty great, too.

If you have a pellet smoker, I use cooking pellets perfect mix for things like chicken and lamb.
http://www.amazon.com/CookinPellets-40PM-Perfect-Smoking-Pellets/dp/B00819OICI/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407869037&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=cooking+pellets+perfect+blend

I haven't used Traeger pellets in a long time. I have been using Cookinpellets for a few months now and I've been really happy with them. Walmart in my area also has a 20lb bag of Pit boss pellets for like 8 bucks.

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Here is a post that I came across a while back about Traeger pellets. I have no idea how true it is, but something to keep in mind when choosing pellets

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TLDR: guy claiming to hear straight from a Traeger rep that most of their pellets are oak/alder filler with flavored oils

If you are gonna spend as much money on Pellets as the Traeger brand costs, then I suggest go to Amazon for some CookinPellets, they have either the Perfect Mix, or Hickory

Those are twice the size bags of Traeger, so keep that in mind when comparing price.

I use the perfect mix when I'm smoking stuff. If I am just using the Traeger for heat, for example when I have ribs wrapped in foil or I'm grilling burgers, I use cheap stuff that I get at Cash and Carry. They are $6.99 a bag and basically the same as Traeger, which is Alder wood mixed with a little flavor wood.

If I recall correctly, I used CookinPellets Perfect Mix in the hopper and CookinPellets Hickory in an A-MAZE-N tube to add more smoke.

There are a few that claim to be 100% real hickory. I of course haven't done any analysis to back up their claim, but they do smell good.

https://www.amazon.com/Pellets-100-Hickory-Grilling-Smoking/dp/B0083OETNY
https://www.smokinbrothers.com/store.aspx?panel=3&productid=64&categoryid=6

CookinPellets 40PM Perfect Mix Smoking Pellets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00819OICI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LBMYAbGTD4V3K

CookinPellets 40PM Perfect Mix https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00819OICI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hu1uDbW32QRYH

Traeger pellets are junk. Give these a try, I've used them for quite a while now and always get lots of smoke on my Yoder YS640.


CookinPellets 40PM Perfect Mix Smoking Pellets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00819OICI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_hvuuybY5THNPM

I use pellets in a Green Mountain Grills Daniel Boone.

I've only used their Gold blend and Texas blends so far and I honestly can't tell much of a difference between the two. They both give a great smoky flavor on all cuts of meat I've tried (chicken, brisket, burgers, boston butt, wings, pork chops, and ribs).

I bought some new pellets yesterday that a lot of people have recommended. I'm looking forward to trying those this weekend.

If I'm wanting a really spicy rub, I use Rudy's Rub.

For everything else, I use a thin layer of Killer Hogs Hot BBQ Rub with a layer of their Regular BBQ Rub over it.

I was afraid the novelty would wear off with the pellet smoker, but we use it probably more than our regular grill now. Plus, I get multiple meals out of it throughout the week.

Thanks. For the last 10mo I have been using the Rec Tec Ultimate Blend or I use the CookinPellets in Hickory

If you have a grill, you can get everything you need to smoke it yourself for under 20 bucks. Tastes much better.

Link to smoker box

Link to pellets

I think they are canned wood for smoking. Maybe something like this.

I have been religiously using these for the past 6 months. When you have quality pellets the fire is more efficient and uses less. The cost of pellets is relative to the cost of propane in my experience. https://www.amazon.com/CookinPellets-40PM-Perfect-Smoking-Pellets/dp/B00819OICI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493992890&sr=8-1&keywords=cooking+pellets

I've been a huge fan since I got mine at a local Ace Hardware. No mechanical or electrical issues, good smoked product (I don't use Traeger pellets much, I use these). Only weird issue I had was with the side handle...it broke off, cleanly, when I was pulling it back into the garage; the spot welding just gave way, I guess. I called, quickly got someone, they immediately sent me a replacement handle, and I was back in business two days later (the handle has no effect on smoking or other operations).

Admittedly, if someone is in this forum they're unlikely to dislike Traeger, but anectdotally I can't say anything bad about the smoker.

A mixture of apple and competition pellets.

There are several other brands out there, I am using these right now:


Lumber Jack 100 Percent Pecan BBQ Grilling Pellets 40 LB Bag https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OHVIZ2I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_QyRgaHtCfAPD9

Lumber Jack 100 Percent Pecan BBQ Grilling Pellets 40 LB Bag

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OHVIZ2I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_W43PzbR2W4R09

These

So, I've come to the conclusion....Fuck traeger pellets. They are oil injected oak. They aren't true to the flavor. I've recently switched to these, and the smoke is night and day. What I'm used to seeing and tasting from my smoker.

I like their Competition Blend. I haven't found anybody selling them locally, but they're currently $33/40lb on Amazon. Ignore the $60 MSRP. I've never seen this not on sale in the $33-35 range.

I despise walmart, but unfortunately it's the only place I have found with Jack Daniels locally, Amazon has them at twice the price https://www.amazon.com/Delight-Jack-Daniels-Smoking-Pellets/dp/B00PIVDAD0

I mix these about 50/50 with the big trager bag from Costco

My disdain for pellet smokers is probably no secret, but being that this was a gift, I'll tell you what I've learned from them. Don't sell a gift, especially from your father in law. That's a dick move.

1. You're going to end up with a shitload of pellets from a shitload of different manufacturers. Start here. Maybe here too.
   
   
2. You're probably going to want one of these, too, because they don't put out a ton of smoke to begin with.
   
   
3. There's a little button on it that you can use to adjust the auger speed. That'll add more/less pellets per temperature setting. You'll probably have to adjust that based on ambient temperature, because if it goes too fast, it'll clog up and stop burning. That little button is, in my opinion, stupidly hidden, and should be a knob right on the front of the control panel.
   
   
4. Depending on the model, you can seal the chamber a LOT better than it comes from the factory to keep more smoke in and on the food. For the first round, feel free to shove foil in. Long-term, use the same gasket strips that you'd use on a BGE, like this.
   
   
5. WARNING: This one can cause a fire. Again, depending on which model, you can restrict the airflow from the smoke stack. This may or may not cause the heat to flow back up through the auger, and result in a very, very unfortunate mishap. If you decide to try this one, be very, very careful. I'd advise against it, but hey, this is NEWFREELAND.
   
   
6. People will tell you to put it on "smoke" before cooking. This is a bad idea. You probably won't get food poisoning from doing this until you're really, really comfortable with that process. If you're doing something that has nitrates in it, by all means, go for it. Otherwise, fucking yikes.
   
   There are a ton of other things you can try, but these will definitely get you started.