Superior Flavor Starts Right Here
We carry a wide variety of smoking woods, pellets and charcoals and flavors like Hickory, Mesquite, Oak, Post Oak, Pecan, Cherry, Apple, Maple, and a variety of blends.
Want to Learn More About the Different Fuel Types?
Pellets
Wood pellets have become popular among grilling and smoking enthusiasts for several reasons. Here are the benefits of using wood pellets for grilling and smoking:
1. **Consistent Flavor:** Wood pellets are made from compressed sawdust and offer a consistent flavor profile. This is important for smoking, as different types of wood impart distinct flavors to the food. Whether you prefer a mild smoke from fruitwoods like apple or a stronger flavor from hickory, you can find a pellet that suits your taste.
2. **Efficiency:** Pellet grills and smokers are highly efficient. They use a digital thermostat to control the temperature, allowing for precise cooking. The pellets are automatically fed into the fire, so you don’t have to worry about constantly tending to the fire like with traditional charcoal or wood smokers.
3. **Clean Burning:** Wood pellets burn cleanly and produce minimal ash. This makes cleanup much easier compared to charcoal or wood chips. The efficient combustion also means there’s less creosote buildup in the smoker, reducing the risk of flare-ups and ensuring a cleaner smoke flavor.
4. **Versatility:** Wood pellets come in a variety of flavors, including oak, cherry, mesquite, and more. This variety allows you to experiment with different wood flavors to find the perfect match for your meat, fish, or vegetables. You can also mix pellets to create unique flavor profiles.
5. **Convenience:** Pellet grills and smokers are relatively easy to use, making them suitable for both beginners and experienced grillmasters. They often have electronic controls, allowing you to set the desired temperature and forget it until your food is ready. Some models even come with Wi-Fi connectivity, enabling you to monitor and control the cooking process from your smartphone.
7. **Environmentally Friendly:** Wood pellets are usually made from sawdust and other wood byproducts, making them a sustainable and environmentally friendly choice. Using pellets reduces the demand for newly harvested timber, contributing to the preservation of forests.
Remember, the choice of wood pellet flavor can significantly influence the taste of your food, so don’t hesitate to experiment and find the combinations that work best for your grilling and smoking recipes.
Flavors
Do flavored wood pellets make a difference? The pellets you choose can make a huge difference to the food you're cooking. Pellets come in various flavors, from the usual suspects such as apple, cherry, and hickory to almond, peach, and pecan. Every variety has its own taste. Probably the most widely used pellets in barbecue, hickory pellets release a strong flavor that complements most meats. Some people find hickory can be a little strong and like to mix it with a milder pellet like oak or apple.
Here are the flavors most often recommended for grilling/smoking proteins:
Beef: Cherry, Hickory, Maple, Mesquite, Oak, Pecan
Brisket: Cherry, Hickory, Oak, Mesquite
Chicken: Apple, Cherry, Hickory, Mesquite, Pecan
Lump Charcoal vs Briquettes
What is Lump Charcoal?
Charcoal is made by burning wood in the absence of oxygen, and lump charcoal is the product of that. Since lump is charcoal in its most natural form, it’s no wonder purists will almost always prefer it. Beyond that, lump charcoal has a lot of attractive qualities; it lights faster, burns hotter, and leaves very little ash compared to briquettes. Lump charcoal is also more responsive to oxygen, making it easier to control the fire’s temperature if your grill has adjustable air vents.
Pros: Lights quickly, burns hotter, little ash production, easier temperature adjustment, all natural.
Cons: Burns faster, more expensive, less consistent (bags can contain unusably small pieces of charcoal).
What are Briquettes?
Briquettes are kind of like the fast food of charcoal; they’re cheap, reliable, and can be found on almost every corner, but you really don’t want to know what’s in them. Unlike the pure lump charcoal, briquettes are manufactured wood by-products compressed with additives that help them light and burn consistently. These additives do give off a chemical smell when lit, but allowing them to burn until covered with white ash before starting to cook should avoid any off-putting smells transferring to your food. Although they may not sound attractive, there are some good advantages to briquettes. They provide a more stable burn, maintaining a steady temperature for a longer period of time with less hand-holding than lump charcoal.
Pros: Burns longer, easier to maintain consistent temperature, cheaper.
Cons: Longer to light, chemical smell, large ash production.
