Smoker Pellets Vs. Wood Chips

Smoker pellets and wood chips are two of the most accessible and popular options for smoking food. They are two relatively modern twists on the use of smoke to preserve and flavor foods. In both cases, the basic principle remains the same—fire is applied to the fuel and smoke is produced; however, there are a couple of important differences between these two hardwood products. Let’s take a look at how they compare to each other.

How do smoker pellets and wood chips differ?
Both smoking pellets and wood chips can be made from any type of hardwood, one important difference has to do with the amount of processing that they undergo. Smoker pellets are made from compressed hardwood sawdust. The sawdust is dried so that its moisture level
They burn more slowly than wood chips while also delivering higher temperatures. Wood chips burn up quickly and will only provide adequate amounts of smoke if the fire is kept low so that they smolder. They are good at putting out moderate smoke without much of an effect on cooking temperature.

What are the negatives of each?
Both burn quickly and put out much less smoke when compared to wood chunks and sawdust. Neither smoker pellets nor wood chips are ideal for foods with long cooking times. In both cases, you will need to constantly add more to the fire for the food to be adequately smoked. Note that some brands of smoker pellets include binders similar to those included in charcoal briquets. These binders can produce unpleasant flavors in food. Because wood chips burn up quickly, they can give food a bitter taste if their burning is not controlled.

Which is more expensive?
Smoker pellets are generally less expensive per pound when compared to wood chips; however, they are typically sold in larger quantities. The result is that your initial outlay will usually be higher if you are buying smoker pellets, though you are likely to get more for your