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5 Best Charcoal Pellets for a Pellet Grill
A pellet grill is a great way to get that delicious smoky flavor in your food without the hassle of traditional charcoal grilling. However, choosing the right charcoal pellets can make a big difference in the taste and quality of your food. In this article, we will take a look at the top charcoal pellets for a pellet grill to help you make the best choice for your next grilling adventure.
Benefits of Charcoal Pellets
Charcoal pellets offer a number of benefits over traditional hardwood pellets:
- Produce a higher temperature making them ideal for searing and grilling.
- Gives your food a more intense smokey flavor.
- Can mix them with traditional hardwood pellets to match your personal flavor preferences.
Charcoal Pellets Increased Heat Output
Charcoal pellets can provide a higher heat output than traditional hardwood pellets. Compared to general hardwoods, charcoal contains about 40% more energy per pound. This means charcoal contains more energy and has the potential to burn hotter.
Many budget pellet grills struggle to grill or sear. For this reason, the appeal of a gas/pellet combo grill has grown recently. However, with the use of charcoal pellets, you can boost your grilling and searing performance. So no need to go buy a new pellet grill. Switch to using charcoal pellets when you grill and sear your meats and save yourself time and money.
Charcoal vs. Charcoal/Hardwood Blended Pellets
Pure charcoal pellets and charcoal/hardwood blends will give you different flavor profiles. The added hardwood in the blend provides a more authentic smokey flavor to your food.
You will also experience a greater volume of smoke from a charcoal/hardwood blended pellet. This is because charcoal burns cleaner than wood. Therefore, the amount of visible smoke is reduced.
As for heat output both types of pellets will provide a temperature boost. It’s the 100% charcoal pellets though where you will see the greatest temperature increase.
Are Charcoal Pellets water-resistant?
The short answer is yes they are water resistant. But you have to be sure they are 100% charcoal pellets.
So how are 100% charcoal pellets water resistant? It comes down to the process used to make charcoal. The carbonization process alters the chemical levels of the wood. Without going into the boring details charcoal becomes hydrophobic. Which simply means it repels water.
So how about charcoal blended pellets? Well, they would absorb the water and expand like any other hardwood BBQ pellet. This happens because charcoal-blended pellets still contain a percentage of virgin hardwood. If you are unsure which type of pellet you have. The best choice is to not get your pellets wet or expose them to moisture.
What are the best Charcoal Pellets?
So you have decided to try using charcoal pellets and want to know which are the best ones. Never fear we have put together our choices of the 5 best charcoal pellets to use in your pellet grill.
1. MacLean’s Outdoor
MacLean’s Outdoor charcoal pellets are made with real charcoal. It’s also blended with North American maple wood.
MacLean’s charcoal pellets have the same charcoal taste as lump charcoal. These pellets are 100% natural with no artificial flavors. Great cooking all types of meat and fish. They are also compatible with any type of pellet grill.
2. Royal Oak
Royal Oak charcoal pellets are a great choice for those looking for a more authentic smoky flavor. They are 100% real hardwood charcoal pellets with no additives or coatings. Thus giving you the tasty and smokey flavor of real BBQ.
These Royal Oak charcoal pellets are water-resistant and won’t clog your auger if they get wet. This makes for easy use and hassle-free cleaning.
You can grill or sear from the high temperatures that you can achieve with charcoal pellets. These pellets are safe for any pellet grill so you can still get that authentic BBQ flavor.
3. Pit Boss
Pit Boss charcoal blend pellets are made in the US. These charcoal pellets offer a bold aroma of oak hardwood and a classic taste of smokey charcoal. Perfect for enriching your beef, pork, poultry, and vegetables.
Pit Boss charcoal pellets have no toxins. This is because they are made 100% free of spray scents, glues, artificial flavors, and chemicals. These pellets are perfect for uniting the greatest flavors of smoking food.
4. Smoke Daddy Pellet Pro
Smoke Daddy Pellet Pro pellets are made from a blend of charcoal and red oak. They add a strong smoke flavor and produce nitric oxide which creates the famous BBQ smoke ring.
These charcoal blend pellets guarantee a high BTU output. They also are clean burning and don’t produce a lot of ash. Smoke Daddy Pellet Pro Charcoal blend pellets work great with any pellet grill. They will add a new flavor dimension to your food!
5. Lumber Jack
Lumber Jack pellets are made from real trees. They use the bark and the cambium layer of trees which gives you all the flavor. These pellets also have a smaller diameter than other pellets but create a hotter burn. They also produce more smoke with more surface area than other pellets as well.
If you miss the flavor you get from a charcoal grill then you need to give these charcoal pellets a try. They do burn hotter than other pellets as mentioned so watch your temperatures closely.
Final Thoughts on the Best Charcoal Pellets
Charcoal pellets are a convenient and efficient way to add more smoke flavor to your food. They produce more heat and burn cleaner than regular hardwood pellets. Using charcoal pellets is also an easy way to make your pellet grill more versatile. Charcoal pellets make it easier for you to grill and sear on a pellet grill. Check out our other article on Charcoal Pellet Smokers to learn even more!
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