Best outdoor cooking fuel & firestarters according to redditors

Choose your weapon:

http://www.amazon.com/Folgers-Coffee-Classic-Medium-Roast/dp/B001G2F5R4

http://www.amazon.com/ISO-HEET-28202-Fuel-line-Antifreeze-Injector/dp/B000V4HC7Y

http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Hickory-Sawdust-2-0-Lb/dp/B007E4TLGY

De-boned cowboy ribeye steaks cooked at 130 for 3 hours and finished on a charcoal chimney.


Several weeks ago, I posted asking for some help. I was going on a beach trip with my in-laws and the wife and I had volunteered to cook dinner one of the nights we were there. I knew that I wanted to sous vide because of the potential for perfect medium rare steaks. I was nervous however because my mother-in-law and father-in-law are big grillers and smokers of meat and both had made comments about how there was no way that meat cooked in a zip-lock freezer bag could ever taste good. I’ve owned a Joule since Christmas but generally I use it to make cheap cuts of meat taste good rather than moderately-expensive meat taste amazing. So, I asked for help here and got a lot of really good advice. Original post asking for help: https://www.reddit.com/r/sousvide/comments/8h3ano/novice_sousvider_trying_to_impress_incredulous/


I did practice at home with a ribeye and was reasonably satisfied with the result. For the trip, I ended up getting some bone-in cowboy ribeye from Sam’s Club and removing the bone. I know it sounds odd to buy bone-in and then take out the bone, but they were the only steaks that were the thickness I was looking for and with the bone, wouldn’t fit in my gallon zip-lock bag. The extra thickness of the steak is one of the biggest things to which I credit the final success.
Raw steaks: https://i.imgur.com/IRxL3PX.jpg


I seasoned the steaks with some cherry smoked sea salt, black pepper, and rosemary. The steaks ended up a little saltier than I would have preferred but it didn’t ruin them or anything. Judging the amount of salt for a thick cut steak was difficult and I just went a little too heavy on it. The smoked salt had such an amazing smell and I was sure it would add some smokiness to the meat. It did not. At all. I literally couldn’t tell the difference from if I had used regular salt.
Salt: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CQ92YXO


I seared the steaks on a charcoal chimney and was very happy with the result. It got a nice char and the large areas of fat on the side of the steaks rendered perfectly and gave it this beautiful glisten as the steaks were covered in their own fat. It also got that char flavor and crackle when you bite into it effect that you’re looking for with the fat. We served the steaks family style by slicing them and I did remove one of two areas of inside fat (from across all four steaks) that were a little rubbery however the marbling and most of the fat rendered perfectly and the fat I removed was small enough I don’t feel like I missed out on anything.
Chimney: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078Z9GBZS


One thing that saved me: double bagging. One of the bags leaked majorly. I’m not sure if the bag ripped or split somewhere or if the zip-lock mechanism failed. I didn’t look at it too closely other than to recognize that it had leaked everywhere. Fortunately, I had double bagged and suffered no ill effects.


In the end, the steaks were a huge success. My mother-in-law said it was one of the best steaks she’s ever had texture wise and that if she hadn’t seen the process that she wouldn’t have believed they were cooked in a plastic bag. Other than the slight over-salting they were perfect and my grandmother-in-law who likes her food a little salty just raved about them. I’m happy with the outcome and grateful for the advice and for the patience people have here with novices. Thank you. Next time we visit my wife’s parents we’re planning on trying a sous vide brisket recipe where you smoke the meat first then sous vide it. That won’t be for a number of months, but I’ll be sure to post again when it finally happens.

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

Ok, then let's go with a more dense charcoal.

It's dimensions are (5x4x13), giving it a volume of 260 cubic inches. So if 260 cubic inches is equal to 5lbs, 917.124 cubic inches would equal 8kg. Looking at the boxes, they are roughly square on one end and 1.5 times as long on the side. So if we were trying to find the approximate length of a box, it would look something like (917.124=xx1.5x). So, rounding up, the height of a box is 8.5 inches. She's less than 8 boxes tall, so she should be less than 5'8'', probably around 5'6''.

Yeah, that's taller than she's depicted (she is a small girl) but not exactly 8 feet tall, which seems to be "hilarious hyperbole."

(I'm using rough estimates with this poorly photoshopped image and assuming my math is right)

Here are some running shoe recommendations to go with those gaits:

• https://www.amazon.com/Old-West-Trucker-Western-Distressed/dp/B005O0Y1FG/ref=sr_1_15?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1498558701&sr=1-15&nodeID=7141123011&psd=1&keywords=cowboy+boots
  
• https://www.amazon.com/CIOR-Slippers-Classic-Split-Sole-Gymnastics/dp/B06XQS43Q7/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1498558622&sr=1-1&nodeID=7141123011&psd=1&keywords=ballet+shoes
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Honeystore-Unisex-Halloween-Costumes-Accessories/dp/B013UKCVEE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1498558584&sr=8-2&keywords=clown+shoes
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Char-Broil-Center-Cut-Lump-Charcoal/dp/B01HCN0U8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498558655&sr=8-1&keywords=barbecue+coals

Costco:

• 25-pack (container + lid set)
  
• $9.99 (so about 40 cents per container)
  
• 38 ounces
  
• Item # 578568
  
• Dishwasher/Microwave/Freezer-safe
  
• BPA-free
  
  They're in the section by the foil wrap & plastic forks & whatnot. I usually buy bulk packs off Web Restaurant, but sometimes I'll snag an extra set if I see them in-person, as they don't last forever. These are actually pretty decently sturdy & have good snap lids on top, so I think they'll hold up to several dishwashing cycles without cracking!
  
  My meal-prep approach is what I call "small-batch gourmet", aka I make like maybe 3 to 10 containers full of food, which tastes really good (instead of bland & boring), and then freeze them. I have a deep freezer & this method allows me to only have to cook one meal a night, then build up a large inventory that I can rotate through without getting sick of eating the same thing. And because it's "gourmet" (aka not lame food), I actually look forward to eating it, instead of getting the urge to get take-out. Tastes good, saves massive amounts of money, and fits my macros!
  
  My primary meal-prep tools are the Instant Pot, Sous Vide, and Oster pellet smoker (awesome compact budget smoker for $60, with these pellets, which is oddly comparable to my Traeger). I make like 90% of my food in these three gadgets. I also do a lot of no-knead bread projects (English muffins, bagels, baguettes, dinner rolls, boulles, etc.) because of the convenience, and use a cheap vacuum sealer off Amazon for storing stuff long-term (ex. meat lasts 2 to 3 years when vac-sealed & stored in a freezer).

Wood on Amazon is crazy expensive. Like $40 per cubic foot. The wood I have here was roughly $8 per cubic foot.

This is the chimney I use. It has its own grill.

There's a better more inclusive model here. It has a larger surface and is made specifically to be used also for grilling.

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.

I think you meant Moringa (oleifera). The leaves are also a nice botanical added. Instead of normal activated, you should check out bincho charcoal.

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.

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.

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

Yeah. I just pick them up online because I only smoke a couple times a month. I have a pile of White Oak/Red Oak/Cherry out back so when I want to try something exotic, I just pick it up online.

Mulberry + Pear Wood Found Here

^^ Stock varies. Sometimes they have all different sizes of wood chunks from small to very large, sometimes they only have certain sizes. Depends. I've also purchased Orange, Almond, and Sassafrass here.

Got my Grape chunks here

The grape was outrageous. It was only a gallon bag but some of the chunks were actually quite large and must have been from the base of the grape vine plant because I was impressed with the size of some of them considering it's such a viney plant. I was most surprised with the smell it created because it smelled exactly like a Yankee Candle Vineyard candle when it was smoking. I'll be buying more. Burned down into nice coals too.

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

Pok Pok Thaan Charcoal https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R8HILG8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yRuYxbKXKZEER

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.

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.

​

>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

​

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=

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.

Lazzari was my go to for years. It's so cheap here. (if I go to the restaurant supply store, it's ~$14 for a 40lb bag!) But it's too strong for use with fish & poultry for my taste, and the quality has gone downhill the last few bags I went through - way too much chips and dust. I still got a good number of huge pieces, but the normal (1-3x briquette size) was lacking.

I've been trying out bunches of different types, there really isn't much else that I've been able to find locally available that I like. It's tough because I got spoiled on cheap Lazzari and everything seems so expensive now. For a while a local hardware store was carrying Weekend Warrior and that was good stuff, but they hardly ever seem to have it anymore. I've taken to buying online. I'm on my third bag of Fogo now and I'm liking the quality, but not the price.

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.
   
   

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

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.

​

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.

Unrefined mostly harmless non-weapons grade uranium

I always liked how if you look at iron oxide the 'frequently bought together' items are aluminum powder and magnesium ribbon to make and ignite thermite.

They used to sell potassium nitrate that had a recipe for using it to make a black powder bomb in the product description, but I can't find that any more. Oh well, you can still buy them separately:

http://www.amazon.com/Sage-Cauldron-Lb-Salt-Petre/dp/B000WS901K/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_2?ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Jacket-Pure-Sulfur-Powder/dp/B005H0WA2O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394149652&sr=8-3

http://www.amazon.com/Fogo-FHWC35LB-35-Pound-Hardwood-Charcoal/dp/B009P166SU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1394151117&sr=8-2

CookinPellets are pretty great, too.

A mixture of apple and competition pellets.

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 ;)

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

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

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.

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.

​

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

​

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

Amazon has pecan. Home Depot tends to have it as well, at least around me.

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

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 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.

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.

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?

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

These

so close

Thanks!

Amazon has it in 4 - 8.8lb bags now. https://www.amazon.com/Jealous-Devil-Quebrancho-Hardwood-Restaurant/dp/B07321YTJ1/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504288808&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=jealous+devil+charcoal&psc=1

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

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

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

Lumber Jack 100 Percent Pecan BBQ Grilling Pellets 40 LB Bag

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

Always rocks and weird stuff. Fogo Not the cheapest, and I think the price is slowly going up. But After trying several brands this has been the clear winner in my book. Everything is fully burned through, it lights fast and burns long. Lots of large chunks with very little dust and bits. The large chunks break apart easily. 10/10 would buy again. On my second 45lb bag now.

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

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

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