Best Wood Chips for Smoking, Plus Wood Pellets vs Chips

Best wood chips for smoking: the Western Wood Chips Variety Pack at $28.99. Four bags (apple, mesquite, hickory and cherry) with 4.7 stars from about 10,000 ratings, so you can try four common smoking woods. Then match the wood to the meat: oak or hickory for brisket and beef, hickory for pork shoulder and ribs, apple or cherry for chicken, turkey and fish. Want one bag? Weber Hickory or Weber Apple chips are $7.98 for 2 lb.

Wood pellets vs wood chips: pellets go only in a pellet grill, where they feed the auger; chips go in a kettle, a gas grill smoker box or an electric smoker. For a pellet grill, the Traeger Signature Blend is $19.99 for 18 lb.

Why These Five

Chips and pellets are the same idea in two forms. Pellets are compressed sawdust that feed a pellet grill's auger; chips are small pieces of wood for a smoker box, a kettle or an electric smoker. Buy the form your cooker uses, then pick the wood. This guide compares three pellet blends and two chip options, using the listings, Keepa price history and the ratings on each. Prices were checked when the page was last updated; Amazon's checkout price is the one that counts.

Quick Answer

• Most bought pellets: Traeger Signature Blend Pellets (about $20 for 18 lb). Hickory, maple and cherry, with more than 50,000 ratings at 4.8.
• Lowest price per pound: Camp Chef Competition Blend Pellets (about $20 for 20 lb). Maple, hickory and cherry.
• Most pellets per order: CookinPellets Perfect Mix (about $42 for 40 lb). Hickory, cherry, hard maple and apple.
• Chips to try several woods: Western Wood Chips Variety Pack (about $29). Apple, mesquite, hickory and cherry, 10,000+ ratings at 4.7.
• One bag of chips: Weber Apple Wood Chips (about $8 for 2 lb). A mild fruitwood that suits pork and poultry.

Comparison

The Picks

1. Traeger Signature Blend Pellets

$19.99 on Amazon →

Traeger Signature Blend Pellets mix hickory, maple and cherry in an 18 lb bag (Traeger's current size, down from 20 lb), a middle-of-the-road flavor that suits beef, pork and poultry alike. With more than 51,000 ratings averaging 4.8, it is by far the most reviewed product on this page. They work in any brand of pellet grill, not only Traeger's.

At about $1.11 a pound, they cost a little more per pound than the Camp Chef and CookinPellets bags. Amazon sells and ships this 18 lb bag; the older 20 lb listing is now third-party only.

• Best for: a first bag for a new pellet grill, and anyone who wants one blend for everything.
• Who should skip it: cooks who want a single-wood flavor such as straight hickory or apple.

2. Camp Chef Competition Blend Pellets

$19.99 on Amazon →

Camp Chef Competition Blend Pellets are a maple, hickory and cherry blend in a 20 lb bag, kiln-dried with no oils or binders added, according to Camp Chef. At about $1.00 a pound, they are the lowest price per pound on this page, and Amazon sells them directly. About 4,200 ratings average 4.7.

The blend is the same three woods as the Traeger, so buying both teaches you more about brands than about woods.

• Best for: pellet grill owners who want a good everyday blend for the least money per pound.
• Who should skip it: cooks who want a single-wood flavor or a bigger bag.

3. CookinPellets Perfect Mix

$41.99 on Amazon →

CookinPellets Perfect Mix blends hickory, cherry, hard maple and apple in a 40 lb bag, which works out to about $1.05 a pound. It is sold by third-party sellers rather than Amazon, so the price can move; we found no 40 lb blend that Amazon sells itself. About 6,500 ratings average 4.7.

A 40 lb bag needs dry, sealed storage: pellets that absorb moisture swell and can jam an auger.

• Best for: frequent smokers who go through a bag a month.
• Who should skip it: occasional cooks without a dry place to store 40 lb.

4. Western Wood Chips Variety Pack

$28.99 on Amazon →

The Western Wood Chips Variety Pack bundles four bags of chips: apple, mesquite, hickory and cherry, at $28.99 from the seller that holds the listing's main offer. That covers the mild fruitwoods and the two strongest common smoking woods, so you can learn the difference on your own cooks. About 10,000 ratings average 4.7.

Chips burn quickly, so on a long cook they need topping up, and they do not work in a pellet grill's auger.

• Best for: kettle, gas grill smoker box and electric smoker owners finding the wood they like.
• Who should skip it: pellet grill owners.

5. Weber Apple Wood Chips

$7.98 on Amazon →

Weber Apple Wood Chips come in a 2 lb bag for about $8. Apple gives a mild, slightly sweet smoke that is hard to overdo, which makes it a safe first wood. About 6,000 ratings average 4.7.

Two pounds goes quickly on long cooks, and apple alone is light for beef.

• Best for: chicken, pork and fish on a kettle or gas grill.
• Who should skip it: brisket cooks who want a bold smoke.

Which Wood for Which Meat

• Mild fruitwoods (apple, cherry): poultry, pork, fish. See wood for smoking fish, wood for smoking tuna and wood for smoking turkey.
• Hickory and pecan: pork ribs, pork shoulder, sausage. See wood for pork ribs, wood for pork shoulder and wood for sausage.
• Oak, hickory and mesquite: beef. See wood for brisket, wood for beef ribs and wood for beef jerky.
• Every meat in one place: the best wood for each type of meat.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between wood chips and pellets?

Pellets are compressed hardwood sawdust made to feed a pellet grill's auger and fire pot. Chips are small cut pieces that smolder in a smoker box, on coals or in an electric smoker's chip tray. They are not interchangeable in a pellet grill.

Do different woods really taste different?

Yes. Mesquite and hickory are the strongest, oak is medium, and apple and cherry are mild and slightly sweet. Strong woods can turn bitter on delicate foods.

What are the best wood chips for smoking brisket?

Oak is the classic brisket wood, with hickory as the stronger option and mesquite only in small amounts, since it turns bitter on a long cook. For a long smoke, chunks last longer than chips. See wood for brisket for the full comparison.

Should I soak wood chips?

Soaking mostly delays smoking while the water boils off. Dry chips in a smoker box or foil pouch with a few holes smolder well on their own.

Can I mix pellet flavors?

Yes. Many owners mix a strong wood with a mild one, for example hickory with apple, to land in between.

Why is my smoke thick and white?

Thick white smoke usually means the wood is smoldering without enough air or is damp. Thin, pale blue smoke is what you want; open the vents or let the fire burn hotter.