Are Traeger Pellets a Scam? | Mad Scientist BBQ

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[MadScientistBBQ]

Blown away by all the comments. I’m elk hunting right now but hiked out of the woods to respond to comments. I’ll do my best to respond before hiking back in the morning.

[bennettbm]

I've been an authorized LumberJack dealer for about four years now. This video validates the reason I became a dealer. I don't hate Traeger pellets, but after I found LumberJack pellets, I never looked back. Thanks Jeremy!

[BrandonS]

I also should mention that Jack Daniel's makes a whiskey barrel charcoal pellet that you mix half and half with your regular and it tends to give a better bark and closer feel to traditional smokers

[Broknrubber]

Thanks Jeremy for the amazing honest video. Straight message for Traeger to step up their game. I love their Ironwood grill but not the pellets. Lumber Jack for me. Great job sir!

[erskintallent]

Great job on this vid explaining the difference about pellets. I have used a pellet smoker for 7 years now and I use nothing but lumberjack pellets and trust me I have tried all of them except for the knotty wood you mentioned. Lumberjack has given me consistent performance and smokeyness that I desire from them. The oak is very good but for my taste their competition blend is the best and most versatile one they make and I use it on everything from fish, pork, chicken, lamb, duck and beef. The best part is I have a local store that carries them for $8.99 a 20 lb bag. To any who may read this and are looking for a great pellet that will up your game and not break the bank, you gotta try Lumberjack Pellets.

[alessio]

Crazy to see how this channel has exploded! Started watching in 2016 when I was trying to do my first brisket (I was 15) and found your channel around 2k subscribers. Thanks for the continued dedication and quality

[skipperdawson]

I'm brand new to this pellet cooker/smoker thing. I purchased a Traeger 575 and was excited to get home and try it out. After the initial auger priming (Traeger Cherry/Apple wood pellets) and raising the temperature as suggested (400 degrees), I heated the Traeger back up to 300 degrees and smoked some salmon. No smoke!! I then took the cooked salmon in and chowed down. The salmon tasted like it just came out of the microwave! At that point, I went back to Ace Hardware thinking my Traeger was broken. The manager talked me into keeping the smoker and making sure I continued using the Traeger pellets. After watching your very informative video, I will definitely purchase the CookinPellets or the Lumber Jack pellets. Plus, turning the heat down to around 180-250 degrees will help. BTW, I'll continue to follow your videos. Thanks!!

[Darkside_Rob]

I just switched from pit boss pellets to bear mountain pellets and the smoke flavor is noticeable now and I like that they’re readily availed at Lowe’s and tractor supply.

[pagumby]

I started out using Traeger pellets and seen an ad for Rural King where they sell Lumberjack for 1/2 the price of Traeger. Tried them on a whim and I was very surprised at the difference in smoke flavor. Lumberjack is what goes in my pellet grill now!

[Threxx]

At 7:08 : "The size of the wood that I use is important" ... did you have to cut the clip there because you started giggling? :D

[stevenfuruyama]

Hey Jeremy, good job. Two years ago, you did "The Ultimate Smoker Comparison". Do you think that with better pellets, the results might be closer (the pellet grill comming a distant third)?

[waymor]

I’ve had my pellet smoker for about a year and after trying about 7 different pellets I settled on Kingsford. All natural, no fillers, little ash. I’m willing to pay for shipping but these happen to be available at some of the nearby Walmarts. Their hickory pellets have the most smoke flavor.

[kicknadeadcat]

I’ve been using kingsFord. I get at my grocery store $15. It says 100% wood no fillers or binders. They carry hickory and cherry. I have tried Treager I can’t say I notice a difference except price. I just ordered hickory cookinpellets. A couple of bucks more but free shipping. I’m cooking on a ZGrill. Everything I’ve cooked has come out good but I don’t have anything to compare it too. I’ll see if I notice any difference.

[lorenoconnor]

I'm relatively new to pellet grill smoking and the first bag that I bought was Pit Boss competition blend pellets. Pretty good flavor and burns good. Looking to "branch" out however and try a oak pellet. Nice video.

[ealschris]

I have a RecTeq and love it. I use the RexTeq blend. Red oak, whit oak and hickory. Great smoke ring/taste and always burns clean.

[flex]

Wow, this video is gold. I 100% agree with you about the Traeger pellets. It would be great for Traeger to be more transparent about them too.

[richardfloyd]

Down here in Texas we have B&B pellets. I use their competition blend and it seems like a great pellet. I use my CC pellet grill about twice every week for the last 3 years. No problems with the pellets.

[jasonrobinson]

I’ve been working at a corn refinery for 16yrs and I make feed pellets in my area. The process of making pellets is the same, no matter the material. Every material needs moisture added in the conditioner before it enters the pellet mill. Otherwise, you risk premature equipment failure or overheating that can result in a fire in the mill due to a lack of moisture. The difference with Traeger pellets is definitely the additives used as binder during the pelletizing process. For them it’s cheaper to add oil than steam inside the conditioner before it enters the pellet mill. Also they likely don’t have to replace the rolls and dies as often as other companies. So basically they sacrifice flavor for saving money on equipment maintenance. It’s easily $10k per pellet mill for a roll and die set each time they get replaced. So if they’re operating 4 mills that have to be rebuilt every 3 months vs 1.5 months, you can see why they prefer to add oil. It saves them a ton of money on maintenance!!!

[NordicDan]

I had used Traeger for a long time but a little over a year ago, given the price and they're the only other ones I've seen easily available near me, I switched to Pit Boss pellets. Immediately I noticed less dust, about the same amount of ash content, and better overall flavor.

Considering now at the end of 2023 a 20lb bag of Traeger pellets is ~$20 and a 20lb bag of Pit Boss is ~$12, that's even more benefit for me. I'm sure there are even better pellets out there quality-wise, but for my location, budget, and how frequently I smoke, I'm definitely a fan of Pit Boss.

[bradbilski]

Thanks for the video and I appreciate your open and honest approach!

I cook on a Traeger 780 and and 885. I have used most brands of pellets and agree with your video. For my “big or special” cooks I use 100% oak pellets from lumberjack or cookin’ pellets. For every day cooking I use Traeger pellets because they are so available.

When it comes to Traeger pellets I like the Texas Beef blend for heavier smoke. I like apple or cherry for sides and desserts. I don’t keep any of the Costco blend around. Also… the Turkey pellets are great! The addition of rosemary really helps the poultry shine.

I have a lot of experience with pellets and at this moment have more than 1800 lbs at home.