Ever wonder if Pit Boss Pellets are any good? Maybe you want to see if you can mix or interchange them with Traeger pellets?
Pit boss pellets are quite famous, and many people opt for them when choosing wood pellets for their pellet grills.
But a lot of people don’t do much research before choosing a wood pellet brand – instead, they look for a good deal, and then choose those pellets.
I’m guilty of it too, and often pit boss pellets are the cheaper of the well-known brands, so I’ll opt for them instead.
But other than their prices being good, I also started to wonder if the pellets themselves were any good.
Well, I’ve done my research, and now I’m back, ready to share my findings with all you guys in one convenient place.
So, are pit boss pellets any good?
Yes! between the flavor, the smoke, the cost, the quality, the authenticity – everything about them makes them an excellent choice, and I’d definitely purchase them again when my wood pellets run out.
Pit Boss Pellets Pros
I’ve looked at what’s good and what’s not so good about pit boss pellets, and to start with I want to share all the positives – and trust me, there are A LOT of positive things to say about pit boss pellets.
First, the company claims to put authenticity and quality above everything else. It’s apparently what their whole business model is based on.
When I heard this, I obviously got excited and started digging around some more, and it’s true – they really do.
Take their wood pellets, for example, they’re 100% wood fiber.
Flavor Matters
That means there’s no artificial flavors, sprays, or oils added to the wood pellets to enhance the flavor.
It simply is what it is – and that can be really reassuring for the health conscious amongst you.
And while we’re on the topic of flavor, pit boss pellets have flavor in spades!
They have this great ability of creating lots of smoke, which then creates lots of flavor in the finished food.
That smokey quality can’t be recreated with artificial flavors like some companies will try, or at least, not in a convincing way.
Instead, Pit Boss just concentrates on delivering 100% wood pellets to give a 100% woody, smokey flavor profile to the food. It’s simple, but effective.
The wood pellets are all manufactured and sourced in North America, which might not be a pro to some people, but for me, that’s exciting.
Home-made products being used at home is something I can definitely get behind, and when everything about it is so authentic, it makes the grilling experience and the food much more enjoyable for me, and many of you guys will be the same.
Priced Right
Of course, another major bonus is the price. Pit Boss (as I’m writing this) is selling their classic blend of wood pellets for $12.99 for a 20lb bag.
That’s really cheap, considering some of the other big names in the industry are charging closer to $20 for a 20lb bag. The price is a huge bonus, and it has to be mentioned.
But there are problems with pit boss pellets too, and I’ll cover that below.
Pit Boss Pellets Cons
If there’s one argument I hear about wood pellets over and over again it’s that any wood pellet that isn’t from Traeger.
Now, sure, Traeger is the original pellet grill creators, who held a patent on it for 20 years, allowing them to be the sole operators in the pellet grill field.
And while I don’t agree with the strength of that argument, I do understand the sentiment.
When you look at a company like Traeger that has been developing wood pellets for years, it’s clear to see why some people would rely on them more.
They’re more experienced, better practiced, and know their product inside and out.
That’s a pretty convincing reason to choose them over pellets like the ones developed by the pit boss.
The other major con to pit boss pellets (for some people, not for me, but when I write these posts, I like to play devil’s advocate) is that there are no artificial flavors.
For many people who are used to this artificial smokey, wood flavor, they’ll find these pellets to be a little weaker in flavor.
For me, that isn’t a bad thing because it’s all authentic, but too many people it will be a problem, so it’s worth pointing it out here.
If you’ve never used wood pellets with artificial flavors before though, you’ll find the food cooked over pit boss’ pellets to be absolutely delicious!
So… Are They Any Good?
When I take it all together and look at my original question ‘are pit boss pellets any good?’ then the answer is yes, they really are!
The flavor, the smoke, the cost, the quality, the authenticity – everything about them makes them an excellent choice, and I’d definitely purchase them again when my wood pellets run out.
Of course, you’ll form your own opinions based on your experiences with pit boss pellets and my review of them here, so I’m not going to sit here and tell you to buy them right away.
If you think they sound as good as I think they are, then sure, go ahead and pick some up. And if you’re loyal to another brand, that’s fine too!
But what happens when you own another pellet grill, like one of Traeger’s, but you want to start using wood pellets by another company (e.g. Pit Boss)? Is that even possible?
Are Pit Boss Pellets Interchangeable With Traeger?
Erm… this one’s difficult. Why? Because Pit Boss outright say in their FAQs that while they recommend their own pit boss pellets for their pit boss pellet grills, it’s fine to use other ones.
That means yes, you can take Traeger’s wood pellets and burn them in your pit boss pellet grill without a problem.
But Traeger is a little stricter…
According to some of their warranties (make sure you check yours) the warranty is voided if you use another company’s wood pellets.
Now, you might think this is a clever little legal note to force you into sticking with their wood pellets (and I’m not saying if you’re right or wrong, but I too raised my eyebrows a little).
Still, cheaper wood pellets can be problematic and actually clog up your pellet grill with glue and other rubbish – so this might actually be the reason for Traeger’s warranty wood pellet clause.
Since we know pit boss pellets are 100% wood, there shouldn’t be an issue, but if your Traeger grill is under warranty and you’re worried about it becoming void, then I’d recommend avoiding using another company’s wood pellets.
At least for now. Once it’s out of warranty though, fire up those pit boss pellets in your Traeger and you’ll see that it works just as well.
Takeaway Message
Pit boss wood pellets are an excellent option. Top quality, authentic, wonderful flavor, plenty of smoke, and more than reasonably priced!
If you’re thinking about picking out some new wood pellets, then I’d definitely throw pit boss onto the list of wood pellet manufacturers to look out for.