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Can You Use Kingsford Pellets in a Traeger?
Kingsford’s high-quality wood pellets work very well in a Traeger grill.
Especially the wood pellets that have 100% of the named wood, which cater to barbecue lovers who need to pair specific types of wood with traditional cuts of meat.
The truth is, that despite Traeger’s claims to the contrary, you can use pretty much any brand of wood pellets in their grills.
Though they need to be wood pellets that are made for culinary purposes, meaning they’re not furnace wood pellets, and they are made from 100% hardwood with natural binders.
Some of the top alternative wood pellet brands include Kingsford, Pit Boss, Louisiana Grills, Lumber Jack, Cabela’s, Bear Mountain, Green Mountain, and Camp Chef.
All of which are compatible with a Traeger grill, and each produces its own rich smoky flavor.
Can You Use Other Wood Pellets in a Traeger?
You can use most culinary-grade wood pellets in a Traeger, so long as they are made from 100% hardwood, and use natural binders like organic lignin.
Lesser quality wood pellets with artificial binders can leave behind a lot of ash in a Traeger’s firepot, which can affect performance.
Lesser wood pellets can also degrade, leaving excess wood fibers and dust in the bottom of the bag.
If too much of this wood fiber ends up in the bottom of the Traeger’s hopper, it can collect in the auger shaft leading to a nasty auger jam or a potentially dangerous burn back incident.
So, you should always sift your wood pellets out of an abundance of caution.
What Pellets Can You Use in a Traeger Grill?
Some of the top alternative wood pellet brands to use in a Traeger grill include Kingsford, Pit Boss, Louisiana Grills, Lumber Jack, Cabela’s, Bear Mountain, Green Mountain, and Camp Chef.
Each has its own strengths and characteristics that can burn differently or create a more flavorful smoke.
Do Kingsford Wood Pellets Work in a Traeger?
Kingsford wood pellets work very well in a Traeger grill and produce a rich smoke with consistent heating performance.
Just make sure to sift them first before adding them to your Traeger’s hopper, as they sometimes have a lot of stray wood fibers in the bag, which you don’t want to clog your auger shaft or cause a burn back problem.
Then make sure to always purge your wood pellets from the hopper after every grilling session.
This will keep ambient humidity from breaking down the water-soluble lignin binder in the wood pellets.
Should You Use Kingsford Pellets in a Traeger?
Kingsford pellets are made from 100% named wood, which is great for times when you want to smoke a classic cut of meat in a traditional type of wood.
For example, if you want to smoke a Texas-style brisket in classic mesquite, you can trust Kingsford’s mesquite pellets to be 100% mesquite.
If you need to smoke a Boston Butt pork shoulder in cherry or hickory, you can trust Kingsford to be made from 100% of the named wood.
Final Thoughts
Kingsford pellets are arguably the preferred choice for times when you want to smoke a classical cut of meat with a traditional smoking wood.
They use 100% of the named wood, without any filler wood fibers like oak.
This gives off the robust authentic smoke that so many barbecue purists prefer.
Though in truth, you can use just about any culinary-grade wood pellets made from 100% hardwood and natural binders in a Traeger grill.
This includes top wood pellet brands like Kingsford, Pit Boss, Louisiana Grills, Lumber Jack, Cabela’s, Bear Mountain, Green Mountain, and Camp Chef.
However, you should never use pellets that are meant for a wood pellet stove or furnace.
They have artificial binders that are not food-safe and tend to burn at a temperature that can damage a Traeger grill.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.