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Does Costco Sell Traeger Pellets
As a licensed retailer, Costco sells Traeger wood pellets for use in their exclusive lineup of Traeger grills.
You can get a large 33-pound bag of Traeger wood pellets at Costco for $26.99.
Like a lot of Traeger wood pellets, this cost per pound is slightly higher than many of the competition.
However, Traeger makes a point to harvest their wood fibers responsibly and use state-of-the-art techniques to create a longer-lasting, high-performance wood pellet.
To this point, Traeger strongly recommends that you only use their brand of pellets in their grills.
Lesser pellets can break down, leaving behind wood fibers that can cause damaging auger jams or dangerous burn back fires.
However, other wood pellet brands like Kingsford, Bear Mountain, Camp Chef, and Pit Boss will work in a Traeger grill.
Though if your Traeger is damaged by using an alternative brand of wood pellets, Traeger might not cover the repair under the language of their warranty policy.
How Much Are Traeger Pellets at Costco
A 33-pound bag of Traeger’s Gourmet Blend of wood pellets is sold at Costco for $26.99.
You might also be able to find them on sale during a Traeger Road Show, or during another Costco sales promotion.
Traeger wood pellets are made in a stare of the art process, and sourced responsibly, which is reflected in their slightly higher price.
How Big of a Bag of Traeger Pellets Can You Get at Costco?
The bag of Traeger Gourmet Blend wood pellets sold at Costco weighs 33-pounds.
They also have a 40-pound bag of Bear Mountain pellets, that will also work in a Traeger grill.
Does It Matter What Pellets You Use in a Traeger?
Traeger strongly recommends only using their brand of wood pellets in their grills.
Using another brand of wood pellets can leave excess wood fibers in the hopper, which can potentially damage your Traeger grill if they make it into the auger shaft.
If the auger is damaged by a severe jam or causes a burn back fire, Traeger might not cover the repair under their warranty.
Fine print language in the policy states that using alternative “Non-Compatible Fuels” can void the warranty coverage.
However, different brands of wood pellets and proprietary blends can produce different smoke characteristics, to flavor the meat.
Many other pellet manufacturers use higher percentages of named accent woods, to appeal to barbecue purists.
Also note that wood pellets meant for a pellet furnace should never be used in a Traeger grill.
They typically have chemical binders, that aren’t food-safe, and can burn hot enough to damage the grill’s mechanical components.
Can You Use Other Pellets in a Traeger?
You can use other brands of wood pellets in a Traeger grill, so long as they are made from 100% hardwood with all-natural binders like organic lignin.
This includes brands like Pit Boss, Bear Mountain, Lumberjack Grills, and Kingsford.
It’s also important to note that Traeger warns customers not to use other brands of pellets in their grills, as they might count as a “Non-Compatible Fuel Source.”
If your Traeger grill is damaged by an auger jam or a burn back incident caused by another brand of wood pellets, Traeger might not honor the warranty repair.
Why Are Traeger Pellets More Expensive?
The responsible sourcing practices and the state-of-the-art drying techniques Traeger uses is just part of the reason why their wood pellets are more expensive.
They are also extruded under high pressure to create wood pellets with greater structural integrity than many of the competitors.
This means that Traeger pellets are less likely to break down in the bag or in the hopper. It also helps them perform better and burn with greater consistency in the firepot.
Final Thoughts
Costco is a licensed affiliate retailer for Traeger wood pellets that are designed to be used in their exclusive lineup of Traeger grills.
This means that you can purchase a big 33-pound bag of Traeger wood pellets at Costco for as little as $26.99.
This is a slightly lower price per pound than some of Traeger’s other wood pellets.
Though it is still slightly higher than a lot of the competitor’s wood pellets.
Traeger’s higher-priced pellets are due to their responsible harvesting practices as well as the state-of-the-art techniques they use in the wood pellet manufacturing process.
This gives you premium-quality, high-performing wood pellets that burn consistently and are less likely to break down in storage.
This is part of the reason why Traeger strongly recommends that you only use their wood pellets in their grills.
If a competitor’s pellets break down depositing wood fibers in the hopper it can cause a severe auger jam or dangerous burn back incident.
You can still use other wood pellet brands in a Traeger grill from companies like Kingsford, Bear Mountain, Camp Chef, and Pit Boss.
Just keep in mind that if your Traeger is damaged by an alternative brand of wood pellets, the repair might not be covered under Traeger’s warranty.
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.