Wood pellet pizza ovens are your best bet for an authentically tasting pizza baked at a consistent temperature. Outdoor pizza ovens come in different types, including gas, wood, and charcoal. This article will uncover the best wood pellets for pizza oven to get you started on the right way to baking delicious pizza at home, so make sure you read until the end.
Benefits of a Wood-fired Pizza Oven
Before unfurling our top picks for the best wood pellets for pizza ovens, it’s crucial you first grasp their advantages to know them inside out.
Wood Pellets Are All-natural
There are no chemicals or hazardous extracts that could hurt you or the environment when it comes to pellets. Pellet fuel is made from scratch with renewable energy and high-quality wood from sustainable forests.
They Are Convenient
You can easily store wood pellets in any dry space. They do not ignite easily nor cause a severe fire risk. Fossil fuels such as gas, fuel oil, diesel fuel, and coal, on the other hand, are highly combustible and emit foul odors as well.
They Are Affordable & Eco-friendly
Compared to other options such as electric heat or fossil fuels, wood pellets are more cost-effective with less volatile prices. Also, pellets are made of environmentally friendly materials and emit fewer carbon emissions than almost any other fuel source.
They Are Renewable
Wood c pellets are biomass products obtained from wood waste or other forest thinning byproducts. So, you can use them without fear of depletion since they are renewable and, all in all, an infinite energy source.
They are Efficient
Wood pellets are an excellent heat source since they contain very little moisture and ash. Almost 100% of them burn and turn into heat, making them more efficient than other fuels, such as wood chips and cordwood.
How To Choose The Best Wood Pellets?
We’re sure you still have this one question troubling you: how can you choose the best wood pellets for smoking that will give your meals that right kick? Let’s find out:
Type of Wood
Wood pellets are typically made from two types of wood: hardwood and softwood. Hardwood burns longer in its natural state since it has a higher density. On the other hand, softwood has a higher BTU content due to the lignin in the wood. Therefore, it burns hotter, albeit for a shorter duration.
The most crucial factor to consider when choosing a pellet is the wood’s quality. Make sure the pellets you purchase are made of natural wood and not bark, cardboard, or synthetics. Using wood pellets that contain bark could result in uneven burning and a lot of ash.
Moisture Content
Look for a pellet with little to no moisture content; moisture causes mold and mildew growth within just a few days of opening the bag. Low moisture content would mean that the wood pellets will burn efficiently and for a long time.
High-quality, premium-grade pellets with less than 5% moisture content should be your priority. While they may seem more expensive upfront, the investment will pay you in the long run.
Ash Content
Since ash is one of the byproducts of burning wood, choose a pellet with a lower ash composition than others to avoid clogging your oven. Also, did you know that the ash wood pellets leave behind alter the flavor of whatever you’re cooking? As a result, only go for wood pellets that produce less ash while burning. Ideally, the ash content of the pellets should be less than 1% of the overall weight.
Heat Output
Most people never consider the heat output of wooden pellets, which is a terrible idea. Pellet BTUs (British Thermal Units) are typically around 8,000 to 8,900 BTUs per pound. The rule is: the more BTUs, the hotter it’ll burn.
Flavor
One of the most incredible things about portable pizza ovens is utilizing wood pellets or chips to add flavor to your pizza. Woods like maple, apple, and hickory, which can be mixed to take your homemade pizzas to the next level, can add to the smokiness.
That said, the flavor will always be a matter of personal taste. When contemplating whether to purchase a particular type of wood pellets, you must consider the type of flavor it’ll bring to your cooking.
In A Hurry?Here Are Our Top Picks..
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Best Wood Pellets for Pizza Oven: Our Top Picks
My review of the best wood pellets for cooking will make it a breeze to use your pizza oven. Let’s get started.
1. Best Overall:Traeger Grills PEL309 Cherry 100% All-Natural Hardwood Pellets
Traeger is one of the most well-known pellet grill brands, and for a good reason: their pellets are dependable, burn easily and fast, and are simple to use.
They employ all-natural, unadulterated virgin hardwood supplied from existing manufacturing companies. No additives are used, and no trees are cut. They’re also powerful and add a wonderful flavor to your cuisine.
Traeger’s pellet line offers traditional flavors, including hickory, cherry, apple, pecan, and mesquite. Their cherry pellets are the most versatile of the company’s pellets. These pellets would go well with any of the following:
- Beef
- Lamb
- Pork
- Seafood
- Poultry
- Pizza
- Veggies
Suppose you’re hesitant to buy a large bag of pellets straight off the bat. In that case, you’ll appreciate this 20-pound bag — good quantity and no risk of overcommitment.
These pellets produce less ash than other wood pellets on the market. Also, there will be less ash to clean up afterward. Your pizzas will now have a delicious, smoky flavor, and that too, with no harm to the environment or your health.
Specifications:
- Brand: Traeger
- Material: Wood
- Flavor: Cherry
- Item Weight: 20 Pounds
Pros
- High-quality pellets
- Clean burn
- Produces very little ash
- Made of pure hardwood
- Affordable price
- Perfect size
- No binders or fillers
Cons
- Some customers have complained about a lot of sawdust
2. Best Budget:Oklahoma Joe’s 2778408DP 100% All-Natural Hardwood Competition Blend Wood Pellets
- Hickory, cherry, maple and oak blend wood pellets for sweet and smoky flavor
- 100% all-natural hardwood with a clean burn and low ash for easy clean-up
- Food-grade pellets to enhance the flavor of beef, chicken, pork, fruit and vegetables
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Oklahoma Joa is a well-known gas grills and wood pellets manufacturer. Their wood pellets are a mix of oak hardwood and natural cherry.
Regardless of how good a wood pellet smokes, it’s useless to you if it’s high in ash content. Well, you’ll be glad to know that these wood pellets burn clean and produce very little ash, unlike many of its peers.
Also, these wood pellets are considered food-grade because they are made entirely of natural hardwood. Oklahoma Joe’s Competition Blend Wood Pellets will infuse your meal with delightful wood-fired hickory, maple, cherry, and oak flavor.
While you can use these pellets for any meal, they work exceptionally well with pizza, which is why you’re here in the first place, aren’t you? These wood pellets impart a subtle, fruity smoke flavor to the pizza cooked in your pizza oven.
Furthermore, feel free to mix these pellets with other unique blends; you’ll still get a clean, mild burn with minimal ash. Remember, you can’t keep these pellets for too long — fresh pellets produce the greatest smoke.
They smolder and smoke nicely, produce steady heat, and add a blend of all the intense flavors to your cuisine. Your pizzas will now have a mouthwatering taste and a rose color. Also, lighting these pellets is a breeze. What’s not to love!
Specifications:
- Brand: Oklahoma Joe’s
- Flavor: Hickory, Maple, Cherry
- Item Weight: 20 Pounds
Pros
- Made from natural cherry, hickory hardwood
- Produce relatively little ash
- Smoky and sweet flavor
- Food-grade wood pellets
- Excellent with fish, chicken, fruit, and veggies
- Easy to light
- Ready-to-use packaging
Cons
- Storing them for long may make them rancid and smoke bitter and white
3. Best Runner Up: Camp Chef Competition Blend BBQ Pellets
- MAPLE, HICKORY, CHERRY BLEND: Competition blend is the Jack of All Trades. It's great with poultry, pork, baking, veggies, beef, and seafood. HARDWOODS: Camp Chef Hardwood pellets are not a byprouct....
- NO OILS, CHEMICALS OR BINDERS ADDED: No oils, chemicals or binders added mean better flavor and a more efficient burn.
- The kiln dried process creates low moisture content for a very dry, hot burning pellet. This means it burns less to maintain your desired temperature, giving you more pellets for your next barbecue...
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Camp Chef Premium Hardwood Pellets provide wood pellets that you can use with any pizza oven. Unlike other products, which contain at least some waste like sawdust, these wood pellets are high-quality and are made entirely of hardwood mixtures.
A standout feature of these wood pellets is their affordability. They’re also suitable for both novice and experienced smokers.
The Competition Hardwood blend is renowned for producing a smoky flavor that compliments many meals, including baked goods such as pizza and traditional grilled meats such as hog and beef.
Camp Chef Pellets contain all of the ingredients that make an excellent wood pellet. Furthermore, they’re also oil and chemical-free, so rest assured that they’re healthy. Still, none of the filler components are either cheap or potentially hazardous.
What’s more, they’re built to last, maintain a consistent temperature, and leave a lot less ashy residue for you to clean up.
Lastly, these Camp Chef Pellets aren’t any more or less flammable than any other form of wood pellet. You should have no problems using your pellet grill as long as you follow the instructions in the service manual.
Specifications:
- Brand: Camp Chef
- Material: Wood
- Flavor: Cherry, Maple, Hickory
- Item Weight: 20 Pounds
Pros
- No additional oils, binders, or chemicals
- Kiln-dried for low cooking time
- Safe in all smokers, pellet grills, and barbecues
- Burns more efficiently and thoroughly
- Comes in resealable bags
- Less dust and ash
- Hardwood has a longer burn
Cons
- Challenging to light
4. Best Under $12: Camp Chef Southwest Mesquite BBQ Pellets
- 100% all-natural premium hardwood food grade pellets
- Ultra-low moisture content - no added oils or flavors
- Clean burning virgin hardwood - no fillers
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Camp Chef Southwest Mesquite BBQ Pellets have no binding agents or additives and are made entirely of natural hardwood. This 20-pound container of mesquite wood pellets is made with a kiln-dried procedure that results in a super-dry, hot-burning pellet with less dust.
It’s also safe to say that mesquite is the most well-known wood pellets in the Southwest. This southwestern classic imparts a smokey, dry flavor to your cuisine, with lasting sweetness, making them an excellent choice for pizza.
Also, it burns less to maintain the temperature you want, leaving you with more pellets for your next cookout and less ash to clean up. You can also use these hardwood pellets to provide flavor profiles for beef, pork, chicken, and fish, not to mention they’re also delicious with baked goods or vegetables.
They’re made entirely of natural wood, giving you everything you need and nothing you don’t, making them the greatest wood pellets for smoking. They burn cleanly and produce a blue haze, allowing you to smoke your food for hours to achieve the perfect flavor.
These pellets, made in the United States, produce very little ash, will burn cleanly and consistently. It ensures that your smoked delicacies turn out to be perfect, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Specifications:
- Brand: Camp Chef
- Material: Wood
- Flavor: Mesquite
- Item Weight: 20 Pounds
Pros
- Affordable price
- A classic southern flavor
- 100% natural ingredients
- Clean-burning smoke
- Goes well with nearly any food
- Small-diameter pellets
- Sustainably sourced
Cons
- The smoky flavor is not as strong as you’d like
5. Alternative: Green Mountain Grills GMG-2001-GOLD Premium Gold Blend Pure Hardwood Pellets
- Wood pellets that add flavor to enhance your grilling experience
- Premium gold pellets bring out the bold flavor of black oak, hickory, elm, and mesquite to any beef, poultry, pork, seafood, or vegetable product
- Infuse pure wood flavor into everything you grill, bake roast, braise, or barbecue
Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Green Mountain Pellets are one of the best quality cooking pellets you’ll ever find. These wood pellets are designed to be used as heating pellets. They, however, can be used for smoking due to their all-natural composition. This combination of hickory, maple, and mesquite hardwoods can completely change the flavor of chicken, beef, seafood, and vegetables.
The wide diameter of these pellets distinguishes them from other brands, allowing for a lengthy cooking and smoking experience. Furthermore, Green Mountain wood pellets have a lower moisture content, resulting in improved performance and a more efficient burn. As a result, there is little ash, making cleaning the pizza oven a breeze.
These pellets are made from kiln-dried sawdust of pure hardwoods, which is also a plus. This approach keeps the process clean and assures that the pellets will not go rancid if stored for a long time.
Each pack weighs roughly 28 pounds, allowing you to cook for hours with just one blend. With that in mind, you’re in good hands with these pellets, and you’ll get a great new flavor when you smoke your pizza.
Specifications:
- Brand: Green Mountain Grills
- Flavor: Hickory, Mesquite, Maple
- Item Weight: 28 Pounds
Pros
- Heats up quickly
- Excellent flavor
- Premium hardwood pellets
- Longer burn time
- There isn’t much ash
- Doesn’t fall to rancidity easily
Cons
- The bag is rather dusty
Endnote
Finding the flavor that best suits your taste buds requires a lot of trial and error. And wood pellets can go a long way in bringing your dream lip-smacking flavor to life.
To make things easier for you, here’s a quick summary of my top picks:
- You can’t go wrong with the Traeger Grills PEL309 Cherry 100% All-Natural Hardwood Pellets if you want a strong flavor that isn’t too overbearing and has the versatility to pair with various recipes.
- Oklahoma Joe’s 2778408DP 100% All-Natural Hardwood Competition Blend Wood Pellets is the perfect choice if you’re a newcomer searching for a low-cost, all-around wood pellet.
- Camp Chef Competition Blend BBQ Pellets are what you should be looking at if you want quality pellets with no added tastes, oils, or fillers and that are built of high-quality wood and are reasonably priced.
- Go for Camp Chef Southwest Mesquite BBQ Pellets if you want to add a mesquite flavor to your pizza.
- The Green Mountain Grills GMG-2001-GOLD Premium Gold Blend Pure Hardwood Pellets are the best if you’re searching for wood pellets that produce good heat and smoke.
Last Updated on April 29, 2022 by Judith Fertig
Leave a Reply