You’ve probably seen Pit Boss Maple Pellets for sale at your local hardware store, big box store or even online. The packaging is great, but are the pellets worth the price? How does the maple flavor and burn rate compare to similar brands? Are these heavily processed pellets, or are they 100% natural? At Everyday Pitmaster we put these pellets to the test to find out, and we were impressed with the results!
Everyday Pitmaster Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
Product Review:
We considered three main factors when rating wood these pellets:
- Flavor: These maple pellets impart a rich, smoky, and slightly sweet flavor to grilled or smoked meats and vegetables. The aroma of these pellets while smoking is off the charts.
- Performance: They ignite easily and produce a consistent and steady burn, resulting in a consistent temperature throughout your grilling or smoking session. The pellets also generate a significant amount of maple smoke, which helps to infuse the food with noticeable maple flavor.
- Price: While Pit Boss isn’t the cheapest option on the market, they offer a good balance of quality and value for the price. Overall pitmasters who are willing to spend a little extra for a reliable and flavorful fuel source will find these pellets to be worth the investment.
Pit Boss Maple Pellets hit all the marks for a top end wood pellet. The main in-class differentiators we noted were the price and high maple content of the blend. Pit Boss is on average anywhere between 25% to 40% cheaper than the competition for the same quality of pellet. If you haven’t tried these yet, they are definitely worth checking out. Most pitmasters report great success with them.
For a more in depth analysis, checkout our additional research into manufacturing processes, similar products, and price comparisons below.
How are Pit Boss pellets priced comparatively?
Camp Chef Pellets
- Clean Burning
- Some Maple Flavor
- Competitively Priced
- All Natural
Pit Boss Maple Pellets
- Clean Burning
- Great Maple Flavor
- Competitively Priced
- All Natural
Traeger Pellets
- Clean Burning
- Some Maple Flavor
- Competitively Priced
- All Natural
When it comes to comparing the price and value of Pit Boss Maple Pellets with similar products, it’s important to consider the quality of the pellets, the amount of pellets included in each bag, and the price per pound or per bag.
Pit Boss Maple Pellets typically come in a 20 or 40 pound bag. Their price can vary depending on the retailer and location. For our price comparison, we put Pit Boss Maple Pellets up against competitors with similar burn, flavor and composition. While other in-class brands do not carry pure maple pellets, they do include maple in some of their blends. We chose Camp Chef Competition Blend and Traeger Signature Pellets for this comparison because they both include hardwood maple in their blends.
As you can see, with all other things equal, Pit Boss beats the in-class competition with their price and strong maple flavor. There are cheaper pellets on the market, but they lack the product quality this class of pellets has. When looking at the pellet market, going any cheaper than Pit Boss is going to result in lower quality burn, maple flavor and pellet composition. Pit Boss Maple Pellets are definitely worth the price for those who want a strong maple smoke flavor.
What foods are Pit Boss Maple Pellets best for?
Pit Boss recommends their maple pellet blend for beef, pork, fish, breads and vegetables. Don’t feel restricted by these recommendations though. Taste is subjective, so smoke according to you and your family’s personal preferences.
There are a few meat cuts, breads and vegetables that stand out as particularly good for smoking with maple wood. The rich and slightly sweet smokiness from these maple pellets pairs well with the following:
- Beef: Brisket, Beef Ribs, Trip-Tip, Chuck Roast, Sirloin Steak and Flank Steak
- Pork: Pork Shoulder, Pork Tenderloin, Pork Ribs, Pork Sausages, Pork Belly, Bacon and Pork Chops
- Fish: Salmon, Trout, Whitefish, Tuna and Catfish
- Breads: Sourdough, Rye, Brioche, Ciabatta and Whole Wheat
- Vegetables: Mushrooms, Jalapeño Peppers, Brussels Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Zucchini, and Corn
How are Pit Boss Pellets Made?
Pit Boss makes their hardwood pellets by using a combination of high-quality hardwood sawdust and a natural lignin binder. The sawdust is sourced from North American hardwoods such as hickory, maple, and oak. The sawdust is then carefully screened and filtered to remove any impurities.
Finally they then compress the sawdust under high pressure using a specially designed pellet mill. This compression process creates a dense and uniform pellet that burns efficiently and produces consistent heat and smoke.
Pit Boss’s designs their pellets to produce minimal ash. Consequently this ensures that your grill or smoker stays clean and easy to maintain. With a range of flavors and blends available, Pit Boss’s hardwood pellets in general offer a flavorful and clean fuel source.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, we are definitely fans of Pit Boss Maple Pellets. They offer great value for the price of this class of pellet. Clean burning, 100% natural, and great flavor are the hallmarks of top end pellets. Not only do Pit Boss pellets hit those marks, but they do it at the lowest in-class price and provide one of the only high maple content blends for this class of pellet.
The low price point and high quality make these pellets an excellent value for at home Pit Masters. Whether you’re just getting started pairing woods with your food, or you are a seasoned backyard Pit Master, your family and friends will be impressed with the great maple flavor from these pellets.
While these are not the cheapest wood pellets on the market, they are the cheapest pellets in-class. Although you can find cheaper pellets, you’ll end up sacrificing wood quality, maple flavor and burn quality. If you can afford a few extra dollars and don’t want to sacrifice great flavor, 100% real natural wood, and a clean burn, these pellets are for you.
What qualities do the next generation of wood pellets have that set them apart from the past? We aren’t sure, because they aren’t here yet! Pit Boss Maple Pellets absolutely hold their own in the top end of the pellet market. A stand out feature is that this blend is the high maple content, something other in-class pellets do not offer. Other than the purity of the blend and the price, nothing additional stands out from similar in-class competitors. Accordingly, we rated these pellets a 4 out of 5 score, despite being extremely impressed with them.
If you haven’t tried Pit Boss Maple Pellets out yet, we highly recommend you give them a shot.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are Pit Boss pellets 100% real wood?
Yes, Pit Boss pellets are made from 100% all-natural hardwood that is dried and ground into saw dust. The sawdust is then pressured at extreme heat to create the compact pellets that are coated and held together with the wood’s natural lignin.
Lignin is an important organic polymer which is abundant in cell walls of some specific cells. It has many biological functions such as water transport, mechanical support and resistance to various stresses.
How long do Pit Boss pellets last?
A significant factor in how many wood pellets you will burn with your smoker is the ambient outdoor temperature. A colder environment means more wood pellets will be burned to maintain temperature. Additionally the cooking temperature of the smoker will also dictate how many wood pellets your smoker burns.
| Cooking Temperature | Amount of Pellets Burned |
|---|---|
| 225°F | 0.5 – 1 lbs. / hour |
| 250°F | 0.75 – 1.5 lbs. / hour |
| 275°F | 1 – 2 lbs. / hour |
| 300°F | 1.25 – 2.25 lbs. / hour |
| 325°F | 1.5 – 2.75 lbs. / hour |
Can Pit Boss pellets be used in any smoker?
Yes, you can use Pit Boss pellets as long as your smoker is designed to use standard smoker pellets. Standard wood pellets for smokers are 1/4 inch in diameter and an inch or less long. If your smoker’s manufacturer recommends using these size pellets, then you absolutely can use Pit Boss pellets in your smoker.
Where can I buy Pit Boss pellets?
Pit Boss pellets are widely available. You can find them online, direct from manufacturer, or from these common retailers: Walmart, Lowe’s, Cabela’s, Tractor Supply, Ace Hardware, Menard’s, and even Camping World.
What is the best way to store Pit Boss pellets?
When it comes to storing wood pellets for a smoker, it’s important to keep them dry and protected from moisture to ensure they burn efficiently and produce the desired smoke flavor.
Here are some tips for storing Pit Boss pellets:
- Firstly, use an airtight container: Store the wood pellets in an airtight container such as a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid, or a 5 gallon bucket with lid. This will help keep out moisture.
- Next, keep them in a cool, dry place: Choose a cool, dry location for storing the wood pellets. Storing them in areas that are exposed to direct sunlight, high humidity, or extreme temperature fluctuations should be avoided as these conditions can cause the wood pellets to deteriorate and lose their effectiveness.
- Seal the bag tightly: If you’re storing the wood pellets in their original bag, make sure to seal it tightly after each use.
- Finally, avoid contact with water: Keep the wood pellets away from water or any other source of moisture.
- Rotate stock: If you use wood pellets frequently, try to rotate your stock by using the oldest pellets first.
