I just bought a 30lbs bag of traeger pro blend flavor pellets for $24 at Home Depot. The pro blend has a mixture of oak, hickory, and cherry. Kind of like the Kona premium blend.
Thank you for this test. I have been having issues with keeping the other brands of pellets going out after ignition. I weighed my pellets like you did and they burned perfectly. I think the secret is the weight. Different pellets weigh more or less. This could affect the burning of pellets in the box.
Thanks! I’ve only used mine once and still getting used to the timing and temps as I’m very new to smoking and your videos have been a huge help for sure
Thanks for your time and the video but I would also like to say I would love to see a video with your recommendations on how to pair certain Woods to certain Meats for certain occasions if that makes any sense😂.. Thanks again 😎✌️
Thanks so much for not only this video but the Quick Start one... I'm such a newbie, I haven't even unboxed mine yet!!! Thanks again... I'm gonna go back and watch more videos!!!
Ours arrived today! So looking forward to our first trial and thank you for making it all sounds so easy. Not the weather for BBQs here though in North Yorkshire UK at the moment!
Finally subscribed after watching a bunch of your videos! Love your dry humor! Awesome test! I agree hard to screw up chicken! (well only under cooked) When I grill for people I always ask "how do you like your chicken? Medium rare?" I get the craziest looks.
I understood that moisture in the pellets is not a good thing. I would think to buy a smaller package, depending upon how often and how much you use over time, in order to keep them sufficiently dry. Moisture can gunk up collection devices. So that is one area that needs consideration, in addition to what "Dad got This" demonstrated, which is useful in that it addresses the flavoring profiles, time to smoke and leftovers: all important variables. Pellet Moisture is the only thing else to consider.
Thanks for all the videos , am looking at buying the xl wood fire and the videos were very helpful , we don’t get a lot of good weather here in Ireland so we got to make the most of it when we can but I do think I’ll use the ninja through the year
@@DadGotThis thank you I bought one 2 days ago done some chicken wings using your GO seasoning 20 min air fry with smoke , they were really nice and juicy
Thank you for this. I just got my smoker from kohls for about $200 from Black Friday deal. With the $75 in kohls cash I got a bunch of flavored 2lb bags of Camp Chef and a 20lb bag of Jack Daniel’s bourbon pellets. Then the grill came and I saw “only ninja pellets” I was like DOH! Glad I don’t have to return them.
Found the included pellets to be far too strong - even the All Purpose Blend. Bought a 20lb bag of Pit Boss apple wood pellets for $23. Much better results, especially on vegetables. We just got our grill earlier this week. Works far better than the $1500 Johnstone BBQ we bought 9 years ago. Only drawback so far is storage - it’s heavy to lug around. Can’t leave it outside as it’s just too wet here in the PNW.
Thank you for thos video! I just ordered the pro connect xl ! Got it for under $200 with Kohl's Cash and coupon and employee discount! Can't wait to start cooking on it!!!
@@DadGotThis I'm not sure! Will wait till I get it and it will depend on my work schedule. I know next weekend as long as I have it I will be doing burgers or maybe steak for my friends birthday
I think you hit the nail on the head there. The different woods are the thing. Mesquite and salmon, maybe not so good. Oak is pretty versatile, so that's what'll be in the econo bags. Want apple or cherry? Yes. But it'll cost more. So I use the cheap stuff a lot, and save the apple or maple for a pork shoulder or some salmon.
I personally will buy the next model since they always improve the design but i feel like this is a must for people who like grilling/smoking and dont have space or time
They have the XL on HSN in 5 colors for $329 plus 15% off its 30% bigger than the original and the stand us much better. I should have waited but I'm ordering another from HSN
It's isn't real large on the Ninja package, but if one reads the label, they will see the Ninja pellets are made by Bear Mountain.. A two pound bag of Ninja branded pellets run about $18.00 and I bought a 20 pound bag of the Bear Mountain for $20.00, and they are available at several local retailers.
Appreciate you doing this pellet test. Just a work of caution. I watch my friends when they cook and they do the exact same thing I am going to warn you about. Especially with a smaller Ninja grill or any small grill when you half to cook half the food first then the other half. In this video you cooked 3 different chicken thighs. The problem is you use the tongs on raw meat then touch the cooked meat to flip. You just contaminated it. This happens especially if your cooking a full rack of ribs but only half at a time. You touch raw meat then flip the meat halfway through with contaminated tongs. Just a word of caution.
I was gonna go Kona but I saw some videos saying bear mountain has good taste. I’m buying a cheap bag of it tomorrow since my free bags from ninja are done
Great Video-Fair Comparison of different brands. I do not purchase the exclusive Ninja Brand pellets for my Ninja grill, mostly use the Traeger brand from H/Dpt, due to USA source and purity of wood materials used. My sole concern of all Walmart brand products would be if the materials are sourced from China? Hopefully your video will save some people money over the high cost of marketing for the Ninja Brand compared to identical function of lesser priced pellets.
This looks like a cool cooker/smoker. I already have 2 pellet smokers and avoid the expensive small bags. I’ve found the best are Bear Mountain or Kingsford 20 pound bags. Expert Grill not so much as those did not burn well in my smoker (45 pound pellet hopper so I always buy big bags). Still waiting to get to the end but I assume the Expert Grill pellets will do fine.
I just received my grill two days ago. The first thing I tried cooking on it was to air fry some Mrs. T's Pierogies. They came out paletable but not cooked like truely deep frying them. Tonight I;m trying a NY strip with asparagus. So far though, I like the grill. I'll just have to experiment with it and see how it really works.
I watched your cleaning video. I have something that will make your jaw drop. Go buy a bottle of LA Awesome from the .99 cent store and try it at full strength. It cuts through the grease and smokes nothing flat. It can be used everywhere in the house at different deletion ratios. My black grill lid with two pumps let sit for less than 45 seconds hit it with a dry paper towel and bang, there what that aluminum cover with no brushing,
Well damn! And i bought a box of Ninja pellets. Glad to know i can use other brands! I did notice though that you didnt push the woodfire button. Does it ignite itself on the smoker setting?
Thanks for watching, be sure to subscribe so you can keep up with all the tips and recipes! If you run into any questions just drop a comment and I will do my best to get you an answer.
What is your humidity like? We’re in northern Illinois and have had an issue with a variety of brands not igniting right away. My theory. 1. Humidity affecting the pellets from igniting 2. Some of the pellets are super long, possibly keeping pellets away from the igniter. 3. Has the humidity affected my pellets in storage and will a microwave at 30 seconds remove the humidity
I live in central Florida so it is about as HUMID as it gets. I do store my pellets inside or at least I have been. The giant 20lb bag is now out in the garage. Where do you store yours?
I was wondering. If you are doing a cook longer than an hour and you refill the pellet hopper, do you empty it first or just add more. Thank you for your time. I enjoy your videos.
If you are doing longer than an hour I just refill by opening it up and pouring some in. Then I hold down the woodfire button for 3 seconds to reignite. No need to dump. Most likely the old pellets will be all gone. Thanks for watching!
Good video! I was wondering just this question & you answered it perfectly. Only thing that I wonder about, is you only used the Kona oak. Everyone knows different woods burn at different rates, do the different other Kona wood types burn at the same rate? I don't think I would buy the big bulk bag of pellets. Too hard to keep them dry & it's basically a lifetime supply of one kind of pellet. The 4 pack of Kona is still an excellent value, especially considering what I paid for the Ninja. The bags are resealable, and 4 different varieties. What's not to love?
You know what I never really factored in the wood types in my test. It is a very good point. I also agree that buying a HUGE bag of pellets may be more economical but you hit the nail on the head about having a LIFETIME supply!
Thanks for the video and the "scientific testing" lol! I just got my new Pro Connect XL Woodfire and it's nice to know I can pretty much put in whatever I like. I just ended up going with the 8 pack variety pack of the Kona pellets because I want to play around with all the different flavors. I figured I could splurge because it uses so few pellets and it would take forever to go through a big bag of just one flavor of the cheap stuff. Thank you for helping me to make an informed decision to know exactly what I was doing. I feel I made the right decision for me. 👍
Ninja states in the user manual not to refill the pellet basket more than twice. Any thoughts on that? I couldn't find more details on why. I expect that there is something that could melt, but not sure...
Thanks for this video, I am in the UK and am very new to the Ninja Woodfire grill and all things smoking. I wondered myself if, as the Ninja blurb says onlyy to use thir pellets if it was a marketing ploy and it seems that it is so. I love your varied videos and am always keen to see what is next. Please keep them coming.
At a few ounces per use, why buy 20 pounds of pellets? Seems to me choice of flavors is best choice with the Kona brand. At they are not that expensive.
Thank you for the test. I'm going to Wal-Mart for pellets.. LOL Yes, I have some more Ninja pellets to use but I'm not paying their price. Gracias Amigo dat det is espanola
How can I become a ninja tester. I have brought a lot of their products but I just brought the woodfire grill last week. Also what kind of cord do you use outdoors with the grill.
As far as becoming a tester not sure on that. I hooked up with them due to my channel. On the cord I use a thick outdoor rated cord. Something like this one: amzn.to/4bqY9g5
I just got my woodfire grill for my birthday and was anxious to try out the smoker. Like a lot of people I was wondering if the pellets HAD to be ones Ninja provides. Figures it was just a marketing ploy but now I feel confident that I can keep on smoking without breaking the wallet. Thanks again for your testing and guides!
Based on a video from someone else that I saw, I tried the black Royal Oak charcoal pellets in my wood fire XL. They hardly burned, and I tried twice. The first time I got a little sick, but wasn’t sure it was the pellets. The second time I got very sick (intestinal disturbance) and I am sure it was the pellets. I don’t think you can use just any pellets in the wood fire XL. Has anyone else had this experience?
I’ve been using charcoal pellets from another brand in testing and had no issues. They burned just fine too. One thing you need to make sure of is that you have the hopper full to the top. The ignition mechanism is at the top. So the pellets light from the top not the bottom.
@@DadGotThis Thanks for responding! It was completely full both times, but the pellets were almost pristine (though there was smoke during the cooking). It made me sick enough that I'm really thinking about only using Ninja's pellets (and maybe that company that makes ones designed for the Ninja).
@lllmmm3572 I don’t see how they could have made you sick unless they had mold in them or something. Or if it was just a flavor that really disagreed with you. I have tried pellets from about 10 companies and have not had any issues with any of them. There is also nothing wrong with the Ninja pellets, they are a fantastic product.
@@DadGotThis I think it may be because the pellets for the Ninja are not made like pellets that are made for fuel (like the Royal Oak). The Ninja pellets are just for flavor and not for heat. Or maybe it had more to do with the charcoal, but I use regular charcoal in my regular grill all the time with no problems. I tried twice, with bad results both times. I don't want to be graphic, but my bowl ended up lined with little bits of charcoal, and I was torn up all night both times.
So there is no flavor difference? I thought that the Ninja pellet’s flavor would be designed to be stronger because you can put less pellets in the grill.
No, the Ninja pellets were not “smokier” or anything like that. There were differences in flavor based on the wood type of the pellets but not pellet brand really.
one thing i can guarantee is the ninja pellets are not "designed" for their equipment, i have spent the last three year looking in to commercial wood briquetting machines and pelletisers, at it's most basic you add saw dust of ??? variety in one end and the size of the die at the other determines the size, the only other variable is density which determines how long they would burn ? and how hard they are as the pressure of forming them creates lignum in the pellet to hold it together (thats why they are shiny on the outside) they are bought in from ? and just re branded.
I would say, if you are getting enough desired smoke on anyones pellet ,if the burn and flavor are sufficient to your taste needs then youre ok. I wouldnt think that would void a warranty.EVEN IF , there were leftover pellets and you got your desired taste of smoke, at bargain prices who would care as long as the taste suited your needs.The question I ask is, is the amount of ash left managable or does their pellet product leave less ash? Now if the ash poses a problem and would maybe gum things up on the burn over years then buy the extended warranty, burn economical pellets ,and let the extended warranty do its job in a year or 2 or 3... At that point youd save on pellets and let the warranty do its job incase of a mishap.
If you look where the pellet hopper is there is nothing that could happen with the ash. It doesn’t cycle anywhere there are no moving parts to gum up near it at all. I don’t see an issue with it.
I truly love it. Walmart online dropped the price and like i said I took the extended warranty and its gonna get worked. Thank you for your video. Were gonne roll everything but coal through this unit !!! Thank you so much!@@DadGotThis
@DadGotThis thanks! Just did my first pulled pork in the Ninja Pro Connect.. first one ever infact.. can't believe it turned out so good! Thanks for your videos, I'm learning this new machine quickly, and deliciously!
Do pellets burn more fast on airfry mode? Second time using pellet smoke was coming solely from pellet box through ignition and only lasted 5-10 minutes during cook
@@DadGotThislook forward to hearing your thoughts on this. It was one of the questions I had while watching your test. My grill just arrived and it was one of my major questions since one of my major questions since the box and every pamphlet in the box says you CANNOT use any other pellets.
So far I have used quite a few kinds and have not had a single issue. I think it may be an issue on pellet grills where the pellets are used as a heat source and there is an auger involved. In the ninja there are no moving parts in the pellet box area.
Bought the ninja woodfire grill pro XL connect and purchased two extra bags of pellets. I've been having to add pellets about every 30-45 minutes. Really expensive compared to a traditional smoker! I cooked a pork butt and refilled 3 times. Then cooked 4 racks of baby backs and have refilled twice so far! Everything has been cooking on the preset temps. Excellent bark but not really impressed with this! Don't really taste the smoke with this. Really disappointed with the woodfire grill! Doesn't live up to all the hype! Cook time is half but smoke flavor just isn't there! I also bought the rib rack to smoke 4 racks at once and it absolutely SUCKS! Not impressed and disappointed with this!
I get white smoke for about maybe 20-30 minutes and then the smoke stops and I have to refill the hopper. I'm not really tasting the smoke flavor! When I have to add more pellets it doesn't automatically ignite. I have to hit the smoke function. Sometimes I have to start it all over and adjust the time.
@bobbiehoward2890 You should not have white smoke the whole time. You will get a plume of smoke at ignition, that’s called “dirty smoke”, then it should turn to a much lighter smoke, almost invisible. You should still smell it and if you til the pellet hopper to look you should just see slightly smoking pellets. This is called “clean smoke”. Like I said depending on pellets I have had them last as little as an hour and as long as 3. If the hopper runs totally out you need to refill it and hit or hold the Woodfire button to reignite.
Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL Quickstart Guide | How To Setup, App Connect, Air Fry, Smoke & Grill ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g-XvigMYD5A.html
Can I use wood chips instead ? Almost impossible to find such pellets delivered to Belgium nowadays (or at crazy prices like 30 $ for 1 Kg) and I have a broad range of wood chips at home). What would be the consequence of using those in my Ninja ?
If anybody thinks Ninja had the time or economic viability to develope its own specific pellets, please send me $100 and i will send you a peice of the original Cross that JC was pinned to 😂
For this test, I went with what was available to me at local retail stores for the "bulk pellet". I have not personally tried the Knotty wood pellets but I have heard very good things about them. I am in the process of trying out some charcoal pellets and a all new kind right now that are really nice. Videos incoming on both.
It would be helpful if you could show the cooked chicken up close in any subsequent videos. It's very hard to see what kind of smoke ring, if any, is present when the camera is so far back. A pet peeve of mine is people talking with their mouth full. I was brought up not to do it because it's bad manners, but also it's not very nice for your viewers to see your food being chewed and hear your chomping/slurping over your commentary. I can appreciate it takes time to eat what your chewing and viewers don't want to hear "dead air" but just edit it out?
I have since upgraded my camera setup to allow for a better b camera. I use a wireless mic and it picks up lots of noises unfortunately. I have tried to be better about it in recent videos by cutting it out. It is tough to resist immediately responding to the food but I try to. Thanks for the comments.
