I smoke meats (pork, beef, fowl) frequently. Unfortunately, local merchants only carry hickory and mesquite wood. I recently cured my first fresh ham, and, wanting a sweeter smoke, purchased these chips. I was very disappointed. The chips are small, and are consumed quickly, requiring feeding approximately every ten minutes. I consumed the entire box in three hours, and resorted to hickory chunks--my favorite wood--for the final hour.
Overall, these chips, while providing the desired sweet smoke, are, by comparison with local sources, pricey, and insufficient for the serious smoker. I pay $6.00 for three pounds of hickory chunks at the local Walmart, and get 3-4 four hour smokes from one purchase. I won't purchase again.
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I think the person who gave this a bad review didn't understand the purpose of these chips. They are not intended to be a heat source or even a dry supplement to coals. They are intended to increase and enhance the smoke. To use them correctly, you soak a large handful for about 1/2 hour. Just as I'm putting my pork shoulder on the smoker, I sprinkle these on top and around the edges of my mesquite hardwood coal. In combination, they provide a fantastic, balanced smoke.
Keep in mind that pork (ribs or shoulder) only absorb smoke in the first 2-3 hours. There is no need as the other reviewer suggested to constantly add these chips. One large soaked handful combined with mesquite coal and/or hardwood chunks, another smaller handful an hour later to keep the smoke steady and you're fine. I use one box about every 4 times I slow-smoke.
Best Deals for Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Smoking Wood Chips for Pork
I admit I am not a celebrity worshipper, but I thought I would try his chips, since I was searching for a good wood smoking combination.
I was really pleasantly surprised by Raichlen. His chips are a nice blend of strong and mild woods....perfect for the Masterbuilt electric smoker.....a little chips goes a long way.
For my Weber Smoky Mountain though, I would never use these chips....too small....I would go with my own CHUNKS.....hickory, oak, etc.
But I like what he has put together.
Honest reviews on Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Smoking Wood Chips for Pork
I don't know all that much about Steven Raichlen, except that he seems to be making his fortune selling barbeque products. At first I was skeptical, but when his name popped up on so many different kinds of products, his marketing must have gotten to me, and I found myself willing to give his products a try. I was not disappointed.
Before I used these chips, I had already purchased the genuine Steve Raichlen soaker baskets with tray, and I used those baskets to try out his blend of wood chips. I thought I would have to call the fire department! The trays really really really warmed up nice, (flaming up each time I raised the lid) and I had 100% burn on the chips fairly quickly. Not too bad, but next time I will try to reduce my flame further for a longer smoking time. The smoke was incredible, and they made my old smoker boxes obsolete. But this review is about the chips more than the smoker baskets, but let me say, these chips are an excellenet blend for pork. Even with the reduced time, I had a great smoke flavor to the 1.5" thick pork chops I cooked through the indirect method (set them on the back with the front burner on). The smoke flavor was in no way acrid or harsh, but it seemed to bring out the quality of my chops really well.
Buying wood chips in a box with somebody's picture on the front seems a little silly, because you would think it would be more expensive, but by comparing the weight of the chips in the box with the woodchip weight you might buy at your local megastore, the price is not bad, if not even competitive. Plus, the chips you buy in plastic bags at mega stores are pretty much just one type of chips, and that is fine if you know how to blend them, and that is what I did for years. The thing is, get yourself five or six kinds of wood chips, and one or two things happen. #1 you try to do the houdini and try to get a perfect blend of random amounts of various woods (which you can never duplicate again), or #2 you end up using a lot of whichever wood you bought too much of. Obviously, this gives you inconsistent quality. What Steven did with these wood chips is gave you a consistent mix that works for a specific type of meat, in this case pork. Great idea to me, especially considering his reasonable price.
If you love smoked pork (which is pretty much everybody) you should give this one a try. The price is good, and nothing beats having a good consistent wood chip blend all ready for use for the smokin' weekend grill warrior.
