The Pros and Cons of Cooking on Wood-burning Fire Pits

One ironically weird reason why people repel from the idea of cooking over wood burning and real fire is the very reason many dislike cooking on gas fire pits.  The presence and the lack of the aroma and taste real fire gives on food is one important thing to consider when buying a fire pit, especially when you want to use it on preparing food.

In this article, we tackle on the pros and cons of preparing food over wood-burning fire pits.

The Good

Flavorful - This is one reason nothing beats wood burning fire pits.  The wood and the smoke it creates when burned add a distinct aroma and makes the food more flavorful and delightful.  The choice for what firewood to use also matters.  To augment more flavors, it is advised to use smoking woods like mesquite, hickory, apple, alder, and cherry.

Unparalleled heat - You can still get the same intense heat the chunks of burning embers give off from other fuels and burners.  But what makes it unrivaled is the flavor the wood gives off due to the heat.

Delightfully natural - This arouses the interest of many, especially those who are health conscious.  The heat and burning process is one hundred per cent natural and uses no artificial chemicals unlike gas grills and artificially processed charcoals.

The Bad

The flavor - The topmost reason to love wood-burning cooking is the very reason others don’t like it. It is undeniable that other people don’t like the taste of food that has a smell of burned wood. In this case, gas grilling or cooking is more ideal.

Extra expenses- Good quality and seasoned firewood may become expensive, especially during the winter season.  But the cost may vary depending on the area where you live.  If you’re from the country, these firewood may come in at a cheaper cost.  Wood embers don’t stay hot for long, unlike charcoal.  When grilling, there’s a chance to use up more firewood, which eat up more of your money.

More time - Using firewood may take up more time.  You don’t cook on the open flames so as not to burn and char the food.  It is ideal to cook over glowing embers.  Getting the ideal core of hot embers may consume a huge chunk of time and requires a lot of patience.

Fire control - Using wood-burning fire pit to cook food is more difficult especially if you find it necessary to control the intensity of fire. Doing so is more convenient if you are using a gas fire pit.
Now that you know the pros and cons of cooking on wood as well as using a gas fire pit, the choice to use wood still boils down to your preference on how you would want your food to smell and taste as well as how you value your convenience.  At the end of the day, you should always go for what pleases you the best.