I learned to cook 60 years ago on an open pit. Talk about work. I still have one in my back yard that I don't use for cooking any longer. I also have been the stick burner route and now have settled in with my 1250 and a Bullseye. I do my all-nighters now from my bedside on the 1250 with the...
I cook bacon at 275 laid out flat on aluminum foil with the edges rolled up. I use thick cut bacon peppered on one side turning it once. It takes a little while to cook but it is so worth it. I cook it on my Bullseye.
Pit Boss competition blend works great for me. Rural King apparently has gone back to Lumber Jack after saying their RK branded pellets were exactly the same as LJ. Bull.
My local Rural King had a sign up showing the Lumberjack pellets and the Rural KIng pellets as being the same product. BS. If they were the same product why go back to them.
Most of the reviews I read said the RK pellets burn with a lot of ash, not much smoke and flavor and wild temperature swings. I emailed Lumber Jack about making pellets for RK and they never returned my message. Other people said they have called LJ and they said they Did Not make the RK pellets.
Buy the Bullseye. I have both and love them. I use the 1250 mostly for my long cooks (butts, brisket) and when I need to feed a lot of people. I will usually run the 1250 all night on my long cooks and monitor it with my phone.
I am using Lumber Jack pellets right now. Rural King stopped selling them. I refuse to use RK brand (read the reviews). I highly recommend Pit Boss competition blend available at Lowes, Menards and others.