I bought these because my wife was complaining about missing the flavor you get from a charcoal grill. So I tried a 20lb back of the charcoal/hickory blend and it really did give that distinctive charcoal flavor to the burgers and dogs. Seems to burn hotter too, so watch your temps. I'll be keeping a bag of these at all times. I'm not sure how well these will do for smoking though. That flavor might be a bit strong for long smokes.