The best smoking chips, compared.
Top pick: Weber whiskey oak smoking chips, 700 g – Highest score in this set: 94 from 4.6 and 3,516 reviews on 700 g of oak with a whiskey scent line. Best value: Woodabrix hickory smoking chips, 800 g – Stated 800 g at about £9.19, about £11.49 per kilogram, with 4.5 from 520 reviews. More stated hickory than the Weber 700 g bag. Updated 22.10.2026.
Smoking chips are small hardwood pieces you smoulder on a lidded barbecue so the food picks up wood aroma while charcoal, gas or electricity does the cooking. The Food Standards Agency still wants 70°C for 2 minutes at the centre, or 75°C for 30 seconds, with a clean probe. Judge them by species, piece size, and a gram line you can turn into a price per kilogram. The whiskey bags are oak with a scent claim, not a spirit ingredient. Species, grams and grill type are set out in the [smoking chips buying guide](/hub/grill-accessories/smoking-chips/sub/smoking-chips-buying-guide). Gas needs a smoker box or pierced foil. Charcoal can take a handful on lit coals. Weber UK treats a handful as about 20 minutes of smoke and points to chunks after an hour. Smoke & rule of thumb is 20–30 minutes for chips. Apple and cherry suit poultry, pork and fish. Hickory suits pork and beef and turns bitter if you overdo it. The form field says and the title says chips. Do not read them as a whiskey tasting.
Smoking chips are small hardwood pieces you smoulder on a lidded barbecue so the food picks up wood aroma while charcoal, gas or electricity does the cooking.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How are you cooking?
Weber 17627 is 700 g of oak chips with the scent line set to whiskey, at £8.00. The amazon.co.uk line on the listing is 4.6 from 3,516 reviews, the highest star-and-count score in this set. Bullets call the smoke strong and name pork, poultry and beef, and they say the bag works with or without a smoker box. In the first 48 UK reviews, buyers often mention aroma and a slow burn, and also a small bag, fast burn after soaking, a split pack, and no flavour on a Weber Pulse. The bullets do not say the chips are pre-soaked. It is the top pick in this set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the oak bag with a whiskey scent claim and the largest review file in this set.
Less suitable: You want a mild fruit wood, or you need the bullets to state a soak time.
Specifications
Common questions
What wood is in the Weber whiskey bag?
The material line says oak wood and the scent line says whiskey. The pack weight is 700 g and the shelf price on the listing is £8.00. The bullets describe a strong smoke for pork, poultry and beef.
Do the bullets say to soak these chips?
The bullets do not say the chips are pre-soaked and do not give a soak time. Reviewers mention both soaking and using the chips dry.
Will the listing run on a gas barbecue?
The bullets say the chips are suitable with or without a smoker box. They do not give a burner layout. One review reports no smoke on a Weber Pulse.
Woodabrix cherry is titled 800 g and 3.2 litres at £9.09, origin Estonia, while the item-weight field says 760 g. The listing line is 4.6 from 259 reviews. The scent is cherry and the flavour field says chicken and pork. The material field only says wood. In 26 UK reviews, buyers praise larger pieces that stay on a Weber grate, and also say the chips burn quickly and that some pieces are chunks that need cutting.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cherry bag and larger pieces than fine flakes.
Less suitable: You need the title weight and the item weight to match, or a long burn from one load.
Specifications
Common questions
Which weight should you trust?
The title says 800 g and 3.2 litres. The item-weight field says 760 g. The shelf price is £9.09. On 800 g that is about £11.36 per kilogram; on 760 g it is about £11.96 per kilogram.
What food does the listing name?
The flavour field says chicken and pork. The scent is cherry. The bullets follow the same natural-chip pattern as the hickory carton and name gas and charcoal.
What do the 26 reviews repeat?
The listing score is 4.6 from 259 reviews. In the 26 bodies, buyers mention a good cherry flavour and larger pieces, and also a fast burn and chunks mixed into the bag.
Weber 17624 is 700 g of hickory at £8.19, made in Poland according to the origin field. The listing line is 4.5 from 4,120 reviews, the largest count in this set. Bullets say a strong, spicy smoke for beef, pork and poultry, in a resealable bag, with or without a smoker box. They do not say the chips arrive soaked. In the first 50 UK reviews, buyers praise flavour on burgers and in a gas box, and they also call the pieces tiny flakes that burn out quickly and the bag smaller than the photo.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want hickory with the largest review count in this capture.
Less suitable: You need large chunks for a long cook, or a mild wood for fish.
Specifications
Common questions
Are Weber hickory chips pre-soaked?
The bullets do not say the chips are pre-soaked. The listing questions include that point, and the answer is not in the spec block. Reviewers describe soaking them themselves.
Can you use them on a gas grill?
The bullets say the chips are suitable with or without a smoker box. Reviews mention a gas smoker box and also cooks where the flavour did not come through.
How heavy is the bag?
The item weight is 700 g. The shelf price on the listing is £8.19, about £11.70 per kilogram on that weight.
Weber 17621 is titled apple wood chips, 700 g at £9.01, origin Poland. Bullets say a mild, fruity smoke for fish, poultry and vegetables, with or without a smoker box. The item-form field says Chunk, while the title, item type and highlight say chips. The listing line is 4.5 from 3,082 reviews. In the first 50 UK reviews, chicken and salmon are praised and burgers are called too mild; several buyers say the chips are small and burn in about 40 minutes even after soaking.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the mild apple bag and can accept a chunk label on a chip title.
Less suitable: You want a strong hickory smoke, or pieces that last a long cook.
Specifications
Common questions
Are these chips or chunks?
The title, item type and highlight say smoking chips. The item-form field says Chunk. The pack is 700 g at £9.01 on the listing.
What smoke level do the bullets claim?
The bullets say a mild, balanced smoke with a fruity apple note for fish, poultry and vegetables. They do not say the bag is pre-soaked.
What do reviews repeat about burn time?
The listing score is 4.5 from 3,082 reviews. In the first 50 bodies, buyers mention a mild flavour and also chips that burn quickly, including after an overnight soak.
Woodabrix hickory is an 800 g paper carton at £9.19, origin Estonia, about £11.49 per kilogram on the stated 800 g. That is more wood per pound than the 700 g Weber hickory at £8.19. The listing line is 4.5 from 520 reviews. Bullets say natural hickory for charcoal or gas, including a foil smoker box, and that a handful does 6 to 8 meals. That meal count is seller text. Reviews praise sweet hickory smoke and also dispute the 3.2 litre volume and report no smell on one gas setup. It is the best value in this set if you accept 520 reviews rather than 4,120.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want more stated hickory grams than the Weber 700 g bag and can live with a smaller review file.
Less suitable: You want the 4,120-review Weber hickory file, or a confirmed litre volume.
Specifications
Common questions
How much hickory is in the carton?
The title and the item weight both say 800 g, also written as 3.2 litres. The shelf price is £9.19. Reviews say the box may hold less volume than 3.2 litres.
Can you use it on gas?
The bullets say charcoal, gas and smoker, and they name an aluminium-foil smoker box for gas. One review reports no smell from a gas barbecue with a smoker box.
Does the listing say the chips are reusable?
A listing question asks if they are reusable. The bullets do not say they are. They do say a handful per session and claim 6 to 8 meals from the box. That meal count is seller text.
Green Olive apple, model FAPSC1.5, is titled as chips, 3 litres, about 800 g, at £8.99. The dimension line says 6 x 16 x 24 cm and 780 g. The first bullet describes mild applewood. Later bullets switch to smoking chunks and name Weber and Big Green Egg. The listing line is 4.4 from 212 reviews. In 24 UK reviews, buyers mention apple flavour on fish and meat, a 30-minute soak, and also thin dry pieces that turn to ash.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want an apple bag around 800 g and will read the chunk wording before you buy.
Less suitable: You want a listing that says chips in every bullet, or Weber’s larger review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a chip bag or a chunk bag?
The title says apple wood chips, 3 litres, about 800 g. Later bullets say smoking chunks. The dimension line says 780 g and 6 x 16 x 24 cm. The price on the listing is £8.99.
Does the listing say to soak them?
The bullets do not give a soak time. A UK review says to soak in water or beer for 30 minutes. That is a reviewer note, not a bullet.
What do reviews say about the pieces?
The listing score is 4.4 from 212 reviews. In the 24 bodies, buyers mention apple flavour and also pieces that are very thin and turn to ash quickly.
Green Olive FWHSC1.5 is titled whiskey oak barrel chips, 3 litres, about 800 g, at £8.99. The dimension line says 580 g, so the kilogram price is about £11.24 on the title and about £15.50 on 580 g. The material line says oak barrel wood chips. The listing score is 4.4 from 212 reviews, the same figures as the apple ASIN, and the review bodies match the apple listing, including a title that says apple smoke chips. Do not read those bodies as a whiskey tasting. Bullets also drift into chunk wording.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the oak-barrel title and will ignore the collided review text.
Less suitable: You want review evidence about whiskey flavour, or a weight that matches the title.
Specifications
Common questions
How much does the whiskey oak bag weigh?
The title says 3 litres, about 800 g. The dimension line says 6 x 16 x 24 cm and 580 g. The shelf price is £8.99. Those two weights do not support one price per kilogram.
Do the reviews describe whiskey oak?
The listing line is 4.4 from 212 reviews. The review titles in this capture include apple smoke chips and match the apple ASIN. They are not a whiskey-oak tasting note.
Does the bullet mention soaking?
The first bullet says soak and sear for a whiskey flavour on red meats, game, meaty fish and vegetables. Later bullets talk about chunks. Other flavours are not included in this ASIN.
Exstream WCH on this listing is the hickory 1 litre variant at £7.49. The item weight is 360 g, about £20.81 per kilogram, so the low shelf price is not a low price per kilogram. Bullets say natural wood, gas or charcoal, a smoking box for gas, and a soak for a longer smoke. The item-type name lists many woods; the scent and title are hickory. The listing line is 4.2 from 46 reviews. Only six UK review texts are captured. One says the chips were closer to sawdust and gone in under a minute.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a small hickory litre where the listing itself says to soak.
Less suitable: You are comparing price per kilogram, or you need a large review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Why is £7.49 not the cheap hickory?
The shelf price is £7.49 for 1 litre. The item weight is 360 g, about £20.81 per kilogram. The 700 g and 800 g bags in this set are lower per kilogram.
Does the listing say to soak the chips?
Yes. A bullet says soak in water before use for a longer smoke time, and it recommends a smoking box for gas. Food pairings are not in the captured bullets.
What is in the six reviews?
The listing score is 4.2 from 46 reviews. Six UK texts are captured. They mention a pleasant hickory flavour and, in one case, sawdust that vanished in the coals in under a minute.
Scores on these eight amazon.co.uk bags use the star line and a capped review count. Seventy points come from the stars (stars divided by 5, times 70, rounded). Up to 30 points come from the review count (log10 of the count, times 10, capped). The weights below sum to 100. A duplicated review block is not a second tasting. Weber whiskey oak, 4.6 from 3,516 reviews, scores 94 and is the top pick. Woodabrix hickory, a stated 800 g at about £9.19, about £11.49 per kilogram, is the best value. Exstream is the lowest shelf price at about £7.49, but 360 g is about £20.81 per kilogram, with 46 reviews, so it does not take that badge. There is no laboratory taste test.
Star line
70%Seventy points from the amazon.co.uk star rating: stars divided by 5, times 70, rounded. This is the listing score, not a taste test and not a UK award.
Review count
30%Up to 30 points from the review count: log10 of the count, times 10, capped at 30. A review block that repeats another ASIN is not counted as a separate tasting.
Choose the grill and the length of the cook before the wood. Hickory is the strong smoke. Apple and cherry are milder. A whiskey label on these bags is oak with a scent claim. Prices below are the amazon.co.uk shelf prices in this set, from about £7.49 to £9.19.
Smoking chips are small hardwood pieces you smoulder on a lidded barbecue so food picks up wood aroma while charcoal, gas or electricity does the cooking. In this amazon.co.uk set the eight kept bags cost £7.49 to £9.19. Judge them by species, piece size, and a gram line you can turn into a price per kilogram. Hickory is the strong wood. Apple and cherry are milder. The whiskey bags are oak with a scent claim. This set has no plain oak chip. Chips suit a short cook. A long brisket wants chunks.
Weber UK says 30 minutes, then drain, and says not to soak chunks. Napoleon UK says soaking is not required, because the water must boil off before the wood smokes. An overnight soak that knocks down the cooking temperature is a common mistake. Thick white smoke tastes bitter.
Weber UK treats a handful as about 20 minutes of smoke and points to chunks after about an hour. Smoke & Soil’s rule of thumb is 20–30 minutes for chips. One load will not carry a long brisket. Dry chips on an open gas burner can flame.
Exstream is about £7.49 and 360 g, about £20.81 per kilogram. That is not the cheap hickory. Green Olive whiskey oak’s captured reviews match the apple listing, including apple smoke chips, so they are not a whiskey tasting. Reviews also describe sawdust, thin pieces that ash, and bags smaller than the photo.
Start with the grill and how long the food is on. Gas needs a smoker box or pierced foil, with the lid shut. Charcoal can take a handful straight on lit coals. Weber UK treats that handful as about 20 minutes of smoke and points you to chunks after about an hour. Smoke & Soil’s rule of thumb is 20–30 minutes for chips. That is a rule of thumb, not a stopwatch on these bags. Hickory is the strong wood and suits pork and beef. It turns bitter if you keep adding it.
Read grams before the shelf price. Exstream is about £7.49 and the item weight is 360 g, about £20.81 per kilogram, so the lowest price in the set is not the lowest price per kilogram. Weber’s 700 g bags run from about £8.00 to £9.01. Woodabrix hickory states 800 g at about £9.19, about £11.49 per kilogram, which is why it takes the best value place if you can live with 520 reviews rather than Weber hickory’s 4,120. Then check that the lines agree.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You need a smoker box or a pierced foil pouch, with the lid shut. Weber hickory is 700 g at about £8.19, 4.5 from 4,120 reviews, and the bullets say it works with or without a smoker box. Woodabrix hickory names a foil box and states 800 g. One review on each of those listings reports little or no smoke on a gas setup.
You are cooking chicken, burgers or fish for under an hour, and a handful can go on lit coals. Weber apple is 700 g at about £9.01, with a mild claim for fish, poultry and vegetables, at 4.5 from 3,082 reviews. The form field says Chunk while the title says chips. Weber UK treats a handful as about 20 minutes of smoke.
You are reading a whiskey-oak label and want the bag with the largest star-and-count score. Weber whiskey oak is 700 g of oak at about £8.00, scent line whiskey, 4.6 from 3,516 reviews. That is a scent claim, not a spirit ingredient. The Green Olive whiskey-oak reviews in this capture match the apple listing, so they are not a whiskey tasting.
In this set the top pick is Weber whiskey oak, 700 g at about £8.00. The score is 94 from 4.6 and 3,516 amazon.co.uk reviews, the highest star-and-count line here. Bullets call the smoke strong and name pork, poultry and beef. Reviews also mention a small bag, a fast burn after soaking, a split pack, and no flavour on a Weber Pulse. The best value is Woodabrix hickory, a stated 800 g at about £9.19, about £11.49 per kilogram, at 4.5 from 520 reviews. That is more stated wood than Weber hickory at about £8.19 for 700 g. Reviews dispute the 3.2 litre volume. Exstream is about £7.49 for 360 g, about £20.81 per kilogram, so the low shelf price is not the value badge. This is not a lab taste test.
Weber whiskey oak smoking chips, 700 g
Highest score in this set: 94 from 4.6 and 3,516 reviews on 700 g of oak with a whiskey scent line.
Woodabrix hickory smoking chips, 800 g
Stated 800 g at about £9.19, about £11.49 per kilogram, with 4.5 from 520 reviews. More stated hickory than the Weber 700 g bag.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk captures for these eight bags. The score is not a laboratory taste test.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars, and review counts are the UK listing lines. We did not run a lab test.
