Compared to gas and charcoal grilling, wood-fired grilling provides very high temperatures at the upper range, making it a superior choice for cooking techniques like stir-frying, searing, and pizza making.

Most of the grill flavor generated by charcoal and gas grills comes from the smoke and vapors generated by drips of food falling on the heat source. That same phenomenon occurs in wood-fired grilling but it is accompanied by the addition of flavor from the wood being burned. Cooking with choice hardwoods, like hickory and cherry, can totally transform the flavors to your dishes.

There are many great charcoals available. Cooking with wood opens up even more layers of flavor and control.

When you cook with wood, you can split, cut, and size your fuel to your preferences. Source and choose the species of wood that you want to cook with for the flavor you're after.

Not everyone has access to free firewood, but in many cases firewood purchased in bulk translates to a much lower cost of cooking fuel. When you cut, split, and size your cooking wood to suit your needs, you have more control over how much fuel you cook with too.

The charcoal and gas fuels available at your local store are rarely produced locally. Cooking with wood allows you to source your fuel closer to home, to explore unique flavors, and support your local economy.

Building and lighting a cooking fire is easier than you might think. The keys are: using kindling and thoroughly dried woods; starting small and building up; allowing plenty of oxygen to enter the fire; and sizing the fuel for fast burning.

Pretty much all firewood is sold for fire-place fires; the logs are too big for cooking. Once you get past this one simple hurdle, managing wood-fire is fast and easy.