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Applied Sciences
Volume 16
Issue 3
10.3390/app16031200
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Smokers, a Way of Harnessing Broadleaf Wood as a Non-Standard Biofuel

by
Alessio Ilari
,
Davide Di Giacinto
,
Ester Foppa Pedretti
,
Daniele Duca
*,
Elena Leoni
,
Thomas Gasperini
,
Lucia Olivi
and
Kofi Armah Boakye-Yiadom
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari ed Ambientali, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1200; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031200
Submission received: 1 January 2026 / Revised: 13 January 2026 / Accepted: 21 January 2026 / Published: 23 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Engineering Technologies for the Agri-Food Sector)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Residential barbecuing is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, especially in cities, where it is not only a leisure activity but also an important social and cultural practice. Consequently, the number of grills and smokers in use continues to grow. This study evaluated the environmental performance of a household wood-pellet barbecue dual-function smoker/grill using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The functional units selected were per cooking time (1 h) and per unit of energy delivered (1 kWh) at different cooking settings on the smoker. The results show that most of the impacts, including global warming potential (GWP) and resource use, originate from the production of the smoker itself, whereas emissions released during combustion, especially NOx, are the main contributors to impacts such as acidification and smog formation. The GWP per hour of operation ranged from 0.44 to 0.63 kg CO2 eq. From an operational perspective, cooking at intermediate temperatures (between 110 and 175 °C) generally leads to lower impacts per hour than very low-temperature smoking. When considering entire meals, meat typically accounts for most of the total impact, with the smoker’s contribution comparatively small. Overall, the study provides a useful reference and shows that both equipment design and food choices play a role in barbecue sustainability.
Keywords: LCA; environmental sustainability; BBQ; grilling; barbecuing; cooking systems LCA; environmental sustainability; BBQ; grilling; barbecuing; cooking systems

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MDPI and ACS Style

Ilari, A.; Di Giacinto, D.; Foppa Pedretti, E.; Duca, D.; Leoni, E.; Gasperini, T.; Olivi, L.; Boakye-Yiadom, K.A. Smokers, a Way of Harnessing Broadleaf Wood as a Non-Standard Biofuel. Appl. Sci. 2026, 16, 1200. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031200

AMA Style

Ilari A, Di Giacinto D, Foppa Pedretti E, Duca D, Leoni E, Gasperini T, Olivi L, Boakye-Yiadom KA. Smokers, a Way of Harnessing Broadleaf Wood as a Non-Standard Biofuel. Applied Sciences. 2026; 16(3):1200. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031200

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ilari, Alessio, Davide Di Giacinto, Ester Foppa Pedretti, Daniele Duca, Elena Leoni, Thomas Gasperini, Lucia Olivi, and Kofi Armah Boakye-Yiadom. 2026. "Smokers, a Way of Harnessing Broadleaf Wood as a Non-Standard Biofuel" Applied Sciences 16, no. 3: 1200. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031200

APA Style

Ilari, A., Di Giacinto, D., Foppa Pedretti, E., Duca, D., Leoni, E., Gasperini, T., Olivi, L., & Boakye-Yiadom, K. A. (2026). Smokers, a Way of Harnessing Broadleaf Wood as a Non-Standard Biofuel. Applied Sciences, 16(3), 1200. https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031200

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