I use the maze for my cheese cold smokes. I take the wood box out and set the maze on the heating element. Then I take the drip pan out from under the smoker to allow more airflow. I've had a lot better results with sawdust than pellets. Sometimes the pellets stay lit and sometimes they go out mid row. I've found that I get better burn with pellets that I've put in a baggie and smashed a little bit versus pellets right out of the bag. I do all my lighting with a propane torch. Once the initial flame burns out, I blow on the fuel source, sawdust or pellets, until a bright red cherry is visible.