Yeah, I use everything from jalapeno pepper to Carolina Reapers and everything in between at various times. I never make anything that's just plain loaded down with nothing but reapers, but I use a mix of peppers to make things that are really hot but also have a nice flavor. The heat just makes things interesting, but heat for its own sake isn't very interesting to me. You could buy pure, refined Capsaicin, but what's the point. It would taste disgusting, like "Dave's Insanity" which is hot but nasty.

Here's a neat trick I like... combine Scotch Bonnet peppers (or pepper sauce) with the hotter stuff like Ghost Pepper, Trinidad Scorpion or Carolina Reaper. The Scotch Bonnets aren't terribly hot (a little less than Habanero) but taste really good... and then just a little bit of the other stuff to jack the heat up leaves the nice flavor while still making you sweat.

Absolutely this.

This year I have been growing Bhut Jolokia (ghost peppers), Habanero, Scotch Bonnet and Jalapeños both in a small greenhouse and outdoors. I afterwards dehydrate the fruits to prevent mold and so I can store them over the winter.

My favourite blend for DIY chili powder is Scotch Bonnet mixed with Bhut Jolokia for both taste and heat.

> like "Dave's Insanity" which is hot but nasty

I haven't tried it in a decade, but I remember liking the flavor... although maybe that was their salsa?

To be fair, they do have different products in their lineup and I don't remember exactly which one I tried before. It was a long time ago, but I definitely remembering thinking that the flavor was horrible. But it was definitely hot. :-)