Charcoal Recomendations

[Bdsankey]

I'm wondering if any one charcoal has proven to be better than others? I've been running Kingsford Original in my kettle and I like it but I am wondering if the "grass is greener" with another company? Right now I'm paying $14 for 2x 19.5lb bags of Kingsford when I get it at Sams Club.




I've heard great things about both Royal Oak lump or hardwood briquettes as well as B&B. For now all I plan on using my kettle for is grilling steaks/chicken/pork chops etc and not much if any smoking.

 

[sewerrat]

I tend to like the RO briqs better than Kingsford.
You are paying $.36/lb . .if you want to try RO briqs Lowes has them on sale for $.26/lb. Save 28% vs what you are paying and get to try something new! What do you have to lose!
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Royal-Oak-15-4-lb-Charcoal-Briquettes/1000175405

 

[Bdsankey]

I tend to like the RO briqs better than Kingsford.
You are paying $.36/lb . .if you want to try RO briqs Lowes has them on sale for $.26/lb. Save 28% vs what you are paying and get to try something new! What do you have to lose!
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Royal-Oak-15-4-lb-Charcoal-Briquettes/1000175405

Got nothing to lose at all! If I like them better (doing steak tonight) then I'll end up buying ~10 bags over the weekend. Should keep me going all summer. I bought 2 bags this past week of Kingsford and am already almost burned through the first.

 

[SweetHeatBBQnSC]

I have used cheap charcoal before of all sorts and it has performed poorly. The Kingsford I feel has performed exceptionally well and stays hot for a good amount of time. I have used B & B before and I wasn't happy with it. It was very difficult to light. So Kingsford it is for me until I come across something better.

 

[upStomp]

I'm a natural hardwood briquette fiend, but unfortunately it's getting harder and harder to find them locally. Weber is gone, Cowboy is gone, Stubb's is gone. I'm going to try the RO Chef's Select (having it shipped to a local Jed's), which is purported to be the same material as Weber briquettes. For now I'm using KBB for grilling and RO lump for smoking.

 

[Bdsankey]

I'm a natural hardwood briquette fiend, but unfortunately it's getting harder and harder to find them locally. Weber is gone, Cowboy is gone, Stubb's is gone. I'm going to try the RO Chef's Select (having it shipped to a local Jed's), which is purported to be the same material as Weber briquettes. For now I'm using KBB for grilling and RO lump for smoking.

Can I ask why you prefer KBB for grilling over RO? All of this side of things is new to me.

 

[upStomp]

Can I ask why you prefer KBB for grilling over RO? All of this side of things is new to me.

I haven't tried the standard RO briquettes (it goes under many brand names) in a couple of years, but when I did I found that it burned unevenly and put off a pretty bad stink and dark smoke when initially lighting. Things may have changed since then - many swear by it.

My favorite was Weber, which seems to be getting discontinued, at least around me. They priced themselves out of the market at $1/lb, but I was able to get it for close to 1/2 that during the big box sales. Hopefully the RO Chef's Select works out, as it's priced much better.

ETA: I just realized you may have been asking why I don't use RO lump for grilling. Sometimes I do, but it's a bit pricey for everyday grilling use, and it burns much hotter and faster, which usually doesn't suit my particular needs.

 

[jimepp]

14 usd for charcoal is pretty steep, but why not is the quality is better than the ordinary.

 

[Bdsankey]

14 usd for charcoal is pretty steep, but why not is the quality is better than the ordinary.

$14 for 39lbs, 2x 19.5lb bags.

 

[PnkPanther]

RO Chef select has become my go to




Just used up last of my weber stash I stocked up on @$5/bag

 

[Lake Dogs]

I'd tried RO lump in the past, and the hotter and faster didn't suit my needs. I still use Kingsford, both for grilling and smoking (mixing it in with hardwood splits). I'd tried others as well. I liked Stubbs, but it's gone and it too was a little hotter and a faster burn. I'm not a fan of the cheap stuff; everything from a bad odor, don't burn well, etc.


That said, like you, I'm always open to something new/better, and if works wonderful, cheaper would be nice.


Looking back, one of the things that solidified my brethren membership was that we were circulating really great Kingsford coupons. Anyone know of some coupons out there?

 

[jermoQ]

I can recommend royal oak and Cowboy lump, as long as it is "oak and hickory" Cowboy. I used a "hardwood" Cowboy lump, and didn't care for the flavor compared to the other. I like lump better, because you will get some extra flavor from the somewhat un-burned nature of how it works.

 

[BBQ Freak]

I use Royal Oak Chef Select and is in 40 pound bags but also like the Royal Oak Hickory too .

 

[Bigdawg580]

Depends if you have money to throw away
Buy some jealous Devil for $51 a bag

 

[ffemtreed]

if you want to use briqettes, the weber brand burns a lot hotter, lasts longer and has less ash than kingsford original.

 

[stljay]

Not sure you have access but Timber, Chigger Creek, Rockwood are made in Missouri and have excellent reputations as far as lump goes.

 

[food4thot]

Stubbs was my favorite briquette. Still have a bag I found in the garage tucked away for if/when I ran out of lump. RO briquettes are okay (less stinky than Kingsford) but I like RO lump better.

 

[Westx]

Still have several bags of Stubbs and when that is gone will use Cowboy.

 

[gambler]

As far as briquettes go, I used to use Kingsford original. Then I decided to give Stubb's a try because it was all natural and made from all hardwood. Initially I didn't realize how much junk was in Kingsford Original until I researched the ingredients. Kingsford contains coal (a toxic petroleum product) and other chemical additives to help it burn longer. So after many years of using Stubb's, I bought Kingsford again because Costco had a deal I couldn't pass up. And when your palate hasn't tasted all those chemicals for many years, when you go back to it, you can really taste the difference. I never use lighter fluid, but when I went back to Kingsford, it tasted like it was doused in lighter fluid. That's when I realized just how crappy Kingsford was. But like previous posts stated, Stubb's is no longer available. So I just bought some Kingsford charcoal from Costco that said it was "all natural". I haven't tried it yet, but we'll see. But from my experience, if you can find an all natural briquette, buy it.

 

[charrederhead]

Cowboy hardwood briqs at Lowes, 14.2#s $4.99

https://brickseek.com/lowes-inventory-checker/?sku=1000174931