Royal Oak Chef's Select gone? Substitutes?

[Gene_O]

Been using RO Chef's Select briquets in my gravity feed. Really have liked, including the 40 lb bags.. Online everyone is out of stock, as are local stores, Home Depot, et al, and I didn't see listed on the Royal Oak website. Is Chef's Select gone forever? If so, is there anything you think is similar in performance, no strong taste, etc.? Is Royal Oak 100% All Natural Hardwood Charcoal Briquets pretty similar? Thx in advance.

 

[bschoen]

All the usual places are out of stock. This link may still have some.

https://www.meadowcreekbbqsupply.com/catalog/royal-oak/royal-oak-chefs-select-charcoal-briquettes/

 

[Fooball]

If you have an Academy Sports nearby (cheapest), try B & B Oak....

https://www.academy.com/p/b-b-natural-oak-176-lb-grill-briquettes?&ref_src=kibo_recs

or an Ace Hardware...

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/charcoal/8023367

 

[Gene_O]

Thanks!

 

[1MoreFord]

The version of Cowboy briqs in the link below is the same as the Stubb's many people loved a few years ago. No nasty fillers or binders.

https://www.cowboycharcoal.com/products/charcoal/cowboy-all-natural-hardwood-briquets

 

[SirPorkaLot]

The version of Cowboy briqs in the link below is the same as the Stubb's many people loved a few years ago. No nasty fillers or binders.

https://www.cowboycharcoal.com/products/charcoal/cowboy-all-natural-hardwood-briquets

Where did you hear that this is the same as the old Stubbs charcoal?

Cowboy lump is such trash, I would’ve assumed the same about their briquettes.

 

[Mike in Roseville]

Royal Oak "All Natural" from Walmart (brown bag) is nearly identical to Chef's Select.

 

[Vader1959]

Where did you hear that this is the same as the old Stubbs charcoal?

Cowboy lump is such trash, I would’ve assumed the same about their briquettes.

FYI....this was posted on a forum a couple of years ago:

Someone wrote an email to the manufacturer, and this was their reply:

Thank you for contacting us. Lowe’s and some other retailers are currently transitioning from Stubb’s to our Cowboy Hardwood Briquets. The hardwood briquets are the same, just with different branding. This change was made to consolidate to a unified brand offering at Lowe’s.
Aside from Lowe’s, you can also find the Cowboy Hardwood Briquets at Kroger, True Value, and other grocery stores.
Cowboy All Natural Hardwood Briquets provide long-lasting, even heat while adding the authentic, smoky flavor of hardwood, just like the Stubb’s briquets that you currently use. They are all natural – no fillers, chemicals, or additives. You can find them here on our website.
I hope this information was helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me further.


Thank you,
Consumer Affairs
Cowboy Charcoal, LLC"

 

[SirPorkaLot]

FYI....this was posted on a forum a couple of years ago:

Someone wrote an email to the manufacturer, and this was their reply:

Thank you for contacting us. Lowe’s and some other retailers are currently transitioning from Stubb’s to our Cowboy Hardwood Briquets. The hardwood briquets are the same, just with different branding. This change was made to consolidate to a unified brand offering at Lowe’s.
Aside from Lowe’s, you can also find the Cowboy Hardwood Briquets at Kroger, True Value, and other grocery stores.
Cowboy All Natural Hardwood Briquets provide long-lasting, even heat while adding the authentic, smoky flavor of hardwood, just like the Stubb’s briquets that you currently use. They are all natural – no fillers, chemicals, or additives. You can find them here on our website.
I hope this information was helpful. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me further.


Thank you,
Consumer Affairs
Cowboy Charcoal, LLC"

Thanks! I’ll have to try them and see then


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LloydQ]

If you have an Academy Sports nearby (cheapest), try B & B Oak....

https://www.academy.com/p/b-b-natural-oak-176-lb-grill-briquettes?&ref_src=kibo_recs

or an Ace Hardware...

https://www.acehardware.com/departments/outdoor-living/grills-and-smokers/charcoal/8023367

I bought 8 bags of the B&B briquettes last week. Used it yesterday. That is some hard to light stuff! Was doing a couple of hams for lunch, and had to open all the vents wide open to reach a decent temp on my 18" WSM. Was not pleased.
Funny thing is, I took the hams off at 11:00 and put the lid back on, but at 6:00 I walked past the smoker and it was still going! Gonna have to experiment further, I guess.

 

[Fooball]

I bought 8 bags of the B&B briquettes last week. Used it yesterday. That is some hard to light stuff! Was doing a couple of hams for lunch, and had to open all the vents wide open to reach a decent temp on my 18" WSM. Was not pleased.
Funny thing is, I took the hams off at 11:00 and put the lid back on, but at 6:00 I walked past the smoker and it was still going! Gonna have to experiment further, I guess.

Interesting. I haven't tried mine yet although I bought 2 more bags on the last day of the sale for a total of 4.

I like the idea that your coals were still going later in the day.

I do more grilling than smoking and am always having to add coals to finish my 3rd or 4th type of meat I'm cooking an hour and a half after lighting. (but I use the cheap stuff with the grill uncovered)

The B & B char logs are hard to light, too. I guess it's because they are so compacted and concentrated which is probably why they stay lit so long.

 

[1MoreFord]

Where did you hear that this is the same as the old Stubbs charcoal?

Cowboy lump is such trash, I would’ve assumed the same about their briquettes.

It's been posted several times on forums, including here, and used to be posted in the FAQ's on their website although I didn't see it there the last time I looked.

 

[Gnarlbecue]

The Royal Oak All Natural is not quite the same as the Chefs Select.

It's not bad stuff, but the briquettes are significantly smaller and it doesn't burn very long. They don't smell as nice either.

The Cowboy brand briqs are similar to the old Stubb's. The same large size and density and a really good binder that holds up well to abuse, and responds well to vent adjustments.

It's outrageously expensive where I live, so I reserve it for long low n slow cooks.

Cowboy would be my go to if it wasn't for the price and availability. It's not as nice smelling as the old Stubb's, but it doesn't smell bad at all.