# Charcoal preferences?



## JCAP (Aug 28, 2019)

Hey all, 
   I've always used the original Kingsford briquettes for my charcoal adventures and never really had any issue with it. My past two smokes produced more ash then I've gotten used to seeing, despite being the same rough times. Anyway this got me wondering what brand of charcoal people prefer for longer smokes. I've never really been a lump user except for quick things on the kettle. 

   Thanks!


----------



## mike243 (Aug 28, 2019)

Kingsfird has always done good for me, i have read lump leaves less


----------



## cfarley (Aug 28, 2019)

I prefer lump charcoal. Rarely ever buy briquettes. They burn completely up. Leaving minimal ash.


----------



## Hawging It (Aug 28, 2019)

I was a die hard Kingsford Blue Bag smoker for 20 years. Last year there was a post on SMF comparing Kingsford and Royal Oak. Their test stated RO burned hotter and longer. I am a skeptic so I did my own test. My test showed RO burned hotter, longer and less ash. For many months now I only use Royal Oak Premium Classic. You can buy it at Walmart and Lowes most of the time.


----------



## 6GRILLZNTN (Aug 28, 2019)

Hawging It said:


> I was a die hard Kingsford Blue Bag smoker for 20 years. Last year there was a post on SMF comparing Kingsford and Royal Oak. Their test stated RO burned hotter and longer. I am a skeptic so I did my own test. My test showed RO burned hotter, longer and less ash. For many months now I only use Royal Oak Premium Classic. You can buy it at Walmart and Lowes most of the time.


This!


----------



## drunkenmeatfist (Aug 28, 2019)

I usually just stock up on whatever is on sale. The twin packs of 20lb Embers briqs are on sale for $7 at many Home Depots for Labor Day. I've read that it is RO in different packaging. I've used it and it seemed fine to me so I'll swing by my local store to grab some more. 

I do like to run lump in my drum. Waiting for the Western 30lb bags to go on clearance and I will grab as many as I can.


----------



## chopsaw (Aug 28, 2019)

Hawging It said:


> RO burned hotter and longer.


You use less also . Half a full size chimney combined with the left over in a kettle is perfect for average cooks .


----------



## Hawging It (Aug 28, 2019)

chopsaw said:


> You use less also . Half a full size chimney combined with the left over in a kettle is perfect for average cooks .


You are correct sir!!


----------



## motocrash (Aug 28, 2019)

Type Royal Oak in the Search box on here,ye shall be enlightened.


----------



## gmc2003 (Aug 28, 2019)

I'm a converted Oak user also. 

Chris


----------



## radioguy (Aug 28, 2019)

Used Kingsford for years....now using Royal Oak, hotter longer less ash

RG


----------



## krj (Aug 28, 2019)

Royal oak, or the off brand version of it which is Embers. If you'd like more information on why, we could say the Charcoal Nerd's name three times.

@noboundaries
@noboundaries 
@noboundaries


----------



## JCAP (Aug 28, 2019)

Awesome. Thanks for the replies everyone. I guess I'm going to have to pick up some RO now!


----------



## Odysseus (Aug 28, 2019)

I also used to buy exclusively Kingsford.  A few years ago, they were out of it so I bought Royal Oak instead.  It was immediately apparent that it was better in every way.  It lasted longer, the food tasted better, and it cost less.  I've tried Kingsford a couple tomes since then and was disappointed now that I've been spoiled by cooking with Royal Oak.


----------



## SouthernSmoked (Aug 28, 2019)

I've used nothing but Kingsford briqs for decades. But I'm changing to RO. Thanks
for the recommendation.







But I really like these.  This 4 lb bag was about $5-$6 so it ain't cheap


----------



## PolishDeli (Aug 28, 2019)

Guess I'm the odd mad out on this:   A vote for KBB here.
RO is fine too, especially  when you score it on a good sale; but in my experience, it burns faster and kicks up more sparks than KBB.

I stopped using lump because (1) inconsistent size = inconsistent cooks and (2) some of those “lumps” clearly had previous lives as lumber.  I like to think it wasn’t pressure treated, but who knows. Then again, like @Richard Foster said; Briquettes are made from industrial waste.  So, maybe I shouldn't care about (2).


----------



## drunkenmeatfist (Aug 28, 2019)

Richard Foster said:


> I used to get oak flooring scraps in cowboy but never got flooring in the Royal Oak I used.
> Everything you ever needed or wanted to know about lump charcoal can be found at
> http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm


Keep in mind that a bunch of the reviews on nakedwhiz are over a decade old. Changes to the product could have been made during that time


----------



## drunkenmeatfist (Aug 28, 2019)

Richard Foster said:


> It's not like charcoal is a rapidly evolving new technology or anything.


Sure the tech might not change, but several other factors can like the supplier of the wood and the manufacturing process.


----------



## drunkenmeatfist (Aug 28, 2019)

Richard Foster said:


> It's hard to imagine any significant advances in charcoal  production. Burning wood in the absence of oxygen to make lump charcoal has been done for what maybe since shortly after the the dawn of mankind itself?
> 
> BTW lump has been around since then while Henry Ford invented charcoal to use industrial waste products  generated in his River Rouge plant to make model Ts so while briquettes are way more recent, I wouldn't call them improved in any way.


I didn't say that the process of making the charcoal has changed. I was talking about the manufacturing process. For example if a company is getting the wood from a supplier that includes construction scrap then that is a problem. They can change the supplier. If a company is getting feedback that their lump is broken down into pieces that are too small then they can make changes necessary to prevent this.


----------



## drunkenmeatfist (Aug 28, 2019)

Richard Foster said:


> True but thats what that database site is all about. They break down a bag, dpsort it by size and quality and even how much rocks and rubbish they find in it.


Which leads back to the point of this digression. If they haven't updated their review on a company in over 10 years then there is the possibility that the company has had changes during that time.


----------



## drunkenmeatfist (Aug 28, 2019)

Richard Foster said:


> Maybe but that's an assumption on your part. It's the only site I know of that goes into so much depth so many ways on the subject of lump charcoal. If you know of a better one then post it up. Otherwise, silence is more appropriate and appreciated.


I apologize to the OP for my part in taking this thread off the rails. He was asking for charcoal preferences from the people who are using different brands currently. I think that is a better idea than going to a review site when the reviews are 10+ years old. He wasn't asking for opinions on lump charcoal either so I don't know how directing him to a lump charcoal database was helpful at all.


----------



## noboundaries (Aug 28, 2019)

krj said:


> noboundaries
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Sorry, been working...but like BG, I'll come-a-runnin' if I hear my name. 

RO or any of the RO store brands (Embers, Walmart, Safeway, Winco, etc) that say "Made in USA by Royal Oak Enterprises" will make your smoker and grill smile. Use a lot less hot charcoal on the cold, but it takes a little longer to get hot than KBB.


----------



## JWFokker (Aug 28, 2019)

Richard Foster said:


> Maybe but that's an assumption on your part. It's the only site I know of that goes into so much depth so many ways on the subject of lump charcoal. If you know of a better one then post it up. Otherwise, silence is more appropriate and appreciated.



You're a tool. Everything drunkenmeatfist wrote was correct and valid. The reviews are out of date. Manufacturers change their products for many reasons and do not announce it.


----------



## gmc2003 (Aug 28, 2019)

Chris


----------



## JCAP (Aug 28, 2019)

Charcoal preferences are real deals! Thanks everyone for the input I have a lot to experiment with.


----------



## gmc2003 (Aug 28, 2019)

JCAP said:


> Charcoal preferences are real deals! Thanks everyone for the input I have a lot to experiment with.



Not if you listen to me. 

Chris


----------

