# Goodbye Kingsford



## the_selling_blues_man (Jul 27, 2008)

I used lump charcoal (Royal Oak USA) for the first time today on a 8 lb Boston butt and 20 lbs of spare ribs.  I have always used Kingsford in the past.  Wow - the results were pretty amazing with the lump.  I always had trouble getting the temperatures high enough with the Kingsford. With the lump, I had the dampers almost completely shut to keep it from getting too hot. Great heat, great taste, great results. I think I will be burning more lump in the future!


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## northwet smoker (Jul 27, 2008)

Welcome to the club blues man. Lump is the way to go. I'm in the same boat trying to keep my temps down. I have to close the fire box damper completely to keep it around 220 degrees. And your right, great flavor with just the RO lump. A chunk of wood every now and then and you're good to go.

Dave


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## flip (Jul 27, 2008)

Honestly? Every now and again, say every fifth smoke, I have trouble getting temps high enough with even lump. Lump isn't the "end-all, be-all", but it sure as hell is a step in the right direction.

Nice going on the switch from Kingsford to R.O.!!


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## shooterrick (Jul 27, 2008)

I use lump in both grill and smoker.  Every once in a while I cant find RO and end up buying B&B from Wally World.  Don't Know much about the B&B other than claim of 100% hardwood.  Seems OK.  If anyone knows better let me know.


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## coyote (Jul 27, 2008)

were you using kingsford lump or the briquets? kingsford also makes lump (hardwood) it is not to bad.. but from reading about lump royal oak is getting pretty much top of the line (the USA made one)


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## solar (Jul 27, 2008)

Where do you buy your RO Lump Charcoal at?  Do they sell it at most grocery stores, or is it a specailty thing?


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## pinkmeat (Jul 27, 2008)

Did a 8lb butt yesterday, really like the lump. It was my first use with it. Only annoying thing was how often I had to add it. It seems to burn 3x faster than coals.


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## richtee (Jul 27, 2008)

And 5X cleaner and 2X hotter. Lump is the deal.


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## dennisdocb (Jul 27, 2008)

Lump is the way..I buy mine from Wally World


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## morkdach (Jul 27, 2008)

i just bought some lump and i'm ready to try it used kingsford for years buy it bulk. now richtee says temp 2x mayybe i wont i run 225* no vent with charcoal.


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## richtee (Jul 27, 2008)

Your temps will increase... and you'll notice less ash for sure.


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## smokewatcher (Jul 27, 2008)

I got hold of a couple bags of RO briqs from ACE Hardware a while back. I like it much better that KingsFord, and it performs better in my drum than lump does.


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## flip (Aug 4, 2008)

Only thing that stinks is people up here seem to think grilling and smoking is a seasonal thing; no place local to get R.O. after July. The three closes Walmarts are out, all the local hardware shops are out, and none of the lumber yards carry it!!

How in the world will I get by till next spring with only 40lbs of lump???


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## 13spicerub (Aug 4, 2008)

kingsford sells lump now. even they know that the briquettes are crap.  tried it out this weekend on a mini-q for tailgating. thumbs up


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## pinkmeat (Aug 6, 2008)

I was at Lowe's and low and behold I saw some Royal Oak on clearance. I was so happy I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Picked up 3-4 bags. When I got home I realized it was briquettes. I now have enough briquettes to last a lifetime.

I may have to go back and find some more of that Cowboy brand lump.


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## brianyzf (Aug 10, 2008)

Used Comboy lump for my first 2 smokes and then just yesterday in the middle of smoking an 8 lb. butt I realized I was running out so I sent the wife to Giant Eagle and she got a bag of Kingsford lump.  What a difference!  The Kingsford was so much better than the Cowboy brand.  I've read some posts where people say to stay away from Cowboy and now I know why.  The Kingsford seemed to have much bigger pieces and therefore burned much longer and also it was much easier to regulate the temp.  Smoking is so much more relaxing when you don't have to constantly worry about the temps.  I highly recommend Kingsford Lump!  I'd like to try Royal Oak but haven't been able to find any.  But I'm more than satisfied with Kingsford!


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## camocook (Aug 10, 2008)

I just now went out to the truck to check.Seems I did the same thing 2 days ago.Thats what I get for leaving those readers on the dash board.All I could read on the bag was Royal Oak,the biggest letters.They had Cowboy brand,I passed it up.This was going to be my first try w/Royal Oak.OOOPS.


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## mcp9 (Aug 10, 2008)

do u guys grill with with royal oak also?  for example. just doing a couple steaks, do u use the R.O. or go back to the traditional kingsford charcoal?  just wonderin bc i have not tried the R.O. yet.


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## richtee (Aug 10, 2008)

The RO will give you HELLISH temps at the grill over the bricks. Just take that into account, and yep...works well.


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## nkobswp (Aug 10, 2008)

bbcharcoal.com  it's 100% all wood lumps.  they have oak and mesquite lump. we use mesquite at home and oak at the deer camp.  funny because there are a zillion mesquite trees at camp, making for great grilling and comfort fires (when not under a burn ban).  check them out, we really love the stuff.


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## richoso1 (Aug 10, 2008)

Kingsford is my last ditch backup after all searches for lump are exhausted.


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## flip (Aug 10, 2008)

I use R.O. for everything. If I've smoked with a few chunks of wood and there's some leftover, I'll toss the full ring (I smoke with a Weber Smokey Mountain) of lump and wood into the kettle and use that the next time I grill. The little lady really seems to enjoy when I grill with a bit of cherry smoke


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## pinkmeat (Aug 11, 2008)

Funny. Did it last night. Just under half a chimney starter full netted a 350 grilling temp. Crazy hot coals.


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## teeotee (Aug 11, 2008)

Yep i agree with Rich on this, you do have to allow for the extra heat the lump has. I've been grilling with R.O all summer and i prefer it once i got thru the learning curve. 
Now my local wallyworld has quit stocking R.O so i guess i'll be using Kingsford Charwood as a back up. Can get that at most any of our local grocery stores.


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## schilsgrill (May 15, 2009)

Flip, I feel your pain on the RO, all ive been reading about is how great it is and ive just been able to find it at walmart, i picked up 5 bags, hopefully this is enough.   I just have a feeling next time i need some walmart wont have any...  I use the smokenator right now with my 22.5 weber kettle but looking to purchase the WSM, looks like i can get a decent deal on amazon.


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## 1894 (May 15, 2009)

SchilsGrill, Yep , it is a seasonal item but the season is here. Find a mgr in walley world when you stop in to buy your next batch of RO Lump. Tell that person that is the only one that you buy and please keep it in stock. 
Helps if you have a shopping cart full when you ask .  Find a place at home to store a bunch for the off season and buy extra each time you go there. 
Reiterating to a dept head when you see the stock getting low. 

 Oh , and don't forget when you get to the checkout line you can proudly declare " Look at that !!! A whole shopping cart ( Or two ) full of stuff made in the USA !!!! "


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## jdt (May 15, 2009)

I have been grilling with the kingsford comp but I don't want to put anything other than lump in my smoker, every time one of these threads gets going I have to remember to be thankful I got a great supply store that has a pallet of wicked good and most times has the even better 7 Oaks on hand. RO is my backup lump as I can get it at 4 or 5 places around town.


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## capt dan (May 15, 2009)

LOL, like the folks at walmart are gonna care! Might be the only thing in that  isle made in the USA!


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## joeinma (Jun 2, 2009)

It's been exactly two years since my son gave me a Silver Smoker for my birthday and I have been using lump since day 1. First year was with Cowboy and some Kingsford Charwood which was ok. But this spring I moved up to Wicked Good brand which was much better than Cowboy. 

However, this weekend I will be moving up to the big time. I found Royal Oak for the first time and will be making six racks of ribs Saturday and smoked chicken on Sunday.  Cannot wait!


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## peebee (Jun 2, 2009)

Since I can't leave well enough alone, I figure it's time for me to put in my $.02.

I use Kingsford, and will continue to use Kingsford for all of my smokes. 

"But...but, that's just not natural, PeeBee!  Lump is so much better!"  

I disagree, wholeheartedly.  First, let me give you a quick rundown on what Kingsford is made of...  Ground up wood, starch, and minerals.  In that order.  It's wood charcoal, some coal (nothing wrong with coal, it's been firing pizza ovens in Napoli for ages), and food starch as a binding agent.  Because of this process, it's also *always the same*.

Lump charcoal burns hot as hell, and clean.  It also burns inconsistently, and more importantly, fast.  Clean is the only property conducive to proper smoking that I would consider a positive.  The rest?  No thanks.

I can reach 250 with Kingsford if I have a water pan, 650 if I don't.  What does that tell me?  It tells me that even with Kingsford, I'm wasting a whole lot of heat energy heating that pan of water.  Seems pretty unnecessary to me, to use fuel that burns hotter and faster, if that extra heat's doing nothing but boiling water.

Lump charcoal is amazing for grilling.  High heat, great sear, burns clean.

For smoking?  I'll stick with my Kingsford, and chunks of wood* to flavor my meat.


*I'm on the fence about chunks of wood versus chips in a bag or in a cast iron skillet, but that's a discussion and an experiment for another time.


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## gaga (Jun 2, 2009)

I use Kingsford briquettes, cause they were so damn cheap last weekend!


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## noboundaries (Dec 19, 2013)

Using search I dug up this old thread out of the dust bin.  Interesting reading.  If there's one thing I've learned about grillin' and smokin' folks can get passionate about their fuel regardless of their equipment.

When I started using my Weber Kettles for smoking this past August I used what I had on hand, two bags of Kingsford Competition.  It tasted fine just burned WAY too fast, twice as fast as the Blue bag at any given temp. 

Picked up six 20lb bags of Kingsford Blue last Labor Day and have had very consistent results with it.  No bad taste issues at all.  Easy to control temp and relatively long lasting.  On a recent smoke my Smokenator still had about a 1/3 load from a previous smoke.  All I added was about 18 hot coals and I got a 4 hour smoke at 215F with an allowed spike to 240F for about 30 minutes at the end of the smoke.  Always lots of ash afterwards but that's not a problem with the One Touch Kettle and a slow sweep on a long smoke.  We'll see on the WSM I'm getting for Christmas though. I can see how the ash could be a problem.   

Been reading about RO Lump so I picked up an 18.8 lb bag at Home Depot today. Off season so it was pricy, about 75 cents a pound, more than twice what I paid for he KB.  My plan is to smoke pork shoulders this weekend but my wife may have other plans.  I'm looking forward to trying the fuel though.  Besides the WSM I know I'm getting a pizza stone for Christmas too for the Kettle.  Since the RO Lump burns hotter it seems a natural for making pizzas.  Fun cooking times to follow!


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## opforpaintball (Dec 29, 2013)

I also made the switch from kingsford to lump.  There is only two brands of lump that I can find.  Cowboy and some othe kind that is slipping my mind (has an old black guy on the bag).  I use cowboy almost exclusively in my barrel smoker.  The kingsford ashed up to much and would snuff the coals out in about an hour.  In my big grill they work fine but the smoke from the lump is way better than kingsford.  I haven't had much issues from keeping a good temp from the lump.  I kind of figured out when to add big pieces v. smaller pieces.  Lowes keeps the lump in stock all year round so im kind of lucky there.  My local cheap grocery store keeps all sorts of wood chips in stock as well.


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## bob1961 (Dec 29, 2013)

yeah royal oak is all i use for heat, then small chunks of fruitwood for flavor Thumbs Up ....


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## bob1961 (Dec 29, 2013)

my local wal mart has the 8.8lb bag "during" the season for 6.58, and tractor supply has the 18.8 lb bag for only 11.78....i use the small bag for shoulders and briskets and 8lb bag lasts me easy 11 hours....


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## charcoalnmore (Dec 30, 2013)

Yeah, we cook only with lump charcoal. If you are looking for consistency in your flavor profiles, there is no other way to go.  I don't know where you are but we always have lump available!


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## jirodriguez (Dec 30, 2013)

I use both depending on the length of the smoke. Lump is great for a lot of stuff, but in my WSM when I am doing brisket I find I can get a much longer slower burn with Kingsforld Blue Bag - 20+ hrs. with a full 20 lb. bag.


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## cody6262 (Jan 4, 2014)

I use both too but recently bought the store brand of lump (kroger) and have found it to be great. I know I've read before that RO is bagged under different names and I wouldn't be surprised if ts was RO in a store bag.


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