Gummi's guidelines to purchasing KBB on sale

[pbe gummi bear]

Memorial Day charcoal sales are some of the best times to stock up on charcoal. As the unnofficial start of the bbq season, many places have sales to bring people into their stores. approaching. However, you can't straight up compare bag to bag as every retailer has their own sizes and packing. Big bags, medium bags, 2-packs of medium bags, advertised on-sale charcoal in the back of the store and regular price stuff in a slightly different bag up front, you name it! A seasoned Grillfella (get it?, lol) will calculate the cost per pound and purchase accordingly.

You don't need a degree from MIT to figure this out. Just take the total cost of the charcoal bag(s) then divide by the total bag weight (don't mess up the order of operations if using a calculator).

Exhibit 1:



2-pack of 18.6lbs of KBB for $9.88 found here: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Kingsford-18-6-lb-Charcoal-Briquettes-2-Bag-4460031239/205796026

Cost/lb = $9.88/(2*18.6)lbs = $9.88/(18.6+18.6)lbs = 9.88/37.2lbs= $.265/lb = 26.5 cents/lb


Exhibit 2:



15.4lbs of KBB at Walmart for $5.00 found here: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kingsford-Charcoal-Briquets-15.40-lbs/43750715

Cost/lb = $5.00/15.4lbs = $.324/lb = 32.4 cents/lb


Exhibit 1 is the better deal even though you only get 2 smaller looking bags for more money. Don't be fooled by the bigger bags with the lower per unit price! You are looking for the price per pound of charcoal.

Are your eyeballs crossed yet? When should you buy? I thought you would ask so here's my take on it.

Gummi's guidelines to purchasing KBB on sale

$.50/lb+= This is basically regular price. Don't buy unless you really need it.
$.33/lb= This is usually the sale threshold. I will purchase enough bags to get me through the next sales (I've been stocked up for the past few years so I still don't purchase KBB at this price)
$.27/lb or less = This is a good price. Stock up at will!
$.23/lb= This is the lowest I've seen. Load up the truck and come back for seconds and thirds.

I think the charcoal sales are best on Memorial Day. YMMV for other types of charcoal.

Troy says the smoke from the cheaper bags of charcoal tastes better. YMMV for that too. 

[LightningBoldtz]

Good guide Lawrence, I saw the post for Wally world KBB and thought it sounded good but then did do the calculation and thought I would wait it out.

The current sales @ .26 per lbs is pretty good. While I didn't purchase a lot last year, I think I will go to the store and pick up a few bags. If anything I will offer them up with grill sales.

I am trying to use "better" charcoal though.  It has been a long while since I have seen a really good sale on Lump, however, my last really good deal was when true value sold cowboy for around $.32 per lbs and that stuff was garbage.  I thought naked whiz was full of crap with all their reviews but I am starting to come around.  Of course, it really gets hard to justify getting a 20 lbs bag of Rockwood for $28, $1.40 per lbs(I did it to try it out, once). 

Craig Meathead will say charcoal is charcoal, it is all made of carbonized wood and briquettes are just ads good as lump.  I also think he is getting some money from Kingsford to say that.

On the better briquette side I did get Kingsford Competition for $.42 per lbs, I can use that is my Kamado without issue, I do like that better than KBB.

[swamprb]

I want the per briq price!

[OoPEZoO]

I hope we get some good lump sales this year.  I used to load up on KBB for the smoker, but always preferred lump for the kettles (hate that light up smoke and ridiculous amount ash the KBB produces).  I'm out of lump and have chewed through almost all of my KBB.  Last time I bought lump was a screaming deal for Royal Oak at Wallyworld probably a year and a half ago.  Haven't seen any decent deals since

[G19]

I love the per briq price request...........

[LightningBoldtz]

I hope we get some good lump sales this year.  I used to load up on KBB for the smoker, but always preferred lump for the kettles (hate that light up smoke and ridiculous amount ash the KBB produces).  I'm out of lump and have chewed through almost all of my KBB.  Last time I bought lump was a screaming deal for Royal Oak at Wallyworld probably a year and a half ago.  Haven't seen any decent deals since

GFS sells lump for $13.99 for 20 lbs bag, good stuff, not a great price but now horrible either.

[Metal Mike]

Academy Sports has the best deal on lump that I've seen.
Oak, mesquite or hickory; B&B brand I believe @ 9.99$ [prior sale, 15$ regular] for a 20# bag of "TX style" =large-ish chunks

[Travis]

Thank you for the write up gummi.
I've never broken it down, I just figured 2, 18 1/2 bags for 10bucks was about the best deal around. I've never done the per lb. math.

Does anyone know if this will be the last sale of the year or will there be more like this?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wahoo95]

Something else I've noticed is that you really have to watch this at Walmart as they will have various sized bags priced at different points placed in different areas of the store.  More times than not the promo stuff at the main door will be priced highest while the stuff on the shelf in Lawn & Garden will be lowest.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

[Jeff]

Thanks Lawrence...good post.
It should be updated as we go when a cheaper price is found.

[pbe gummi bear]

Something else I've noticed is that you really have to watch this at Walmart as they will have various sized bags priced at different points placed in different areas of the store.  More times than not the promo stuff at the main door will be priced highest while the stuff on the shelf in Lawn & Garden will be lowest.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

This is totally true. Although I haven't really heard of stores having such a limited supply of the cheaper stuff.

[mike.stavlund]

Nice post, Lawrence!

...now if we could just find someone with a degree from MIT to compare BTUs per pound, KBB vs. lump.  I know that KBB is always cheaper, but we end up throwing a significant portion of that total poundage away in the form of ash.  Lump is more expensive, but there is very little ash (aka waste). 

In a related note, HD has RO lump on sale now:  $7.88 for 15.4lbs.  I think that works out to about 51 cents per pound.  Not as cheap as it was a couple years back (when I remember it being $5.88, and I remember my kids complaining about the number of times I dragged them back to HD), but still a decent deal. 

[Craig]

Great write up, @pbe gummi bear !

[swamprb]

Lump time at Home Despot!

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Royal-Oak-15-44-lb-100-All-Natural-Hardwood-Lump-Charcoal-198228021/206732872?keyword=Royal+Oak+Lump+charcoal

[dazzo]

Local deal on RO?

Link shows 15.4# at $13 ?