School this newbie on Briquettes please!

[robs2]

So I bought my first bag of briquettes last week and I'm almost out.  I chose the Weber for $20/bag over the "on-sale" Kingsfords @ 2 bags for $10.  As a new griller, I didn't really have a reason to justify that purchase other than I had big plans for my first cook - an $85 bone in double prime rib roast... and I didn't want inferior coals to be a reason for failure - it wasn't 

That said, what advise can you pros give on selecting charcoal/briquettes?

[Mike in Roseville]

It's really all a matter of preference.

Some people like/dislike certain brands because of the heat, ash, aroma, burn time, and cost per lb.

Some people here prefer lump charcoal to Briquettes too.


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[Big Dawg]

^^^^^^ What he said.

The thing is, I can tell you that there's nothing wrong with Kingsford and I use it exclusively with no problems and that I seen reason to change when I get almost 40 lbs for $10.  And all that is true.

The someone else will come in and say that KBB is terrible.  It has a bad aftertaste and leaves a HUGE amount of ash.  And, for him/her, that is true, also.

What you should do is to try a couple of different bags and see what makes you and your family the happiest.





BD

[Joetee]

With me or depends what I'm cooking. If it's something fast, then it really doesn't matter. If it's something I'm cooking slow, I want something that is going to last a while like stubbs which is in my opinion at good as Weber Briquettes but cheaper. I buy both Stubb's and Royal oak. Stubb's is hotter with less ash, Royal oak not as hot and burns faster with more ash.
So really you need to compare apples to apples with the same food like steak or hamburgers and something low and slow like a chicken or roast with something like Stubb's.

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[SMOKE FREAK]

I got no problem with KBB for general hot grilling....
I do prefer RO briqs for low and slow...Or better yet lump...

I have noticed that when using my Vortex that the KBB runs about 100 degrees hotter than the RO briqs...

[kettlebb]

Boxers or briefs?
Chevy or Ford?

Everyone will have their reasons for using the fuel they do. Try some brands you can get and formulate your own opinion. Like most things this is a give and take decision. Lower cost (kbb) is usually a lot of smoke, a lot of ash, and take or leave the smell. Higher cost Weber briquettes lower ash, long burn time, less smoke at the start and burns clean (thin blue smoke not white) at $1/lb.

Find your happy charcoal place and grill on.


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[Jon]

Don't worry about it. Just buy a bag and cook. You'll figure out your favorites.

[MDurso]

As previously mentioned, Weber did (and may still do, I can ask the guys in the lab) used basic Kingford for ALL testing.  1) consistency, 2) availability to the public.  At the time, Weber Heat Beads ran notoriously hot and quite pricy.  Even back then, they'd send me home with bags and bags of Kingsford...

So I use what's on sale, usually a couple bags at Walmart is cheap.  Sometimes some Royal Oak as a back up.

If you great once in a while, you're not going through a lot.  I grill 3 or 4 times a week -I even gather up the half burned ones and use those.

[Beachdude]

For my everyday grilling, I prefer lump, Royal Oak to be precise. But if I'm doing a slow cook with briquettes, I like Stubbs. Just my personal preference. Like the others have said, the best way to find out what you like best, is to just experiment with different brands. I have used KBB and have nothing against it. I just seem to like that way the Stubbs burns and IMO, I get a better taste from the meat.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

^^^^^^ What he said.

The thing is, I can tell you that there's nothing wrong with Kingsford and I use it exclusively with no problems and that I seen reason to change when I get almost 40 lbs for $10.  And all that is true.

The someone else will come in and say that KBB is terrible.  It has a bad aftertaste and leaves a HUGE amount of ash.  And, for him/her, that is true, also.

What you should do is to try a couple of different bags and see what makes you and your family the happiest.


BD

THIS!!!!!

I grew up on KBB and have tried a few other types/brands of charcoal and always come back to kingsford.  That being said I do really like the Weber Briquettes.  I bought 500 lbs of it when it was on clearance at Target for $5.98 a bag.  I'm not looking forward to running out and having to decide if I am switching back to KBB or if I am going to be fine paying $14.99-19.99 for a Weber.  The Home Depot by me has a new regular price of $14.99 on Weber.  I've also moved to Denver recently and found that the altitude does affect the temp I can get from charcoal.  I think the Weber coal burns hotter so it has made it easier to adapt to the altitude.  There is also less ash with the Weber Briquettes.

As others have said, just try a few options out and figure out what works best for you.  If you grill 4-6 days a week like I do, you might find that KBB is the best bang for your buck if you stock up when it is on sale....a good sale for KBB should work out to 26-27 cents per pound.

[Schaefd2]

For my everyday grilling, I prefer lump, Royal Oak to be precise. But if I'm doing a slow cook with briquettes, I like Stubbs. Just my personal preference. Like the others have said, the best way to find out what you like best, is to just experiment with different brands. I have used KBB and have nothing against it. I just seem to like that way the Stubbs burns and IMO, I get a better taste from the meat.

This guy knows what's up. I totally agree beachdude, except I use GFS lump which is RO rebranded. Best stuff on the market.


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[SteveMBH]

My advise for new grillers is to buy one brand and stick with that to learn to cook.  After your technique is down the start experimenting with other brands.  I like Weber for longer cooks and kbb for normal grilling.


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[robs2]

Great info guys. Thanks. How does lump behave differently? Hotter but quicker cook?


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[SMOKE FREAK]

Great info guys. Thanks. How does lump behave differently? Hotter but quicker cook?


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Yeah lump burns hotter, cleaner, and usually burns longer...

I tried a bag of Kingsford professional and was not impressed...I thought it burned up faster than the KBB...

[Joetee]

It seems to me that lump burns faster than say Stubb's and Weber brand Briquettes.
But it is hotter.

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