The Best Charcoal for Grilling of 2019 (according to this review)


 
Thanks for sharing Bob! It seems like they liked the Weber briquettes but of course it is expensive and hard to find in most areas and they took that into account.
 
Interesting article, thanks for sharing it Bob. I really like RO briquets for grilling, less white smoke at start up and a pleasant aroma. Kingsford for L&S as RO does not do to well in a snake they don't want to light off each other as well as Kingsford. The article spoke highly of RO lump think I'll give that a try.
 
answers question I had a few weeks earlier, as I always wondered how RO fared against Kingsford . I did get some RO briquets on sale at WM to compare , so we'll see. Thanks for sharing that article Bob!
 
Interesting that they even had match-lite in there:p
Good review and read and I've been an avid RO user since 06.

Tim
 
I'm really liking this charcoal myself B&B Texas style oak lump. Picked up a bag at my local Ace Hardware. It has large pieces of lump, not a lot of small pieces and not a lot of dust. When burning it has a pleasant aroma, throws off plenty of heat, and last a long time. If you can find it give it a try, I highly recommend it.




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I like B&B and RO lump. Wally World up the road has them. But if I’m at the grocery and I’m between bags of lump, I go with the old standby: Kingsford.
 
I use a lot of lump these days, often mixed with some lit briquettes to help get it going.
My choice is Timber, not widely available except here in MO, and not common even here.
They bag for Rockwood and others, but I don't know the other brand names.
I've heard RO bags for the BGE brand, and BGE kicks the price up a goodly amount.

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I still much prefer briquettes. I used lump occasionally but mainly to kickstart a coal bed in my offset and I really don't cook on it that often or as often as I'd want. Nothing seems to light as well as Kingsford it seems, but the other's don't seem to put out all the white smoke. I think I got a little spoiled with the Weber briquettes that I bought on sale. I just tried out some B&B charcoal on some steaks. They light a lot slower due to being all natural, but they seem to burn hot and clean. The downside is like the Stubbs charcoal out there lately, they tend to break down pretty easily so I've got a feeling that reuse value isn't going to be high. I'd say for convenience factor for getting from chimney to grilling as quickly as possible you can't beat Kingsford. I'm interested to see how these all natural Royal Oak work out. I'll probably use them on my next steak cook.
 
I stopped using Royal Oak lump when I found a 1+ lb. chunk of clinker in a bag, and RO didn't seem interested in hearing about it. A friend of mine suggested Rockwood, I had to import it from southern MI for a couple of years until their distribution finally got to MN. I tested a few bags of B+B when it became available close to me. It's cheaper than Rockwood, but the bags seem to be physically smaller for the same 20 lb. fill. With as much charcoal as I'm going through, a couple of bucks per bag adds up.

I like the B+B generally, it does seem to stay lit better than the Rockwood. In my grill, the B+B will completely burn when spread out on the grate, the Rockwood was always leaving some unburned after I finished cooking. Unfortunately, the last couple of bags of B+B I've used in my grill have sparked more than I'd like.
 
One of the main things I like in most things I do is CONSISTENCY. Kingsford Original gives me consistency, i buy when on sale, and have no complaints.

Every time I have tried lump I get significant trash in the bag. That doesn’t set well with me.

So, for a number of reasons, I use Kingsford Original.

Keep on smokin’,
Dale53
 
I tried lump on the performer years ago and I think it was cowboy brand, It popped a lot and left cinders on my meat, wouldn't make a difference with a off set or maybe a Weber smoker but for straight up grilling it sucked for me. YMMV
 
To be honest my charcoal grilling and smoking is on a Kamado so I have to use lump. For grilling I use the Western brand mesquite at Walmart, 30# bag for $9.88. All lump, haven't had any kind of garbage in it and great heat. For smoking beef I use the Western and chicken and beef I use Royal Oak. Unfortunately with the RO you do find refactory pieces.
 
I like Royal Oak Chef's Select, when I can find it. I used to be a Stubb's fan but it seems like the quality has fallen off significantly, with each bag containing way too much dust and broken briquettes. Almost makes me wonder if the briquettes are fragile enough to easily break down in transit or even just under their own weight when sitting in the bag.
 
I can't say I have tried the many brands, so I am NOT an expert. I especially need to experiment more with Royal Oak products. But, here are my observations to stir the pot nonetheless;):

Favorite briquettes for barbecue: Weber. I have found these to burn longer and steadier than any other I have used and therefor worth a higher price. My first choice for kettle grill BBQ.

Favorite briquettes for high heat grilling: Kingsford Professional (formerly Competition): These things light and get very hot, very fast! You can check out my post under Q grills where I likened the effect of the use of this charcoal on a fairly rare "CharQ" I picked up to "Welsh coal" on a Thomas the Tank Engine episode. This cool but maybe a little challenging grill doesn't offer the most optimal airflow and has a small area for charcoal. It gave only mediocre results with my Weber briquettes but shined brightly with Kingsford Professional. It was like it was designed for it!

Favorite Lump Charcoal: Fornetto Quebracho. I have generally used Big Green Egg (consistently good) or sometimes a brand I can't remember from Winn Dixie that was also pretty good. Tried Cowboy but not impressed. This Fornetto is definitely different. Some are put off by its smoke scent, others think it is the cat's meow! I personally was favorably impressed. I use lump charcoal for my Big Green Egg.
 
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I use KBB for low & slow in the Smoker and everything on the Kettle.
I use Jealous Devil for smokes I expect to go past 12 hours.
 
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