Competition -vs- Standard Kingsford. What's the difference?


 
BenM

BenM

TVWBB Fan
Good morning everyone.

I see Kingsford Competition charcoal all over the place and Costco has a sale on a 2-pack that I am thinking of buying.

Is there a difference between their regular, blue bag charcoal and their competition brand? If so, what is it?

Thanks
 
When blue bag deals went the way of the dodo, I started getting the comp stuff at Costco. $16.49 for dbl 18#. I find much less ash with it over Blue bag, it does burn a little hotter in the kettle abut, in the bullet I have had much more even temperatures, less vent management. Get a package and try it yourself.I’m down to under 100# and have two bigger parties coming up I will make several trips in to make sure I have at least ten bags going into the “off season”.
I don’t think I will ever go back to the old stuff. From the ash cleanup alone, I really prefer it.
 
Thank you.

I'm heading to Costco today to get the deal that they currently are running. I'm planning on a small rib cook on my WSM this weekend, so I'll be able to see how it burns, temp control, etc. I just got my WSM 2 weeks ago and have been playing with it ever since. It took a few cooks, but I finally learned how to manage the temps with a few basic vent adjustments, plus the amazing help and advice I received from the great folks on this forum. I'm curious to see how much ash is produced with the competition coal versus the blue bag.

BTW - I have a pet Dodo :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
I probably sold you that dodo!

I will be kettle chef this week, next weekend will be the WSM workout, I’ll need a full bag of the comp for a brisket for a Friday overnight cook. Longer cooks are where I find the ash issue most apparent, twelve hours would take a whole bag of KBB but would some ash management, the comp? Last really long cook, I used maybe 13# and did t need to try to sweep ash through vents. That is not a terribly scientific analysis but, that’s how it works for me.
 
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LOL

Too bad you didn't have one male and one female. You and I could go into business and be millionaires (y)
 
Ben, just a quick heads up... Kingsford Competition Charcoal Briquettes has absolutely nothing to do with Competition BBQ. While some teams may use the Kingsford's Competition brand, it's more a marketing scheme.
 
I figured as much. Just trying to discern if there are any major differences in the two products?
 
I find that there IS some difference as stated earlier but, yes, it’s more marketing scheme than any huge difference in taste or anything else. In the kettle, I think it’s a bit hotter but, I have no sol data to base that on.
I’d say just try a double and see how YOU like it. It’s not like you will be out a fortune for the test.
Double 20’s are 23.99 the dbl 18 is 16.50, eight bucks for 4 pounds more of KBB seems like a lot to me.
 
I just picked up a double #18 at Costco here in NY. $16.19 total price. No biggie. Going to try it tomorrow night. I'll post my thoughts.

TY so much

BTW - are you aware of any competitions in the NYC area that allow the public to attend?
 
Ben I used to use it all the time, it does burn longer than the KBB in my experience also, I used it in my UDS for smoking. I still got 10 bags of Weber which is why I have not used it in a few years but that is what I will go back to when the Weber is gone. The price is right when its on sale.
 
The main difference to me, is price.
It may burn a tad longer, I think, but not so much that it's worth the extra $$$
I will only buy the competition, when it goes on sale at Costco or BJ's.
 
Personally I love the stuff, it’s been years since I stocked up on regular kbb I can’t remember what it was I disliked.
I do like the comp being 100% natural!.
 
Lots of folks on here (including me) roll with the Kpro from Costco. Goes on sale typically a couple times a season to get the price down to around 50 cents per pound. I acquired a big stash a couple years ago when my Costco had it on deep discount/closeout in the Fall.

Fewer fillers. Burns hotter and with less ash. I like it better than KBB.

Chris' review below.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

Kingsford Professional Briquets Replace Competition Briquets - The Virtual Weber Bullet

As of January 2016, Kingford Professional Briquets are replacing Kingsford Competition Briquets, but there is no change in the formula. Learn more.
www.virtualweberbullet.com www.virtualweberbullet.com
 
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Chris Allingham said:
I've published a burn test that demonstrates differences between Original K and Professional.

www.virtualweberbullet.com

Kingsford Long-Burning Charcoal Briquets & Weber 100% All Natural Hardwood Charcoal Briquettes Burn Test 2017 - The Virtual Weber Bullet

We conduct a burn test of new Kingsford Long-Burning Briquets & Weber 100% All-Natural Hardwood Charcoal Briquettes for burn time and ash production.
www.virtualweberbullet.com www.virtualweberbullet.com
Click to expand...
Thanks, Chris. I'll be sure to check it out. Your videos are both informative and entertaining. Enjoy the day.
 
Is K-pro the same as K-comp? I've branched out a lot with charcoal when the sales went away. There's some things to be said for KBB. It lights very quickly. It you catch it at the right moment it burns pretty hot. I've gotten great sears with it. It just peaks faster and dies faster so you gotta make sure you aren't over the hump when you go to sear those steaks. I think it's the perfect charcoal for mid-week cooks and you're in a hurry.

Something that produces less ash is probably better in the WSM but the economics of the KBB sales kept me from using anything else for so long. The old KBB was perfect, but I appreciate what they were going for with the newer stuff.
 
I looked at Chris's burn test link. It is too bad that Weber discontinued their 100% hardwood charcoal. Based on his test results, they seemed to be the best of the bunch. Did they ever replace that product with something else?
 
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