home depot hardwood charcoal briquettes, $3 for 20lbs


 
Bought a bag of the Rancher charcoal at HD about three weeks ago to test it out. Can't address the lesser ash issue compared to Kingsford, it seems to put out a lot more ash than lump. Cooks well on my kettle grill, but is a little more challenging to light. On Sunday, a double sheet of newspaper did not get a half chimney of Ranger going. Had to relight with 2 double sheets, and that did the trick. So, slow start coupled with lump being from South America, and I'm not ready to buy a pallet quite yet.
 
Paul $3.75 is a sale price. It is normally $4.99, which is still a great deal compared to K. The 24 bags I bought a week and a half ago at $3.75 is a killer deal. When it goes to $2.99 here I am getting some more. I may go get some more at the current price.

I hate to run out too early. I burn at least 2 bags a week. I definately need to stock some more.

When I was at HD the other day checking the price of rancher, the skid of bags seemed to be in the same shape I left it on my purchase. Seems like the local interest in rancher is low. I am hoping they will take it to the $2.99. I will probobly make back to HD monday and if it is still marked $3.75, I will have a bag scaned to make sure.
 
Originally posted by Steve E.:
but is a little more challenging to light. On Sunday, a double sheet of newspaper did not get a half chimney of Ranger going. Had to relight with 2 double sheets, and that did the trick. So, slow start coupled with lump being from South America.
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It's like comparing Apples to Oranges. Of course the briqs are going to be a little harder to light than lump. They are very dense compared to lump and there are less gaps between them in the chimney compared to the big air gaps you get with lump. It takes about 8 lbs of to fill my WSM charcoal bowl with lump. And about 6.5-7 lbs of Rancher briqs to fill the Weber charcaol chimney. Quite the mass to weight difference going on between the 2.
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Think of it like this. The lump being Balsa wood and the Briqs being hard maple. The Balsa will light faster than the Maple.
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Originally posted by Mike Freeman:
Wayyyyyyyyyyy too much ash with Rancher. It makes Kingsford charcoal seem conservative.
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I'm surprised to hear that, my experience has been just the opposite.
 
A new Home Depot just opened up down the road from my work. They only had about 12 bags of Rancher on the shelf. I bought 4 bags, they rung up at $2.99. I went back at bought out their stock.
 
Originally posted by Keri C:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I'm surprised to hear that, my experience has been just the opposite.
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As has mine. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ditto

It hasn't been a lot less than K but less.
 
2 HDs in Montgomery have sold out of Rancher for a couple weeks. I think they only got 1 pallet each. A new HD opened in my town (Prattville, AL) a bedroom community of Montgomery about 3 weeks ago. I check every couple days and they have not had any Rancher. I bought six bags at 4.99 when they had it in Montgomery. I love the stuff. The folks at the new HD never heard of it. Maybe one of them will get some in. I have no problem with ash. Better than K.
 
I was finally able to find some Rancher in the KC area. 15 bags for $2.99. I was in the wifes' Explorer so it was all I had room to haul. I'm headed back for at least 10 more bags.
 
Someone mentioned the ash when opening up the lid. I have had the same experience. When I pull up the lid within seconds a slow swirl of ash starts up. Hasn't bothered me at all.

Another thing about the ash, this one is good. Rancher will burn longer with less tending. I started 6 butts and a chuck roll last evening around 9 PM. At noon I went to check temps and the smoker was still chugging right along at 230. If I had been using K I would have had to stop on the way to work and stir the K so the ash would fall and the charcoal could breathe again. Not to mention that when I get there the lid temp is 180. Oh and that cloud of ash that goes up when you stir K. No matter how gentle you are. To me that makes the ash bit kind of even out between the 2 charcoals.

For me Rancher is King.
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I hope HD gets rancher again next year. I wish they would carry it year round. I just have to make sure I buy enough to last til next spring.
 
I got the last 5 bags for $2.99ea at the HD in south Overland Park. Somebody there said a guy bought 10 bags yesterday.
 
I just picked up 33 more bags at the $2.99.

I little story about Rancher.

I have a BBQ shack I open on the weekends. I normally cook my butts and chuck roll on thurs evening and take off friday. I had a big catering job this weekend and decided to start early to have friday to work on other stuff. So Wednesday evening I put on a bag of rancher full a 20 #. I leave the vents open as they don't seal great anyway. Friday evening I am cleaning out the ash so I am ready to go on sat morning. I pull off the grate and it seemed a bit warm. Curious I put my hand into the ash and it was still quite warm. I couldn't believe it wasn't burnt out.
 
Originally posted by Jeff T Miller:
I have a BBQ shack I open on the weekends. I normally cook my butts and chuck roll on thurs evening and take off friday. I had a big catering job this weekend and decided to start early to have friday to work on other stuff. So Wednesday evening I put on a bag of rancher full a 20 #. I leave the vents open as they don't seal great anyway. Friday evening I am cleaning out the ash so I am ready to go on sat morning. I pull off the grate and it seemed a bit warm. Curious I put my hand into the ash and it was still quite warm. I couldn't believe it wasn't burnt out.
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I understand. I fired my kettle with this stuff, and I had to wait until morning to put the cover back on. It's great to cook with, but this will be limited to the WSM, I think. I'll stay with lump in the kettle.

Even still, I had an empty shelf in the garage that is now full with Rancher. I do like it better thank Kingsford. Hard for me to tell which has more ash because the ash they produce is different. But I do like the smell of Rancher better.
 
Originally posted by Steve E.:
but is a little more challenging to light. So, slow start coupled with lump being from South America.
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It's like comparing Apples to Oranges. Of course the briqs are going to be a little harder to light than lump.
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I was comparing Rancher to Kingsford, not lump. It is slower to light (for me) in a Weber Chimney than the same amount of Kinsgford.

I also get the small dust up when lifting the lid of my kettle.

Found out the wood in the Rancher comes from the practice of Coppicing, so that's O.K.

Not a bad product, and the price can't be beat.
 
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