In Defense of Kingsford


 
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Scott Barentsen

TVWBB Member
I want to thank Chris for his feature this month on charcoal, and specifically, for the information on Kingsford briquettes and why he uses them. This piece is informative, thoughtful, and based on the facts. Frankly, I used to be a bit of a lump snob, making pilgrimages to Lazarri in Brisbane to buy hundreds of pounds of the stuff. No more. Now I’ve got a couple hundred pounds of $.17 lb. Kingsford in my garage. In my experience, lump is more expensive, has no flavor advantage, burns less consistently, and is a hassle to use (compared to Kingsford). I use it in my Hasty Bake for both grilling and smoking. If your cooker can handle briquettes, I recommend it highly.

I also question the consensus that Lump burns hotter than Kingsford. Cook’s Illustrated recently did a burn comparison between the two fuels and found that both burn equally hot. In addition, they printed a graph showing how quickly the temp of Lump drops off after it peaks. Kingsford burned much longer at a more consistent temperature, leading IMO, to better heat control.

The last reason I like Kingsford is that I’m more confident that it’s sourced and produced in an environmentally sensitive way. I could be wrong, but I think the wood going into my briquettes is more likely to be industrial waste than is some of the Lump imported from the third world. I know many lump companies say they don’t harvest live trees for charcoal (instead using stumps, prunings, and dead wood), but I’m just not sure they do that all the time. Thanks Chris.
 
Hi Scott,

I'm glad you liked the All About Charcoal article.

I tried to make very clear in the article that the choice of fuel is a personal one, based on many factors that each of us has to consider and weigh as individuals. I tried to explain my rationale for choosing Kingsford, and why I recommend it to WSM beginners, but your consideration of the factors I list in the article may lead you to another brand of briquettes or to a lump charcoal. I wanted to counter some of the hard-line advice that says "You must use lump" or "You must use briquettes", which is nonsense.

Also, while not setting out to write a "defense of Kingsford", I did want to take people beyond the widely-published list of ingredients and provide some understanding of why those ingredients are there, and why they're not so scary.

Regards,
Chris
 
I started out with Kingsford but found myself choking on the fumes while it was firing up. I read a lot of info on different lump (thanks to the naked whiz) and found that they highly praised Maple Leaf lump. I can get it easily so I started using it. The only problem is that the lump sizes I get range from crumbs to small logs which can be impractical for the charcoal ring in the WSM. I recently started using Maple Leaf briquettes and found tham to have an awesome aroma, just firing up. Also, I don't seem to need as many wood chunks because the briqs seem to add enough smoke flavor. The only drawback I have had is that they do burn quicker than Kingsford. I have to tap the legs of the smoker to get the fresh coals to 'fall in' and light because the lit coals turn to dust and fall through the grate. What I have decided to do is to lay a bed of lit Briquettes and follw that up with the lump, hopefully this will help me in keeping my temperatures from dropping while I am away from the cooker. At the same time, The briqs will keep any small pieces of lump from falling through the grate.

To make a long story short, I am going to start using a combo of Briqs and lump.
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You know, I started moving towards briquettes after buying a 40 lb bag of mesquite lump that turned out to be a single, large trunk of carbonized wood. I had to take a hammer to it to use it (as I had to many times when using lump). Eventually, I just got tired of the mess and the extra work involved in getting a lump fire going. Then of course, I started thinking about whether that tree in my 40 lb bag of lump was alive and part of some animal's habitat when it was cut down in Mexico and processed.

I agree that fuel choice is a personal one and turns on what works in your cooker. Ash is certainly an issue. To make an informed choice however, you've got to have the facts, and that's what you've given us.
 
Scott, I had the same experience, specifically with Lazzari. I was the same as you, trotting off to Brisbane to fill the back of the car with lump, only to find that the hardwood lump (marketed as oak and hickory) was mostly mesquite (the sparks kind of give it away....)

I have used the Kamado charcoal for the last year (I bought a pallet), and I really like it. It burns consistently, for a long time, at a great temp range, and with much less ash. The major con is that it's hard to get at a price I consider decent without buying a pallet load (which you then need to store -- issue for me.)

I'm an equal opportunity pyromaniac, so I now burn briquettes (Kingsford only, mostly in the WSM), and lump (BGE usually, always in my Kamado grill.) To each his own.

Another great article, Chris!!

Rich
 
Lump charcoal is not immune to the "Stinky Startup" problem. I've experienced a foul acrid smell during startup with several different brands. IMO, Royal Oak lump smells just as bad as Kingsford at startup.

Mesquite charcoal seems to smell the least offensive, but the popping, sparking, and impromptu fireworks display on my deck is unsettling.

Frankly, the whole "Stinky Startup" is a non-issue for me. It's not like I'm standing next to my cooker sniffing exhaust fumes.

I use lump for grilling, and a blend of leftover lump and Kingsford for the low-n-slow stuff. Works great for me.

Chris has done an excellent job of presenting an impartial look into a subject we'll be debating for as long as we'll be Q'ing. I think the most important point is that it's an individual's preference with no single right answer.
 
Kingsford has proven to be fne product used correctly but it is not a good choice for every cooker. I use lump in my ceramic cookers and for grilling but the perdicability of Kingsford has done well for me over the years.

There is a new player on the block DuraFlame, they have just sent me 8 bags of briquets and 8 bags of lump, I'll let you know what I find after cooking with it.
Jim
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Minion:

There is a new player on the block DuraFlame, they have just sent me 8 bags of briquets and 8 bags of lump, I'll let you know what I find after cooking with it.
Jim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Jim,
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I've been looking for it here in PA but still no luck in finding any.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bryan S:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jim Minion:

There is a new player on the block DuraFlame, they have just sent me 8 bags of briquets and 8 bags of lump, I'll let you know what I find after cooking with it.
Jim </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Jim,
icon_cool.gif
I've been looking for it here in PA but still no luck in finding any.
icon_frown.gif
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Bryan, The local team, "Pa. Posse" uses Duraflame. They had to order a skid of it. They seem to like it last I heard.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Greg Kemp:
It would apprear according to Chris's poll that most of us prefer briquettes over lump. I'm assuming the poll reflects kingsford which I use as well as Big Green Egg Lump.

Aloha!

Greg Kemp


Chris's charcoal poll </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I use Kingsford briquettes exclusively in my WSM for one reason - consistency. Unlike lump, you know exactly how hot it's going to burn and how long it's going to last. And with the 2-24 lb bag pack deal at Home Depot, the price is unbeatable.
 
I started out using Kingsford Briquettes. Had problems keeping the temps up. During one of the smokes I noticed that there seemed to be a tremendous amount of ash. I read on line where all the ash could possibly choke out the burning coals. I did some research and settled on Duraflame briquettes. What a difference. Not much ash. Good heat during a long butt smoke. I did a whole chicken this past weekend. Used a half ring of Duraflame for a four hour cook. I shut the WSM down right after I took the chicken off.Temps stayed around 250 at the lid the whole time. I checked the ring last night and I had almost half of the charcoals still left and very little ash. Amazed the heck out of me. I rate Duraflame great!!!
 
Adam, I was getting them at Kroger for like $8 for a twin 20lb pack (40LB). If you go to Duraflame's website they have a listing of all their distributors. Really like this charcoal. I use my left over Kingsford in the chimney as starter coals.
 
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