Kingsford competition charcoal


 
T

Tony

New member
First of all, even though I'm reasonably new, I'm gonna apologize for not being as active as I should. Been a bit busy at work and have only been grilling, nothing overly exciting( I did take some pics, just never got around to posting) but I'm gonna try a bit harder to be more active.

That being said, went with the beautiful wife to BJ's Wholesale the other day and lo and behold....they are having a sale on Kingsford Competition Charcoal....2 18lb bags for $21.00 or so.....I've heard about it, and being the sucker that I am....I had to try it.( It's for competition, it's gotta be better.....right?....lol)

So I fired up the chimney with them that night, made some nice bone in pork chops, a little applewood smoke and some sweet baby rays(Sorry, no pics, but everything was cooked perfect and tasty)

Here's the thing...for this cook, I did not notice a difference in flavor or taste. Did the coals light faster? maybe Were they hotter or more even? maybe again...bottom line is, that me, personally, cant tell the diff.

So I ask the fine members of this forum....did I waste my money? Is this a better coal to use for a long smoke?(On the rare occasions I have the time) Is it only good for hot flame steaks and burgers?

My problem is that I looked online and got so many different opinions, so I'd like to hear what some of you guys and gals might have to say.

Thanks in advance!!!!

Tony
 
It's kinda like buying gasoline. Some people say Chevron is the best, some say Shell and other's say Arco
The bottom line is: What works best for you?

Now when it comes to Lump vs Charcoal. There you cleary have a difference, and in some applications, Lump is better, which Charcoal is better in others

You didn't waste any money, you were Grilling. How can that be a waste of anything? :)
 
I am like Bob. I used to use lump. Inconsistency moved me to Stubb's briquettes. Then the price factor made more sense to move to KBB. Comp is cool but the price is prohibitive if you grill a lot. Now a days I bite the bullet and buy KBB on sale with a Mil discount at Blowes despite the lime, coal, and other additives.
 
Since I can't tell the difference in taste and regular Kingsford is MUCH cheaper when bought on sale, THAT'S what I run. By mostly using one product I have been able to fine tune my cooking times and temp and find life CAN be simpler.

Bottom line - use what you prefer! Me? I'll just continue on using Kingsford Original.

Keep on smokin',
Dale53:wsm:
 
I use the K-Comp regularly and prefer it to KBB. I find that it leaves less ash and doesnt give off that horrid smell during ignition that KBB does which is important during slow & low cooks.
 
EddieKane said:
I use the K-Comp regularly and prefer it to KBB. I find that it leaves less ash and doesnt give off that horrid smell during ignition that KBB does which is important during slow & low cooks.
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Now I don't disagree to what youre saying Eddie, but, and I'm far from an expert smoker, isn't that "horrid smell during ignition" mostly gone once you start the smoking process?
Believe me when I say, I'm not trying to be pessimistic. Truth is, I grill WAY more than I smoke, so I feel I still have much to learn.

Thank you all for your responses, and I hope to hear other peoples experiences,

Here's one thing I did notice. Usually, when I grill, finish up and close all the vents on my OTG, I have some charcoal left to reuse. I usually just throw it on top of the chimney, so I find that my 2X20 lb home depot specials last longer, but tonight when I went to light the grill for some burgers, I did notice that there was not too much coal left to relight....is this something I should see?

Thanks again Gang
 
Tony, KComp will sear at higher temps than KBB, and is less likely to suffocate on it's own ash during long smokes. For that matter, it will burn more evenly on the grate, even if just grilling. However, IMHO, it's overpriced, and I find myself using a lot of lump and Stubbs briquettes nowadays. Also, RO briquettes and the various store brands they make are a bargain when you find them on sale.
 
I think KComp is way over priced. For most of my needs Blue Bag Kingsford works just fine. As evidenced below, I'm quite happy with KBB.

Bill

By the way, Tony, I grew up on Long Island. Where did you live?


 
Tony said:
Here's the thing...for this cook, I did not notice a difference in flavor or taste. Did the coals light faster? maybe Were they hotter or more even? maybe again...bottom line is, that me, personally, cant tell the diff.
Click to expand...


The coals light faster, smell more like wood, and burn hotter and faster. Sounds like KBB is just fine for you now.

I can't tell if you used a wsm or grilled direct. You'll notice the difference more if grilling.
 
That charcoal will probably last a lifetime. I always buy a bunch when there's a very good sale or clearance. Usually, more is coming in than is being used. However, I just got a La Caja China and that thing uses A LOT of charcoal, so it may eat into my supply.

Bill
 
I'm a KBB guy for my OTS and WSM. I use lump in my offset since its so inefficient the ash from KBB will eventually snuff out my fire. I have never seen the K-comp stuff even available or I'd give it a shot. My WSM is on my deck currently and a bad batch of lump would set it on fire. I used to live in an apartment complex and had my offset on the patio. Don't think management knew I had it.... Anyway I had a bag of wood chunks sitting about 6 ft away from the smoker, and sparks from my lump charcoal in a chimney lit it on fire. That was pretty scary!
 
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