so why Kingsford blue??


 
D

Dan.Heerts

New member
Hi again. So I've been doing ALOT of reading here on the WSM forums..and it seems everyone uses Kingsford charcoal in their WSM's....I am new to owning the bullets, but not new to smoking and I've never used Kingsford..or Briquettes for that matter. My opinion, along with lots of other hardcore smokers, is briquettes don't burn as hot, last as long and create too much ash compared to good ole LUMP. in the 3-4 years I've been smoking now, I've always relied on my good ole Royal Oaks Lump charcoal.it burns hot and long and I've never had issues with it

So I guess I just want to know why ya'll use Kingsford in the WSM's as opposed to lump???

THanks
Dan
 
Briquettes are denser, more fuel in the same space. Longer cooks.
Ash doesn't matter much the WSM has a large ash catcher.
The WSM doesn't need the " Hottest " burning fuel.
Briquettes are cheaper on sale $0.20-0.25 / lb. Some of the guys go through hundreds of lbs a year.
 
why ya'll use Kingsford in the WSM's as opposed to lump
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Price is one thing. 40lb for $8 (currant sale) is hard to beat.
Availability. Constant year round.
That said: My preference is for Wicked Good Lump or briquettes. Great stuff. No distribution.
Haven't tried the RO. Would like to but not if I have to go to a Walmart. Never been in one and have no plans on changing that!
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That said I think there is a local HW store that is carrying RO and I'll need to check that out.
 
When I first got my wsm, I started with lump since that's what I used in my UDS. However, I contend that for reasons already stated, good briqs will outlast lump, and it's certainly easier to just pour 'em in than to pack your inconsistantly sized pieces of lump in as tight as you can and wonder how long they'll last.

That said, I am NOT a KINGSFORD fan. I get several bags at once when it's like $.20 a pound at Home Depot, but I MUCH prefer Stubbs or similar high quality briquettes, and I prefer lump for grilling. Good briqs like Stubbs have more wood char and less other crap that does nothing but save Kingsford money and create a lot of ash that needs to be knocked off after a few hours....at least on my cooks.

I hear that Wicked Good is really good, but it's wicked expensive, too. Royal Oak, (especially the big Chef's Select briqs) is ok, but I like Rancher and especially Stubbs better since they have even less ash.
 
Marc..I agree with you 100% on the Walmart thing. I hate walmart with a passion and DO NOT shop there. I pick up Royal oak lump at both our local Home Depot and Menards.

Ted..I can certainly get RO lump to burn 22 hours on my UDS smoker...I have a UDS that I just did 2 10 pound butts on for Easter...I filled my charcoal basket with RO lump, threw on 6 pieces of Pecan wood, and She went for 22 hours straight at about 230F.

Dan
 
I use it because that's what's available here and I don't mind doing a little more work to save a buck or 10. Retiree syndrome.
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Wow, its unbelievable that some people do not like Walmart, Walmart is one of the best stores in the world, unless you do not mind getting shafted, paying more i guess its okay not to like Walmart.
Anyway kingsford is so consistent on every cook, good price for the product. I always buy enough during Memorial day sale to last for the year.
 
Originally posted by Noe:
Wow, its unbelievable that some people do not like Walmart, Walmart is one of the best stores in the world, unless you do not mind getting shafted, paying more i guess its okay not to like Walmart.
Anyway kingsford is so consistent on every cook, good price for the product. I always buy enough during Memorial day sale to last for the year.
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It really depends on the Walmart. The one closest to my house is a real junk/crap store. All they have for charcoal is the 13.9 double pack of Blue K. They, like all stores, stock to cater to their main customer base. This particular one is a 'welfare' store. Limited selection and poor quality. The next closest Wal-Mart to me, about 10 miles away has a much better selection due to a more middle class clientele.

Home Depot had a great sale on Kingsford. They were selling the double 20lb packs for $7.97. I only bought 4 (160lbs) because that's all that would fit in my car.
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I do like Stubbs better which Lowes sells so I'll wait for them to have a sale - maybe 4th of July?
 
I avoid K altogether. Even though the sales are always amazing, I use RO Lump and Stubbs. I'd rather spend the extra money on Stubbs than buy a couple bags of K on sale.
 
Originally posted by Chuck_B:
I'd rather spend the extra money on Stubbs than buy a couple bags of K on sale.
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I agree. I'll use the K for cooking foods on the grill my Wife wants such as chicken breasts, dogs, and burgers.
If I fill the chacoal chamber with Stubb's and use the Minion Method I know I'm set for a 14 - 16 hr. (minimum) cook.
 
Kingsford Blue is

1) consistent in content, good briqs, few broken pieces in the bag
2) provides good heat
3) very cheap. I buy on sale for 20 to 25 cents per pound
4) lasts longer than lump
5) doesn't burn as hot as lump
6) takes well to the minion method
7) available everywhere
8) lights easily
9) the only brand carried by most stores

On the bad side:
1) makes a LOT of ash
2) gives off a LOT of smoke


Around my area lump goes for about $1 per pound. That's 4 to 5 times the price of K. I like the K-Comp stuff too, but that is about 60 cents/lb.


In the Chicago area, we can only reliably get a few brands: K, Royal Oak, Cowboy Lump, crappy generic briqettes. Stores don't sell anything else. If you know of others available for decent prices, please post about it. I'd like to try Stubbs or Wicked or Dragon Breath, etc.
 
Pretty much agree with the answers above. Plus, around here, w/o a 80 mile minimum round trip, the best fuel is K and RO lump. I use Kingsford for longer cooks because it last longer in my WSM vs RO and I have tested it against the RO. I use RO for shorter cooks and grilling. With the 22 ash isn't an issue.
 
For all you lump users, isn't using just wood cheaper than lump, you can cut wood fist size and stack like charcoal, set on fire and wait for the wood to ash up just like charcoal works great, and will burn longer than store bought lump, try it. Just let the wood ash over and the smoke will not over power the food.
 
I much prefer Stubbs, but I just bought 200lb of K at HD this weekend for $40. I'll go through it all this summer. I've never found Stubbs on sale around here and at retail it would cost 3X as much.
 
Even with all the Stubbs I stocked up on during the sale, I still bought a couple twins of KB because the price was right. If I run out of Stubbs it will come in handy. I think it does a fine job too.
 
I too refuse to shop at my local Wal-Mart, because I can't decide who is more rude and inconsiderate - the employees or other customers. Kids run rampant in the store, and employees either won't acknowledge your presence or don't know where anything is. It is a terrible shopping experience that I don't wish to go through just to save a little $$.

I bought a couple of 20 lb. twin packs at HD over the weekend, which I will use for burgers & dogs on the grill and to supplement Stubbs briquettes for long cooks. I can't get past the foul odor that K gives off when you light it.

Many here have said that they have never had a problem with K used in a WSM for long cooks, (and I haven't either) as far as adding/changing the flavor of what is being cooked, but frankly I just don't like it when it smells like that when lit. When it is allowed to ash over in the chimney before cooking on it, it is fine. I have used it the past 4 days, and have had no problems beyond the metric ton of ash it produces. To me, however, I prefer my charcoal/lump to smell like wood.

Glad I bought a good amount of Stubb's when I had the chance. Mixing the two types of briquettes seems to be the best compromise for my cooks.
 
the K works fine and it is a really good deal, but i use everything.. i like RO lump for smokes under 6 hours, and the wicked good stuff is great, but damm that shipping.. as far as stubbs, i like it, but noticed this year the bags say made in mexico, not paraguay like last year.. at least Kingsford is made in the USA!!! BTW saw on the WGC website that there briquette manufactorer had moved and they have NONE till late july glad i got what i got Glenn nSC
 
Follow-up question in regards to KF Blue giving off a lot of smoke: Is it BAD smoke that will ruin the taste of the meat, or is it just wood smoke like you'd get off of wood chunks?
 
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