Charcoal quality?

[Chill Wills]

Is it just me or in the last 10-20 years has the Kingsford charcoal brickettes and other brands too - lost some oomph? I may be just remembering things wrong, you know, better in the old days and all. But it sure feels like it takes a lot more and does not burn as hot and sure not as long.

[Beerd]

So the bags are smaller, you have to use more and the price has gone up. What's not to like?
..

[gbrown]

So the bags are smaller, you have to use more and the price has gone up. What's not to like?
..

+1 on that. I used to use Kingsford, now, just look for the cheapest. Like many other things,doesn't seem to make a big difference. Lots of things seem to have gone down in quality, up in price. Maybe its just the cynicism they say comes with getting older. Me, its just too much experience with watching things go downhill. Make it cheaper, claim its New and Improved!

[JBinMN]

You can always make your own. It is not hard.

[bob208]

I use Texas lump charcoal. it is all wood no floor sweepings and dirt.

[trails4u]

Yeah....I've moved on to hardwood lump charcoal. No chemical taste.....good smoke flavor, and burns much more consistent in temp for a longer time.

[RED BEAR]

Still use kingsford usually buy when its on sale 2 20pound bags usually between 10 to 15 dollars. Still have some from a few years ago not sure what it goes for now.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Lump charcoal.
I've got a question.

So I've never used lump charcoal before last summer. My Hispanic neighbor gave me a grocery bag of what he called "Mexican charcoal". It looks like the lump charcoal you can buy in the store. While I have never bought any or used any store bought lump charcoal...I've got one question, does it burn like a big sparkler? throwing sparks everywhere? Because that's how this Mexican charcoal burns..it doesn't create any coals, when it's done sparking, it's all gone and there isn't anything left but ashes.

[Wag]

I still use the Kingsford which still works just fine for me. The lump charcoal never was particularly good so I switched back to the briquets.

I don't like the ones which have wood chips infused and I definitely don't use the ones with lighter fluid infused in it! (Match light?) Just the charcoal, a chimney starter and some newspaper to get it all going.

--Wag--

[Idz]

At 7500 ft altitude the only charcoal that worked for me was kingsford. It took a long time to light which why I switched to propane.

[RED BEAR]

I understand about the altitude but propane can't compare to charcoal for flavor. I also use wood chips along with charcoal. I do have a gas grill to keep things warm while the rest gets done.

[MaryB]

Lump is the only way to go, buy a quality one. Availability of brands varies around th country so have to look and see what is carried locally. Friend in TX uses a mesquite lump mixed with oak, I can't get it up here, just oak...

[loveruger]

Switched to a wood pellet grill never looked back.

[Chill Wills]

I tried the lump, one brand at the food store, small bag- pricey. I think it burned fine but no real difference for the price.
I ask the question wondering if anyone might know if the charcoal is made differently than that of twenty or forty years ago? It is probably just me.

One poster said, just make your own - not hard.

Other than Gamble Oak, no hardwood here in the Rockies.... Spruce and Aspen aren't known for making good charcoal. Kingsford charcoal may or may not be what it used to be but it still works. I am a sucker for doing and making all kinds of things but, we each draw the line somewhere. (spending my extra time learning to slow rust blue) Some days finding time to just get the grill lit is hard....

[country gent]

Chill Willis,
one of the reasons for the changes in charcoal is the wood ere getting now isn't near the quality that it used to be. Look at the lumber yards at wood and you see very little truly straight wood or grains wood is being harvested sooner and more sap wood is being used. I Believe when Fords Started making Kingsford it was all oak. The Barbeque charcoal was side market from the steel making at Rouge plant. What I was told years ago.

[Walks]

Yep,
Kingsport ain't what it used to be. I'd check the bag, but I emptied the last into my WEBER charcoal box.
Wonder if It's still made in the U.S.

[jimlj]

I don't think Kingsford charcoal is as good as it used to be, but I say the same thing about watermelon too.
I use quite a bit of charcoal in Dutch oven cooking and have found Kingsford works better than other brands I've tried. I think it lights easier and burns hotter. Most of the other brands seem to leave a lot courser ash, while Kingsford is mostly fine powder. Leads me to believe the other brands have filler of some type in them.

[MaryB]

Kingsford used to be all wood and minimal fillers... now it is soft woods, anthracite coal, fillers... BLECH smells like burning diesel to me...

[Chill Wills]

Hmmm, ..... Well. we all know the internet may not be the last word, but this was an interesting read.
who knew Kingsford, Michigan (Iron Mountain, Michigan)

This, in part from Wiki
"Ford Motor Company sold more than one million Ford Model Ts in 1919, and each of those Model Ts used 100 board feet of wood for the parts such as frame, dashboard, steering wheels and wheels. Because of the amount of wood that had to be used in the cars, Henry Ford decided he wanted to produce his own supply. He enlisted the help of Edward G. Kingsford, a real estate agent in Michigan, to find him a supply of wood. Coincidentally, Kingsford’s wife was a cousin of Ford - making the partnership a reality.[2] In the early 1920s, Ford acquired large timberland in Iron Mountain, Michigan, and built a sawmill and parts plant in a neighboring area (which became Kingsford, Michigan). The mill and plants produced sufficient parts for the car but generated waste such as stumps, branches and sawdust. Ford suggested that all wood scraps were to be processed into charcoal.[3] "

GO here for the full read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsford_(charcoal)

BTW- Mary, looks like you called it right.

[Tom W.]

I bought a red colored bag of some kind of lump charcoal and don't like it. I DO like the Kingsford that is not saturated with starter. I use a fire cup that uses some newspaper to start the charcoal, no starting liquid. The food tastes much better that way.