Help me out! I have noticed in the comments that price varies on the 3 brands depending where you live. Do me a favor and reply to this comment with what the prices are in your area.
I'm in the mountains of WNC and Kingsford is that price ($19.98 x2 16lbs) at our local Lowe's store, don't know about the price of the other two brands.
That was a very good comparison, Johnny. I thought you were very thorough. I’ll definitely be trying more of the B&B. Thanks for taking the time to do that for us! Cheers from Dave at Dabomb Smokes!😎🤘
Great comparison, Johnny! Very informative and interesting to see how each coal performs. JD coals, are more expensive and apparently your test shows more expensive doesn't mean better.... 👍👍
I do all my low and slow smokes with B&B briquettes after trying a few different kinds. Burns long and clean. Thanks for confirming what I found. I’ve never liked the Kingsford, I also see that it smokes a ton, ashes like crazy, and burns up too fast.
Great video! I've moved away from briquettes last year and will not return to them: lump charcoal is the best thing for cooking fast, very hot or long cooking and all this with no additive. And if your cooking is done earlier, you can smother your lump and re-use the rest the next day. But.. if I had the choice, I'd go B&B briquettes too.
First ‘by weight” charcoal comparison I’ve seen on YT. Thanks for taking the time to weigh them, makes the results more useful. Haven’t seen JD in my area. I toggle back and forth between Kingsford and B&B. I agree Kingsford initially burns dirty. Not sure why.
Johnny - I found your channel and really like your presentation and topics you cover. You may have covered this somewhere, but where did you get the stands for starting the charcoal chimneys?
@@Viewtoagrill very cool 😎 I really like how you did the charcoal comparison. I was starting a chimney full of Kingsford yesterday and I thought about your comment on how much smoke you get from Kingsford as they’re lighting. A lot of time I use a BBQ Dragon Chimney that has the fan to help start the charcoal. When using that, you don’t get much smoke and the charcoal lights real fast.
Cool informative video. I have never liked Kingsford. I have always used Cowboy Lump because it did really good in my side burner smoker and just used it in my Weber kettle. Recently I just started using their briquettes in my kettle. I am curious about B&B now. Which I have never used. Thanks for putting this out there.
Good comparison Johnny, I love B&B briquettes! Glad Walmart carries them now for $10 a bag , much better than $17 at Ace. I've stopped using KIngsford and replaced it with Cowboy briquettes from Walmart as my cheap charcoal option.
Great comparison, but I see those those fire starters burn for more than 10 minutes!? I just use oil soaked paper towels I have leftover from wiping down cast iron pans and it works but the fire must only last 3-5 minutes and then I'm waiting for the coals to light themselves.
I'm taking a break from Kingsford. They have upped the price over the years by a lot. I have recently been using Cowboy Charcoal Briquettes. About $18 for 2x 20lb bags from Walmart.
One more small thing in favor of B&B over JD. JD does not press their briquets. The pillow shape means I cant put a whole lot of them in my SnS 18 inch travel grill.
love BB, but it's hard to find here, even tho im in SoCal. 😢 when ive orded it half the bag is useless bc of the way the treat them in shipping. Bunch of burquettes are broken and turned into powder
B&B in my town is $9.97 for 17.6lbs at Walmart. Kingsford is $19.92 for 32lbs at my local Walmart. I found JD for $18.97 for 20lbs at a Walmart about 15 miles from my town.
I tried some B&B lump. I was soured as it burned fast, had some "klinkers" and a couple pies of metal mixed in. I do have a bag of B&B Competition Char Logs to use. I may try them Sunday when I do my tri tip. I've been a bit leery after my other experience. I heard from another TH-camr that B&B was bought up by Cowboy. You hear that rumor?
B&B was bought by Duraflame which also owns Cowboy, Jack Daniels BBQ and Western BBQ . I have gone through a lot.. .I would say over 100 bags of B&B charcoal over the years and have never found anything but briquettes in the bag. I will say that I have gone though a lot of B&B lump and found rocks and pieces of plastic in it. The "fast burn" and "klinkers", I have personally not experienced. The lump does pop sometimes. Thanks for watching John.
@@Viewtoagrill I'll give the char logs a shot and keep my last 20lb bag of "blue" in reserve. Ever since I got my 22" Performer like yours with the drop down table I really don't use anything else. My poor Pit Boss pellet cabinet smoker is feeling neglected. Have you tried the Jack Daniels? Wonder if they would impart a good flavor or not. I have tried Pit Boss and Royal Oak charcoal pellets in the cabinet and in my limited opinion they aren't worth it. You want charcoal use a charcoal grill or smoker. As you can tell I'm pretty adamant. But I'm 81 and suffer from Rhett Butler disease. If you don't know what that is check the closing scenes of the movie "Gone With The Wind". Take car and keep videoing. I learn a lot from watching you.👍
I have used the Jack Daniels pellets... they do not impoart any flavor in my pellet grill cooks. John, my dad is now 82 and still builds offset smokers, he is building now... incredible. Use it or lose it... Keep doing what you do.
I was on the BB train for about a month, but then I had a cook where the food was left with like an ammonia smell/taste. Haven't went back to BB since. I've been giving blues hog a shot, since like your video shows, the smoke from kingsford is starting to get out of hand, and im pleased so far, it is just a little pricey.
Send me the link to the article, as far as can tell they B&B was bought by Duraflame, and Duraflame is still a privately held American Company. Duraflame however makes the logs in china... the charcoal is made in Mexico @@Steve-cu1ye
Great comparison Johnny! I was able to get some JD charcoal on sale (Academy) that I have yet to try - 10lb for $6.99. Seeing this video, I might just go back and see if there's any left!
Couldn't agree more Johnny! I've been using B&B exclusively for 2 yrs now and love it! I'm even using their "lump" charcoal for long cooks. I usually get two cooks out of a load of briquettes. Gr8 vid! Cheers, ~Chris
There are a few brands here Big K, Kamado is available and Masterbuilt, Weber, also a British company Oxford charcoal. I need to try some of these out now I have the Masterbuilt 1050 and see what differences there are.
Walmart near Nashville, TN. Kingsford 62.3 cents per pound. B&B 56.6 cents per pound. Jealous Devil 94.9 cents per pound. I just bought but haven't used, Cowboy Hardwood Charcoal Briquets from Walmart for 44.8 cents per pound.
Great comparative video, Johnny. Thanks for that. Being new to charcoal grilling, I've only used Kingsford so far. After seeing this, I'd like to give B&B a try. Cheers! 🍔🍺
Blue bag will never go anywere you would be surprised how many people love the flavor kingsford gives there food for me I haven't found any other briquettes that gives me the flavor I get with kingsford
Do a comparison of how they re-light, my first couple runs with b&b have been awful when it comes to adding them back to rhe chimney to relight and they disintegrate
Hello Caden. I don't relite them in a chimney starter. I knock off the ash, pile them up and then ad lit charcoal on top. Check out my Hot as Hell video to see how I do it.
@@Viewtoagrill but for most of us it's quicker to add the half burnt coals back to the chimney and add new ones to fill the rest and light. Kingsford half burnt coals hold together great, these B&B on the other hand are basically single use. Would be interesting to see how the jealous devil are
This is a good comparison. Let me know how BB fares in the long term. I’ve had bags that are fantastic, then I got a bag that was absolute trash. I used it on a slow cook and it was a nightmare. It turned in to a crumbly pile of black dust. I had to put another brand in to save the fire. The only problem I have with King is their use of anthracite coal and the high amount of ash it makes. The anthracite is probably not harmful but I still don’t like it. I still use King because it’s the same every bag, and I can get it anywhere, so I know what to expect on vacation. And it works as well as I’d ever want it to!
@@Viewtoagrill I believe they call it “mineral char” in their list of ingredients. Watch the video on the making of charcoal briquettes and they specifically say “anthracite coal” is mixed in. I do know that anthracite coal burns super-cleanly, and that’s why I’m not too worried. Still, I do prefer the idea of not having coal in my briquettes. :)
I'd love to try B&B, but they don't exist anywhere near me in Canada. So my go-to will remain the Jealous Devil XL. Yeah, it's stupid expensive compared to others ... but it's been very consistent. Burns hot and burns long. I'd jump to B&B if I could get it at almost half the price though! There's a reason they've built such a good reputation.
Hello Chris. It is very interesting reading the comments. I am learning that access to charcoal is not as plentiful as it is here in Texas. There are probably 10... 15 different brands with in 5 minute driving distance from my house depending on what store I go to. Incredible.
You can’t go wrong with B&B, that’s my first choice always. I’m gonna try now Jealous Devil extra large briquettes just because I saw it on special at Academy the 10lb box was at $2.99.
I’ve tried them all and sadly I would like the better quality briquettes to burn better. They didn’t. The cheap blue bag kingsford seems to work for me. I’m using a Weber kettle.
I think lump has a cleaner flavor. But more importantly for me, is that it is 100% wood. Depending on the brand, briquettes have other things in it besides wood.
I miss typed by saying lump. Really like lump. It tends to be beat to death in shipping to mainly small pieces. So not cost efficient. I meant clean 100% hardwood briquettes. I understand the additives in blue bag. I don’t like that either. I just don’t like the burn I’ve gotten from b&b or jealous devil. They just seem to be to temperamental. Picked up a bag of royal oak briquettes. I’ll see how they do.
I tried the royal oak briquettes tonight on some Weber kettle chicken wings. Sadly I’m still giving blue bag the lead. Is there a secret that you have on how to aquire a full bag of lump charcoal that isn’t beat up into chips.
B&B charcaol still seems to be the same. B&B lump, my opinion is the sizing is smaller. I don't mind the smaller sizing but that is my personal opinion, because the smaller sizing works better in smaller cookers.. like a weber kettle.
My only issue with B&B is how fragile they are when you dump them lit out of the chimney. Only used Jealous Devil once so far for a pork butt smoke on the PK. Since it was cool and windy I was quite surprised I had so much left at the end. Pretty sure it burns hotter than B&B and maybe it lasts a little longer. Anyhow, I wonder how Cowboy’s all natural briquettes would compare since Walmart sells them at such a great price. Anyhow, I think to really test briquettes comprehensively you might need to spread an even bed across a Weber grate and see if they all stay lit. Don’t you hate it when they don’t? Few years ago Royal Oak tried selling their briquettes steeply discounted at Lowe’s around Memorial Day if I recall. I took back a bunch of bags because of that issue. To their credit Lowes was cool and gave me a credit or my money back.
Hello David. Not sure about Cowboy's all natural briquettes but Cowboy is owned by Duraflame which also owns B&B. I wonder if they look the same... My fire really does not go out once I start it, that may be because I use lump on a regular basis. I rarely use briquettes any more.
@@Viewtoagrill yeah it’s usually only cheaper briquettes that might die out on the grate and of course If you’re using a SnS or a Vortex it’s rarely an issue. Cowboy is a little smaller briquette but not as small and flat as Kingsford. Yeah, I’m a big black bag Fogo fan. Use it a lot in my PK especially.
I came here because I am finally fed up with the repeated Kingsford disappointment, and wanted to make sure that it wasn't just me. For decades it was the go-to for 10x-millions of satisfied grillers.. but for some reason I am picturing a conversation taking place sometime in recent years over a mahogany table in the board of directors room at Kingsford.. when they all decided they could upgrade from their lowly old Lear 45s to everyone getting new Gulfstreams along with their 7th ski & golf vacation homes if they merely cut enough corners and screw enough customers who are loyal suckers enough to think they are still buying the king of coals.. which.. obviously.. we are not. So for those of us who are still flying Cessna 172s and staying at Holiday Inn Express… hmmmm… yeah… it’s definitely time to dump Kingsford forever and start cooking for real again.. and I thank you for posting this video to confirm it for me.
Nah b and b don't give you the flavor kingsford does all I care about is what one tastes the best and for me that's kingsford I do like b and b lump but for briquettes kingsford all day
Good comparision Johnny, although I had a strong suspicion B&B was going to be the winner. Those that frequent Steak cook offs (championships) favor using the B&B because of it's ability to reach those higher temps in their PK's. Higher temp's, long burn all add to a better sear and dependability in competition. I agree it's B&B for me, you can tell when opening the bag they're still whole and intact and although the Jealous devil looks good, "why pay more."
I too prefer the B&B but at Walmart they are most always out-of-stock. They do have it at Ace Hardware and it's more expensive so you have to wait for a sale. If I'm running low I'll buy the Cowboy brand at Walmart, not my favorite but it's better than it used to be and you can't beat the price. One thing you might consider is taste test, cook something bland over each charcoal brand. Enjoyed the video!
I use to be a loyal Kingsford user, but it smoked so much I couldn't stand it anymore. I use B&B or JD whichever is available and couldn't be happier... I would also agree on B&B of all 3... it's cheaper and seems to last a bit longer for me compared to JD . I can get JD at walmart, while B&B is farther at Ace.
Interesting video Johnny. Basing these products on price is not a very accurate method. Prices very greatly on where you live,where you shop and time of year. Where I live in Washington state Kingsford is always less expensive then the other two. I have purchased B&B just to try it. It wasn't bad but i wasn't impressed either. The problem for me with JD is it's price. I'll give it a try some day, I think it might be helpful for a competition. But here's the thing about Kingsford. I have never had a bad bag,ever. Im 64 years old and I have never a any bad bags. Thats a great track record. And it's made in the USA. B&B is also made in the US. JD is NOT made in the USA. When I buy Kingsford I wait for it to go on sale then buy a pallet of it. That said good video Johnny. Have a great day. 😅🔥🍻👍
Hello Victor, I agree price is not the most improtant which is why I demonstrated wich charcoal produced the most smoke, which brand ashed over the fastest, which brand got the hottest, which brand lasted the longest, which brand produced the most ash, and then which brand cost the least. ... that is 6 different points of review. After going through all of those the lower price of the B&B swung me to saying B&B was the best option for me. I even provided screen shots and a date when I took those screenshots for the price from the walmart website which is a national chain. I live in Texas, can't tell you what the price is at the local store in WA. I get what you are saying about made in the USA, I am not sure if you notice but I have a section in my description promoting USA products. Since Kingsford is Made in the USA I expect more quality out of them. They failed.
@Viewtoagrill your price in Texas is good on B&B in Texas because it's made in Texas. Less shipping cost. Much more expensive here. Kingsford has 3 plants in the US. The nearest one to me is in Springfield Oregon. About a 3 hr drive from my home. Another concern I have with JD is it's made in Paraguay. The wood used is the Quebracho Blanco tree. Also called the "axe breaker" and is one of the densest woods in the world. But also one of the most endangered forests. I need to talk to Harry Soo about this sometime. It will be awkward. He's sponsored by them. I'm hoping it's not to terribly hot where you are today. It's been 100°f up here the last few days. That's really hot for up here. Later
@Viewtoagrill really? The B&B web page said it was made in Texas. I wonder if it's headquarters are in Texas but made elsewhere. I'm wondering if with this upcoming labor day if there will be any and of the summer sales on charcoal. I'm down to my last 12 or so bags and I'd like to store up enough to make it to Memorial day sales. I won't be holding my breath on that.
I tried Kingsford after about 15 years of Gas grilling. What a joke 16 lbs instead of 20, one look at the briquettes all light and holy, made me wonder huhh????. So I tried them on my brand new charcoal smoker, an hour later they still smoke ( do not eat from them when smoking!) And only half ashed over. Not getting Kingsford any more!!! This is the whole American way any more, more money for less product, and the product is crap. 😢😢😢 I do not believe I have seen B&B or Devil in SE Minnesota, the other prevailing coal is Royal Oak or store brands. I will be trying Oak next.
@@Viewtoagrill I use all different types of charcoal depending on my needs, including binchotan Japanese charcoal that cost more than my first car. Love it all, but every bit of info helps!
For me its not about the burn its about the flavor i dont like the b and b flavor as much as i do kingsford all thesr reviews never factor in the most important part the flavor i dont pick charcoal for the way it lights or how long it burns i do it for that flavor i have loved since my childhood could be the nostalgia of it but for me kingsford gives the best taste
Hey Josh. Absolutely, you should get the charcoal that makes your food taste the best. Kingsford seems to have changed something in the last few years that to me makes the food taste like bad smoke.
I guess if you are known to make very good meats using Kingsford, it could be attributed to all the extra smoke at the beginning of cooks. If you want a less smoky taste, definitely don't use Kingsford. I bet Kingsford R&D have designed their briquettes to smoke like that by controlling the density of the briquette. While your testing covered most of the checklist, the next test would be a smoky taste test by a panel of at least 6 people.
Kingsford will always be my go too coal. B&B did nothing for me. plus KIngsford is found every where, even little corner gas stations out in the Middle of no where. B&B not easy to find, cost way to much, just my opinion
Help me out! I have noticed in the comments that price varies on the 3 brands depending where you live. Do me a favor and reply to this comment with what the prices are in your area.
Orange County, CA
- B&B $16.99/17.6lbs (Ace)
-Jealous Devil $19.98 20lbs (HD)
-Kingsford $19.98 x2 16lbs (HD)
I'm in the mountains of WNC and Kingsford is that price ($19.98 x2 16lbs) at our local Lowe's store, don't know about the price of the other two brands.
Can only get B&B at ace hardware 14.99$ for 17.6lb bag. Cape cod, MA. Still going to try it out though. Kingsford is 19.92 for 2 x 16lb bags.
@jborselli15 anyone notice that Kingsford 2 pack bundles used to be 20lb bags. A total of 40lbs. Damm I miss those.
@@victorbenner539 Yes. I miss the 20lbs bags. 😔
Love all 3 of them. I still buy kingsford when Home Depot and Sam's Club have the 2 packs on sale, but Jealous Devil has become my favorite.
The jealous devil performed well.
When in doubt, use Kingsford!
A lot of folks love kingsford.
I used kingsford for 40 years, found b&b recently, from one of Johnny videos, I’m using b&b from now on,
Keep up good work, thank
Thanks Greg.
For briquettes I only use B&B as I like the size and they burn clean providing good smoke and as your video shows lasts very long. Great job Johnny!
Thanks
B&B is great charcoal, but the regular retail price in my area is $1.34 per pound.
There have been a few comments on different prices.
Thanks for this test.
🙏
Your grilling content is so original and engaging, keep up the amazing work, grill on!
I appreciate that Ben!
Thanks for the comparison. I use Kingsford in my Weber 22 inch and B & B Lump in my Char Griller Akorn.
You are welcome 🙏
That was a very good comparison, Johnny. I thought you were very thorough. I’ll definitely be trying more of the B&B.
Thanks for taking the time to do that for us!
Cheers from Dave at Dabomb Smokes!😎🤘
Thanks for watching Dave.
Great comparison, Johnny! Very informative and interesting to see how each coal performs. JD coals, are more expensive and apparently your test shows more expensive doesn't mean better.... 👍👍
Thanks Kevin.
I do all my low and slow smokes with B&B briquettes after trying a few different kinds. Burns long and clean. Thanks for confirming what I found. I’ve never liked the Kingsford, I also see that it smokes a ton, ashes like crazy, and burns up too fast.
B&B make a great briquet.
Great video! I've moved away from briquettes last year and will not return to them: lump charcoal is the best thing for cooking fast, very hot or long cooking and all this with no additive. And if your cooking is done earlier, you can smother your lump and re-use the rest the next day. But.. if I had the choice, I'd go B&B briquettes too.
I smother coals for reuse as well.
Dr. Johnny. Good experiment!
Thanks!
First ‘by weight” charcoal comparison I’ve seen on YT. Thanks for taking the time to weigh them, makes the results more useful.
Haven’t seen JD in my area. I toggle back and forth between Kingsford and B&B.
I agree Kingsford initially burns dirty. Not sure why.
Thanks for watching Jeff.
Johnny - I found your channel and really like your presentation and topics you cover. You may have covered this somewhere, but where did you get the stands for starting the charcoal chimneys?
My dad makes those stands.
@@Viewtoagrill very cool 😎 I really like how you did the charcoal comparison. I was starting a chimney full of Kingsford yesterday and I thought about your comment on how much smoke you get from Kingsford as they’re lighting. A lot of time I use a BBQ Dragon Chimney that has the fan to help start the charcoal. When using that, you don’t get much smoke and the charcoal lights real fast.
Cool informative video. I have never liked Kingsford. I have always used Cowboy Lump because it did really good in my side burner smoker and just used it in my Weber kettle. Recently I just started using their briquettes in my kettle. I am curious about B&B now. Which I have never used. Thanks for putting this out there.
Cowboy is owned by Duraflame...Duraflame also owns B&B.
@@Viewtoagrill that's interesting to know, thanks for the info. I think I may do my own comparison of the 2.
Thumbs up on this charcoal comparison video..For us Kingsford fans, can you compare the Blue bag vs Professional?
I’ll put it in the list
Love kingsford I just dont get the flavor I love from b and b
Good comparison Johnny, I love B&B briquettes!
Glad Walmart carries them now for $10 a bag , much better than $17 at Ace.
I've stopped using KIngsford and replaced it with Cowboy briquettes from Walmart as my cheap charcoal option.
Hey Mario, Cowboy is owned by Duraflame... Duraflame also owns Cowboy, I wonder if they come out of the same charcoal plant... Take care Mario!
@@ViewtoagrillVTG, this comment is redundant. Did you mean to include a different brand other than, Cowboy?
Great comparison, but I see those those fire starters burn for more than 10 minutes!?
I just use oil soaked paper towels I have leftover from wiping down cast iron pans and it works but the fire must only last 3-5 minutes and then I'm waiting for the coals to light themselves.
Good eyes! They burn for at least 10 minutes.
I'm taking a break from Kingsford. They have upped the price over the years by a lot. I have recently been using Cowboy Charcoal Briquettes. About $18 for 2x 20lb bags from Walmart.
In hard times... relationship "breaks" are good.
One more small thing in favor of B&B over JD. JD does not press their briquets. The pillow shape means I cant put a whole lot of them in my SnS 18 inch travel grill.
That’s a great observation. Thanks for the comment.
I see B&B offers an "Oak" and a "Competition Oak" in the briquettes, same? not the same? can anyone clarify on this.
The one labeled just ‘oak’ is lump.
@@Viewtoagrill gotcha! At the end of the day B & B is a great value, I use 40-50% less briquettes & I get more reusable charcoal for my next cook
love BB, but it's hard to find here, even tho im in SoCal. 😢
when ive orded it half the bag is useless bc of the way the treat them in shipping. Bunch of burquettes are broken and turned into powder
Oh no.
B&B in my town is $9.97 for 17.6lbs at Walmart. Kingsford is $19.92 for 32lbs at my local Walmart. I found JD for $18.97 for 20lbs at a Walmart about 15 miles from my town.
Good to know… but you were supposed to reply to my pinned comment!! Coke on Jeff!!!😂😆
I tried some B&B lump. I was soured as it burned fast, had some "klinkers" and a couple pies of metal mixed in. I do have a bag of B&B Competition Char Logs to use. I may try them Sunday when I do my tri tip. I've been a bit leery after my other experience. I heard from another TH-camr that B&B was bought up by Cowboy. You hear that rumor?
B&B was bought by Duraflame which also owns Cowboy, Jack Daniels BBQ and Western BBQ .
I have gone through a lot.. .I would say over 100 bags of B&B charcoal over the years and have never found anything but briquettes in the bag. I will say that I have gone though a lot of B&B lump and found rocks and pieces of plastic in it.
The "fast burn" and "klinkers", I have personally not experienced. The lump does pop sometimes.
Thanks for watching John.
@@Viewtoagrill I'll give the char logs a shot and keep my last 20lb bag of "blue" in reserve. Ever since I got my 22" Performer like yours with the drop down table I really don't use anything else. My poor Pit Boss pellet cabinet smoker is feeling neglected. Have you tried the Jack Daniels? Wonder if they would impart a good flavor or not. I have tried Pit Boss and Royal Oak charcoal pellets in the cabinet and in my limited opinion they aren't worth it. You want charcoal use a charcoal grill or smoker. As you can tell I'm pretty adamant. But I'm 81 and suffer from Rhett Butler disease. If you don't know what that is check the closing scenes of the movie "Gone With The Wind". Take car and keep videoing. I learn a lot from watching you.👍
I have used the Jack Daniels pellets... they do not impoart any flavor in my pellet grill cooks. John, my dad is now 82 and still builds offset smokers, he is building now... incredible. Use it or lose it... Keep doing what you do.
@@Viewtoagrill As they would say in Fargo "You betcha".
Hey Johnny. The main thing that I would wanna know. What flavor does the B & B & JD gives off?
Great point. Sounds like a great video idea as well.
I use B&B lump for the same reason. High quality and low price. Great comparison!
Indeed!
I'M STILL HAVING MY KINS FORD, BUT GREAT VIDEO 👍🏾
🙏
Where are you finding B&B for that price?
Walmart website and Academy Website.
Ace Hardware has it for 14.99
Walmarts website had it at that price for a while, its now back up to normal price however a different B&B is on sale now.
I was on the BB train for about a month, but then I had a cook where the food was left with like an ammonia smell/taste. Haven't went back to BB since. I've been giving blues hog a shot, since like your video shows, the smoke from kingsford is starting to get out of hand, and im pleased so far, it is just a little pricey.
I actually bought a bag of blues hog to include in this video… but ended up just going with the three I used in the video.
@@Steve-cu1ye really?
Send me the link to the article, as far as can tell they B&B was bought by Duraflame, and Duraflame is still a privately held American Company. Duraflame however makes the logs in china... the charcoal is made in Mexico @@Steve-cu1ye
Great comparison Johnny! I was able to get some JD charcoal on sale (Academy) that I have yet to try - 10lb for $6.99. Seeing this video, I might just go back and see if there's any left!
Better go get some more.
Can you tell me where you get the stands that you have your charcoal chimney on ? I would like to get one. Thanks
My dad made those for me. I’ve asked him before and he is not really interested in making them for sale.
Couldn't agree more Johnny! I've been using B&B exclusively for 2 yrs now and love it! I'm even using their "lump" charcoal for long cooks. I usually get two cooks out of a load of briquettes. Gr8 vid! Cheers, ~Chris
Hello Chris, Couldn't agree more!
Lump for long cooks odd
People with Kamados almost exclusively use lump, Kamados are great for log cooks. You did just give me an idea for a video. Thanks!
I noticed the same thing with Kingsford charcoal I'm glad somebody else noticed.
Hey Robert. They flavor is different to me as well... and not in a good way.
So lucky that you get all those choices of charcoal. Anyone from UK know where you can get these from etc.
Choices are good! What do you have in the UK?
Big K and Globaltic are great
There are a few brands here Big K, Kamado is available and Masterbuilt, Weber, also a British company Oxford charcoal. I need to try some of these out now I have the Masterbuilt 1050 and see what differences there are.
Walmart near Nashville, TN. Kingsford 62.3 cents per pound. B&B 56.6 cents per pound. Jealous Devil 94.9 cents per pound. I just bought but haven't used, Cowboy Hardwood Charcoal Briquets from Walmart for 44.8 cents per pound.
B&B and Cowboy are both owned by Duraflame.
Great test! I’m buying B&B when I see it! Thanks for the detailed research
Awesome
Did each add any particular flavor? I liked your review and look for B&B here in Indiana.
Kingsford had the least appealing flavor.
@@Viewtoagrill that's interesting. You have a great channel and remind me of my high school friends from the RGV.
Nice comparison! I cannot get B&B for that price in my area, I see it for $1.26/lb.
Hello Dan.
Just curious, where do you live?
@@Viewtoagrill - I live in WA state. Not sure why it is so much more here. Maybe just fewer folks using charcoal.
@@danthemann13xx oh wow, maybe it has to do with shipping… the B&B warehouses are in Texas.
Great comparative video, Johnny. Thanks for that. Being new to charcoal grilling, I've only used Kingsford so far. After seeing this, I'd like to give B&B a try. Cheers! 🍔🍺
🍻
Great comparison. The blue bag is definitely done!
Indeed.
Blue bag will never go anywere you would be surprised how many people love the flavor kingsford gives there food for me I haven't found any other briquettes that gives me the flavor I get with kingsford
Do a comparison of how they re-light, my first couple runs with b&b have been awful when it comes to adding them back to rhe chimney to relight and they disintegrate
Hello Caden. I don't relite them in a chimney starter. I knock off the ash, pile them up and then ad lit charcoal on top. Check out my Hot as Hell video to see how I do it.
@@Viewtoagrill but for most of us it's quicker to add the half burnt coals back to the chimney and add new ones to fill the rest and light. Kingsford half burnt coals hold together great, these B&B on the other hand are basically single use. Would be interesting to see how the jealous devil are
This is a good comparison. Let me know how BB fares in the long term. I’ve had bags that are fantastic, then I got a bag that was absolute trash. I used it on a slow cook and it was a nightmare. It turned in to a crumbly pile of black dust. I had to put another brand in to save the fire.
The only problem I have with King is their use of anthracite coal and the high amount of ash it makes. The anthracite is probably not harmful but I still don’t like it.
I still use King because it’s the same every bag, and I can get it anywhere, so I know what to expect on vacation. And it works as well as I’d ever want it to!
Anthracite…. I’ll have to look into that.
@@Viewtoagrill I believe they call it “mineral char” in their list of ingredients. Watch the video on the making of charcoal briquettes and they specifically say “anthracite coal” is mixed in.
I do know that anthracite coal burns super-cleanly, and that’s why I’m not too worried. Still, I do prefer the idea of not having coal in my briquettes. :)
I'd love to try B&B, but they don't exist anywhere near me in Canada. So my go-to will remain the Jealous Devil XL. Yeah, it's stupid expensive compared to others ... but it's been very consistent. Burns hot and burns long. I'd jump to B&B if I could get it at almost half the price though! There's a reason they've built such a good reputation.
Hello Chris. It is very interesting reading the comments. I am learning that access to charcoal is not as plentiful as it is here in Texas. There are probably 10... 15 different brands with in 5 minute driving distance from my house depending on what store I go to. Incredible.
You can’t go wrong with B&B, that’s my first choice always. I’m gonna try now Jealous Devil extra large briquettes just because I saw it on special at Academy the 10lb box was at $2.99.
2.99? Wow!😯
@@Viewtoagrill yes sir. I got 5 just to try them out. I might go back get more lol
What about the Kingsford Professional Competition? I haven’t tried it so kind of curious
I don’t really see the professional around.
I see a lot of competition smokers using Royal Oak. What do you think about that?
I have not used Royal Oak in years. I don't feel like I have the expirence with Royal Oak to make a comment on that.
@@Viewtoagrill if you ever do a video using it, I'd watched it. Just saying. Definitely will use the information from these one!
I’ve tried them all and sadly I would like the better quality briquettes to burn better. They didn’t. The cheap blue bag kingsford seems to work for me. I’m using a Weber kettle.
I usually use lump these days.
I just can’t get a consistent burn out of lump. Lump costs more and I know no difference in flavor.
I think lump has a cleaner flavor. But more importantly for me, is that it is 100% wood. Depending on the brand, briquettes have other things in it besides wood.
I miss typed by saying lump. Really like lump. It tends to be beat to death in shipping to mainly small pieces. So not cost efficient. I meant clean 100% hardwood briquettes. I understand the additives in blue bag. I don’t like that either. I just don’t like the burn I’ve gotten from b&b or jealous devil. They just seem to be to temperamental. Picked up a bag of royal oak briquettes. I’ll see how they do.
I tried the royal oak briquettes tonight on some Weber kettle chicken wings. Sadly I’m still giving blue bag the lead.
Is there a secret that you have on how to aquire a full bag of lump charcoal that isn’t beat up into chips.
Where do you get those stands that you put your chimney starter on ?
My dad made them.
Always wondered what happened to the Kingsford twin pack 20lb bags. $0.52 a pound
It became the 16 lb twin pack… and cost more.
They say that B&B is not as good know because Duraflame owns them now . Is that true is B&B still the same ??
B&B charcaol still seems to be the same. B&B lump, my opinion is the sizing is smaller. I don't mind the smaller sizing but that is my personal opinion, because the smaller sizing works better in smaller cookers.. like a weber kettle.
Looks like you caught that B&B on sale... cause that charcoal is twice as much here. Great comparison !
At Academy 9.99 is the regular price. That was a Walmart screen shot because Walmart is mor accessible.
My only issue with B&B is how fragile they are when you dump them lit out of the chimney. Only used Jealous Devil once so far for a pork butt smoke on the PK. Since it was cool and windy I was quite surprised I had so much left at the end. Pretty sure it burns hotter than B&B and maybe it lasts a little longer. Anyhow, I wonder how Cowboy’s all natural briquettes would compare since Walmart sells them at such a great price. Anyhow, I think to really test briquettes comprehensively you might need to spread an even bed across a Weber grate and see if they all stay lit. Don’t you hate it when they don’t? Few years ago Royal Oak tried selling their briquettes steeply discounted at Lowe’s around Memorial Day if I recall. I took back a bunch of bags because of that issue. To their credit Lowes was cool and gave me a credit or my money back.
Hello David. Not sure about Cowboy's all natural briquettes but Cowboy is owned by Duraflame which also owns B&B. I wonder if they look the same... My fire really does not go out once I start it, that may be because I use lump on a regular basis. I rarely use briquettes any more.
@@Viewtoagrill yeah it’s usually only cheaper briquettes that might die out on the grate and of course If you’re using a SnS or a Vortex it’s rarely an issue. Cowboy is a little smaller briquette but not as small and flat as Kingsford. Yeah, I’m a big black bag Fogo fan. Use it a lot in my PK especially.
I came here because I am finally fed up with the repeated Kingsford disappointment, and wanted to make sure that it wasn't just me. For decades it was the go-to for 10x-millions of satisfied grillers.. but for some reason I am picturing a conversation taking place sometime in recent years over a mahogany table in the board of directors room at Kingsford.. when they all decided they could upgrade from their lowly old Lear 45s to everyone getting new Gulfstreams along with their 7th ski & golf vacation homes if they merely cut enough corners and screw enough customers who are loyal suckers enough to think they are still buying the king of coals.. which.. obviously.. we are not. So for those of us who are still flying Cessna 172s and staying at Holiday Inn Express… hmmmm… yeah… it’s definitely time to dump Kingsford forever and start cooking for real again.. and I thank you for posting this video to confirm it for me.
I am sure it happened exactly like that!😤
Nah b and b don't give you the flavor kingsford does all I care about is what one tastes the best and for me that's kingsford I do like b and b lump but for briquettes kingsford all day
You are totally correct Mr. Eyes!!!! 😢
When I saw the thumbnail, just had to check this one out my man. Hope you are doing well.
I’m just fine.
So bought the B&B Briquettes... accidentally bought the Lump version. Dang those are some large chunks! Lol
I actually use mostly lump.
A very great comparison video. Cheers, Johnny! ✌️
Thanks! 👍
I love that Jealous Devil charcoal.
It’s good stuff.
5:21 ah okay!
Yep.
Good comparision Johnny, although I had a strong suspicion B&B was going to be the winner. Those that frequent Steak cook offs (championships) favor using the B&B because of it's ability to reach those higher temps in their PK's. Higher temp's, long burn all add to a better sear and dependability in competition. I agree it's B&B for me, you can tell when opening the bag they're still whole and intact and although the Jealous devil looks good, "why pay more."
Yep. The comp cooks love it.
The only place to buy BNB charcoal from a retailer is Ace hardware and it is very expensive.$20
Interesting. When I go to the Ace website it says 14.99. What does it say for you? Where do you live?
I'd like to see the test with the new Fogo Biquets made of coconut shells.
I’ll have to see if I can find some.
@@Viewtoagrill I just saw they are exclusively at Ace Hardware and the Fogo online store. Thanks for the videos!
I too prefer the B&B but at Walmart they are most always out-of-stock. They do have it at Ace Hardware and it's more expensive so you have to wait for a sale. If I'm running low I'll buy the Cowboy brand at Walmart, not my favorite but it's better than it used to be and you can't beat the price. One thing you might consider is taste test, cook something bland over each charcoal brand. Enjoyed the video!
Thanks!
I use to be a loyal Kingsford user, but it smoked so much I couldn't stand it anymore. I use B&B or JD whichever is available and couldn't be happier... I would also agree on B&B of all 3... it's cheaper and seems to last a bit longer for me compared to JD . I can get JD at walmart, while B&B is farther at Ace.
I agree... one thing I have noticed in these comments is that the price is not the same depending where you live.
Interesting video Johnny. Basing these products on price is not a very accurate method. Prices very greatly on where you live,where you shop and time of year. Where I live in Washington state Kingsford is always less expensive then the other two. I have purchased B&B just to try it. It wasn't bad but i wasn't impressed either. The problem for me with JD is it's price. I'll give it a try some day, I think it might be helpful for a competition. But here's the thing about Kingsford. I have never had a bad bag,ever. Im 64 years old and I have never a any bad bags. Thats a great track record. And it's made in the USA. B&B is also made in the US. JD is NOT made in the USA. When I buy Kingsford I wait for it to go on sale then buy a pallet of it. That said good video Johnny. Have a great day. 😅🔥🍻👍
Hello Victor, I agree price is not the most improtant which is why I demonstrated wich charcoal produced the most smoke, which brand ashed over the fastest, which brand got the hottest, which brand lasted the longest, which brand produced the most ash, and then which brand cost the least. ... that is 6 different points of review. After going through all of those the lower price of the B&B swung me to saying B&B was the best option for me.
I even provided screen shots and a date when I took those screenshots for the price from the walmart website which is a national chain. I live in Texas, can't tell you what the price is at the local store in WA.
I get what you are saying about made in the USA, I am not sure if you notice but I have a section in my description promoting USA products. Since Kingsford is Made in the USA I expect more quality out of them. They failed.
@Viewtoagrill your price in Texas is good on B&B in Texas because it's made in Texas. Less shipping cost. Much more expensive here. Kingsford has 3 plants in the US. The nearest one to me is in Springfield Oregon. About a 3 hr drive from my home. Another concern I have with JD is it's made in Paraguay. The wood used is the Quebracho Blanco tree. Also called the "axe breaker" and is one of the densest woods in the world. But also one of the most endangered forests. I need to talk to Harry Soo about this sometime. It will be awkward. He's sponsored by them. I'm hoping it's not to terribly hot where you are today. It's been 100°f up here the last few days. That's really hot for up here. Later
@@victorbenner539 B&B is made in Mexico.
@Viewtoagrill really? The B&B web page said it was made in Texas. I wonder if it's headquarters are in Texas but made elsewhere. I'm wondering if with this upcoming labor day if there will be any and of the summer sales on charcoal. I'm down to my last 12 or so bags and I'd like to store up enough to make it to Memorial day sales. I won't be holding my breath on that.
@@victorbenner539 really…
All these years I’ve thought Kingsford was the best to prove me wrong. It’s time to fire up. ❤
They changed something about 2!years ago.
I tried Kingsford after about 15 years of Gas grilling. What a joke 16 lbs instead of 20, one look at the briquettes all light and holy, made me wonder huhh????. So I tried them on my brand new charcoal smoker, an hour later they still smoke ( do not eat from them when smoking!) And only half ashed over. Not getting Kingsford any more!!! This is the whole American way any more, more money for less product, and the product is crap. 😢😢😢 I do not believe I have seen B&B or Devil in SE Minnesota, the other prevailing coal is Royal Oak or store brands. I will be trying Oak next.
Good luck with Royal Oak.
Another great little vid!
Glad you enjoyed it
@@Viewtoagrill I use all different types of charcoal depending on my needs, including binchotan Japanese charcoal that cost more than my first car. Love it all, but every bit of info helps!
B&B 17.6 Lb. bag is $16.99 at Ace Hardware in Southern California. (Yes, I know CA Sucks)
Maybe things will get better over there.
Online 9.99 at walmart thats what i do
For me its not about the burn its about the flavor i dont like the b and b flavor as much as i do kingsford all thesr reviews never factor in the most important part the flavor i dont pick charcoal for the way it lights or how long it burns i do it for that flavor i have loved since my childhood could be the nostalgia of it but for me kingsford gives the best taste
Hey Josh. Absolutely, you should get the charcoal that makes your food taste the best. Kingsford seems to have changed something in the last few years that to me makes the food taste like bad smoke.
Just noticed your reply thanks.
Yep.
Great Video !
Thanks!
I guess if you are known to make very good meats using Kingsford, it could be attributed to all the extra smoke at the beginning of cooks. If you want a less smoky taste, definitely don't use Kingsford. I bet Kingsford R&D have designed their briquettes to smoke like that by controlling the density of the briquette. While your testing covered most of the checklist, the next test would be a smoky taste test by a panel of at least 6 people.
Taste test!
In my town.
What state do you live in?
Great thumbnail johnny
😂
I like what I like KingsFord
I lot of folks love kingsford.
Interesting video my friend.
Thank you very much John.
gdmit i cant tell how much smoke B&B is putting off coz kingsford smoke is blowing all over it lol
🤣
Interesting!
It is!
I will most definitely try B&B briquettes. But I will feel like I'm cheating on Kingsford! I hope that they don't get mad at me!@@Viewtoagrill
B&B...yup!😊
😎
I hate the flavor of kingford original
I agree. I don’t use it anymore.
Kingsford will always be my go too coal. B&B did nothing for me. plus KIngsford is found every where, even little corner gas stations out in the Middle of no where. B&B not easy to find, cost way to much, just my opinion
If you like it then stick with it.
@Viewtoagrill great video thou. Nice job
@@ScottysBackYardBBQ thanks!
Yep. Just like Bourbon Whiskey. You can always find Jim Beam in the middle of nowhere at a liquor store. It may not be the best. But, it is available.
Kingsford has been garbage!
Sure looks that way.
If only the others were widely available. My region of the west coast, I have never even seen JD or B& B for sale anywhere.
Oh wow!