I was at my local Costco this morning. No Kirkland sighting. They did have a pallet of Kingsford Pro on the floor.
2x18 lbs for $22.99.
I passed.
2x20 Cowboy for $17.99 @ wally world works better for me
Panhead John and STEbbq recent video review that was posted on this sub-channel reviews Cowboy lump and rates it tied for first with B&B. I am probably going to pick up a bag and try it out myself if I see it at Costco. I will be going this weekend. 🔥🔥🐿️
No charcoal whatsoever at Costco this weekend although they were selling kayaks 🛶, beach umbrellas 🏖️🏖️ and sunglasses 😎. Apparently charcoal doesn't sell well in February in Seattle. 🔥🔥🐿
Funny, I don’t really pay much attention to charcoal. I generally buy Kingsford, because that is what I use. But if not available, I buy whatever they got. Have not found a big difference. However, I do not use lump unless I’m lighting my smokers. Lump gets a bit too hot. Used lump in my PK360 (for whatever reason - I forget) and the heat from the lump charcoal bent the metal bottom vent cover.
Kingsford does the job and is definitely the most readily available. I just happened to come across Cowboy a couple of years ago and just liked the way it burned...both for grilling and smoking. Currently, it's also cheaper than Kingsford, so that's a bonus
Jessterr - Sorry, don't remember. It happened about 2 years ago. I bought back up covers since then, but still use the old ones. Though a little bent, still works.
Kind of surprised seeing all the hate for Cowboy here. I've never used it, but I remember a while back when it was all the rage on YouTube - this would have been like 5 years ago, though. So, is this a case where most people don't know what they're talking about (too common on niche topics when on YouTube) or has something changed over time? Don't know, but I do know to avoid it now if I ever pick up some lump.
OK wanted to return to the subject at hand and report my results for what its worth. I didn't do a side-by-side scientific type taste test here but what I observed are the 4 things that are important to me. Let me couch this by saying that these comparisons are for my Webers (26" w/SNS and WSM both with fan control). My other rigs, which I primarily grill with, it doesn't much matter since I'm looking for heat I tend to use lump and splits, not briquettes.
For Fasted Starting;
1. Kirkland Pro - about 20 minutes to ash over full chimney
2. Kingsford Pro - again about 20 minutes but the binder and filler make a huge amount of smoke during burn off
2. B&B - irritatingly slow, maybe 35 minutes to ash over full chimney
For Getting Up to Temp (in my SNS);
1. Kirkland Pro - 3-4 minutes
2. Kingsford Pro - 4-5 minutes
3. B&B - 8-10 minutes - seems like the large briquettes take their time to ramp up, again kind of irritating
For Longevity;
1. B&B - those larger briquettes did seem to outlast the others but again some swings in heat. Took the fan longer to control a more steady temperature as shown in the resulting Fireboard cook graphs. Could be the larger briquettes don't pack down as well in the SNS creating too many air pockets.
2. TIED - both Pro offerings seemed to last the same although again, I didn't time them since I didn't have Kingsford as my control.
For Re-Use:
1. Both Pros usually burn out before I can tell, so not sure
2. B&B I would again rate last. Although the briquettes may have a few more left, those with just a little partial burn crumbled into little pieces that got swept away with the ash. A little more binder would probably not hurt in that case.
I realize again this was not a controlled, stop watch type comparison. I'm just observing what I saw after several cooks with each brand. Obviously your mileage may vary and your experience may be totally different.
At the end of the day I'll only use B&B if that's the only thing available (which we have tons of in the stores around here). Kingsford Pro and Kirkland Pro are pretty much interchangeable to me and closely produce the same results. Kirkland has less filler and ramps up a bit faster so I give it the edge. It all depends on what my Costco wants to carry or at what cost because I've seen both in their store.
Finally, from what I can tell Kirkland Pro is not a re-branded Kingsford Pro. They look totally different and act slightly different during their burn time. I think we can safely put that to bed. That said, wonder who does produce these for them??
I've used the Kirkland and really like it. Would agree with Trout's assessment. I do like less filler in the Kirkland compared to KBB. I also think the Kirkland burns longer than KBB.
This is completely anecdotal but... Our family has a cabin that is snowed in for a good part of the year. The storage shed it tight and dry, though. My BIL likes cowboy, I like B&B. The cowboy seems to break down over the year more than the B&B. It still works, but feels kinda crumbly, the B&B is way better for the dutch ovens.
Thanks for the excellent write up, Troutman. The one thing I disdain about Kingsford is the “nuclear cloud” upon lighting up a full chimney, always concerned it might panic or irritate the neighbors. Sounds like the Kirkland is much better in that regard, will give it a go.
Troutman I checked at my local Costco for charcoal briquets. None in sight so I inquired as to when I could expect some to arrive. They said "sometime in March" for the Kirkland brand.
The local Costco had the Kirkland in stock yesterday, so I picked up a couple bags.
used it last night on a pork tenderloin. The results of my very unscientific comparison to my usual Cowboy briqs is currently inconclusive. More testing needed.
I lit a half chimney like I do with cowboy. Minimal smoke at light up.
about 20 minutes from light to ready.
took a bit longer for the kettle to come up to temp, but that could have been an ambient temp issue.
Did not get as hot as cowboy (based on temp gauge in lid) but was hot enough for my needs for this cook.
Lastly, smoky flavor didn't seem as prominent as I usually get with cowboy.
Just my first impressions. More testing to come
The bbq place used to be there. Had greasy sausages from what I remember. It’s some sort of nicnac shop now. Anyway the wood guy keeps coming and going in my mind. Just got to thinking about him and took a drive over there and bought some oak and mesquite.
B&B competition oak briquettes are my favorite. They do take a long time to ash over and come to temp but they burn forever and they burn clean with a gentle oaky smoke flavor. I’ll be giving Kirkland a try. I won’t use charcoal that has off-putting smoke aromas. But, if Kirkland does I can still use it to get my stick burner started.
Found it at our Plano Costco, bought the two bags for $18.99 (I think). Looking forward to trying it. As Troutman said, the B&B takes a long time to ash over, but burns hot. It’s been my go to for a while, but….
I know 
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