For the first time that in aware of, my local Home Depot is carrying both Fogo and JD lump. I have never used either. I am looking for opinions on one vs the other, price notwithstanding. Both are more expensive than the Royal Oak I have been using, but not by to much. What say you all?
-
-
My view and I have used a few bags of FOGO is that you do get premium performance to go with the premium price. So, it is more a question of a willingness to pay. I don’t think it is worth it but many here do so more power to them. I think B&B and Masterbuilt lump hit that sweet spot of a cheap price for excellent performance but not quite as good as FOGO or JD. Everything mentioned will blow Royal Oak out of the water. -
I use FoGo mostly because JD is not readily available,,,,
Fogo quality has gone down a bit but it’s what I use mostly,,,
JD is great from the last time I used it,,,,that was awhile ago,,,Comment
-
I prefer Jealous Devil as it has less tiny pieces that are useless. Both are good thoughComment
-
Fogo is great. Never tried jealous devil. Where I live there really isn’t much choice so I’ve used royal oak a lot. I’m not sure what to make of the whole lump charcoal debate. People get really, Really, REALLY anal about their charcoal. I guess bc there isn’t much choice I just go for the cheapest. It just doesn’t bother me if there are rocks etc in a bag. I just throw them out. Do I notice the difference between R.O. & Fogo? Of course - they light and burn differently. Fogo snaps and sparks like crazy. But does one cook better than another? I couldn’t say. They only thing I will say is that Fogo has bigger pieces, so for longer cooks that is definitely better. However, my South American grocery store in Newark carries a no name brand that blows away the tsize of chunks in a Fogo bag…at about 80% of the price.
My philosophy is try them both. If you like one or the other, buy them and enjoy. It’s irrelevant what others say/think about price or effectiveness etc.
Comment
-
Personal opinion worth exactly what you're paying for it: Fogo seems to burn hot, hot, hot, and I tend to keep some on hand to load into my charcoal chimney when I'm searing steaks on it. I am suspicious of the wood and tend not to smoke with it. Jealous Devil is a solid American hardwood lump product that I would use all day long on my PK360 if I didn't have access to a supply of cheaper same quality lump that comes out of the Ozarks. A local BBQ supplier drives to the Ozarks twice a year to stock up and I buy that stuff multiple bags at a time. So, my bottom line is you really can't go wrong with either of those products.
Let us know what you think of them!
BComment
-
Do you know where your supplier is getting his? I ain't too far from there... although "The Ozarks" is kinda a big area. lol -
realdocBBQ the brand is called "Timber Charcoal," it's in a generic looking brown bag with black lettering. And on the bag it says, "Made in the Missouri Ozarks."
I found a St. Louis BBQ supplier that carries it so you can see the product.
-
-
I tried both in the beginning but I chose JD by a narrow margin, mostly due to less popping which means something to me because I’m on a wood deck. I don’t exclusively use lump but I generally have a bag of JD around and I have never been disappointed with what I would consider to be too many small pieces at the end of the bag. I’d recommend having a hatchet nearby because there are certainly some larger pieces.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed either way so buy both!
Comment
-
You can find lump charcoal ratings on nakedwhiz.com. They include their test results which I trust more than their viewer ratings. You can also choose to get all charcoal with a 5 on a particular characteristic like low ash. I like everything about Royal Oak except the shortage of large and medium size pieces. B and B has a nice mix but is weaker in other characteristics than Royal Oak. I don’t think there is a perfect lump charcoal. You have to choose based on which characteristics are most important to you. I’ve used Fogo black bag, but it doesn’t seem to burn as long as Royal Oak.Comment
-
I bought a bag of Fogo to try. Then I'll check out the JD. My main problem with Royal Oak is also the abundance of very small pieces. So small they fall through the bottom of my chimney. I'm willing to put up with the occasional rock or "uncharcoaled" piece but I'd like to have more larger pieces in general.Last edited by Dewesq55; March 19, 2024, 06:37 PM.
-
-
JD has so few small pieces, it can be hard putting a decent fire together for low and slow. ;-) I like both, tbh.Comment
-
I go back and forth deciding which one of those I like more. If i am at a store and see either one i will usually grab a bag or two. I might lean slightly towards JD. I think it has more large pieces than Fogo but they both burn hot and do a great job.Comment
-
I like FOGO and Jealous Devil, though I had difficulty keeping JD at a low enough temp for a long, slow cook. Loved it for steaks!Comment
-
I tend to use JD, unless I’m in need and near an Academy then I grab a bag of B&B. Nothing wrong with Fogo, it’s just not available near my normal circles. I think $/lbs is similar if not same.
My experience with JD is very consistent pieces and solid burn times at high or low temps. I don’t always hold powder or small pieces against the brand since handling by middlemen are likely culprits.Comment
-
Those are my two favorite charcoals. I’d take either one.Comment
-
I like them both, but my local ACE doesn't carry JD and I'm too lazy to drive over the bridge to get to Home Depot. So, I enrich the Proctor family by paying full retail for Fogo (black bag).Comment
-
I use JD for direct grilling of steaks, burgers, chicken, It does burn hot, but i like that it does not pop like fireworks during the start up process and the burn off has hardly any smoke. JD quality is great and not a lot of tiny pieces or shake at the bottom of the bag. Plus, like you mentioned its now available from Home Depot which makes it convenient to swing by and grab a bag or two when needed.Comment
Comment