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  • Post #151 - May 1st, 2021, 1:21 pm
    Post #151 - May 1st, 2021, 1:21 pm Post #151 - May 1st, 2021, 1:21 pm
    G Wiv wrote:The downside is Wall-Mart, check out took 35-minutes, mainly due to gift cards, and they are ALL Self Checkout now. Worse done gots worser.

    I think I'd rather cook on gas than shop at Wal-Mart. :shock:

    FYI, Zier's in Wilmette had the red, 15-pound bags of Royal Oak lump back in stock today. I didn't buy any, so I didn't ask about the price.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #152 - May 1st, 2021, 4:42 pm
    Post #152 - May 1st, 2021, 4:42 pm Post #152 - May 1st, 2021, 4:42 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:I think I'd rather cook on gas than shop at Wal-Mart. :shock:

    Bride had gift certificates, she wanted Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Wal-Mart stocks Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. When the bride buys anything over tenish pounds I'm the mule.
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #153 - May 1st, 2021, 5:31 pm
    Post #153 - May 1st, 2021, 5:31 pm Post #153 - May 1st, 2021, 5:31 pm
    G Wiv wrote:
    ronnie_suburban wrote:I think I'd rather cook on gas than shop at Wal-Mart. :shock:

    Bride had gift certificates, she wanted Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. Wal-Mart stocks Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. When the bride buys anything over tenish pounds I'm the mule.

    Yeah, understood. I didn't mean to bash, was just wrestling with my own personal limits.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #154 - June 14th, 2021, 3:33 pm
    Post #154 - June 14th, 2021, 3:33 pm Post #154 - June 14th, 2021, 3:33 pm
    20 lb bags of Royal Oak Chef's Select available for $11 at Fresh Farms on Golf.

    Giovanna
    =o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=

    "Enjoy every sandwich."

    -Warren Zevon
  • Post #155 - June 14th, 2021, 4:49 pm
    Post #155 - June 14th, 2021, 4:49 pm Post #155 - June 14th, 2021, 4:49 pm
    Giovanna wrote:20 lb bags of Royal Oak Chef's Select available for $11 at Fresh Farms on Golf.

    I spotted 20-pound bags of Nature-Glo, Royal Oak's foodservice counterpart, at Fresh Farms on Touhy today. I wasn't shopping for charcoal, so I didn't note the price.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #156 - June 28th, 2021, 8:52 pm
    Post #156 - June 28th, 2021, 8:52 pm Post #156 - June 28th, 2021, 8:52 pm
    Giovanna wrote:20 lb bags of Royal Oak Chef's Select available for $11 at Fresh Farms on Golf.

    FF Touhy, though its briquettes not lump charcoal. Decent price, good product, far as briquettes go, not my style.

    click to enlarge
    Image

    Natural Lump Charcoal, count me a Fan!
    Hold my beer . . .

    Low & Slow
  • Post #157 - July 6th, 2021, 4:23 pm
    Post #157 - July 6th, 2021, 4:23 pm Post #157 - July 6th, 2021, 4:23 pm
    Fresh Farms on Golf had what seemed to be a huge supply of charcoal today, including 20-pound bags of Nature-Glo for $19.99 . . .

    Image
    Charcoal @ Fresh Farms on Golf - 21.0706

    Is the shortage over? If so, I expect a huge amount of barely used Weber kettles to start showing up on ebay, craigslist etc. very soon.

    Having scrounged my way around the charcoal shortage during the pandemic, I have to say that Royal Oak went from being my favorite to being on the low end of my range. Just about every other brand I burned was superior, even the Nature-Glo, which I realize is a Royal Oak brand.

    The Royal Oak stuff is usually really small pieces and there are almost always rocks in it. It burns too fast and leaves a lot of unburned pieces and messy residue. Having used Wicked Good, Rockwood and B&B more frequently during the pandemic made me realize how much I like them, even for everyday grilling. They burn a lot longer and cleaner, leaving behind fully burned piles of very light, white ash.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #158 - June 20th, 2022, 12:34 pm
    Post #158 - June 20th, 2022, 12:34 pm Post #158 - June 20th, 2022, 12:34 pm
    Bought 2 bags of regular royal oak lump at walmart a couple of months ago and they were the worst I have ever bought. Maybe got a little over 2 chimneys of usable product out of each 20 pound bag. the rest was small chips and dust. I have never seen anything like it. Ended up tossing about half or more of each bag. Bags looked fine and not abused. Found a new to me brand at the Ace on 41 and 22, blues hog, on sale for $20 for 20 pounds. Its up next.

    -Will
  • Post #159 - June 20th, 2022, 12:45 pm
    Post #159 - June 20th, 2022, 12:45 pm Post #159 - June 20th, 2022, 12:45 pm
    Had luck with the Cowboy brand at Costco. Not all consistently large chunks, but mostly usable. Good value.
  • Post #160 - June 20th, 2022, 3:21 pm
    Post #160 - June 20th, 2022, 3:21 pm Post #160 - June 20th, 2022, 3:21 pm
    spinynorman99 wrote:Had luck with the Cowboy brand at Costco. Not all consistently large chunks, but mostly usable. Good value.

    Does it do a lot of popping and cracking? That's my main memory of the stuff from when I bought a bag a few years ago. Kind of volatile. I wasn't thrilled with it but since I'm always looking for viable lump charcoal, maybe I should give it another shot? Thanks.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #161 - June 20th, 2022, 3:24 pm
    Post #161 - June 20th, 2022, 3:24 pm Post #161 - June 20th, 2022, 3:24 pm
    The only time I had popping and cracking was from using Mesquite. Could that be mixed in with the Cowboy Charcoal?
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,
  • Post #162 - June 20th, 2022, 6:38 pm
    Post #162 - June 20th, 2022, 6:38 pm Post #162 - June 20th, 2022, 6:38 pm
    Cathy2 wrote:The only time I had popping and cracking was from using Mesquite. Could that be mixed in with the Cowboy Charcoal?

    The label says oak and hickory. I presumed it was a density issue but I'm certainly no expert.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #163 - June 21st, 2022, 5:03 am
    Post #163 - June 21st, 2022, 5:03 am Post #163 - June 21st, 2022, 5:03 am
    WillG wrote:Bought 2 bags of regular royal oak lump at walmart a couple of months ago and they were the worst I have ever bought. Maybe got a little over 2 chimneys of usable product out of each 20 pound bag. the rest was small chips and dust. I have never seen anything like it. Ended up tossing about half or more of each bag. Bags looked fine and not abused. Found a new to me brand at the Ace on 41 and 22, blues hog, on sale for $20 for 20 pounds. Its up next.

    -Will

    That Ace has the biggest selection of lump charcoal I have seen anywhere.
  • Post #164 - June 21st, 2022, 6:34 pm
    Post #164 - June 21st, 2022, 6:34 pm Post #164 - June 21st, 2022, 6:34 pm
    lougord99 wrote:
    WillG wrote:Bought 2 bags of regular royal oak lump at walmart a couple of months ago and they were the worst I have ever bought. Maybe got a little over 2 chimneys of usable product out of each 20 pound bag. the rest was small chips and dust. I have never seen anything like it. Ended up tossing about half or more of each bag. Bags looked fine and not abused. Found a new to me brand at the Ace on 41 and 22, blues hog, on sale for $20 for 20 pounds. Its up next.

    -Will

    That Ace has the biggest selection of lump charcoal I have seen anywhere.

    Yes and no. Nice selection but it seems like they only order certain charcoals about once a year, after which it's 'wait 'til next year' if you want more. I wish they'd keep continuous stock of some of their charcoals.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #165 - July 5th, 2022, 2:35 pm
    Post #165 - July 5th, 2022, 2:35 pm Post #165 - July 5th, 2022, 2:35 pm
    Home Depot has Jealous Devil lump charcoal. Very clean burning and large pieces. Not much dust or tiny broken pieces. No pieces that were obviously pallet boards in a prior life. No spitting or popping like I’ve had with Fogo and others.
    Find good food and eat it.
    Sapatero
  • Post #166 - July 5th, 2022, 2:41 pm
    Post #166 - July 5th, 2022, 2:41 pm Post #166 - July 5th, 2022, 2:41 pm
    sapatero wrote:Home Depot has Jealous Devil lump charcoal. Very clean burning and large pieces. Not much dust or tiny broken pieces. No pieces that were obviously pallet boards in a prior life. No spitting or popping like I’ve had with Fogo and others.

    Appreciate the info. I've used a few random bags of it in the past and thought it was one of the better brands I've tried. Maybe I'll pick up a few next time I'm near an HD. Thanks.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #167 - July 5th, 2022, 7:45 pm
    Post #167 - July 5th, 2022, 7:45 pm Post #167 - July 5th, 2022, 7:45 pm
    I wound up with a bit of a backlog of lump charcoal. One is a bag I think I opened last year is Frontier by Royal Oak Enterprises, product of Mexico. I didn't grill/smoke much last year (perhaps 6 times total) so it may have been purchased the year before. It pops with the most violence I've ever seen. I'm not exaggerating to say at least one pop spun the chimney around at least a few degrees. And while I wear safety glasses with this stuff, I caught a popped ember to the upper lip a couple weeks ago, not fun. Some of the larger pieces have been logs about two fists big which I set aside to save for longer cooks. It's fantastic charcoal, very hot and little ash but be careful!

    sapatero wrote:Home Depot has Jealous Devil lump charcoal. Very clean burning and large pieces. Not much dust or tiny broken pieces. No pieces that were obviously pallet boards in a prior life. No spitting or popping like I’ve had with Fogo and others.

    I saw the Jealous Devil at HD a few weeks ago and would have dropped a bag in my cart but I was there for far more urgent issues (failed A/C during a 100 deg spell). This was product of Paraguay, a nation that has very little representation in my household and said to be made of quebracho blanco wood. I look forward to giving it a try.
  • Post #168 - July 10th, 2022, 3:33 pm
    Post #168 - July 10th, 2022, 3:33 pm Post #168 - July 10th, 2022, 3:33 pm
    I bought three bags of the Jealous Devil today. Will be giving it a try this week. Still have a bag of mesquite and about a bag of Royal Oak lump left (two opened bags, one of which got soaking wet). The Royal Oak bags were mostly small stuff, which burnt very quickly. And yes, they were bought at a Walmart. Of course, they were the last few bags I could find two years ago.
    The thing about quotes on the internet is you can not confirm their validity. -- Abraham Lincoln
  • Post #169 - July 10th, 2022, 7:32 pm
    Post #169 - July 10th, 2022, 7:32 pm Post #169 - July 10th, 2022, 7:32 pm
    Xexo wrote:I bought three bags of the Jealous Devil today.

    Funny to mention, I went shopping today and couldn't find the Jealous Devil at the Home Depot on Dempster & Greenwood (where I saw it before), or on Harlem & Waukegan. They had pallets of it just some weeks ago.
  • Post #170 - July 10th, 2022, 8:25 pm
    Post #170 - July 10th, 2022, 8:25 pm Post #170 - July 10th, 2022, 8:25 pm
    BrendanR wrote:
    Xexo wrote:I bought three bags of the Jealous Devil today.

    Funny to mention, I went shopping today and couldn't find the Jealous Devil at the Home Depot on Dempster & Greenwood (where I saw it before), or on Harlem & Waukegan. They had pallets of it just some weeks ago.
    I'm in Salem Oregon and was at a Home Depot that I usually don't go to (there are two in the city), and there it was, a pallet of it in an aisle. I found another pallet with the rest of the charcoal. Wasn't even looking for it.

    Best of luck finding it Mr. R. :mrgreen:
    The thing about quotes on the internet is you can not confirm their validity. -- Abraham Lincoln
  • Post #171 - August 26th, 2022, 1:23 pm
    Post #171 - August 26th, 2022, 1:23 pm Post #171 - August 26th, 2022, 1:23 pm
    Today, in Salem Oregon, I picked up two more 20# bags of Jealous Devil charcoal for $21 each at Home Depot. Marked down from $29.XX ( don't remember the cents part of the original price). I don't know if this was just for that store or not.
    The thing about quotes on the internet is you can not confirm their validity. -- Abraham Lincoln
  • Post #172 - August 26th, 2022, 10:53 pm
    Post #172 - August 26th, 2022, 10:53 pm Post #172 - August 26th, 2022, 10:53 pm
    This is where the brickseek.com HD Inventory Checker (https://brickseek.com/home-depot-inventory-checker/) is your friend. I found the Jealous Devil 20# lump Internet # is 318029712 . Searching near me turned up 20+ bags in Vernon Hills and McHenry. Looking at the closer northern suburbs, Niles Center has 46 bags and the other Niles store has 14. Supposedly. Priced at 24.98 all these places.

    Walmart also sells it as SKU 119478968 but, according to Brickseek, not in this area.
  • Post #173 - March 1st, 2023, 1:45 pm
    Post #173 - March 1st, 2023, 1:45 pm Post #173 - March 1st, 2023, 1:45 pm
    I am thinking of opening a restaurant and have seen that some restaurants claim to use mesquite as cooking fuel, but get it too expensive because they don't source from the primary sector.

    I was thinking that if there were a group of restaurants that use wood/charcoal for cooking shared a full load and rented a warehouse, they would have more self-sustainability and the best possible price directly from the manufacturer, thus generating more profit or lowering their food prices to their clients.

    This may sound obvious but being a not perishable product that can be stored for a long time (unlike most other supplies) gives a better sense of use to the cellar.

    What do you think about this, does it make any sense? Do you know someone who would be interested?
  • Post #174 - April 15th, 2023, 5:39 pm
    Post #174 - April 15th, 2023, 5:39 pm Post #174 - April 15th, 2023, 5:39 pm
    Where are you getting charcoal now that Berger Brothers closed? Thanks
  • Post #175 - April 15th, 2023, 10:01 pm
    Post #175 - April 15th, 2023, 10:01 pm Post #175 - April 15th, 2023, 10:01 pm
    Pilar wrote:Where are you getting charcoal now that Berger Brothers closed? Thanks

    I've been getting it at the butcher and at the hardware store (my nearest is an Ace).

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #176 - June 15th, 2023, 10:38 am
    Post #176 - June 15th, 2023, 10:38 am Post #176 - June 15th, 2023, 10:38 am
    Just wanted to bump this once. Is that the best we got these days? I went over to Berger Brothers the other day to realize it's not there anymore. I missed the memo. So hardware store is basically the best source now?
  • Post #177 - June 15th, 2023, 3:37 pm
    Post #177 - June 15th, 2023, 3:37 pm Post #177 - June 15th, 2023, 3:37 pm
    Binko wrote:Just wanted to bump this once. Is that the best we got these days? I went over to Berger Brothers the other day to realize it's not there anymore. I missed the memo. So hardware store is basically the best source now?

    I think so and depending on what brand/type you use, some online deals are nearly as good as in-person, with the added bonuses of items actually being in stock and not having to schlep.

    I'm not a Home Depot guy but in the past, I think they carried Royal Oak in ~15-pound red bags. If you have access to Restaurant Depot, I think I've seen those there, too. Last week I saw 20-pound, brown bags of Nature Glo lump (foodservice pack of Royal Oak) at Fresh Farms Wheeling but neglected to check the price.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #178 - June 16th, 2023, 8:43 am
    Post #178 - June 16th, 2023, 8:43 am Post #178 - June 16th, 2023, 8:43 am
    I have been on a cold streak lately on my charcoal purchases. Got some canadian maple from heinens that was worthless. Just opened a bag of royal oak from home depot and it has some decent lumps, but mostly thin bark pieces and excessive small stuff. I have never tried some of the more expensive ones like big green egg, but I am guessing they are not worth the price, though if you dont have to toss 1/3 of the bag might make sense.

    -Will
  • Post #179 - June 18th, 2023, 5:35 pm
    Post #179 - June 18th, 2023, 5:35 pm Post #179 - June 18th, 2023, 5:35 pm
    I've been buying lump from Mexico at Home Depot for a while now and have been very happy with it. $20/ bag and they had a big stack. Lots of large pieces. Pretty sure it's a Royal Oak product. It's called Frontier Brand.
  • Post #180 - June 18th, 2023, 11:54 pm
    Post #180 - June 18th, 2023, 11:54 pm Post #180 - June 18th, 2023, 11:54 pm
    ronnie_suburban wrote:Last week I saw 20-pound, brown bags of Nature Glo lump (foodservice pack of Royal Oak) at Fresh Farms Wheeling but neglected to check the price.

    Went back and can confirm that it was $22.99 for a 20-pound bag, so not the greatest price but it's a reliable, solid-quality product, so if you're in a pinch, you could do worse.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world

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