Stubb's 46015 Natural Charcoal Briquettes, 15-Pound

When I first viewed this product, there was only one review and that reviewer did not like these briquettes because of their "smokyness". My first thought was, guess I better NOT order these. But after re-reading the description where it spoke of a real wood fire taste, I remembered that real wood does smoke. Another look at the reviewers comment did not tell what they were cooking. But I am sure they were dealing with meat and meat has fat. I decided to try both the Stubbs and also a bag of Duraflame hardwood briquettes. Three days ago, when my Duraflames were delivered, I tried them. They imparted a very nice flavor to my T bone steak, hamburger and even Italian Sausage. Well, today the Stubbs arrived and I promptly cooked up my tasty trio. An OVERWHELMING success!!! Not only was the taste like using natural wood, but these briquettes lasted twice as long as my Duraflames did. As far as smoking, yes there was some smoking, but so did my Duraflames. I don't think the Stubbs brand smokes any more than did the Duraflames. The Stubbs brand also states that they use a natural binder to hold the briquettes together. I think that's why these impart more of the flavor of a real wood fire. The Duraflames did have a different undertone/flavor that seemed to taste like a fire that didn't burn off all the lighter fluid. Not to say that the Duraflames were offensive, but when I tasted the foold cooked with the Stubbs, I then realized there is something different about this charcoal. It was like the flavor of natural wood when it begins to "char" over as you cook on it. BOTTOM LINE... The only smoke I encountered was from burning fat from my meat. But I highly recommend this product for it's NATURAL WOOD FIRE FLAVOR with that marvelous "char" flavor and absolutely no petrolium undertone whatsoever.

I have used these briquettes both for indirect cooking and smoking in a Weber 26.5" kettle, using either charcoal baskets or a Smokenator.First time I used them for indirect cooking I poured the same amount as I typically use of Kingsford, etc. (about 30 briquettes), into my chimney and went about my usual process. To my surprise, once my food was done (~1.25 hour after lighting) the briquettes looked almost as if they were still fresh. Normally the same amount of Kingsford in my grill would be completely covered in thick ash need to be tapped to knock off the ash and kick temperatures back up to "normal". I tested this the next time I cooked by loading up my Smokenator and found I only had to raise the lid to tap/rearrange briquettes for temperature maintenance about half as often as usual over a 10 hour cook. I also used 25% fewer briquettes compared to my usual brands over the same time period.I tend to use mesquite for smoking, so I can't definitively say using this charcoal vs. typical stuff actually improves my food's flavor as mesquite tends to overpower most anything. However, I can say the smell of this charcoal when lighting and burning is much nicer than typical charcoal. It smells like wood burning in a campfire.The price as of today (>$30/bag) is way too high, but I recently picked up three bags on Amazon at less than 8 bucks a bag shipped. At that price these are awesome! If this hits the same price point in the future I will buy 5 more.

I used to stock up on the regular Kingsford charcoal when it was on sale, but since using Stubb's in my grill and smokers, I won't be going back. I think it's a great mix of the good things about briquettes (uniform size, easy to light, consistent burn time) and lump (high heat, low ash, no weird flavors or chemicals).The only thing I dislike is how much smoke it kicks off as it lights. I use a charcoal chimney, and for about 10 minutes, until the coals are really starting to ignite, it billows white smoke -- more than any other briquettes or lump I've used. The smoke smells good, like a campfire, but I have to close all the windows in my house before firing up the charcoal. That's the only negative thing I've found, and since it works so well after it's lit, I'm going to keep using it.

This is BY FAR the best charcoal I have ever bought. Other reviewers are absolutely correct, it smokes A LOT ... BUT the smoke smells like a camp fire and not a chemical fire (Sorry Kingsford).The smoke flavor from the product adds a nice touch to every single piece of meat cooked. PLUS the meat cooked at a slightly lower temperature (they do not cook as hot), does not tend to char as quickly before having a chance to cook.I placed the charcoal in a chimney starter and within 20 minutes I was cooking.The price is JUST right at 7.99 with free Prime shipping (in line with Kingford and other major brands).With no chemical taste, a great price, and awesome shipping, I highly recommend this product.