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Trader Joe's Hardwood Briquettes

B&BKnox
B&BKnox Posts: 283
edited June 2012 in EggHead Forum
Hey has anyone tried Trader Joe's Hardwood briquettes.  I was picking up some stuff yesterday and saw them.  18 lb bag, $6.99, according to the writing on the bag only two ingredients, hardwood and corn starch.  Low ash production is also claimed.  I grabbed a bag but can't try until this weekend, was curious if anyone has tried.
Be Well

Knoxville TN

Comments

  • Newportlocal
    Newportlocal Posts: 474
    I would like to try some at that price. Let me know what you think. Hopefully more experienced eggers will chime in on the corn starch filler. That is the only thing I am wondering about.
  • My neighbor bought a bag. He was using Kingsford. He said the Joe's briquettes burned much much hotter than the Kingsford.

    A muslim, a socialist and an illegal immigrant walk into a bar 

    Blogging: Never before have so many with so little to say said so much to so few.

  • B&BKnox
    B&BKnox Posts: 283
    The bag also says, burns hotter.


    Be Well

    Knoxville TN
  • sixysixss
    sixysixss Posts: 1
    Any update on how the
    Trader Joe's Hardwood briquettes worked out? 
  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200

    Hmmmm....I was gonna boycott Trader's (and all those other California places that are coming to Texas along with their immigrants and trying to change Texas to California ;) ) , but at that price, I might pick some up.

    And yes, that was all a joke before any Cali's get upset.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • Griffin - just so you know...they're briquettes, not lump. So the wood has been crushed and compressed. More Kingsford than lump.

    I don't know about the Trader Joe's stores where you guys are, but I really don't like the ones up here. They're small, overcrowded and the aisles run at diagonals across the store instead of parallel/perpendicular to the walls.

    A muslim, a socialist and an illegal immigrant walk into a bar 

    Blogging: Never before have so many with so little to say said so much to so few.

  • Griffin
    Griffin Posts: 8,200

    Oops...didn't read that close enough.

    They've only opened up one in DFW and I think its way over in Ft. Worth, so I wouldn't go out of my way to stop in, but I know they have plans to start opening a few more closer by. From what I have heard, they are crowded and most people were not impressed, except the Cali's.

    Rowlett, Texas

    Griffin's Grub or you can find me on Facebook

    The Supreme Potentate, Sovereign Commander and Sultan of Wings

     

  • My wife is convinced it's cheaper than Costco. "Look honey, strawberries for $2.99. It's $7 at Costco."

    Well, that's because you get five pounds at Costco and a measly pint at TJ's.

    A muslim, a socialist and an illegal immigrant walk into a bar 

    Blogging: Never before have so many with so little to say said so much to so few.

  • FanOfFanboys
    FanOfFanboys Posts: 2,615
    I may check out. They are building a trader joes in my town, should be done by end of summer or fall.
    Boom
  • ShadowNick
    ShadowNick Posts: 533
    We got a Trader Joe's down the street from me here in Chicago.   Went in a couple of times, ribs more expensive than Costco, no pork shoulder, steaks are between .5 and .75 inch thick, and ground beef is all 90/10 or 95/5 (yuck :) )  I stopped going for anything other than pizza dough and tri-tip.
    Pentwater, MI
  • DriHeatAZ
    DriHeatAZ Posts: 6
    I did purchase Trader Joe briquettes about a month ago and was very disappointed in them.  I mistakenly thought that they were lump, but they did not burn near as well at the El Diablo lump that I normally purchase.  I actually threw it away!  

    Recently I found the El Diablo lump at my local Costco recently and stocked up - 40 lbs for $11.49.  Can't beat the price ($.28/lb).  Not many fines, but some the of pieces are very large!  Check it out at your nearest Costco.


  • scottc454
    scottc454 Posts: 94
    Briquettes have no place in the Egg. Even if they are all natural/low ash, they don't stick together once they've been on fire. So they crumble if you try to stir out the ash when preparing to re-light.
  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
    We just moved office locations because Trader Joe's was moving in and would share our parking lot. That place has a crazy following. I think every woman in town has been doing a daily drive-by waiting for it to open. No thanks.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • FanOfFanboys
    FanOfFanboys Posts: 2,615
    We just moved office locations because Trader Joe's was moving in and would share our parking lot. That place has a crazy following. I think every woman in town has been doing a daily drive-by waiting for it to open. No thanks.



    Maybe we view things a little diff but I would love visual access to a place every women in towns frequents =))
    Boom
  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
    We certainly do.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • There is new one opening in Wauwatosa the end of summer. Only a handful of blocks from my house. I will have to check it out.
  • B&BKnox
    B&BKnox Posts: 283
    Well I have used them but not a full load, Saturday when I got back I put a good layer on top of my stirred up older lump (GFS, made by RO), lit with a mapp torch and prepared to make pizza, so 1 hour after starting I put on the pie.  Pulled it in 10 minutes perfect as usual brought inside and wife mentioned that the pizza smelled smokier than usual, I used no smoke wood.  Pizza tasted really good but did smell smokier.  Next day I opened egg and on top most of the TJ briquettes where still in tack, as the fire burns down towards the grate.  I stirred per usual and re- fired up the egg for some BSCB, they also were great and could detect no extra smokiness on the food.  Tonight I cooked some BSCT, brined first added another top layer of TJ briquettes and fired up the egg.  Had to wait well over 1 hour for bad smoke to go away before I dared to put food on.  Food was great but waited much longer than usual before cooking food.

    Is it the TJ or my regular lump GFS, I have been finding a bit too much of under charred bark/wood in my GFS bags lately so it could be that.  TJ was involved in 2 of 2 smokier cooks so it could be that.  Ash production for TJ hard to gauge as partial load only and I use a high que grate.  It could be the compressed hardwood in the briquette is not as "processed" as lump is and renders itself to more smoke, then again it could have been bad load of GFS.  Still have more than 1/2 a bag left will use mostly TJ in at least one cook to get better handle.  More to come.
    Be Well

    Knoxville TN
  • NibbleMeThis
    NibbleMeThis Posts: 2,295
    I can attest to his long preheating times tonight.  He's our next door neighbor and our grilling areas are side by side.  Alexis baked a pineapple upside down cake in her large BGE during the time B&BKnox was preheating his.  (not kidding)

    That's okay, that gave us more time to have a few beers on our deck and shoot the crap.  Isn't that what grilling is about?
    Knoxville, TN
    Nibble Me This
  • Elde
    Elde Posts: 148

    My wife is convinced it's cheaper than Costco. "Look honey, strawberries for $2.99. It's $7 at Costco."

    Well, that's because you get five pounds at Costco and a measly pint at TJ's.

    There are good deals to be had a TJ's, but ya have to look for 'em.  The same as any other store really.
  • Rich_ie
    Rich_ie Posts: 268
    We just moved office locations because Trader Joe's was moving in and would share our parking lot. That place has a crazy following. I think every woman in town has been doing a daily drive-by waiting for it to open. No thanks.



    Maybe we view things a little diff but I would love visual access to a place every women in towns frequents =))
    +1 
  • B&BKnox
    B&BKnox Posts: 283
    I cooked all weekend with Trader Joe briquettes.  They definitely smoke longer after light up so one has to wait up to one hour perhaps before putting food on.  They hold together pretty well so after stirring old lump before re-lighting they do not crumble, only the old ash falls off.  If you wait the proper time before cooking food I and my family detected no off flavors, in fact the BB ribs on saturday were the best ever.  I was able to go over 600 degrees easily (pre heat pizza cook, was away a bit to long).  Overall they worked pretty good.  I don't think I would use them for 100% of my fuel source, but mixing some with regular lump, I think they are fine and the price can't be beat. 
    Be Well

    Knoxville TN