Anyone here using the Diablo brand lump charcoal from Costco Biz center?

windnsea26

I've been buying this so far and it hasn't been that bad.  The only thing I don't like is that I have to break down the logs that are inside the bag.  Probably about 5lb of shake in the bag but for $14 OTD (40lb), figure I can't go wrong.  I bought about 6 bags of this stuff.

danguba78

I've gone through a couple of bags of the stuff. There's really very little out there about this brand, and I looked high and low. So, here's one man's more detailed experiences, your mileage may vary. 

• Bottom line, it's a pretty good value. It's not Fogo, but nothing really is. I'd take it over Royal Oak or BGE brand based on the value proposition--low cost per pound.  But in a world with unlimited resources, I'd stick with Fogo. (I haven't tried many other boutique/high end brands.)
  
•  The large pieces I really like, but I have an XL so they all fit. 
•  it is a mesquite hardwood, but it doesn't impart any mesquite flavor. It's pretty neutral. 
• It is really, really sparky when lighting, to the extent I need to wear gloves and glasses when lighting with a MAPP torch.
•  It gets up to temp quickly, but it is harder to control than Fogo or Royal Oak. Not crazy hard to control, just relatively so.    
• It doesn't last as long as Fogo, but it's no one minute wonder either. 
• It creates much more ash than I expected. It works on hot cooks and shorter low and slows, and I even did a packer brisket with it, but the latter was pushing it in terms of ash production and longevity. There's nowhere near as much ash as when using Kingsford Blue Bag in a Weber, but a lot more than I'm used to from lump. 
• I had very little shake in my bag but I pulled from the top of the pile. 

All in all, I'd get it again, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it. 

Side note: Costco Business Center near Midway airport has greater varieties and quantities of meat than our local Costco near downtown Chicago.