Some store brand charcoals are just plain cheap and not worth the serious BBQ'rs time or money. And I know a lot of folks have their own preference for what type or brand charcoal they like to use. That's fine; buy what you like!
If you're a fan of Royal Oak Charcoal (like me) and like saving a few bucks (like me), then you’re going to love this tip..
The tip: Many "Store Brand" charcoals are actually premium briquettes made by Royal Oak.
How I found out: A few years back we saw "Royal Oak" Briquettes at Ace Hardware. I like Royal Oak Lump, so we tried a bag and they were great! Long, clean burn & flavor.
We went to buy more & they were out, so I asked when they were getting get more. The clerk said, “We don’t sell that brand.” HUH??? We’d just purchased two bags. In fact, the second bag was still in our car trunk with the receipt.
He got the bag, and scanned the bar code…
VOILA!!! He grins & says, “Guess who makes our store brand?” Turns out Royal Oak ran out of the "Ace brand” bags, and filled the order using their own bags.
So, on a whim my wife, a Co-Manager for Wal-Mart, checked to see who makes “Sam’s Choice” briquettes and sure enough it’s Royal Oak.
How to tell - Two ways:
1) Look on the bag (usually somewhere around the Bar Code) for a product or SKU number. If you see a number that starts with "RO..." or “ROY…” then it's made by Royal Oak.
2) If you don’t see a product number, then simply ask a manager and they’re usually happy to find out for you to promote their brand.
A few Brands I know of:
- Ace Hardware "Grill Mark"
- Wal-Mart "Sam's Choice"
- Food Club (several grocery stores) "CharKing"
More Royal Oak brands are listed on their website.
Disclaimer: Just for the record, I am in no way associated with Royal Oak. I just like their product and thought this info might be useful.
