Yet another review

[jdbower]

I've been pretty much exclusively using the KKEC in my KK and after a little experimentation I figured I'd post my results. I don't have all that much to compare it to, but I did have some extruded coconut from another company (2007 vintage if memory serves) that I burned in my Weber. Since changing fundamental cooker technologies kind of invalidates most tests, about all I can say that the ash production from the KKEC seems to be significantly lower than the stuff I used in "the before time" even though the production of this stuff is more than Dennis had anticipated. As mentioned in previous reviews, the ash has a curious orange tint to it and it can be a little hard to light in the dead of winter with a chimney starter (but my paraffin starters have no issue with it).

The good news is that it's very stable burning. Prior to using the Stoker I'd generally have to make one damper adjustment once the KK gets heat soaked and after that (or for the hour or two beforehand) every time I check the temperature is spot on. Unlike many lump charcoals out there I've never heard a single snap, crackle or pop nor have I really seen any temperature spikes from pieces that crumble in the cooker and expose a lot more surface area to the heat.

Even though I'm not using it to the best of its ability I'm very happy with its longevity. Ideal for long low and slow cooks I've been "wasting" it at 350F with short cooks that burn lots of fuel just to get to temperature. Still I've barely cracked my second box after about 6 cooks and I try to keep my lump basket full. Usually I just toss in a few fresh bricks every time I start the old girl up to keep things populated.

As for flavor, "neutral" describes it very well. Without any additional smoke source you can tell the food was cooked over charcoal, but the taste is very mild and slightly sweet. When you cook with smoking wood these chunks give the lion's share of the flavor/smell to the meal. The KKEC really lets the primary smoke flavor through and doesn’t overwhelm it in the slightest.

So, for what it's worth from an admitted ceramic cooking newbie who's been using it for purposes that probably aren't a great test, I think it's pretty good stuff and very easy to work with.

[Firemonkey]

I will agree with most of that. I have consumed most of 1 box, which may not sound like much, but that has provided several cooks, including a Thanksgiving Turkey and a Christmas rib roast.

I typically have been saving it longer cooks or for special occasions where I want/need the milder profile. I had been lighting it by leaving a little pile of the previously extinguished lump in the bottom of the basket, lighting that, and then piling the extruded on and around the lit pile. That has worked well, since for the longer cooks i always planned ahead.

This week, I have had a different set of circumstances. I found myself pressed for time, and almost out of regular lump, so I used the extruded for some standard cooks (pork chops and a small pork rib roast). IN both cases the grill took much longer than i am used to to come up to temp, Yesterday, it took over an hour for me to get a suitable fire going! I think I used half a canister of propane in my DJ-matic torch, and finally had to throw in some regular lump just to get things going. I think it also requires more airflow than regular lump to maintain the higher temps, but that may just be my imagination or the local weather anomaly.

We have had some really cold temps here in central FL, the kind that only come every 20 years or so, like in the 20s at night. I have to tip my hat to you guys in the northern territories who go out and get the grill going! I used to cook on a weber in Missouri winters all the time, but i guess I am now an official Floridian, becasue with temps in the 40s and a 10-15 mph wind I was not having ANY fun at all tending the grill.

[Syzygies]

As Lazzari has their warehouse not so far from me, I systematically use oak lump for hotter cooks, and KK extruded for low & slows.

For low & slows, I'd say that the KK extruded passes the final test for me. There's tremendous potential for wishful thinking here, but if there were any element of denial in my assessment, I'd be feeling an odd choke in my throat by now, each time I reach for the stuff. I spend a lot of time computer programming, and when I cook my one aim is to get the best food on the table for my friends, so my inner monologue is a slightly crazed rotation through all the views of what to check, what could go wrong, with everything reexamined and no sacred cows. If I were worried about the charcoal, I'd notice by now.

Instead, I exhibit an odd preference for the KK extruded over my remaining hoard of classic K extruded. I have no idea why, but it doesn't let me down. 24 hour cooks use only a fraction of the fuel I can load, so the ash issue has had no practical consequences for me.

If I had to guess, no coconut extruded is completely neutral, my KK hoard is fresher, and I am worried that my smoking wood is old enough to be past prime. (Lazzari sells huge bags, and I'm due.) So I'm reaching for the KK extruded to compensate. Whatever.

We had a freak 70 degree sunny day last saturday, a record for Concord, CA, and a dozen friends over for butt, pot beans, tortillas before I headed to icy New York for a new semester. What a contrast!

[Conodo12]

I am finding myself to be in the same company with Jeff, FM, and Syzygies regarding the KKEC. Jeff has mentioned using the starter bricks to get his lump going. Syzygies didn't make reference to having any issues lighting his KKEC. So I am in the camp with FM on the lighting issue. I use a MAPP torch. I like to get things burning in a hurry so the hotter the better. I have to say that the KKEC will get lit if it is the only fuel in the basket, but it takes some prodding! I find some regular lump (y'know, good ol' Royal Oak) sprinkled in with the KKEC gets things going and saves on MAPP fuel. When I say sprinkled in with the KKEC, I do mean just that. I have taken the time to actually stack my KKEC "in little chimneys" as I have read on this forum until the basket was just about full. Then I sprinkled in some lump over top of my neat piles, and then neatly piled the KKEC for one more row to make out the top. Of course the lump lights first, but it takes the KKEC right along with it.

After a little experimentation I have found that about 90% KKEC and 10% lump makes for a good fire in a fair amount of time. It's a bit of a pain counting each and every piece of KKEC that I add to the basket and then figuring out what that 10 percentile number is to add the lump, but it works every time! Seriously, if you are sitting there thinking that I actually do this, go get another beer! The point of the story is, a little lump with the KKEC will do ya!

I do believe the KKEC burns as close to neutral as I have found. I'd like The Whiz to jump in here and see if that has been his finding. For my purposes, I would never cook a light piece of fish (or maybe any seafood) over anything but the KKEC. This allows the natural flavors of the fish to come through. If you want a little more smoke flavor, just add a little lump or a piece of smokewood. Lastly, the ash production may have been more than Dennis would have liked, but I'm not complainin'! Enough people have talked about how great it is on low and slows so I will just agree with that statement. I have found that it holds the temp rock solid for many many hours and without the aid of the guru.

KKEC is pretty good stuff - I am very curious to see what is around the corner to best it!

[Firemonkey]

Yes, ash production is a non issue. The bottom of my grill has one box worth of KKEC and probably 40 pounds of royal oak in it right now, and I am just at the phase of "I should clean that out soon" but i can get another 10 cooks or more out of it before it becomes a "must clean out."

Dennis wasn't happy with the ash as it was not the product he contracted paid for. But I would not let the ash scare anyone away if they want to try extruded.