Syzygies Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 The coffee lump charcoal from Dennis is amazing. As soon as I got it home I made a small test fire for grilling a steak. If one thrills to fire, this charcoal is irresistible. One will look for excuses to play with it. I ordered a Broil King KA5565 Charcoal Caddie Basket to cradle a smaller, higher fire, and it came today. In my 23" KK it rests on the charcoal basket, with its rim about 3" below the lower grill grate. It has a capacity of about two quarts. Shown, I filled it with less than two pounds of coffee lump, about $2.50 USD at the scale we ordered. The KK is so well insulated, this will easily maintain roasting temperatures for several hours. I'm looking forward to quick fires to prepare single ingredients, such as grilled eggplants or peppers, or to grill a single piece of meat. With this charcoal basket, my KK will be my grill of choice for any scale. And coffee lump will be my fuel of choice. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted June 24, 2016 Report Share Posted June 24, 2016 Very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aussie Ora Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Basket looks good great idea of getting the heat a bit closer to your grate Outback Kamado Bar and Grill♨ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted June 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 For U.S. orders, Amazon is out of stock but Lowes has stock: Broil King KA5565 (Lowes) Broil King KA5565 (Amazon) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Amazon in Canada is out of stock also for 9-12 weeks, just in time for winter.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 I'm pleased to hear that you also love the coffee wood lump. I knew it would be a home run after my first chicken cook with it. We pack the boxes my hand selecting only the largest and medium pieces which have the most volatiles/vapor/flavor. I like the cast iron basket but know that it would perform better for searing if you could seal off around the area around it. Air takes the path of least resistance and will go around the basket to some degree.. This sealing off is what makes a KK outperform all other charcoal grills.. every bit of air that leaves the chimney is forced thru the charcoal. Even MacGyver-ing some tin foil in there will do the trick.. Maybe I'll make up a cnc cut sheet of SS for it to sit in if there is enough interest. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted June 25, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 25 minutes ago, DennisLinkletter said: Maybe I'll make up a cnc cut sheet of SS for it to sit in if there is enough interest. I could get a prototype cut at a metal shop in my area. On one hand, I'm not a diehard fan of the hardest sear possible, finishing sous vide meat. A longer, slower finish imparts a different, gentler kiss of the fire. And 3" away I worry I'll get plenty of heat no matter what I do. On the other hand, suppose one wants to briefly use the KK as a 400 F oven? Sealing the airflow around this cast iron basket would consume the fuel more quickly and efficiently. One bonus, picking up charcoal from Bruce Pearson, was seeing his new 32" KK. I admired how the charcoal basket splitter worked, sealing off airflow away from the part basket. I can see how a splitter could be handy for my 23" KK. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 Syz, the basket splitter is the sniz! (Couldn't help myself, ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EGGARY Posted June 25, 2016 Report Share Posted June 25, 2016 4 hours ago, DennisLinkletter said: I'm pleased to hear that you also love the coffee wood lump. I knew it would be a home run after my first chicken cook with it. We pack the boxes my hand selecting only the largest and medium pieces which have the most volatiles/vapor/flavor. I like the cast iron basket but know that it would perform better for searing if you could seal off around the area around it. Air takes the path of least resistance and will go around the basket to some degree.. This sealing off is what makes a KK outperform all other charcoal grills.. every bit of air that leaves the chimney is forced thru the charcoal. Even MacGyver-ing some tin foil in there will do the trick.. Maybe I'll make up a cnc cut sheet of SS for it to sit in if there is enough interest. Hey Dennis, I am interested in the Coffee Charcoal. What is the difference between the two kinds, the Extruded and the Lump Charcoal ? Is it here in Carson, Ca ? If so, can I pick it up since I am here is So. California ? Thanks. Sorry to communicate with you this way. Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted June 26, 2016 Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 Syz, the basket splitter is the sniz! (Couldn't help myself, ) That's what I was thinking too. Doesn't this solve a problem that already has a solution? A solution that doesn't allow air to bypass. Reef's Bistro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted June 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 (edited) 12 hours ago, ckreef said: Doesn't this solve a problem that already has a solution? By temperament it bothers me deeply that so many of our fellow creatures have two eyes, a nose and a mouth. We're all cribbing the same arbitrary code. What's wonderful about mathematics is waking up to a new universe each morning. My first memory of school was a student teacher stepping before my kindergarten class for the first time, tentatively leading us in a game of Simon Says. I got half the class to play backwards, and she left the room in tears. This is how I'm wired. Dennis isn't exactly the temperament to leave any solution alone, which is why the KK is so wonderful. One mode of problem solving is to maintain an acute awareness of all anomalies. (This is one theme of Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions.) I do own a small Weber charcoal grill, and I'm sometimes tempted to fire it up. I always use the KK instead (it's tidier, for one, and any fire is more surely contained) but the geometry is different. I recall vividly roadside chicken in Thailand, grilled on rather primitive setups, but with very attentive charcoal handling, and a close distance between the coals and the birds. I used a similar rental setup, much larger scale, to grill many chickens for a wedding. The birds were supposed to be a throw away item, for kids who wouldn't eat steak, but they were the hit of the meal, and I'm still trying to sort out why. This is an anomaly. I miss that chicken. I love the chicken I make on the KK, but it isn't that chicken, and I still can't figure out how to make that chicken. Insuring that all airflow in a KK passes through the charcoal is an interesting issue I hadn't considered. For most scenarios, this together with great insulation is responsible for the unusual efficiency of a KK. However, a small fire isn't "most scenarios", and a small fire down in a split basket is pretty far away, even from the lower grate. I'm very tempted by the KK Charcoal Basket Splitter ($128); it will pay for itself, making more efficient use of charcoal lump in roasting scenarios. For "spot grilling" like blackening two red bell peppers for a Spanish dish, I'm going to build the smallest viable fire, and I want it mere inches away from my lower grill. The $40 Broil King is ideal for such moments. If I do go to a local metal shop to cut some steel plate, what I probably want is a plate that replaces the lower grill, with a hole that holds the KK charcoal basket. For those times when one wants a closer, perhaps smaller fire. After all, why not take advantage of the KK equipment; this problem already has a solution! I suppose I should have just said this is an empirical question. Edited June 26, 2016 by Syzygies 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted June 26, 2016 Report Share Posted June 26, 2016 @Syzygies - "... waking up to a new universe each morning." is exactly why I got into academe. I always felt like a kid on Chrsitmas morning looking at all the packages under the tree. I got to open a new package whenever I wanted and play with new ideas, and there was an endless supply of new ideas and questions. Kuhn's book, Structure of Scientific Revolutions is seminal in my world. So is a paper "That's Interesting!" by ??????. Those are the two best things I ever read in grad school. Your post almost made me want to get back into academe. Almost! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBQKaeding Posted July 19, 2016 Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 Thanks for sharing this product! I'm thinking it might be a good way to do small direct cooks on my 23", using the lower rack, for grilling just a couple of steaks. I'm typically only cooking dinner for my wife and I since my eldest boy has moved out and his younger brother has a girlfriend so he's rarely here. Syzygies - do you think this would work well for grilling a couple steaks or chicken breasts without having to heat-soak the KK. I'd think it would work to sear or even do a reverse sear in a short amount of time if I started the charcoal in a chimney first. I would like your thoughts since you have one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted July 19, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2016 (edited) 1 hour ago, BBQKaeding said: Syzygies - do you think this would work well for grilling a couple steaks or chicken breasts without having to heat-soak the KK. I'd think it would work to sear or even do a reverse sear in a short amount of time if I started the charcoal in a chimney first. I would like your thoughts since you have one. That's how I've used it. Buy pork chops at local farmers market from Massa Organics. Freeze. Thaw in sous vide circulator at 0 C. Brine four hours in light brine (1/2 cup salt per gallon water, less sugar). Sous vide an hour to 132 F. Grill over KK coffee charcoal. This was my favorite beef or pork in the last year; we restocked. As pictured the mini basket comes quite close to the lower grill, so fat flares up pretty easily. Next time I'll try the main grate and trim more fat first. A lot of thought goes into "ideal" KK use: Heat soaking the walls. A basket splitter that forces airflow through the charcoal. Yet don't let the best be the enemy of the good, and fire up a Weber for quickies like this. The mini basket inside a KK is easier and more secure. It works; there's plenty of heat for such an application. Edited July 19, 2016 by Syzygies 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted August 11, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 I'm getting to really like sous vide beef or pork, grilled briefly over coffee charcoal. Wow. Tonight, ribeye. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tucker Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 Where do you source the coffee charcoal from ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve M Posted August 11, 2016 Report Share Posted August 11, 2016 1 hour ago, Tucker said: Where do you source the coffee charcoal from ? Dennis sells it. I can vouch that it is wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik6bd Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 On 8/11/2016 at 5:00 AM, Steve M said: Dennis sells it. I can vouch that it is wonderful. Steve what meats do you use the coffee charcoal with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve M Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 6 hours ago, erik6bd said: Steve what meats do you use the coffee charcoal with? Nearly everything. It is my first choice unless using the coco char for a long smoke. I think one of the nicest blends of flavors if I had to choose one though is with wagyu tritip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik6bd Posted May 7, 2017 Report Share Posted May 7, 2017 Nearly everything. It is my first choice unless using the coco char for a long smoke. I think one of the nicest blends of flavors if I had to choose one though is with wagyu tritip. So probably not for brisket huh. The coco is for low temps Dennis said but what about the coffee? Can that go high temps?Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
