Theory 4…. Never Buy the Cheap Charcoal

So it’s not really a theory… more of a public service announcement… or at the very least a good bit of advice. Over the weekend I hosted the dinner group for my Executive MBA program at our the family cabin. The party turned out well, but got off to a rough start thanks to the generic charcoal that I purchased at the grocery store (I saved about $1.50 by buying the cheap stuff). The Western Family brand charcoal wouldn’t start… even after I dumped about a quart of lighter fluid on it (the lighter fluid was generic too which probably contributed to the problem). I’d leave the BBQ pit for 20 seconds to greet some guests and come back to a smoldering black mess.

After about 45 minutes my friend Brett Edwards arrived and just happened to have some Kingston Match Light charcoal in the back of his car – problem solved! We all had a good dinner… albeit an hour later than we had planned.

Though I am a sucker for many store-brand items, I’ve always believed there are certain products that should NEVER be substituted with a generic version. Toilet Paper has long topped that list… I’ll stay with my Charmin’ thank you…. Now you can add charcoal to the list…. I am sold on the Kingston Match Light for life!