Kebroak Mayan Lump Charcoal
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Quick Stats
Date Of Review: June, 2010
Purchased From: Donated by manufacturer
Date Purchased: May, 2010
Price: $12/See review
Weight: 20 pounds
Burn Time:
Ash Production:
Type of Wood: Central American hardwoods
Strange Material: Plastic strand, wheatstraw
Scrap Lumber Pieces: None
Smell: Pleasant, moderate wood smoke
Country of Origin: Central America


Quick Links
Other Information: Click Here
Statements From The Bag: Click Here
Lighting Instructions: Click Here
Unusual Or Unique Statements: Click Here
Photos of Contents: Click Here
Other Photos: Click Here
Photo of UPC Code: Click Here
Contact Information: Click Here


Rate and Comment
Rate And Comment On This Charcoal: Click Here


Commentary

If you take a look at

Map of Mayan Civilization
the Kebroak bag and their website, you will see that this charcoal is advertised as "Mayan Hardwood Lump Charcoal." So we've all heard of the Mayans, but then we've heard of the Aztecs, too. Where exactly was the Mayan civilization located? From Wikipedia we learn that the Mayan civilization
"...extended throughout the southern Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, and the Yucatán Peninsula states of Quintana Roo, Campeche and Yucatán. The Maya area also extended throughout the northern Central American region, including the present-day nations of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and western Honduras."
We provide the map at right to help you get your bearings. You see, this charcoal is manufactured in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, hence the Mayan connection.

Next, you may be wondering about the name "Kebroak." Actually, it is a made up name. The "oak" part comes from the fact that the wood used to make the charcoal is from the oak family. The "Kebr" part of the name is reminiscent of the Argentinian "Quebracho" (which means axe-breaker because of the denseness of the wood). "Kebr" plus "oak" makes "Kebroak."

Since this charcoal is very new, we thought we'd add that you can buy this charcoal in South Florida and online. You can also get pallets by calling or ordering online. The price varies from retailer to retailer, but the price for a 20-pound bag runs between $10 and $14. It also comes in 10 and 5-pound bags.

Now that we have all of that out of the way, let's take a look at the charcoal. As usual, the first thing we do is dump the charcoal out on the ground for sorting and examination. We found about 2 ounces of uncarbonized wood, four small stones and a bit of what resembles wheat straw and dead leaves scattered amongst the charcoal. There was also a small strip of plastic. You can see what we found in the photo below. We weren't really concerned with what we found as the amounts were so small.

As for size distribution, at first glance it looks pretty good, but as we dug into the charcoal we discovered there were no pieces in the bag that we could really justify calling large. So, the entire bag was comprised of medium and small pieces, as well as the chips and dust in the bottom of the bag:

Large 0.0 pounds 0.0%
Medium 10.1 pounds 50.1%
Small 7.4 pounds 36.3%
Chips/Dust 2.8 pounds 13.6%



Total 20.3 pounds

The chips and dust were on the high side of being average when compared to all lump charcoals that we have reviewed. Overall, the distribution was good, but we'd like to see some large pieces in the bag and less chips and dust in the bottom.

Next we have the lighting test in which we see how many sheets of newspaper it takes to get a fire established in a chimney starter. Kebroak took 4 sheets which is average compared to other lump charcoals. While it burned there was almost no sparking and definitely no popping. The smoke is a moderate and pleasant wood smoke.

The next test is the maximum temperature test. We got this charcoal up to 936 degrees which is high compared to other charcoals. Again while burning full tilt in a ceramic cooker there was almost no sparking and no popping. When lighting the charcoal with a MAPP torch, however, we got a violent pop which ejected a shard of charcoal some distance. We would caution you to be very careful in using a MAPP torch with this charcoal.

In our burntime test, Kebroak only burned an average length of time compared to other charcoals and it also produced an average amount of ash compared to other charcoals.

So what we have is a charcoal that rated "average" in four out of five key indicators. The price makes it a bit more attractive than that, so with several average results and one better than average result, we give our Above Average rating to this charcoal.

To the left is the rating that our readers have given this charcoal. If you have used this charcoal and would like to rate it and leave your comments, Click Here

To view reader ratings of all brands, Click Here.


Other Information

"We Plant Trees and Help Communities

Just like our Mayan Ancestors, we believe that if our nature is happy, we are happy. This is why we take care of our land, and we plant more trees. We make our All Natural Mayan Lump Charcoal by pruning and clearing forests of fallen trees, not harming the environment, but making it stronger. We also help develop our local communities in Central America. We want you to enjoy the true Mayan barbecue experience, in an environmentally friendly and socially reponsible way.

Vist kebroak.com to find out more about our environmental and social programs"


Statements From The Bag

"Savor the real flavor", "Burns hotter & longer", "100% Central American Charcoal", "Mayan Hardwood Lump Charcoal", "Starts faster • No chemicals"

"Kebroak™ comes from the valleys of Central America, a mineral-rich volcanic soil region like no other. Our hardwood trees give us a high density charcoal, allowing you to cook like in a true Steak House, at the highest temperatures, with the longest duration and the best barbecue flavor."

"Get ready to unleash the flavor of a true Mayan experience"

"How to Grill

The Cut: Always buy the freshest you can find. Filet or Tenderloin tend to be the most tender and Ribeye the most flavorful.

Seasoning: Go easy on the marinades, just add a bit of salt and pepper, otherwise enjoy the flavors of the meat itself.

Get Hot: Your Kebroak™ Lump Charcoal will reach temperatures up to 1000 Fahrenheit, imparting its smokey BBQ flavor, searing the steak, caramelizing the crust and locking in all the delicious flavours and juices.

Well Done?: Professional chefs recommend that a steak is cooked medium-rare. Give it a try!

Enjoy and listen: The art of grilling the perfect steak is to listen to those that you are serving and fine-tune your recipe as you go along. ENJOY!"

"We would love to hear from you
www.kebroak.com"

Safety Tips
Grills are burning hot • Keep away from children and pets as well as items that could ignite • Don't grill indoors • Don't leave grill unattended • Always protect yourself against burns by wearing appropriate protection like fireproof aprons and gloves • Never pour lighter fluid on burning Charcoal • Store product in a dry place"

"Product of Central America"


Lighting Instructions

How To Light

1. Make a Pyramid
Begin by honoring the ancient Mayan culture, build a pyramid of Kebroak™ Lump Charcoal.

2. Light It Up
In the middle of the pyramid, put the Fatwood and light it by holding a light 10 sec. under it.

3. Leave it
Kebroak™ lights very fast, you have about 10-15 mins. to prepare the rest of your food.

4. Enjoy The True Mayan BBQ
After 15 mins. your Mayan fire is glowing hot, you can spread the charcoal and start the experience.


Unusual or Unique Statements

None


The Ruler Used In The Following Photographs

We use the following ruler in the photographs which follow. The blocks are 1 inch wide. The
upper scale is in inches, while the lower scale is in centimeters. The distance between the
centers of the two targets is precisely 9 inches.


Photos Of Contents

This is the contents of the bag. Those are 1 inch squares on the measuring bar.


Here is a closer view.


Here are the larger pieces we found in the bag.


Here are the uncarbonized pieces we found in the bag, the strip of plastic, the wheat straw,
and the several rocks.


Here are the contents of the bag sorted into medium, small, and too small/chips/dust.


Other Photos

This is how the bags arrived.


Photo of UPC Code

Here is a photo of the UPC code on the bag:


Contact Information

Distributed by Kebroak BBQ Co.
3785 NW 82 Ave. Suite 302
Doral, FL 33166

(305) 320 2675

sales@kebroak.com
www.kebroak.com


About This Review

If you are unfamiliar with our testing procedures, you may wish to read How We Review Lump Charcoal before reading this review. Also, you can read How We Score Lump Charcoal to learn about our scoring system.

Prices listed in our reviews are current as of the date of the review. We do not attempt to keep these prices current.

The conclusions and final rating given any charcoal are based upon the opinion of the author. We recommend that you use our rating only as a guide. You should read the entire review and decide what is important to you in making any buying decision.

Performance ratings are designated with stars, 1 star being the worst and 5 stars being the best:

= Performance is Far Below Average
= Performance is Below Average
= Performance is Average
= Performance is Above Average
= Performance is Far Above Average

Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon at the bottom right corner. Click on the icon to display the image in a new larger window. If you wish to ensure that you are seeing photographs the same way that we are seeing them, we recommend that you calibrate your monitor to a PC-normal gamma of 2.2. You should be able to see the difference between blocks A, B and C below, as well as the difference between blocks 3, 4 and 5.

  

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