Royal Oak Paraguay Lump Charcoal nakedwhiz.com       Home       Lump Review Index       Quick Stats Date Of Review: January, 2008 Purchased From: Assi asian store Date Purchased: October, 2007 Price: 8.99 Weight: 8.8 pounds Burn Time: Ash Production: Type of Wood: Unknown Strange Material?: String Scrap Lumber Pieces?: None Smell: Very mild and pleasant Country of Origin: Paraguay Quick Links Other Information: Click Here Unusual Or Unique Statements: Click Here Statements From The Bag: Click Here Lighting Instructions: Click Here Photos of Contents: Click Here Other Photos: Click Here Photo of UPC Code: Click Here Contact Information: Click Here Rate And Comment On This Charcoal: Click Here Commentary Well, we finally got our hands on the third South American variety of lump charcoal from Royal Oak. Previously, we had reviewed Royal Oak American hardwood charcoal, Royal Oak from Argentina and then Royal Oak from Brazil. This charcoal comes to us from Paraguay and in our never-ending quest to educate you about where all these different charcoals come from, we generously offer you the map at right showing where Paraguay is in South America. So, how do you identify that this Royal Oak charcoal comes from Paraquay versus the U.S., Argentina or Brazil? Each type of charcoal has somewhere on it the country of origin and this charcoal is no exception. As you can see in the photo to the right, the bag is labeled "Made in Paraguay". As you can see from the table below and the photos of the contents further on down, this charcoal is almost all small pieces. There were no large pieces and only a handful of medium-sized pieces: Large 0.0 pounds 0.0% Medium 0.6 pounds 7.1% Small 7.2 pounds 79.0% Chips/Dust 1.3 pounds 13.9% Total 9.1 pounds The bag contained one piece of string, a small rock and a few pieces that had not been carbonized. The amount of chips and dust found in the bag was average, but the huge proponderance of small pieces was way above average for lump charcoals. The charcoal took four sheets of newspaper to light in our chimney starter test, which is average. The charcoal burns with a very mild and very pleasant smoke. Once the charcoal got going in the chimney starter, however, it began sparking a lot. There was no real popping, but the sparking was quite pronounced. In our maximum temperature test, the charcoal burned at 950 degrees which is high compared to most other charcoals. As the fire grew, it was fairly quick to spread and again, the charcoal was very sparky as it burned with a good flow of air through it. It did not produce quite the amount of gritty ash everywhere that has been noticed in a few brands of lump charcoal like Kingsford Charwood, but there was some gritty ash in evidence and thus you might not wish to use this charcoal for high temperature grilling. And forget about using a MAPP torch to light this charcoal. Certain pieces of wood popped violently making it relatively dangerous. Finally, the charcoal's burn time was low compared to other brands of charcoal, but the ash produced was also low compared to other charcoals. So, here we have a charcoal that can burn hot but that produces gritty ash if you do burn it hot. We have a charcoal that has a very mild and pleasant smoke which might make it good for low and slow barbecuing, but the size distribution is such that it might make it hard to keep a fire going overnight. Add to that the high price and we give this charcoal our Below Average rating. 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 None. Unusual or Unique Statements None. Statements From The Bag "No chemicals added", "Quick starting", "Hotter fire", "100% Natural Wood" "All Natural Charcoal Royal Oak 100% Natural Wood Charcoal is changing the flavor of the backyard barbecue. 100% Natural Wood Charcoal is real charcoal. This naturally shaped charcoal lights quicker and burns faster and hotter than regular charcoal briquettes. There are no fillers added. In fact, this is the charcoal our ancestors used." "What is 100% Natural Wood Charcoal? 100% Natural Wood Charcoal Charcoal Briquettes Appearance Looks like wood burned after a campfire. No two are alike. Pressed pillows of charcoal. Uniform in shape. Content Only 100% wood is used. Made from oak, hickory, maple and other hardwoods. A blend of woods and fillers. Only 100% wood if stated on bag. Heat Value Cooks hotter than regular briquettes. Great for searing in food flavor. Lasts longer for extended cooking. Time Takes 15 minutes to get to cooking temperature. Takes about 30 minutes. "Guaranteed Satisfaction 'I personally stand behind our product and offer you my guarantee of satisfaction.' J.P. Keeter, Owner" "For over 60 years Royal Oak has been proud to provide you with premium quality natural wood charcoal. We at Royal Oak stand behind our product and offer our guarantee of satisfaction. We want your barbecue to be successful and if you have any comments or questions please write to us at 1 Royal Oak Avenue, Roswell, GA 30076." Lighting Instructions "For best results, start your fire 15 mintues before cooking." "1. Ligher Fluid Method. Arrange Royal Oak Natural Wood Charcoal in a pile. Sprinkle with Royal Oak Lighter Fluid. 2. Wait one minute for the fluid to soak in. Light the pile in several places. 3. Wait 10-15 minutes or until nautral wood is ashed over. Spread charcoal before barbecuing." "1. Optional Light Method. Open air vents on grill. Tightly crumble or twist 3-4 newspaper sheets and place on bottom of grill below bottom grate. 2. Place natural wood charcoal on top of grate. Leave at least 1 to 2 inches of air space between paper and charcoal. 3. Ignite paper. When coals are ashed over, begin cooking (10 to 15 minutes)l Add more Royal Oak 100% Natural Wood Charcoal as needed." "Do not pour lighter fluid on burning wood charcoal. Never use gasoline to light fire. For best results, store this bag in a dry place." 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 and the one rock. 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 Royal Oak Enterprises, LLC 1 Royal Oak Avenue Roswell, Georgia 30076