Commentary

WW Wood proclaims on their website: "We are the Leading Producer of Cooking Wood in the United States!" We had tried their Wrangler Hickory Chunks that we purchased at Wal*Mart and found them to be top notch, so we were eager to try their lump charcoal, which we could only find on the web. (Since then we have actually found out that you can find it in retail stores. Publix, a grocery chain in Florida, is one outlet.)
Well, we were disappointed when we opened the bag of lump. Considering this is probably the most expensive lump per pound we have ever tested, it turned out to be nothing more than scrap wood, much like Cowboy Lump. As you can see from the photos, there were only two pieces we would call "large", a small amount of medium-sized pieces and the remainder was small. The lump was very easy to light, 1.5 sheets of newspaper with a chimney lighter, and it had a pleasant smokey smell. We did find a Tootsie Roll wrapper in this bag. The lump in general was not very dense and would not be terribly long lasting compared to some of the other lumps we have tried. Interestingly, this is the first lump that we have reviewed which comes in a plastic bag. If the bag remains intact, it should help contain the mess of charcoal dust. In light of the high price, very ordinary quality and poor size distribution, the lump gets our Below Average rating.

Incidentally, we might add that this company is impossible to deal with. They ignored several emails, and quite a few posts to their message board. Most companies that we have contacted will at least tell us that the information we seek is proprietary. WW Wood would do well to learn some manners and at least acknowledge communications from customers and if you can call us that, the "media".

Reader's Score: 2.17  (56 votes)

  5 - Best Ever 3 (5%)
  4 - Good Stuff 3 (5%)
  3 - So So 7 (13%)
  2 - Pretty Bad 31 (55%)
  1 - Worst Ever 12 (21%)
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Other Information

None.

Unusual or Unique Statements

None.

Statements From The Bag

"Natural Hardwood Charcoal Makes Food Taste Great", "100% All Natural Lump", "Burns Cleaner, Lights Easier and Cooks Hotter than Briquettes", "100% Satisfaction Guaranteed!", "Fast Starting - Burns Much Hotter Than Briquettes", "Made In USA", "Fast Starting - Long Burning"
"The Western Way...

Grilling over an open fire is the oldest method of cooking known to man. On the western frontier it was the only way to feed hungry cowhands. Frontier food was prepared over glowing wood embers and was characterized by its hearty flavor and inviting aroma. It was over those traditional fires that "Western Cuisine" was born! The tradition continues with Western Premium Charcoal."

"100% Satisfaction Guaranteed!

"WW Wood, Inc. offers the world's finest cooking Hardwood Charcoal products. We stand behind our products with a complete money back guarantee. Thanks for using our charcoal, Jerry M. Lawson, President"

Lighting Instructions

"Lighting Instructions
1. Stack Western Hardwood charcoal in a pyramid. Preferred starting: Use Western solid Fire-Starters. Break-off one-half bar or less...place in pyramid...light. OR You can use - liquid starter. Apply liquid starter to pyramid, allow 30 seconds to soak-in...light.

2. Allow to burn approximately 15 minutes...when coals are glowing...spread charcoal...you are ready to cook.

3.Control heat level by adjusting air flow - vents open, more heat - vents closed, less heat.

Western Charcoal Burns Hotter Than Briquettes, So Don't Overcook."

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.

There was quite a bit of tongue and groove scrap in the bag.

A plastic Tootsie Roll wrapper was found in the bag.

Here the bag is sorted into large, medium and small stuff. The pile on the far
left was small chips and powder, not that much. As you can see, the biggest part
of the bag was the small pieces.

Other Photos

This is how the bags arrived.

This may violate truth in labeling or something, but check out this clever
technique for getting the United Pummelling, er, Parcel Service to handle this
charcoal with care!! There was one of these labels on ALL 6 sides of the package!

Photo of UPC Code

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

Contact Information

WW Wood, Inc.
1799 Corgey Road
Post Office Box 398
Pleasanton, Texas 78064
(830) 569-2501
wwwwoodinc.com
WW Wood Message Board - (Note that this message board is almost useless since the moderator apparently is only interested in replying to posts that either praise their products or ask where to buy them. She is apparently not interested in posts that provide information about charcoal, pinon wood or using charcoal to cook. She apparently is also not interested in answering any questions about WW products themselves, just where to buy them.)

If you can't find WW Wood products in your area, you can order this charcoal online from The Barbecue Store.