Hello there.
I'm having problems finding good, reliable briquettes to use for low and slow cooking. I used to get 5kg for £5 from Tesco during the summer (I've experimented with a few brands, and Tesco really was the best option, however sacrilegious it feels to say so), but they've not stocked it since November.
My local stores still sell a lot of lumpwood (based in North London), but I've found these to be too inconsistent with maintaining a constant temperature, and burn out a lot quicker. But it looks as though this is my best alternative. I have not tried Big K's briquettes, as I have read nothing but bad reviews. I did buy 10kg from Weber's premium range, but found them to produce a foul smell and a lot of yellow ash, definitely not worth the price.
Has anyone got any suggestions? I've seen some discussion about heat beads across the forum, but have never heard of them before. Haven't had some barbecued ribs for months and am starting to crave!
Thanks
Steve