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Business & Tech

Heat Up the Grill for Less Than $5

A bag of charcoal to get the barbecue going costs between $4.50 and $6. Propane goes for between $50 and $60 for a new tank.

The weather is warming up and it’s time to break out the charcoal- or gas-powered grills for summer barbecues.

Prices for an eight-pound bags of charcoal vary between $4.50 to about $6, but can cost more if the charcoal includes mesquite or doesn’t need lighter fluid. Propane generally costs about $20 for a tank exchange or between $50 and $60 for a new tank, though propane isn’t as widely available as charcoal.

The biggest selection of charcoal may be at local groceries stores, including . There, an 8.3-pound bag of Kingsford original charcoal costs $5.99, while a 16.6-ounce bag costs $9.99. The store also offers an 8.3-pound bag of its own Sunny Select-brand charcoal briquettes for $4.49. There are a few other brands, including an 8.8-pound bag of Full Circle Hardwood lump charcoal for $6.99 and a 15-pound bag of Hot Wood 100 percent mesquite charcoal for $9.99. Lucky also offers the Pick Up Propane brand of propane, which costs $50.99 for a new tank or $20.99 in an exchange for an empty tank.

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offers a few brands of charcoal including Lazzari mesquite charcoal, “The Gourmet’s Choice,” which goes for $11.99 for a 20-pound bag or $19.99 for a 40-pound bag. Kingsford original charcoal briquets cost $5.99 for an 8.3-pound bag and $9.99 for a 16.6-pound bag. Kingsford briquettes with mesquite cost a little more–$6.49 for a 7.9-pound bag. Just in time for summer barbecue season, the popular hardware store displays an impressive number of Amerigas propane tanks locked in cages abutting the parking lot. The 15 pounds of propane costs $59.99 for a new canister or $24.13 for an exchange.

doesn’t sell propane, but it does have several varieties of charcoal, and a lot of it. The Kingsford original charcoal costs $7.59 for an 8.3-pound bag, or $4.39 for a 4.2-pound bag. The Kingsford mesquite charcoal comes in 7.9-pound bags, also for $7.59, while the Kingsford Match Light (which is labeled as requiring no lighter fluid and ready for cooking in about 10 minutes) costs $8.99 for a 6.7-pound bag. Lazzari mesquite charcoal costs $5.99 for a 6.75-pound bag or $13.99 for a 20-pound bag.

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sells the 8.3-pound bag of Kingsford charcoal for $5.99, as well as 32 ounces of Kingsford lighter fluid for $5.99. Walgreens also carries tanks of Blue Rhino propane at a cost of $19.99 for an exchange or $49.99 for a new tank. A $3 mail-in rebate was also available. 

The Safeway in the Rockridge Shopping Center offers a wide variety of charcoal and barbecuing tools as well as propane. An 8.3-pound bag of Kingsford original charcoal costs $4.99, and 12.3 pounds costs $7.99, both with a store discount card. The Kingsford Match Light charcoal costs $4.99 and it’s the same price for a 7.9-pound bag of Kingsford mesquite briquettes, both with a store card. A 9-pound bag of Safeway-brand charcoal costs $4.99 and a 7.2-pound bag of Safeway Instant Light costs $4.49, both with a card. Safeway also sells Blue Rhino propane at $19.99 for an exchange and $54.99 for a new tank.

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