With the new season, I purchased a brand new bag of Match Light. This is the first time, I wasn't able to immediately light the charcoal. I even went and retrieved my cigar torch, which still did not light it. In the end, I put it all in a chimney and used some newspaper to light it. Has the composition changed?

Two stars because it works as charcoal and although I was able to light it without lighter fluid much of the charcoal was wasted waiting for the 'match light' to burn off. I would like to start by pointing out that this was fresh charcoal. I returned from the store with it, poured a third of the bag into the grill, moved the stragglers onto the mound, and tried to light it. I remember when match light meant just that. You would toss a match on, hear a slight whoosh, and your coals would be on their way to heating up. However, I can certify this charcoal as 100% whoosh free. I started off with a BBQ lighter, trying to light coals along the outside and the top. I then attempted holding the lighter under a briquette for about thirty seconds; nothing. At this point, I decided to upgrade to a kitchen torch. Even with the high-temperature lighting was difficult. I had to hold the torch in place until a part of one of the briquettes was hot. Finally, there were some flames, but only above the briquette that I torched. I proceeded to light a few briquettes in different areas this way. There was now a slow process of lumps of coal being heated by adjacent coals until it produced some flame. After thirty minutes, about 70% of the coals had ash but there was still a visibly cold spot. I aimed the kitchen torch for a gap in the center of the cold spot and torched it until I ran out of butane. By the time the final coals were heated and I was no longer concerned about match light chemicals burning off while I was cooking other coals were nearing the end of their life.

I always use Kingsford matchlight charcoal in my smoker, and it has always been a dependable product. I used it as usual last night and the bag burned out in about 1 hour and 45 minutes. This has never happened before and I am wondering if there was a problem with the bag I bought.

We have used this same brand of charcoal for years. Recently, I have had so much trouble getting it to light. I'm not sure if their was a formulation change or something but we have to use lighter fluid most of the time to get the fire going which is completely frustrating not to mention defeats the purpose buying the match light in the first place.

I have been using Match Light for many years and it's better than the rest when it comes to lighting quickly and keeping the heat. I don't always like the flavor some of the food gets because of this charcoal so I do mix it with wood chips for different flavor on chicken especially.

I love this charcoal, it has helped me for many years, i believe this is excellent for a woman whom is grilling. Safer & they are right no fluid& no after taste like fluid does. I just wish it was a little cheaper in most stores for the larger bag. But over all i give it a 5-star in rating.

My otherwise-perfect GF bought what she thought I specified: Kingsford. I buy this brand because it's consistent even though the grill is overflowing with "ash" (read: filler) after every cookout. This instant light stuff is the worst, though. Burns far too quickly and as an added bonus STINKS of lighter fluid! I'm going to start researching the Japanese charcoal (Binchotan) like I should've done years ago.

I grew up on Match Light-- my parents used it, I used it with my parents and when I was old enough, I used it. Now, EVERY TIME I buy it, it doesn't light. Why do I keep buying it? Never again. This Mother's Day, I promised my mom a BBQ so like a sucker I bought Match Light again and guess what, it DID NOT LIGHT. I was furious. I had to delay my Mother's Day BBQ and go to 3 different stores on Mother's Day to find another instant charcoal NOT made by Kingsford. I used the other brand's instant charcoal and it immediately lit! I feel so cheated by Kingsford with its so called guarantee and its useless product that was once the best. These last few years though, it has been more miss than hit (and not just for me apparently). What happened to you, Kingsford? Do you just not care about the quality of your product (or your customers) anymore? Happy Mother's Day. :-/

I thought this would have been easier than using charcoal and lighter fluid. Wrong. First it wouldn't light. Added fire starters and it lit but wouldn't stay that way. Fire wouldn't spread to other charcoal either. I'm 20 minutes in and the charcoal still isn't lit. Worst waste of time and money.

Every year I stock up on this. I loved it for years. Just recently I have had so much trouble getting it to lite. I don’t know what changed. But it’s not the same. It takes us so much to get the fire going. I don’t like other brands. But it’s been really frustrating using them.