Charcoal
The fuel matters more than most people think and less than the internet claims. Ten charcoals compared on heat, burn time, ash and what they are genuinely best at.
Start here
Best lump charcoal
Hotter, faster, cleaner. The searing and kamado fuel.
GuideBest charcoal briquettes
Uniform and predictable. The low and slow fuel.
GuideLump vs briquettes
The straight comparison, and why you should own both.
GuideHow much charcoal?
Quantities by grill size and cook, measured in chimneys.
Every charcoal, compared
Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump
Quebracho is one of the densest hardwoods on earth, which is the whole story. It burns hotter and longer than the softer woods in commodity ...
Fogo Super Premium Hardwood Lump
Sorted so the bag is almost entirely large fist-sized chunks, which matters more than people expect: big pieces stack with air gaps, burn pr...
Royal Oak 100% All Natural Hardwood Lump
The sensible default. Widely stocked, honestly made, and a good sweet hardwood smoke. Piece size varies a lot within a bag, from large chunk...
Rockwood All Natural Lump
Favoured in kamado circles because it burns steadily rather than aggressively, which is what you want across a twelve hour cook. Consistent ...
Kingsford Original Briquettes
Every briquette is the same size and shape, which is the entire point: predictable stacking, predictable burn rate, predictable temperature....
Kingsford Professional Briquettes
A denser, cleaner briquette that lights faster and runs hotter than the Original, with less filler and less ash. Worth the upgrade when you ...
B&B Oak Lump Briquettes
Takes noticeably longer to light than Kingsford and then burns much longer, which is the correct trade for a ten hour cook. Made without pet...
Weber Briquettes
Pillow-shaped and slightly larger than standard, made with hardwood and starch rather than coal dust and petroleum binders. Long burn, clean...
Binchotan (Japanese white charcoal)
Fired at very high temperature until it rings like stone when struck. It produces almost no smoke and almost no flame, just even radiant inf...
Cowboy All Natural Hardwood Lump
Cheap and available almost everywhere, which counts for something on a Saturday afternoon. Quality is inconsistent bag to bag, piece size sw...
We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no cost to you. How this works.